THE ENTERPRISE
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VOLUME XLI?NUMBER 21 WiUiamston, Martin County. North Carolina. Tuesday. March 15. 1938. ESTABLISHED 1899
New State Tax On
Intangibles Is Due
First Time Today
Little Attention Given to
Listing Bonds, Notes
for Taxation
The new state lax on intangible
personal property is scheduled to be
paid before this day is spent, but
accoggiing to unofficial reports from
' over the field few people have given
the haphazard scheme of taxation
any serious attention. Present indi
cations point to a poor showing for
the new tax as of this date, but
what the system, applied gently to
real wealth, will prove to be later
depends upon the administrators
As lar as it could be learned here
today, no large number of bond or
note holders have listed such intan
gible property for taxation
Assuming that this hidden prop
erty would be made open to taxa
tion if the rate was reduced. Slate
taxing authorities maintain that
more money would be collected at
the reduced rate than was collect- :
id when such property was placed
on the county tax books at the cur
lent rate. Reports maintain that
listings under the new system are
small, that an investigation must be
carried behind the curtain to the
records ui county court -
Unofficial reports slate that the
intangible tax i iU exceed the in
come tax pi.i in th. county. That
amount is r.ol great, a.-d when the
intangible lollections are divided
among the State and political dis
tricts a tiny bit can be expected
"The act represents an effort to
apply rates of tax on intangible per-1
sonal property that will not be op
preaaive to any taxpayer, and the
Deparatment of Revenue trusts that
it may have the whole-hearted sup
port and cooperation of the people
of the state in making a success of
this extremely moderate tax law.
Thomas W Alexander. Jr.. chief ol
the franchise and intangible divi
sions of the department, observed.
Report blanks and additional infor
mation on the Ux may be secured 1
either from his office in Raleigh or
from field deputies of the Revenue
Department, he added
Intangible property on which the
UX as of December 31. 1937. will be I
due may be roughly divided into I
six classifications
1. Bank deposits, which must be
reported by residents only if the
bank is outside the state, since
banks within the state will report
deposits and pay the tax Rate. 10
cents per $100. I
2. Money on hand, in addition to
bank deposits. Rate. 20 cents per
$100
3 Accounts receivable in excess
of $300. Current accounts payable,
but not capital outlay, may be de
ducted Rate, 25 cents per $100
4 Bonds, notes and all other evi-j
dences of debt, other than accounts
receivable. Rate. 40 cents on every
$100 of the fair , market value in ex
cess of $300 A,
5. Money left on deposit with in
surance companies and subject to
withdrawal. This does not include
the cash surrender value of insur
ance policies. Rate, 25 cents pes'
$100
Stock in foreign corporations that
are not domesticated and paying
Uxes in this state. Rate, 30 cents per
$100 of fair market value
Fishery To Start
Work Tomorrow
According to unofficial informa
tion received here today, C. C.
Fleming plans to start operations at
his J am csv 1 lie fishery tomorrow
The day far starting operations is'
not definite, the reports stating that
unfavorable weather conditions or
unforeseen obstacles may delay the
Few fish have been taken from
the river by operators of drift nets,
but added interest in fishing activi
ties was created last Saturday when
Daniel Holliday, young man. dipped
a sizeable shad from the river a:
Jamesville
Small catches by the seme are
predicted during the first few days
of operation, the season getting un
derway on a big scale early in
April
The plants at Camp Point and in
the lower part of the county plan to
start operations next week
Parents-Teachers To Hold
Regular Meet'Tomorrow
Local parents-teachers will hold
their regular meeting in the gram
mar school auditorium tomorrow
afternoon at 3:30 o'clock when Kr.
Charles Leonard, county sanitarian,
and Mias Lora E. Sleeper, home
igl i|) will discuss topics of inter
eat, Principal D. N. Hix
Working to Convert County
Home into T. B. Sanatorium
No humed or radical chance is
being considered, but welfare lead
ers in this county are gradually
working to convert the county home
into a sanatorium lor tuberculosis
victims. The change, recognndd as,
one of the county's most urgent
needs, a already underway. re
ports from welfare headquarters
stating that five inmates were > re
moved from the institution into pri
vate homes only a few days ago
Three of the inmates were returned
to Pamlico County, the contract en
tered into a number of years ago by
the commissioners of the two coun
ties and providing for the care of
inmates from that county having
been cancelled last week. The two
other inmates leaving the home
last week were placed on old age
pension rolls, and are now in pri
vate homes. Others wUl be moved
as soon as arrangements can be ef
fected. the welfare
pointing out that the old
a nee plan has
ber applying for admittance into
the county home to a minimum
The first step to provide a place
for tuberculosis victims, and Mar
tin County had ten or more who
have been denied admittance
State sanatoraims. was made a few
days ago when a small section of
the home was secuonalizrd and a
patient was received.
Much study has been given to
the change now underway, the wel
fare authorities pointing out that
aged can be. cared for in private
homes at far less expense to the
taxpayers than in the county- insti
tution. and that their removal will'
make room for tuberculosis victims'
w ho are unable to get into a state
sanatorium or finance their stay
a private institution
It is expected the change w ill r
quire many months or even years
but the policy is well-founded and
its adoption is almost certain at
some time in the future No inmate
will br driven from the home, and
no one deserving rare will be denied
admittance into the home, that the
change may be effected more quick
ly. it was explained
MORE CHECKS I
/
ray *MJ
CnbIj lamrrv
IrikaM to Ml limnv
??. Ml
tSi*
IBWlto to BlJlUt TOT
received ky Ike areal'i effirr.
Netified direct to caB tor Iknr
Te dele, ljdl rkerfcs nfn
to nijK< kavc
e<eal'i efficc Heltoc tkat
total payarals ad
ibmiI to rreaad Sl?
year.
Building And Loan
Points To Interest
In Home Building
Official Explains Construc
tion Costs Arc Lower
Than Year Ago
"Since the first of the year natur
al forces have been operating to
cause renewed interest m borne
building." Mr Wheeler Marlm sec
retary of the Martin County Budd
ing and laoan association. declared
yesterday.
"During the past nine years." he
said, "a tremendous shortage of
homes has accumulated and i
residential construction must take |
place to fill the gap No one knows
exactly just how many homes are
needed. All sorts of experts have
tried to accurately fix the shortage
and have published many wide!)
varying figures, but the truth of the
matter is that nobody knows The
shortage of homes depends upon
demand, and the demand in turn
depends upon the economic rondi
tion of the people. When employ
ment is steady or conditions improv
ing people are no longer satisfied to
live cooped up under the same con
ditions as when employment is un
certain. So the shortage of homes
uses and fails with changes in bus!
(Continued on pgr six I
Airplane (Crashes
Here Last Sunday;
Oeeu|>ants I nhurt
Ship Loaded on Truck and
Carried to Rocky Mount
for Repairs
William Thomas Cram lord, local
?viator, and a passenger. Miss Ka
therme Harrison. Plymouth young
mornan employed >n the local office
of the Works Pi ogress Administra
tion. escaped uninjured mhen the
new plane owned by the Williams
ton Aerial Club and piloted by
young Crawford, crashed on the
club's landing field near the Stan
dard Fertilizer Company plant on.
Roanoke River here last Sunday af .
ternoon. Cram-ford and Mb. Harri
son mere slightly jarred when the
ship went into a nose dive and the
propeller tore into the ground.'
Damage to the plane was estimated
at about $100. the accident tearing
off the propeller and damaging a
wing
The pilot had the plane well un
der control as he was bringing it
to a smooth landing, but the wheels
struck a rough spot in the field and
caused the ship to do a nose dive
Spectators on the field rushed to
the ship, but the occupants were
able to get out unassisted
Undaunted by the accident. Craw
ford and other members of the club
ment about the task yesterday of
taking the plane to pieces for ship
ment by truck to Rocky Mount for
repairs. The owners who had just
accepted the plane direct from the
manufacturers a few hours before
the accident, state that they plan to
be fly mg high again within two
weeks During the meantime, the
club members are making plans to
have the landing field enlarged and
put in belter condition
It was the third airplane accident
ever reported in this county The
first accident was several years aco"
when Rufus Cherry was riding with
a barnstormer and the plane plow-,
ed into a wire fence at the fair-!
grounds. The second accident was
reported several months ago when
Pilot Crawford struck and killed a
hog in Farmer Rome Corey's field
in the Farm Life section None of
the accidents proved serious, and
the flying spirit has not been at all
impaired, but there is little likeli
hood that the names of the club's
two secret members will be reveal
ed at an early date
Business Pulse Quickened
By Passage of Farni Bill
After
weeks, general
cultural i
shown
following the passage of
1938 agriculture ball at the polls I
Saturday,
reported
tarm
liotn those two amines I
air of cor faience around most at
this little
The favorable vote
had invigorating
of
last Saturday completed their fi
nancial arrangements with*ail dif
ficulty yesterday
Fertiliser plants, operating on a
part-time basis during tlie past
lew weeks, prepared to step up pro
duction to capacity Workmen are
being recalled in large numbers
and general business is anticipating
more favorable conditions than it
did a year ago.
Just how much the bill will af
fect mmtituw remains to be seen,
but it has already had a great pay
etiological effect Thinking that the
bill would go down in defeat, a
pmpeitf owner last Saturday had
already listed the names of pros
pective buyers with the intention at
selling out People in all walks ml
at the voting,
of the lull i
Young County Boy
Kills Self While j
Playing With Gun1
Pete Hoggard. Jr., Dies in
Bertie Swamp. Near
Palmyra. Sunday
A shot accidentally fired from an
old pistol cost Pete Hoggard. jr .
young Martin County boy. his life
last Sunday morning as he roamed
the Roanoke swamps just across the
river from Palmyra landing in Ber
tie County Hoggard. a hole bored
through his chest by a shot from a
3* caliber pistol, died while his
companion. Edsel Ellis, tried to car
ry him from the swamp Death is
said to have followed within fif
teen minutes after the shooung
Martin County officers were noti
fied of the shooting, and they call
ed Bertie authorities when it was
learned the shotting took place in
the swamps of Bertie County across
the river a short distance from Pal
myra An inquest was held by Dr
Smith. Bertie County coroner, the
jury finding that the boy came to
his death accidentally No charges
were brought against Ellis, also a
Martin County young man and the
shot victim's only companion
Ellis told Martin County officers
that Hoggard spent Saturday night
with him. that they derided the fol
lowing morning to go over to the
Lew iston Hunting Club for dinner
and earned the old pistol w ith them.
Ellis stated that he fired the pistol
several tunes, and handed it over to
Hoggard. that he iHoggard was
hying to dislodge a shell w hen the
weapon fired and sent a bullet
through his companion's chest
"I started carrying Hoggard out
of the swamp, but put him down
when 1 learned he had died." Ellis
was quoted as saying The boy.
leaving the body in the swamp, con
tinued to the river, paddled across
?he, stream and went to a house
about a mile away to report the kill
"?g- 1
First reports stated that Ellis of
fend several versions of the killing,
but the sheriffs office in this coun
ty stated that the accidental theory
was well established, that apparent
ly the story convinced the coroner's
jury and made an indictment un
necessary
The body was earned to the Scot
land Neck Funeral (**ne where ser
vices will be' held this afternoon, at
2 o'clock Burial will take place in
Lrwiston
Surviving the boy are his father
Pete Hoggard. of Palmyra, his step
mother, four brothers. J P Hog
gard. of Richmond. Virgil Hoggard
of Williams! tin. Ddbert and Mor
ruon Hoggard of Palmyra, and two
sisters. Mrs Mildred Bunch and
Mrs Elsie Roberson of Palmyra.
Knife Victim Dies
Sunday In Hospital
Jasper Wiggins, local colored man.
died Sunday morning in a veterans'
hospital at Hampton. Va. of knife
wounds received in a fight with Ben
Flagg. also colored, at Jamesville
on the evening of January- IS. The
immediate cause off his death given
on the certificate was myelitis, trau
ma tic. cervical region of cord
Wiggins, about 47 years old and
father of several children. was
stabbed in the neck, the wound par
alyzing the lower pari off his body
After receiving medical treatment
here he was removed to the veter
ans* hospital
Flagg an employee of a lumber
mill in Jamesville. quit the county
immediately after the fight that
cost Wiggins his life and he has no:
been heard from
Wiggins was brought here early
this morning for burial this after
Officers Investigate
Children Bootleggers
Following the capture ot abnu'
five gallons o4 illegal liquor in .11
brush thicket just off upper War
ran street yesterday, local officer
are investigating reports ronnerune
small colored children with the
bootlegging of liquor No arrest,
have been made, but the case is
claiming attention of the depart-.
Reports state that the children,
directed by their father, peddle the
?t for sale in small.
definitely established ownership of
they believe they know
build iqt a
Martin County Farmers Rally to
Support of Farm Bill With Big
Vote in Saturday Referendums
Supervisor Names Personnel
To Prepare County Tax Lists
Tax list-takers were named this
week by County Tax Supervisor S
H Grimes to prepare the 1938 lists
in the ten townships. Mr Grimes
explaining that the personnel is
subject to a last-minute change
The list-takers and supervisor
will meet in the county courthouse
next Monday to determine values
for personal properties including
stocks of merchandise .farm provi
sions and similar items The super-:
visor is planning to attend a school
for tax authorities in Raleigh on.
Thursday of this week to better pre
pare himself for the changes that
have been effected by the passage
of a law governing the taxing of in
tangible properties
Names of the lest-takers by town
ships are
Jamesville O W Hamilton
Williams L J Hardtsor.
Griffins George C Griffin
Bear Grass A B Ayers
Williamston H M Bunas
Cross Roads Gordon Bailey
Robersonville H S Errrrtl
Poplar Point L. G Taylor
Hamilton L. R Everett
Goose Nest J A Row l>
The personnel for handling the
lists this year is the same as it was
last year. Mr Grimes sard
Farm Bill Given
Majority Note In
Nil But States
Heavy North Carolina Vote
Passes Tobacco Bill
Last Saturday
A heavy vole in North Carolina
and especially in this immediate
section brought up an unfavorable
balance in the states of Georgia
2nd Florida and assured the passage
of the tobacco section in the new
1938 farm bill Only one satte. Cali
fornia. disapproved the cotton fea
ture of the bilL and its vote was
just under the two-thirds majority.
The several states voting on the
tobacco section, gave the program
a majority of 86 per cent, this state
offering it a support approximating
9U percent Martin anil tdher coun
ties in this section rolled up a 97
per cent margin in the tobacco poll
and 96 5 for cotton control Georgia
polled 61 per cent of its votes in fa
vor off tobacco, and -Florida fell un
der the two-thirds majority mark
by nearly 8 per cer.t
Complete returns from the tobac
co and cotton referendums in this
Slate are not available, but incom
plete i eporjs gav e - the tobacco vote
at 145.98(1 for and 16.890 against
control The cotton section received
a vote off 127.656. the opposition pol
mg an uitd I6.UU0 votes
Farmer.- in this section recognized
the vole as being against Senator
Josiah W Kbiky. many of them ex
pressing regret that they were not
privileged to participate in a refer
endum on Mr Bailey
The huge majorities given the to
bacco ami cotton control features
are certain to make the administra
lion of the bill easier, but reports
from Washington state that Senator
Bailey will "watch the experiment
w ith great interest * lie was also
reported to have been greatly inter
ested in the results of the vote ir
Sampson and Johnston counties
where the bill survived against an
alleged strong opposition Stanly
county was the only one in the state
to vote against the bill
Forces are now at *????. for the
administration of the bill, and coun
ty quo*.as are to be assigned w ithin
the next two weeks. ?! b under
stood. During the meantime mini
mum plantings can be figured on
the basis of 70 per cent of Uie old
triple A base by individual farmers
It is h-?ped this percentage can be
raised, but no definite information
in that connection is available just
NINE ARRESTS I
^ -*
No rrrord ?? ritiMwiwd.
b?t the wmmbrr mi arrab ?
tkb ro?a(t U%t vert-?
reported todiy
Koeburk
average
mrml
rooty pit.
alleged dri
two othe?> e
Cow for allrcrdl Lum?
Not a vaftr arml was
ported to nuantiiu aatk
(arm boll ballotmc. d w*s p
rd out An accidental
near Pahiyia attracted officers
Sunday afternoon, but tbr ease
was turned over to Bertie au
thorities when it was learned
neighboring rooty.
Noted Educator
Passes At Home
In Wake Forest
Funeral for Mrs. Wheeler
Martin's Father Held
Monday Afternoon
Dr. William L<ut> Poteai. rxtfrd
educator and reli^Mn leader, fa
ther of Mrs Wheeler Martin of
Williamston. died at his tvrnr in
Wake Forest last Saturday evening
?*t 7 10 o'clock toUo?ifi< a period of
declining health that confined him
to his home during the pas* several
months.
Dr. Poteat's death, coming peace
ably follow tng several strc-kes of
(?aralysis. marked the rinse of a bril
liant career that has hardly been
?quailed ?n the educational and re
ligious life of the smiUi Surly-five
years ago he entered vine Baptist
institution as a freshman and four
> ears later he entered the service
of the college as a teacher, laying
, Die foundation of an cduratKCul
system that has patterned the lives
of thousands of young men in North
. Carolina and throughout the South
He was a liberal educator and rank
ed w ith the leading scholars m the
nation, his work as an educator and
author being recognized as invalu
able contributions to the American
educational system
In 1906 Dr KMeal was named
president of Wake Forest College,
and during almost a quarter of a
century be guided the po4*cies of
the institution His leadership was
not always smooth, but the years
have vindicated his stand- and only
(Continued. <
I'our of II Districts
Give 19.18 Program
I luminous Support
Vote 3.063 to 39 for Tobac
co; 1.716 to 15 for
Cotton
Martm County fanners left no
doubt in the minds of everyom
their stand on the 1938 farm ball
Ust Saturday when they arm to
the eleven polling places and gave
the program a support approximat
ing 100 per Vem These fanners.
remembering the hectic days
*wk ,h?" early thirties, may
nave, according to some, voted away
their individual freedom and rugged
individualism but reports from the
wry one of the eleven voting
places state that they supported the
program gladly The opposition,
proving far weaker than the most
pessimistic had even predicted,
rardly made a ripple on the surface,
the final vote count giving 3.063 for
tobacco control and 39 against or a
98 7 percentage support Cotton was
" vhle issue in the voting last Sat
urday. but the farmers picked the
old king from the dirt and offered
him a 99 1 percentage support, or
I '16 for and 15 against control.
four precincts. Willums. Cross
K??ad> Gold Point and Hassell vot
ed loo per cent for control of ' both
cotton and tobacco. Griffins giving
the cotton section of tlie bill a simi
lar support Williams and Cross
Roads were the only two complete
t. unships to offer a 100 per cent
support on a township-wide h?c.?
But the others did not lag behind,
and the vote in JamesvUle where
nearly half Ihe opposition was ex
presaed. was not bad
Votieg Vfmct
Voting throughout the county waa
fithout disturbance, quietnen
maiking the activities at every one
of the eleven poling places Lucian
J Hardison. finding a few voters
*ith no way of transportation, vol
unteered his car and hauled those
farmers t.. the polls over in Wil
liams Township Two republicans
?n one township in the upper part
"f the county voluntarily entered
the campaign in behalf of the bills
pimfe
^ "ting w as in the open for the
?met part. diyt.ict stating that
not a single person troubled him
-elf U. go into the secret rooms to
mark his tickets Opposition was a
hit bashful in others and a few
withdrew to a corner or behind cur
Gins u. mark tickets One man is
?aid to have traveled quite a dls
tance to register an opposing vote
Activities around the polls drew
f<" complaints in this county The
ppositKm. tli.aigh small it was.
could find no cause for i?mplaining,
the final vote being accepted by all
as an expression of the people's will.
few votes were challenged by the
poll holders, and most if not all the
votes subject to challenge were said
I to have fav ored the bill The voting
I "as described as the quietest as a
-Vbole ever recorded in the county,
the farmers turning out in almost a
steady stream and of their own ac
cord from early morning until the
polls closed at 7 o'clock that eve
rung
?Hie results were tabulated in the
county agricultural building, and
much interest was shown in the nut
come of the day's voting
Farm Bill Vote in County
i C?farmer* rime ap to toe eip
feadrrm ta\t Ha tarda 5 abe a toe 9 palled a M.7 per 1
ton tealeal, aai auppertcd quota alh
?f 99.1 per ceat. TV rate tor district*:
TOBACrO
Far Aiiinl
*7
19
12*
9
313
~? >r
1
?
319
Z
2
397
9
3
122
9
113
9
132
3
JM
9
Ml
COTTON
Tar Ac-ait
M S
S! ?
a ?
B 1
ZS1 I
tsn ?
M ?
19 ?
1X1 s
3H t
Burial At Kandom
(iausi's (Confusion
The bunal of human bodies otit
iidr regular trmrlrrti and individ
ual home plots is causing
able confusion for local police Sev
eral bodies have been exhumed dur
ing the past few months, and the
need for stricter rules governing
I the disposal of human bodies has
been clearly established.
A colored child said to have been
of doubtful parentage died dwrtly
after birth here last week, and Us
body was burled in a hog
not so very far off the
of Warren street The unusual bnry
t l ..... : 11... tel attention of rum
I addicts, and they, thinking the base
ground temporarily, dug the baby
up Officers were notified, and the
case was investigated Piupei cer
tificates had been filed with the w