THE MARION PROGRESS
A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF MARION AND McDOWELL COUNTY
ESTABLISHED 1896 MARION, N. C., THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 1944 VOL. XLVIII—NO. 24
New Officers
Kiwanis Hub
Are Installed
R. W. Twitty Takes Office As
President At Installation
Meeting Tuesday Night.
The annual installation of Kiwanis
officers was held at the Community
building Tuesday evening. The in
stallation was conducted by Wm. F.
Blakely of Kings Mountain, lieuten
ant-governor of Division'1.
R. W. Twitty was installed as
president, succeeding W. G. Ballew,
J. B. Laughlin was installed vice
president, and D. E. Poole, secre
tary and treasurer.
The new directors of the club are
S. W. Blanton, R. W. Davis, B. A.
Dickson, M. W. Gordon, Jr., J. L.
Gourley, A. H. Mitchem, J. M.
Snoddy, P. J. Story arid S. J. West
moreland.
Hugh Beam, S. J. Westmoreland,
-J. G. Beaman, R. L. Coriley and B.
A. Dickson were presented awards
for perfect attendance at meetings
for a period of five years; A. H.
Mitchem, four years; W. W. Neal,
Jr., and S. L. Homewood, three
years; W. G. Ballew, two years; J.
M. Snoddy, C. A. Harris, Barron
Caldwell, J. B. Laughlin and R. W.
Twitty, one year.
In assuming the duties of the of
fice of president, Mr. Twitty ex
pressed his deep appreciation for the
honor bestowed upon him. He said
he accepted the office with the full
realization of its responsibilities and
sincerely hoped that he would prove
worthy of the trust which had been
placed in him. He expressed the
hope that 1944 would be a better
year for the Kiwanis Club of Ma
rion. He said the program must be
to encourage better attendance at
meetings, a large membership, great
er interest for activities in civic af
fairs and a better understanding of
the significance and aim of Kiwanis
International.
In closing Mr. Twitty made the
tow following requests:
"First, a concentrated effort on
our part to make a real contribution
to the war effort. I do not mean a
donation of money to this or that
drive or the sponsorship of this or
that particular progi-am. I ask for
an added interest on the part of the
individuals which will result in a
conserted effort to add something to
the comfort, safety and morale of
' the boys who are far from home
fighting this war."
"Second, conscientious efforts on
the part of committee-chairmen and
members to intelligently carry out
the work which has been assigned to
them and that written reports be
turned in monthly to the club sec
retary."
Committees for the year were an
nounced as follows:
Agriculture—Sam L. Homewood.
Attendance, Membership, Recep
tion, Public Relations, and Inter
Club Relations—Archie Mitchem,
chairman; Barron Caldwell, C. E.
Holler, W. W. Neal, Jr., W. S. Shif
lett, J. H. Tate and J. M. Snoddy.
Boys and Girls Work, Underprivil
eged Children and Vocational Guid
ance—Chas. A. Harris, chairman;
Hugh Beam, J. H. Burgess, R. Lee
Conley, Carl W. McMurray and S.
J. Westmoreland.
Business Standards, Finance, Pub
lic Affairs and Publicity—B. A.
Dickson, chairman; A. S. Bradford,
S. W. Blanton, Hugh Beam and P.
J. Story.
Achievement Report and Classifi
cation—Dan E. Poole, chairman.
House and Reception—S. J. West
moreland and G. L. Kluttz.
Kiwanis Education, Laws and
Regulation, War Time Citizenship—
Garfield Beaman, chairman, Cecil
Dobson, R. W. Davis, R. W. Proctor
and Wayne Suttle.
Music—J. L. Gourley and Mrs. C.
A. Harris.
Program—Jas. B. Laughlin.
Support of Churches—M. W. Gor
don, Jr.
AT PREFLIGHT SCHOOL
James Samuel Byrd of Marion is
listed as one of the 51 young men
from North Carolina in training at
the preflight school of the San An
tonio Aviation Cadet Center in San
Antonio, Texas.
Snipes And Morris To
Head War Loan Drive
In M'Dowell County
J. F. Snipes and J. N. Morris have
been appointed co-chairmen for Mc
Dowell county for the Fourth War
Loan drive, it has been announced
by the regional chairman of the
State War Loan Finance committee.
Messrs. Snipes and Morris served in
this capacity during the recent
Third War Loan drive.
Although the quota for McDowell
county has not yet been set, it is ex
pected it will be approximately the
same as the quota in the last drive,
$391,000. The national quota for
the drive will be $14,000,000,000.
McDowell county over-subscribed
her quota in the three former cam
paigns.
A meeting of key men to partici
pate in the drive will be held soon to
make final plans for the campaign,
it was stated yesterday.
The drive will open on January 18
and will end on February 15.
MINISTERIAL UNIT
HOLDS MEETING HERE
The monthly meeting of the Mc
Dowell County Ministerial Associa
tion was held at. the Methodist hut
Monday morning with the president,
Rev. R. I. Corbett, presiding. A
New Year devotional program was
conducted by Rev. C. S. Kirkpatrick,
superintendent of the Marion Dis
trict.
M. W. Gordon, president of the
Allied Church League, attended the
meeting and made a short talk on
the organization. It was stated that
funds for about 2000 subscriptions
to To-morrow, a monthly paper pub
i lished by the Allied Church League,
had been secured.
P. G. GRANGE APPOINTS
TWO NEW OFFICERS
J. H. L. Miller was appointed in- j
surance and business agent for the j
Pleasant Gardens Grange at the reg- J
ular meeting Tuesday evening in the j
community building, and R. G. Rob- i
erts was appointed chairman of the
Youth Committee.
J. C. Rabb addressed the group on
"Wood and Its Place in the War Ef
fort," and J. R. Jimeson discussed
| "A New Cash Crop for McDowell
County." Miss Inez Patton read a
poem "Our Taxes."
Charles Harvey Greenlee was re
instated into membership.
Blood Plasma Fund
Now Totals $310.50
Contributions to the Blood Plasma
Fund in this county have reached
$310.50, according to announcement
this week by Miss Ruth Greenlee,
chairman of the Blood Plasma fund.
No drive was made to obtain dona
tions for this fund, the amount was
raised by free will offerings made by
interested persons.
Contributions varied from $1 to
$100., Miss Greenlee stated, and al
so included $75 given by students of
the Clinchfield school. The students
agreed to contribute the money for-,
merly spent for refreshments and
presents at the annual Christmas
party to tha Blood Plasma Fund and
to the purchase of war savings
stamps.
PARKER AT U. S. NAVAL
AIR TRAINING CENTER
I Julius F. Parker, Jr., 20, son of
Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Parker of Ma
rion, was recently appointed a Naval
Aviation Cadet and was transferred
to the Naval Air Training Center,
Pensacola, Fla., for intermediate
flight training.
Prior to entering the Naval ser
vice, he atttrded Mars Hill College
for two years.
Upon completion of the intensive
course at the "Annapolis of the Air"
Cadet Parker will receive his Navy
"Wings of Gold" with, the designa
tion of Naval Aviator, and will be
commissioned an Ensign in the Na
jval Reserve or a Second Lieutenant
•in the Marine Corps Reserve.
COMMISSIONERS MEET
The board of county commission
ers held a brief session Monday and
adjourned until Thursday of this
week when jurors will be drawn for
the February term of McDowell
county superior court.
Marion Office
To Be Advanced
To First Class
Postal Receipts Reach New
High; Assure An Advance
In Classification.
The Marion Post Office will ad- j
vance from office of Second to Office ;
of First Class, according to an- j
nouncement this week by Barron j
Caldwell, postmaster. Total re- j
ceipts of $46,002.21 assure the of-1
fice of the advanced classification, I
Mr. Caldwell stated.
Receipts for the year 1943 totaled I
$46,002.21, the highest in any
twelve-month period in the history
of the office and showed a 24% in
crease over 1942.
For the closing quarter receipts
were $14,552.30 as compared with
$12,365.04 for the corresponding
period in 1942.
The December revenue totaled
$6,262.58 as compared with $5,887.
48 for December, 1942.
Total receipts include sales of
stamps, stamped envelopes, postage
of newspapers published and mailed
locally, non-metered mail by piece
and weight and box rents, as named
by the United States Post Office De
partment.
Postal savings accounts, sales of
documentary and war stamps and
bonds sold during the year are not
included in the receipts.
J
Old License Tags
Good Thru January |
By virtue of a bill enacted into
law by the North Carolina General
Assembly at the 1043 session, own
ers of motor vehicles are allowed
until January 31, 1944, to purchase
their license plates.
Representing an extension of i
time to the tune of 30 days by com-1
parison with the previous statute, J
which made the use of old license i
plates unlawful after December 31, |
the statewide measure is expected !
to prove very helpful to motorists in i
North Carolina.
The change is expected to assist j
materially in avoiding the usual i
end-of-the-year rush, and will prob- j
ably cause the volume of applica-!
tions to remain cf normal propor- i
tions. I
J. R. GRAY RESIGNS
AS EXPRESS CLERK:
J. R. Gray, who has served as ex-;
press clerk in the Southern Railway |
office here for the past 11 years, has j
resigned to accept a position with
Radio Station WMIT on Mount
Mitchell. Mr. Gray will be succeed
ed as express clerk by Mrs. Ruby
Ledbetter.
EGGS
Eggs keep fresh longest if they
are not only kept cold but also cov
ered, say reports from Utah and
Massachusetts. Put them in the hy
drator in the refrigerator.
Milk Dealers
Seek Boost In
Price Of Milk
Petition To Be Filed With Dis
trict Office In Charlotte
For Relief.
Formal request for a one-cent in
crease in the quart ceiling price for
milk will be filed this week with the
Office of Price Administration by
dairymen from IS counties, it was
announced here last week.
John M. Mull, prominent Morgan
ton diaryman and attorney, it was
stated, was authorized to draw up
the petition when milk producers
and agricultural leaders met in Mor
ganton Thursday in a united front
to seek relief from conditions view
ed as threatening the dairy industry.
Mr. Mull was authorized to take
action for milk producers in the fol
lowing counties: Burke, Caldwell,
Iredell, Catawba, Cleveland, Lin
coln, Rutherford, Polk, Henderson,
Buncombe, Madison, Haywood and
McDowell.
The counties, it was explained,
were placed in a zone in which 16
cents was fixed as the retail ceiling
for a quart of milk, although coun
ties to the east were allowed 17
cents, the amount sought by the 13
county area.
Lewis F. Brumfield, associate
price analyst, represented the Char
lotte OPA district at the conference
and contributed suggestions for pre
paring the application for price ad
justment. His expression of the
Charlotte office's interest-was view
ed by the dairymen as encouraging,
although it was pointed out that any
change in prices must be made by
the regional office at Atlanta.
In the petition prepared by Mr.
Mull a request was made for 15
cents for wholesale milk in glass
containers and 17 cents for retail
milk—an increase of one cent over
existing prices.
Pointing to a marked disparity in
maximum prices allowed in nearby
zones, the request states that the re
sult creates an injustice, since pro
duction costs are as high if not high
er in this area, and also tends to
draw out of the lower-priced terri
tory milk which goes to the adjoin
ing zone because a higher price can
be received. It was indicated at the
meeting that the fact that dairymen
in this area charged a lower price
when ceilings were fixed has the ef
fect of penalizing them under the
maximum prices, while other areas
which charged the public more are
rewarded by being allowed a higher
price.
Advances in f^ed costs up to 50
per cent or more during the past
two years were listed in the request
which showed that, even at much
higher prices, some feed is not now
available.
To meet the partial requirements
of the people for increased milk sup
ply, milk is being shipped into this
area from other zones at a cost to
the distributor of at least 25 per
cent above the ceiling prices fixed
for this area.
Story Of Flights Made By
Sgt. Smith Over Enemy Lines
The story of "Smitty," a staff
sergeant from Alexandria, when in
central Italy, and his plane, the
"Wilma Elaine," named for his wife
and baby daughter, captured the
fancy of a staff writer for Stars and
Stripes, the Army newpaper in Af
rica.
"Smitty" is Staff Sergeant James
Smith, a nephew of Mrs. Eula Reel
of Marion, and was well known
here. Before entering the service
two years or more ago he was em
ployed at the Cut Rate Market. He
was killed in action in November. At
the request of relatives The Progress
is publishing the article which was
written by Staff Sgt. Jack Foisie.
It appears as follows:
WITH AMERICAN FORCES IN
CENTRAL ITALY — Just before
Smitty and I took off in "Wilma
Elaine," the commander warned us
to be on the lookout for Messer
scmitts. They had been drifting
over the line in threes and sixes all
day.
"Yes, I seem to remember that,"
Smitty said in a voice dryly hum
ored. He explained as we walked
toward the plane that the "Wilma
Elaine" had been chased down by
an "ME" that very morning.
The "Wilma Elaine" is a Piper
Cub, one of the "eyes of the artil
lery" used for directing fire.
"Family All Together"
Smitty is Staff Sgt. James Smith,
Jr., Alexandria, Va. Wilma is his
wife and Elaine his baby daughter.
"We're all in this plane togther—
me and my family," he said above
the clatter of the "sewing machine"
engine as we taxied down the pas
ture, dodging the shell craters which
the enemy had left in an hour's bom
bardment last night.
(Continued on last page)
Ellington Brothers
Of This County Meet
In Southwest Pacific
The following article was received
this week from Mr. and Mrs. G. H.
Ellington of Rt. 1, Nebo, telling of
the unexpected meeting of their
two sons at a hospital somewhere in
the Southwest Pacific where one was
undergoing treatment for an injury
received in action:
"Happy indeed were Cpl. Gorman
D. Ellington and Pvt. John R. El
lington when they met in the South
west Pacific November 28.
Cpl. Gorman Ellington volunteer
ed for service in June, 1940. He
was called to active duty June 9,
1940. He received his basic train
ing in the Field Artillery at Fort
Bragg, and was transferred to for
eign service March, 1942.
Pvt. John R. Ellington was called
into service December 26, 1942. He
received his basic training in the In- j
fantry at Camp Croft, S. C. and was
called to foreign service in May,
1943. j
Early in August, 1943, word was
received that Pvt. John R. Ellington
was wounded in action in the south
west Pacific July 27, 1943. The un
fortunate news along with John's
Hospital address was communicated
to cpl. uorman u. Islington, wno |
was believed to be serving some
where in the southwest Pacific.
Upon receiving the information he
was surprised to learn that his bro- j
ther was in the hospital only a short
distance from where he was' station-;
ed. He immediately obtained leave
and walked to the hospital where
John was receiving treatment.
Letters have been received by the
J parents from both boys giving a joy
| ful account of their meeting and
j each reports that the other is fine.
| Mr. and Mrs. Ellington have three
j other sons in the armed forces.
| They are: Pfc. George Ellington,
| Camp Hulen, Texas; Pfc. Roy El
i lington, Camp Rooker, Ala., and
i Pvt. Charles G. Ellington, Camp
| Haan, California.
I
Canned Vegetables
j Ration Points Cut;
Other Changes Made
January point values for meats
fats-cheese and other brown-stamp
foods remain virtually unchanged
from December, OPA has announc
ed, but sharp cuts have been made
in the green stamp cost of canned
snap beans, peas, tomatoes and fro- <
zen fruits and vegetables.
At the same time, OPA announced
that jams, preserves and non-citrus!
marmalades have been increased two
points to a total of eight points per :
pound.
Butter continues at 16 points, and
point values for all beef, veal, lamb
and pork—except from ham—will
: remain at present low levels daring
January. Most pork items remain
at low levels but the "extra divi
dend" period on pork ended Janu
ary 2.
In the green-stamp field, many
point values of frozen foods have
been cut to zero in order to release
a large amount of freezer space to
store large quantities of pork now
coming on the market.
Reduction in the point value of
canned peas and tomatoes is possi
ble, OPA explained, since consumer
demand has declined over 10 per
cent in the past two months and the
production outlook indicates sup
plies will continue to be satisfactory.
COUNTY SCHOOLS TO
REOPEN NEXT MONDAY
I
The county schools have remained
closed this week due to weather con
ditions and an increase in the spread;
of the influenza situation. All the1
county schools are scheduled to re
open next Monday.
The city schools reopened Monday
and while the attendance the first
day was about 20 per cent off, there
has been a marked increase in at
tendance during the week.
SECTION OF HIGHWAY
TAKEN OVER BY STATE
The board of county commission- j
ers has been advised that the recom
mendation that a section of road 1.6
miles extending from the T. J. For
tune place to Moffitt Hill, just off
highway No. 64, be taken over by
the state highway has been ap
proved.
New Plan APO
Will Simplify
Food Rationing
Retailers Have Until Jan. 8
To Make Application For
Tokens Needed.
On February 27, 1944, the Officer
of Price Admisistration will simplify
food rationing. All red and blue
point stamps in War Ration Book
Four will have the same point value:
10 points each. Tokens valued at
one point each will be given .as
"change."
The new simplified plan is especi
ally beneficial to merchants. It will
reduce the number of stamps they
have to handle by at least 60 per
cent. Under the present system,
stamps have point values of 8, 5, 2
and 1 points. Thus, the average
value of each stamp is 4 points.
Under the new system, each stamp
will have a value of 10 points.
It will speed up the checking of
points on merchandise and remove
considerable congestion for the mer
chant during busy hours.
It will mean a saving of thousands
of hours for all persons haudling ra
tion currency.
Tokens are made in two colors—
red and biue to correspond with the
red and blue stamps in War Ration
Book Four so that there will be no
confusion in the token? given for
change.
How Merchants Get Tokens
On or before January 8, 1944, all
merchants dealing in rationed foods
[must make an estimate of the tokens
ihe will need and file this estimate
Iwith his local bank. This estimate
j should be filled out on a Tokefi Re
I quest Form, obtainable from any
| War Price and Rationing Board.
Practically all banks in the United
! States are cooperating in this pro
gram and will have a sufficient sup
ply of tokens on hand for distribu
tion to the merchants.
Merchants will receive notice as to
the time they are to go to the banks
for their tokens. Since the tokens
will be boxed 250 to the box and will
be issued by the banks in these quan
tities, the merchant must estimate
his initial supply in units of 250.
He will pay in ration points for all
the tokens he gets—250 points for
each box of 250. They will start
using tokens for change on Febru
ary 27, 1944.
Mercnants will De supplied witn
posters showing the consumer how
to shop with tokens. By displaying
these posters in prominent places as
soon as they are received, merchants
will find customers will soon learn
how to shop with stamps and tokens.
Before this new phase of point
rationing goes into use, local War
Price and Rationing Boards will
have a supply of gummed sheets and
envelopes for use in depositing point
stamps in ration bank accounts. Re
tailers should obtain a supply of
them from their local Rationing'
Boards.
Each gummed sheet has places for"
25 stamps. When filled, this will to
tal 250 points. The envelopes are
the same as those now being used.
Each envelope should contain one
hundred or more stamps when taken
to the bank. The quantity in each
envelope must be plainly marked on
the outside in the spaces provided.
If a merjhant wishes to deposit
extra ration tokens he has taken in
as change, he must do so in boxes of
250. He may also get additional to
kens in boxes of 250 if he needs
them.
Only retailers who are registered
with their War Price and Rationing
Boards will be eligible to receive
tokens. All merchants dealing in
processed foods must register under
Ration. Order_ 13. AH merchants
dealing in meats, fats and oils must
register under Ration Order 16.
BOND SALES AND POSTAL
SAVINGS FOR PAST YEAR
War savings bond sales in "E"
series at the Marion post office for
1943 reached a total of $265,025,
according to announcement this
week by Postmaster Barron Cald
well. Postal savings for the past
year amounted to $161,514, it was
announced.