Adr?rti*er> WUl Find On Oel
umia ? Latchkey to over 1.M0
" of Martin County.
THE ENTERPRISE
VOLUME XLI?NUMBER 54 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, July 8, 1938. ESTABLISHED 1899
Board Commissioners Authorize
Foreclosure All Delinquent Tax
Accounts Now Due Martin County
Unpaid Taxes Due
County Run Back
To The Year 1928
Titles Will Change Hands
Three Months After
? Suits Are Brought
With approximately $33,000 un
lullectwi taxes on Us Doom far The
years 1828, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932,
1933, 1934 and 1935, the county this
week ordered the bringing of tax
suits "as soon as practicable," the
commissioners in meeting Wednes
day directing the auditor to verify
complaints in all tax suits for the
years mentioned with definite in
structions to foreclose the accounts.
It is estimated there are three
hundred delinquent accounts for the
years in question representing an
unpaid balance, according to the
1937 audit, of $43,474.83. Since the
audit was completed, the county at
torney has collected nearly $10,000
on the old accounts, leaving approx
imatelv $33.000 due the county in
back taxes.
According to the 1937 audit, the
following amounts were unpaid for
the years from 1928 through 1935 as
follows: 1928, $965 45; 1929, $3,804.11;
1930, $6,507.33; 1931, $6,876.32; 1932,
$5,497.12; 1933, $5,355.09; 1934, $8,
774.70, and 1935, $8,694.71.
There's a long history back of
these unpaid accounts, but in ac
cordance with the law, the final
chapter is to be written in the ap
proximately 300 cases within the
next few months. The crash in 1929
gave rise to one of the most baffling
problems the tax authorities ever
had. Wholesale -foreclosures would
have followed had the State law
makers failed to pass laws giving
the property owners concessions and
more time to pay their taxes. In
ltll discounts were allowed on the
payment of back taxes and the ever
mounting unpaid tax accounts start
ed dwindling. Improved economic
conditions in the fall of 1933 re
sulted in reduced accounts.
Property owners have been pay
ing on the old accounts until there
remains unpaid for 1928 less than
$500. Sizeable payments have been
made on those accounts due for the
years since that time through 1935
After the suits are instituted with
in tne next few weeks, titles to the
properties on which the back taxes
have not been paid will change
hands about three months later, the
unofficial reports indicating that the
first foreclosure proceedings will
have been completed by next Sep
tember or October
During th past ten years, the au
thorities reason that the property
owners who got behind with their
tax accounts have had ample time
and opportunity to pay up, that
there is little need for delaying the
foreclosure proceedings longer.
Young Girl Deserted By
Friends In Washington
Deserted by friends in Washing
ton yesterday, Florence Saunders,
14-year-old Norfolk girl, was taken
into custody here last evening by
Patrolman W. S. Hunt and turned
over to welfare authorities. Rela
tives in Norfolk have been notified,
and the young girl will be turned
over to them upon their arrival here
this afternoon or tomorrow, it was
learned from the sheriffs office this
morning.
Running away from her home in
Norfolk with two older girls the
early part of this week, Florence
Saunders told officers she had been
deserted in Washington yesterday
and that she was trying to get back
to her home. The girl's father could
not be reached last night as he was
with Virginia police, making a
search for her, it was said.
Young Man And Wife
Arrested Early Today
James R. Miller and his wile,
Joan, both about 30 years old, were
arrested near the Old 1C11 Inn on
the Washington road early this
morning by Sheriff C. B. Roebuck
and Patrolman W. V. Roth rock for
the alleged theft of an automobile
in Myrtle Beach last April
Miller, a native of South Carolina,
but who now claims he is a man
without a home, will be turned over
to federal authorities tomorrow. Mrs
Miller is being detained while offi
cers continue an investigation start
ed early today.
Earlier Opening of Tobacco
Markets Asked for This Belt
Although doubtful if any change
will be made, the Eastern North
Carolina Warehousemen association
is making strong efforts to have the
tobacco markets in this belt open
on or about August 18.. A meeting 61
the warehousemen association was
held in rarmville ImI Wednesday
evening, but no definite action was
taken at that time to perfect plans
for submission to the United States
Tobacco association. Action will be
taken in the near future in an ef
fort to effect an earlier opening.
Last week the national association
in White Sulphur Springs set the
opening dates for the markets in
this section at August 25, while the
border and South Carolina market
openings were set at August 4.
At a meeting of the Eastern Caro
lina Warehouse Association several
weeks ago in Kinston that body
went on record as requesting the na
tional association to set the opening
dates in eastern Carolina not later
?
than two weeks after the openings
on the border and the South Caro-i
lina openings. With this in mind it
was evident that the warehousemen
at the meeting wished for an open-j
ing in eastern Carolina around Au
gust 18 instead ofthe August 25 i
date.
Without exception the warehouse
men present seemed to feel that the]
opning dates of the Eastern markets
should be earlier than the date set
by the national association.
Opening the meeting, President J
J. Gibbons, of Wilson, head of the
Eastern Carolina Warehouse Asso
ciation, told the gathering that "we
must go about this task with a sane
viewpoint that is in the best inter
ests of Eastern North Carolina."
President Gibbons commented
that the opening as set by the na
tional body for Eastern Carulina
was "the longest period of time be
tween the two openings for some
Ume."
Work Going Forward
On Recreation Center
REGISTRATION
' The reflitnlioll books (or
Wllllimitiwi's >72.000 special
bond election will open next
Monday morning in the town
hall and remain open each day
except Sundays and holidays
through Saturday, July 30. Reg
istrar C. B. Hassell will record
the names of citizens who are
eligible to register and who ap
pear at the place of registration
in person.
The election to be held on
Tuesday, August 9 will decide
future action in connection with
a proposed Improvement pro
gram calling for $34,000 street
and side-walk paving, $30,000
water and sewer, and $8,000 rec
reational center bonds.
Officers Destroy
11 Stills In June
, Liquor law enforcement officers
chalked up another record when
they captured eleven illicit liquor
stills in the county last month, their
activities almost equalling the rec
ords established soon after the bur
eau was created.
During the period, the officers
poured out 5,650 gallons of beer and
eleven gallons of liquor. Four ar
rests were effected. The officers
drove 970 miles in conducting raids
and making investigations.
In addition to the work shown in
the report, the officers assisted fed
eral agents in capturing several
stills and effecting two or three ar
rests.
?
Period Ot Fair Weather
Follows Minister's Prayer
In the midst of a section that has
suffered great losses by wet weath
er, Rev. C. T. Thrift, Plymouth
Methodist minister, is said to have
prayed at the close of a regular
preaching eerviee there last Sunday
for the fains to cease. A period of
fair weather has followed in this
section.
Many prayers have been offered
for rain, but few have pleaded for
the rains to stop.
?1 ' .
Interest Shown in Revival
Fairview Christian Church
Considerable interest has been
shown in the revival at Fairview
Christian Church being conducted
by Rev. Edgar Harden, pastor of the
Bwoct Home Church. A gpccinl gong
service is being featured through
out* the revival which will last until
July 14th. The public is cordially in*
vited to attend.
'? ? !
Correction
In last Friday's issue a typograph
ical error was made in Harrison
Brothers' ad and the price of the
dresses was too low. We are glad to
make this correction on another
page in triis paper
Swimming Pool Is
On Town Property
?Near Legion Hall
Nine Carloads of Material
Are Unloaded Here
This Week
Work on Williamston's $18,000 rec
reational center iB now progressing
rapidly following the location of the
swimming pool on town property
between Watts and Biggs Streets
and near the hut of the John Wal
ton Hassell Post of the American
Legion. Additional labor is being
drafted into service and around fif
teen men have been employed on
the project since a new site for the
pool was selected last Tuesday af
ternoon by Engineer Henry Rivers
and members of the recreation com
mittee.
Work on the project has been de
layed a few days while the authori
ties were considering the purchase
of a small piece of property adjoin
ing that of the town. With material
moving in for the pool, the authori
ties withdrew their offer of $500 for
the property, choose another site
for the pool and started operations
Nine carloads of rock and cement
are being unloaded this week and
excavation work will likely get un
derway some time during the com
ing week. In the meantime work on
tiling the big ditch running through
the property is being continued, and
the clearing of the site will be com
pleted as soon as possible.
The swimming pool, thirty by
ninety feet, will touch county prop
erty on the east and extend almost
to Watts Street on the west. Side
walks, ten feet wide, will be con
structed around the pool and bath
houses will be located on the east
end of the pool.
No date for completing the proj
1 ect has been mentioned, but efforts
are being made to handle the work
and release labor to regular em
ployment in the late summer.
Twenty-four merr were certified
for WPA work the middle of this
week, and quite a few others were
seeking employment, It was learned.
Information coming from WPA offi
cials clearly states that when pri
vate employment is available, men
on the projects are to be released im
mediately. No large demand* for la
bor is expected locally before late
summer, reports coming from the
farms stating that the need for sur
plus labor is not as great this sea
son as it was a year ago. One far
mer stated Wednesday that he
needed three or four hands, that
when he stopped his truck a few
minutes here anxious workers
crowded into it.
"We only want men on WPA proj
ects ^when?they can't fmd -private
work, and when employment is open
to them releases are effected immed
iately," I. M. Bailey of the William
?jston district office said, adding that
when private employment was ten
dered and a WPA worker refused to
accept then the worker was fired
Last Chance Given
For Vaccination of
Dogs in the Count v
Commissioners in All-Day
Session Here Last
Wednesday
Their meeting postponed last
Monday on account of a holiday and
again the following day on account
of the death of Mrs Elizabeth Pope,
Board Chairman Pope's mother, the
county commissioners were in an
all-day session here last Wednesday
handling a varied business program
and listening to a delegation from
Griffins Township.
Advised that hardly more than
one-third of the dogs in this county
had been vaccinated against rabies
111 HITliraanPe With law, Ine cumnus
sioners issued a last warning to those
owners whose dogs have Dot been
vaccinated Sheriff C. B .Roebuck
was instructed to give the more or
less careless owners another chance
to have their dogs vaccinated, and
to indict the owners who fail or re
fuse to have their dogs vaccinated
within a certain time.
Stations for vaccinations will be
reopened throughout the county
within the next few days, and the
authorities propose to prosecute
those owners who have not had their
dogs vaccinated and who fail to tako
advantage of the opportunity to do
so during the specified time. The
law savs that all dugs shall he vac
cinated against rabies between April
and July 1, but unofficial reports
maintain that hardly more than 1,
000 dogs have been vaccinated lrrthe
county this year.
The commissioners issued an or
der directing that suits be brought
"as soon as practicable" to collect
back taxes. The problem of recom
mending a road improvement proj
ect was dumped back into the lap
of Highway Commissioner D. C.
Barnes, of. Murfreesboro A survey
of licenses for selling patent inedi
Cinps was reviewed =
Representatives of various patent
| medicine firms, it was pointed out,
had been operating in the county
without permits or proper licenses,
the commissioners checking the list
and issuing permits without cost in
i some cases and directing the pur
I chase of licenses in other cases. Per
mits were granted the following on
| account of physical disability: B. B.
Biggs, Robert Moore, Jasper Ben
nett, Joe and Jack Everett Arrange
ments were made at the meeting by
Leslie Gurganus to procure the nec
essary county licenses, the board rul
ing that W W Roberson and Rev.
Ambrose were to purchase license
along with any others operating in
the county or discontinue their sell
ing activities.
A change in the valuation placed
| on the property of hfarvin Britton
was ordered, the board dropping the
figure from $2,500 to $2,000. The
valuation on certain property be
longing to Mrs. Lossie Barnhill was
discussed, but no action was taken
immediately.
Reports were heard from the
, county farm agent's office and the
welfare department.
The board discussed the possibil
ity of opening two National Youth
Administration sewing rooms in the
county, but took no definite action.
0
j Millions Allotted For
Maintenance State Roads
Seven and one-half million dol
1 lars have been allocated -tor the
maintenance of State highways and
county roads in North Carolina dur
ing the new fiscal year, Vance Baise,
chief engineer of the State Highway
and Public Works Commission, an
nounced this week. State highways
will get $2,038,500 and $4,576,500 will
go for the upkeep of county roads.
The first division which includes
this county was allotted $295,016 foi
?tate .Jjighwgyjt jnd. i?2JI9!Liff)
I county roads.
RAINFALL
Last month was the wettest
June on record in this county,
according to official figures re
leased this week by the federal
weather station on Roanoke Riv
er. The station reported 9.71
Inches of rain during the period,
or slightly more than two Inches
ahead of the record reported for
the month of June, 1936. Ordi
narily that much rain in a sin
gle month causes no groat
alarm, but the heavy rains fol
lowed an unusually wet season
tn April and May, the weather
station reporting 21.45 Inches
during the three months.
During the past seven years,
the rainfall far July haa aver
aged 7-25 Inches, but ee far very
little rain has fallen this month
la this section.
Board Rescinds Action Locating
Road and Dumps Problem Back
Into Commissioner Barnes' Lap
Less Than Half of Farmers
In County Ask Leaf Quotas
Less than half of the farmers in whether he is operating under the
Martin County have applied for soil conservation program or not
their 1938 tobacco marketing allot- will have to report before a mar
ments as the last day for handling keting allotment Is given him And
the applications in the various dis- every farmer'who wants to market
tricts draws to a close today. Some any tobacco tax free will have to
of the districts possibly have handl report immediately if he is to get an
ed more than 75 per cent of their allotment
lists, but in one or two districts the It is not absolutely necessary that
community committees have been" the tarmer offer a complete report
idle during a greater part of the as to the pounds of tobacco sold in
three days set aside for receiving 1938 and 1937, but he must report
applications. other required information and ad
It is possible some of the contmun vise that he has lost his sales rec
ity committees will hold to their sta- ords. According to estimates gained
tions tomorrow, but it is likely that from the agricultural building today
after that time, the farmers will hardly more than 40 per cent of the
have to file the required informa- farmers are offering any complete
tion in the offices of the county records, and of the remaining 6U
agent. It is an absolute certainty per cent, many have no records at
that every farmer regardless of all
Another Luulmark
Bows To Progress
Purchased by Hugh M Hurras the
small office building on Smlthwick
Street will be moved down the riv-j
er hill next week to make room for
an addition to the George Reynoldsj
Hotel.
The office building was said to
have been built more than a half
century ago by the late John Daw
son Biggs who used it for a number
of years. One of the town's first den-|
lists, Dr. Burton, occupied the hinld-j
jng during the latter part of the cen .
tury, and he was followed by an ? j
other dentist, Dr. M F. Styne. Mrs
Henrietta Bateman and her daugh
ter, Beulah, dressmakers, then mov
ed into the building and occupied it
until their deaths a few years later.
Wilson Lamb and the late L. C.
Bennett and John Lamb and How
ard Herrick then roomed in the
two-room structure, the then young
men getting the scare of their lives
one night Wilson Umb and the late
Mr. Bennett were awakened one
night when a horse stuck his nose
through a window and snorted.
Awakened suddenly and seeing the
object almost over his head, Mr.
Umb cried out, "Pete, the devil has
? got us now." "Pete," Mr. Lamb re
ferring to Mr. Bennett, "went under
the bed on one side, and I went un
der the bed on the other. We met
about middle way underneath and
not knowing the movements of the
other, we got out in a hurry. Our
movements and yells frightened the
horse, too, and he tore out the win
dow sash with his head," Mr. Lamb
explained. ? ?
The young men were followed in
the building by the late Dr. William
E. Warren in 1903^ He quit there h
form a partnership with the late Dr.
Harrell, and a few years later I
Dr. H. B. York moved into the build- i
ing and used it as an office until the1
York building was erected on Wash
ington street. Mrs. Martha Philpot
and family then occupied the build
ing for a number of years or until
their home was built on Warren
Street Dr. W F. Evans then oc
cupied the building until he return
ed to school last February, and Dr.
V. E. Brown used the building until
he formed a partnership with Dr
|J. H. Saunders.
OUT TOMORROW
Local Fund For China's
Suffering Raised To $12
"My crops are not the best I ever
had, and I don't have a great deal
to spare, but when I think how well
off we are compared with the suf
fering millions in China, I want to
help some," a Williams Township
farmer said thts week tn contrlbut
ing $5 to the fund for civilian re
lief in the Far East. It is estimated
that the 35 will feed a person in Chi
na for 167 days.
The donation increases the fund
to $12 raised in this community, as
follows:
Previously acknowledged $ 4.50
Miss Lora Sleeper 2.50
Fanner friend 5.00
Totals to date 312.00
Legion Post Will Hold
Regular Meet Monday
. The John Walton Hasseli post of
the American Legion will hold its
regular meeting in the hut here next
Monday evening at 8 o'clock.
Showing much improvement
during, the past week, Mr. Arlle
T. Ilelch, co-proprietor of the
Planters and New Carolina to
bacco warehouses in Williams
ton, is expected to leave a Nor
folk hospital tomorrow. The pop
ular tobacconist has been in the
hospital several weeks follow
ing an operation for appendici
tis.
Will Hold Train
Hearing August 2
A hearing on the proposed dis
continuance of trains from Plym
outh to Tarboro by the Atlantic
Coast Line Railroad Company has
jM *?n pnsUpnnoH until Tiiowtny, Ang
ust 2, town officials here have been
advised. The hearing was scheduled
-to- have been held in the office -o?
Utilities Commissioner Winborne in
Raleigh this afternoon at 3 o'clock,
but chambers of commerce and in
terested citizens in the towns served
by the trains on several of the com
pany^ branch lines asked that a de
lay be granted.
During the next few days special
efforts will be made to outline a
concerted opposition to the com
pany's proposed action. At a meet
ing in Kihston held yesterday, it
was intimated that the operating
company had' not offered complete!
facts, that more time was needed to
prepare argument against the pro
posed removal of the trains.
Mayor J. L. Hassell and Attorney
4-lwgh Gi Hortan ami Juntii'p Ai Car
ey, of Jamesville, were planning to
attend the hearing in Raleigh this
afternoon. r
Town Commissioners To
Meet Next Monday Night
???
The twice postponed meeting of
WiHiamston's town commissioners
lias been scheduled again, Mayor J.
L. Hassell stating that a session is to
be held next Monday evening at 8
o'clock Budget figures for the new
year, old tax accounts and numer
ous matters falling in the routine
class are due consideration, it is un
derstood, but it is not known just at
this time what will be placed ofi the
calendar for consideration at the
The meeting, scheduled to have
been held last Monday evening, was
postponed until the following eve
ning on account of the holiday. K
second postponement was ordered on
Tuesday evening when only two of
the five commissioners reported.
Griffins District
Advances A Strong
Claim for Project
Farm Life-Old Mill Inn
Road Serves More Than
110 Families
\ "We'll forgive Villi <lf V(U i r prmr
and faults if you will rescind your
-action in designating the Butler's
Bridge-Hassell road and recognize
our more urgent claim to considew
tion, Mr Pleny Peel, spokesman for
the Griffins Township group, ad
dressed the commissioners. The rep
resentatives, well aware of the dif
ficult position occupied by the com-"
missioners, offered strong evidence
in support of the claim which was
masterly presented by Mr. Peel. The
Griffins citizens appeared in the
meeting Wednesday after failing to
get notice of th^ special session held
a week ago today, and it was evi
dent that considerable study of the
basic facts had been made.
''We air?not milling any special -
favor or a direct outlet to any one
market. We are advancing what we
sincerely believe is a valid claim to
consideration when it comes to al
locating $28,000 for the construction
of a farm-to-market road," Spokes
man Peel explained, offering con
vincing facts to support that claim.
The group, with a well-prepared
map of the approximately nine-mile
project, called out the names of 110
families?landowners, it was ex
plained?who live on the route, and
who are now traveling on the poor
est road in the entire county, it was
pointed out. Continuing the group
said there are 20,000 square acres
of cleared land adjacent to the Farm
Life-Old Mill Inn road. Six churches
and three schools are directly on the
route, the spokesman explaining of
his volition that two of the schools
were colored.
The majority of our people are
between seven and eight miles from
a hardsurfaced road, while Hassell
is within a mile and a half of one.
We are not denying that the good
people around Hassell are in need
of an improved road, but we are
just trying to point out that we be
lieve and know we have a greatei
claim to consideration," the repre
sentatives went on to explain.
"Gentlemen, there are about 15
families living on the Hassell road.
They are within a very short dis
tance of a hardsurface road on High
way No. 11, on No 125 at Butler's
Bridge, at Oak City and at Hamil
ton," Mr Peel added, showing that
he and his party were well acquaint
ed with the facts surrounding both
prnjerts
The first sign of a compromise
I was advanced when Mr. Peel sug
gested that if The commissioners
I would not reconsider their action of
la%t Friday they could divide the
$28,000 ? $18,000 to the Griffins
project and $10,000 to Hassell. The
suggestion apparently did not meet
with the unanimous approval of
the entire group of representatives,
but no objection was voiced.
Commissioner C C. Fleming was
unavoidably detained and since he
could not be present for the after
noon session, Commissioner R. A.
Ilaislip made a motion that action
be delayed. Mr. Peel's suggestion
and Commissioner Haislip's motion
did nut receive consideration,?and -
Commissioner C. A. Roberson took
the floor. "I cannt change my vote,
matter, but I suggest that the mat
i ter be left up to District Highway
Commissioner D. C. Barnes. Let him
make a survey and do as a member
of one of the representatives from
Robersonville last Friday suggest
ed,"1 Mr. Roberson said. /Speaking
before the commissioners/ last Fri
day, R. L. Smith suggested that a
survey of the routes be made, and
i the $28,000 allotted to the one serv
ing the most people.
The meeting accepted the sugges
tion which, after all rescinded the
action taken last Friday, upon the
condition that Commissioner Flem
ing concur. Anxious to get the mat
ter settled, the commissioners quit
the county courthouse and drove to
Jamesville about 5 o'clock but were
the matter was left open until yes
terday morning when he was reach
ed over telephone and supported
the agrswnit
Confined to a Richmond hospital.
(Continued on page four)