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, AUGUST 10, 1944
VOL. XLIX—NO. 3
Opening Date
Marion Schools
Set For Sep. 14
"Tentative Date Set By Board
But May Be Deferred'Pend
ing Polio Situation.
In a meeting of the Marion City j
School Board held in the office of
the superintendent last Tuesday
evening the opening date of schools
-was tentatively set for September
14. In setting this date the school
board made it clear that the date set
was merely tentative and that if the
epidemic of poliomyetitis had not
come under complete control by
September 14 that the opening of
school would be further deferred.
In other words, the city schools will
not open until the local Board of I
HJealth, the State Board of Health
and the State Board of Education;
agree that there is no further dan
ger from the epidemic of polio The
^action of the City School Board
means that school will not open be
fore September 14 and that it will
not open then unless the polio situa
ation is entirely satisfactory.
The age of beginning pupils was
also discussed by the board. It was
pointed out by superintendent Hugh
KBeam that the law of this State pro
vided that a child must have reached
its 6th birthday on or before the
first day of October. The school
board passed a resolution that there
should be strict adherence to this
statute.
Among the other items of busi
ness that were transacted by the
school board Mrs. Mae Boss Alley
was elected to the position of gram
mar grade teacher in tTie city j
schools and Mrs. Bernice Crisp was
elected to the colored faculty of the j
Hudgins High School.
JAMES BYRD AWARDED
SILVER PILOT'S WINGS
Flight Officer James S. Byrd, son i
of Mir. and Mrs. B. B. Byrd, receiv- j
ed his silver pilot's wings and a com- j
mission in the United States Army ]
at graduating exercises at Brooks!
Field Texas on August 4. Flight j
Officer Byrd will be remembered i
here by his many friends as a re-'
cent graduate of Marion High
School where he was an outstanding
pupil and star athlete for several
years. During his last year, in high
school he was a member of the Ma
rion High School famous football
squad which won the Western Con
ference championship for the year
1942, Flight Officer Byrd excelled
at end during that season and
caught a number of passes in the
end zone which spelled defeat for
the enemy.
M'DOWELL COUNTY MEN
DRAWN FOR JURY DUTY
Jurors for the September term of j
MicDowell County superior court j
were drawn at the regular meeting j
of the board of county commission-:
ers Monday. The jurors drawn for :
the two weeks term are as follows: j
First week: J. B. Walker, Arthur;
Gardin, Worth Frady, J. E. Lackey, j
J. S. Setzer, W. H. Hennessee, R. J
G. Lambert, T. H. Smoot, Dan \
Toney, Ben H. Seals, J. R. Reynolds,!
B. B. Emory, Glenn Davis, Dexter i
E. Marlowe, Stacey L. Noblett, Gas-1
ton Toney, J. F. Copeland, Ben H.
Carver, John Biddix, V. L. Knupp, I
Vei'non T. Eckerd, M. B. Patton, T. 1
Carl Simmons, C. Y. Banning, Carl
Edwards, J. A. Yelton, Howard
Lawing, Clayton Randolph, J. E.
Lawing, Will M. Hollifield, A. Y.
Lytle, Wesley Lewis, S. R. Hawkins,
Jack Baxter, C. R. Hester, H. E.
Green, L. C. Elkin, Fred Cline, E.
V. Wright.
Second week: Bruce Cowan, J.
M. Atkins, Jesse Brown, W. S. Sisk, j
Chas. P. Lytle, Harvey L. Morgan, j
Fred G. Brown, W. C. Macon, Bax
ter Lewis, Harvey C. Hollifield, Joe i
Giles, B. C. Wilson, C. M. Jolly, E. !
S. McCurry, Duard Hefner, A. H.
Mitchem, Joe Denny, W. J. Ballew,
A. J. Wilkerson, James Padg^iam, R.1
W. Silver, W. F. McCurry, William \
J. Wilkinson, J. A. Freeman, Joe j
Mosteller, J. H. Bowman, Julius F.i
Parker, Jesse Williams, James H.;
.Hensley, S. G. Buckner.
MARION MERCHANTS
WILL MEET TONIGHT
The first meeting of the fiscal
year of the Marion Merchants
Association will be held Thurs
day evening, August 10, at 8
o'clock in the fireman's room
in the city hall.
A pleasant surprise is being
planned for the members and
each is expected to be present.
After the meeting refreshments
will be served.
Thirty-seven new members
have been added to the associa
tion this month, it is announc
ed, and a large attendance is
expected.
JUNIOR CLUB RAISES
$600 IN POLIO DRIVE
Due to the fact that poliomyelitis
is prevalent in McDowell county
and in surrounding counties, partic
ularly in the Piedmont section of
this state, the Junior Woman's Club
of Marion instituted a campaign for
funds to be used in the erection and i
construction of a permanent hospit- j
al building to be used as a polio i
clinic located at Hickory, North;
Carolina. This hospital is to care j
for patients afflicted with polio from
this county and surrounding terri
tory.
According to an announcement
made public by Mrs. Arthur H. Ditt,
president of the local Junior Wo
man's Club, this club was responsi
ble for raising $600.00 to be con
tributed to this cause last week. On
Wednesday of last week through
Saturday, the young women of this
organization displayed a "March of
Ddmes" board on Main street for the |
purpose of receiving contributions j
for this work. Mrs. Ditt stated that j
the public was very generous in its:
contributions to this worthy cause, j
and that the members of the Junior i
Woman's Club wishes to express
their appreciation for the splendid j
spirit that prompted the giving of j
;he amount of money set out above. |
The president of the Junior Wo-,
man's Club stated that she also j
wished to express the appreciation'
of her organization to Drexel Fur-1
niture Company for taking the time
and effort of making the "March of,
Dimes" board which was used in this
work. Public acknowledgment is j
made to Jack Reynolds who made1
the posters that were used in the
display on the "March of Dimes" j
board. Mrs. Ditt also said that her
club appreciated the time given by
its own members and other public;
spirited women in conducting this
work during the past week.
QUOTA OF GASOLINE
REPORTED LIMITED
The local War Price and Ration-<
ing Board wishes to announce to the
public that its quota of hard shipped
gasoline is limited, and that it can
not issue gasoline from this small
reserve except in cases where ac-'
tual hardship will be experienced
unless extra gasoline is allotted.
The local office of the War Price
and Rationing board states that reg
ulations do not permit rationing au
thorities to issue gasoline for the
purpose of carrying a patient to a
doctor, or visiting a doctor, if the
patient is physically able to ride a
bus or train or to use other means
of transportation.
Local doctors are requested to ad
vise their patients of this situation
whenever the need arises and to
furnish their patients with a state
ment certifying that the patient
needs further medical treatment
and that the patient is not able to
ride by bus or train, or that travel
by public conveyance is not avail
able.
WESTMORELAND BUYS
COLUMN APARTMENTS
The "Column Apartments," for
merly known as the W. T. Morgan
residence, on South Main street,
have been purchased by S. J. West
moreland from the Morgan estate, '
Mr. Westmoreland stated yesterday.
The property will be converted (
into a funeral home by the first of i
next year, Mr. Westmoreland stat
~ J
DR. D. E. CAMAK WILL
PREACH SUNDAY
I
Dr. D. E. Camak, pastor of the
First Methodist Church, has return-,
ed from the Pastor's conference at j
Lake Junaluska and will be in his
pulpit Sunday morning.
McDowell Goes
Far Over Top
In Bond Sales
Final Report Shows Bond
Quota Exceeded By $94,
263 In Fifth Loan Drive.
The total sale of war bonds in
McDowell county during the Fifth
War Loan drive was $650,910.00,
exceeding the quota of $446,000.
00 by $204,691.00, it was announc
ed this week by J. F. Snipes and J.
N. Morris, war loan chairmen for
this county, on the basis of official
tabulation by the Federal Reserve
Bank in Richmond.
The county's E bond sales
amounted to $276,263.00, . or 152
per cent, exceeding McDowell's
quota of $182,000 by $94,263.00.
Region 10, comprising the 15
Western North Carolina counties,
sold 180 per cent of its $8,288,000
quota, of $14,961,675 worth of
bonds, it is announced.
The region also went over the top
with its E bond sales, rolling up a
total of $4,012,373 compared with
a quota of $3,504,000.
McCORMICK REPORTED
MISSING IN ACTION
Pvt. John W. McCormick, 23, has
been missing in action in Italy since
July 13, according to word received
from the War Department by his pa
rents, Mr. and Mrs. John W. Mc
Cormick, of Old Fort.
Pvt. McCormick enlisted in No
vember, 1942 and received his train
ing at Camp White, Oregon. He
had served overseas since May,
1944.
He attended Cross Mill school and
was employed by the McDowell Fur
niture Company, now known as the
Otis L. Broyhill Furniture Company.
The McCormicks also have two
other sons in service. They are Pvt.
Donald McCormick of Camp Davis,
and Pvt. Clifford McCormick of
Wheeling, Ga.
W. K. KEETER IS NA1VJED
BUSINESS MGR. OF N. C. S. D.
W. K. Keeter, of Morganton, was
named business manager of the
North Carolina School for the Deaf
at a meeting of the directors held
in Morganton last week. Mr. Keet
er will succeed Mrs. A. S. Baron who
will enter Red Cross service. Mr.
Keeter is a brother of Eugene Keet
er, of Marion, and a former resident
of Marion.
SINGING CONVENTION
FOR AUGUST CANCELLED
The annual Burke - McDowell
County Singing convention shedul
ed to be held in Marion on Sunday,
August 27, has been cancelled be
cause of the continued spread of the
infantile paralysis in this area, it is
announced by J. C. Burnett.
Back the attack. Buy War Bonds
and Stamps.
Reduction Made
I
In County Tax
Rate Next Year
McDowell's Tax Rate Next
Year To Be $1.20 On $100
Valuation Of Property.
The Board of County Commis
sioners in session Monday set the
county rate for this year at $1.20
as compared with a rate of $1.25
for the past year.
In addition to l-educing the tax
rate five cents on the $100 valua
tion this year the commissioners
during the year just ended were
able to meet all obligations of the
county and at the same time reduce
the bonded indebtedness. Economy
in the management of the county's
business during the year made it
possible to meet all obligations, pay
the bonds due and reduce the tax
rate.
The new rate is based on the ap
proximate valuation of $17,735,
306.
Broken down the rate of $1.20
on each $100 property valuation
was distributed as follows:
General county fund, 15 cents;
general county health fund, 3 cents;
general county poor fund, 5 oents;
old age assistance fund, 5 cents;
aid to dependent children fund, 2
cents; special expense fund, 4 cents;
county schools, current expense, 6
cents; Marion school capital outlay,
l cent; school debt service, 23 cents;
highway debt service, 42 cents;
funding debt service, 4 cents; court
house debt service, 8 cents; county
school capital outlay, 2 cents.
Mcdowell men inducted
— AT CAMP. CROFT -TUESDAY.
Seventeen McDowell County men
were sent to Camp Croft for induc
tion into the armed forces by the
local draft board Tuesday morning.
They were:
Lloyd Clownie Ollis, William
Francis Nichols, Albert Homer Mor
gan, Dean Clay Greer, Samuel Lil
I burn Stone, Jr., Charles Floyd Led
better, Robert Neal Elliott, James
Edwin Holland, Daniel Webster,
Frank Biddix Dysart, Donald Lee
Anderson, Linzie Lawrence Holli
' field, Cecil Fred Moody, Loyd Alvin
' Clark, Leonard Emmett Washburn,
! James William Condrey and Clar
; ence B. Smith.
TIRE INSPECTORS ARE
LISTED BY WPR BOARD
| Because of a number of requests
! coming to the local office of War
; Price and Rationing board concern
i ing tire inspections and the names
of local tire inspectors, the follow
ing announcement is made:
"Official tire inspection stations
i in Marion and McDowell County are
!listed as follows: Young's Esso
j Station, Sullivan's Gulf Station,
! Raymond Robinson, E. D. Ricks,
i George S. Crawford, Wayne's Gulf
'Service, Ballew Motor. Company and
I Snipes Motor Company."
Motorists Are Asked To Use
Care In Applying For Gasoline
Carelessness of motorists in hard
ling renewal applications for gaso
line rations is greatly cutting down
the efficiency of the service which
would be rendered them otherwise
and is causing much unnecessary
work at the local War Price and Ra
tioning board, the public was again
reminded yesterday.
One very important thing for mo
torists to remember, it was said, is
to make application at least a week
before the indicated expiration of
their rations. These renewal appli
cations should be made by mail and
should have attached tire inspection
records, regardless of the fact that
periodic tire inspections are no
longer necessary.
It is very important that the ap
plication be completely filled out.
Many applicants only sign their
names; others completely fill out the
applications except for providing
signatures. The rationing board
must have more than just identifica
tion folders in these renewal appli
cations.
The gasoline panel of the ration
ing board is in session two days each
week but its duties are very heavy.
The motorist must learn that the
applications are considered in ord
er; that the ruling of first come,
first served, applies.
Here are some of the reasons why
many of the renewal applications
must be returned:
Failure to include application for
renewal, form R-543; failure to sign
application for renewal, form R
543; failure to obtain signature of
riders on Form R-543; failure to
provide necessai-y information on
application for renewal, form R
543; failure to include tire inspec
tion record, form R-570; failure to
have application certified by trans
portation committee or employer
form R-543, or form R-535.
City Bus Service To
Begin Next Saturday
W. M, Shelton and L. T. Hollis, of
Greenville, S. C., who were recent
ly granted a franchise to operate
the city bus service in Marion, were
here Tuesday making arrangements
to begin the service on next Satur
day. The firm will be known as the
Marion City Lines.
The company, it was understood,
will operate several buses to East
Marion, Clinchfield, Cross Mill and
West Marion.
It was stated that fare will not be
over ten cents a trip and a regular
schedule will be operated. Plans
will be made to have regular bus
stops.
Initial trips will be made Friday
to try out a tentative schedule.
CAR POOLING MEANS
SAVING IN MATERIAL,
FUEL AND MANPOWER
(Jar pooling is mandatory for all
"B" and "C" card-holders who use
their automobiles for home-to-work
driving.
Yet today the average automobile
operated by the so-called "white
collar" worker is carrying fewer
than two persons per car. Among
idustrial workers using cars for
home-to-work driving, the average
is over three, due largely to the j
work of Plant Transportation Com- j
mittees.
A recent government survey
showed that only 16 percent of all
automobile operators belonged to
car pools. The survey also revealed
that more than half of all car opera
tors are not familiar with the car
pooling requirments for "B" and
"C" card holders.
Industrial workers, through their
I Plant Transportation Committees,
j are doing a much better job of cjur
' able to do such an excellent job is
: ample indication that white collar
! workers could do it too.
! Inertia and lack of understanding
! of the desperate need for gasoline
' conservation are the worst enemies
i of effective car sharing. The most
common excuses for failure to get
into a car pool are these:
Drivers claim that none of their
neighbors goes near the place where
they work. Others who only oc
casionally work overtime claim that
they cannot be tied down to a car
pool schedule because of irregular
hours. Most of these people can
l work out a car-pooling arrangement
I if they are willing to make the nec
| essary adjustments.
Today it is estimated that the na
tional car-pooling average on home
! to-work driving is between 2 and
: 2 V> persons per car. If this aver
! age can be raised to between 3 and
i 3 V2 persons, one-third fewer cars
; would be in constant use. The re
sulting savings in material, fuel and
(manpower would be of tremendous
, value to the war effort.
SGT. MILLER TAKES PART
IN AERIAL BOMBARDMENT
OF JAPANESE NAVAL BASE
Staff Sergeant William F. Miller,
assistant engineer, of Marion, was a
i member of Lieutenant Stubblefield's
! crew that participated recently in
; the first daylight aerial assault by
land-based bombers against the key
Japanese air and naval base of Yap,
300 miles southeast of Palau be
tween the Phillipines and the Mar
iana group.
Smashing the enemy airfield,
where Japanese aircraft are staged
enroute to Guam, our big Libera
tors destroyed 18 enemy aircraft on
the ground and damaged ten. Fires
were observed burning four hours
after the attack, it is stated.
Mcdowell men examined
AT CAMP CROFT TUESDAY
Sixteen men were sent to Camp
Croft for physical examination for
military service by the McDowell
County Draft Board Tuesday. They
were:
Hiram Jacob Hunter, Ruben Hut
son McKinney, Albert Leon Finley,
Ransom Robertson, Billy Ray Lewis,
Marion Marrit Hicks, Kenneth Wat
ers, William Carley Arrowood,
Ralph Roscoe Hensley, Dean Oak
land Poteat, John Bunyan Walker,
Jr., Earl Junior Webb, Jack Bruce
Burleson, Banks Tom Mathis, Lewis
Glenn Jones and Bruce Franklin.
I __
Goal Exceeded
In Emergency
Polio Drive Here
Total Contributions From Mc
Dowell Sent To Foundation
Amount To $1,173.65.
Iri cooperation with a request
from the McDowell County Infan
tile Paralysis committee that $500
be raised to be sent to the Infantile
Paralysis Foundation, the citizens
of Marion and McDowell County
have contributed a total of $1,173.
65, exceeding the goal by $673.65.
The request stated, however, that
at least $500 was needed, and the
committee is grateful for the liberal
response of the public.
Members of the Junior Woman's
Club took a leading part in the drive
by displaying a "March of Dimes"
board on Main street several days
last week for the purpose of receiv
ing donations and other contribu
tions were made to J. N. Morris,
treasurer. Mr. Morris' report at
noon yesterday showed $1,173.65 as
the total donations from this coun
ty.
Emergency plants for the treat
ment of Infantile Paralysis are lo
cated at Gastonia, Hickory and
Charlotte. Patients from McDowell
County may be treated at these hos
pitals without charge and some are
already receiving treatment at
these centers.
PORTER FORTUNE OF
OLD FORT PRESENTED
BRONZE STAR MEDAL
1941, has been awarded the bronze
1 star medal for "heroic and meritor
i
! ious service" in action as command
1 ing officer of an escort evessel en
gaged in convey duty in the Pacific.
The citation given Fortune re
vealed that the convoy of which his
ship was a member was "attacked
on three separate occasions by for
mations of Japanese dive bombers
and fighters." Porter was described
as having "skillfully maneuvered his
ship to protect the convey and as
sisted in nutcing up a heavy barrage
of anti-aircraft fire which resulted
in preventing the enemy from carry
ing out a full scale attack. Through
his skillful and courageous efforts,
no casualties or material damages
was suffered."
After winning his A. B. degree at
the university in 1941 he did grad
uate work toward a master's degree
in history at Emory university. He
entered service by enlistment in the
navy in April, 1942.
LAUGHRIDGE AND ALLEY
GRADUATE FROM PILOT
SCHOOL AT MOODY FIELD
Former Aviation Cadets Morris
S. Laughridgre and William R. Alley,
Jr., both of Marion, were recently
graduated from AAF Pilot School
at Moody Field, Ga., and appointed
flight officers with the rating oF
Army pilot.
As members of Class 44-G, they
will be assigned to piloting multi
engine aircraft—such as light, med
ium, or heavy bombers; transport
or cargo planes.
POSTAL RECEIPTS SHOW
SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE
The receipts at the Marion post
office for the month of July showed
an increase of $397.56 over July,
1943, according to report filed by
Postmaster Barron Caldwell.
The report shows that the re
ceipts for July, 1944, were $4,168.
92, as compared with $3,770.36 for
the same month of the previous
year.
THREE CASES OF POLIO
REPORTED DURING WEEK
Three new cases of infantile pa
ralysis have been reported in this
county since the middle of last
week, Miss Sadie Reid, quarantine
officer, announced Tuesday.
No definite number of cases re
ported prior to that time can be
ascertained as there has not been a
quarantine officer for several weeks.