Watch The Label On Your Paper. Aa It Carries The Date Your Subscription Expires. THE ENTERPRISE Advertisers Will Pind Our Col umns A Latchkey To Over 1.M0 Homes Of Martin County. VOLUME XLIY?NUMBER 36 Willimmaton, Martin County, Morth Carolina, Tueaday, May 6, 1911. ESTABLISHED 1899 Indications Point To Medium Increase In Values Of Property Four Reporting Township Show Gains for Both Per sonal ami Real Propertv # Four Martin County townships, filing their tax books for 1941 with the tax supervisor here just recent ly. show gains in listings for both real and personal properties, but it is quite apparent that the increase in values will fall far below estimates i advanced four months ago when the assessors started their work and the list-takers started filling in the ap proximately 8.000 individual ab stracts. The four townships. Bear Grass. Poplar Point. Goose Nest and Wil liamston. filing their tax scrolls just a few days ago. reported a combin ed gain of $360,489, most of the gain or $295,830, being reported in Wil liamston Township The four dis tricts reported a gain of $105,369 in personal property values and $255. 120 in real values. According to preliminary estimates several of the remaining six town ships unreported to date will show comparatively small gains Howev er, a sizable gain is anticipated in Jamesville Township where the list ings of the North Carolina Pulp Com pany were materially increased this year over those for 1940. Even with the increase now in prospect, it is fairly apparent that no sizable re duction in the county-wide tax rate is in sight as far as shifting the base of taxation fnifii the rate m tntal valuations. The following tabulations show the personal and real property listings in four townships for the years 1941 and 1940 and the resulting increases in both types of listings and the com bined values and gains: Bear Grass Township Year Personal Real Totals 1941 $134,207 $ 458.799 $ 593,006 1940 133,830 440,388 574.218 $ 377 $ 18,411 $ 18,788 Poplar Point Township 1941 $ 76.621 $ 265.485 $ 342.106 1940 75.099 260,299 335,398 $ 1,522 $ 5,186 $ 6.708 Goose Nest Township 1941 $243,454 $ 996,885 $1,240,339 1940 218.800 982,376 1.201,176 $ 24,654 $ 14,509 $ 39.163 1941 $698,591 $1,999,494 $2,698,085 1940 619,775 1,782,480 2.402,255 $ 78,816 $ 217.014 $ 295,830 Local Town Hoard In Brief Meeting Holding one of their shortest and one of the most uneventful meetings in recent months, the local town com missioners last evening hardly did j enough to write home about, the minutes showing not a single action J handled in its entirety. The stream of water that has been flowing across the sidewalk all these years between the theatre and Woolard Hardware Company store j on Main Street during heavy rains brought interested parties, represent ed by the hardware company opera tor, before the meeting. "They are | closing the lot and it will turn the water into the stores," the represen- ' tative explained. The officials in structed the water and street de partment superintendent to contact the property owners and propose a cooperative project for tiling the wa- ] ter from the several buildings in that area to a storm sewer on Church Street. It is entirely an individual problem, the board spokesman ex plained. The NYA recreational center for the colored population, a hang-over from the movement started several seasons ago to provide wholesome recreational centers for youth that must be entertained, was up for dis cussion at the meeting last night The unfinished monument just off Broad Street, near the town cemetery, can be completed for approximately $1, 250. With around $1,200 already in vested in the structure, the town agreed to raise an additional $1,250 provided the sponsors raise the re maining $500 The town is to place its $1,250 in the bank for the project and work to complete the building will be started as soon as the $500 is banked. Find Missing Man's Body At Plymouth The body of Franklin David Sim mons, young white man who was drowned in the Roanoke River at the North Carolina Pulp Company plant in the lower part of this coun ty early last Wednesday morning, was recovered from the stream near the Norfolk-Southern freight depot in Plymouth last Sunday afternoon Identification was made by his cloth ing and a key in his pocket. Investi gating the popular plant employee'i death, a coroner's jury returned I verdict stating that the man's death was due to accidental drowning. Hi< body was floating face down neai the Plymouth side of the river wher found. Tobacco TransplantingNears Climax in County This Week Contrary to early predictions, to bacco transplanting is well ahead of schedule in the county, scattered re- \ ports indicating that the work will likely approach a climax before the week a cpent. Just a few weeks ago. numbers of Martin farmers predict ed an unusually late transplanting season and the facts at that time certainly substantiated the predic tions. Cold weather killed many plants and then there was the blue mold to consider. An unusually warm spell about three weeks ago upset the discouraging predictions, and farm ers are now proceeding with the work a few days ahead of schedule There are a few instances where late transplantings will take place ! Blue mojd, the strange-acting dis ease, is attacking the tender plants | only in spots, and it is fairly certain now that it will not materially af- ' ftx.*t the crop in the county this year Those farmers whose plant beds have been damaged, are making plans to get supply of plants after their neigh bors -finish setting their crops. Although May 10 is recognized as an ideal time for transplanting the crop, quite a few farmers had finish ed their task last week, and hun dreds of acres are t>eing planted to I the crop each day now. The season has been favorable to date. Hail, falling in several sections of the county and particularly in the Spring Green. Robersonville. Cross Roads and Jamesville areas, is said to have damaged plant beds to some extent, but the damage will hardly delay transplanting for more than a few days. It was the first hail re ported in the county this season, and the following day. Friday, in surance firms were busy issuing pol icies. Thirty-Nine Years Ago As Recorded In The Enterprise AUGUST 23, 1901. Look out for the big excursion by Hatch Bros . August 28th. Last chance. Don't miss it Mr. W S. Harris, the popular rlerk of Eli Gurganus, is now opening new goods in the new store of Mr Gur ganus. Thti f .in.lni.. U :ni'hmiM' is roming to the front Good management will surely tell. The Carolina is all right The tobacco sales at Roberson ville this week have been very good indeed. The farmers should congrat ulate themselves on having such a good market right at home. Graders are at work at Blount's Warehouse' on Smith wick Street grading tobacco for Mr Eli Gurgan us It is understood that there will | be a large sale at this place in the near future A sleepy looking celestial arrived in town Wednesday evening, and from what can be gathered from him there wrl! be^ a Chinese laundry in , town shortly. This will be a great convenience for our town people On account of the accident of one of the employees in our office last Saturday, we have been unable to fill the orders that we have for job work as promptly as we would like We hope that those of our patrons having orders with us for job print ing will be patient with us for a day or two. Rev B K Mason will preach in the hall Sunday morning and eve ning. The morning service at 11 a m , subject Blessings of Sorrow." Night, 8 o'clock, subject: "The Grace of God " Everyone is cordially invit ed to attend these services. Misses Lizzie and Mattie Quarter mus and brother, Ben, who have ^een visiting in Greenville, returned on Monday morning They were accom panied by their sister, Mrs J R Walker. Prof. C. W Wilson and family left Tuesday morning for their new home in Rocky Mount We wish them the success they deserve, and are sure they will deserve all they get. Messrs H. W Stubbs, S. W. Har rell, W T. Crawford, of this town, and M M Critcher, of Jamesville, spent Friday at Everetts, attending a large barbecue. Mr. J. R Mobley returned from Tarboro Friday evening He had spent the day with his duaghter, who is under treatment at the hospital in that town. ? ? Mart Remodeling The Old Tow n Hall Remodeling work on the lower floor of the "City Hall" was started here yesterday morning, the cost of the work to approximate $1,250, Treasurer N. C. Green said. Handled by day labor, the project calls for the complete renovation of the lower floor. The fire department equipment is being shifted from one side to the middle of the building, the treasurer's office to be located where the fire-fighting equipment is now located The mayor will have an office just back of the police de partment, and the town library will be located in the back of the build ing. The stairs to the upper floors will be arranged to turn traffic from the center entrance to that now ac commodating the treasurer's office and police department. ^ DRAFT CALL i The Cnited States Army this week plated a call with the Mar tin County Draft Board for ten colored men, but no call for white selectees was received. The ten colored trainees are to leave on May 22 for Fort Brarg. During the meantime, four col ored men are to leave on Thurs day of this week, and four white trainees, including Tom Crock ett, a recent volunteer, are to leave on Friday, May 16th, for Fort Bragg. The supply of white volun teers is exhausted, and the num ber of colored volunteers on the waiting list is not sufficient to fill the May Zt quota. Man Is Ba making every effort to quell an attack by pro-German forces there. If success is not pos sible on that front. Britain is making plans to render the rub Iraq oil Ileitis worthless. A British threat to blast ancient Baghdad from the air unless Iraqi forces dease fighting was contained in 24,000 Arabic pamphlets dropped on the city Sunday, but the Iraqui [ radio, spurning the warning, prom ised reprisal air attacks. Informed quarters in Cairo told of reinforcements of the Habbaniya base disputing Axis radio claims that Habbaniya had fallen to the Iraqi forces The German radio said Habbaniya had been occupied and that other | Iraqi troops had "completely en cireled"?t+n-?important oil shipping center and British base of Basra. General Sir Archibald Wavell's I Middle East command 111 Cairo as- | sorted in an official communique, however, that "the garrison at Hab baniya is intact.' although it was admitted that the situation there was somew hat delicate. In an earlier communique, the. R.A.F had announced that the bulk of Iraq's tiny air force of perhaps 7(1 planes mostly Italian. British and American had been 'destroyed" by the British ail force in air battles and bombings of airdromes Bate reports from Iraq state that the Iraqi claim the control of the im portant oil pipe line to Haifa. In Afri ca. the transfer of virtually all of the British expeditionary forces serv ing in the Balkans had been safely transferred to Egypt, relieving the situation there and improving Brit (Continued on page six) Little Boy s Life Is Snuffed Out By Car In County Saturday Fmieml Serving ll?>l??%4 It. in a U tter to the Offut of Ponhietion Manage merit which said the nation is con fronted with a "critical situation." ordered all available machines pool ed for defense work on a 24-hour day. 7 day week schedule. with time out only for repairs The President) also asked the QPM to rceanvass the nation, including the armed forces for skilled workers to operate the nuu limes jNo-t ffort or justifiable ex pense should he span d. the Presi dent said OPM Production Dnvcloi Higgcr I -peaking in Washington, said nation al tU'feiise progress "seems phenom enar but vast increases are >tdl necessary He said an plane produc tion which luis been trebled since May. 15140. must again be doubled before tin end of 1041, machine nun production which has been quad lupled. must be increased five fold | by the end of the year, the.manufac j lure of powder, increased 1,000- per i cent, must be trcbled Defense Needs First Blackwell Smith. Assistant Prior lties Director, said in a speech in Washington 'We cannot have busi ness as mual so long as we must pay first attention to defense needs "We are not choosing between | nuns and butter,0 he said, "but wr are choosing between tanks and air i planes and ships, and some things | which are not so essential "Wlu n you cohsidcr that our ma I jor defense effort is less than a year old. you begin to sense what the fu ture hold. . Mi Smith, said It will ! mean dislocations and difficulties, higher taxes, shortages in an unde ternTThcd numbel of products and it certainly means an overall effort which will tax all the resources of the nation ' Commerce Secretary Jones said in j a speech in Washington We have i not yet made any sacrifices-, hut they are in store for us. plenty of them " Labor Disputes Sei rotary of Lahoi Perkins report ed strikes have dee filled to a point | where less than two tenths of one ? per Cent of deft n>e wankers- or 7, HIM) persons are affected. Selective : Service headquarters advised local | hoard they are not justified in re classifying workers joining a strike ' in a defense industry Labor Supplv The Soc ial Security Hoard report i d shortage 05 years old are now el I igihle for Federal trades and artisan | ! positions Cost cd Living Sen etary of Labor Perkins re ported living costs of moderate iri < oine families in Marc h Were 2.0 pe r cent higher than before war started m Kuiope She- reported price rises in sugar, coffee, pork, butter, c anned vegetables and?certain?fresh?fruits and vegetables, rents, clothing and house furnishings Consiimel Commissioner Harriet | Klhott warned that some manufac turers were- maintaining unchanged I prices by lowering the quality of I their products Aid To Democracies The President told,a press confer ence he has ordered a survey to as certain what, if any, planes may be procured immediately from civilian airlines. Navy Secretary Knox told a press conference the* Navy has no combat ships available now for transfer to Great Britain, but that more high-speed "mosquito boats" will be turned over to the British as they conn* off assembly lines Shipping President Hoo.sevelt lequested U S. Maritime Commission Chairman Land to arrange a pool of at least 2, (Continued1'on page six) Ki.ucrioiN Williamson's biennial election is progressing according to plans today with little Interest being shown at the polls. Comparative ly few votes had been cast up until early this afternoon, but it is thought by the poll holders that the count will be greater than the : .* 1 r?*:?*I> speeding up i;ts -t htdul.' of ai'tryiiiiUnd making read^ to inaieriaii> increase pioduc lion of material vitally ru eessary in advancing national defense In the several-acre plot of land in the fork of. the Janiesvitlv and Wash ington Hoad the dm of speeding machinery is so great oh? t an hard ly liear tin human voire Materials, including food hut principally man ufactured lumber are being loaded at several points ha shipment to stia logic centers St veral handled p? isons in th? small at' i are turn irig and i\\ i. a in,". handling those tasks I in iein.o\ed fi ofn the actual line of battle but tasks that are mighty important to defense The Farmville Wood w .11 enlarging it already large plant, arid.making plans to add another shift of workmen Addition ;il side tracks are being laid in the plant yard to speed up shipments, and plans are being mad< to receive logs by tram as well as bv a fleet of trucks.. A new lumber shed, meas juruig 53 by 130 feet, is being con structed and the output of the plant Will he materially increased with in the next few day The 11 H Tlit'inp m in I .umhri t iim pany just across the tracks from the Farmville Woodward plant, rs pour ing a steady stream of dressed lutii her into waiting freight cars The mill of the CI. and II Builders Supply Company, just a few yards I away, is operating when it can get lumber The William-Ion IVanut Company. | handling an entirely different prod uct hut one that holds u high rank in any program be it during war or peace-time. irunning night and day filling orders Jumping from th? road forks to tin tiver front, the plant of Saunders and Cox continue* an effective op ei at nig schedule foi the manufacture 'of lumber, its employment lists hay j ing been materially increased during recent months Making a favorable but fairly slow i start just a short time ago, the Wil Jianistou 1'acl.age?Manufacturing Company ' . iepping up production rapidly and i now .turning out be tween H,(MM) and 12.(MM) baskets for packing fruits .mil vegetables and Irish and -.weet pplatoe.-. The Stanrlard FertiU*< i Company while facing a seasonal decline, is still opei at111;? on a fail ly e^tenSiie si liedU It I Otliei iiulu trial aclivilie. while operating on ,i smaller scale are al | so speeding up production a a basic part of the general businc: - program h? re and in cooperation w itli the na 11 -iial defense activities Will [ so l)\namite On ThcKivcr Kill Tin- stoppage of_tj .iflic uv?'i the Roanoke Rivei fill hece h>i a short I period or. during a few hours for the next two or three days was consid | ei'ed a possibility by Superintendent Hhv today Definite announcement is beirig delayed pending the arrival 1 <)f a powder expert. Rice said About (>50 feet of the fill near the Bertie high land is settling so rap idl that engineers have ordered the road dynamited in an effort to set tle the dirt at that point. Five tons I of dynamite are to be used, the sup ei mtendent representing the dirt J?ontracting firm stating that the I (barges will set tie the foundation | and cause the dirt to settle at least two feet in a very few minutes. Numbers of holes will be bored in the road for planting the dynamite. It is possible that the work can be handled in a very short time, or it may be that the road will bp closed tu traffic for a day or more. The powder expert is expected here to day or tomorrow, and work will be started soon after his arrival. Work on the fill was delayed yes terday and today when a machine, aid to he too light for the work, broke down Repairmen from Greensboro" had just about complet ed repairs to the machine at noon to day and the trucks were to start run ning immediately. Contractors Start Work On Projects ?? Contractors are completing plana ?day for starting work on a deep well and the surfacing of several streets this week. A representative of the l.uync-Atlutitic Company, deep well contractors, was here ov the week-end-to complete ar rangements for starting work about Thursday or Friday. A report from the J M. Gregory contracting firm of Raleigh itates that the company will start moving equipment at once for surfacing the streets. Town forces and WPA work ers are making ready for the con .tractors.