North Carolina Newspapers

Advertisers WOl Pad Our Col ons a Latchkey to Ov*r Sixteen Willi art Martin Comity Hoaaaa VOLUME XXXIV—NUMBER 41 TENTATIVE BUDGET FOR COUNTY SCHOOLS CALLS FOR $105,000 FROM N. C. INSTRUCTIONAL COSTS REDUCED ABOUT $17,000.00 Figures Will Probably Be Changed by State Board Of Equalization Martin County will received approxi mately $105,345.57 from the State Equalization Board in the operation of it* six-months schools during the coming term if the tentative budget prepared by Superintendent Jaa. C. Manning this week is approved in its present form. The county budget, $10,320.57 less than the one last year, call* for an expenditure of approxi mately $127,320.57 for the operation of the *ix months schools in the county during the coming term. Martin coun ty i* required to levy a 15-cent rate on the basis of its 1930 valuation, and pay as its part for the operation of the six month* schools around $22,500, leav ing the State to pay $105,345.57. -The greatest reduction in the budget is traceable to the elimination of in structional service, a saving accruing there in the amount of $11,968.84. In, other words, a few ■ individual teach ers are very likHy to suffer the loss while the several thousand taxpayers reap the reward. This amount is limited to what were known as regu lar teachers and does not include those who were paid out of local tax. Should the teachers, paid out of local tax and who are losing their jobs, be included, a saving in instructional service of around $16,968.84 would result. Insurance will result in an increase for fixed charges as many policies, is sued three year* ago, are now expir ing and will have to be renewed this year, Thi* increase will be $487.01, j the superintendent of schools stated. A sizeable increase i* also noted in the cost of auxiliary agencies, the State having added several new pro vision* under that head. For health work among the school children; for aid to indigent children; for library equipment and book* and for the oper ation of trucks, an increase in the tentative budget of $2,318 was neces sary, Mr. Manning stated^ Another increase is predicted in |he several plants. A new building requires another janitor and fuel co*te will be more, raising the budget by $923.70. Other than the marked decrease cawed by the elimination of a number of teacher*, there i* only one notice-1 able laving and that is in what is cont moaly known at general control. A saving there of $1,631.22 is possible according to the preliminary study completed this week and forwarded by the superintendent to Raleigh for consideration in the office of the hoard of equalization. Much work and study are being giv en the task of planning the operation of the Martin County *chool* next tera, and Mr. T. B. Atmore, member of the State Board, who wa* here this week/ is very well pleased with the progress that has been made so far. task i* a large one, and a* it advances the more intricate it be comei. Three more budgets are to be prepared, including a mmmary of the vdrfe>ii* committee capital btitlly and a third that i* commonly called the "broadening budget," what ever tha tis. These budget* are to be apflfoved by the county board of edu cation, the county commissioners, and then sent to the equalization board in Raleigh for final passage, and it will reqaire much time and study to com plete the work, it is believed. Ronald Whitehurst, of Parmele, Died Last Week . Mr. Ronald Whltehurst, of Parmele, died last week in a Greenville hospi tal, where he had remained for wme time.for treatment for Frights Dis ' ** Mr. Whitehurst was 31 year* old, the sotqf James Whitehurst, who with a stepmother, two brother*, Lee and Er neatWhitehurst, *hd two sisters, Mrs. Lafier Matthews and Mrs. Roy Clark, survive him. The funeral was held i Saturday afternoon by Rev. M(. Pltt-j mall assisted by several other min-1 'fel&tof the Pre eWUI Baptist church,] also tlie burial service of the Red Men, of Which order he was a member, was pedormed Burial was in the Rober to iWille cemetery. Melons On t ..Market Here This Week jfeane-grown watermelons appeared on Me market here this week for the ftrwfime this season, the loading com OP a large wagon. The melons UfwlNl for around 25 cento. Jsgsaaaaaw - ; THE ENTERPRISE RECORDER HAD ONLY 3 CASES HERE TUESDAY Two More Prisoners Are Groomed for Service on State Highways In keeping with the times, the coun ty recorder's court had a quiet and short session here last Tuesday when only three case* were called. One of the number was continued, the other two resulting in comparatively long road sentences for the two defend ants. The case charging George Purvi* with abandonment, was continued un til September 8, next. Found guilty of committing an as sault with a deadly weapon, Alton Hoyi Smith, colored, wa* sentenced to the roads to be worked under prison authorities during the next twelve months. Booker T. Bradley, colored, was sen tenced to the roads for a period of six month* for dangeroualy assaulting Tom Dove here Monday of last week. The session held thi* week was one of the shortest presided over by Judge J. W. Bailey in some time. FARMERS MEET NEXT WEEK| —•— Several From Thi« County Plan To Attend Course At Raleigh . —♦ The twenty-eiinth Annual farmers' and farm women't convention will be i held in Raleigh next week, July 27-31. It is hoped that more Martin Coun ty people will take advantage of this opportunity afforded by the State than j there were last year. A Urge school I truck has been secured this year and will leave Robertonville Monday aft ernoon, July 27; at 2 p. m. Those go ing on the school truck will divide up the expente of the gat and oil. This was made pottible to *ut the trans- . portation expenses at much as pottible. I Fifteen women have expressed the de sire to attend the woman'* short course , this year. All women intereited in at-1 tending thould tee Mitt Sleeper. | A very good program has been planned for the week, beginning Mon day evening with a band concert by the ll'eKram Brothert Band at 7:15. Dr. Mary M. Sloop, of Crottmore, it tched ,ul*d for a talk at 7:45, "Training Mountain Youth of Wettern North , Carolina." - The women receive a .choice of teven different classes on | Tuesday morning from 8 to 9, begin ning with "Food Contervation," and including "Food Preparation," "Child j Care," ''The Beauty Shop." "Land scaping the Home Grounds," etc. The classes continue through Friday morn ling with a variety of subjects. The men receive instruction during I the week in "Caring for Bees," "Car- [ ing for Poultry," "Grading of Vege tables for Market," "Care of Forests," and "Livestock." Any man wishing to go to Raleigh to the farmers' meet and withing to tave expente in trant-j portation will be permitted to go on the school truck. . Sunday Services At The 1 Local Christian Church The Christian church will hold its regular tervices Sunday. Church school at 9:45, worship service at 11, and Christian Endeavor at 7 p. m. The sermon of the morniag will be, I "What to Believe About Jesus," the Christian's Leader." At 8 p. in., we will join with the other congregations | of the town in a union service at the Methodsit church. The storm Tuesday afternoon kept many of tfce children away from our Junior Endeavor meeting, and we trust that all will be present next Tuesday jat 4 p. m. Barge Loaded Seven hundred and thirty-one tons of costly fertiliser material were lost in Roanoke River here early la t Wednesday evening when the barge "Lynn," of Baltimore, struck a log and saak near the dock* of the Stand ard Fertilizer Company. An estimate of the loss has not been made, but it is believed that damage ot the boat and iti cargo will amount to more than $30,000. No one waa injured when the A-y-. h ¥ ■■ '>' tU- A' Williamston, Martin County; North Carolina, Friday, July 24,1931 STRIKE HALTS WORK AT FERTILIZER PLANT HERE [VALUES OF FARM LANDS IN U.S. OFF TWENTY BILLION • ■■ Size of 'Money' Crops In crease While Food Crop Acreage Decreases Farm laud values in the United State* dropped more than $20,0(10,000 ! during the past ten year*, according to figures just released by the United I State* Department of Commerce. Pro ; duct ion values suffered a heavy de- I cline in the period also, the depart ment figures show. j The number of farms operated by owners decreased 356,696, while the number of farm* operated by tenants increased 209,561. The* number of horse* is less by nearly 6,500,000 and the number of cattle dropped- 12,000,000 during the 10-year period. An in crease in the number of niilch cows was reported, the department listing the number at 20,469,329, as compared with 19,675,297 a year ago. The gain in the number of milk cow* totals al most a million. The number of hogs fell from 59,000,000 to 32,000,(XX) during the period. An increase of 9,500,000 acres was reported in the cotton acreage from 1919 to 1929, the increase probably hav ing something to do with the low price of the commodity. The tobacco acreage was increased by 26,915 acres, a very small increase, considering the gain in the cotton acreage. The drop in tobacco prices is even more marked than that of cot ton. In virtually all cases, food and feed crops were decreased during the period while those crops grown principally •for money were greatly increased. ROAD POUCEMAN STATIONED HERE ♦ To Start Field Work Here The Early Part of Next Month Meeting in Raleigh yesterday, the .State Highway Commission located thirty new patrolmen for duty on the highways throughout 'he State. Under the new system, there will be 66 on the patrol force, including 6 lieutenants, 12 sergeants, 12 corporals, and 36 pa trolmen. & f In locating the patrolmen, the com mission tends one here, others going all over the State, some ait fat- away as Murphy. Wiley Crawford, local young man, qualified for service, but it is not certain where he will be lo cated. Presbyterian Services At Three Churches Sunday ♦ Sunday, July 2(>, 1931. "The Church With an Open Door." True sayings: "'Tis beter to wear out than to rust." Church school, 9:45 a. m. Mr. John L. Kodgerson, superintendent. Worship service and sermon at 11 a. m. Bear Grits Sunday school, 9:30 a. m. Worship srevice and sermon at 8 p. m. Roberton't Farm Sunday school at 4 p. m. Prayer meeting Thursday night at 8 p. in. ■» Baptist Announce Program of Services for Next Sunday Tlw sermon it the un„n W'ice Sunday ev-nin,; will be delivered in the Methodist church by the Rev. Kolb, Baptist min'ster of Windsor. The pastor will preach Sunday morn ing, following the tetsions of the Sun day school. Throughout the months of July and August the morning tervices will be only 45 minutes in duration. The church and Sunday school at tendance hat held up remarkably well during the vacation period. The gen eral nubiii is invited to partic'pilc in the*-* Krvicet. barge struck the log and gradually went to the bottom of the river. Brought here by, the tougboat ''Hampton," the barge was being ducked when it struck the log, but at that time the master, Captain Pearce, of New Jersey, did not consider the damage to be of any consequence. A bout 8 o'clock, two bours after it struck the log, the "Lynn" started sinking. Efforts were made to hold the heavily, laden barge close to shore, but ai the water reached the fertilizer the weight No Taxes To Be Levied in Town of Everelts The town of Everett*, this county, will not have a tax levy this year, the municipality ' being the second town in the State to heed the call of the taxpayer for relief. Meeting recently, the town board of commissioners, Messrs. J. S. Ayers, J. B. Bullock, R. A. Phillips, and S. S. Bailey, and May or Paul Bailey were agreed that with a complete collection of 1930 taxes the town 'could operate with out a levy this year. The 1930 levy carried a rate fo 40 cents on the SIOO property valuation and provided ample funds to run the town government and create a Sweet Potato Curing House With 30,000-Bushel Capacity To Be Built by J. G. Staton CONTRACTS ARE LET THIS WEEK FOR BUILDING J. G. Staton Plants More Than 140 Acres To Sweet Potatoes | Sweet potato raising _ai)d curing on a ! large scale is being undertaken in this J county l>y Mr. J. G. Staton, large and a member of the Stat.; I Board of Agriculture. More than 140 I acres have been planted to the crop by the farmer this year, and preparations I are being made to store and cure them this fall, it was learned this week. Anticipating a yield of 30,000 or more bushels this fall, Mr.,Staton let the contract this week for a large potato curing house here. The plant will be loctaed in units numbers four 1 and five of the Union Storage Com pany, and approximately $7,000 will be spent in alterations and installing a heating unit. Contractor Wyatt was awarded the contract to make additions to the build ing and tht Dunn t'lunibing Company, both local concerns, has been give.t the heating contract. Work will be , started with'in the next few days, and the house is scheduled to be ready for 'use not later than September 15, a few days before of sweet 'potatoes is ordinarily started. According to information gained yes terday ( lrom Contractor Wyatt, the storage room* will be made almost air tight. The specifications, planned aft er the ones followed in curing oranges 'and the most modern in curing sweet | potatoes, call for dead air spaces, a .thickness of paper and plaster on the | 'walls and ceiling. The floors will also be changed, it is understood. The par tition, dividing the two rooms will no! be removed, but i second brick wall will be constructed to permit cont ol of Alie thermostat units, it was stated by the heating contractor, W. K. Dunn. VVith an almost air-tight building, 1 .the potatoes can be properly cured, it' [iit believed, by the use of a medium .sized steam boiler and radiators, spec ; ials fans being placed to control the ( lair currents in either cold or warm ■ weather. During the past several months, special engineers, Mr, Staton, and j County Agent T. H .Brandon have been studying the possibility of curing 1 sweet potatoes on a large scale, and | 'it is on a large scale that the farmer is working this year. With even a medium yield, the farmer will raise 'approximately 30,000 bushels of po tatoes, and the house will only care for 30,000 33,000 busliels. Harvested and housed in October, I the potatoes will be ready for shipment to northern markets IS or 20 days" , thereafter. The curing process, it is i said, creates a market for the potatoes . that ordinarily sell for $1 and $1.25 (Continued on page (our) became too great for the anchor posts, and the boat slipped down the muddy bank and went down with the bow and the cabin left above the water. Cap tain Pearce moved as many of his per sonal effects as he could to the sec ond deck of .the cabin and remained with the boat. All Wednesday night the big barge gradually settled, reach ing hard bottom about noon yester day. 4 Mr. Robert Wathen, part owner of the vesael, is here today making ar- surplus. The elimination of the •' levy this year is due in part to the sale of the town's light and pow er franchise to the Virginia Elec tric and Power Company. A town of 270 soula, Everett* ia located in one of the finest farm ing sections of Eastern Carolina, and experienced a substantial gain in population during the past few years. Eliminating the 1931 levy, the commiasioners are urging all de linquent taxpayers to square their accounta as a complete collection is considered necessary for the success of the no-tax movement. LLOYD BREWER DIES THURSDAY Was Resident Here Several Years Ago; Hold Last Rites Today Lloyd Brewer, former residetrt )o( I Williamston, but some time con.' jnected with the State Highway Com mission, mechanical department, died in a Richmond hospital early yester day. Mr. Brewer had been ill for sev | eral years, suffering some stomach trouble that resulted in his death. l or several years he was connected with a local garage, later going with the highway department. . Funeral services were held at the late home in I.eggetts at 10:30 this morning, and interment will be this afternoon at the old home irr Bertie County. LOCAL SCOUTS HEAREXPLORER Paul Siple Makes Interest ing Talk at Scout Camp I Wednesday Afternoon ♦ Members of the local Bay Scout troop, traveling with Mrs. Wheeler Martin, Mrs. J. Sam (ietsinger and I Scoutmaster Wheeler Martin, heard Paul Siple, the explorer scout, at Camp Charles last Wednesday after noon. Each .of tlie hoys going front here was greatly impressed with the young man who accompanied Com mander Byrd and his party to the South Pole. | Three of the local scouts, Ben Hop kins, Billy Clark, and Wheeler Mar tin, jr., had honor parts in the pro gram that afternoon and they had in teresting comments to make following Scout SiplcV talk. ' Harry Biggs Loses Clothes ffi Suitcase Fire Yesterday l ' -* • !* Harry Biggs, on his way to Catiadi yesterday lost many of his personal effects when on of his suitcases, rest ing (in the running board of his car, 'flew open and a lighted cigarette was accidentally pitched in the hag, set ting fire to his clothes. The damage was limited to the suit case and the man's clothes therein. In furance was carried on the articles de stroyed hy the fire, Agent Announces Market Prices Here For Saturday ] The curh market will open its 18th -week Saturday morning. The follow ing prices will prevail this week: I Beets, 5 cents per bunch; buter beans 14c quart; cabbage, I l-3c lb.; corn, 17c dozen; tokra, 12c lb.; watermelons, 25 and 35c; field peas, 5 lbs. 25c; pepper, 4 for 10c; tomatoes, 2 lbs. for sc; squash, 3e per lb.; cucumbers, 4 lbs. 10c; eggs, 19c dozen. Sinks in R rangements to ralie the craft, hut ac tual work will hardly be started within the next several days or not until pon toons and other salvage equipment can be brought here. Captain Pearce, part owner of the boat, stated yesterday that he had no idea what it would cost to reAoat the craft, but he did say it would be done at private expense, as no insurance is carried on barges used for inland lervice. Insurance companies, now owners of the cargo, will handle the fertiliser, but ( FEWER ARRESTS BEING REPORTED IN THIS COUNTY Sheriff Is Having First Rest - Since He Took Office; Few Paying Taxes i Reporting no arrests, no general dis orders in Martin County for nearly two weeks. Sheriff C. B. Roebuck ex pressed hte belief that the poorer we are and the harder we work, the bet ter we are. The officer is having his first real rest since taking office, and he is enjoying the pleasure resultiiiK from inactivity of would-be criminals. "Of course, something might bot> up overnight, so we have to hold very close to the office and he in readiness for any call that comes our way," he said. | "\V'e are not collecting enough taxes to make change for business visitors to the county capital, and not tvear enough to feed the few prisoners in jail," Sheriff Roebuck stated. Once in a while a property owner visits the courthouse and squares his tax ac counts, but those visits are unusually few, the officer explained. Even though they reflect a stricter I enforcement of the law, the sheriff was not so well pleased with the jail rec ord during the first six months of this year as compared with that of the first six months in 1930. Jn the first half- year period of 1930, the county officers jailed 161 alleged law violators, while in the similar period this year, the of ficers arrested and placed in jail 203 prisoners. Several of the number were entered under federal warrants, however, and are not to„ be credited to the county jail record. I.ast month climaxed the'season's record, but July, so far, will greatly offset the large June figure. Comparative records fur the first six months last year and the first half >ear of 1931 are as follows, by months: January .... 28 24 February 21 18 March 31 34 April 48 23 May 25 25 June - 50 37 Totals ..... 203 161 1931 1930 ROBERSONVILLE HAS ROBBERIES Homes of Mrs. J. M. Sparks | and Mrs. Mittie Keel Are Entered .. . ..._ o (Robersonville Herald) Robersonville was again infested with housebreakers and robbers la->t Saturday night, when the home of Mrs. J. M. Sparks was entered and $lO jor sls wasstoTen. thief entered the home through a screened window and escaped without being detected. On Sunday morning the home of Mrs. Mittie Keel was entered and $4 taken from her purse. The thief en tered the home while Mrs. Keel was in the kitchen and the children were attending Sunday school. Similar robberies have occurred here lin the last few months, and officers are of the opinion that the stealing is being done by living in or a round Robersonville. } Georgia Tobacco Markets I Open Season Wednesday | An attempt to postpone the open-l ing having failed, the tobacco markets will open in Georgia next Tuesday, as I scheduled. Tobacconists from this 'section are leaving almost daily for the season in Georgia and South Car olina. | Price prospects have not been men- tinned very much and a true condi tion of the crop is not known here. However, dry weather is said to have affected the crop, giving cause for one to believe that the poundage will be less this year than it was last season. Because of its brilliant vegetation, the little island of Maderia, off the northwest coast of Africa, is known ai the "Flower Garden of the Atlantic." what they will do with it had not been definitely decided upon this morning. ( The barge "Pearl," unloading its ship ment of material yesterday at the fer tilizer plant, is being held here, and it will figure in the salvage work, ac cording to information gained today. The "Lynn" it one of the largest boats to go to the bottom of the Ro anoke in this section aince the sink ing of the old steamboat "Hamilton," several years ago between here and ( Hamilton. Watch the Label On Your Paper As It Carries the Date When Your Subscription Expires ESTABLISHED 1898 > Four Remain ■ On Job While t Others Leave 37 NEGROES QUIT Threatening Note Received By One of Four Failing To Take Part in Strike Operations, at the Standard Fertili*. ' er plant on -Roanoke River here were brought to a sudden stop Tuesday morning when ,17 negro workmen re lused to go to work at the current wages offered by the The perfectly organized and exe cuted, was an orderly one, the work men apparently preferring no work at all alJiYr than ..exchange their labor 1 for the price offered by the .company. ■ Four others remained at their posts, doing so at the protest of ~ tlTc 37 1 strikers. While no violence lias been report ed at the plant, Lazarus Williams, deaf mute, and one of the four continuing work received a threatening letter sign" l«J-'"Bob Williams," A man by that |iianie was not employed by th«s coin- iPany, but it is believed that one of the 37 walking out Tuesday'morning for iwarded tjjc message to Williams. l"Please do not go down into the fetil lizer plant tomorrow niorujng, the note stated, "because'* you might get hurt or killed. Hoi. Williams." .(The note, poorly written on the back of an envelope, "is said to have caused jtlie deaf man some concern,.but he still ' continues in the employ of the plant. | The strike, following the close of the^.'. company's busy season, has caused no ( great trouble for the company, but :( aptaiu Miller, owner and skipper of [the barge "Pearl" was forced to stand . by with only ,i(l tons of fertilizer left tin his boat to be unloaded. In antici pation of completing the task of re I the fertilizer by Tuesday uoon, | ( the captain of the barge had made I plans to leave Wednesday. But* labor 1 was not available, and his stay at the I company's wharf was prolonged. • White labor, assisted by live colored men, finished unloadmg the barge yes- ' at noon, but Captain I'iercp I continues here with his barne to assist 'in raising the "Lynn." . 'X 1 have sailed into luany ports and seen a few strikes before but this was | the most complete and the most or derly of them all," the jolly old sailor Icommented. j Details of the strike organization have" been guarded closely, but it was rumored yesterday that Lewis Wil liams and Wiley Joyner, occupants of j the company's houses, had' prominent parts. of « | u , the leader-. .were, they had jariuig ai-Ltbe action of the strikers came so suddenly that the plant foreman were' complete 'ly surpriseiL. * • • j The strike,.the first of any moment .ever reported in this section, had its 'pathetic stories Jay I'erry, after walk ing all the way from Pennsylvania, reached Itere-'liaJX starved just three days- before the strike went into ef fect. He stated that lit* felt as if it was imperative to work and work at any price. Several of the 37 leaving !the plant are said to have wanted to return to their jobs, but were afraid Ito he seen m»ar the factory, fearing other strikers would do them harm. 1 Rents are falling due ujul -everal of I the strikers occupying company Rouses 'have been asked to vacate, it was, | learned. * . I • Federal Agents Get Only Three Stills Last Week —_ The second week in July was rather uneventful for prohibition work in this section, Federal agents working out of ( here reporting the capture of only three j stills and the arrest of one man. One of the plants was found in Free Union, this county, and 'he other two were destroyed in Beaufort County, where Isaac Godley, colored, was arrested at one of the plants ■ •- Episcopal Services In Two County Churches Sunday Church of the Advent Rev. A. H. Marshall, rector. Sunday school at 10 a. m. Morning prayer and sermon at 11 a. m. St. Mark's, Hamilton Holy Communion, 4 p. m. Evening prayer and sermon, 8 p. in. The Order of the Eastern Star, which had its inception in 1876, has since grown to the second largest fra ternal society in the world, with a membership of more than 2,000.000 in the United States. - ; Washington Lodge, No. i, of Wil mington, Del., one of the country's old est Masonic bodies, was chartered De cember 27, 1769. , -