r
34th Year No. 48Roanoke Rapids, N. C., Sunday, November 7, 19485c Daily; 10c Sunday
’Miami Physician Killed In Collision
On U. S. Highway 301 Near Weldon
Oil Truck
And Auto
In Collision
Weldon, Nov. 7—Dr. Henry
Fendell, 33, Miami, Fla physician
was killed instantly in a high
way accident between an auto
mobie and an oil truck about
. three and one-half miles south
‘ of here on U.S. highway 301 a
bout 6:30 yesterday morning.
The doctor’s wife, his moth
er and his sister were sent to the
Roanoke Rapids Hospital for
treatment of injuries incurred in
the accident.
Aldie Finch of Clayton, driver
of the truck which struck the
Florida car. was being held
under a $2,000 bond pending the
outcome of a coroner’s inquest
in the case.
According to reports from
Halifax County coroner Rufufc
Britton, who along with State
Highway Patrolmen was [ con
ducting an investigation of the
fatal accident, the Fendell car
was travelling south on the
highway and was meeting a
log truck which had just passed
the oil truck driven by Finch.
The log truck was said to have
been forced off the highway on
the left by the Fendell car and
the car had been struck head
on by the oil truck.
Dr. Fendell, who was a resi
dent of 80th street, Miami, was
a physician at the Jewish Mem
orial Hospital in the Florida city
He was reported to have been
driving the car at the time of
the accident.
His wife, Mrs. Betty Fendell,
his mother, Mrs. Augusta Fend
ell, and sister, Miss Anita Fend
ell. were all admitted to the
Roanoke Rapids Hospital where
reports last night said they were
all in good condition. Hospital
• >ttaches said the three women
" were suffering from shock and
from minor cuts and bruises.
The doctor received fatal head
injuries and the body was taken
to the Rowe Funeral Home j
here. The automobile was sev-i
erly damaged, but officers said i
the truck was only slightly
damaged.
A coroner’s jury was summon
ed here yesterday and taken to
the scene of the accident by j
Coroner Britton and other offic- j
ers. Jurors were told they
«would be summoned later for an j
inouest.
Finch, driver of the truck, op-;
erates the truck for the Central,
Oil Milling Company of Clayton, i
The acident marked the
fourth highway fatality for the
year in Halifax County.
New Building
Planned For
Eastman School
Halifax — According to a
statement from W. Henry Over
man, Superintendent of Halifax
County Schools, the Halifax
Co”ntv Board of Education has
authorized the partial construc
tion of an auditorium-gymna
sium at the Eastman School.
Plans and specifications for
the proposed building wil be
drawn by Frank B. Simpson,
Raleigh architect Labor from
the Trades Class at the East
man School will be used in the
construction under the super
vision of R. H. Wright, county;
school maintenance foreman.
Board of Education members
were advised of a meeting of
the State School Board Associa
tion which will be held in Cha-^
pel Hill on November 11.
Aside from the approval of
th^ ^stmnn School construction,
i the Board of Education acted
on routine business only in their
last regular meeting.
Allsbrook Named
To Municipalities
[.poriciiatWe Groun
Mayor W. B Allsbrook of
Roanoke Rapids was informed
this week of his appointment to
the Legislative Committee of
the North Carolina League of
.^Municipalities
The appointment was made
during the recent conference of
the League in Charlotte.
The Mayor said today he has
accepted an invitation to meet
with the committee and the
League's Executive Committee
in the office of the League of
Municipalities in Raleigh on
November 18 foi the initial
i meeting of the new year.
He will serve for 1949 as a
~'-mber of the committee.
TO RE-ACTIVATE WARSHIPS— con destroyer escorts at San Diego,
Calif., as Navy prepares to re-activate some vessels of the Pacific Reserve Fleet. Metal domes are
de-humidifiers mounted as protective "cocoons” over anti-aircraft guns:.
Anti-Parking Meter Forces At Work
Again As Meters Near End Of Trial
Period, But Apparently Meters Needed
By Bill Davey
On November 19 Roanoke
Rapids’ parking meters w ill
have “come of age”, and except
for some scattered sniping
against them by a minority
group of residents of the city
they seem to have won them
selves a permanent home in
the city.
Recently there has been ad
ditional attention focussed on the
meters with the circulation of a
petition among some of the res
idents of the city requesting that
the meters be removed. Last
Thursday night the Roanoke
Rapids Junior Chamber of Com
merce went on record as oppos
ing the continuation of the me
ters on the grounds that' “they
not had not done what they were
supposed to do.”
Except for those two incidents,
though, the meters have been
functioning uncomplainingly for
ten hours a day, six days a
week since they went into op
eration on an eight months’ trial
basis March 19. That eight
months will be a completed a
week from next Friday, and a
recent survey would indicate
they have been successful to a
degree which exceeded even
the hopes of those who fostered
them.
Local Junior Chamber Sends Letter
To City Commissioners Opposing
Parking Meters In Roanoke Rapids
A letter was sent yesterday
from the Roanoke Rapids Ju
nior Chamber of Commerce to
the Roanoke Rapids Board of
City Commissioners informing
the Board the Jaycees had gone
on record as being opposed to
the parking meters now being
used in the city.
A decision to send such a let
ter was made in the regular
meeting of the Junior Chamber
here last Thursday night and
followed a prolonged discussion
during which various members
of the club presented their
views in favor and against the
meters now in operation.
When the matter was finally
Sut to a vote by club president
[enry Akers the group opposing
the meters was found to have a
slight majority, and club secre
tary Paul E. Greene, Jr., was
instructed to write a letter tell
ing the Board the decision which
had been made by the Club.
Greene’s letter, mailed yester
day, was addressed to the
Mayor and Board of City Com
missioners and the complete text
of the letter is as follows:
ion i^ouniy residents said u me i
meters were removed they were
going to start going somewhere
they could find a parking space
rather than trying to drive all
over Roanoke Rapids trying to
find a space if the meters are
removed.
The meters were first placed
in action here on March 19 un
der an eight-months’ trial. Un
dder terms of the contract sign-'
ed by the City and the Karpark
Corporation of Cincinnati, Ohio,
the city has the right within
fifteen days of the expiration of
the trial period to terminat the
purchase contract.
Board members have shown
no inclination to take any ac
tion toward terminating the
contract, all of them agreeing at
their last regular meeting that
the meters are doing a good job
of traffic regulation. They said
' they halfway expectde a dele
gation of “anti parking meter”
citizens to appear at the last
regular meeting here Tuesday,
but aside from the Jaycee deci
sion no opposition has openly
been declared to the meters.
. .
a coniraci was signeu uciwcwi
the city and the Karpark Cor
poration of Cincinnati on Jan
uary 6, 1948, in which it was
clearly said ‘The Company will
furnish said parking meters for
a trial period of eight months."
In that eight months’ period
it has become possible to get a
parking space in the business
district of the city at any time
in almost any location.
The parking meters in Roan
oke Rapids are not unlike A1
Capp’s “schmoos” which recent
ly rose to national prominence
in that they are self-sustaining
and cost no one anything except
the people who actually use
them.
Revenue Producers
They pay for themselves and
a littie bit more. Already the
parking meters have earned the
city of Roanoke Rapids a total
of S3.732.99 and the monev is in
a fund for better enforcement of
traffic regulations within the
citv. The 363 meters now in op
eration have grossed $9,439.77
since the first penny was poked
into one of them, and already
the Karpark Corporation has
been paid $3,732,99 toward the
total cost of the meters.
Already a resolution has been
passed by the Board of City
Commissioners requesting that
a local act be introduced in the
1949 General Assembly enabling
the city to use its parking meter
receipts for recreational purpos
es. Such a proposal would make
possible a steady income for the
(Continued on Page Twelve)
it
We, the Junior L-hamoer oi
Commerce of Roanoke Rapids,
N. C., would like for it to be
known that we, as one of the
many civil clubs of this city,
go on record as being opposed
to the parking meters now being
used in this city. This does not
mean that we are definitely a
gainst the parking meters but
that we believe, from informa
tion received and from our own
observation, that they are neith
er helping business nor the traf
fic problem. It is understood by
the Club that meters were in
stalled for the above reasons. If
facts can be shown that the me
ters are helping the city remedy
the traffic situation and not hin
dering business in our city we,
as the Junior Chamber of Com
merce, will put all of our influ
ence and support behind you in
an all-out effort to retain the
parking meters. If you would
give such facts and figures to
the Press, we would be glad to
accept them as proof that the
meters are beneficial to our city.
I am also sure that such figures
would have to be sufficient to
other elements in the city that
are definitely opposed and a
gainst parking meters.”
Close on the heels of the ac
tion of the Jaycees came reports
from various sections of Roa
noke Rapids that petitions were
being circulated by interested
people requesting that the me
ters be retained.
Several out-oi-town residents
in Roanoke Rapids yesterday
said they hoped there would be
no irresponsible action on, the
part of the Board of Commis
sioners toward taking the meters
tion. Several Northamptonls’-lt
Want a Trade
Something? Here’s
A Way To Do It
No need io do without
things you want because
they're not widely available
or you lack the price: call us
for help, the Herald want ad,
expert in the art of shopping
for what is wanted by swap
ping what's not wanted.
Regardless of what you
have and what you want
someone among the 50,000
folks the Herald contacts
daily is eager to trade. For
satisfaction plus savings.
Phone The Herald, R-326 or
R-8621.
If you find your name on
our classified page you can
have a free pass to the pic
ture "Good Sam" at your local
theatre. Just stop by the Her
ald office and we will be hap
py to present the ticket to
you. Ruth Cooper, j
Auto Fire Here
Is Extinguished
City firemen were called about
7:15 last night tc the 200 block
of Roanoke Avenue to investi
gate an automobile fire, when a
parked car suddenly started
burning under the floor boards.
Firemen, who extinguished the
blaze after little damage had
been done, said the fire had ap
parently started from a shorted,
wirt. |
November 26
Is Christmas
Opening Here
The Roanoke Rapids Mer -1
chants Association announced to
day that Friday, November 26,
has been set for the Official
Christmas Opening for Roanoke
Rapids merchants.
A parade will be held for the
opening, and the Daraders will
start in the South Ward at seven
o’clock and will parade through
the business district to Simmons
Park, where the Roanoke Rap
ids High School Yellow Jackets
will wind up their football soa
son in a game with Wedon High.
Santa Claus riding in a con
vertible coupe and carrying a
bag of candy or toys for the
children will be the feature of
the parade which will be led by
the Roanoke Rapids High School
band.
On the evening of the Christ
mas Opening all Christmas de
corations will be in place and I
lights wil be turned on at that;
time.
All local merchants have been [
urged by the Association to have i
their window displays and store
decorations completed in time!
for the opening.
Dewey Places
Blame For
His Defeat
s'Jbany, N. Y., Nov. 6—(JP)—
Gov. Thomas E. Dewey, set for
an Arizona vacation, today
blamed Republican overconfi
dence for his stunning defeat in
the presidential election.
The top candidate told a news
conference:
“I was quite surprised by the
very low vote.
“It looks as if two dr three
million Republicans stayed home
(from the polls) out of overcon
fidence.”
When a reporter asked Dewey
whether, in his judgment, that
was the main reason for his de
feat, he replied:
“It’s one factor that stands
out in the returns so far.”
Refreshed by lots of sleep, the
New York governor announced:
“I am going to get a little
holiday. I am going to Arizona
to get some sunshine.”
He will fly to Tucson from
LaGuardia Field in New York
tomorrow at 8 a. m., Eastern
Standard Time. He will be ac
companied on the two-week trip
by Mrs. Dewey;‘’their sons, Tho
mas, 16, and John, 13; Mr. and
Mrs. Carl T. Hogan and their
son, Jack, 12; and Mr. and Mrs.
Roger W. Straus. The Hogans
and Straus families are friends
of the Deweys.
Attendance At Orthopedic Clinic
Here Increases Over First Month
Attendance rt the «econd of
| the monthly Roanoke Rapids
Orthopedic Clinics here Thurs
day showed an increase over
the number of people who came
to the opening clinic, Dr. Ro
bert F Young, Halifax County
Health Officer said here today.
Dr. Young said most of the
patients who attended the day
long clinic Thursday were
from Halifax County, but said
there were also twelve patients
from Northpton County and sev
eral from Martin County who
came in to take advantage of
, the facilities offered.
Dr. Everett I. Bugg, Durham
| orthopedic surgeon, was again
I in charge of the clinic, and
he was assisted by Dr. J. H.
Cutchin, Jr., of Roanoke Rapids
and Miss Lily Fentress, consul
tant nurse from the State Board
of Health.
Mrs. Ferdinand Clark and
Miss Bertha Lee Cates, nurses
of the Halifax County Health
Department, and Mrs. Earl
Moore who acted as secretarial
assistant for the clinic.
Dr. Young said the opening
day of the clinic found 8 pat
ients for treatment, and said
last Thursday there were 59
patients who kept the clinic per
sonnel busy until late in the
evening.
The clinic is sponsored here
Club with the cooperation of the
Halifax County Health Depart-1
ment, the Crippled Children’s
division of the State Board of
Health and the Vocational Re
habilitation Division.
Patients yesterday were
treated for a number of ortho
pedic disorders and a number
of them referred to some of the
opthopedic facilities in the state
for further examinations and
treatment by Dr Bugg and his
staff.
Many of the patients were
children and Dr. Young said
many of them said they had
been urged to attend the Roa
noke Rapids clinic by their per
sonal physicians.
The Halifax County health of
ficer said he was enthusiastic
about the reception which has
been given the clinic since it
was first opened to the people
who need treatment, and he
said the Rotary Club had done a
good job in having the orthoped
ic organization set up. He said
he believes a lot of good will be
accomplished in the monthly
dmics and urged all in this area
who are in need of examination
to attend them when they are
conducted.
The clinics have been set up
on a monthly basis and are
held each first Thursday of the
month. The next clinic schedul
ed will be on December 2, and
Dr. Young said he hoped it
would be even more successful
than the first two have been.
Truman Approves Low Budgets
For 16 Government Agencies In
New “Hard-Boiled” Budget Policy
---■<
Observance Of American Education
Week Begins In Local Schools
Roanoke Rapids schools will
oegin their twenty-eighth ob-1
servance of American Education
Week today, when ministers in
most of the city’s pulpits will
aring messages to their congre
gations concerning the needs of
education and citing the major
job education is doing in the
modern world.
The week will be devoted to
the central theme “Strengthen
ing the Foundations of Free
dom” and each day will be set
aside for a special topic deve
loping the theme.
Today’s top , is “Learning to
Live Together” and the church
es will cooperate in the topic of
the day.
Throughout the week all
schools will conduct open house
and educators have urged that
parents and others who are in
terested in education visit the
schools during the week and see
them in action. Special exhibits
for American Education Week
are being arranged in most of
the schools of the city and other
events concerned with the cele
bration have been planned
throughout the week.
Monday’s topic is “Improving
the Educational Program”; Tues
day, “Securing Qualified Teach
ers”; Wednesday, “Providing
Adequate Finances”; Thursday,
“Safeguarding Our America”;
Friday, “Promoting Health and
Safety” and Saturday, “Develop
ing Worthy Family Life.”
Schools, teachers and Par
ent-Teacher Associations
throughout the city have been
asked to join in bringing to the
attention of people everywhere
the job the schools are doing
for the children of every com
munity. Schools haye improved
since the American Education
Week was instituted in 1920, lo
cal teachers said, but there is
still a lot of room for further
improvements in American edu
cation and it is a program which
calls for the support of every
one in working toward improv
ed facilities for the children of
the nation.
Survey Gives
An Idea About
81st Congress
Washington, Nov. 6 —(/P)—
Strong backing for the Marshall
plan, high support prices for
farm products, and repeal of the
Taft-Hartley law are indicated
in an Associated Press survey
of members of the new Con
gress.
But sentiment runs against
giving the President standby
price control and rationing po
wers.
Almost half the men and wo
men who will make up the 81st
Congress expressed their views
on major questions.
Answers to all or some of the
questions were given by 27 Sen
ators and 235 Representatives
who will serve in the new Con
gress. Not all of them would al
low their names to be used, and
many were undecided on some
of te questions. Others qualified
their answers.
Many said they reserve the
right to change theier opinions
if developments between now
and the time for actually voting
indicate the need for a change.
The answers canrc from all
over the country' and reflected
a cross-section of congressional
thinking as of today on all four
questions.
Chest Fund
Incomplete,
Now $12,000
“I still have to get a report
on the Industrial collection, but
I feel reasonably certain that
we will reach our 1948 drive
goal,” The Rev. John M. Walk
er, Jr., drive chairman for the
Roanoke Rapids Community
Chest said here yesterday.
The Rev. Mr. Walker said he
does not have a final overall
report ready for the annual
campaign as yet, however he
said he hoped to have all fig
ures compiled by tomorrow.
He said the figures on the
collection so far compiled have
a total of $12,724 exclusive of
the industrial collection which is
still to be reported.
The campaign goal for the six
Red Feather activities operating
annually under the Roanoke
Rapids Community Chest is $14,
375. The drive chairman said
there were still a few special
gifts as well as the industrial
report to be added to the mo
ney already collected to give
the final drive total.
Vance County
Boy Wins 4-H
Show Honors
Weldon.—Samuel Hayes of
Middleburg in Vance County
walked off with the grand prize
in the Northeastern District 4-H
Sweet Potato Show held at the
Halifax County Training Show
here last week.
W. C. Cooper of Greensboro
A. and T. College, Negro 4-H
Club director, headed the show
which was attended by some 250
Negro 4-H club members from
the 17 Northeastern North
Carolina counties in the district.
In the exhibit itself there
were 14 entrants and four blue
ribbon winners were declared,
Hayes topping the list.
H. M. Covington, horticulturist
from the Extension Department,
spoke to the group on sweet
potato production and recom
mended ways in which it could
be improved.
The Grand Prize in the show,
a blue ribbon plus a $12 cash
award, went to Hayes, with
other blue ribbons and $8.00
cash prizes going to Jean Boone
of Hertford County, Norman
Moore of Pasquotank County,
and Henry Swimpson of Martin
County.
Red ribbons and $6.00 cash
prizes were won by Charlie Bel
lamy of Halifax County and
Philip Parson of Perquimans
County. Cusie Cotton and Hosea
Cotton of Halifax, Chester Cher
j ry of Bertie, Henry Armstrong
Jof Wilson, Thomas Russell and
Barker Russell of Warren, Leon
'Johnson of Northampton and
Leoti* Pope of Edgecombe all
won white ribbons and $4.00
prizes.
D. J. Knight, Halifax County
Negro 4-H leader, was host for
the Weldon school at the dis
trict meeting.
Armed Forces
Not Included
Among These
Washington, Nov. 6 —(£*)—
President Truman today approv
ed generally lower budgets for
16 departments and agencies
and his budget director an
nounced:
“We have adopted • hard
boiled budget policy.”
Budget Director James X.
Webb did not name the Id de
partments and agencies whose
estimates for expenditures in the
coming fiscal year were ap
proved.
He told reporters after a con
ference with the President, how
ever, that they did not include
the military services, and con
stituted only about one-tenth of
the entire contemplated budget
outlay.
He said the figures approved
today, for the fiscal year which
starts next July 1, are “some
what lower” than the current
year’s budgets. /
“There may be a few cases
where they are higher, but gen
erally speaking they will be
lower,” he said, adding that the
budget will be made as “tight
as possible in order to get as
nearly as possible to a bal
ance.”
However, he would not esti
mate the total of the new bud
get, or whether there will be a
deficit at the end of the present
fiscal year.
This year’s budget is $42,200,.
000,000. Last August Mr. Tru
man estimated there would be a
$1,500,000,000 deficit next June
30, because of the Republican
tax cut and other factors.
"The President’s policies will,
be to hold down expenditures to
the lowest possible level which
will meet the needs of the coun
try,” Webb said. "When we do
that, the question of whether
we have a surplus or deficit de
pends on revenue.”
Although today’s conference
did not concern the military,
the President recently announc
ed that he has asked the arm
ed services to trim their ori
ginal estimates of around $23,
000,000,000 down to $15,000,000,
000, of which $600,000,000 would
be for stockpiling strategic mat
erials.
W?bb said that the estimates
approved today conform to a di
rective Mr. Truman sent to all
departments and agencies last
July 22. His instructions then
were to plan to continue opera
tions at or below the current
year’s level—"unless exceptional
circumstances clearly make this
impossible.”
The letter, made public today
for the first time, told the de
partmental officials that "for
budgetary purposes it should be
assumed that production and
employment will continue high.
Prices and wages should also be
assumed to continue at about
the July-August 1948 levels.”
The President directed his ad
ministrators to cover all fore
seeable needs, and make no as.
sumptions that deficiency appro
priations will be forthcoming to
cover deficits.
"Expansion of existing activi
ties or initiation of new ones
should not be contemplated, un
less required by law or to meet
urgent needs,” he admonished
them.
Truman Accepts New Bern Pastor’s
Invitation; To Attend Church Today
New Bern, Nov. 6—(/P)—Plans
neared completion here tonight
for President Truman and his
party to attend service at the
historic First Baptist Church
here tomorrow.
The pastor, 40-year-old Rev.
Thomas W. (Tom) Fryer, had
a difficult time preparing his
sermon today because of the
numerous phone calls and vis
itors which followed the an
' nouncement that the President
would attend.
There were other problems,
too. The church seats only 500,
but a crowd many times that
figure is expected to show up.
Plans call for a service of
I simplicity The youthful minis
ter said te only addition to the
usual Sunday service would be
a special prayer asking God’s
! guidance for the nation’s lead
ers in the next four years. »
“It will be a typical Baptist
: service,” said Rev. Fryer.
, Mister Truman’s party will be
.met at the door by the preach
er. The group will be led to
! a reserved section, and then
! the service will proceed as usu
| al.
I There will be no reception for
| the President. Nor will he greet
, anyone, although Gov. Cherry,
j Governor-Elect Kerr Scott and
I other high State officials will be
, present.
Rev. Fryer had emphasized
| that the President will be pre
jsent only to attend worship.
Cards have been issued to all
j members of the church, and
[they will be seated on the basis
of first come.
There is a story behind Mr.
j Truman’s visit to New Bern.
I ast September the minister
I met the President at the White
I House and presented him a ga
|vel from the City of New Bern.
Little dreaming that such a mo
Tient would ever arrive, Rev.
Fryer told the President he
:>ught to visit the church in
Mew Bern some time.
Mr. Truman replied, “I appre
ciate that invitation. I hope I
will be able to drop by some
time.”
No one was more surprised
than the minister, however,
when secret service men con
tacted his wife and he learned
that his casual invitation had
borne fruit.
Charles Ross, the President’s
Press Secretary, announced that
the Presidential party would at
tend services here on a plane
trip from Washington, D. C., to
Key West, Fla.
Local Merchants
Group Members
Meet Wednesday
The Roanoke Rapids Mer
chants Association will have its
regular quarterly membership
on Wednesday evening at 6:30
at the Rosemary Cafe, accord
ing to an announcement made
here today.
The meeting will be a supper
meeting with an open forum dis
cussion. The announcement in
the Association News said it will
be a “get up; speak up; shut up
meeting ... If you have any
’gripes’, please bring them to
this meeting and get them out
of your system ”
Entertainment will be provid
ed by a local vocal quartet.
Mrs. Elva Martin, Association
secretary, has requested that all
members try to be present for
the meeting and asks that all
who plan to be on hand please
to notify her at the Merchants
Association office no later than
Monday.