The Franklin Times
Published Every Tuesday & Thursday * ^ , Serving All Of" Franklin County
Your Award Winning County Newspaper
Tel. Gy 6-3283 Ten Cent Louisb,urgv N. C. Thursday, November 30, 1967 1 Twelve Pages Today 98th Year-Number 82
W. S. ETH RIDGE
cthridge <
Promoted,
Reassigned
State Trooper V.S. (BUI) Ethrldge,
a ten-year veteran officer stationed
at Franklinton, has been promoted to
the rank of Corporal and Is being
transferred to Winston-Salem, accord
ing to an announcement by the N.C.
Department of Motor Vehicles. Eth
rldge will be a supervisor In Troop
0 In Wlnston-Salem.
Ethrldge said, "This Is home and
1 sure am sorry to go. I have made
a lot of friends here and I appreciate
everything that's been done for . us".
He said the Civil Defense programs,
which be has instructed, will be con
tinued.
The county will continue to have
a five-man complement of Troopers
and the vacancy left by Ethrldge's
departure will probably not be fil
led until after the school for Troop
ers ends In January.
State Trooper R.L Weathersbee of
Troop A, Elizabeth City Is being pro
moted to Corporal and will be stationed
in Loulsburg with Troop C. "He is
an A-I man", Ethrldge said, "I have
known him for a long time. He is
tops. The people here will like him".
Ethrldge, who has been "extremely
popular In the county, participating
in recreation programs and Instruction
projects on Civil Defense, resides at
300 Mitchell Street In Franklinton with
his wife Dorothy and their two child
ren.
Highway Patrol announced It will
promote 48 men? 44 troopers to cor
poral and four corporals to sergeants.
This Is the largest enmasse promotion
ever authorised for the 38 -year-old
law enforcement agency.
Patrol Commander Colonel Charles
Speed said the promotions will be
effective December 1 and reasslgn
ments will be made as soon as
possible.
The promotion of this very large
number of men Is the first step In
a series of administrative Improve
ments which are the results of a
continuing In depth study of the High
way Patrol by the State Personnel
Departfment," Colonel Speed said.
Colonel Speed pointed out that the
promotions reflect efforts to Improve
the efficiency of the Patrol and to
make advancement through the ranks
easier.
The additional corporals will be
assigned to the existing 36 patrol
districts," Col. Speed said. "This
will allow for closer supervision of
the troopers in the field with ap
proximately one corporal for every
eight troopers. From here on, the
corporals will be in the field with
the troopers."
Motor Vehicles Commissioner Ralph
L. Howland stated that these ad
ministrative improvements and others
to follow are In line with Governor
Moore's recent mandate to retard death
and injury on Tar Heel highways.
"The Patrol is the front line of
defense against these chronic and hab
itual traffic law violators who cause
a majority of the accidents on our
highways," Commissioner Howland
said. "We Intend to make this or
ganisation the finest and most func
tional anywhere."
"We will have about half the men
In Raleigh at 10 A.M. and the other
half at Greensboro at 2 P.M." the
Patrol Commander said.
Peoples Says Hoover s ' Facts" Uotrue
The Old Boy Arrives In Louisburg
Hundreds View Christmas Parade
The largest crowd In several years
attended the Loulsburg Christmas Pa
rade here Wednesday afternoon. Bright
eyed youngsters withstood the cold for
the opportunity to give old Santa Clause
a wave as he arrived at the end of the
parade.
The marchers were led by the Louls
burg High School Band and Included
a number of commercial floats, the
South Granville band, horse-men, a
dance contingent from Zebulon that won
applause from the crowds along the
length of Main Street.
The Ingleslde 4-H float featuring
carolers won first place In the
Judging and will revelve a $25 prize
from the Loulsburg Business As
sociation, sponsor of the parade. Joan
Ambulance Service To
Stop On December 31
There will be no ambulance service
In Franklin County after Dec. 31 as a
result of an agreement signed by funeral
directors In a meeting In Henderson
earlier this week. The agreement calls
for the halt of all such services by
the fourteen firms located In Franklin,
Vance and Warren Counties.
New state regulations requiring am
bulance operators to have a full time
two-man staff plus added equipment has
been given as the reason for the stop
page of service. Practically every
community In the state Is now faced
with the problem that confronts citizens
of the three-county area.
"It would be very impractical for
us to meet these requirements", a
spokesman for the group said. "B
would cost between $20,000 and $25,
000 a year for each home to stay In
the ambulance business", he added.
Another operator said the wage and
hour lawa war* the real cause of the
decisions. He said no ambulance
operator could maintain service under
these requirements. He said a min
imum of $1.80 per hour for two men
on an eight hour shift made it im
practical to continue what he des
cribed as an already losing business.
He also added that It is a $50 fine
to move an ambulance without the
Dr. Larson To Lecture At College
Or. Arthur Laraon, Director of the
World Rule of Lew Center and Special
consultant to the U.S. State Depart
ment, will appear on the Loulsburg
College Lecture Series, Dec. 4, at
8 p.m. in the collate auditorium. The
public la invited to bear him apeak
on "Goals for America."
Dr. Larson, who also teaches In
ternational Law at Duke University
is an Adviser to President Johnson,
and was formerly a Special Assistant
to President Elsenhower. He has serv
ed as Under-Secretary of Labor, and
in 1086 became the Director of the"
United State a Information Agency.
He is author of a number of books
including WHEN NATIONS DISAGREE,
WHAT ARE WE PGR, KNOW TOUR
SOCIAL SECURITY, THE LAW OP
WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION, AND
A REPUBLICAN LOOKS AT HB
PARTY.
Dr. Larson attended Oxford Un
iversity as a Rhodes Scholar, and was
formerly the Dean of the Law School
at Plttaburg.
Ha is a fluent, articulate and hu
morous speaker. As a positive thinker,
>
he look* at life ami the world affairs
from the standpoint of what Americans
can constructively do, rather than from
the familiar position of criticizing men
and their Ideals.
DR. ARTHUR LARSON
state's approval.
The County Commissioners failed to
act on the matter when setting up the
new budget a few months ago and no
funds are earmarked to relieve the
situation.
"I don't know what people are going
to do that need tranportatlon to the
hospital after December 31", the
fuheral director stated.
The Board of County Commissioners
appointed a committee to look Into the
matter some time ago. Dr. John Vassey
and radio newsman Asher Johnson made
report to the Board several weeks ago
and suggested that some agreement be
made with the county volunteer rescue
units.
The Loulsburg Rescue Service, In a
special called meeting Tuesday night
voted to offer assistance to the county
during the emergency. A spokesman
for the group said the Idea behind
the offer Is to eventually set up a
separate emergency ambulance ser
vice with paid personnel and volunteers
on standby. Under this plan, it would
be necessary for the county to pur
chase at least two ambulances and
quarters for the vehicles would have
to be obtained. The central Rescue
headquarters building in Loulsburg has
been offered until arrangements can be
made for suitable quarters.
However, the Board of Com
missioners failed to include the pend
ing ambulance service crisis in the
current budget. Warned at budget that
the situation would develop, the Board
elected to put off any actions. This
leaves the question of finances for what
ever plan the Board might approve.
New state regulations, enacted by
the last General Assembly places strict
requirements on operators of am
bulance services. Some communities
are attempting to underwrite operations
by private firms with tax money,
but this has proven less than sat
isfactory In most places.
Some private firms have sprung up
to take the place of funeral homes,
which make up the bulk of ambulance
operators in the state, but this plan
too, has not been met with a great
deal of success.
Ib has been suggested here that the
hospital operate an ambulance service
In conjunction with Its other services.
However, an unconfirmed report says
hospital officials are opposing such a
move.
Meanwhile, the December 31 deadline
Is approaching and nothing is being
8m AMBULANCE Page 4
Baker's School of Dancing from Zeb
ulon took second place and will re
ceive a $15 prize. Walnut Grove Bap
tist Church won third place and $10.
All floats eligible for the prizes were
non-commercial entries.
Mrs. Juanlta Pleasants, Executive
Secretary olthe Association expressed
the organization's appreciation to all
who participated in the annual event.
The arrival of Santa Claus marks
the official opening of the Christmas
shopping season in Loulsburg and win
dows and stores are decorated for
holiday season.
Jaycees Seek
More Toys
Clint Kennedy, Chairman of the Louls
burg Jaycee Toy Drive has Issued a
call for mors used toys for Christmas.
Kennedy announced that anyone having
toys to be picked up should call any
member of the local Jaycees.
"We want to thank the people for the
toys already given and we will be
glad to come pick up any toys that the
people want to give now," Kennedy
stated.
The organization collects used and
broken toys, repairs them 'or dis
tribution to the needy children at
%- Christmastime each year.
Henderson attorney Llnwood T. Peo
ples has replied to a letter . from FBI
Director J. Edgar Hoover, in which
the Director denied that Agents of the
FBI had intimidated Franklin County
Negro parents who are seeking to
Intervene In the school sulf now In
appeal In U.S. Fourth Circuit.
In a letter, dated November 25, 1967,
Peoples wrote Mr. Hoover, "The In
formation contained in your letter does
not set the record straight. IlLdoes es
tablish that my clients were inter
viewed by the Federal Agents as was
duly reported to us by our clients.
Further the interviews were conducted
at the request of the Department of
Justice, which is headed by the At
torney General of the United States
who is a party to the Civil Action, Cop
pedge et al and United States vs
Franklin "County Board of Education
At al C.1796, and at the specific "re
. quest of the man who heads the Di
vision that handles such Actions".
Doar Resigns
CBS News reported ' last
night that John Doar, Assistant
Attorney General of the United
States in charge of the Civil
Rights Division and involved
in the current controversy be
tween 4he Justice Department
and attorneys for a group of
Franklin County Negro parents,
has resigned. ?
Walter Cronkite reported on
the Evening News that Doar
has quit to reenter private law
practice. WRAL-TV Raleigh,
reported, also Wednesday night,
that Doar was not available for
comment on the Franklin case
and his resignation.
The ^6-year-old federal at
torney is best known for his
appearance in Jackson, Miss.,
where a group of Negroes
swarmed into the streets to
avenge the murder of Medgar
Evers. Doar appeared and
yelled over the roar of the
crowd, "My name is John Doar,
D-O-A-R. I'm from the Justice
Department and anybody around
here knows I stand for what
is right."
WRAL-TV Dateline News
also reported that a check w>.th
leading lawyers had revealed
the opinion by them that ac
tions by the Department of
Justice in sending FBI agents
into Franklin County to ques
tion Negro clients without con
sent of their attorney, Linwood
T. Peoples of Henderson, was
a breech of the canons of the
N . C . Bar Association and the
American Bar Association.
V ?
Mr. Hoover wrote Peoples on
November 20 that his agents had come
to Franklin County at the request of
John Doar, Assistant Attorney Gen
eral In charge of the Civil Rights
Division, United States Department of
Justice.
Peoples charges, In his letter, "Your
other 'facts', we reject as untrue. Not
only did the Agents question our clients
as to how they came to hire our law
firm, but also as to how they traveled
to Henderson, how we were paid, and
whether or not economic pressure was
exerted on them; as well as other ques
tions concerning the Issues raised In
their motion to intervene in the above
Oivil Action".
Mr. Hoover had stated In his letter,
"Your clients were not questioned as
to how they came to hire your firm
nor were they intimidated In anyway".
"Several of our clients told us these
things, Mr. Hoover", Peoples' letter
continues, "and we questioned them
very closely, thoroughly, and sep
arately In the approved manner con
cerning what was asked them and we
had a chance to observe them and
their demeanors while answering our
questions and we are convinced they
were telling us the truth".
The exact number of parents In
terviewed is unknown. A reliable source
has reported there are sixteen parents
who are seeking to enter the suit,
claiming that eleven original Negro
plaintiffs, represented by NAACP at
torney Lavonne Chambers of Charlotte,
did ipt represent thtftn In their so
called- class action against the Board
of Education. Thef suit resulted In an
August 17 order from' Judge Algernon
Butler of U.S Eastern District Court
.knocking down freedom of choice In
Franklin County. Judge Butler also
ordered at least ten percent of the
Negro school population be transferred
to predominantly white schools.
Children of the parents represented
by the ffrm of Allen and Peoples of
Henderson, were assigned against their
wishes of their parents to pre
dominantly white schools.
The FBI Director had charged last
week that Peoples caused the publica
tion of "baseless allegations" In The
Franklin Times and purported to set
the record straight.
Mr. Peoples' letter offers to fur
nish the Director with affidavits, "If
you still feel our accusations ground
less".
"It still seems highly unethical",
writes Peoples, "for the Attorney Gen
eral's Agents to question our clients
when he Is a party to the Action In
which they seek to Intervene, and we
still cannot believe that such action
could serve any other purpose than to
Intimidate them".
Peoples again asked for a copy of
the agent's reports and the names of
the agents who questioned his clients.
"Since you have Indicated a desire
to furnish us with the facts, perhaps
you would be kind enough to send us
the report and the agent's names.
See FACTS Page 4
Miss Franoca Contestants
Contestants In Frankllnton's Miss Franoca contest are
shown above. The winner will be chosen Friday, December 1.
Pictured left to right, front row: Debra Satterwhlte, Joan
Blackley, Jane Roberts, Pam Radford and Alice Green.
Second row: Teresa Corn, Patricia Prultt, Donna Strother,
Donna Holmes, Annette Ball. Third raw: Mart* Nail, Rom
Eury, Diane Colllna, Wendy Gupton, Lynn Carter, Beaa
Green and Vlckl Cash. Photo by Mra. Bert Wkttfleld.