Hearing Conservation
Program to Be Started
By Exchange Club
An ambitious hearine conser-<S>
nil OIIIUIHUUO ιιν,αιιιιβ \.unac4->
ration plan to be started in the
Roanoke Rapids schools in con
junction with the Halifax County
Health Department has been an
nounced by the Roanoke Rapids
Exchange Club.
George W. Davis, chairman of
the club's Hearing Conservation
committee, said the club will
purchase immediately an audio
meter with which to test hear
ing and has agreed to take care
of parlai expenses of a school
health ' nurse in giving hearing
tests to the city's school child
ren. He said the committee
hopes to ready to start checking
the hearing of children in five
of the grades by February 1.
Dr. Robert F. Young, Halifax
County Health Officer, Dr. Mat
thew S. Broun, Roanoke Rapids
eye. ear, nose and throat specia
list, I. E. Ready, Superintendent
of Roanoke Rapids city schools,
and Mrs. Kathleen Suiter, city
school nurse, worked with the
Exchange Club committee in set
ting up the long-range hearing
conservation plan.
It was pointed out by Davis
that a number of children in the
schools are suffering from hear
ing deficiencies which affect the
quality of their school work and
generally serve as a handicap.
He said unless there is some
marked trouble present and a
physician is consulted, parents
often are unaware of their child's
condition because hearing tests
are not conducted as regular
thing in school examinations.
With the audiometer equipment
in action the school nurse will
be able to tell where deficiencies
are and how bad they are.
He said the work projected by
the Exchange Club will be at
the start a program which is
not too far-reaching. Davis said
the main purpose in starting the
ear checks is to bring to parents
and teachers the awareness that ι
certain children are suffering in
some degree from deafness which
may be easily remedied if found
early.
Correct measures will be tak
en by family physicians where
financial conditions permit, and
other public health agencies will
cooperate in taking care of those
children whose parents are not
able to afford corrective treat
ment.
The club's committee will fin
ance the purchase of the audio
meter and will pay part of the
salary of a public health nurse
who will be able to devote about
two full days of her week to the
(Continued on Page Ten)
Berkeley Will
Head Ministers
For New Year
The Rev. Edmund Berkeley,
Rector of All Saints Episcopal
Church, was elected president of
the Roanoke Rapids-Weldon
Ministerial Association for the
1948-49 year, when the Associa
tion met here Monday at the
First Presbyterian Church.
Vice-president of the minis
ters' group is the Rev. W. E.
Thompson, pastor of the Pente
costal Holiness Church, and the
Rev. John T. Maides, pastor of
South Rosemary Methodist
Church, was elected secretary-!
treasurer for the coming year.
The Association members dis
cussed the accomplishments of
the past year and looked ahead
to another successful year of
work in the two cities. Among
the accomplishments of the past
year were sponsorship by the
Association of a simeltaneous va
cation church schools, an inter
denominational teacher-training
school and several other activi
ties sponsred by the ministers
of the two towns jointly.
Ira Lee Allen
Dies At Home
After Illness
Funeral services will be con
ducted tomorrow afternoon at
three o'clock from the Gum's
Chapel Church for Ira Lee Allen,
51, who died at his home yes
terday morning about 6:30 after
a prolonged illness.
Services will be conducted by
the Rev. W. E. Thompson, pas
tor of the Pentecostal Holiness
Church and burial will be in the
Love-Allen family burial plot
near the Allen home on the Little
ton Highway.
Mr. Allen was formerly an em
ployee of the Roanoke Mills, but
had been in ill health for several
years.
Surviving are his wife, Mrs.
Dora Love Allen; two daughters,
Miss Dorothy Allen and Miss
Maxine Allen of the home; and
six sons, Pery, Kenney, John
and Lester Allen, all of Roanoke
Rapids, Wilbert Allen of Alston,
Texas, and Herbert Allen with
the U. S. Army in Germany.
Old Father
Roanoke
Says:
THE EDITOR TAKES OVER:
Readers of this column are anxi
ously waiting to find out what
was in "the fateful package" that
Jiggs, the Herald's Washington
street carrier, "had to get
through to Langford's."
The suspicions of Old Father
Roanoke IV, yesterday's column
ist, have been confirmed. As he
prophesied, the package contain
ed high explosives: pictures of
Old Father Roanoke at dramatic
stages of his life.
The object in rushing them to
Langford's was to have line
drawings made for the Herald.
The Old Egotist hoped their pub
lication in this column would
stem the growing tide of hostility
to his column. He counted on in
spiring a counter-rush of admir
ers, especially of the bobby-sox
variety, to his rescue.
We of the editorial staff anti
cipate the opposite reaction:
they will put the finishing
touches to the column, hurry the
end.
Please take time out now to
look at the Langford drawings.
They are exceptionally faithful
representations.
Young Father Roanoke
Year 1888. Age 22.
The/#rst drawing is of Young
Father Roanoke taken in 1888.
A litfcfe arithmetic will tell you
it wo* Leap Year. Our hero was
22 tod, as you can see, at the
very height of his attractiveness
to the other sex. An ovér-confi
dent little girl from Milwaukee
hoped the coula make something
of him; she made up her mind
to have him. In the ensuing bat
tle of the sexes, Young Father
Roanoke lost.
In the same year, Grover
Cleveland ran against Benjamin
Harrison for the Presidency.
Young Father Roanoke, being of
the Best Confederate stock, vot
ed for Cleveland. Cleveland lost.
Year 1908 Age 42
The second picture is of Mid
dle-Aged Father Roanoke, taken
in another Leap Year, 1908. Fath
er Roanoke was 42 and a widow
er. A 19-year-old girl from over
Gumberry way told him that
boys of her own age were "so
vapid and silly." She went for
"men of experience." The Mid
dle-Aged Father Roanoke lost.
That year, William Jennings
Bryan ran against William Ho
ward Taft. Faithful Democrat
that he was, Father Roanoke
voted for Bryan. Bryan lost
Aging Father Roanoke
Year 1928. Ag· 82.
Came 1938. Aging Father Roa
was again a widower. De
(Continued an Page Ten)
In Hit Prime
Marines On The March In Tsintrtao, China
1 <1.0· nijyiT t
Soon after their arrival at Tslngtao, China, U. 8. Marine· reinforcements march on the
outskirts of the city to keep in trip for guarding American lives and property. The rein
forcements were sent to Tsingtao from Pacific bases late in November. (AP Wirephoto).
Buggs Island Dam Inspection Set
For Friday; Gen Wheeler To Speak
i
Another Hiss
In Spy Probe
New York, Dec. 8—(JP)—Do
nald Hiss, former State Depart
ment employe, was called today
with his brother, Alger, to testify
before an espionage-probing fe
deral Grand Jury.
The jury entered the third day
of its renewed investigation with
a federal official reporting it to
be near a "final conclusion."
The inquiry began Monday fol
lowing disclosure of statements
by Whittaker Chambers, confess
ed former Communist courier,
that Alger Hiss had supplied im
portant government documents
10 years ago for delivery to
Russian agents. Hiss has flat
ly denied the accusations.
Chambers, now a senior editor1
of Times Magazine, appeared be
fore the jury Monday and yester
day, along with Alger Hiss, and
is scheduled for a third session
in the closed jury room today, j
Federal courthouse sources in-'
dicated Mrs. Alger Hiss also pro
bably would go before the jury
at a later session. She had been
accused by Chambers of copy
ing some of the documents which
her husband allegedly took from
the State Department files.
Lions Club Has
Annual Party
Bill Cope, professional Briish'
entertainer was the feature on
the program last night, when the
Lions Club held their regular
meeting in the form of a Christ
mas dinner, with their wives as
guests, at the high school cafe
teria.
The meeting was a culmination
of an attendance "race" in which
the club was devided into teams.
Every place at the table was
taken, with approximately 150
present.
The cafeteria was festive with
Christmas groups of red, green
and silver bearing white frosted
candles. The speakers' table
was centered with a huge white
sleigh, drawn by white reindeer
and filled with dozens of lovely
red carnations mixed with
Christmas silver and evergreen
upon which was frosted artificial
Harvey Woodruff, president,
presided. The meeting was op
ened with a song and address
of welcome by the Lion W. Ber
nard Allsbrook. Mrs. Allsbrook
responded to the greeting.
The meeting was turned over to
the Rev. Edmund Berkeley, pro
gram chairman, who introduced
Bill Cope, the entertainer for
the evening.
Cope began his performance by
playing on the piano accordion
and having the group join i η
group singing.
President Woodruff, reminded
the members again of the annual
Icons' Christmas party of un
derpriveleged children te be giv
en. He suggested that the com
mittee of about 30 who would
furhish cars to carry out the
Christmas baskets, given by the
Lions each year, visit the homes
beforehand and be sure to be
present for the Christmas party
December 17. j
Buggs Island, Va.—All plans
have been completed here for an
inspection trip of the Roanoke
River Development by members
of Congress and officials of
North Carolina and Virginia
which will take place on Friday.
Lieutenant - General Raymond
A. Wheeler, Chief of Engineers*
United States Army, is sched
uled for an illustrated address
on the Buggs Island Project and
the Roanoke River Basin Devel
opment generally. Brief talks
will be made by senators-and
congressmen from the two states
and the governors or their rep
resentatives of the two states.
More than 250 persons have ac
cepted invitations to be present
as the guests of the Mecklen
burg Virginia Civic Council
which is host for the ocasion,
and which is being assisted in
the affair by the Roanoke River
Basin Association and the Roa
noke River Flood Control Com
mittee. United States Army En
gineers are in charge of the eji
tire program.
following tne address by uen
eral Wheeler, which is scheduled
for 10 o'clock the distinguished
guests will be recognized and
brief remarks will be made by
some of them, after which the
entire gathering will be guests
of the Mecklenburg Virginia Civ
ic Council at luncheon.
Following the luncheon the Ar
my Engineers have arranged to
divide the group into smaller
groups under the escort of an
Army representative each, and
an inspection trip will be made
over the entire project.
The Buggs Island Project is
the first dam to get under con
struction in the vast program for
development of the Roanoke Riv
er Basin for flood control, hydro
electric power and recreation.
Ten other dams in the basin are
included in the Government's
project.
J>
Lane Has Only
One More Day
For Inspection
Mechanical Inspection Lane
No. 38, which has been in oper
ation here since last Tuesday
will close tomorrow afternoon to
move to Jackson, it was announ
ced today by the lane supervisor
E. G. Whitehurst.
He said response to the lane
which is now visiting Roanoke
Rapids for the last time in 1948,
has been "slow" this week and
expressed doubt that all vehicles
in the Roanoke Rapids area have
been inspected as they are re
quired before the January 1 dead
line which has been set forth for
all motor vehicles.
The lane here, located on East
Twelfth Street between Roanoke
Avenue and Hamilton street, will
be open tomorrow from eight o'
clock in the morning until five o'
clock in the afternoon for its last
day. On a previous visit the
lane had remained open for 16
hours a day to give motorists
an opportunity to get their cars
inspected day and night, but so
few people took advantage of the
lane's policy that it was discon
tinued on subsequent visits.
Whitehurst said all motorists
who drive after the first of the
new year will subject themselves
to indictment for failure to have
their cars checked within the
time allowed. He said faulty
vehicles are still causing acci
dents daily on the North Caro
lina highways.
He made one last plea for own
ers in and near Roanoke Rapids
to take advantage of the lane's
presence for the last time here
and urged that they bring their
vehicles for inspection while the
last chance of the year is still
available.
Influential Lobbying Seen
In 1949 General Assembly Term
By Lynn Nlsbet
RALEIGH, Dec. 8—To extent
far greater than has been the
case for many years several
groups with divergent ideas a
bout state governmental policies
are attempting to influence elect
ed members of the general as
sembly in advance of the formal
convening date of that body.
There is more "lobbying" go
ing on now than old timers have
seen before at comparable per
iod. The term lobbying is used
here in its broadest sense of at
tempting to influence legisla
tion, not in the narrow and too
commonly accepted meaning of
a paid representative of some
special interest. Fact is, the most
pernicious and obnoxious lobby
ists are persons who bitterly re
sent that designation.
It is hard to put a finger on
specific items in the current lob
bying activities, and almost as
hard to identify the lobbyists.
But—there wouldn't be so many
rumors and so much talk about
preliminary attempts to influ
ence legislation without factual
basis. It is axiomatic in court
circles that many things are
known which cannot be proven
by admissible evidence. The pre·
legislative lobbying activities
fall in that classification.
Here are some things known
to be true, but unprovable by
any evidence that would be ad
mitted as competent for a jury:
Prospective members of the
1949 general assembly jiave been
approached by persons purport
ing to represent interests not in
sympathy with the anticipated
Scott program, and have been
given a sales talk along the lines
that they (the legislators) must
save the state from disaster by
opposing the governor's program.
The appeal is to egotism of the
legislator, who is promised rec
ognition as the savio of his
state if he will just go along
with the plans of the appealer
to prevent enactment of the new
governor's recommendations on
certain items.
The activity is not confined
to one group. The harassed leg
islator is also being approached,
sometimes before sometimes af
ter, by another "lobbyist" who
seeks to create the impression
that the legislature is going to be
juet a rubber stamp proposition,
and that we (meaning the Scott
bloc) are going to run it just
(Continued on Page Ten)
River Rises to 41.5
Feet;Flood Danger
Believed Averted
still swollen by heavy weekend j
rains in the Virginia and upper
North Carolina watersheds, rose
to a measured 41.5 feet here this
morning it was reported by
weather observer L. M. Shearin,
who said the water was still
showing a slight rise.
Indications were however,
that the "danger point" of 42
feet would not be exceeded and
damage would be slight. The
Mush Island farming section
near Weldon and farm lands of
William Pierce and others far
mers on the Halifax and North
ampton County banksof the riv
er were reported under water,
however all industrial property
in the Weldon area seemed to be
safe.
Yesterday Garrett DeMots,
head of the State Weather Bur
eau in Raleigh, had predicted a
42-foot river in the river at Wel
don, and possibly a 44-foot crest. ;
The 42-foot ievel here is consid
ered to be a critical point, since ;
much property is subject to
flooding once the 42-footmark
has been exceeded.
42-foot level here is considered
to be a critical point, since much
property is subject ot flooding
(Continued on Page Ten)
Chinese Army
Battles Reds
Near Nanking
Nanking, Dec. 8—(ΛΡ)—Units
of the government's hardpressetl
12th Army group were reported
today to have smashed through
Communist encirclement in the
cruciail battle for Nanking.
The governmen military news
agency said these units had
made contact with other Nation
alist troops advancing north
ward from the new Hwai River "
defense line about 100 miles
northwest of here.
There was no confirmation of
the report by foreign military
circles. The military news
agency report had no other de- e
tails. 1
The bulk of the 12th has been ^
trapped nearly two weeks south- r
west of Suhsien, rail town 45 :1
miles south of fallen Suchow.
The army group, short on food ι
and ammunition, is getting some 1
supplies by air. j
Meanwhile, other Communist ι
columns were reported tighten- c
ing the noose on the 250,00 gov- t
ernment troops which abandoned r
Suchow a week ago in an at- \
tempt to relieve the 12th Army £
group. γ
Weather
North Carolina: Mostly
cloudy with little change in
temperatures through Thurs
day. Partly cloudy and slight- (
ly cooler west and central por- ;
tions tonight. Rain Thursday t
and over coastal areas this af- (
ternoon.
Pro-Parking
Meter Group
Here Tonight
Proponenis of parking met- '
»rs in Roanoke Rapids will
meet with members of the 1
Board of City Commissioners ;
ît a special meeting tonight at
7:30 in the courtroom of the 1
Municipal Building to present
svidence why the city's 370
parking meters should be re
tained.
The meeting will be open to !
the public, and a large crowd
is anticipated for the session
in which those people in favor
of the meters will attempt to
»how the Board that the met
srs are the best thing for the '
:ity.
A similar meeting was held
in November in which a group 1 1
3f merchants presented evi
dence against the meters and
gave Board members a num
ber of petition! asking that the
meters be removed. No action
was taken by the Board at the
time, and si net» tho nthor moot.
ing a 30-day extension on the
city's contract with the Kar
park Corporation of Cincinna
ti. Ohio, has been obtained by
Mayor W. B. Allsbrook.
Under the extension the
Commissioners now have until
January 3 to decide whether
the meters, which wer® install- j
ed here on March 19 under
an eight-months' trial period,
shall be removed without ex
pense to the city or whether
they shall be kept.
Board members are expected
to meet again to weigh the evi
dence for both groups follow
ing tonight's meeting.
Merchants Group
Directors To Meet
Members of the Board of Dir
ectors of the Roanoke Rapids
ieet in regular session in the
Lssociation office tomorrow
îorning at 10:30, it was an- ί
ounced here today.
The directors' meeting was
reviously scheduled to be held
ite last month, but was post
oned until tomorrow due to the
navoidable absence from town
f several of the members of
le Board. Several important
îatters are expected to claim
le attention of the Board and
11 directors have been urged to
e present.
U Shopping
Days
Until Christmas
FIGHT ΤΙ
■■ν Christmas Μ
Discuss Many
City Problems
In Long Session
The Roanoke Rapids Board of
Jity Commissioners met in a
our-hour session yesterday to
ake action on civic matters
anging from the establishment
>£ free parking areas to an ordi
îance for the general regulation
if taxi cabs in the city.
Soon after the meeting had
ome to order a delegation of
nerchants from the North Side
equested the cooperation of the
ity in building driveways into
wo lots which are being turned
nto free parking lots by mer
hants in the section.
W. P. Taylor was spokesman
or the delegation which in
luded T. S. Brown, J. A. Wil
mrn and W. G. Bunch. He said
he downtown merchants will
ooperate in cleaning, putting
[own gravel and zoning parking
paccs on a lot on Roanoke Ave
lue in the 200 block between
he McCracken Tire Company
nd Fitts-Crumpler and a larger
ot in the 100 block between the
VB Cleaners and the Dr. Pepper
iottling Company to be used as
ree parking areas. The work on
stablishing t. lots will be done
>y the merchants and the Com
nissioners were asked 'to con
truct driveways into the park
ng areas. Board members com
mended the plan and agreed to
ise city funds in constructing
he drives to the lots.
It is expected that the lots
>roposed will handle more than
Ό cars, thus offering an aid to
he acute parking conditions in
he city.
Tito·.
Soard adopted an ordinance for
he complete regulation of taxi
abs in the city. The ordinance
vas recommended to the Board
nembers by Mayor W. B. Alls
>rook, who said Chief of Police
Γ. J. Davis and he had gone
iver it thoroughly and believed
t to cover the needs of the city
idequately."
Some of the provisions of the
jrdinance, which was worked
j'ut after consultations with taxi
jperators in the city, are that all
>perators will be required to ob
ain an operator's permit for
îach cab in operation and driv
es must also have permits is
;ued by the city Board. All op
erators and drivers will be re
quired to be of good character
and must not have been convict
ed of certain laws which are en
umerated in the ordinance. Un
3er the ordinance all cabs will
ae subject to inspection periodi
cally by a designated taxi in
ipector selected from the city's
Dolice force. It also requires that
>perators inspect the cabs they
operate at frequent intervals to
îee that they maintain high
standards of safety and clean
iness.
The ordinance regulates the
;olicitation of business and the
nanner in which it may be ear
ned on, the conduct pf drivers
;oward passengers and other ac
:ivities of cabs hitherto not reg
elated by the city. A rate sche
iule suggested by the cab oper
itors is incorporated in the 28
Dage ordinance which Mayor
\llsbrook said was patterned on
in ordinance recently .adopted by
;he City of Durham.
After hearing the recom
nendations of Mayor Allsbrook
ind the points covered in the
>rdinance a motion was passed
inanimouslv by the Board to
idopt the ordinance and to make
t effective on February 1 in or
(Continued on Page Ten)
ROANOKE RAMBUNGS
By PAT NANTZ
Mr. and Mrs. Pete Garner andj
hildren, Nancy and Scotty, andj
1rs. Garner's mother, Mrs. Mat-'
liews, spent a delightful week- j
nd at the Skyline Drive .... I
While I was congratulating
hose who were celebrating their
>irthday yesterday, I forgot to
nclude R. J. Hatchell. .. he is!
lot to be confused with the Roger
latchell, who goes to school ....
because he is just a mite older,
η fact, he is Roger's father. .
lis age was not revealed, so he
nust be getting on up there ....
lere's hoping you did have an
injoyable day, Mr. Hatchell . . .
Wishes for a very happy birth
lay go to Donald Barber and
Robert Deaver of the elementary
ïrades . .. and to Tom Myrick,
vho is sixteen and to anyone who
nay be interested, I am eighteen J
;oday
Congratulations are in order for
ielen Hawkins and Mason Harps
vho were married Sunday at the
First Baptist Church... .
The reason why so many of
the high school girls are smiling
these days, is not because a new
:rop of boys have arrived i η
town, but because Miss Turner,
coach of the girl's basketball
team of the local high school,
issued their uniforms, Monday ..
some of them were quite sur
prised te receive a gold uniform
. . . . most of them for the firet
time since they have been go
ing out. . .in case you're wonder
ing why they, get vso excited
^ ν ci tue cuiui 01 xne unnorm,
t's because if you wear a
gold one you are good enough
to play in a game; after such
forwards as Mary Frank Alls
brook, and Evelyn Rooke, and
guards like Betty Myrick, and
Froggy Askew have helped run
the score up so high there's no
danger of our losing . . those in
the white just wait patiently for
these to graduate from school
and will their uniforms to those
who deserve them _ _ and by the
way, tonight marks the opening
of the season which everyone in
Roanoke Rapids always waits for
the boys and girls of our team
will challenge the teams of Au
relian Springs High School to
night in the Armory __ this is
just a practice game for both
high schools, so maybe we will
get a preview on what our teams
will do with some of the other
teams in the same conference
with us .. . Betty Myrick, who
was co-captain of the girl's last
season, was*naturally chosen as
captain for this year, with last
season's high scorer, Evelyn
Rooke, as co-captain ...
I have been told that Shelton
Wilder is a betting person, and
I would give anything to know
what that bet was that he made
with Roger Hatchell and which
he won .... and he has also been
passing hints around that if any
one gives him a Christmas pre
sent, to give him handkerchiefs
... and you must admit that la
a strange request, because peo
ple don't usually ask for "that
old stand-by of a present.. ban*
, kies ···<*·