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, MARCH 2, 1944 VOL. XLVIII—NO. 32
Red Cross War
Fund Drive Gets
Under Way Here
Campaign Opened Tuesday To
Raise Quota Of $10,200 Set
For This County.
The official Red Cross War Fund
drive got off to a good start yester
day, according to word received
from Eugene Cross, chairman of the
War Fund drive. Mr. Cross stated
that all citizens of Marion and Mc
Dowell county would be given an op
portunity to contribute to this drive.
Canvassers are hard at work in an
effort to reach the quota of $10,200
set for this county. Mr. Cross was
high in praise for the liberality ob
served so far and in the cooperation
received from the general public in
this work.
JL lie rveu vjruss pciiuima uiaii^
duties, acting at all times in the in
terest of servicemen and their fami
lies. Red Cross agencies follow
servicemen to the battlefields and
help in keeping open lines of com
munication between them and the
folks who remain at home. The Red
Cross supplies many small items
tending to give personal comfort to
the boys on the battle fronts.
Agencies of the Red Cross spend
long hours administering to the sick
and wounded, keeping on hand a
supply of blood plasma, which is of
ten the difference between life and
death to a fallen soldier.
A part of the money collected in
Marion and McDowell County by
the Red Cross will go directly to
prisoners of war. According to in
formation from National Red Cross j
Headquarters, American and Allied i
prisoners of war receive a "prisoner [
of war package" once each week!
while confined to prison camps in
the European area. When a prison
er of war receives one of the above
mentioned packages, he gives the
Red Cross representative a receipt
and a week later this, or another
representative of the Red Cross con
tacts the prisoner for the purpose
of finding out what happened to the
package. So far as the Red Cross
has been able to establish, the Ger
mans have not made any attempts
to misuse the "prisoner of war
package" given to American and
Allied prisoners.
In addition to these packages,
the soldiers when captured receive
a special parcel. This parcel is
about all the captured soldier has,
for when beginning fighting some
morning or night, the soldier does
not take extra equipment with him.
This special parcel contains a hair
brush, shoe brush, pocket comb and
cover, plastic jar of shaving cream,
two bath towels, two face towels,
shoe polish, four handkerchiefs, two
pairs of shoe laces, a box of Cas
caria, a box of vitamin tablets, a
box of band aids, pipe, package of
pipe cleaners, a pair of pajamas, a
pair of bedroom slippers, a safety
razor, three packages of razor blad
es, a sweater, two pairs of socks, one
pair of light underwear, six cakes of
toilet soap, two bars of laundry
soap, a package of tooth powder, a
tooth brush and container, and a
clothes brush.
Last year the American Red
Cross packed 5,300,000 "prisoner of
-war packages."
From the information given out
by Red Cross officials, the Japanese
government has not allowed the dis
tribution of these prisoners' packag
es in Japanese prison camps near
and around the Island of Japan but
the American Red Cross has thous
ands of these packages stored in
Vladivostock, Russia, for distribut
ion as soon as it is allowed.
BANNING TAKES POSITION
AT McCALL-BURGIN STORE
C. Y. Banning, for a number of
years employed at the McDowell
Hardware company, has accepted a
position with the McCall - Burgin
Hardware company and has entered
upon his work with the latter firm,
it is announced by the latter firm.
Mr. Banning succeeds Charles Lytle
who will enter service with the arm
ed forces. Mr. Banning has had
about 25 years experience in the
hardware business and is well known
throughout the county.
SEAGLE EMPLOYEES
SUPPORT RED CROSS
DRIVE 100 PER CENT
Evidence that the McDowell
Chapter of the American Red
Cross will experience little dif
ficulty in meeting its quota of
$10,200 is revealed in the fact
that one manufacturing1 plant,
the G. P. Seagle Lumber Com
pany, has already contributed
100% to the drive, according to
announcement in this issue of
iThe Progress. Each employee
of the company contributed a
day's pay to the annual Red
Cross War Fund drive, amount
ing to $206.60.
The company also lists 33
employees now in the service
(of the armed forces, including
one gold star member.
Mr. Seagle is justly proud of
the record made by his employ
ees.
MARION HIGH BAND TO
HAVE SPRING CONCERT
The Mai-ion High School band will
appear in concert for the second
time in the present school year on
March 10 at 8 p. m., Glenn Palmer,
director, announced this week.
Mr. Palmer stated that the pro
gram should be an unusually good
one as the band has had very little
to divert its attention since the last
concert. Since practice was begun
in the new gymnasium building, the
sound pfroofness and other qualities
of the new room have helped to cor
rect mistakes that were left unheard
in the empty auditorium when the
band rehearsed there.
Mike McCall will be saxophone
soloist and he needs no introduction
to the band's supporters. He is
probably the band's outstanding mu
sician and his solo should prove to
be a highlight on the program.
The band has been recognized as
one of the State's outstanding High
school organizations and the people
of Marion will be given ample proof
of this on March 10th.
MARION-GLENWOOD
SPLIT DOUBLEHEADER
The Marion girls trounced Glen
wood girls in a thrilling "revenge"
basketball game here last night.
The girls were led in their 32 to 25
victory by Alta Godfrey and Dot
Neighbors with Evans leading the
losers as high scorer.
The Glenwood boys took a 24 to
20 win over the Marion boys in what
proved to be one of the roughest
games of the season.
The game started out as a smooth
basketball game should but, as the
game grew older the boys got bolder
and soon it was just a rough and
tumble affair. Flack and Mask led
Marion as high scorers and Reel led
Glenwood.
IVEY CRAWLEY GIVEN
RANK OF STAFF SGT.
Sgt. Ivey C. Crawley, Jr., station
ed somewhere in New Guinea, has
been promoted to Staff Sergeant, ac
cording to word received by his pa
rents, Mr. and Mrs. I. C. Crawley, of
Route 1, Nebo. Sgt. Crawley is a
member of the ground crew of the
air corps. He entered service in De
cember, 1940, and has been over
seas for two years.
Another brother, Sgt. Vernon H.
Crawley, who entered service in De
cember, 1942, is now stationed at
Patterson, N. J.
FARMERS FEDERATION
MEET HERE SATURDAY
The Farmers Federation will hold
its annual stockholders' meeting for
McDowell county at the warehouse
in Marion next Saturday morning at
10:30 o'clock.
James G. K. McClure will give a
short report of Federation business
in general and the business of Mc
Dowell county. Election of officers
for a period of one year and the
nomination of a director for Mc
Dowell county will take place.
Coffee and doughnuts will be seiv
ed by Federation employees.
All stockholders of the Federation
are invited to attend.
I
MINISTERS TO HOLD
! MEETING NEXT MONDAY
The monthly meeting of the Mc
Dowell County Ministerial Associa
tion will be held at the Methodist
hut next Monday morning at 10:30
o'clock.
County Check
On Food Prices
Will Be Made
Merchants Aides To Visit
Food Establishments During
Week OF March 13.
A county wide check on food pric
es in McDowell County will be con
ducted during the week of March 13,
simultaneously with the beginning
of a home front pledge campaign to
enlist the support of housewives in
the OPA's effort to hold down living
costs and to effect an equitable dis
tribution of scarce food commodities
through the rationing program. The
purpose of this check on food prices
and survey on food commodities is
to help retail stores keep in compli
ance with food price regulations.
In making the above announce
ment, the chairman of the Food
j
Panel of the local War Price and
Rationing Board stated that price
panel assistants or merchant aides
[would take an active part in this
| work. The announcement further
i stated that Merchant Aides would i
i visit every food establishment in the
|county during the time mentioned!
above.
Merchants generally are patriotic- ■
ally doing their best to maintain
I their prices at or below price ceil- j
! ings. Experience has shown that
Jwell over 95% of all merchants are!
j attempting to serve their customers j
! under established ceiling prices; the
'remaining 5% or less are either!
careless or wantonly indifferent to
the seriousness of the issue or other-j
wise just plain dishonest.
New community top prices effec-!
tive as of March 1 will be used in
making this check. This program is 1
not an investigation nor an "enforce-,
ment drive" but an educational pro- j
gram to assist both merchants and
purchasers and to determine any cas-1
es where merchants may need help j
from the local War Price and Ra
tioning Board. i
A meeting will be held in the of-1
fices of the local War Price and Ra-j
tioning Board on Tuesday evening,
March 7, at 7:30 o'clock for the pur-!
j pose of training the Merchant Aides |
|and assistant members of the Price;
Panel for the work that lies ahead of
! them. A member of the district of
j fice, located at Charlotte, will be 1
| present to participate in the affairs j
of this meeting. In working out the
details of this meeting it was point
■ ed out to the officials of the local j
jWar Price and Rationing Board that j
j the survey to take place between the ,
: dates of March 13 and March 18 is1
j nation-wide in scope and that out of j
this work price control should be-!
come established on a more firm
j foundation to the end that all com
| modities necessary to maintain a
; reasonable standard of living should
ibe held in check.
I
| TOTAL OF 21,039 NO. 4
RATION BOOKS IN COUNTY j
j i
Distribution of war ration book |
four now totals 128,760,419, the of-!
fice of price administration in Wash-!
ington disclosed in making public a |
tabulation showing the number of i
| books issued in each county through- i
! out the country. Distribution of the |
ibook began October 18, 1943.
Tabulation for North Carolina, in I
! j
[ which 3,423,109 books were distrib-1
juted, follows, in part:
i Avery, 11,839; Buncombe, 99,-j
■ 954; Burke, 33,492; Caldwell, 34,- j
1355; Haywood, 31,074; Henderson,!
j 24,278; Jackson, 15,966; Macon,;
114,035; McDowell, 21,039; Mitchell, j
14,184; Polk, 10,358; Rutherford,!
; 39,729; Swain, 12,467; Transylva
jnia, 12,353; Watauga, 15,780; and
I Yancey, 13,240.
| OLD FORT COMMITTEE ON
CIVIL SERVICE IS NAMED
I
I W. W. Neal, Jr. civilian defense
chairman, has announced the ap
jpointment of Mrs. C. L. Norwood as
i chairman of a Civil Service Commit
! tee of Old Fort. Others serving on
the committee with Mrs. Norwood
| are Mrs. Janie Reid and Mrs. Lola
Lonon.
j Mrs. Reid recently resigned as
chairman of the Old Fort Civil Ser
vice Committee, but will continue to
serve as a member.
Token System
Put Into Use
In Food Sales
OPA Gives Uniform 10-Point
Value to Stamps Under New
Plan Effective This Week.
The new "token system" of buy
ing' rationed food is now in effect.
Officially put into operation Sun
day, the new plan makes the blue
stamp in ration book four exchange
able for processed foods and the red
for meat and dairy products and
gives each stamp a flat 10 point
value.
The tokens, which are used in
making point "change," will be
good indefinitely, while the stamps
have limited validity as under the
old system. 1
"Through the use of 10-point |
stamps and the new tokens, the1
work of all who handle ration cur- i
rency — the public, the trade, the
ration banks—will be greatly reduc
ed," OPA said. Almost 2,500,000,
000 stamps—6 per cent of the 4,
000,000,000 going over retail count
ers each month under the old pro
gram—will be eliminated."
'Complete transition to the new
system will take about three weeks,
however, since the last of the old !
brown and green stamps of 8, 5, 2'
and 1 denominations will remain j
good through March 20.
Here is a list of the new 10-point
stamps valid through May 20.
Blue (processed food) stamps
A8, B8, C8, D8 and E8. j
Red (meats-fats) stamps A8, B8, j
and C8.
The old-style stamps good through !
March 20 are:
Green (processed food stamps K,
L and M.
Brown (meats, fats) stamps Y
and Z.
OPA urges housewives to use
their remaining green and brown
stamps first since they expire long
before the first series of red and
blue stamps. Also all purchases of
ration food can be made from one ■
book—number 4 when the brown
stamps in book three have been
used.
The new program calls for valida-;
tion of three red stamps for meats
fats every two weeks, while for pro
cessed foods a series of five stamps
will be validated at the start of each
month. In other words, housewives j
will have 50 processed food points;
a month from each ration book, com
pared with 48 previously, and 30
meats-fats points every two weeks
against 32 under the old system.
The difference, however, will not
be translated into more canned
goods and less meat, since OPA
plans compensating adjustments in
point values. But stamps foods will
get a slight point increase and red
items will go down a trifle.
OPA emphasized that the figures
on the face of the blue and red
stamps have no significance as to
the value of the coupons. The books
v/ere printed, it was explained, be
fore decision to give the stamps a
uniform 10-point value.
While the old brown and green
stamps remain in use, tokens will be
given as change for them just as for
the red and blue. In addition, one
point brown and green stamps will
be usable in making change until
they expire. This plan was adopt
ed, OPA said, as a precaution
against the possibility that tokens
may not be well distributed in all
sections during the first few weeks
they are in use.
MISS LAURA YORK DIES
AFTER LONG ILLNESS
Miss Laura Cheek York, 55, died
at the residence of her uncle, John
McCoy, at Old Fort, R. F. D. No. 1,
early Friday morning after a linger
ing illness.
Funeral services were conducted
at the Siloam Presbyterian church
Saturday afternoon at 3 o'clock by
her pastor, the Rev. Thomas B. Buff,
and burial made in the family plot
in Siloam cemetery.
She is survived by one sister, Mrs.
Myrtle York Harrell, her uncle John
McCoy, and one aunt, Mrs. Thomas
Tate.
Buy war bonds and Stamps.
Washington, Feb. 25.—The tax
bill which President Roosevelt de
scribed as a relief for the greedy has
become law.
The senate today completed the
congressional revolt against the
President by overriding his veto of
the $2,225,000,000 measure.
Since the house similarly reject
ed the President's veto yesterday,
the measure now becomes law.
The vote in the senate today was
overwhelmingly against the Presi
dent's veto. Seventy-two senators
voted to override; only 14 voted to
sustain the President.
The vote in the house yesterday
was equally large against the Presi
dent—299 to 95.
As a result of overriding of the
veto, Americans after April 1 will
have sharply increased excise taxes;
on a long list of articles. Liquor I
taxes will go from $6 to $9 a 100- j
proof gallon; cabaret taxes will be
30 per cent instead of 5 per cent;'
admissions taxes will be 20 per i
cent instead of the present 10. j
Many other levies will rise similarly. |
Effective March 26, the local post
age rate will go from two to three j
cents an ounce.
Individual income tax provisions
of the new law will not affect com
putation of tax returns due March
15. But in computing estimated
taxes due on 1944 income, on re
turns now due April 15, and in com
puting income taxes henceforth,
there will be no earned income
credit as heretofore.
In addition to the rate increases,;
the bill has other important provis-1
ions. One freezes the social securi-1
ty tax for the rest of this year at!
the present one per cent. It was
due to increase to two per cent on
March 1. j
CLINCHFIELD RHYTHM
BAND GIVES PROGRAM
AT KIWANIS MEETING
The Clinchfield Rhythm Band, un
der the direction of Mrs. Bernard
Hirsch, was the feature attraction
at the regular weekly meeting of Ki
wanis Tuesday evening, rendering a
number of patriotic selections. In
addition to a record attendance of
Kiwanians and guests a number of
others came in after . the regular
meeting for the program which was
thoroughly enjoyed by all.
John A. Finley was elected to
membership last Tuesday and the of
ficial emblem was presented by
Judge P. J. Story.
Guests at the meeting included
Rev. W. H. Tipton of Marion, D. C.
Golf of the War Price Panel, Char
lotte, W. H. Patten of Marion and
son, Lieut. W. H. Patten, Jr., U. S.
A., and Carrol Corbett, U. S. N.
OPA TO MAKE CHECK ON
COUPON ENDORSEMENT
Beginning the week of March 6,
OPA will attempt to check all gaso
line ration books to see that the
coupons are properly endorsed with
license number and state, as part of
the nationwide campaign against
black markets in gasoline. Motor
ists found with unendorsed coupons
will be notified to report to their lo
cal board within 10 days with en
dorsed books. Anyone who fails to
do this faces revocation of rations.
STATE W.M.U. CONVENTION
TO MEET IN CHARLOTTE
The State Baptist W. M. U. con
vention will be held at the First
Baptist church in Charlotte on
March 7-9, it is announced by Mrs.
C. C. Parker, superintendent of the
.Blue Ridge Association. The theme
of the meeting will be "For Ye
Serve the Lord." Delegates from
the various churches in the county
have been named to attend the con
vention.
TAXPAYERS TO BE GIVEN
AID ON FILING STATE
INCOME TAX RETURNS
F. L. German, deputy commis
sioner, will be at the court house in
Marion on March 1 to 8 from 9 un
til 5 o'clock for the purpose of as
sisting taxpayers in filing their
State tax returns. .
State income tax reports must be
filed by March 15.
LENTEN SERVICE TODAY
The Rev. Albert P. Mack, rector
of St. Francis' church of Ruther
fordton, will conduct Lenten ser
vices at St. John's Episcopal church
here this morning (Thursday) at
10:30 o'clock.
McDowell Draft
Board Changes
Status Of Men
150 Registrants Placed In 1-A.
Subject To Early Physical
Examinations.
One hundred and fifty McDowell
county registrants have been assign
ed 1-A status by the local selective
service board, according to an an
nouncement released by the board
during the past week. The men are
subject to early pre-induction physi
cal examinations at an army center.
Those placed in 1-A include the
following:
James Mason, Joseph Laughridge,
Ted Blalock, William Hughes, James
Smith, Grady Greer, Charles A. Mc
Kinney, James T. Brooks, Harry R.
Mason, Edward W. Huffman, Edgar
T. Medford, Arnold Pyatt, Thurston
G. Haynes, Paul Elliott, Ralph L.
Phillips, Ted T. Johnson, William C.
Raines, Royce L. Hogan, Jesse P.
Cannon, Kenneth W. Young, Delmar
T. Allison, Gary F. Peade, Virgil L.
Morgan, William H. Morrow, Carter
M. Curry, John C. Edwards, Troy
Davis, Charles H. Smith, Robert G.
Radford.
Herman A. Summey, Arvey L.
Washburn, Robert W. Quinn, Clyde
R. Whisnant, John L. Lewis, Albert
N. Burnette, Clifton L. England,
Eugene T. Yon, Walter F. Jackson,
Alvin R. Bartlett, Grady Liester,
Robert P. Greene, James G. Ray,
Louis R. Thomas, Woodrow A. Wall,
Galen A. Mace, John M. Riser, Wil
liam H. Poteat, Clifton R. McCor
mick, Harry M. Gilliam, Clyde W.
Holland, Thomas P. Thomas, Austin
J. Harris, James R. Wilkerson, Sam
uel M. Yancey, Edgar B. Henline,
Clarence C. Wise, Joseph P. Row
land.
John V. Roland, Odell L. Ward,
Herman C. Walker, Charles C. Car
son, Paul S. Whitner, David S. Gal
lion, James L. Crawley, James L.
Ferguson, Howard C. Osborne,
James V. Reynolds, Wayne P. Ad
kins, Arlond T. Bank, Clarence Car
son, Dysart M. Hawkins, Andrew R
Davis, James F. Elliott, Kenneth A.
Hardy, Mvles P. Young, Paul G.
Willis, Ralph A. Gibbs, Floyd T.
Young, Kenneth Young, Lemuel A.
Early, William B. Wright, Buford R.
Elliott.
Edward A. Owens, William F.
Anderson, John D. Wilkerson, Er
nest B. Hollifield, Arthur C. Loftis„
Samuel M. Smith, William R. Mues,
Aaron L. Huffman, Lonnie Crisp,
Frank M. Baumgardner, Troy B.
Marler, Thad Stevens, Winfred J.
Poteat, Otis T. Vess, Coy C. Bart
lett, James L. Finley, Alvin L. Price,
John A. McNeill, Robert G. Sim
mons, Joe N. Hollifield, Luther N.
Parker, Jesse M. Lytle, Grant Wil
liams, Lester Pressley.
Harlin Moody, Bill B. Deck, Har
dy L. Murphy, Carl P. Jimison, Ro>r
M. King, John E. Suttle, Paul G.
Burgin, Barney T. Rector, Daniel 0~
Bradley, Presley B. Jaynes, John W,
Evans, Charley M. Hensley, Loui*
Evans, Bernie E. Hollifield, James R
Bruner, Lawrence M. Ellington, Gil
key S. Hollifield, Fred G. Moody,
Everette L. Hutchins, Joseph W.
Sumlin.
Enoch W. Shirlen, Wilburn W.
Revis, Floyd W. Gable, Carsie H.
Reese, Arwin H. Hicks, Hugh O. Mc
Call, Cecil E. Patterson, Clyde W.
Pyatt, Barney R. Suttles, Alden P.
Honeycutt, Gaston B. Waycaster,
Daniel L. Williams, John E. Sim
mons, George W. Gardner, Boyd
Morgan, Lee M. Lewis, Tice W.
Hicks, Donald D. Duncan, James W.
Moore, Edward Sherlin, Daniel M.
Willis, Ray D. Grant, John W,
Saunders, Paul Williams.
A. R. HAWKINS VISITS
PARENTS AT MARION?
j
A. R. Hawkins, 19, radioman sec
ond class of ehe navy, has been
spending a leave with his parents,
Mr. and Mis. A. L. Hawkins, of
[West Marion.
I Following his leave he returned to
Now York city, where he expects a
new assignment. He has been on
active sea duty for more than a year.
Radioman Hawkins attended Marion
high school prior to entering service
in December, 1941.