North Carolina Newspapers

Advertisers Will Pod Our Col- SDt a Latchkey to Over Sixteen Hondred Mirtin County Homes VOLUME XXXIV—NUMBER 4a Property Values Are Boosted $60,000 By Eqalizers This Week —•— t $11,331,297 TOTAL VALUATION OF ALL PROPERTY • ■ - V. E. P. Company's Hold ings Valued at $67,457 More Than in 1930 ♦ Property values in Mfttin County were boosted by approximately $60,000 by the county board of commissioners sitting here last Monday and Tuesday at a board of equalization and review. The latest valuation figure for county property now stands at $11,331,297, ex clusive of corporation listings. This figure, however, includes an increased valuation of $67,475 placed on the prop erty of the Virginia Electric and Pow er Company, but it does not take into comideration the listed value given in by the company. A goodly number of complaints were entered during the two days the board was in session; however, upon inves tigation of a majority of the cases, the county board of commissioners did not find sufficient grounds to make many changes. No complaints were entered by prt»s>erty owners in Griffins and Poplar Point Townships, and the only land valuation increases were made in Williamston Township. The following adjustments were made: Jamesville Township: W. C. Gardner, 30 acres, reduced from SB4O to $650. R. G.'Coburn, 20 acres woodland, re duced from SSOO to SIOO. K. L. Co burn, list corrected, 20 acres having been listed twice, and 17 1-2 acres val ue reduced from SSOO to $430. 2 1-2 acres listed by S. W. Keys was reduced from $250 to $l5O. Williams Township: A. P. Lillevi value of 10 acres of land reduced from $l5O to SIOO, on account of house burned. J. G. Staton, 50 acres Car starphen land, reduced from $250 to $125. Mrs. J. W. Mayo, 225 acres from $2,750 to $2,500. Bear Grass: S. H. Mobley, Edmond Harris, M. D. Taylor, and J. C. Rawls, each given a reduction of $2 per acre, respectively, on 40, 25, 100, and 40 acres, on accouut of destruction by fire since assessment made by township assessors. Williamston Township: J. T. Barn hill, tobacco warehouse, reduced from SB,OOO to $7,500. Harrison Bros, and Co., raised from $13,000 to $13,500. M. J. Moye residence, raised from sl,- 800 .to $2,200. L. B. Harrison, resi dence, raised from $2,500 to $2,750. Mrs. Daisy Purvis residence, reduced from SI,BOO to $1,500. Cross Roads Township; Mrs. R. H. Hargrove, 105 acres reduced from $4,- 900 to $4,550. J. T. Barnhill, 300 acres Everett farm, from $14,000 to $13,500. • Barnhill Brothers, 292 acres White farm, from SII,OOO to $10,700. Robersonville Township: Mrs. R. H. Hargrove, residence from $4,200 to $4,000; store from $4,200 to $4,000. Mrs. Carrie J. Roberson, 126 acres, from $1,300 to $982. Standard Realty Co., 482 acres, from $3,600 to $2,500. White hurst and Bowers, 23 acres, from sl,- 37$ to $900; and 90 acres from $6,300 to $4,600. Hamilton Township: Standard Real ty Co., 100 acres, from $1,500 to SI,OOO. Smith Brothers and Nowell, 80 acres from $2,800 to $2,400. Goose Nest Township, J. G. Staton, 31 acres, from SI,OOO to $650. The Virginia Electric and Power Company valuation was raised as fol-| lows, by townships: Jamesville » 27,000 to f 30,100 Williams 10,100 to 12,850 Williamston 48,720 to 102,670 Cross Roads 12,800 to 15,510 Robersonville 15,035 to 20,000 Totals $113,655 to $181,130 • Announce Schedule of Prices at Curb Market -' ♦ ■ - The following prices will prevail at the curb market here Saturday: Corn, 18 cents dozen; cabbage, 1 1-2 cents; Cucumbers, 4 pounds, 10c; string beans, 4c; cottage cheese, 15c t block; squash, 3c pound; butter beans, 18c qt.; tomatoes, 6c pound; country butter, 35c pound. • Eight Local Firemen At Greenville Meeting The regular meeting of the Eastern Carolina Firemen's association was held last Tuesday night in Greenville with a goodly number of representa tives from the member towns attend ing. Eight members, attending from the local company, reporting upon their return an enjoyable meeting. Snow Hiß will entertain the associ ates at its next meeting in October. THE ENTERPRISE | Weather Continues Plenty Warm Here r » Weather discussions in the larger papers of die country have j been limited during the past few days, the heat apparently yield ing to the moratorium and the general plight of Germany. But, anyway, it has been "hot" in our ' i community during this week, the * ', mercury reaching as high ss the 96-mark in the shade and over 115 in the sun. Simon Lilley, Griffins Town ship fanner, reported high tem i peratures in his tobacco field yes terday, adding that he left the tobacco patch and went to cool i off in a tobacco curing barn where the thermometer was reg istering only 175 degrees. BETTER TIMES ARE PREDICTED —♦ — Decision Is Based on Sim | ilarities in Depressions of I Past Half Century I Washington, July 16.—Tracing sim- ' | ilarities in past business depressions, I the agriculture department's economic bureau said today a continuation of the "striking analogy" of the 1914- 1931 and 1878-1895 fluctuations "sug- j gests a revival in the near future sim ilar to that of 1894-1895." | Business rose from a low of 80 per j 'etnt in June. 1894, to about 98 in I January, 1895. During the next quar ter a decline dropped the index to slightly below 90, but a succeeding t rise brought it up to about 106 in the . fall of 1895. , J The present depression hit a low , of 71 last January. An upward trend , extending through the first quarter in i to April swung the indicator to around I 77. The chart for the second quarter has not been drawn. The bureau presented charts of three periods, 1858 to 1877; 1878 to 1897, and 1914 to 1931. "Comparing first," the bureau said, "the 1914-1931 |>eriod with the 1858- ( 1877 period, the following striking similarities stand out: ! "(1) Enormous war time price in flat ion gave way to deflation, that of i 1864-65 being accompanied by a busi ness depression in 1865, and that of 1 *'2o-21 by a depression in 1921. | "(2) Eight years later, after periods ( marked by recoveries and minor re-' cessions, industrial booms developed, one in 1873, the other in 1929. The J ( depression following 1873 lasted for ( about five years, when the boom of ] 1879-1880 set in. The current depres-j ision has been on for a year and a half. | "(3) During the two post-war per- j, iods, commodity prices declined from > ( a level of about 240 to 120 in about 10 { 'years, the post civil war decline being fairly continuous, the post world war , decline being interrupted by a period , 'of relative stability from 1922 to 1929. , j "Comparing the 1914-1931 series of ( business fluctuations with those of 1878-1895, a somewhat different sug gestion for the next year or two may Ibe obtained. It is possible to trace a 'striking similarity between major i business cycles of 1878-1885 and 1914- ' 1921, and between the major cycles of' .1885-1894 and 1921-1930. Even thej minor cycles terminating in 1888 andj l' 1924; 1891 and 1927 and 1894 and 1930 j I are similar. A continuation of this I .most striking analogy suggests a re l'vival in the near future similar to that > , of 1894-1895." [| - Program of Services At Baptist Church m The union evening service goes to ! the Presbyterian church Sunday night | with the Rev. Bill Wiegmann preach t ing the sermon. I These services have been unusually • good this summer, and should be made ; very helpful services to the large num • ber of people they arc intended to .' serve. ', The pastor will preach Sunday morn- Jing on the text. "We Have Found i Him," which will be found in the first .chapter of John's Gospel. r | His many friends are pleased to ' know that Mr. Jim Everet was receiv i ed into the fellowship of our church i upon a profession of faith and was : immersed at the church on'Wednes - day evening. » i Dungannon, Va„ a town of 1,000 i. persons, is without municipal officials, I because none of the town's citizens -'want the jobs. State authorities are | expected to draft officials for the town. * ' Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, July 17, 1931 FIRST PRISONER GOES TO WORK ON STATE ROADS Henry Gorham Has Doubt ful Distinction of Being County's First Martin county, under the new road law, started contributing toward the maintenance of State highways this | week when the recorder's court sen tenced Henry Gorham to the roads for a period of fifteen months, the last of which are to be suspended upon I the good behavior of the defendant Isam Williams was scheduled to ac company Gorham to the roads, but he appealed to the higher courts and his | six months sentence is now pending. Gorham was found guilty of greeny jand operating an automobile without proper license. I There are several Martin prisoner; 'now at work on the State roads, but ,they were at work before the State took over the highways the first of this month. The court had a goodly number of cases on its docket for trial during the session last Tuesday, but none of them was of any great importance. | The case charging David Edwards with larceny was nol prossed. J The case charging Prim Sherrod I with breaking a window and also with larceny, was transferred to the super ior court docket. Adrian and Mayo Angc were found not guilty of larceny and receiving. | Hettie Powell, sentenced to jail for a period of 30 days in the case charg ing her with larceny and receiving, ap pealed. The case charging Booker T. Brad ley with assault with a deadly weapon was continued one week.,^ John Griffin and Curtis Rhodes were j found guilty of an affray, the court requiring Griffin to pay one-half the costs and Rhodes to pay the other half 'and' a sls fine. Charged with an assault with a dead ly weapon and being drunk and dis orderly, William Cherry was found guilty on the first count and was fined sls and taxed with the costs. William Baker was found guilty of simple trespass, the court suspending judgment upon the payment of the! cost by the defendant. The case charging Eli Staton Stalls with an assault with a deadly weapon, was transferred to the juvenile court. Alton Hoy tSmith pleaded guilty of an assault with a deadly weapon and prayer for judgment was continued ' for three weeks. j Found guilty in the case charging him with non-support, H. D. Rogers I was required to pay $4 monthly until j September. He appealed. I George Purvis failed to answer in the case charging him with abandon- I ment. «- j J. A. Davenport was found not guil . ty in the case charging him with car- 1 I rying a concealed weapon and assault. I Probable cause appearing in the case i charging him with seduction, Primus Cherry was bound over to the super i ior court under a S3OO bond, j Willis Pearce was found guilty of operating a car without license, and he appealed when the court suspended i the judgment and taxed him with the ' costs of the case. Bond was fixed in i the sum of SSO. ' | In the case charging Isam Williams , with abandonment and non-support, the defendant appealed from the six months road sentence, the court re quiring bond in the sum of $l5O. • Windsor Man Painfully Burned at Eden House j Chesson Thomas, young Windsor ] I man, was painfully burned when his clothing, saturated with gasoline, ! caught fire Wednesday. The young I man was riding with several eompan i ions in a motor boat at Eden House when the engine back-fired and ignited I gasoline spilled on his clothing a short ' while -before. Thomas jumped into the water and saved himself, the other young men saving the boat by turn ing it over. *' * Fifty Carloads of Tomatoes Is Shipped From Fifty cars of tomato— had b«*n ■hipped from Plymouth to northern markets at noon Wednesday by the Crockett Packing Company, which started packing green tomatoes _ here die irst of the month. Pack ing will continue in fall force dur ing the balance of this month and probably longer. Some green toma toes will be packed each week tm- The canning plant is also being pat into readiness for the season, and h is expected that canning will be commenced the latter part of this weak. The canning season will cootinne TT** 1 the — lAn * of September, It is ■Mlershioil Members of the Crockett Pack- COUNTY RATE TO BE ABOUT $1 f . , County Will Lose 16 Teachers ! ~ =. • T Allotment Made to Counties By State Board This Week ' ; -4 LEAF ACREAGE OF STATE OFF • • Decrease Estimated From 2 to 10 Per Cent, Varying According to Belt * Substantial reductions in cotton and | tobacco acreages and increases in food jand feedstuff acreages in North Caro-j ilina were reported) yesterday by the! I State Department of Agriculture in 11 cooperation with the Federal Crop Re ' .porting Service. ) The cotton acreage reduction is 18! , per cent under last year—the largest jin the United States, and giving North Carolina its smallest cotton acreage 'since 1915. I.and in cotton on July 1 was estimat-| ed at 1,358,000 acres, 298,000 acres un der last year's total. The national rt- ( duction is 10 per cent. -.Cotton under [cultivation is estimated at 80 per cent jof a perfect crop. i The Old Belt tobacco acreage is eS itimated at 98 per cent of last year's, 'the New Belt at 92 per cent, the South' 1 ! Carolina Belt at 90 ptr cent, and the > Mountain County' Belt at .90 per cent. The quality of the crop thus far has not - been found to be very good. Feed crops generally were reported jwell above average and flourishing, having been greatly benefited by re cent rains. Corn acreage shows a 4 per cent in crease over last year with the greatest number of acres under cultivation since 1917. The wheat acreage is up 20 per cent, oats 6 per cent, barley 21 per cent, rye 25 per cent, and buckwheat 25 per cent. " Heavy yields per acre are predicted. | * Program of Services At Christian Church •— During the months of July and Aug ust the Christian church will have morning church services on the third | Sunday in addition to its regular serv ices. The sermon Sunday morning will be "What To Believe About the Universe," which is the second in a ' series of sermons on Christian beliefs. The evening union service will be held at the Presbyterian at 8 o'clock, the pastor of this church preaching. 1 The Sunday school and Christian Endeavor will meet at the usual hours. Let us do our best to hold up our attendance and interest in spite of the summer heat. Next Tuesday at 4 o'clock a Junior Christian will be organized at the church. There has been a great demand for such an organization a mong the juniots, and now while there ' is time to spare we can begin and per ' feet our organization. This will bl under the capable leadership of Mrs. 1 Pat tie Taylor and Mrs. James H. •Ward. All children from the ages of 9 to 12 are invited to attend this meet- 1 ing. 9 E. S. McCabe Contracts For Building of House | Mr. E. S. McCabe let the contract' this week for a new home to be erect- ' ed on West Main Street, near that of I Mr. and Mrs. E. P. Cunningham. { The home, to be of the Colonial type,' will cost approximately $7,500, it is I understood!. | Building operations, headed by W. { R. Marshall, Robersonville contractor, will be started within the next few ( days or as soon as material can be placed on the lot, it was stated. ' ■ , • ing Company war* of the opinion that at laaat 200 cara of green to matoaa would ba ahipped to north- J ern raarketa from bara before tha aaaaon it ovar. , Approximately Ml boxea of green to matoaa are packed into each car, and each box contain* around 100 tomatoaa. Thia would make 86,000 tomatoaa to each car, and for tha fifty can already ahip ped a grand total of 4,305,000 to matoaa. TMa would aupply tha entire population of Washington County; that la, each peraon in the county with one tomato each day for one whole year, with ap proximately 15,000 left over for aaed purpowa. TOTAL NUMBER TO BE REDUCED J FROM 191 TO 175; —# — —' Commercial, Music, Home Economics Departments r Are Hardest Hit r. . . I Martin County will lose around 161 .'teachers from its faculties this yeirj i' it was learned yesterday from a ten .! tative study of the State Equalization | j board figures. j us j where these losses I will fall is not known at this time, but j 1 consolidation of smaller units with' ' large ones, changes in home economics | 'and music departments will account for I them, it is understood. The high school j teaching force will not be changed in; ' number, 22 being allowed for the white! high schools, and 5 for the colored. I \ I It is believed that the number of| i teachers will be lessened by, six through J consolidation of units with ■ larger ones, the other losses falling in! , the commercial, home economics, and j i' music* departments of the various] s schools. However, the program of | .'consolidation in this county has not. i been made public by the State Equali-j jzation Board authorities, and until this II information is gained, it will be iin , possible to accept the number six as - a final reduction resulting from con-] solidation. Local tax has figured in - j the support of several teachers in the t county during the past, and the con tinued support of "that type is option-, | al, it is understood. But basing the , number of teachers to be had in the ' 'county during the coming term on av . erage daily attendance reported la-tt ( . 'term, then the number of teachers will Jbe reduced from 191 to 175, it was | learned from State Equalization Board, figures released yesterday. Information relative to school con solidations and other allied problems 'comes from the all-powerful equaliza- i tion board reaches the several units j very slowly. And until further mation is released, the exact consoli dation program in this county will re -1 main unknown. | A statement issued this week by Le- ; roy Martin, secretary of the Equaliza- | tion Board, said that it was found that 152 high schools and 651 elemen tary schools were found to be operat ing with less than the required number 'of pupils. However, due to local con ditions, the number of actual elimina tions of schools through consolida tion was only 52 high schools and 413 elementary schools. Martin's Statement The State Board of Equalization, in ( its work of allotment of teachers to the several schools of the State, kept in mind the fact that the recent school legislation apparently intended that all economies consistent with efficiency | should be effectuated. With this in jView, a very earnest effort was made I on the part of the board to make a ' j complete study of the school organiza tions at present existent in the various 1 'counties. 3'he organization statements 'obtained from all counties, showing 'the number of rooms in the school .buildings, the enrollment and attend ance for the past two years, together with a copy of the recent road maps | i showing the location of these schools, 1 'proved very valuable in this work. In very nearly every county in I the State was visited and the county 'school officials therein consulted by the district board member. f I It was apparent from this study that many economies could be made in a number of the counties through work ing out a better organization. It was found thift there were 152 schools do-, ing high school work in the State with I less than 50 high school pupils at-j tending daily. In practically all of these three teachers were employed, and in many instances four, to carry ion this high school work. In the ele mentary field, a total of 651 schools were found to be in operation with less| than 22 pupils. The law was manda-j tory to the effect that these schools j should be discontinued unless it wat j found to be more economical to keep them at at present. The board did not find it possible to transfer all of th;se schools elsewhere but materially | decreased the number. A total of 52 i high schools were consolidated into other schools, and of 413 ele mentary -schools were also consolidat- 1 ed. Not all of these, however, were of less than 50 or 22 class. The board' fully understands the importance thatj is usually attached to any type of I (Continued on Uw back page) 1 1 t" County Farmers Are Getting Good Curings Early reports on initial tobac | :o curings in the county this yaar indicate that die lugs are of a better quality, as a whole, than they were last season. How ever, many farmera reporting a food quality also reported light weight, but as a whole at leaat a medium weight and a good quality crop is forecaat in the county thia season. Tobacco harvesting is being pushed very rapidly in the coun | ty at the present time, some farmers now working on their I third pullings. Few report! of barns being | burned have been heard so far, 1 none having occurred in this im mediate section. SCOUT TROOP IS I BACK FROM CAMP I • Have Enjoyable Outing at j Camp Charles, Near Wilson a 1 j The local Hoy Scout troop return ed yesterday afternoon after a very en joyable outing at Camp Charles, near ' wilson, during the past week. Scout master Martin accompanied the boys 'to camp and remained until Sunday i when Assistant Scoutmaster Wiede mann relieved him. Reporting on the trip this morning, Assistant Scoutmaster Wigsmann stat ed that the boys had a wonderful time and seemed to enjoy themselves greatly. Three of the boys, Billy Hopkins are staying over for another Hopkins are setaying over for another 'week and will hear Paul Siple, the anarctic scout explorer, next Wednes day. Oscar Anderson, jr., fell on a rock and hurt his arm painfully, but the in jury was not considered serious by doctors at tlic camp. . • Colored Man Caught at Still in Beaufort County I Isaac Godley, colored, was arrested at a liquor still near Leggett's Cross j Heads, Beaufort county, yesterday afternoon and landed in the couftty Ijail here where he 'remained until last 'night, bond in the sum of SI,OOO being furnished. ■ « Godley was operating a 100-gallon plant and had thirteen gallons of li quor ready for delivery when the of ficers made the raid. Presbyterian Program of Services Is Announced ♦ Sunday, July 19, 1931: *, "TJie church with an open door." 'Church school at 9:45' a. m. | Worship service and sermon, 11 a. m., subject: "Being Like God." Roberion's Farm I Sunday schools 4 p. m. Preaching immediately afterwards. ! Prayer meeting Thursday night at 8 p. m. • Bear Grass Sunday school at 9:30 a. m. Worship service and sermon at 8 p. ni. I Come and worship with us. • Program of Services * At Methodist Church C. T. Rogers, Pastor. Sunday school (cool or hot), 9:45. Preaching, 11 a. m. , Epworth League, Monday, 8 p. m. Hi League, Tuesday, 8 p. m. Missionary Society, Wednesday, 4:30 p. m. j "Jesus, as His custom was, went I into the synagogue on the Sabbath 'Day." Luke 4:J6. | You are invited to worship with us. Holly Spring Home Club Holds Meeting Tuesday • ' ■ | Members of the Holly Springs Dem onstration club held their regular mcet ing last Tuesday at the home of Mrs. L. J. Hardison in Williams Township; Mrs. J. L. Coltrain, president, presid ing. | Away at camp this week, Miss Sleep er was not present for the meeting, but the ladies, under the direction 61 Mrs. W. L. Taylor canned various vegetables. Plant were mdae for a county-wide dinner to be served the 'first Monday of next month, j The next meeting of the club will be held with Mrs. Lee Hardison on Aug ' ust 10th. Watch the Label On Yam Paper As It Carries the Data Whan Yoar Subscription Ksptraa ESTABLISHED 1898 . State Control - Roads, Schools Accounts For Big Reduction TOTAL SAVING TO TAXPAYERS WILL' |BE ABOUT SBB,OOO jDrop in Property Values To Affect Rate by About Sixteen Cents j State aid for the operation of the six months schools and the maintenance | of county roads- will effect Martin's Irate to the extent of 55.6 cents, accord ing to figures released this week by the State Tax Commission. And while l the aid will affect the rate to the ex tent of 55.6 cents in this county, it is not to 6e inferred that the rate will ( be 78.4 cents, this figure being derived » by subtracting 55.6 cents (State aid) l ( from $1.34, the rate levied in the coun ty last year. There are several fac tors to be considered, and when they aer the rate will rest close to $1 or t probably even more | One of the first factors to be con sidered is the approximately one and I one-half million drop in property val uations. .This decrease will affect the rate by approximately 16 cents, leav ing for consideration other factors that will have a tendency to push the rate upward. j On an assessed valuation last year of $15,887,039, the county, including the individual road districts levied a 30.7 cents rate or $48,843 for road and ' bridge maintenance. The State paid I the county approximately $27,524, the s amount l>einn applied to debt service. The amount given by the State sub , tracted from the maintenance figure gives the reduction in road costs to the county, a rate of 13.4 or $21,319. I Last year the county levied a rate of , 57.2 cents for current operation of the six months schools or $90,874. On the I basis of the same valuation, the coun ty will levy a 15-cent rate or $23,831 | this year for its six months schools, jleavinK the State with a 42.2 rate or |to pay $67,043 in operating the six months schools in the county. The f combined reductions in this county ('amount to $88,362. 1 j For the State as a whole, a net re ' duction of $12,167,849 from the 1930 ' property tax levies lor the six months ' school term and county roads " will be ' realized as a result of the school and E road legislation of the 1931 General Assembly. 1 | A saving of nearly twelve and a ■ quarter million dollars irom the ae-- ■ tual 1930 levies will accrue to the own ers of property from the passage of I the administration road law under which the state takes over fhe entire ' imaintenance of county roads, and the 4 Mac Lean school law which the state takes over the entire maintenance of | the six months school term and re duces the levies on property for school . support to 15 cents. The net reduction from the 1930 | levy for the six months school term [ is $9,652,491, and for roads $2,515,358. The average reduction in rate for the t (Continued on page four) jSHIPPERS MAKE ' FAIR PROFIT ON "■ PEPPER SO FAR Price Takes Tumble, Due to i Lateness of Season; Rains Favorable • (Robersonville Weekly Herald) The raising of pepper seems to be more profitable this Jrear than it was in the past two or three, according 1 to reports from farmers of Roberson ville and the Everetts section. ' Mayor Hurst shipped six crates last 1 week to Saslaw and Wexler, produce merchants of New York, which netted • him 87 1-2 centf per crate. Thia week he shipped 52 crates, but waa of the opinion that the price would drop this ' week due to the lateness of the sea son. Messrs. John H. Wynn and C. B. ■ Clark, of Everetts, shipped around 100 ■ crates last week at a net profit of $42 ; on the 100 baskets. They alao made. ■ a large shipment this week, but they, too, are expecting a reduction in price ■ this week. Mr.-Wynn ahipped a few , crates week before, laat which netted i him $1.32 cents per crate, the hfehest i price received by any grower > section thia year. i The rains of the lait few days have been very favorable for the gi awing 1 ' of pepper, and unless the price take* a decided change, a profit will be Made on the crop thia jraar. » i_ . '