Smithfield Needs:
—Bigger pay roll.
_Modem hospital.
—Renovation of Op
era house.
_More pawed streets.
^Chamber Commerce
Forty-fourth Year
Johnston County’s Oldest and Best Newspaper-Established 1882
SMITHFIELD, N. C., FRIDAY MORNING, JULY 10, 1925
“We Like
Smithfield—
Ycm will too”
Number 68
BUSY TUESDAY IN
RECORDERS COURT
Church Official in Trouble; Prac
tical Jokers Appeal From
12 Months Sentence.
CHEAP PISTOL IS COSTLY
The Recorder’s Court had a busy
day here Tuesday. Several cases on the
criminal docket were disposed of and
some were carried over to Wednesday.
The cases attracting most attention
for the day were as follows:
David Flowers, white, a young man
of Wilders township, against whom
there were three charges: resisting an
officer, disturbing public worship and
assault. He was found guilty on every
count, but due to this being his first
appearance in court judgment was
suspended upon payment of costs.
Kelly Peedin, of Clayton township,
a church official of some pronounced
dignity, was in court on a charge of
drunkftess and disorderly conduct. He
was found guilty and was discharged
under suspended judgment and pay
ment of costs.
Foxey Holder and Robert Hastings,
two negroes of Wilders, well known
in court circles here, were here this
time on a new charge, that of trying
to get their good friend, the venerable
Tom Wiggins, in trouble by taking
a still to his home and asking per
mission to leave it there while they
went in quest of repairs for same.
But instead of returning with repairs
they notified a local officer that Tom
Wiggins was in possession of a “big,
fine, bully still.” They were found
guilty and the prank cost them a
twelve month road sentence. They ap
pealed
Jasper Pleasant from Selma got a
sixty day road sentence for carrying
the cheapest pistol ever exhibited in
court here and called a concealed
weapon. He was bound over to the
Superior Court on another count, that
of larceny.
Eddie Lee, well known darkie of
Smithfield, got sixty days in jail for
violating prohibition laws. He appeal
ed to superior court where he will
be called upon to face another charge
an assault with a deadly weapon.
Wright Turnage, an aged citizen of
Grabtown, was in court charged with
slandering the name of a young girl.
He was found guilty but his advance
years modified matters in his mat
ters in his favor, and he was released
under suspended judgment upon pay
ment of costs.
INDICATIONS POINT BUMPER
CROP FOR JOHNSTON CO.
The crop reports from the various
parts of the county are fairly uni
form, and the indications now point
to a bumper crop of corn, tobacco,
peas and beans. Cotton is growing
fine in almost every section of the
county, but more general complaint
is being made about the boll weevil
than we have heretofore heard at this
season of the year- In some sections
the farmers are dusting, but as a
general thing the farmers of this
county are working and hoping that
weather conditions will again become
their ally in their fight against this
costly pest.
DENTAL CLINIC AT
PRINCETON AND PINE LEVEL
Dr. J- S. Moore, who has been work
ing in this county for the past few
weeks under the State Board of
Health, will be at the Princeton school
building Monday, Tuesday and Wed
nesday, July 13, 14, and 15, to con
duct a dental clinic. It is desired that
as many children as possible between
the ages of six and twelve take ad
vantage of this clinic and have dental
defects remedied
A similar clinic will be held at the
Pine Level school Thursday, Friday
and Saturday, July 16, 17, and 18.
Dr. Moore begins his work each morn
ing at 9:30 and closes at 5:30 each
afternoon except oh Saturday when
he closes at 12:30.
The following are the g jests of Mr.
and Mrs. $ H. Wjggs tecay at the^J
home on East Johnson Street: Mr.
and Mrs. P. L. Brigman and son, of
Miami, Fla., Mr. and Mrs. C- H- Wil
liams and Miss Lollie Williams, Mrs.
G. L. Syke^Nfaomi and Lambert
Sykes, and Wt- Robert Henry Lyon,
of Salemburg.
#
Boy Preacher
Forest Weaver. fifteen-year-old
preacher-boy is now in an evange
listic campaign at Wilson’s Mills Bap
tist church with evengelist Roy E
York, of Fort Worth, Texas. The
meeting began Wednesday evening at
8 o’clock. Services are held at 10:30
each morning and at 8:00 each eve
ning. The “Warbler Chorur”, com
posed of young people between the
ages of ten and fifteen, is an inter
esting feature of these services. In
addition to his part in the regular
services. Forest Weaver, the young
preacher, will give illustrations and
lead the “Warbler Chorus” each
morning at 9:00. On Friday he will
speak on the “Baby Elephant.” Come
to these services and bring your
friends.
JUNE LOSES OUT AS
“MONTH OF BRIDES”
And Fourth of July Makes Poor
Holiday Showing; Decem
ber Is the Month.
Whether it is the heat, the new
State tax, or just the high cost of
Bring might be hard to tell, but one
thing is certain: June has lost its
place in Johnston county as the most
popular month for getting married in
and the Fourth of July made a
mighty poor holiday showing.
Listed as the month of brides,
with all the accompanying sentiment,
June of 1925 saw only 21 licenses for
white people issued from the office
of M. L. Standi, County Register of
Deeds. The day before the Fourth
only two were recorded. The record
for the first seven days of July tot
aled only five.
“It can't be the raise in the price
of license.” opined Mr. Stancil, “for
the reason, that no man, if he loved
a girl, would let two extra dollars
stand between him and matrimony
June is a tight month for money and
they think before they leap. In De
cember money is a little more plenti
ful and they leap before they think.”
Last June only 22 licenses were
issued, and that was before the
1925 General Assembly boosted the
price of licenses from three dollars to
five dollars.
It just appears that December is
the month, and around about Christ
mas is the day.
Despite the traditions about June,
last Decepiber saw 54 licenses issued
to white people, over double that of
June. The number for negroes run
well under that for the white people.
The total number of licenses is
ssued last year to white pe.ple was
400 and to negroes 149.
FILE PETITIONS FOR
PAVING BEFORE 20TH
All those interested in paving
should get their petitions under
way at once. At a meeting in the
City Clerk’s office July 7th, it was
decided to get all new paving con
tracts under way as soon as pos
sible.
Mr. George J. Brooks, paving
engineer of Beaufort, has been
employed and will be on the job
July 20th, at which time all pe
titions for paving postively must
be filed in the city clerk's office,
accedin'-' to an announcement
made from the Clerk’s office Tues
day.
REVISION COUNTY
JURY LIST BEGUN
Task One For Caution and De
liberation; Dr. Massey Re
ports Conquey Ditch as
Nuisance.
The county commissioners were in
session here Wednesday engaged in
making the bi-ennial revision of the
county jury list- The law requires that
none but good and lawful men can
qualify for jury duties. The commis
sioners are making the revision with
caution and painstaking, and they find
that it is a task which requires a
great deal of time. The work could
not be completed that day.
Of importance to the town of
Smithfield, was the report of Dr. C
C. Massey, County health officer, in
which he declared that the Conquey
Ditch which drains the town of Smith
field is now a nuisance and menace due
to its choked up condition. The Board
recommends that said ditch be either
filled up or kept open at the west
end. so that all accumulations could
be drained into Neuse River.
LOCAL CITIZENS
DEFEND MR. H AM
Evangelist No Enemy of Educa
tion; H. B. Marrow and Judge
Brooks Make Statements.
In response to articles appearing
in the Greensboro Daily News and
the Raleigh News and Observer of
July 7th, which attempted to show
that Rev. M. F. Ham, evangelist who
closed a meeting of four weeks dura
tion here last Sunday night, had ex
erted an anti-educational influence in
Johnston county, Mr. H- B. Marrow,
county superintendent of public in
struction, denied that he held the
preacher responsible for local school
troubles.
A later issue of the News and Ob
server gives publicity to this state
ment, and also to a statement given
out by Judge F. H. Brooks, as fol
lows :
•“ ‘I do not believe that Mr. Ham’s
preaching was responsible for the
controversy,’ Mr. Marrow said. ‘As
I said, some men told me that he
said that education is bringing about
all these modern evils- Hhey declared
they were afraid such statements
would prejudice some people against
education. I don’t think Mr. Ham’s
meeting was responsible for the con
troversy and I wouldn’t wan$ to re
flect on the great good he did in
Johnston county by saying so. I was
busy and didn’t attend many of his
meetings-’
; “In a statement to the News and
; Observer, Judge F. H. Brooks says:
“ ‘There is no connection whatever
with the school matter here and the
Ham-Ramsay meeting- There is no
connection with Democratic* or Re
publican politics in Johnston county
and the Ham-Ramsay revival, except
I that the Republican sheriff, Mr- J- P.
I Parker, and many other Republicans
I and many Democrats were converted
in the meeting; and a great host of
j people, Republicans and Democrats
I alike, are praising God for sending
the Ham-Ramsay evangelistic party
to our county.
‘ ‘The writer attended every service
held by Mr. Ham during his four
; weeks stay here, (except Wednesday
when he was subpoenaed to attend
the Wyatt trial in Raleigh), and went
with Mr. Ham to Goldsboro, Dunn.
.Benson, Clayton. Selma and Raleigh
end heard him speak but never did
| he hear Mr. Ham say anything that
would justify the article in Tuesday’s
News and Observer or Monday or
Tuesday's Greensboro News- Mr.
Ham never criticised the schools of
Johnston or any other county, but did
j refer to the institutions of higher
learning which had imported German
philosophers who had taught their
| damnable doctrines which had shaken
I the faith of many of our boys and
; girls in the teachings of the Bible
ia' .d of Christian parents. The cause
jof education has not nor wdll be im
! peded by reason of anything Mr.
| Ham said while in Smithfield.
“ ‘The Laymen’s Federation at the
(Turn to page four, please)
Proposed Cut School Budget
Threatens County Progress
Conducting Revival at Four Oaks
i
Rev. T. F. Callaway of Georgia who will be the preacher in
a series of Revival Meeting at the Baptist church of Four
Oaks, beginning Sunday July 12th. Everybody invited.
BAPTISTS HOLD
100 Testimonies Tuesday Night;
18 Additions to Church: 19
Converts at Pissrah.
(By Cherry Gurley)
* Though the Ham-Ramsay party is
gone we find the revival for Johnston
County has just begun, and those
who are on fire for Christ are capa
ble of reaping a great harvest from
the seeds of gospel sown by the
evangelist here
On Tuesday night o.ne the most
spiritual meetings in the experience
of the church was conducted in the
First Baptist church here. Over one
hundred persons, representing prac
tically every denomination in the
town, testified of the great blessings
received during the recent revival,
of a clearer vision of the Christ, and
a louder call to obey the last great
command. This meeting was contin
ued through Wednesday night when
a goodly number of converts were
baptized. Others will be ready at a
later date, and there are still others
that need only a word, a hearty in
vitation from some good Christian,
and they will be ready to accept
Christ as their personal Savior.
A number of the laymen went out
to Pisgah on Tuesday night and re
ported nineteen converts. They say
it was one of the most glorious meet
ings they ever were in, and many
have realized “The harvest truly is
plenteous but the laborers are few.”
The following were received into
the church by baptism Wednesday
night:
Theodore G. Boyette, Paul V. Brown,
Jr., Lemuel V. Creech, Fred Black
man, TVent V. Hunter, Thomas G.
Johnson, Thomas Jordan, Jr., Lacy
E. Lassiter, J. Furman Stancil, Jo
seph C. Stancil, James A. R. Stancil,
Leo T. Stephenson, D. Jefferson Wal
lace, William E- Wright, Mrs. J. A.
Underhill.
Mrs. H- L. Sellers was received by
letter.
Enterprising Turkey Hen
Mr. J. Herman Stephenson, of
Smithfield, Route 1. has an old black
turkey hen that has laid 2 latters of
eggs, making a total of 55 eggs this
season, and is still laying. The aver
age number of eggs set under her is
25, and she hatches an average of
18 little ones. She is new carrying a
brood of young turkeys and is laying
right on.
MUCH PROGRESS IS
MADE IN BENSON
Quarter Million Spent in Build
ings, Including School; Ki
wanis Goes Forward.
Benson, July 9.—The visitor will
notice constant changes in the
; growth and activities of Benson dur
ing the past year. One hears the con
stant beat of the carpenter’s hammer.
A quarter of a mllion dollars have
been spent in buildings of various de
scriptions. Including fifteen or twen
ty brick stores, school building, ice
plant, garages, filling stations etc.
The casual visitor will notice also
new and handsome residences on ev
ery street, that have been erected
during the year. Benson is surround
ed by one of the best agricultural
sections in this part of the state.
She is furnished by mothe rearth an
abundance ol natural resources.
The Kiwanis Club celebrated their
.first anniversary Tuesday evening
with Ladies’ Night at the North
State hotel. Dr. A. S- Oliver, presi
dent, read the “History of Kiwanis in
Benson”. He showed that a great
deal has been accomplished in the
club’s existence of one year. Mr. L.
L. Levinson spoke on “Our Ladies”.
He enumerated women’s rights since
the early days up to the present time,
closing with the statement “You
can’t live with her and you can’t live
without her.” Special music was
rendered by Mesdames A. S- Oliver
and J. T. Morgan and Miss Wilhel
mina Utley. The main speaker of the
occasion was Hon- H. L. Godwin of
Dunn. He used as his subject “The
Growth and Development of North
Carolina”, with special emphasis on
this section of the State. Hie speak
er was introduced by Judge Ezra
' Parker. Dr. W. T. Martin acted as
Toastmaster. A delightful menu was
'served by the North State Hotel.
CONTRACTORS BEGIN WORE
ON BRIDGE OVER A. C- L. RY.
Watkins and Forline, contractors
• f Virgilina, Yu., havf recently pitch
ed camp near Selma, and are at work
! grading Route No. 10 between here
and Princeton. The contractors who
| will build the overhead bridge over
■She Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
came Thursday and started work at
ee (^fhe overhead bridge will be
p’aced over the railroad track about
half mile west of the corporate limits
on Route 10.
0
County Commissioners Would
Cut Budget $185,000; Ami
cable Settlement Hoped
For July 14th.
MAY FORFEIT STATE AID
A strenuous day for Johnston coun
ty officials is expected Tuesday July
13th, when the board of education and
county commissioners meet jointly to
settle the school budget question. This
issue has been in agitation for several
months, causing much perplexity and
trouble locally, provoking some spec
ulative discussions throughout the
State. The proposal of the commis
sioners to cut $185,000 off the origi
nal budget of $441,000 as drafted by
the board of education is viewed with
apparent distress by several of the
leading papers, and attention has bnen
called to ihe effect such a step would
probably have on the apportionment
of the 1926-27 Equalization Fund.
The following paragraphs from an
article in The Raleigh News and Ob
server of July 7, give a disinterest
ed, if slightly pessimistic, view of the
situation:
Controversies between Republican
boards of county commissioners and
Democratic School Boards, which de
veloped in Sampson. Washington, and
Yadkin counties, have reached their
greatest proportions in Johnston
county where at present the Republi
can commissioners are threatening a
cut of $185,000 in the budget of $441,
000 proposed by the Democratic school
1 board.
“The row in Johnston got out into
the open when the school board pre
sented a budget _of $441,000 on June
19. The county commissioners em
ployed T- H. Franks, Wake County
Republican and former superintendent
of the Smithfield city schools, to
check over the proposed budget and
ito draft a substitute. The substitute
leaked out and the school board dis
covered that it was due to additional
cut of $3,000 more.
“Education in Johnston county ap
pears to be in a rather bad fix just
now. The finance committee of the
county commissioners are alleging
that the old Democratic sheriff, W.
J. Massey, is $115,000 behind in his
accounts with the school fund- Great
difference of opinion exists as to the
policies of erecting many school
houses throughout the county or a
smaller number of consolidated
schools at strategic points. Rev. M_
F. Ham has just left the county af
a revival of several weeks during
which he said some hard things of
education. Added to all this, last year
the tax levied for schools fell $48,000
Short of the amount authorized in
the budget
“The situation in Johnston has
caused a lot of worry in State official
circles inside of the State Department
of Education and elsewhere. The new
equalization Fund Commission gave
Johnston county $17,500 out of the
$335,000 increase in the fund voted
by the last General Assembly. This
gives the State a real interest in the
controversy.
Equalization Fund Commission is
very much interested and members of
the commission have intimated that
if the Johnston commissioners cut the
budget^ to such an extent, Johnston
county will be left out completely
when the next apportionment is made,
as it was before the new commission
began functioning.
Equalization Commitee
In its letter issued when it ap
portioned that part of the fund left
in its discretion, the commission stat
ed: “But if the apportionment is used
so as to decrease the amounts to be
raised by the counties for teacher’s
salaries and for lowering the efficien
cy of the schools, the Commission will
take this into consideration when it
meets to apportion the fund for 1926
. 27.”
“The county commissioners have
wide discretion in some matters re
lating to the school budget, but in
other matters the law intervenes to
l cut out discretion. The salary of teadh
ers, expenses necessary to the health
and comfort of the children, and like
^'urn to pafP four, j'-fcose)