The FraH'kMn Times
l^Vc^ I <?? I
Published Every Tuesday & Thursday
Serving All Of Franklin County
Tel. GY6-3283
Ten Cents
Louisburg, N. C., Thursday. September 26, 1968
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(Sixteen Pages Today)
99th Year-Number 64
This is The Tar River Below Bickett Bridge
Precious Water Runninq Out
Folks in this area who are planning
to do some things " if the crik don't
rise" might as well firm their plans. It
is extremely doubtful that any "criks"
are going to rise anytime soon. There
has been almost no rain here in the
past forty-five days. For those weather
watchers, it can be said that .20 inches
fell on Friday, September 6, in the
Louisburg area. That was the only
precipitation since August 16.
While the public continues to
wash cars, water lawns and flow
ers and soak leisurely in their
hot baths, the Tar River is slow
ly but visibly drying up. Today a
small child can walk the bottom
of the river without getting its
feet wet. Fresh green grass is
growing where fish bedded a few
weeks ago. Even the mud has
turned to sand.
Last year, eight inches of rain fell in
the area during the month of August
alone. This year from August 1
through August 16, only 3.17 inches
fell. This is the dry est period suffered
in this area since current records have
been kept beginning in 1961.
Glenn 0. Kennedy , Louisburg
weatherman, reports that the
River is holding at 1.30 feet. It
has been at this exact reading
since August 28, except for
three days when it read 1.35
/ feet. By comparison, the Tar in
Mother dry periods stood at 1.62
in September, 1961 and from
1.50 to 1.55 in October, 1963.
In 1961, for 35 days the River
measured between 1.40 feet and /
1.60 feet.
The area has also received the least
rain of any month in the seven year
recorded period. August, 1961 rainfall
measured .61 inches. In October, 1963
it measured .45 Inches and the River
stood between 1.S0 and 1.55 for 25
days.
The dry est month among those
listed in Mr. Kennedy's current records
is December of 1965 when the area
received only .36 inches of rainfall.
Louisburg Mayor V. A.
Peoples reported Wednesday
that "We V* holding our own. We
are not in any dangerous stage
yet." He reported that Town
crews lowered the intake pipe at
the River two feet about six
weeks ago and "this has so far
solved the problem. "
Peoples said the two Town tanks
and the reservoir are about two-thirds
full, which it normal. He also aid that
consumers are using more water pre
sently than during similar periods in
the past. He did not have an explana
tion for this, he added.
Beneath the Tar River bridge on
Blckett Bhrd, the water, while still
flowing, is nothing more than a small
stream. If relief doesn't come soon,
many may turn the Faucet one day
only to find nothing happens.
Mayor Peoples has said,
"Well have to have restrictions
By Clint Fuller
Times Managing Editor
unless relief comes soon "He had
explained that there are no plans
at present for restrictions. One
spokesman said, "We have
enough water for two weeks".
He did not elaborate. A private
citizen asked, "What happens if
we have a big fire". He then
attempted to answer his own
question by saying, "We'd be in
a fix, wouldn't we?"
The possibility of fire is ever pre
sent and should a "big" one break out,
the water stored in the tanks and
reservoir would probably be adequate.
What would happen to regular user*
under these conditions can only be
guessed.
The matter is beginning to take on
serious co notations. While officials dis
count the urgency of the matter, one
has only to look at the River. When
Tar River is dry, so are the "criks".
And when all is dry, there will be no
water. It could become serious.
NAACP Attorney Hits Tuition,
Buses, Classrooms in Franklin
J. Lavonne Chambers, NAACP at
torney in the Coppedge, et al vs. The
Franklin County Board of Education
case, has charged in a letter to Board
attorneys E. F. Yarborough and
Charles Davis that "classes in the
various schools are being segregated".
The Charlotte attorney also con
tends that students are being segregat
ed on the various buses. Chambers says
it has come to his attention that
"approximately 250 to 300 Negro
students have been denied admission
to the various schools because their
parents reside outside the administra
tive unit". ?
He asks that "all of these children
be allowed to attend school without
the necessity of paying tuition". He
also wrote that he will be"glad to
discuss this matter ... in an effort to
resolve the problem".
School officials have reported that
all children have been assigned the
various classes according to test scores,
given last year in grades 1 through 8.
High school students are assigned ac
cording to the schedule they chose at
the first of the year. This is controlled
by the subjects required and the times
of day when such subjects are avail
able. The officials say there is no
discrimination in any classes in any of
the schools to their knowledge. First
graders, who were not tested last year
have been assigned after observation
by their teacher and "working with
them" a few days, according to a
school spokesman.
Buses were routed by the State
transportation department and pick up
Negro and white alike on the same
routes. A large number of whites have
not allowed their children to ride
buses and this has resulted in some
buses being predominantly Negro, al
though the buses were desegregated
under the August 5 court order, ac
cording to the officials.
The Board's tuition policy, which
has been under fire of late, was es
tablished under a 19S8 ruling of the
State Attorney General's ruling and
school officials say this has nothing to
do with the federal court order or
school desegregation. Students of both
races are equally affected by the
polk^y, they say. : _
Supt. Warren Smith reported Wed
nesday that around eighty students are
in school under the tuition system at
latest count. The County Welfare De
partment reported early this week that
out of 250 cases under its supervision,
only three families were found unable
to pay the fees and that four children,
including whites were affected. Tues
day, it was reported that one of these
Coastal Plains
By Dr. E. Walton Jones
EDITOR'S NOTE -Dr. E. Walton
Jones, a former professor of eco
nomics at North Carolina State Univer
sity, is North Carolina Field Director
for the Coastal Plains Regional Com
mission. He is assisted by Joe' Grims
ley, a native of Wilson.
The face of Eastern North Carolina
is changing.
New industry is creating more op
portunities and higher-paying jobs in
many areas. Tourism is increasing and
mechanization is making the farmer's
job easier and more profitable.
And yet, the development potential
of Eastern North Carolina has barely
been tapped.
Consider these possibilities for
bringing about further development of
these potentials:
-a major coastal highway intersect
ed by primary east-west roads to pro
vide access to resources and markets.
-a manpower development program
that would train everyone who needs a
skill and provide assistance in match
ing each Individual's talents with a job
suited to his interests.
-an all-out effort to develop the
full potential of coastal resources- rec
nation, fishing, transportation and
new uses of products from the sea.
--a positive alliance among units of
local government to tie rural and
urban areas together into viable com
munities to support high technology
industry and provide a full range of
services.
-a program that will speed full
families had enrolled a child in school
and that only three children are now
out of school.
It has been widely rumored here
that a larger number of students have
joined their parents out of state and
are attending schools there. School
officials discount the 250 to 300
See NAACP Page 7
University Offers Apologies
Reid Not Instructor
At State University
#
N. C. State University extended its apologies this morning to the people of Franklin County for "any
troubles" that remarks by an employee of the University might have caused. Hardy Berry, Director of
Information at the University, told Times Managing Editor Clint Fuller by phone this morning that the
institution is "sorry for any troubles caused by Harold Reid's statements in the Raleigh News and Observer."
The Franklin Times disclosed in its Tuesday issue that Reid, who had been extensively quoted in The News
and Observer's article denouncing Franklin's tuition policy for schools, was sentenced to prison from
Cumberland County in 1958 and was paroled in 1966.
Berry said the University is investigating the matter. He also said he wanted to make it clear that Reid is
not an instructor as reported in the
newspaper article. He said that the
Negro parolee is employed in a "cleri
cal type position" and that he was
hired by Dr. Jim Mattox to gather
information on U. S. Department of
Agriculture food distribution pro
grams. He said this included -Food
Stamps as mentioned in The News and
Observer article, but that Reid had
made no study of the Stamp program
for State in Franklin County.
"His duties consist mostly of look
ing information in the library", Berry
stated. He also said that Reid, "Is still
not frank with them", in reference to
attempts by University personnel to
gather information on Reid himself.
Berry said that Reid failed to
report his prison record when he
was hired and that he felt that
Reid was under the impression
that he came under the Youthful
Offenders Act and that once
rehabilitated, the record would
be wiped clean. Reid was sen
tenced in 1958 to two terms of
6 to 8 years and 6 to 10 years in
prison for Common Law Rob
bery. Berry said it was his under
standing that the Youthful Of
fenders Act had not been passed
into law at that time. He conced
ed, however, that Reid might
have home under the act once it
was passed. He stated that Reid
says he was 16 years old when
the crimes were committed.
WRAL-TV, Raleigh television sta
tion highlighted The Times disclosure
in its Wednesday night Dateline News.
Sam Beard quoted Times Editor Ful
ler's article in the Tuesday edition and
portions of an editorial which appear
ed on page four of the same edition.
The report, aired by Dateline reporter
Joel Lawhom, reported that Reid
would not answer questions put to
him by Dateline and that he remarked,
"Don't call back or I'll curse you out."
Kerry rriimrkrtl that Hrid
might Itr (ILscharp'il but was
See REID Page 7
Petition Seeks Impeachment
Of District Judge
A petition, calling for the impeach
ment of U. S. Eastern District Judge
Algernon Butler of Clinton, N. C., is
being circulated in Franklin County. It
is addressed to Second District Con
gressman L. H. Fountain and is des
cribed as "the latest effort on the part
of the Franklin County Citizens Com
mittee for the Preservation of Public
Schools".
"The petition is being well received
by county residents anxious to show
their displeasure with Judge Butler"
says Millard Wester, President of the
Committee.
Fountain is asked in the petition to
institute impeachment proceedings
against the jurist in the Congress of the
United States and sets forth a number
of reasons why the signers believe him
to be unfit to hold his office.
The petitioners say they "believe
that Judge Butler has gone far beyond
the intent and letter of the law in his
decision" and that "he is guilty of
gross discrimination against all the
children of Franklin County by refus
ing to allow them the right to attend
the school of their choice."
It is also claimed in the petition
that the Clinton jurist's decisions
against Franklin County "have been
much stricter than those handed down
by any other District Judge in the
entire country". It is also contended
by the petitioners that "Contrary to
the basic concepts of justice, he ac
cepted as factual any and all claims
against citizens of the county brought
by Justice Dept. agents and others
even though these complaints were
brought without proof'.
The petition continues by saying
the signers "Believe that his actions
have been against the best interests of
all the children of Franklin County
and that he rendered his decisions
without considering the welfare of the
children of the county and with no
thought as to the adverse effect it
would have upon the educational
system."
In conclusion, the petitioners say,
"We believe that his decisions have
been rendered solely out of his desire
to do the bidding and follow the
wishes of the Department of Justice
and the Department of Health, Educa
tion and Welfare and that he has
become in effect nothing more than a
'rubber stamp' for these agencies giv
ing no thought or consideration to the
rights of the individual."
A spokesman for the Committee
said Wednesday that petitions are
available at a number of businesses
throughout the county and with in
dividual members of the Committee.
Asked what effect he thought the
petition might have. Wester said he
wasn't sure. "It will certainly let Con
gress and Judge Butler know that the
people of Franklin County object to
the virtual destruction of the public
education system and that they feel
they have been treated in a high
handed and unfair manner."
He added that the right to petition
Congress seems about the only re
See PETITION Page 7 ,
Commission Sets Program To Spur Growth
mechanization of tobacco and vege
table production.
-A positive program to attract high
technology industry with good paying
jobs.
-new corporate organizations to
link small farming units into aggressive
business enterprises.
-full application of science and
technology to meet the challenge of
industrialization and urbanization.
These are a few of the program
ideas being considered by the Coastal
Plains Regional Commission.
Right now, the Commission, a Fed
eral, State and local government part
nership for economic planning and
development, is engaged in major
studies to identify the appropriate
programs to raise the standard of living
for citizens in 159 counties in North
Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
Patterned after the Appalachian
Regional Commission, the Coastal
Plains Regional Commission gives the
governors of the three states equal
voice in decision-making with a Fed
eral Co-chairman appointed by the
See GROWTH Page 7
. ..i NORTH CAROLINA
- r ' C J^XvJ . -,-J- v.
:KT" SOUTH CAROLINA '"J*.
COASTAL
PLAINS
ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT
REGION