Highlights Of The 1969 General Assembly
Constitutional Amendments
The 1969 session received some 36
bills (including eight duplicates) pro
posing amendments to the State Con
stitution -- a record number for recent
sessions. The main source of these
proposals was the State Constitution
Study Commission, chaired by former
Chief Justice Emery B. Denny. It
recommended a general editorial revis
ion of the Constitution and nine sepa
rate amendments, each dealing with a
particular issue that the Commission
felt should have independent consider
ation.
It was to be anticipated that the
. Ufiflfral Assembly would be unlikely
to approve and present to the voters
anything approaching a majority of
this record number of proposed Con
stitutional amendments. When the
dust had cleared, seven of the propos
PART II
As Reported by the Institute of Government
ed amendments, had been approved by
the Assembly, and the remainder kill
ed A Constitutional amendment must
command an affirmative vote of three
-fifths of each house in order to get on
the ballot, and a majority of the
popular vote cast on it to be ratified.
The popular vote on those proposals
approved by the Assembly will take
place in November. 1970. the time of
the next general election.
The general editorial revision re
commended by the Commission was
finally ratified on the last day of the
session. Also ratified on the last day
was a general revision of the State and
locil government finance provisions of
the Constitution, recommended by the
Local Government Study Commission
and endorsed by the Constitution
Commission Other amendments rati
' fied that were a part of the Constitu
tion Study Commission package were
measures to reassign escheats among
all of the state's institutions of higher
learning, to authorize the Assembly to
fix personal income tax exemptions,
and to require the Assembly to reduce
the number of State departments to?
25 by 1975. The other two Constitu
tional amendments that were adopted
this year by the Assembly were an act
to repeal the literacy test for voting
(initiated by Rep. Henry Frye) and an
act to permit three-fifths of the legisla- 1
tors to convene a special session of the
General Assembly, (initiated by Sen.
Herman Moore).
The amendments that were killed
included a number of the more contro
versial ones- the gubernatorial veto.,
two terms for the Governor, annual
legislative sessions, the short ballot,
appointment of the Superintendent of
Public Instruction, off-year Governor'!
election, reviled procedure* for consti
tutional convention*, 6-month*' voter
residence, 18-year-old voting, and
4-year terms for the State Senate.
Conservation of Natural Resources
and the Environment
With relatively little fanfare, the
1969 General Assembly built a sub
stantial record of conservation legisla
tion. Heading the list k a group of new
laws relating to the protection of
estuaries and navigable waters, streng
thening of local air pollution control
powers, regulation of mining activities,
and resource program organization.
A special focus of concern this
session for conservationists was the
protection of coastal estuaries, which
serve as a spawning and breeding
ground for much valuable fish and
See HIGHLIGHTS Page 6
Historic Trip To The
Moon Starts Tomorrow
SEE MOON TRIP SCHEDULE PAGE 4
?
Pearce Returned To Jail
Following Oxford Hearing
Franklinton Mayor Joseph W.
Pearce was returned to Franklin Coun
ty jail late Monday afternoon follow
ing a ruling by Superior Court Judge
Clarence Hall that Pearce had not been
illegally held when jailed on a "con
tempt of court charge on June 24. The
Monday hearing was held in Oxford at
2:30 P.M.
Pearce remains in jail today and is
not expected to be freed until he files
a proper account as guardian of the
estate of his 11-year-old daughter.
Clerk of Court Ralph S. Knott
appointed Pearce guardian for his
minor child on January 4, 1968 fol
lowing the death of the child's mother,
the divorced wife of Pearce. Knott
says the law required Pearce to file an
account of the estate not later than
January 4, this year. Repeated at
tempts of the part of Knott to have
such an account filed proved futile,
according to the Clerk.
Knott says that Pearce was served
with an order to Tile the account by
Deputy Sheriff John Deal on May 20,
" this year and given twenty days in
which to comply. Pearce. according to
Knott, appeared before Knott on June
18 and requested additional time.
When Pearce failed to file within the
extended time, Knott ordered him
jailed for contempt.
On June 26, Knott removed Pearce
as Guardian reporting that on January
4, 1968, there was "delivered" to
Pearce, "the sum of $7,800, being the
property of his ward, namely, Jo
Dorcas Pearce, who was at the time,
ten years of age".
The Franklinton Mayor was held in
jail for several hours under $1,000
bond before he was released on a writ
of habeas corpus, signed by Judge
William Y. Bickett.
Judge Hall ruled that it was within
the jurisdiction of the Clerk of Court
to order Pearce's arrest for failing to
file an acceptable guardianship report.
During Monday's hearing, it was stated
that Pearce had filed two reports, but
that neither was acceptable to Knott.
Due to a mixup in filing certain
papers by Pearce's attorney, Monday's
hearing was delayed while Sheriff Wil
liam T. Dement transported the ne
cessary papers to the Oxford hearing.
Dement brought Pearce back to Louis
burg following the ruling by Judge
Hall.
Tobacco Growers Cautioned
The county ASCS office has issued
a warning to tobacco growers on use
of marketing cards this season and the
feed grain and wheat programs are
being clarified
The complete text of the. statement
follows:
Sidewalk
Sale Set
The Trade Promotion Committee
of the Franklin County Business Asso
ciation has announced the annual
"SIDEWALK SALE" will be held Au
gust 7.
All Association members in the
downtown area are invited to partici
pate in this promotion. The first sale
of this kind to be held in Louisburg
was in 1968. It was considered the
most outstanding promotion planned
by the Association.
These promotions are planned for
Louisburg and vicinity to encourage
reaidents to shop at home and to take
advantage of the many bargains made
available by the local merchants.
Tobacco marketing cards are issued
to producers by farm numbers for the
purpose of selling the tobacco pro
duced on the farm for which the card
is issued. If farmers use their cards to
identify tobacco produced on other
farms, they are asking for trouble. The
penalty for misuse of marketing cards
are allotment reductions for the fol
lowing year and assessment of heavy
marketing quota penalties. In addition,
violators may be subject to criminal or
civil fraud prosecution.
Tobacco marketing cards are to be
presented when tobacco is weighed in
at the warehouse. It is to remain at the
warehouse until the tobacco is sold or
the farmer removes the tobacco from
the warehouse. To avoid problems and
penalties farmers should be very parti
cular about the care and use of their
marketing cards.
When producers signed up in the
1969 Feed Grain and Wheat Programs
they were told the number of diverted
acres to maintain on the farm. This is
the cropland that farmers are not
harvesting a crop from in 1969 be
cause of taking part in the annual
programs. It must be land of at least
See TOBACCO Page 6
Opportunity
Gets 0E0 Grant
The Office of Economic Opportuni
ty today approved a $487,262 grant to
Franklin- Vance-Warren Opportunity,
Incorporated of Henderson, North
Carolina to carry on community ac
tion programs for the year July X,
1969 through June 30, 1970. Grant
approval was announced by W. Astor
Kirk, OEO Med-Atlantic Regional Di
rector.
The OEO grant, supplemented by
$33,400 in local share, brings the
program year budget to $522,300,
divided as follows:
Conduct and Administration,
$45,721, will provide a new Executive
Director and a supporting staff of
four, to coordinate the program.
Full-Year, FuU-Day Head Start,
$424,616, to provide a staff of 31
professionals and 60 non-professionals,
assisted by 70 volunteers. The program
will provide 24 classes in 14 centers,
serving 360 children.
Emergency Food and Medical,
$51,963, provides a professional and
Six non-professionals to be assisted by
18 volunteers, this portion of the grant
covering only a six-month period.
Final Rites
Today For
J. A. Wheless
J. Albert Wheless, retired I). S.
Army Colonel and former postal em
ployee here, died Monday afternoon in
Franklin Memorial Hospital. Wheless. -
68, was affiliated with a member firm
of the New York Stock Exchange in
recent years.
Funeral services were conducted
today at 5 P.M. from the Louisburg
, Baotist Church conducted by the pas
tor Rev. Aubrey S. Tomllnson. Burial
followed in Oakwood Cemetery.
Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Lena
Morrison Wheless; one daughter. Mrs.
Frederick Nash of Smithfield; one son,
James Albert Wheless. Jr. of Raleigh;
Ave sisters. Mrs. W. C. Delbridge and
Mrs. Jack May, both of Spring Hope.
Mrs. W. R. Privette and Mrs. R. Q.
Privette, both of Zebuion. and Mrs.
Eugene Privette of Newport News,
Va.; and three grandchildren.
JKW M .
Rower Knocked Out
Scene above show* where * tractor-trailer truck struck * power line on the county hill complex here last Thursday knocking
down a pole and transformer Electric current waa off at the Health, Social Serricea and School offices until late Friday.
?t - Staff photo by dint Fuller.
Old Friends Part
Two old friends parted company yesterday here at The Times plant. E. F. Thomas, retired Times linotype operator, cpme to
pay his final respects to his old adversary before the linotype was hauled away to storage. True to its past history of antagonism,
the lino was reluctant to work and Thomasas he has done so often in the past- beat on it and talk to it. The linotype, which
Thomas referred to -among other things -as "that cantankerous machine", finally gave in as Thomas, who set the first lines of
type on the machine in 1912 beat out the same two lines - KliW.lltl) Klt.WK JOHNSON and KRXKST FOHTKR
THOMAS -57 years later The "Edward Frank Johnson" is the name of Thomas' nephew and son of the late Asher F. Johnson,
long-time editor, and of Thomas' sister, Sadie Thomas Johnson; be died in childhood. The linotype, which was retired in 1967
with Thomas, was moved to make room for a new three-unit color news press due to arrive from Joplin, Mo. Wednesday.
Market To Open September 2
The Flue-Cured Tobacco Marketing
Committee, meeting in Raleigh last
Friday, adopted a marketing Khedule
which sets Tuesday, September 2, as
opening date for the Middle Belt and
Tobacco Field
Meets Slated
Two tobacco field meetings will be
held in Franklin County Thursday,
July 17, according to C. T. Dean. Jr.,
County Extension Chairman.
A meeting will be held on the
Roger Edwards farm beginning at 9:00
A.M. The farm ii located on U.S. 401
North (Warrenton Road) about 8 miles
from Loulsburg. At this location you
will have an opportunity to observe
the new McNair 133 variety that is one
of four new varieties meeting industry
requirements for release. Bill Earley,
McNair tobacco breeder, along with
Extension people, will be on hand to
answer questions.
At 2:30 P.M. a field meeting will be
held at the B. R. Gupton farm on
Highway 561 between Centerville and
Wood. The purpose of this meeting is
to observe standard tobacco varieties,
plus a new variety Coker 213, that
will be released this fall. Dr. C. H.
Rogers. Vice President in charge of
Tobacco Breeding for Coker Seed
Company and H. L. Cooke, N. C. Sales
Representative for the company will
conduct the meeting.
All Franklin County farmers and
others Interested In tobacco-pre invited
to these field meetings, said Dean.
the Louisburg market. The market
opened last year on September 3, also
a Tuesday.
The schedule includes opening
dates of Tuesday, August 19, for the
Eastern North Carolina Belt; Tuesday,
September 2, for full sales of the
Middle Belt and partial sales of the Old
Belt; and September 16 for full open
ing of the Old Belt.
The committee action included
confirming a July 23 opening for
markets of Georgia, Florida, and
South Carolina.
Border warehousemen, who had
voted unanimously at Lumberton the
previous night for a July 23 opening,
indicated after the committee action
they were uncertain which date they
would follow.
A Welay of only a few days in
opening a belt or group of markets can
mean that millions of pounds of leaf
grown in the area will be taken else
where for sale. The delay thus can be
inconvenient and expensive for grow
ers and fostft for warehousemen.
The industry committee adopted
the schedule, which had been drafted
by a subcommittee, by a vote of 23 to
four, with four members abstaining.
Buying interests voted for the plan.
A four-hour sales day and a four
day week, Monday through Thursday,
have been adopted as "normal" for the
1969 season, with certain exceptions.
The Eastern Belt will operate five
hours a day for Ita first eight days of
sales and will drop back to four hours
dally on September 2.
The August 19 opening set for the
East is a week earlier than last year's
starting date of August 26. Sales in
Florid*. Georgia. and soum laruuna
are starting eight calendar days earlier
than last year.
Georgia and Florida will have three
sales days during their opening week
and Ave days of auctions the following
week. This will give the belt eight
consecutive days of selling other than
the weekend.
South Carolina markets, also open
ing July 23, will operate for three days
the first week and four days the
second week.
Williamson
Renamed
B. N. Williamson of Franklinton has
been reappointed to a second term on
the Franklin County Jury Commission
according to an announcement over
the weekend by Resident Superior
Court Judge Hamilton H. Hob good.
Wllliamaon and two other member*
were named in September of 1967 to
the Commiulon. Serving with
Wllliamaon since that time are Louta
burg businessman L. C. Hasty, ap
pointed by Clerk of Court Ralph
Knott, and Pearce's community buiri
nessman J. W. Perry, Jr. who was
appointed by the Board of bounty
Commissioner*.
Appointment of Wllliamaon by
Judge Hobgood is the fifst
announcement on the Jury Commis
?ion makeup aince the original iwnr
ing of members last September.
Williamson's appointment ia for two
yean.