North Carolina Newspapers

Advertisers Will Find Our Col umn* ? Latchkey to over 1,600 Homes of Martin County. THE ENTERPRISE Watch the Label on Your Paper, Aa It Carries the Data Your Subscription Expires. VOLUME XLII?NUMBER 12 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday. February 10.1939. ESTABLISHED 1899 Judge Peel Holds Short Session Of Recorders Court Only Eight Cases on the Docket For Trial Monday With the smallest number of cases on the docket in recent weeks, th Martin County Recorders court was m session only a short time last Monday. The docket little attention and small crowds were present to hear the proceed ings. . Judge Peel turned his attenUon to the non-payment of costs tain cases, and sentenced James Henry Brown to jail for fiveays for faiUng to pay the balance of th cost due in the case charging the de^ with violating the liquor 'a Bond in the case charging Julius Latham with violating the liquor laws was ordered forfeited when the defendant failed to ?swer when called in open court. Eddie Brown was Latham's bondsman A consent judgment was entered in the case charging James Paul Lilley with careless and r***1"5 driving. The defendant, under the terms of the settlement, was to sur render possession and title to his 1937 Ford car to Woodrow and Dan Jones and pay $75 to Dr ' Rhodes on the medical bill of Eus tice and Woodrow Jones and *? L. Towe the three men to pay the re mainder of the bill. The defendant in the case is to appear back in court at the first term of the court after September 15. 1939, and show that judgment has been complied with He is to pay the costs of the Cayoung Lilley, dared by tlm fatal attack robbers made on his father early on the morning of last De-, cember 24, lost control of his cat while driving along Highway 17 a short time after the brutal crime was discovered. No criminal intent was advanced by the prosecution and an amicable settlement was ef fected both as to criminal and civil ChCha7ged with an assault with a deadly weapon, Gattis Pee adjudged guilty of simple assault by the court and fined $10 and tax-1 ed with the costs. William Henry Nelson, charged with larceny, was sentenced to the rosds for 12 months. He aPPea'^ and the court required bond in the sum of $200. He later withdrew his appeal and started serving time on the roads. . Larry Blount, charged with reck less driving, was fined $25 and tax ed with the cost. , Charged with drunken driving, Reddick Alexander was fined *50. taxed with the case costs and had his license to operate a motor ve hicle revoked for one year. Peter Spruill was sentenced to the roads forHwo months in the cue charging him with violating the liquor laws. Arrested in Ham ilton last Saturday, Spruill saw the officers were after him and he threw two pints of liquor to the ground and broke the bottles. Spotlight Turned on 40ur Bob1 Reynolds Senator Reynolds, "Our Bob", they called him when he politicked in an old automobile, is getting some mighty tough knocks in Washington these days. Re-elected apparently to vote against one Senator Josiah Bailey, the junior senator has shirk ed that duty, and his attempt to turn to the serious tide of political life shows him up as a "man of loud voice and not a deep thinker," according to one political writer in W??M?i|tnB ? The North Carolina electorate was rated as a happy-go-lucky group of voters because they were alleged to have sold their franchise for a good joke. Reynolds' outburst about the sale of airplanes to France put him into the spotlight, and showed that he had not been aware of what he had done in the past. Mr. Reynolds, just a year ago did not know that planes were being sold to Germany in vio lation of a certain treaty. He did not know that the sale of planes to Frances was licensed by the State Department, and yet he blarred out in the Senate that had it not been for an accident, the sale of planes to France rwrer would hav? been known. The Senator, campaigning on a wet platform, recently championed the dry cause, and lined up with "our" Mr. Bailey to vote against adequate relief appropriations and the confirmation of a presidential nominee for a federal judgeship Apparently Mr. Reynolds is now a jackass of < Credit Agencies A re Receiving Many Applications for Loans Applications lor loans are being crowded into government credit mills by Martin County farmers who are starting earlier than usual the task of financing their farming activities for another year. Already there have been reports where quite a few farmers were turned down by every known lending agency, and it becomes more apparent that some farmers will get through the year by the skin of their teeth if they get through at all. They are just not eligible to borrow, and the lime merchant cannot finance their operations. The production credit associa tion is off to a good start to estab lish a new record in the county this year. The local office has already approved 140 loans amounting to $113,400 as compared with 195 loans totaling a little less than $100, 000 during all of last season. Twenty applicants have been refused by the agency. The association heads an ticipate a 100 per cent increase in business this year. Opening last week, the Seed and Feed Loan office in the agricultural building is certain to outdistance its record Of last year Recognized as a last place to turn to for credit, the seed loan office received 25 appli cations during the first week it was open. During all of last season it handled 106 applications and lent nearly $14,000, 99 per cent of which was collected last fall Those plan ning to borrow from the seed loan office should file their applications as soon as possible. The Farm Security Administra tion is rushed with business, and despite the activities of the three agencies and those of private insti tutions, credit is just a little "tight er" this season than it was last. Consider Need for A Meat Storage Plant < POPE DIES Pope Pius XI, 81-year-old spiritual leader of four hun dred million Catholics, died at the Vatican early today, accord ing to unofficial reports reach ing here at noon. In ill health for some time, the Pontiff was stricken with influenza three days ago, and yesterday he suffered two heart attacks, a third one proving fa tal early today, It was report ed. Draw Jurymen For Duty In Sujierior Court Next Month Judge C. E. Thompson To Preside Over Two Weeks Term ? 1 Fifty-four Martin County citizens were drawn for jury service in the superior court convening a two weeks term next month by the board of county commissioners in regular session Monday. Thirty-six of the men are to report for service during the first week of the term beginning March 20, and the re maining eighteen will serve during the second week. Judge C. Everett Thompson, of Elizabeth City, is scheduled to pre side over the term which will be his first in this county. Appointed about a year ago, Judge Thompson won out over Herbert Leary in the last June primary to continue on the bench. Names of the jurymen: First Week Jamesville Township: ft. M. Hol liday. Williams Township: Hubert Moore. Griffins Township: George E. Peel and Ulysees PeeL Bear Grass Township: Asa Har ris, W. Eli Rogers, James Russell Cherry, A. C. Harrison, Henry White, Eli Bowen, . and James W. Harris. Williamston Township: R. A. Moore, H B Dinkens, H. B York, John H. Edwards, Theo Roberson, Noah E. Hardison, George H. Har rison and Pete Raynor. Cross Roads ? Township: J. B. Wynne. Waller Wynne, John H. Peel, Raymond Stalls and H. L. Roebuck. Robersonville Township: W. W. Taylor, O. P. Smith, J H Gray, J. M. Dixdh and R C. verett. Hamilton Township: H. D. Beach, R H. Salsbury, W. C. Haislip, W F Thomas, W C. House and W R . L. Purvis. Goose Nest Township: N. L Hy man. Second Week Jamesville Township: J. S. God ard, J. T. Cooper, P. J Modlin. Williams Township: A M. Griffin. Griffins Township: J. Claude Men denhall, Samuel J. Lilley and John E. Griffin. Bear Grass Township: Tobe Bow en. Williamston Township: E. N. Manning, Charles Edwards, James D. Lilley. Robersonville Township: W. A. Vanderford, L N. Vick, Ottis O. Woo lard, J. T, Powell and Claude T. Smith. Hamilton Township: Harvey Whitfield and A. E. Downs. Interested Farmers Discuss Project At Recent Meet Here Uncertain Weather Costsj Martin Farmers Large Sums of Money Experiencing substantial losses as a result of uncertain weather con ditions during the meat-packing season in years gone by, Martin County fanners are said to br great ly interested in the construction ot a cold storage plant at some central point in the county. Meeting here a few days ago with specialists from the State College Extension division and the United States Department of Agriculture, several farmers and ice plant opera tors discussed at length the value a storage plant would have, the group showing much interest in the possibility of establishing a storage freezer locker unit in the county. Addressing the group, Specialist Warner explained the operation of the plants and stated that there were approximately 1,500 units op erating successfully throughout the country at the present time. The size of the plants range from ones of fifty to 1,500 lockers. Most of the plants are operated, in connection with other enterprises, mostly ice manufacturing plants, Mr. Warner" said. There are quite a few operat ed cooperatively by farmers, but the most successful system has been maintained in cooperation with oth er enterprises. Roberson's Slaughter House here has handled thousands of pounds of meat for Martin farmers in recent years, but the facilities there are understood to be necessarily limit ed and they are used by a compara-j tively small number of farmers. A plant with adequate facilities can cure and store meat for around one and one-half cents, a pound, and assure tfce farmer that his meat will not spoil. "Such meats as spare ribs, tenderloins, pork chops, sausage and other parts of the hog could be frozen and stored, the farmer having fresh meat available at almost any time of the year. In addition to stor ing meats, the plant could handle fresh vegetables and fruits for per lods varvinfl from aim> d, tuis?iUA months," Mr. Warner said. The individual lockers can be used during certain periods of the year by store and market operators and others at a cost ranging from about $8 to $12. No exact estimates are available, but it is fairly certain that Martin County farmers have lost thousands of dollars in years gone by when warm seasons would come just af ter they killed their hogs and caus ed their meat to spoil. Comparatively few plants are in operation in this State, but in those arears where they have been establ ished any length of time, farmers kill hogs during most any season of the year, and do so with the assur ance that their meat will be saved. V Assistant Agent J P Woodard stated following the meeting that much interest in the establishment of such a plant has been shown by leading farmers and merchants of the county, and that he believed the prospects were good for build ing a plant sometime within the near future. He|)ort Opposition To Legal System For Liquor Control Counties Upset By Action Of the State ABC Liquor Board -<$ The pendulum that has always swung to the wet side in liquor vot ing as weti as liquor drinking in Martin County is about to swing to the dry side, according to reliable reports coming from various parts of the county. And it is caused by the actions of the State ABC board and its greedy requests for larger appropriations. "If the quesibn of liquor control was placed before the people of this county at this time they would vote against legal stores," a well inform ed man voiced as his strung upimon this week. The citizen, acquainted with activities throughout the coun ty, went on to say that he had heard dozens of citizens in Robersonville, Hamilton and other communities voice their opposition to the legal store system as it was now main tained and dominated by a political board in Raleigh. "We were of the opinion that gen eral reductions in taxes would be effected when the stores were open ed, but the State comes in to de mand a lion's share of the profits and more than a hundred thousand dollars have been asked for operat ing the Raleigh agency," several of the citizens were quoted as saying. It was also pointed out that the il legal liquor traffic continues in op eration despite the legal system ad vanced to handle the problem. There are others of more con servative thought who believe that the taxpayers are fighting mad with the set-up in Raleigh, that while many are disgusted with the ABC systc^m, they would again support if in a referendum in this county. The outspoken opposition to the ABC system came after Hertford County voted to stick by its "corn" in a referendum held there last I Saturday. They wanted no part in a system that taxes seventeen counties thousands of dollars to maintain a political board in Ral eigh. The proposal to open legal li qunr stores in that county was do-' feated by a vote of 1,186 to 512. Some of the big-time papers in the State suggested that it was just another case of where the people vote dry and drink wet. Others de clare the people are not in favor of the Raleigh set-up. # Homesteads Left Out In The Cold Five amendments to tile North Carolina Constitution were offered to and approved by the people of the State in November, 193(1 Twi new judges have been added to -the State Supreme-Court,- intnngi ble properties have been placed un der a special classification, income tax rates were upped, and limita tions were placed on bonded indcbt edness, after a fashion, hut the Homestead exemption amendment, passed along with the other four, re mains out in the cold. Supporters of the homestead amendment went before a sub-corn mittee of the house in Raleigh this week and urged that the plan to re lieve homesteads be given consid eration. The committee heard a large del egalion headed by Dr Clarence Poo, editor of the Progressive Farmer, and Harry M. Caldwell, Master of the State Grange, which advocated a $300 exemption or rebate of half the tax on the first $750 of real property. The delegation pointed out the exemptions which apply to all other kinds of taxes and called at tention to the fact that every other CUII&lltuliuuuT til i icndi I; e I it adopted in 1936 had been put into effect by the 1937 General Assembly. The sub-committee also heard John W Skinner, of Warrenton, sec retary of the Association of County Commissioners and Mayor George Peterson, mayor of Clinton, and chairman of the legislative commit tee of the North Carolina League of Municipalities, both of whom op posed the exemption on the ground that it would increase tax rates. While the pleas of the amend ment supporters were heard with patience, there is yet no evidence that the proposal will receive ser ious consideration by the current legislature. ? Special Services Will Be Held At Dardens Church Mr Eugene Ogrodowski, senior at A. C. C., will conduct both the morning service at eleven o'clock and the evening service at seven thirty in the Dardens Church Sun day, Feb. 12. Mr J D. Taylor will have charge of the Sunday school Approximately Quarter Million Dollars Are Available in 1939 To Farmers Under Soil Program L iq uorMa n ufactu rersHid i ng Plants in Abandoned Houses Their activities in the woods sub ject to the eye of air raiders, liquor manufacturers In this county are said to be seeking the shelter of i houses. Raiding in Bear Grass Township last Wednesday morning. Special Enforcement Officer J H. Roebuck and Federal Agents Smith, j Haishaw and Adler found a perfect I job of camouflaging. Turning from the woods, thei manufacturers had set up a size able plant in an abandoned lumber camp house, Officer Roebuck stat-j ing that the top of the smokestack fiom the boiler was just through the room, that a special door was used to cover the furnace, and that a special pump was used to draw wa-. ter into the hut. The rig was of the steam type with a 100-gallon capa city kettle, the officer describing it as the most complete unit he had ever seen. Officer Roebuck stated that he had found and destroyed hundreds of stills in recent years, but it was the first time he had ever found one in a house. It seems as if liquor manufactur ing under a roof constitutes a meat or infraction of the law than open air manufacturing, the county offi cer explaining lhat an indictment was almost certain to follow, and that possibly an agent of the justice department would be sent to the county to investigate the case A government plane spotted sev eral liquor plants from the air in a recent flight over the county, and manufacturers are said to be study ing camouflaging as a modern fea ture in their business. Towns And Counties! Recover Portion 01 "Stolen" Revenue To Get Seventy-Five Per Cent of Tax on In tangibles Towns and counties will recover a portion of the revenue legally "stolen" from them by the 1937 leg islature if the lawmakers now in session agree with the joint finance committee in favoring a 75 per cent return instead of half the amounts collected on intangible properties. It isn't that the Raleigh boys are getting liberal with the stepchildren, they virtually agreed t<> compro I mise when it was almost apparent ' that unless they did they would bo subject to lose all collections on intangible property. And it is pos sible that some of the counties and towns will demand that all reve nue raised on intangible properties I be given them, the general opinion being that the State has no valid (laim to that tax. The new-fangled intangible tax lias been disappointing in almost every particular, unofficial reports | stating that a vast portion of in tangible wealth still enjoys immun ity behind State lines and in the safety box. Collections have been hardly one-fourth the amount the tax experts calculated would be raised under the new system Hut every penny collected by the State from intangibles is just that much tor the State treasury, for prior to 1937 the towns and counties alone attacked the honest and noble hold ers of intangible property. When the law was first put into effect in 1937, town and county revenue from intangibles dropped to a new low, an incomplete survey showing there would have been no increase in the total revenue had the State shared in no part of the tax. There has been some talk about j transferring the collection of the tax on intangibles back to the| counties, those favoring the trans fer pointing out that it could be | collected much cheaper by the J counties and towns than by the | State. ' Opposition to returning a larger percent of the tax to the local units, claim that most of the counties will lose more than they will gain. The joint finance committee this week just about completed its work on the revenue bill, an instrument that carries dynamite for some of the State institutions. A streak of liberality was seen in the action of the committee this week when its members turned from the cold meaning of dictionary words and ap plied the humane definition to med icine and ice. These two items would be exempt from the sales tax along with essential foods and some build ing materials. Diversion of gasoline funds to the general fund was written into the revenue bill without argument, iind a slight change was made in the rate applicable to intangible prop erties. The bill now calls for the taxing of bonds, notes and other evidences of debt at the rate of 50 cents instead of 40 cents on each $100. All exemptions applicable to intangible property listings have been removed. \ - MARKER A | According to unorricial In formation received here today, the North Carolina Historical Commission will place a mark er here for the late Judge Asa Crawford Higgs. The renowned townsman was born here in the early part of the last century, lived in the home now orruupied by the Powdens on Church Street, was a member of the I'nited States Senate in the early fifties and was federal judge for several terms. It is also understood that the commission is considering plac ing a marker here for the late Samuel Johnson, prominent figure in the early affairs of the American Republic. Job Placements In January (Greater Than A \ ear \"<> P ? * Construction Work Absorbs Most of 155 Men Assignments Making a total of I5S placements during the month of January, ISI3SI the Williamstun office of the Stale Employment Service showed a net gain tn job placements for unem ployed .ipplieains of- appiuAimalely three hundred per cent over Jann. arg a year ago. Many of these placements were in building construction, some in public works, and a number of them were in private employment of reg ular duration. Placements were ef fected in practically all sections of -Tlm-ftvo-countion that are served by the Williamston office Beaufort county led in number of place ments for January. During the past month 34? new registrations were taken by the lo cal office in five counties and 140 applications were renewed A total of 5,382 persons called af the local office and at its extension service points during the past month The local employment office has been rendering a considerable num ber of other services in addition to its regular duties of registering, classifying and listing unemployed people, handling claims for unem ploymcnl compensation b^heflt!, and similar activities. At present, it is supervising and will soon complete a special survey of all registered persons of both races in its five counties with third grade education or less. It is also making a complete directory of all employers and busi ness firms engaged in any type of general business in its area Its re cently made hunting and fishing guide survey for this section has been made available to a number of sportsmen, huntsmen and State or ganizations wishing to make use of it. Escapes Unhurt In Car Accident Near Farmville Kalph Mobley, young cuunty man, escaped uninjured in an automobile accident near Farmville last Fri day night Mobley brought his car almost to a stop In passing the scene of a wreck and when he did his car waa struck in the rear by a truck driven by a candy talesman. Dam age to the Mobley car was estimat ed at more than $250. Program Explained To Committees In Meeting Yesterday ? Brandon Says the New Soil Plan Is Best Yet Devised The new 1939 soil conservation program offers to Martin?County farmers more than a quarter million dollars in benefit payments, it was unofficially estimated by Will Rog ers, representative of the State Col lege Extension division, in a meet ing held here yesterday afternoon with the county agricultural com mittee and community committee men. Exact figures are not avail able at this time, but the office of the county agent estimates that the farmers by adhering strictly to the program can earn around $261,784 this year under the soil conservation program. Commenting on the new program this morning. County Agent T. B. Brandon and his assistant, T. B. Slade, said that it was the most at tractive one yet advanced by the government The two men looked upon the program with a greater hope for the future of agrictriturer While the new program carries no marked changes in the allotments to States, counties and individual fanners, it is more attractive in that it gives special consideration to the small-scale farmer. "If our farmers adhere to the program, they will receive around $40,000 under the provisions of a change in the rate of payments," Agent Brandon - said. This change will affect nearly every farmer in this county, the agent pointing out that Martin stands to gain more by it than possibly any other edunty in this area The change, Mr. Brandon points out, will increase thr rate of "bene fit payments to farmers receiving less than $200 under the regular rate schedule. For instance, a farm er who ordinarily would receive a $100 benefit payment, will possibly get an added $12, and if he has two tenants they will get around $15. With an unofficial allotment of 11,137 acres, the tobacco farmers are in line to receive $82,414. This figure is based on a production of 1)30 pounds to the acre and a rate I of pay of $$7.44 an acre Cotton far j mors, with an unofficial allotment ??( 5,000 acres will he paid at the nite nf two cents a pound on a basis <?f 318 pounds to the acre and will receive* around $37,524. Irish pota tn growers nrh get as"much as $1, 222, the amount being based on 291 | acres With an allotment of 18,200 1 acres, peanut farmers can earn around $29,484. Soil building prac tices, if followed to the limit, will yield another $40,000 or a sum ap i proximating that amount. The | special rate of payment will possP^ bly push the total possible maximum payment to $261,784, Mr. Brandon estimated. Another important change in the 1939 program is the reduction in the penalty taxed against <>vef-produc tion in tobacco. Heretofore when he planted in excess of his allotment, the tobacco farmer was penalized at the rate of eight cents a pound. Under the new ruling, any excess (Continued on Page Four) Schoolmasters h Meet l^ast Night The Martin County Schoolmasters Club held its regular monthly meet ing in the Robersonville high school building last evening After dispos ing of routine business matters, the club was addressed by Dr. P. E. Wilson, head of the Martin County Health Department, who presented results of the recent physical exam ination of over one thousand first, third and sixth grade children in our schools. As proof of the need for more health teaching. Dr. Wilson pointed out the fact that sixty-nine per cent of the children examined had defects of some kind. Plans were made for a complete study of the relation of physical defects to grade failures. Records of students repeating grades will be carefully examined and compared with the results of the recent physical exam inations All schools will cooperate with Dr. Wilson In the study. The March meeting of the club will be held in Oak City.