Page Four
Invitation to the Ladies
Most Record readers can remember the days when
American women were crusading for the right to vote.
They received that right, and ever since getting them out
to vote has been a problem.
This year at the Wakelon Parent-Teacher Association’s
meetings a healthy outburst of expression of opinion on
various community matters by the local women has been
noted. Apparently the ladies are breaking out of the some
what cloistered limits of the woman’s club and missionary
society work.
Some time during March there will be another meeting
of the entire membership of the Zebulon Chamber of
Commerce. Thus far not a single woman has attended a
chamber meeting, either as an observer or a member,
although several local businesswomen belong to the organ
ization. We never saw an organization yet in which women
took an active part that was not a better unit for their
efforts.
So we issue a special invitation to the women: come to
the chamber of commerce meeting next month, and let’s talk
about business!
More Explanation Required
Like most North Carolinians, we have not yet decided
whom we shall vote for in the gubernatorial primary this
spring; but we do look askance at Candidate Johnson’s sug
gestion that bonds be issued to pay for more farm-to-market
roads.
First of all, bad winters in North Carolina are like
poor crop years: they simply do not come twice in a row.
Even if they should, simply paving a road does not insure
that it will be open in all contingencies. Yesterday, for ex
ample, the Carolina Coach Company cancelled its entire
schedule over roads presumably the best in North Carolina
—and as good as any in the nation. Out on the road from
Wakefield to Rolesville, which was paved last summer,
there was no rural mail delivery yesterday—and there was
mail delivery along some dirt roads.
A far sounder plan, it seems to us, would be the pur
chase of more equipment for snow removal; equipment that
would double for improvement of existing roads. Personnel
to serve in emergencies is also needed; there is no reason it
could not be on a volunteer basis. Mr. Moss and Mr. Duke
certainly worked on that basis in opening up roads during
the last two snows, and had they had adequate equipment
available, they could have completed their work earlier.
We admit and second the desirability—and necessity—
of more paved rural roads, but we question the bond issue
suggestion. Mr. Johnson proposes the bond issue as an
alternative to a higher gasoline tax; how then shall the
bonds be redeemed? Through a state land tax? Deliver
us from that!
The possibility of the leading candidate’s opposition to
a higher gasoline tax because of supposed support of his
campaign by the North Carolina Truckers Association has
been suggested. That possibility has not as yet been denied
by Mr. Johnson.
Much further information concerning his plan is re
quired of the state treasurer, or North Carolina farmers
will consider his proposal as merely an attempt to swing
their support from Kerr Scott to himself.
Better Telephone Service
The manager of the Raleigh office of the Southern Bell
Telephone and Telegraph Company made a good spokesman
for his organization last Friday night. Speaking to local
Rotarians concerning his company’s plans (on request of
the Zebulon club), he explained in detail reasons for delay
in expansion of local telephone facilities.
Mr. Byers pointed out that difficulties .a obtaining a
site for a new building had thus far held up improvement
of service in Zebulon. The local circuits, he declared, are
operating with a capacity load. This situation will be im
• proved when the larger building, with ample room for
equipment, is completed upon the lot now held by the com
pany. Then everyone desiring a telephone will have one.
Certainly all engaged in manufacturing and merchan
dising establishments appreciate the problems of the tele
phone company, while looking forward to improved service.
The Zebulon Record
Ferd Davis Editor
Barrie Davis Publisher
Entered as second class matter June 20, 1925, at the post office
at Zebulon, North Carolina, under the act of March 3, 1879.
Subscription rate: $1.50 a year. Advertising rates on request
The Zebulon Record
This, That and the Other
By Mrs. Theo. B. Davis
It has been asserted that one’s
age may be determined by his
reaction to snow; if he dreads its
coming, he is old. If that be true,
I am at least three hundred to
day; I could have cried at sight
of more snow falling on top of
remnants of what has been here
for so long.
It is not mainly for myself I
want good weather. The school
buses can’t make their rounds till
roads are passable; and that
means school will be open so late
in spring that the older farm boys
will be badly needed at home be
fore commencement. We make an
effort at such times to begin class
work extra early in the morn ng
and let pupils go home in time to
get in a half-day’s farm work.
But, take it from me, no boy is
capable of doing his best work
both in school and in the field.
One or the other will most proba
bly be neglected.
However, everyone is trying, to
act for the best interests of all
concerned, and we’d much rather
have school all summer than one
funeral because of an accident on
our roads.
The preceding paragraph was
written on Monday. This is Tues
and I am older than I was yester
lay—and the snow is deeper.
The youngest son reminds me
occasionally that I used to declare
cold weather was more agreeable
than hot. It still is, in many re
I’ll take the blame. It’s my
fault that the weather got all
fouled up again. Things were
looking pretty good last Saturday
afternoon. There was only a
slight drizzle of rain marring an
otherwise nice day. The weather
man said that Sunday would find
the skies clearing and things get
ting warmer. Then he heard that
I bought a motorcycle.
You know the rest too well. I
rode my motorcycle down to
work last Monday morning and
parked it out in front of the shop.
That was tempting fate in a big
way, it seems, for about ten
o’clock the snow started. And it
didn’t stop until umpteen inches
littered the ground. So now my
popcyele is resting in the rear of
the shop, where it’ll stay until
fair days come along.
Don’t ever get the idea that you
have it worse than anybody else
Accidents May Be Avoidable
The condition and operation of
the hundreds of tractors with
plows, cultivators, discs and plan
ters which Tar Heel farmers will
be using during the spring plant
ing season will be an important
factor in determining the 1948
farm work accident toll, accord
ing to H. M. Eillis, in charge of
Agriculture Engineering for the
State College Extension Service.
Every farmer should make
preparations for safe and effici
ent machinery operation, Mr.
Ellis said.
See that all farm equipment is
thoroughly checked before field
work starts. Defective hitches,
seats, clutches, wheels, brakes,
steering and unguarded gears,
chains or shafts mean accidents
can take free reign. Equipment
that does not operate properly is
irritating and fatiguing to the
spects; but not when fuel is such
a problem and there are in the
home no youngsters who welcome
excuses to run outdoors in the
snow.
Partly because we hear so
many pleas by radio to help save
fuel, and partly because wood,
coal or oil costs so much, we do
not try to keep more than two
rooms really comfortable warm;
and for the first time we are us
ing an oil heater.
To me the best thing about an
oil heater is that there- are no
ashes to be taken up and carried
out; for all my life I have de
tested working with them. We’ve
never had the kind of fireplace
that has an opening in the bot
tom for dumping ashes, so they
have had to be scooped up from
either fireplace or stove; and no
body can keep this process from
leaving a residue of dust over ev
erything in the room. In addition
there is the danger that ashes
may still hold enough heat to set
fire to a container, or to grass,
if poured on the ground. That’s
one reason I so often leave the
kitchen stove ashbox alone till
some cold morning I find it must
be emptied before a good draft
can be had.
Can’t some brainy inventor
come to the relief of housekeepers
or firemakers? Find us something
to put on ashes to keep down dust,
or some way to remove them
without letting air strike them.
Here’s the Guilty Party
when it comes to living. I came
down to work Monday night
through the white, and I cussed
my luck. But about 9 p. m. Hay
wood Jones plowed in the front
door on his way home from the
drug store. It seems that some
body had a prescription that had
to be filled and Haywood walked
out of a warm house and through
the storm to do the job.
Lloyd Evans, one of our fellow
workmen here at the shop, re
marked Monday night that it had
stopped snowing and had begun to
blizzard. It kept right on bliz
zarding all night and through
Tuesday, too.
When Preacher Carlton Mitch
ell announced from the pulpit
Sunday there would be no school
this week, you could hear every
body under 17 breathe a sigh of
satisfaction. Then they groaned
when they realized how late in
operator. It helps reduce his
aleraness and increases the temp
tation to take chances. Well con
ditioned machinery saves time and
costly field breakdowns and makes
farm work easier, Mr. Ellis de
clared.
The National Safety Council
points out that careful operators
will also take time to equip trac
tors with fire extinguishers and
provide secure holders for grease
guns or other servicing tools car
ried on a tractor. Loose accesso
ries on tractors may cause falls
or other casualties. Provide a se
cure step or grab bar if it is
easy to slip getting on or off your
tractor.
Mr. Ellis also advises a careful
check of the fuel lines and the
fuel servicing equipment. A leak
ing hose or valve can easily lead
to a costly fire, he said. If the
Friday, February 13, 1948
On days like these I know no
better plan for cooking than to
make the biggest pot full of soup,
using a bone and some of your
canned soup mixture with more
appropriate vegetables on hand;
and to bake the oven full of sweet
potatoes. With these to be re
heated as needed, you can cook
whatever else you manage to get,
as you want it. Try grating Irish
potatoes to put in the soup. They
thicken as well as flavor.
I do hope your sweet potatoes
are good. Ours were mostly cold
hurt or other spoiled when we
came home; but we are thorough
ly enjoying some of the best we
ever ate, donated by a friend.
And sweet potatoes are one thing
in which this section beats the
West. I wish Westerners could
see and taste a smooth, cured
Porto Rico, well-baked, so soft
you have to be careful in taking it
up, and so sugary sweet the sirup
is oozing out of the skin.
Probably the only mice really
loved in this country are Mickey
and Minnie; but we are told
that in England raising mice is a
popular hobby and that mice
shows are held frequently and
some breeders ask as high as one
hundred dollars for an especial
ly fine mouse. Forty colors are
recognized in fur and for best
specimens prizes may go up to
fifty dollars.
All I can say is the English are
welcome to their hobby.
the- summer they will have to
attend school to make up for the
lost time.
I went through the first big
snow on my feet. In fact, I be
came so sure of my ability to
walk in an upright manner that I
was rather overconfident when
this second big snow fell. Any
how, when I raised my foot to
step across the snow piled in the
middle of the street the other day,
I ended up skidding toward the
gutter on my face. I evened
things up by falling two times on
my other end before I reached
safety indoors.
I’m tired of snow. I don’t want
to see any more of it even in pic
tures. I’m tired of reading about
it in the newspapers. So if any
more falls and you don’t see me
for a while, you’ll know that I’m
buried under the covers of my bed
until summer comes.—B. S. D.
fuel supply is too close to farm
buildings for safety, take time to
move it before the start of spring
work.
Meat output in each quarter of
1948 is expected to be smaller
than in the corresponding quart
ers of 1947. During the first 9
months of the reduction will be
in beef. In the last quarter, out
put of both beef and pork will
be lower.
Relatively large stocks of 795
million bushels of wheat were
stored in all positions January 1,
1948, despite near-record disap
pearance since July 1, 1947. Rye
stocks of 14.4 million bushels,
though relatively small, were
larger than on January 1 in the
2 preceding years, according to
BAE.