Watch tli* Label On Your Paper Aa It- Carrie* tbe Date When Your Subscription Kxpir** VOLUME XXXV—NUMBER 88 HOUSE BUSY ON PROPOSED PLAN OF FARM RELIEF Domestic Allotment Idea Is Both Praised and Derided Before Committee "What the Equalization Fee was in 1927, the Export Debenture in 1929, Price Stabilization by the Farm Board in 1931, Voluntary Domestic Allot ment is in 1933—the phrase of-the-moment on farm relief. Unlike the equalization fee and debenture, it will probably become reality. Wheth or it will work better than price sta bilization is the problem for President elect Roosevelt to solve. "Shortly before Christmas Chairman Marvin Jones called his House Com mittee on Agriculture together to start hearings on the domestic allotment bill. Thirty-seven representatives of the National Grange, the Farm Bu reau Federation, the National Farm ers' Union, and 33 other farm organi zation, after a three-day Washington meeting, united solidly for domestic allotment. President-Elect Roose velt sent Henry Morgenthau, jr., son of the one-time Ambassador to Tur key, to the Capital as his personal agent. If the Jones bill, amended, passes the present Congress, a Hoov er veto is viewed as a certainty. Thereupon, domestic allotment will very likely become the first business of a special session of the new Demo cratic Congres^. "In 1926 th* Department of Agricul ture's late £■. ..William Jasper Spill man first seriously proposed domestic allotment. Professor Milburn L. Wil son, of the Montana State College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts, is generally regarded as author of the plan in its present form. As set for in the "purely tentative" Jones bill, domestic allotment would work approximately as follows: "Thirty days after enactment, the Secretary of Agriculture would pub licly estimate what percentage of the 1933 U. S. production of cotton, wheat tobacco, and hogs will be absorbed by U.' S. consumers. To each producer of these four staples he would give an 'adjustment certificate' stating his shjre of the output to be thus con sumed. For example:' If two-thirds of the wheat crop is for domestic con sumption and a farmer is raising 600 bushels of wheat, he would get a cer tificate for 400 bushels. "The certificates, negotiable, would have fixed values, as follows: Wheat, 42 cents per bushel; cotton, 5 cents a pound; tobacco, 4 cents per pound; and hogs, 2 cents a pound. After har vest, the farmer would sell his full crop in the open market. Thereupon the Treasury would step in and col lect as an excise tax 42 cents from millers on every bushel of wheat they bought for flour, 5 cents from spin ners on every pound of cotton, 4 cents from cigarette and cigar manufactur ers on every pound of tobacco, 2 cents from meat packers on every pound of pork. Thus special treasury funds would be created out of which the Secretary of Agriculture would pay off the adjustment certificates by the producers. TM wheat man, for ex ample, if the market were SO cents per bushel, would get S3OO for the regular sale of his 600 bushels, and in addition $l6B as a Government subsidy collected from the miller, Jh his 400 bushels for domestic consumption. "In 1934 1 , under' the Jones bill, the Secretary of Agriculture would esti mate the domestic consumption before the farmers planted their new crops, and this time 'adjustment certificates' would be issued only to those farm ers who voluntarily contracted with the Government to accept an 'allot ment' of production. Thi* allotment might be as much as 20 per cent lest than the farmer's last crop. Those who refused to accept 1934 production allotments would not share in the tax distribution. Producers who broke their contracts and overproduced would likewise be deprived of bounty benefit*. "At the House hearing*, Frederick Lee, representative for the United jFarm Organizations, proposed two faiajor changes in the Jones bill: (1) make the 1934 system, with a manda tory 20 per cent acreage cut, apply to 1933; (2) leave the excise tax rates on (he four commodities unspecified so that th* Secretary of Agriculture could fix them at whatever level would be necessary to restore pre-war price par ity for fee producers. "The first objectors to domestic al lotment before the committee were flour millers and cotton .manufactured ' from whom the special taxes would be first extracted (and who, of course, would pass it along to consumers in higher prices). Fred Lingham, of the Miller*' National Federation, warned that floor would become a profitable bootleg commodity "unless there was * policeman at every grinding milL" "Charles Cannon, North Carolina towel man, argued the plan would re dace consumption and drive people to the use of untaxed substitutes. He saw ruin for U, S. cotton manufact- THE ENTERPRISE [ TOBACCO SEED Preparations for another tobac co crop, and a large one it is feared, have been started by Mar tin County farmer*. A few have already had their *eed cleaned and treated, and the first plant bed* will be prepared within the next few week*. Very little ha* been said about the blue mold or whatever it i* since the crop wa* transplanted last spring. However, it is gen erally believed that the disease will be present again and that a damage even greater than that of la*t reason can well be expected. Mr. Joa. L. Holliday said today that he noticed something like the disease in many of his winter plant*. REGULAR MEET COUNTY BOARD IS HELD MONDAY Insolvent Tax List for 1931 Is $5,620.72; Reduce Officers Salaries The county's ..insolvent tax list reached a high peak for the year 1931 it was learned following a settlement made by Sheriff C. B. Roebuck with the county commissioners in regular session Monday. The list is $5,620.72, made up mainly of small accounts that the collector and commissioners agreed were next to the impossible to extract from depressed owners of personal property. Sevtral hundred dollars of the amount will probably be collected within the next several months. Starting the new year Monday, the commissioners had little business be fore them ior the day. No alterations in the county's poor list was made, and only two tax changes were effect ed. Archie Hodges, of Bear Grass, and J. Monroe Everett, of Roberson ville, were relieved of the payment of poll tax on account of physical dis ability. , Another reduction in county officers' salaries was made, -the action follow ' ing a motion by Commissioner Joshua L. Coltrain and seconded by Commis sioner H. S. Everett. The motion called for a 10 per cent cut in the sal aries of clerk of court, sheriff, and reg ister of deeds. The reduction, effect ive the first of this month, is the third to have been made in recent months, making a total reduction in the clerk's and register of deed's salaries of a round 28 per cent, and around 19 per cent in the sheriff's salary. The board adjourned at 2:30 that the members could have the opportunity to attend the funeal of A. R. Dun ning. TOWN BOARD IN REGULAR MEET » Permit Granted for Erection of Filling Station on Main and Smithwick Streets ♦ Meeting here last night, the board of town commissioners ordered a 5 per cent reduction in all town salaries and established a new scale, effective January 1, for common labor. The reduction w»s the second made by the board in recent months. E. Ramie was retained on the night police force at $lO a week for the present. Permission was granted C. D., and W. H. Carstarphen for the erection of a filling station on the lot where the Carstarphen store now stands. Few particulars have been made public in connection with the proposed project. A permit for a carnival was grant ed the American Legion Post. The matter has not been placed before the Legion members, and it is not known that the post will sponsor the indoor attraction. urers gampeting with British produc ers for world markets. "At present price levels of cotton and wheat, domestic allotment means a 100 per cent tax, collecting possibly $350,000,000 a year. Its critics prompt ly pointed out that farm representa tives were largely responsible for the defeat of general sales tax legislation as a burden on the poor and yet now they champion that same principle of taxation for their special benefit. Oth er objections outlined: (I) a gigantic Federal bureaucracy from Washington down to the smallest farm; (2) pos sible refusal of a vote-hungry Con gress to suspend the taxes after the emergency; (3) socialism at its raw est. "Even then, Washington observers reported that many a conservative business man was quietly for the plan. Their attitude; 'We must try some thing drastic to break the circle of depression, »o why not this?" News paper writer Walter Lippman thinks domestic allotment is 'the most daring economic experiment ever seriously proposed in the Unted States.'" Williamstoa, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, January 3,1933 SALE OF AUTO LICENSES HERE GOING SLOWLY ♦ Cars Will Be Stopped After Thursday Unless New Tags Are Displayed •- While the old tags have expired, the sale of new State automobile li cense plates is progressing slowly at the local bureau, Manager N. C. Green announced this week. Sales were reported yesterday at about one half the size of the distribution for i> similar period last year. The bureau Here sold around 250 plates last Sat urday, the busiest day the office has had since the plates went on sale on December 15. Up until last Saturday night the sale of licenses at the local bureau was 55 greater than up to the first the year before, but yesterday the sales dropped about 75 per cent. On the first day of the year 1932, the bureau here sold nearly 500 plates; the sales yesterday were around 150. According to p?esent arrangements the local bureau will close Saturday night of next week. Chairman E. B. Jeffress of the state highway commission announced Sat urday that drivers who operate their automobiles without 1933 licenses will be subject to prosecution. Mr. Jeffress said that license sales arc running about 25,000 less to date than at this time last year. He de clared that automobile owners must procure their new plates without delay. Mr. JefTress-Wd that highway pa trolmen will be warned to instruct drivers for the next five days to get their licenses, to force them to park cars without new licenses after Janu ary 5, and to start making arrests of motorists without the 1933 plates aft er January 10. North Carolina was shy the money on 25,526 automobile plates Saturday, using the figures of December 31, 1931, as the basis for. comparison. j When the bureau of the revenue de partment closed Saturday, 65,329 plates had been sold as against 90,855 for December, 1931. The licenses aver age about sl4 for all cars. If the fig ures were exact, North Carolina would be $357,364 worse off at the close of 1932 than on the final night of 1931. There isn't anything sinister in the figures. Everybody, of course, knows that there are many losses in license plates. The number of cars no long er on the roads and paying gasoline and license taxes is far below the av erage. There are now about 375,000 cars in use in the state. DEATH OF MRS. WILLIS MCKEEL Holding Funeral Service In In Holiness Church Here This Afternoon Mrs. Willie McKeel, wife of Willis McKeel, died at her home on the Mary Cherry farm near here at 3 o'- clock yesterday morning following a shdtt illness. Mrs. McKeel had been in failing health for some time, but she was able to be up until the day before Christmas. A complication of diseases was given as the cause of her death. The daughter of the late Jno. Clark and wife, Mrs. McKeel was born and reared near Everetts. . She was 52 years old. In 1899 she was married to Mr. McKeel and he with nine chil dren, seven boys, Virgil, Chas. Ben, J. D., Clayton, Clarence, Willis, jr., and two Mrs. Robert Mc- Claron and Miss Euzela McKeel, sur vives. She was a member of the Holiness church here and her pastor, the Rev. Mr. S. A. Fann, of Tarboro, is con ducting the last rites from the church this afternoon at 3 o'clock. Interment will follow in the local cemetery. • Regular Meeting oi Local Kiwanis Club Tomorrow ♦ The first Kiwanis meeting in the new year will be held at the Wom an'* Club Wednesday at 12:30 o'clock. There is some business of import ance to the club that will come up at this session, and the full membership is requested to turn out. Last year was a good year for the local club, the membership increasing over any p/evious year. The club won distinction in its district, sponsored a gain the Boy Scout work, and in many other ways was of service to this sec tion. The'new year should find the club resolved to make even a better record. • Presbyterians Holding Regular Prayer Services • ■ Prayer meeting is being held each Wednesday night at 7:30 at the Pres byterian church. The Book of He brews i* being studied. The general public ia invited to -these service*. [ RAINFALL ~) A rainfall of 46.72 inches was reported her* during the past year, the amount being about 7 inches below the normal yearly average. As strange as it seems, there was more rainfall last year than there was the year before, Hugh Spruill, who keep* a record of the rainfall at the river here, stating that 46.21 inches fell in 1931. The months of April, May, June, and July of last year were unusually dry months, cauaing much damage to crop* in thi* section. The heav iest rainfall during the past year was in October, when 6.49 inches fell here. There were 14 rain* in December, but the rainfall was on ly 5.06 inches that month. BETTER PRICES FOR PEANUTS IS AIM OFCONCERN * Columbian Peanut Co. Has Attacked Low Prices at Both Ends The Columbian Peanut Company, operators of 25 or more cleaning plants aftd a number of warehouses spread over the national peanut belt, have attacked the low market of pea nuts at both ends. A strenuous national campaign to increase the consumption of peanuts has led to a sales increase of more than 100 per cent over that of the pre vious year, according to statement of company executives. At the same time the "Columbian Storage System" which provides storage and cash ad vances at a low peanuts stored in warehouses at their mill locations, and the effort to hold peanuts off the market have hud a sustaining influence on the current market. The storage plan was established by the Columbian company last sea son to back up an advertising cam paign to growers ueging them not to Hood the market with the new crop. The assistance of the storage system enabled several million pounds o| pea j nuts to be sold in an orderly manner ! rather than rushed to an already over loaded market at the end of the pick ing season. Excerpts from a "trade circular" mailed out recently to thousands of users of peanuts, candy manufactur ers, and others, is an example of the efforts of the Columbian to increase consumption of peanuts. The circu lar reads: ( "As we approach the close of 1932, we are again reminded of the consid eration, cooperation, and support of our friends and customers, old and new. Needless to say, we fully ap preciate their confidence and support so generously bestowed, w(licit result ed in an increase in sales, the past season, of more than 100 per cent over the previous season. I "Our efforts during the past year were directed primarily to a greater development of the peanut industry as a whole. Beginning with the farmer, |on whom the industry basically de pends, we endeavored to sustain de clining values and vanishing returns, by intensive use of the facilities of our entire 25 mills, with first consideration in supplying the best quality possible; and, second, a dependable, efficient service, which combined with the co operative efforts of the users of pea nuts and manufacturers of peanut products generally, created a new "consumer demand" which resulted in the largest consumption in the history of the peanut industry. "It wilt require again, renewed ef forts to hold the position attained last season, but we believe that consump tion can be maintained and probably increased during the coming year, as advantage can be taken of present low prices to increase sales of the various products, at new low prices, which should attract increased 'consumer de mand.' A representative of the Columbian said that the company had consistent ly endeavored to sustain the market of farmers' peanuts when possible to do so. When peanuts were declining in price, as was tKe case last season and again this season, the company ifljit on the market almost continuous ly always paying the best prices pos sible, it was said. But, it was added, while the com pany is doing this, farmers can do still more by marketing their crops slowly. In order to assist farmers and merchants in holding a part of their peanuts, the company established last season fhe "Columbian Storage System," which provides storage %nd cash advances at a low rate on pea nuts stored in warehouses at their mill locations ft the following points in the Virginia-CaroKna section: Virginia: Petersburg, Suffolk, Boy kins, Disput'anta, Stony Creek, Zuni, Wakefield. North Carolina: Ahoskie," Enfield, Elizabethtown, Lewiston, Scotland Neck, Williamston, Tarboro, Windsor, TAX LEAGUE IN MEETING HERE LAST FRIDAY Plan Another Meeting of Taxpayers for Friday Of Next Week m Meeting in the cpurthouse here last Friday afternoon, the Martin County Tax League discussed at length a num ber of vital problems confronting lo cal government agencies and offered certain resolutions in an effort to low er and at the same time main tain efficiency in public functions. D. G. Matthews,-of Hamilton, presided, and E. P. Cunningham, of William ston, served as secretary. - After a discussion of property reval uation, the body unanimously voted that all property be revalued. The ap peal will be made to the proper au thorities, asking for a complete rcval i uation be made and that property be listed at its true value. The last leg- I islature permitted a 10 per cent reduc* tion in property values, ,J>ut it has been several years since an out-and-out re valuation was made. 1 he question of abolishing the office of county treasurer was deferred un til complete information can be ob tained showing whether or not any saving could be effected without low ering the efficiency of the service. A discussion was also held in con nection with doing away with the sal ary system and returning to the old fee system, no vote was taken, the body carrying the matter over for fu ture consideration. Discussing the salaries paid teach ers, the league did not state its posi tion, but the group did condemn the plan of paying all teachers of certain ratings the same amount of money regardless of whether they were suc cessful in their profession or not. The body did not consider it fair for the State to penalize a local board when an agreement had been reached with the teacher in carrying on the extend ed term when funds are not immedi ately available. • Considering the plight of delinquent property owners, the meeting was a j greed that the property pwner should have at least five years in which to re deem his land-with the interest rate limited to 6 per cent. Objections to this were .noted, it being pointed out that a large number of people would borrow their tax money for five years at 6 per cent, a rate cheaper than they can ordinarily get it from other sources. This procedure would cause the business structure of the counties to collapse. 1 he meeting was of the opinion that the the State should take over certain Martin County bonds issued by the county to finance highway projects sev cral years back. . The county issued bonds-to-build high ways Nos. 40-, 90, and 125, and $150,000 for the con struction of the Roanoke River bridge and causeway. All these roads are important connecting links in the State highway system connecting county seats. ~ No expression was offered in con nection with a sales tax, the meeting refusing to discuss that type of tax. A resolution was passed asking that judges be required to work more days during terms and not carry over such big dockets. The question centering around the big pay given court stenographers was discussed, and the methods followed by judges was condemned. That the people might be represent ed in the General Assembly conven ing in Raleigh this week, the league asked that $35 be appropriated for maintaining a representative there. Friday of next week, the league will hold a secod meeting in the county courthouse at 2 o'clock, and a large representation is urged by those in charge. FEW CHANGES IN BUSINESS HERE Same Old Business Line-up Starts On the Schedule For the New Year Characteristic of the first of the year a few changes in business firms and locations have been made here during the past few days, and a few more will follow within the next few days, it is understood. The Peel Jewelry Company 1r mov ing from its building on East Main Street to the Gurganus building next to the five and ten cent store. A por tion of the Gurganus building will be used by a hat shop, it is understood. The Service Cleaner, located during the past few months in the Gordy building, has moved to the McGowan store, next to the Roanoke Hotel. Mr. W. J. Hodges has retired from busi ness and hi* store is not in use at the present. As s whole, the same old business line-up is starting 1933 with but very few changes. A. R. Dunning Here Early Sunday \ HAPPY DAYS Happy days are just ahead for holdera of 225 shares of stock, when the Martin County Building and Loan Association pays out 122,500 in retiring its 19th series issued in September, 1926. Checks will be mailed to the stock own ers next Tuesday, it was an nounced yesterday by Mr. Wheel er Martin, an officer in the associa tion. The series is one of the largest to mature in the local association during the past two years, Mr. Martin said. DRIVE AGAINST RATS MEETING WITH SUCCESS County Agent Distributes Poison Bait To Nearly 100 County Farmers The anti-rat campaign now under way in this county is meeting with fair success, according to reports com ing from those in charge of the elimi nation program. Seventy-five orders for poison 4»ait have been filled and deliveries are being- made almost daily, Agent Brandon said this week. A cooperative order has been plac ed with the manufacturers of a deadly rat poison, and farmers who care to do so can purchase any quantity at a comparatively small cost. ' Of all the pests of the world, the common brown rat, or house rat, is the most inimical to the interests and welfare of mankind. Every "man, wo man and child in the United States is concerned with the rat, both economi cally and physically, whether or not the individual comes into direct con tact with the animals. Wherever foodstuffs are grown, stored, or trans ported, rats abound.. Rats thrive in sewers, dumps, and other unspeakable places, and in the dead of night drag filth and disease of those places into granaries, warehouses, grocery stores, meat markets, and restaurants, and thus pollute the food that is later sold for human consumption. Rats have no place in the present state of civili zation. Also, from an economic standpoint the rat has been called the most de structive animal in the world, and there is no doubt, that. Collec tively, rats in the Uuited States each year destroy produce . and 'property worth several niTllfoiis ,of dollars. Surely this*>is an item that we can not afford to overlook; and when we consider in Conjunction with this great loss the real danger of the rat to public health, we are impressed with the (act that the time lias come when we must take a more definite stand to control this great menace. Rat control demands individual ef fort, but it requires more than that. | Rats are highly migratory. They move from faint to farm, community to 'community, state to "state and even from country to country. With out cooperation there is always the prospect of rcinfestatio from adjacent property. - Community organization and united action are essential to in sure permanent relief from these pests. Martin County people are urged to take part in the anti-rate campaign now underway. Twelve-foot Rise Expected In Roanoke Here by Friday The muddy Roanoke, already out of its bank's by several inches, will con tinue to rise until about Friday, when the crest will be reached, according to those acquainted with the doings of the stream. A rise of 12 feet above the normal mark is predicted,..the wa-- ter having nearly reached the 11-foot mark. The water will cover the banks by about 18 inches, it is believed. Twenty-seven Army Planes Passed Over Section Today * Twenty-seven twO-motored army airplanes passed over here this morn ing, presumably en route from Lang ley Field, Norfolk, to Fort Bragg, at Fayetteville. The planes, flying at a moderate speed, were in formation and are believed to be the largest group to ever pass here at one tim. • General Assembly Opens 1933 Session This Week A hectic session of the North Car olina General Assembly will be under way this week when that body meets in Raleigh to effect certain legislation and find needed revenue. Adrartbm Wttl Fad Ow Cot am* a Latchkey to Ow ihtii Hundred Martin County Hone* ESTABLISHED 1898 SUDDEN ATTACK HEART TROUBLE PROVES FATAL ♦ Funeral Services Held from Home, Monday After noon at 3 O'clock • - A. R. Dunning, prominent citizen and successful lawyer, died suddenly at his home on Main Street here Sun day morning shortly after midnight of a heart attack, his sudden death com ing as a decided shock to his relatives and many friends throughout this sec tion of the State. After completing the duties in his - law office here he went to his home about 10: JO Saturday night, and al though he was not feeling very well at that time, his condition was not considered serious. A short while lat er he became worse and the family physician was called, but efforts to save his life failed. Born on a farm near Aulander 55 years ago the 2nd of last October, he was the son of W. J. Dunning and wife, Ryxamiu Rice Dunning. After completing his education locally, he entered Wake Forest College and re ceived his M. A. degree from that in stitution. -—After teaching history for a year in Chowan, College, he turned to the study of law, and after procur ing his license lie entered the law firm of Russell & Gore, Wilmington. Two years later he severed his connection and located in Robersonvilje, forming a partnership with the late G? W. New ell. In 1908 he moved to Williamston and practiced law with J. C. Smith. A partnership, later formed with Clay ton Moore, continued until 1927, when Mr. Moore was.. made a superior court judge, Mr. Dunning was the oldest me in bet of the Williamston baf since the retirement of Harry W. Stubbs sev eral years ago. Serving his county as a member of the General Assembly in 1913 and | 1915, lie held the important position j of chairman of the judiciary commit j tee. He was active in public affairs lof the town and county and was a ! member of the board of school trus- 1 J tecs here for a number of years. He 1 was interested in politics atld conduct , ed several campaigns ill this county j in .behalf of his candidates. | In WUB he 'was married to Miss j Mary Alice Grimes, of Robersonville, | and she with one daughter, Mary Alice j Dunning, survives. He also leaves his I father, who is n.ow 82 years old, and one brother, Mr. Godwin R. Dunning, lof Aulander. Another brother. 1! J. DunhTngT dieTl sf"cral years ago at i his home in Roanoke Rapids. Mr. Dunning was a member of the Baptist church here for a number of I years and was also a Mason and a | Shriller. • j _ Funeral services were conducted jfroni the late home yesterday after- I noon at 3 o'clock by Rev".- C. H. j Dickey of the local Baptist church. In ' terinent followed in the. local ceme * tery. COUNTYSCHOOLS REOPEN MONDAY Normal Attendance Is Re ported by Nearly All Schools in County The several Martin County schools reopening yesterday after enjoying two weeks rest during the Christmas holidays reported average or normal attendance figures for the day. A marked drop in attendance was ex pected on account of sickness and the weather. And then it was expected that many tenants, yes, even landlords, would be moving about the first of the i year, dragging the little tots, just too I numerous in too many cases, along with them and holding them out of school. The attendance reports received here indicate there is not a great deal of sickness and there asen't so many people moving this year as there were last season. Reopening last week, Bear Grass reported the mumps in large numbers, but they were not con sidered serious, and as far as it could be' learned activities in that school and in all the others in the county are moving along very well at this time. ' , • " Auto Turns Over Several Times Near Here Saturday m Davis Harrison ind H. B. York es caped injury last Saturday afternoon when their "car, a Ford sedan, turned over two or three timet and landed in a corn field near her® on Highway No. 90. The body of the car wii badly damaged.