VOLUME 38.
THE SMITHFIELD HERALD FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 1919.
Number 23
PLANNING TO HONOR
RETURNING SOLDIERS
Selma Suggests That Celebration Be
Held in That Live Town, the First
Home of Company C—Several Can
didates for Itoyal Arch Degree.
Mothers’ Club Has Interesting
Meeting—Good Advirtisement the
Coming of the Shriners Will Give
Selma, March 20.—Captain Lynch
of Goldsboro, was in town talking
with friends Monday.
Dr. R. J. Noble went to Wilmington
Thursday. Dr. Noble is interested in
the Shriners’ meeting that is to come
to Selma and Smithfield on May 22.
This is a rare opportunity for these
two hustling young towns.. If the
thing goes oif in a successful way—
and it will—it w’ill add ten years’
growth to each of these would-be
cities and increase the wealth of John
ston county thousands of dollars. Dr.
Noble said that this was one chance in
a hundred and he was going to give
us that chance. We agree with the
doctor that this is a chance for us and
we are planning to make the most of
it. Good for Dr. Noble for offering us
this opportunity.
Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Parrish visited
friends in Goldsboro Sunday.
Judge W. S. O’B. Robinson, of
Goldsboro, was in Selma Wednesday.
Mrs. George Nowell visited friends
in Selma last week-end.
Mr. Luby Oliver made a business
trip to Richmond, Baltimore, and
Washington this week.
Mr. W. B. Driver, one of our pro
gressive merchants, has been sick for
several days. But the reports are that
he is rapidly improving now and will
soon be back to his post of duty.
Mr. L. George is moving his stock
of groceries to the old Abdalla-Vin
son store. The old store building
has teen remodeled. It is now really
an up-to-date place. Mr. Geox-ge ex
pects to greatly increase his stock of
goods and give the people of Selma a
modern grocery store.
A number of the overseas boys are
returning now and appearing on the
streets of Selma. We are glad to see
these boys back. It is interesting to
listen tc the thrilling tales of excite
ment they can tell.
The Mothers’ Club held an inter
esting meeting at the school house last
Friday. Dr. George D. Vick was pres
ent and discussed the paper on “Con
ditions for the Perfect Development
of the Child.” All the mothers pres
ent appeared interested in this absorb
ing topic. A number of other topics
were discussed by the ladies present.
Some of the Selma Graded School
teachers took part in the discussions
One forward step taken by the moth
ers’ club was to appoint a committee
to work with the civic league commit
tee from the Chamber of Commerce to
get the town cleaned up.
The Masonic order has been busy in
Selma for several days. On Monday
last the local order conferred the Roy
al Arch degree on eight candidates
The candidates were E. D. Parker. E.
L. Womack, C. A. Creech, R. R. Holt,
V. E. Wells, H. C. Hood, C. C. Pearce
and W. J. Massey. The candidates
wTere all from Selma and Smithfield
After the work of the lodge had been
concluded the members present en
joyed a sumptuous banquet. The
feast was prepared by the ladies of
the missionary society of the Metho
dist church. About forty-five people
were present for the banquet. Mr
G. H. Wilkinson acted as toast mas
ter. Responses were given by Mr.
Crowson, Capt. Lynch, of Goldsboro.
Rev. Mr. Proctor and Dr. Noble, of
Selma, and Sheriff Massey, of Smith
field.
The Junior Order of Selma is plan
ning to give Pleasant Plains school a
Bible and Flag next Friday, March
28. Arrangements are being perfect
ed to make this a rousing community
day for that neighborhood. Many peo
ple from Selma, Smithfield and other
nearby places are expected to be pres
ent.
The secretary of the Chamber of
Commerce at Selma has written a let
ter to every mayor in the county in
viting all the towns to take part in
a fitting reception for the returning
Johnston boys from overseas service.
As yet these mayors have not respond
ed directly. Perhaps they are waiting
to present the matter to the town
boards. This is surely an important
thing for the people of the county to
do. Certainly there can be no points
of disagreement on the necessity of
thus honoring the boys who so valiant
ly represented us in the great world
struggle.
The writer suggested Selma as the
logical place to hold the reception
mainly because Company C was or
ganized at Selma and went as a com
pany from this county. Selma feels
that she should be given'the privilege
of inviting the other towns to take
part in the reception at Selma for this
reason. Selma is just as approacha
TO AMEND LEAGUE CHARTER
Americans Accept Limited Number
of Changes—Amended and Com
pleted Covenant Expected to Be
“Attached" to Peace Treaty.
Paris, March 19.—The American
delegation, it is said, plans to accept
a limited number of amendments to
the league of nations covenant. Sec
retary of State Lansing will preside
over the meeting of delegates of neu
tral nations Thursday to hear their
views on the situation.
It is expected the league of nations
commission will then reassemble and
perfect the amendments e nd that +he
completed covenant will then be at
tached to the peace treaty.
Meeting of the Labor Commission
Reported.
Paris, March 19.—The following of
ficial communication regarding the
meeting of th elabor commission was
issued this evening:
“The twenty-eighth and twenty
ninth meeting of the committee on in
ternational labor legislation took
place today under the presidency of
Mr. Gompers. The special sub-com
mittee appointed to find a solution
for the difficulties which have arisen
in regard to the application of labor
convention by certain federal states
presented a report suggested a solu
tion, which was adopted by the com
mission.
“The final reading of the British
draft convention for the establish
ment of a permanent organization
for international labor legislation
was completed, and the draft con
vention as amended was adopted by
the commission for submission to the
peace conference.
“The commission then continued
the discussion of the labor clauses to
be recommended for inclusion in the
treaty of peace.”
WAR FINANCE CORPORATION
Hines Gets 50 Million Loan as First
Advance to Run the Railroads.
Washington, March 18.—Fifty mil
lion dollars was loaned today to Di
rector General Hines by the war fin
ance corporation as the first advance
for the Railroad Administration since
it was left without funds by failure of
the Congressional appropriation. Oth
er loans will follow as rapidly as they
can be arranged.
The loan was made to the Director
General as representatives of rail
roads which the War Finance Corpor
ation considers essential war Indus
tries. Adequate collateral was given
in the form of railroad bonds and
notes, many, it is understood^ bonds
of the Pennsylvania Railroad. The
loan was made at 6 per cent, the same
rate as is charged by the Director
General for most advances to rail
roads, and is payable July 15, with the
right on the part of the Director
General to repay before that date
The loan will replenish the Railroad
Administration’s funds which were
almost exhausted owing to the heavy
demands and the failure in Congress
of the measure appropriating $750,
000,000 for the revolving fund. The
Railroad Administration is expected
to use the money for its more press
ing obligations.—News and Observer.
Glass Approves Insurance Plan
Secretary Glass Tuesday approved
regulations governing conversion of
soldiers’ and sailors’ war-time insur
ance to standard forms of government
life insurance. The policies will be
ready for issuance soon and the work
of issuing and maintaining the poli
cies is expected to make the War Risk
Bureau the largest life insurance
agency in the world.—News and Ob
server.
We have won the war; we must
keep our army equipped to help en
force peace. War bills must be met
Lend your money to the government.
Buy War Savings Stamps.
ble, too, as any other place in the
county. But it is not the place that
matters, it is the event and the timo
that concerns us just now. The pur
pose of the celebration is to honor ev
ery boy from the county that went
overseas or who donned the khaki for
his country. Johnston cannot afford
to let this summer go by without sig
nally honoring these fellows. It would
indicate that our patriotism is dead
It would signify that we let these fel
lows risk their lives for us and our
principles, but now the thing is over
they can go their way, we have other
things to do. But there is a spark of
celestial fire called conscience in every
breast and we believe that along with
it is a spark just as divine called pa
triotism that can never die in the
breast of every human being who ex
perienced the atrocities of this war or
who lifted a hand to help the allied
cause. We must give our boys a wel
come home and remember with tender
graces those who will not return.
CITIZENS NATIONAL
BANK NEW NAME
Johnston County Bank and Trust
Company to Be Converted Into a
National Bank—Capital Stock to Be
Increased to Fifty Thousand Dol
lars—Bank Has Made Good Record
for the Four and a Half Years of
Its Existence.
At a full meeting of the stockhold
ers of the Johnston County Bank and
Trust Company held in the banking
rooms Wednesday, March 19, the
stockholders voted to convert the
bank into a national bank. The cap
ital stock was increased to $50,000 at
the regular meeting held in February.
The surplus fund is $15,000.
A charter wall be applied for at
once and assoon as it is granted the
bank will organize under the Federal
Reserve System and become a nation
al bank. The name will be the Citi
zens Bank of Sm'thficld.
The Johnston County Bank and
Trust Company began business the
first of September, 1914, a few weeks
after the great war began. The time
for beginning was most inauspici' us
as the cotton and tobacco markets
were all to pieces and gloom had al
ready settled over the business world.
But the promoters of the bank had
made their plans to open at that time
and full of courage and determinafion
they went right ahead as though con
ditions were normal. The bank has
been successful from the start and has
made money for its stockholders. The
last bank statement showed deposits
of nearly two hundred thousand dol
lars.
In a little over four years the bank
has seen its business grow to the ex
tent that it is ready to double its cap
ital stock. This is a splendid show
ing. The bank is in safe and covserv
ative hands and numbers among its
stockholders some of the leading bus
iness men and farmers of this section.
DAYLIGHT SAVING LAW.
Sunday, March 30, at 2 a. m., Clocks
Will Be Moved Forward One
Hour.
On Sunday morning, March 30, at
2 a. m., the hands of the clocks will
be moved forward one hour and at 2
a. m. it wall be 3 o’clock, when the sec
ond period of the “daylight saving”
law will be entered upon, to continue
in effect until Saturday morning, Oc
tober 26, at 2 a. m., when the clock
hands will be moved backward one
hour and present time resumed.
The law was in effect last summer
but there was diversity of opinion as
to whether any real saving was ef
fected, so far as the South is con
cerned. The farmers were openly
against the advance of the hour. The
advance caused business people in the
city to get out sooner and the truck
ers, who work at night until the sur
goes down, had to get up extremely
early to get their produce to town in
time for sales.
MAY PARADE IN CHARLOTTE
War Department Believed to Favor
Proposition—Either 119th or 120th
Infantry Would Be Choice.
Washington, March 18.—Frank A
Hampton, representing Senator Sim
mons, took up with the war depart
ment, through Colonel McAndrews
today, the proposition to let the same
regiment that goes to Greensboro to
parade, to proceed to Charlotte follow
ing day for a celebration there. The
suggestion met with favor and may be
worked out.
Colonel McAndrews expressed th-3
opinion that this wculd be a very fine
arrangement and it is not at all im
probable that it can be brought about.
Mr. Hampton pointed out that if
this plan can be carried out the State
will have four parades, at Wilming
ton, Raleigh, Greensboro and Char
lotte, central points, where the people
can see the overseas boys at their
best.
The 113th field artillery goes to
Raleigh, and the 115th machine gun
battalion to Wilmington. The 119th
and 120th with lot of North Carolina
troops, can go to Greensboro, and
Charlotte. The 119th and 120 have
not sailed for home yet but are look
ing for orders to start any day.—H
E. C. Bryant in Charlotte Observer
Reed Against League of Nations.
James A. Reed, U. S. Senator
from Missouri, has been called upon to
resign his seat in the Senate in reso
lutions adopted by a conference of
fifty of the sixty-seven Democratic
members of the House of Representa
tives. The action was taken as a re
sult of Senator Reed’s address to the
Legislature in which he attacked the
proposed League of Nations.
NITRATE OF SODA
FOR N. C. FARMERS
The Department of Agriculture Re
ports That 43,000 Tons Are to Be
Distributed From Wilmington for
the Farmers of This State—Ship
ments of One Thousand Tons Daily
According to the Washington corre
spondence in Thursday’s News and
Observer North Carolina farmers will
get plenty of Nitrate of Soda from
the government this year.
Washington, March 19.—As the re
ceiving port for North Carolina the
Department of Agriculture is to ship
43,000 tons of nitrate of soda to Wil
mington acording to an authoritative
statement furnished the News and
Observer representative today by the
bureau of markets. The port of
Wilmington will distribute nearly one
third of the 150,000 tons of nitrate of
soda just released by the war depart
ment for agricultural purposes. Ship
ment of 1,000 tons a day are being
made to the North Carolina seaport
town, and will continue until North
Carolina farmers have been supplied
with the fertilizer for growing food
and cotton.
“Savannah alone of all Southern
ports will distribute quantities of ni
trate of soda in excess of the ‘gate
way of North Carolina.’ The Georgia
city will handle 50,000 tons of nitrate
of soda of the 150,000 released by the
war department. South Carolina will
use more nitrate of soda than North
Carolina. The Palmetto State has in
applications with the bureau of mar
kets for 53,904 tons, while North Car
olina farmfcrs have applied for 46,572
tens as the needs of the season. The
bureau of markets explained that
these figures are approximately cor
rect, with changing conditions likely
to subject them to revision.”
CLAYTON BUDGET OF NEWS.
Garland Wall Homo From France,
Flu Slill on Hand—Live Items
of Interest.
Clayton, March 19.—Mr. and Mrs.
G. T. Smith spent Sunday with
friends at Lillington.
Mrs. Raymond Poole, of Greens
boro, spent the week-end here with
Mr. and Mrs. N. R. Poole.
Mr. Foy Thompson, of Kenly, was
in town Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Parker, of near
Selma, spent the week-end here with
friends.
Mr. Carl Parrish, of Wilson’s Mills
visited friends here this week.
Mrs. J. L. Ellis spent Monday morn
ing in Raleigh shopping.
Mr. Devan Barbour has accepted
a position at Walk Over Boot Shop.
Raleigh. He started to work Mondav
morning.
Mr. Barbour Hall, who, for the past
two months, has been here with his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Hall, left
Sunday morning for New York, where
he will join his wife.
Mr. Carl Smith, who was called to
New York last week, has returned
home.
Miss Mary Creech Williams return
ed to Meredith College Monday after
being at home for one week.
The many friends of Mr. Garland
Wall welcome him back home. He
went to Camp Jackson in September,
1917, from there to Camp Sevier
then to New York and sailed for
France about the last of July, 1918.
He came back from France about a
month ago and came home last night,
having received his discharge. Gar
land is looking fine and says he’s
ready to go to work now.
There are several new cases of fin
in and around town for the past few
days. It seems that it can not entire
ly die out.
Miss LaRue Williams is back from
Portsmouth, Va., where she was call
ed on account of the illness of her
mother and sister. They are much
improved now.
Mr. and Mrs. Vick Austin were call
ed to Benson this week on account of
the accident of Mr. Jesse McLamb
The small child of Mr. James Stan
cil has suffered a very severe attack
of pneumonia but at this time is very
much improved.
Mr. Colonel Beddingfield is now
owner of the drug store here known
as Pope’s Pharmacy. Mr. Pope will
devote his entire time to his hardware
store.
Mrs. Stephen Wall has moved into
the house formerly occupied by Mr
Charlie Barnes.
The property in Grove Park, Ashe
ville, which was formerly owned by
Governor Locke Craig, was sold Wed
nesday for $21,000. Before the last
sale the property was owned by D. E
Coyne, who shot himself a few weeks
ago.
Don’t forget that the war bills must
be paid. Keep your War Savings
Stamps and buy more.
PRINCETON ANI) BOON HILI
Negro Sold Half Pint Water for Dol
lar and a Half—Rough Ride Across
Railroad Bridge at Holt’s I'nnd
Several Sick Folks.
Princeton, March 19.—Mr. Joe An
derson, of Wilson, was a visitor in
town Sunday, the guest of Capt. Bill
Jones.
Mr. Ernest V. Woodard and family
and Mr. Nat Wall and family, of
Selma, spent Sunday with their
brother, Mr. John R. Woodard in
town.
Among the young ladies from a dis
tance, who attended services at the
Baptist church Sunday night, were
Misses Hattie Lois, Sallie Wright
Eula Abbots and Sadie Boyette.
Mr. J. D. Tyner, of Raleigh, was a
visitor in town Sunday evening.
Mr. Jep Rose, of Rocky Mount, and
a prominent contractor in' Eastern
North Carolina, stopped over in town
a few hours Sunday evening. Mr. Rose
was accompanied by his wife and son.
Wo admire the business push and
vim of the man who is moving 89 to
100 logs to a distance of six miles on
a ten-ton motor truck in one day—
but one farmer said Saturday that
this truck was playing havoc" with one
of our forty thousand dollar roads
and who is going to pay for the re
pairs to the road?
Mr. Will Ledbetter of Fayetteville,
was the guest of his uncle, Mr. J. R
Ledbetter, Sunday.
Miss Frances Ledbetter came home
from Louisburg College to spend the
week-end with her parents.
Miss Mattie Mason and Miss Clyde
Love returned from Raleigh, where
they have been visiting the past week.
Miss Helen Grantham is visiting
friends in Sumter, S. C., this week.
Mrs. S. C. Rraswell and children,
from Rocky Mount, are visiting rela
tives in town this week.
Mr. Dempsy Brown has been very
sick for the past week at his home
here. His condition Saturday was
very serious and all his children were
summoned, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence
Williams ,of Goldsboro, being among
the number. His present condition is
much more favorable with slight im
provement.
The church going people of town
have reason to be well pleased with
their pastors this year. Last Sunday
night at the Baptist church the Rev.
J. E. Dupree preached an excellent
sermon to a full house, and to one of
the most appreciative audiences we
have seen in many days.
A certain farmer living near town
has spent three Saturdays in Golds
boro trying to locate the negro hack
man who sold him a half pint bottle of
water, in a nice case goods whiskey
bottle. The farmer is out one dollar
and fifty cents—but says he wil.l
give ten dollars to play one trick on
that negro.
The many friends of Mr. Daniel H.
Woodard will regret to learn that he
is very sick at his home. He has been
troubled for many years with some
stomach affliction. He is gradually
getting worse, and there is little hope
entertained for his recovery.
Boon Hill was represented on Neuse
river Monday night by Fayette Ben
ton and Albert Pearce. They caught
four hickory and one white shad.
George Warren and Sydney Fail
caught six hickory and eleven white
shad. Jim Ade and Silas Woodard
caught fifty-five hickory shad. This
was only one night’s fishing, a total of
one hundred and seven shad, and if
Little River was cleaned out our citi
zens would be catching them right
here at our door.
No perceptible improvement in the
condition of M r.and Mrs. J. W. Perry,
Mrs. Edy Woodard and Mr. Isaac
Smith for the past week.
Mr. Francis Bridgers is confined to
his home near town, condition crit'cal.
Symptoms of Bright’s disease.
Four or five young men, all appar
ently well tanked up on booze, driving
a big, high-powered car, came down
the Central Highway at a pretty live
ly speed, several nights ago, and in
stead of keeping on the highway, they
turned down the railroad track and
across the high railroad trestle over
Holt’s mill pond. They went across
all right, although the jolting was
terrific. Just before they reached the
road on the lower side of the pond,
one of the guys on the back seat says
“Oh, Hezzy, what are you giving us?”
The driver answered, “The darn ras
cal who built that bridge left out half
the plank.”
Will Sell Structures Built by Amer
icans in France.
Docks, railroads, warehouses, hos
pitals and barracks built by the Am
erican expeditionary forces to the val
ue of $165,000,000 will be sold to
France for the best figures the Amer
ican liquidation commission can ob
tain. None of these can readily or
profitably be removed, and the only
alternative is to sell at the best bar
gain.
LONGER TERMS FOR
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
General Assembly Made Provision for
Forward Movement in Education.
Uniform Text-Books for High
Schools — Compulsory Attendance
For Length of Term in Each Com
munity.
(News and Observer.)
Provision for a six months’ school
term in every community in the State
was the most forward step taken by
the General Assembly in educational
affairs. True, the constitutional
amendment had already made such a
step mandatory, but it was no easy
matter to secure an equitable ar
rangement of the State’s finances so
as to make it possible. That a pro
gram was worked out and adopted
without a dissenting vote will go down
in history as the most praiseworthy
act of the 1919 session of the Legis
lature.
The program was worked out largely
by Dr. J. Y. Joyner, the retiring su
perintendent, and Dr. E. C. Brooks,
Dr. Joyner’s successor, and the latter
had most to do with presenting it
clearly and forcibly to the members
of the General Assembly. The edu
cational forces were fortunate in hav
ing at the legislative helm Represent,
ative Victor Bryant and Senator F. C
Harding. With admirable tact and
excellent leadership they brought the
warring faction together and recon
ciled conflicting views.
Increased Salaries.
Another bill passed by the General
Assembly that must appeal to the
sense of justice of every citizen pro
vides for the fixing of minimum sala
ries for teachers advancing the pres
ent scale from -0 to 25 per cent. This
bill does not prevent counties from
making further advances, if consid
ered wise.
The Uniform Textbooks.
Uniformity in textbooks for high
schools is secured through the pass
age of a law for a commission to go
over the list of available book- and
select a multiple list from which rn
ties may make selection. Heretofore
high schools in the same county have
frequently used different books. Pro
vision is made in the new law ena
bling patrons moving from one county
to another, where different books are
used to have the books taken back.
Other Important Laws.
The compulsory education law as
amended now requires students to at
tend school during the entire term in
the district in which the pupils reside.
It is made flexible, so that boards of
education can excuse pupils from at
tending in the event they are needed
in case of emergency at home or on
the farm. This feature was added in
order not to work hardships and to
enable schools to be adapted to local
conditions. In cases where sufficient
buildings are not available, two years
is given to provide them.
Orphan children can now attend the
schools in the district in which they
live and allotments on a per capita
basis will be made by the State De
partment of Education.
Senator Copper’s bill allowing coun
ties to furnish free textbooks to stu
dents at a fair rental price was an
other important educational bill. This
extends to counties the privilege al
ready exercised by several city school
notably Raleigh and Durham.
Vocational Education.
Measure enabling the State Depart
ment to co-operate with the federal
government in its program for voca
tional education were also passed. The
State already had the ground work for
the system and the laws passed sim
ply provide for an enlargement of the
work.
HIGHWAY COMMISSION PLANS
Paved Road From New Bern to
Greensboro Predicted.
Engineer of the North Carolina
Highway Commission, Mr. W. S. Fal
lisi, predicts the completion of tho
hard surfaced road from New Bern to
Greensboro by tho end of the coming
summer, provided the matter is push
ed enough.
Seventeen miles of permanent road
are to be built in Orange, 10 to 12 in
Durham, the same in Wake, 13.4 miles
in Alamance, and 25 miles in John
ston.
This is a Federal aid road, which
moans that the county would pay one
fourth of the cost, the State one
fourth, and the Federal Government
the remaining half.
Humus Plant Burns.
Fire of unknown origin totally de
stroyed the plant of the Atlantic Hu
must Company at Bridgeton near New
Bern Friday evening, entailing a loss
of from $30,000 to $35,000 with no in
surance.