Smithfield Needs: —Bigger pay roll. _New Hotel. _Renovation of Op era house. _More paved streets. ■-Chamber Commerce Forty-fourth Year Johnston County’s Oldest and Best Newspaper — — Established 1882 * * SMITHFIELD, N. C., FRIDAY MORNING, AUGUST 7, 1925 * * “We Like Smithfield— You will too’’ Number 76 CAPT. RHEM MAKES PRISON STATEMENT Tells of Charge in Conditions at State Prison During His Connection There For Thirty-Six Years. COMMENDS GEO. ROSS POU (Since this article was set up news conies of the death of Capt. Rhem which occurred suddenly Tuesday at the Caledonia Farm. Capt. Rhem was 79 years old.) Capt. C. J. Rhem, Farm Supervisor for the State’s Prison for nearly thir ty-six years, makes the following statement in regard to the change in conditions there during that time which have had considerable bearing upon the financial status of the insti tution: Having been a farm supervisor of the State’s Prison for more than thir ty-five years and having served und®i every administration since 1886, with the exception of the Russell admin istration, I feel that I am sufficiently and properly informed to submit to the people of North Carolina a state ment with reference to the State’s Prison. Under the administration the News and Observer has written about, no attention was giiven to sanitation of sleeping quarters, under a part of these no pillows, no sheets, no gowns, no towels, no underwear were given the prisoners. The food and clothing were insufficient. Practically no surgi cal attention, no aentai atsenwun, no attention to other ailments except such as could be given by a general practioner. Now those things are tak en care of by a specialist in each line. In many cases the lash or “Black Aggie”—as it was called, was freely applied. Overseers were allowed to lash men generally, but under my par ticular charge I never allowed a man to be lashed until his case had been thoroughly investigated. For I have never approved of the lash except in peculiarly extreme cases. The prison ers were driven. The Prison showed a profit. The people were satisfied be cause a profit was shown. I have not a word of criticism for the splendid gentlemen who presided over the Prison during that “dark age.” The public should have no word of criticism for them or for those of us who carried out their instructions. The fault was with the public. The cry was for “profit.” Profit even at the cost of human life. Improvements in prison conditions have come slowly. At this present time conditions are by far better in every sense than I have ever known them to be in my long years of service as an officer of the State Prison. The profits that are shown now are by far greater than any that could be written in dollars and cents. A great change has taken place. While the prison has not shown a money profit, read ahead as to what is now being done. Prisoners are now treated as hu man beings. They are given a balan ced daily ration, they are given clean sleeping quarters, they are given suf ficient clothing, they are given smok ing and chewing tobacco, they are given proper medical attention, sur gical attention, dental attention. At ItllblUII ftivcu tv tuv -- and throat. They are allowed some time for recreation. A band has been organized at my camp and much in terest is shown in the Saturday eve ning ball games, to which only well behaved prisoners are allowed to go. The lash has been abolished. Station ary and stamps are furnished pris oners, a collection of books and maga zines at each camp. Each prisoner up on committment receives a New Tes tament. Each one receives an alumi num drinking cup. Those suffering wtih syphillis and other abominable diseases have been removed from the camps and are now segregated upon committment. The people should keep in mind that Mr. Pou has served us during a period of business depression throughout the country. It should keep in mind that he has had to build up two dilapidated farms, totalling more than 8000 acres. Farmers think of that. People about Raleigh are wit nesses to the wonderful improvements (Turn to page four, please) Where Great Commoner Now Rests Above is pictured the plot in Arlington National Cemetery where the body of Wm- Jennings Bryan is laid at rest. The mausoleum shown is where the body of Admiral Dewey rest ed for years but recently transferred to a crypt in National Cathedral. This site is the highest point overlooking the i Potomac and Washington.' CITIZENS OF COUNTY ENTER A PROTEST Folks Down Kenly Way Con cerned Over Fact That Wil son County May Not Hardsurface Route 22 Some of our citizens in the north ern part of the county are quite dis turbed over reports which they regard as authentic that Wilson county does not propose to hard surface its part of State Highway No. 22. Dr. B. H. Hackney, of Lucama, was in the city yesterday in the interest of bringing pressure to bear to the end that Wil son county change its mind. Quite a number of citizens in Johnston who live near the Wilson line have signed a resolution in regard to the matter the text of which is as follows: We, the u'ndersigned citizens of Johnston county, having heard au thoritatively that the Wilson county i Highway Commission have voted and passed a resolution recommending that the State Highway Comission ex pend the Five Hundred Thousand Dol lars loaned to it by the county of Wil son, in the hard-surfacing of High ways Nos. 91 and 42, thereby aban doning the idea of hard-surfacing Highway No. 22, which leads to John ! ston county, desire to take this meth od of entering our most solemn pro test to the treatment which Wilson county proposes to accord us. It is a 'well known fact tjhat, heretofore the farmers of Johnston county have sold practically all of their leaf tobacco Ion the Wilson tobacco market, and this in spite of the fact, that they have a home market available at bmith field, with facilities sufficient to handle their entire crops. It is equally known that the wholesale and retail mer chants of Wilson have been favored with no small amount of Johnston county trade; and this too, in spite of the fact that they had the oppor tunity to satisfy their need from wholesale and retail dealers in John ston and other counties. As an ap preciation of this treatment, on the part of our citizens, what gratitude does Wilson show? Suffice it to say, that it results in the construction of three hard-surfac ed roads to Nash county, two to Greene county, two to Edgecombe, | one to Wayne and NONE. TO JOHN STON. 'The members of the Wilson county Highway Commission, and those back ing their present plans, are to be the : judges as to whether or nob such gratitude touches a responsive chord I in Johnston county. Let their con science be their guide. W. J. Hooks, J. W. Darden, D. T. Crawford, Watson & Alford, A. J. .Broughton, G. G. Edgerton & Son, Edgerton Motor Co., O. Y. Edgerton, II. M. Grizzard, W. M. Boykin, Barnes .. Pope, J. H. Barnes, P. H. Etheridge, mayor, E. L. Etheridge, Etheridge Printing Co., A- M. Godwin, Farmers. Bank of Kenlv by A. W. Godwin, G. B. Woodard, M. D. and J. T. Ward, R. T. Fulghum, W. T. Bailey & Son, J. D. Bailey. L. Z. Woodftd, J. W. Darden & Brwther, I)ardeii A Sellers, R. A. Hales, Bailey Aubo ijo-, J. „ 1 W m ii Five and Ten Cent Store Chain Grows Mr. N. J. Binning, who is manager of Rose’s five and ten cent store here, left Sunday for Oxford w'here he is having Rose’s five and ten cent store there enlarged. The adjacent build ing has been purchased and the par tition is being removed, making the store twice its former size. Mr. Rose is also opening a five and ten cent store at Edenton and another at Winston-Salem, completing a chain of twenty-six stores. The new store at Winston-Salem is said to be one of the most modern in the United States. Besides its regular stock of goods, ;t is equipped with a cafeteria and soda fountain. Rose’s store here was the twenty-third in the chain. Smith field is fortunate in having one of these stores located here. CARRY ELECTION TO CONSOLIDATE Consolidated Territory Was Formerly Divided Into Five School Districts. The Glendale District voting with the Moore’s and Watson Districts on Tuesday, August 4th, carried the elec tion for consolidation wuth 203 votes cast for the consolidation and 126 against. The result of this election is that the consolidated district will pay a flat rate of taxation of 50c, w'hich will displace the special and bond tax heretofore voted in the districts. The Watson school building having been burned recently all the children of this district will be carried to the Glendale school. Moore’s district will operate its two teacher school for the primary grades only, and the upper grades, and high school students will go to the Glendale school. This newly consolidated district has approximate ly 800 children in it. The development of the Glendale school, which now is in the heart of the county, a school equipped as well as any town school in the county and which will go on the accredited list this year, has been interesting. About fifty years ago the father and grand father of Mr. J. W. Woodard, who is now a member of the Board of Edu cation, built what was known as the . Woodard school. Later in Aycock’s day this district was divided and from it was formed the Godwin and Wat son districts, which established schools of their own. About ten years ago the Godwin district consolidated with the Woodard district under the name of Glendale. After several at tempts a special tax was carried in the new Glendale district. Then about 1917 a two-story wooden buildi’ng was erected which served the community until the present modern brick build (Turn to page four, please) Woolard, Jr., Johnson Brothers, J. G High, J. T. Edgerton & Brother, H. R. Renfrow, Renfrow & Watson, Ellis Kannan, Kirby Drug Co., A. F. Baw en, Geo. S. Coxian, M. D., J. "w Woodard, Bank “of Kenly, E. B. Praughon. TOWN PUTS IN NEW ACCOUNTING SYSTEM Board Passes Emergency Act ] Requiring All Dogs to be Vaccinated Against Rabies Within Next 60 Days. The town board of commissioners it its regular meeting Tuesday night approved the new system of account ing recommended by A. M. Pullen & Company, certified public account ants, who have recently completed an audit of the city books. The town finances are in excellent shape and With the new method of keeping rec ord, one will be able to tell at the close of any day’s business the finan cial status. The new system has been installed as of May 1, 1025. the be ginning of the fiscal year. : Thr the meeting Tuesday night, requiring all dogs to be vaccinated against rabies within sixty days from Tuesday night. Those who fail to comply with this law will be required to pay a penalty of fifty dollars. Dr. Rosser Lane furnishes the dose and administers it to those who wish him to There is a law already on the stat ute books, but which has not been generally enforced, that requires all persons who own cows and sell milk and butter, to have their cows tested for tuberculosis. This law was resur rected and will be enforced. Dr. Lane was designated as city veterinarian. Another matter which touches the health of the community was discuss ed, that of mosquito drainage. It was ordered that a survey of the town be made to find probable breeding places for mosquitoes and that all such places be sprayed. The town board voted to cooper ate with the Eastern Carolina Cham ber of Commerce in getting out a publication known as the “Tell to World Edition” for East Carolina. Three hundred dollars was appropriat ed for two pages in this edition. In formation comes to us that the other towns solicited did their share and Johnston county is destined to re ceive quite a bit of advertising over a wide area. One of the livest discussions before the City-Fathers was the paving prop osition which is still in an uncomplet ed state. The board will assemble in an adjourned meeting on August 17, the date set as a final date for de ciding about paving the streets of Smithfield. Additional petitions were before the commissioners Tuesday night but all the property owners on the blocks where paving is desired had not been seen. A motion was carried that, the city jail be put in a sanitary condition and this work was delegated to the mayor and chief of police. Another motion was carried to raise th^?,salary of J. Mayor Urges Citizens to Hein Keep Low Insurance Kate Wr. J. W. Jones Died Early This Morning Mr. J. W. Jones, chairman of the board of Johnston County Commissioners, who has been ill for the past three weeks at his home near Smithfield, died this morning at 5 o’clock. The funetal services will be con ducted Saturday, August 8th, at the Primitive Baptist church here at 3 o’clock by his pastor, Elder Jesse Barnes after which inter ment will be made in the old Smithfield cemetery. COURT IMPOSES JAIL SENTENCES Recorder’s Court In Session Here Tuesday Disposes of About a Dozen Cases. NUMBER OF APPEALS The Recorder’s Court in session here Tuesday, disposed of the follow ing cases in the criminal docket, all of which were jail cases. Other cases in which the defendants were out of bond were carried over. Ruffin McCoy, negi-o, was given a twenty-five dollar fine sentence and sixty days in jail for resisting an of ficer. Road sentence suspended during good behavior. John L. Blackstone, an aged darkie, of Smithfield, was charged with tres pass, he having been caught fishing in Holt’s Lake without ermission from the proper authorities. He was fined ten dollars and cost from which he appealed to the superior court. (Turn to page four, please) OLDEST CITIZEN OF FOUR OAKS PASSES “Uncle Dave” Ford Died Tues day Morning; Was First Mayor Four Oaks Had. (Special to The Herald) Four Oaks, Aug. 5.—Mr. A. D. Ford, the oldest citizen died at his ; home here Tuesday morning about nine o’clock. Mr. Ford was in his 68th year. Even though age and afflictions over took him he cheerfully submitted. The Saviour of his youth and vigorous manhood was the same in his old age aud feebleness. Mr. Ford was a be loved husband and father, or “uncle Dave,” as he was commonly called. He was a member of the Four Oaks Methodist church, having held his membership there for a number of years. He was a charter member of Four Oaks Masonic Lodge and had held ractically every office in that Order during his membership. For about thirty-two years he had been a justice of the peace and held this office at the time of his death. Mr. Ford, as a pioneer citizen, has done much for the town of Four Oaks and vicinity. Moving here in 1886 he served as the first mayor of the town. He was also appointed the first postmaster of the town and serv ed as the first railroad agent, hold ing the offices of postmaster and railroad agent at the same time. Mr. Ford leaves to mourn his loss, | a wife, one son, A. R. Ford; and one daughter. Miss Annie Ford, one brother, P. T. Ford, all of Four Oaks. Other surviving brothers are Mr. W. H. Ford, Tuscumbia, Ala.; W. F. Ford, Smithfield; E. D. Ford, Jack sonville, Fla.; and L. A. Ford, of Leighton, Ala. Funeral services were conducted at the home of the deceased at 3:30 o’clock Wednesday under the joint auspices of the lodge®of Masons and the Laymen’s Federation, followed by interment in Four Oaks cemetery. F. Johnson, special night policeman, from seventy-five to one hundred dol lars per month.