North Carolina Newspapers

I Advertfaera WB P»d Our Col li uaas a Latchkey to Over Sixteen |BmM Martin County Homes VOLUME XXXII—NUM LEGISLATURE PASSES FIRST OF 1931 LAWS • Appropriatesso,ooo.oo For An Inland Waterway Right of Way GOVERNOR'S BUDGET Oomor Recommend* Constitution al Convention, Bat Btroag Op ppoeltion Is Expected Tlm appropriation of $50,000 for an, inlaad waterway right-of-way was en-.j acted U the first public law of the, 19J1 legislature last night when the; measure was passed in the house. To day. committee appointments are be ing made, and it is predicted that the law makers will be down to work in earnest before the week ends. Following caucuses held last Tues day night, Lieutenant Governor Foun-j tain put the upper house in action, and Willis Smith, the new speaker, took the gavel in the lower house. The first fire was kindled by H. S. ; Ward when he opposed an appropri ation of $50,000 to furnish right of way for an inland waterway. Mr. Ward threw all of his wind against the bill and won his own and two other votes against the measure. The usual time was taken in trying to set up machinery for operation, and awaiting the Governor's message which was delivered on Friday. Good * government for less money was the gist of the message and plans were advanced for economy as follows: The change in our road laws, turn ing all roads over to the State. The consolidation of several of the State departments. The tax question was the big side of the message which asked for an increase in gasoline tax from 5 to 6 cents and a reduction of tax on real estate. The Governor recommends a con stitutional convention. However, the proposal is expected to meet with mnch opposition. It is opposed by big income tax payers. Our present con stitution limits the income tax rate to a low figure, and it is likely that the rate would be increased should a con vention be held. One of the biggest things so far as its appeal to the public sentiment was the 10 per cent salary reduction recommendation which is estimated to reduce taxes $4,000,000. The budget recommendations sub mitted to the Legislature by the Gov ernor will cut the State's expenditures about $4,000,000 from last year and affecfls practically all branches of govrenment, including the General ' Assembly, about $10,000; judicial about (10,000; executive, about $23,-1 000. Administrative recommendations call for an increase of about $1,500,000 practically all of which would go to the county schools in the equalize- 1 tioa fund. The higher educational institutions will receive about $220,000 less. The chairtable and correctional in - stitutions would suffer a decrease of only $60,000 and Confederate pensions ' SIOO,OOO, the last amount the decrease caused mainly by the deaths of old soldiers and widows. The lawmakers are scheduled to consider a law extending the time for the devaluation of all properties this weak. The Unusual in Sales Is I Announced at Hamilton fW unusual in mercantile sales in thie section was announced today by th# Messrs. Salsbury, Johnson Com pany and the Slade Rhodes Com pany, Hamilton, the two firms doing business in that town, agreeing to ad- vertise a sale jointly. Ordinarily, the merchant planning a sale guards his plans very closely, but this time two come out together with their an noancement. flade, Rhodes Company and Sals bury, Johnson Company, leading mer chants of Hamilton, are planning for a big sale, beginning Friday of this week. They are offering unusual bargains in every department, and have decreased the pricee even on gas oline, another item that goes on special sale io't the first time in this section, as far as it could be learned . here. 100 People Unemployed In Robersonville District According to a report filed in the otice of the county school superin tendent, Mr. R. A. Pope, here by the head of the Robejionville schools, there are JOO white people in that dU trkt unemployed. Of the number, -10 people, classed as unskilled laborers, and 10 others classed > as domestic, ware placed or given work. The report, carrying little informa tion other than the number of people unemployed in the district, was made fallowing a meeting of the Martin County teachers' association held here las* Saturday. It was pointed out in the report that SS people had been helped in the district through charity, THE ENTERPRISE ER 91 Charity Situation Number of Cases Increases A SHORTAGE IN | FUNDS LIMITS J RELIEF WORK Appealing Stories Are Told By Unfortunates Dur ing Past Few Days MANY HUNGRY ONES —a i Washington County Raises $271.75 Monthly For Handling Wei- | fare Work There Appealing cries coming from hungry mouths right here in Wil-'i liamston and vicinity are fast dimish-'. ing the small reserve maintained here 1 for charity relief, it was learned yes-: terday when the number of needy j cases were increase by a substantial percent. Orders already out for food |, will deplete the small sum now in the treasury, and unless succor is given at I once, no one knows to what source the hungry mouths will turn for a mouth-, ful of food. Charity work has been carried on ' 'by the Woman's club welfare depart ment with a willingness that few know , about, but even their efforts-have been 1 i limited by a poor response on the part ' jof local people. The report shows that jWiiirh ha* h**n giwn, that a few have. deprived themselves that others might I be helped, but in coping with the I situation, efforts this year are falling | far short as compared with those put forward last year just because the donors are more limited in number. That the conditions have been over painted in this community during the past few weeks, real facts uncovered in , this office would brand the statement I as unfounded. Thirty cases, represent-! iiiK nearly 100 people, both white and colored, have humbly asked for food |' during the past few days, indicating / that the situation is not over-painted, but that it is even more serious than any of us would think. Two Caaes Two of the thirty cases coming un der direct observation, one last Sat- j urday and a second one yesterday are ( fair examples. The brief history of i each, follows: | i An old colored woman from out of the township rame in last Saturday., At first she hesitated to tell all of her story, but she started disclosing the facts, and the further she went with' her story, the more pathetic it be 'came. She had been without' food for quite a spell, was living in an old house, 'alone, and her age, 75 years she said, i | prevented her from working. Very; poorly clad, she limited her appeal to, food. j Case number two, was a bit different | but the story told was accompanied | with saddening tears. A colored citi-' ten and a hard worker for years, he had been caught by depression. Last Thurs day it was when he last seat down to a meal. Since that time he and the members of his family have nibbed on ' peanuts and the very coarsest of foods. These stories are not near complete, for it would be possible to go on tell how they welcome big hominy, pork and the cheapest in beans, j Down in Washington county, ac cording to a story appearing in the 1 Roanoke Beacon, a paper published in | Plymouth, $271.75 are raised monthly .to care for the needy cases in that county. Pledges ranging from $25 to :25 cents monthly were made. The amount raised there in one month is i more than the amount raised here in •'lf months, not including clothes. a j Goldsboro Motor Company Destroyed By Early Fire I The Goldsboro Motor Company j building, Goldsboro, and many old and new model Fords were destroyed by fire there early last night, it was i learned here this morning. The firm I was owned and operated by Mr. J.. I D. Woolard, formerly of this place. ■: The new owner, for several years con i nected with the Williamston Motor > Company here, just recently took over II the business there. j Very few details could be had here 'this morning, but it is understood j that the building and its contents > were totally destroyed, that the own ers would incur some loss. a School Professors To Meet ' At Bear Grass Thursday The Schoolmasters* club, with the i I male teachers in the various county | , schools making up its personnel, will , hold its first meeting of the new year and fourth of the 1930-31 term Thurs - day evening at 6:30 o'clock at Bear : Grass, Professor S. M. Lee, principal e of thevßear Grass School, will act as i the host. No formal program has been pre i pared, but it is understood that aev i era! subjects for diacussion wfll be . placed before the gathering. Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, January 13, 1931. INSURANCE MEN HOLD MEETING ! 1930 Losses Were Small, Secretary Reports At Meeting Saturday The Martin County Branch of the I Farmers Mutual Fire insurance as ! sociation held its annual meeting in the courthouse here last Saturday morning, one of the largest represen tation of members ever recorded at tending. Rendering his report, the secretary ' treasurer, stated that the losses for the 'year were very small, that the condi tion of the organization was in excel lent shape. With one exception, the same of ficers will continue at the head of the local branch, as follows: W. C. I Manning, pres.; J. L. Coltrain, secre tary-treasurer; Sylvester Peel, vice president; Henry C. Green, W. B. ; Harrington and Samuel Everett, direc j tors. The township supervisors were | also re-elected for the new year, i Following the report of the execu tive committee, it was agreed to have the books of the assomiation audited once each year. EXAMS BEGIN IN L LOCAL SCHOOLS • Principal Watson Reports Students Taking Much Interest in Studies a Beginning tomorrow afternoon, mid jterm examinations will feature the :work in the local schools, Principsl IWm. R. Watson stated yesterdsy. From the fourth grade through the 'eleventh, the pupils will be quizzed on {the studies carried on since the open ing of the 1930-31. The examinations, Mr. Watson ex piated, are not final, but they do have an important bearing on promotion next spring. It is possible for a stu dent failing an examination this week 'to improve his work during the re jmainder of the term and pass the course. A successful examination now does not mean a successful ending in the spring, the principal stated. "The procedure serves several purposes, giv ing tlie student some idea as to his islanding and furnishing the teacher |vith information necessary in class work and in promoting the pupil," the school man continued. The outlook for splendid examina tions is the brightest since his arrival, Mr. Watson declared yesterday, add ing that the pupils are more serious in their efforts to master their studies. Progress has been more marked this year in the operation of the school, and the principal was confident that a comparison would show letter results this week than were recorded for the same period last year and the year be fore. JIMMY BROWN HURT IN GAME • Suffers Fractured Skull In Game Played Friday at Jacksonville » I Jimmy Brown, formerly of Jamei ville but of recent months connected with a department store in Jackson ville, Fla., was seriously hurt while playing basketball in that city last Fri- ( day night. According to reports re ceived here the young sthlete suffered a fractured skull, and although his Condition is critical, he is expected to' recover. He was playing on one of ( the city teams when he fell and hurt himself, it was stated. Young Brown, a student in the Jamesville School for a number of I years and an able basketball player, | was a favorite among fans throughout the county. He was also with the State College varsity five for a year and was recognized there as one of the stars on the te*m. a Local Parents and Teachers To Meet Next Thursday The regular meeting of the local parent-teacher association will be held in the grammar grade building |Thursday afternoon at 3:45 o'clock. All parents are urged to attend. This will be a very important meeting and the president is very anxious for ia good- attendance. • —— Leave for Looiaianna Mr. and Mrs. Dick Taylor and two little daughter* left yesterday for Louisianna where they' will maUt their home. ■' ' ■ » Its nfc Hi lal M ■ 9W iron I Diiion Man nere Mr. P. M. Caudle, deputy prohibi tion agent of Wilson, accompanied by ,Mr. and Mrs. B. R. Morton, was here yesterday. TEACHERS HOLD 4TH MEET HERE Proposed Salary Decrease Not Mentioned By Teachers The fourth of six scheduled meetings |of the Martin County. Teachers' associ ; ation was held here last Saturday the Martin County Teacher's associa tion was held here last Saturday afternoon, a very short assembly pro- Igram featuring the gathering. Ap ' proximately 80 of the white teachers 'were present. f Re*. C. T.. Rogers of tUc Jo?al Me thodist church, opening the meeting with a short devotional service, dis cussed the relationship of the school j to the Church and the Church to the school. In his 15-minute talk, the minister stressed the importance of character training in the school, stat ing that the school had a five-fold op portunity to teach character training as compared with the Sunday school j and its limited time, j Addressing the assembly, Superin tendent R. A. Pope went into the un- i employment situation as it exists in the several school communities.' Blanks, prepared by the State and having to do with unemployment, were the superintendent asking the various teachers and principals to tnake a study of unemployment condi tions in their respective communities and report their findings to his office. 1 Only one of the blanks, giving the number (estimated) in the community ' without work, the number placed, aud the number dependent upon charity, had been returned late yesterday. While these reports, it was stated by Mr. Pope, will not complete details re lative to unemployment in Martin County,>ithey will furnish much valu able informatioa. Otherblanks hav ing to do with available work have been received since the meeting and it is believed that much good will re sult following the combined handling of the two forms. The proposed salary of 10 per cent in all State, County and town employee salaries was npt mentioned, the body apparently leaving-their fate entirely with the law makers who are expected to stage a warm debate when I the bill is carried before them. SUGGESTS UNIT CONSOLIDATION State School Head Would Consolidate All Small Charter Schools | Raleigh, Jan. 12.—"Are the adminis trative costs too high in North Caro lina," asks Supt A. T. Allen in that part of his biennial report recommend ing economy in school administration and suggesting the consolidation of units. "In this State," he says, "there are 195 separate and independent school units, 100 county systems and 95 char ter systems within the counties, be sides a great number of special tax districts which have many independent privileges. The counties vary in size from 17,150 pupils enrolled in Johns ton County to 1,446 in Dare County. Charlotte represents the largest unit among the cities with an enrollment of 16,387. The smallest school is Dob bersville with 88 pupils." There are, according to this report, 22 units, county and Charter, having more than 10,000 pupils, 17 having' from 8,000 to 10,000 pupils, 19 having' from 6,000 to 8,000 pupils, 27 having from 4,000 to 6,000 pupils, 37 having j from 2,000 to 4,000 pupils, and 73 units I having fewer than 2,000 pupils. "The combined enrollment in the | 15 city systems with from 1,000 to j 1,500 pupils is 18,039. They pay a total of $48,320 for the salaries of superin tendents, or an average of $2.68 for ' each pupil enrolled. The average cost l of administration in county units is leas than 50 cents a pupil. If all of | these 15 city units were combined, j they would make a system about the size of Robeson County." Supt. Allen recommends that all charter systems having fewer than 2,000 pupils enrolled be consolidated with the county system. 'lf the schools j with fewer than 2,000 pupils now operating under special charters," he j says, "should come into the several, county systems, there would remain only 129 systems of schools in the State as opposed to the 195 at present. This enlargement of administrative units, in my opinion, would add greatly to the efficiency of the public school system, and make it possible to do the administrative work with the ex penditure of many fewer dollars." County Boy Makes State University ~ Honor Roll Clyde Griffin, young son of Mr. Nad Mrs. S. C. Griffin of this place, aver aged 95 on his studies and had his name appear, on the University of North Carolina honor roll for the fall qmftfr —ding jut before the Christ mas holidays. Young Griffin was graduated from the local high school last spring. , -S2sr=r Property Revaluation Work Halted Throughout New Mail Schedule Will Go Into Effect Here Next Friday BABCOCK LINE EXTENDED TO ROCKY MOUNT . # Mail Will Arrive Here at 11:20 A. M. From the Northern Cities a EFFECTIVE JAN. 16TH Bus Line* Enter Into An Agreement Removing Restriction* On Passenger Traffic • A remedy to the poor mail service 1 offered postal patrons in this section since early in December has been ef- j fected, and beginning Friday of this week the schedules will be advanced i several hours. A contract was let yesterday to the Babcock, or Bethel ; Columbia Bus Line for handling mail between Rocky Mount and Plymouth. Under the new contract, mail from northern points will be loaded on the t>us ft Rockv Mount and delivered to Plymouth and intermediate points Leaving Rocky Mount at 9 in the, morning, or u|>on the arrival of train 75, the bus is scheduled to reach here | at 11:20 a. m., and Plymouth at 12:15. The return trip will be operated on the j same schedule now in effect, bringing mail here shortly before 4 p. m. The bus will continue on into Rocky Mount, reaching there at 6 o'clock: p. m. Following a change in train ules on the main lines of the Atlantic' Coast Line, mail arrived in Tarboro too late for connection with the bus,, and since the early part of December j the bus has handled only that mail originating in Tarboro and points a-j long the route. The extension of the bus line from Tarboro to Rocky ] Mount will return a similar service 1 enjoyed prior to the change in train' schedules. In announcing the new mail sched ule, Mr. A. B. Babcock, owner of the | Bethel-Columbia line, stated that an agreement had been entered into be-' , tween his line and the Carolina Coach Company, where the two lines would operate batween VVilliamston and Rocky Mount with no restrictions on either. Heretofore passenger service 1 between Bethel and this point has | been more or less limited to the Bab cock busses, while from Bethel to i Rocky Mount passenger service was .limited to the Carolina Coach Com- I pany. The Carolina Coach Company did, however, pick up passengers be tween Bethel and VVilliamston who wished to travel beyond either points, it was stated by Mr. Babcock. Be gnining next Friday, either line will 'pick up passengers at any point be tween here and Rocky Mount without restrictions. No agreement between the Coastal Coach Lines and the Bab cock line was reached, Mr, Babcock stated, and according to his statement made here yesterday, busses of that company will not have the right to service towiis between here and Bethel. FORMER" COUNTY RESIDENT PASSES O- Mrs. Edith Fishers Dies In Norfolk; Once Lived at Dymond City • Mrs. Edith Elizabeth Fisher, aged 80, died at her home in Norfolk, last*! Friday following an illness of more | than six months durations. Mrs. Fisher, a native of Dublin, Ireland lived in this county several years while her husband was accourf tant for the..,old Washington and J Jamesville railroad. They made their home at Dymond City, and made ma ! Ny friendships during their stay there, i It was years ago that the family lived in this county, Mr. Fisher resigning to accept a position with the Norfolk- Southern Railroad in Norfolk. He is still active in spite of his 85 years of age. v__ Mr|. Fisher was a charter member of St. Peter's Episcopal Church. Be sides her husband, she is survived by one daughter, Miss Mabel Fisher; i two sons, Arnold A. Fisher, of Norfolk ' and Cecil H. Fisher, of Wilming . ton, Del.; four grandchildren Mrs. J. Wesley Jordan, Edith Sue, and Arnold J. Fisher, Jr., of Norfolk, and ' Hary Mayo Fisher, of Wilmington, Del.; five brothers, Leonard Acheson, of Chattanooga, Tenn.; Harold Ache soni of Bradenton, Fla.; Walter Ache son of Chandler, Ariz; Victor Acheson of San Diego, Cat., and Edwin Ache son of St. Louis, and one sister, Mrs. C. Meissner, of Glenside, Pa. TAG BUREAU TO CLOSE SATURDAY Patrolmen and Inspectors Are Busy Giving Warn ing Auto Owners l he sale of 19.H automobile licenses will continue at the local bureau | through Saturday of this week, it was announced yesterday by Mr. N T . C. , Green, manager. The bureau was scheduled to close Thursday, but- of-, ficials, realizing that many owners] have not been able to make thir pur- ' Ichases up until now, .made arrange- ! jments to have the bureau remain open jthe extra two days. After next Sat-1 urday, car owners who have not pur-j chased their tags, will find it ncces sary to order them from the depart ment in Raleigh. Last night, the sale had reached the 2600 mark, sales having picked up dur -1 ing last Saturday. A comparatively small nurober was sold yesterday, however. j No arrests have been nude so tar, but patrolmen are issuing slips,'re | quiring the car owners to purchase tags within 48 hours. Many of the slips have been collected by the agency here, two having been issued here, one at Everett* and others throughout the county. Prosecutions are next in order, it was unofficially j learned here today. LOCAL GIRL IS IN AUTO WRECK Miss Helen Sumner Suffers Bad Injury To Knee In Accident Friday Miss Helen Sumner was badly and probably injured permanently about | the right knee and Miss Alia Littlv j Thigpeu was slightly hurt in an auto- mobile wreck near Robersonville late j last Friday afternoon. Mr.-Coy Ro- I I berson, driver of the car in whfth Misses Sumner aud Thigpeu were rid- J ing, escaped injury. Ben James, color ed of near Robersouville, driver of I the old Model T Ford figuring in the t wreck, also escaped uninjured. Da* 1 mage to the Roberson car was esti mated to be around $75, while the old ' Ford came through the smash-up with very little resulting damage. | According to reports given here, Ben James was driving east on High way 90, following a wagon. The Ro-, berson car was next in line, and as the driver Started to pass the James car,' James turned to his left to enter a side \road. Roberson turned sharply back to the right 4nd applied all his brakes, striking the rear side of the old model I 1"' I Neither of the cars was travelling very fast, Mr. Roberson stating that lie was running around 20 miles an hour. Miss Sumner was thrown against the dash board, causing a bad injury to the knee pan. Miss Thigpeu hit one of the dash board instruments, but was not badly hurt, it is under stood. The glass in the windshield I was not broken by the impact, but the radiator was punctured aud the lights were damaged. « Windsor Bank Re-opens For Business Saturday a I & Windsor, Jan. 10.—The Bank of , | Windsor reopened its doors this morn ing after having been closed since De- ,cember 19. The reopening was made I possible by an agreement of 97 per . cent of the depositors to allow their I money to remain in the bank, for a . period of three years. These deposi-1 , jtors will receive dividends on their I deposits, bank officials stated, as | 'money is collected. J New de(>osits are being received, . subject to check, but loans are not be- 1 , |ing made. An encouraging stream of • j depositors visited the reopened bank [during the morning. -a Undersellers Purchase Two • Stocks and Announce Sale • ■ m [ Purchasing recently the VVilliamston . Bargain House Stock from the owners, 1 , Messrs. O. G. Carson, and R. E. | Wynn, the Norfolk Underselling com | pany is planning a special sale of the , goods beginning Friday of this week. , The Undersellers, Jack Frank, mana . ger, also recently purchased the B. . Goldsetin stock in Robersonville, and i that has been moved here to be sold . jointly with the Carson and Wynn , stock in the Williamstou Bargain House store. Watch the Label On Your Paper Aa It Carrie* the Date When Yoor Subscription Expires ESTABLISHED 1898 POSTPONMENT IS FAVORED BY THE GOVERNOR Supervisor T. B. Slade and His Assistants Had Not I AWAITING^OUTCOME One of Two Bills Proposing Post ponement of Property Re valuation Assured ! \\ ork 011 the quadrennial property I revaluation of property throughout the State has been lialr*t pending the out outcome "of a proposal in the leK>sla jtttrp to p stpcne the re-assessment I until WJ3. Re-assessmertt workers in i niany counties had already started | operations, but activities were stopped ilast Saturday morning to await the 'outcome of the two hills that have | been introduced in " the house and I senate. I Tax Supervisor T. B. Slade stated last Saturday that re assessment ac tivities in this county had been limited to the perfecting of an organization for I handling the re-valuation, that no ac tual filed work had been done. >"ln fact, we have not received any blanks jsn far. aud it "is very "probable that nothing will be done relative to the re-valuation of all properties in this !fy u "ty until more definite informa tion comes from Kaleigh. Postponmeut of the quadrennial re valuation has been advanced in the Governor's address and in hills sub mitted to both the house and* the senate. , The fiirst bill introduced in the house was that offered by Representa tive \\ \V. Seal of ftcDoweU, t• > (Ic ier the |uadreunial revaluation until two years from now. Fsiday, as soon as the joint session of the senate and house had recessed and the two houses convened separately again, Senator ♦ Rivers D: Johnson introduced a bill Jill the senate to follow out the recom nicndation made by Governor Gardner Ito defer the revaluation until 19JJ. j Ihe hill was set on the calendar as the first matter of business to be taken up when the senate convenes at 8 o'clock Monday uighti | There is little doubt but that, one or the other of these hills will be speedily passed, since the recommen dation by Governor Gardner to defer this revaluation was one of the four recoipntcndations that were applaud ed by the members of the-genenil as sembly Tuesday. There had been a' growing sentiment in favor of this action since Representative N'eal first i introduced his measure. But when this action"Was recommended by Gov ! ernor Gardner in his message, its-en — j actment was virtually assured. Impetus toward this stepAvas added ' I hursday. when Charles M. Johnson, ! executive secretary of the County Government- Advisory Commission ad vised the postponement of the reva luation on the grounds that this post ponement would save the counties ap proximately $1,000,000, or what the revaluation would, cojtt and also be cause it woqld be difficult to get a fair valuation of property at this time because of the general depression. Hence the enactment-of one or the | other of these bills is regarded as vir tually assured when they come be fore the two houses. v « Federal Agents Capture 19 Stills Since January First | Federal Agents Coats K Crumpler, and Koebuck, conducting raids in tn's and surrounding counties, have cap ' tured 19 liquor stills s > far during new year, and they were off to i late start at that. The personnel of the moonshiners remains practically un changed, for only one man, a filling station )perf»U>r, was arrested during the first few diys the agents were j active in this year. | Their largest still, a 150-gallou ca ' pacity one, was brought in from Bear Grass. Much beer was destroyed dur- I ing the iH-riod, and a+smatl quantity j of liquor was poured out. Skewarkey Lodge Meeting Here This Evening at 7:30 -* i Skewarkey Lodge, No. 90, will hold 1 tonight its first regular communica i tion of the new year, and the first since celebrating the 105 th anniver i sary of the local unit recently. The , meeting will open at 7:30 o'clock. Sec ond degree work is scheduled, and - all Masons are urged to be present. • Judge Winston Holds His Court Despite Broken Arm I Windsor, Jan. 8. —Judge Francis D. I Winston convened the regular term of * the general county court on time al > though he was nursing a broken arm, nd several head injuries.