North Carolina Newspapers

NEARLY 1000 MARTIN COUNTY SERVICE MEN NOW READING THE ENTEPRISE IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD EACH WEEK. THE ENTERPRISE NEARLY lOAfi MARTIN COUNTY SERVICE MEN NdiT%EAl)ING THE ENTEPRISE IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD EACH WEEK. VOLUME XLVIII—NUMBER 27 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, April A, 1945. ESTABLISHED itt9V Marked Reduction In Number of Car Martin County passenger car driv ers will have to guard their tires even more carefully during the com ing months if they are to continue to drive, C. C. Martin, chairman of the Martin County War Price and Ra tioning Board, said today. This county will have only 184 pas senger car tires for rationing in April as compared to 300 in March, he said. The shortage of passenger tires makes it necessary that they be is sued only after the war importance of each applicant’s car use is meas ured against the importance of oth er applicant’s cars, he pointed out. A preferential list of occupations for use in selecting persons to re ceive pasM>nger car tires has been established. This list will be used in channel ing the reduced quota of tires to per sons whose transportation needs are regarded as most essential to the war effort, he 'cclared. Under the new plan the number of eligibles is not reduced, but is classified into preference groups, based on the direct importance of the car’s use to the war effort. The priorities in considering applications are divided into four groups, he con tinued. First priority group is limited al most entirely to persons whose oc cupations are of emergency nature and to workers at establishments faced with production emergencies. Included in this group are eligible physicians, public health nurses, po lice and employees at critical war industries. Group Two includes persons em ployed in other essential plants and those whose occupations are high ly important to the war effort. In this group are farmers, farm work ers, representatives of management, labor and government and others of similar importance. Group Three includes such occu pations as buyers for essential es tablishments and persons who travel to essential establishments to per form necessary technical services. Group Four takes in all other per sons eligible for grade one passen ger tires, he said. He added that each individual tire applicant must establish his present need for the tire applied for, even though he is rated in a high prefer ence group. Certificates for the purchase of Grade I passenger car tires were is sued to the following: Garland Rogers, Willie Bullock, Leo J. Everett, John T. Smithwick, Lawrence Edwin Coltrain, Wendell Griffin, Mrs. Hessie Rogers, R. A. Edmondson, Mrs. James W. Gurkin. J. B. Whitfield, James A Rawls, V. L Peel, W. K. Roebuck, V. C. Chem ical Corp., J. T. Bennett, K. S. Bunt ing. Robersonville Ice and Coal Co., Wiley Craft, A. S. Hardy, Evan Crisp, J. E. Hedrick, W L. Chesson, J. A Powell, Vernon Powell, C. D. Cavanaugh, Henry Lee, E. R. Tur ner, John A. Manning, Levi McGow an, V T. Moore, C. E. Jenkins, W. H. Wynn, A. E Smith, Don Chance, B L. House, C. H. Ayers, Harvey L. Winberry, Mayo Harrell. W. S. Bland. H. A. Pierce, P. C. Edmond son, Jr., Frankie Coburn, Overton James, H. S. Johnson, Carolina Tel ephone Co., Adkins and Bailey Warehouse, J. J. Bennett, W. O. White, C. C. Martin, Biggs Funeral Home. Truck tires: F. B. Birmingham, P. C. Edmondson, Williamston Lumber Co., H. L. Davis. \r>* Released La«t Friday INijzht Rlue Mold Reported In Tobacco Reds In County According to indirect reports reaching here during the past few days, blue mold is making its ap pearance in tobacco plant beds in various parts of the county. The mold was said to be very light, so far, but coming when the plants are comparatively small, farmers believe it will do considerable dam age. ____ Bronze Star A Man for Meri With the Ninth Infantry Division in Germany.—Pfc. William L. Tay lor of Williamston, N. C., has been awarded the Bronze Star by Major General Louis A. Craig, Command ing General of the 9th Infantry Divi sion, for meritorious service as a member of the 60th Infantry Regi merit of the famous 9th Division. His citation reads, “The Bronze Star is awarded to William L. Tay lor, Private First Class, 14028838 tjOth Infantry, who distinguished himself by meritorious service ir connection with military operations against In*? enemy during liie perioc 1 October 1944 to 31 December 1944 in the European Theater of Opera tions. Throughout this period, Pfc Taylor proved himself to be an out standing and competent combat sol dier, performing his duties as mes senger in an exceptionally meritor ious manner. With complete disre Education Authorities jN ame Committeemen TO SREVK HI RE Mrs. Ellen Win-ton, State Commissioner of Public Welfare, will address a joint meeting of local civic clubs anti other in terested persons in the Woman’s Club hall here tomorrow eve ning at 8:30 o’clock. Her topic will be, “Public Welfare in North Carolina." Easter Services Are Well Attended Here Easter services here and through out the county attracted record size crowds Sunday, reports stating that churches were filled to capacity. The sunrise service with most of the local denominations taking part, was well attended in Woodlawn Cemetery Sunday morning at 6:49 o’clock. Possibly the crowd was the largest seen at any similar service there, and the real meaning of the day was more pronounced than at any time in recent years. Easter finery hardly measured.up to that paraded in former years, the war apparently overtaking the style parade. Poplar Point Man llnrl In Auto Wrock Yesterday Willie Bullock, Poplar Point man, was hurt yesterday afternoon when his car, a 1936 model, went out of control and turned over near But ler’s Bridge on the Hamilton-Wil liamston Highway, according to in formation heard here last night. No particulars of the accident could be had here immediately, but it was said that the man received medical treatment in a doctor’s office at Robersonville, and that other travel ■rs had to stop and push the cai from the road. T. Fotvden Critically III It llis llmne Here Mr. L. T. Fowden. well-known lo cal citizen, continues critically ill at his home on Church Street follow ing a stroke suffered last Sunday morning. Although in feeble health for some time, he was able to be up through most of last Friday when he talked with old friends on the streets. ! COTTON WINNINGS j That Martin County is fast deserting King Cotton is shown in a final report on ginnings for the past two seasons. Farmers ginned 2,388 bales from the 1944 crop as eornpared with 3,389 bales ginned from the 1943 crop, according to a report filed by Mrs. Strelsa Griffin, special agent for the Bureau of the Census, and covering the per iod up to March 1. At one time, Martin County farmers were producing and ginning 5,000 bales of cotton an nually. warded Young torious Service ® igard for personal safety, he repeat edly exposed himself to intense en emy artillery, mortar, small arms fire to deliver messages of vital import ance to units in forward combat areas, insuring uninterrupted com munications at all times. Pfc. Tay lor’s aggressive initiative, courag eous actions, and devotion to duty were a credit to himself and to the Armed Forces of the United States.’ Pfc. Taylor took part ir, the inva sion of North Africa, the Tunisian | and Sicilian campaigns, landed or i the beaches of Normandy shortly af | ter D-Day, and has participated ir the 9th Divisions drive CiaoUgi France, Belgium, and into Germany The son of Mr. and Mrs. Minior A. Taylor, of Williamston, N. C. Pfc. Tayior worked on his father’: farm prior to his entry into the serv ice on October 30, 1940. The young man was slightly wounded in France on June 30, 1944 EaffiPPOpeniiig Of Schools Ordered By Authorities Monday Few Changes Maile in District Committee Personnel; Other Business -® Meeting m regular session here yesterday, members of the Martin County Board of Education named district committeemen for the next two years and handled a few other business matters before adjourning in time for lunch. Beginning tomorrow morning and at the direction of the county board, all schools will open at 8:30 o'clock. The earlier opening will make it possible for the schools to end their daily session from 2:30 to 3:00 o'clock, the closing hour depending upon the length of the recess periods allow ed. J. C. Manning was re-elected sup erintendent of county schools. He is beginning his eighth term in that position. George C. Griffin, reappointed by the State Legislature, was sworn in at the meeting for a six-year term, and Leslie W. Hardison, also reap pointed, was sworn in for a four year term as members of the county board. Ferd W. Holliday, serving as a new member of the body, was sworn in for a four-year term at the meeting Monday. Committeemen for the several school districts were appointed for two-year terms. While most of the old committee members were reap pointed, sweeping changes were made in one district and a few ask ed to be relieved in others. In Jamesville, J. C. Kirkman, Joe Martin and John A Gardner were appointed to succeed C. C Fleming, F. C. Stallings and J. Linwood Knowles, who had served well fbr several terms. The Farm Life committee, com posed of Asa Hardison, P. E. Getsin ger and B. F. Lilley, was reappoint ed. In Bear Grass, W. M. Harrison was appointed to succeed Wheeler Rog erson, resigned. Kneezer Harrison and Rossell Rogers, were reappoint ed. Williamston s commivUT, k. i,. c,o burn, C. B. Clark and R. H. Good mon, was reappointed. In Robersonville, W. H. Gray, T. M. Little, N. C Everett, J. M Dix on and H. L. Roebuck were reap pointed. Garland Forbes succeeds Gordon Bailey on the Everetts committee, and Herman Williams and Herbert Roebuck were reappointed. At Gold Point, H. H. Roberson, Lon y Groom and Herbert Johnson were reappointed. In the Oak City district, E. E. Pitt man, Francis Worsley, J. A. Everett, George Oglesby and E R. Edmond son were reappointed, along with A. E. Purvis, Woodrow Purvis and George Ayers at Hassell, and Henry Johnson, Jr., L. R. Everett and Clay ton House at Hamilton. A contract to improve the acous tics in the Robersonville Grammar School building was received. Offer ed in the sum of $1,092, the contract was held in abeyance pending fur ther inquiry. Other school matters were discuss ed but no action was taken. Reports from the office of super intendent point to an aggravated teacher shortage again for the com ing term. However, victory in Eu rope is expected to relieve the situa tion to some extent, at least. -<s> Draft Registration For Month of March —t— A record low in the number reg istering for selective service was re ported in this county last month when only sixteen new names were added to the draft list. Only five of the sixteen were white. Names of the new registrants and their addresses follow: Arthur Sanders, c, RFD 1, Oak City James Sanders, c, RFD 1, Oak City. Billy Junior White, c, Oak City. Henry Amos Bryant, c, RFD 1, Palmyra. William Clifton Lawrence, c, RFD 1, Oak City. Robert Raynor, c, RFD 1, Oak City. Thomas Earl Roberson, w, RFD 1, Wiiliamston. James Russell Lee, w, RFD 2, Wil i liamston. Dennis Warren, w. Robersonville. Joseph Saunders Leggett, w, RFD 2, Wiiliamston. Walter Louis Brown, c, Williams ton. Eiwood Preston Alexander, w, RID 1, Jamesville. Robert Clayton Sneed, c, RFD 1, Bethel. William Joseph Barber, c, RFD 1, Jamesville. Plad Octavious Godard, c, FvFD 2, Wiiliamston. f Emmett Saunders, c, Wiiliamston. | EASTER SEAL SALES |I v } The sale of Easter seals for crippled t¥MAai^n “-It— draceme to a close in this coun ty, the chairman. Miss Mary W. Taylor, announcing yesterday - that approxof a ■VVVi quota \iaO been raiWw ai»WI reported. Local Girl Scouts ac counted for nearly half the amount last Saturday when they canvassed the town and community with the litt'e stick ers. While the sale is far below the assigned quota, the amount so far reported is considerably larg er than the total ordinarily rais ed in this county. In the first sale back in 1937, the county raised $23.52. Last year, $289.68 was raised for the crippled chil dren fund. Ruhr Encirclement Certain To Hasten Victory in Europe -—»— Germans Withdrawing From Holland On a Bisi Seale; Russians Near Vienna -® The encirclement of the Ruhr has sealed the fate of an estimated 100,000 Germans, and according to General Eisenhower, “this magnifi cient stroke of arms will hasten the end of the European war”. While the Ruhr battle is progressing toward a climax, the drive toward Berlin continues with American units more than half way cross Germany and withing 150 miles of Berlin. At the same time, an encirclement move ment is in progress in Holland where an estimated 50,000 Germans are frantically withdrawing in an effort to flee the trap. The British 2nd, Canadian 1st and U. S. 9th Armies are pushing on be yond Munster and heading for Bremen. The U. S. 1st Army, after completing the encirclement of the Ruhr is sending a force toward Han over and the super highway run ning from the Ruhr district to Frankfort on the Oder in the East. Patton’s Third Army is plunging forward in the Kassel area, and it is possible that this force will di rect its main drive toward Erfurt and for a junction wilh the Russians near Jena south of I.eipsig. Another arm of the Third Army is with the Seventh converging on Nuremburg. In the East, the Russians are mov ing in on Vienna as the civilians there join in a movement to throw the- Germans out and save their city. The fall of Bratislava, capital of the puppet Slovak government has been announced, but the main and anticipated last big action is center ed in a drive from the Oder in the direction of Dresden and for a junc tion with the American Third Army south of I.eipsig. The Italian front, more or less quiet those past few weeks has come to life again with an invasion behind German lines by the Eighth Army. The move is expected to have a marked effect on future de velopments in the Italian theater. While the war in Europe is near ing a close, progress is being made in the Pacific. The invasion of Oki nawa, 325 miles south of the Jap home islands, has met with great success. The move, described as the largest amphibious operation in the Pacific so far, has cut the ten-mile wide and sixty-mile long island in two. American casualties have been light and the poor defense offered hy the Japs has not yet been explain ed. It was reported that 1,400 ships and 100,000 men participated in the invasion. Department Personnel Is Portlier Reduced -- Following the resignation of two of its employees, the Martin Coun ty Health Department is now try ing to carry on with a skeleton force with little immediate hope of find ing replacements. Miss Mary Louise Taylor, efficient nurse with the de partment for several years, left last Saturday for service in the Army Nurse Corps. Garland Coltrain, san itarian with the department for some months, resigned last Saturday. THE RECORD SPEAKS . . . After traveling through the 12th week of the current year without an accident, motorists boosted slightly the accident record figures in the thirteenth week ending last Saturday. De spite the perfect records for sev eral weeks this year, the acci dent record figure with the ex ception of the fatalities are quite impressive. The following tabulations of fer a comparison of the accident trend: first, by corresponding weeks in this year and last and for each year to the present time. 13th Week Comparison Accidents Inj’d Killed Dam’ge 1945 1 0 0 $ 200 1944 1 0 0 125 Comparison To Date 1945 17 6 0 $5150 1944 14 4 1 2900 Commissioners Place <!"lvention For The . „ Nomination of Town oir w me Lirrrrses ;om-¥ir%ir2onr ^Cy. For Taxes Due and Unpaid To County —*— RiMlfirl for A id to Aged and Dependent Children \|>]»roved Acting with the authority given them by recent legislative act and after hearing appeals made by rep resentatives of ministerial groups and other citizens, the Martin Coun ty commissioners yesterday placed a ban on the issuance of licenses for the sah of wine after April 30. The action, passed upon the motion by Commissioner Joshua L. Coltrain and a second by Commissioner R. A. Haislip, will hardly force any retail er out of business, but it will re move wines from the list of items for sale. At the present time there are fifteen retail wine dealers in the county. After April 30 wine may be sold legally in the county only by the Alcoholic Beverages Control stores. The action, recognized as a forward step in promoting sobriety, will virtually eliminate the sale of synthetic and “fighting” wines. Wines made from fruit juices may be had in quantity from a large stock now in the ABC system’s inventor ies. The regular meeting of the com missioners was comparatively brief, the work calendar having been cleared before the authorities ad journed for lunch. J. Sam Getsinger was reappointed county accountant for two years. All real property upon which the 194-1 taxes have not been paid wore ordered advertised the first Monday in May for sale the first Monday in June. A report on tax collections could not be had immediately, but the unpaid accounts are about as small as they have ever been at this time of the year, it is understood. Welfare department budget esti mates for old age pensions and care of dependent children were approv i d. The department proposed an ap propriation of $36,960.00 for the aged, an increase of $1,320.00 over the current fiscal year figures. The case load is being reduced from 221 to 220, but the monthly allotment is being increased from $11.8(1 to $14.00 per person on an average each month, It wais pointed out in the budget report that the county will lie asked to appropriate $9,240.00 as its share, the fund to get the remain dor from the state and federal gov ernments. The department estimates that $15,300.00 will be needed to provide aid to dependent children in the county during the coming fiscal year. The county is being asked to raise $3,840.00. Thirty-nine families are now receiving an average of $30.38 per month from the aid-to-de pendent-children fund. The budget proposed to increase the number to 40 and the size of the annual appro priation by $600. Tax relief orders, based on the entry of the property owners into the armed forces, were granted as follows: For 1944: Marion T. Holliday of Jamesville, $7.02, army. Abraham Cordon, of Jamesville, $2.06, army. Louis Lee, Williams Township, $8.86, double listed. Charlie Bowen, of Beai Grass, $2, army. Willie Davis, of Bear Grass, $6.03, army Lewis Harris, Williamston Town ship, $2.11 for 1944 and $2.10 for 1913, navy. Roland C. Cherry, Williamston Township, $2.33 for 1942, army. Willie Clifton Jones, Hamilton Township, $9.68 for 1942, army. John H. Lyons, Williams Town (Continued on page six) Wounded Soldier Is Coining Home Soon —®— Badly wounded in his left shoulder last December (i during the drive in to Belgium, Thomas Daniel is ex pected to return home on Friday or Saturday of this week, according to information just received by his par ents, Mr. and Mrs. Noah T. Daniel of the Farm Life Community. The young man has been in an Army hospital since the day he was wounded, and reports state that he is not yet able to use his left arm. A brother, Benjamin Daniel, was wounded slightly a few ftavs before, and a cousin, Jospeh Daniel, has been wounded three times in the fight along the Western Front. -6 f.itt Stair it "irant Main Slrrrt Harr Lair Sunday The 1940 Chevrolet coach belong ing to Chas. Forbes, RFD 2, Rob ersonville, was stolen from Main Street here last Sunday night short ly before 11 o’clock. The car has not been recovered. M/Sgt. Jule Carr Wynne, Wil liamston man and a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. George Wynne, Ls rounding out on the 2f>th of this month 22 years of service in the Army. He spent about IS years at Fort Bragg and was In the Mediterranean theater for 26 months where he participat ed in the invasions of North Africa, Sicily and Italy. Return ing home a short time ago, Srr geant Wynne with his wife, the former Miss Lillian Pearl Few I is of Marion, N. recently vis ited his sisters, Mrs. S. T. liar ris and Mrs. Claude Olicrry here. Native of County Dies in ljjml)erton Willie II. Crofton, native of this county, died in a Lumberton hos | pital about II o’clock last night fol lowing a long period of declining I health. A son of Mr. George A. and Mrs. I Ida Holier: an Crofton, of Williams ton, he was born in the Gold Point Community about 42 years ago He had made his home in the Lumber - iton community since a child where he was a successful farmer. Funeral arrangements had not been announced early today, but il i was reported that the last rites would be conducted in Lumberton Wednesday afternoon and that in I terrnent would follow there. When a young man, lie was mar ■ ried to Miss Ruth Barker and she survives with two children, lie al so leaves besides his parents, four brothers, Frank of Williamston, Geo. of I umberton, Glenn of the Army now in Germany and Clayton Crof ton, If. S. Army; three sisters, Mrs. John Iladley, Mrs. .1 S. Ayet , Jr., and Miss Mary Barden Crofton, all of Williamston County Young Mon tirorilril Infantryman's (.omhal llinlgr With the 80th Division on the Western Front. Major General I Horace L. McBride, Commanding General of the 80th Infantry Divi j sion, lias announced that Pfc. Levin V. Align was one of 90 enlisted men to receive the Combat Infantryman's Badge for exemplary conduct in ac tion against the enemy in the Ku iopoan Tlu.atej ol Opeialim KOUNIMT The Easter holiday season in the county saw little activity on { the crime front. Four persons were arrested and jailed ovyr the week-end, the number of al leged law violators running con i siderahly below the average. Charged with being publicly drunk, drunken driving and vio lating the motor vehicle laws, all four of these temporarily detain ed were colored. Their ages ranged from 2<i to 43 years. To \ilv<*rtiso Taxes* Meeting in regular session here last evening, the local town commis sioners called a town convention to be held in the county courthouse on Friday evening, April 20, at 8 o'clock for the nomination of a mayor and five members of the board. The nom inations, tantamount, to election, will be followed by a regular election on the first Tuesday in May While no qualifications have surrounded par ticipation in the nominating con vention. the registration for parties pation in the regular election will be based on requirements set forth in the state and national election laws. John E. Pope was named reg istrar and O. S. Anderson and J. T. Price were named judges of election Registrar Pope will open the books for new registrations at his office on Washington Street on Saturday of tiiis week and hold them open during the following two Saturdays. The books will be opened on the fourth Saturday, April 28, for the challenge of any registration. Those persons who have participated in town elections in recent years will not find it necessary to register again to vote in the election on May 1st. The nominating convention was tentatively set for Friday of next week, but since that day is the 13th, the commissioners decided to delay it one week and hold it on the 20th. The convention is virtually a law unto itself. Rules are made then and there and nominations are just about equal to election. Pledging their cooperation in the proposed clean-up movement sched uled to get underway here next Mon day, the commissioners instructed I lie superintendent of streets to em ploy additional workers and place extra equipment in use for handling trash. No new regulations were ad vunced in support of the clean-up movement, but an order was issued directing the police department to warn merchants and others against sweeping trash into the streets or dumping it into the baeklots for the wind, dogs and children to scatter. Real estate owners who have not paid their 1I144 taxes by the second week in May will have their proper ty advertised at that time for public auction on the second Monday in June, the board ordered. No action was taken on a request made by It S. Courtney asking the town to accept part of the cost in curred in filling in a gulley on East Church Street. II was pointed out that $110 had been spent recently in improving the street and adjoin ing property. Advised ol the action taken by tht* county commissioners banning the issuance of licenses for the sale of wine after the 30th of this month, the commissioners briefly discussed the* issue, but delayed action until a copy of the new slate law is made available. It is likely that the town will support tin- wine license ban. Iltilf-lloliday Schedule T»t Co Inin hi ffeel Tomorrow Beginning tomorrow local Iqj-cs and oilier business houses will ob serve each Wednesday afternoon as a holiday. The schedule does not in clude heavy industry. The stores, scheduled to close at 1 o’clock, will observe the hall-holiday each Wed ni dav afternoon from now until tin latter part of August. II has been suggested that those freed from their regular jobs could render able assistance by spending the half holidays in gardens and on farms whi re the labor shortage is critical. -<* Ha viral Ttt llci’in if ednesday A i fill I it Tiney drove Church The spring revival meeting will begin at Piney Grove Baptist Church on Wednesday night at 8:15 o’clock and continue on through the week closing on the second Sun day All members are urged to at tend and the public is invited. A pril 9-14 Period Proclaimed As Clean-Up Week By Mayor J Aii outstanding opportunity for patriotic and public service and to promote public welfare, health, beauty and safety in our town is to inaugurate a clean-up campaign. For promotion of the public health and safety, fire prevention and for a cleaner and more beautiful town is the goal set in wv .ctowrwap- cam paign this year. | Let us put our property into safe and sanitary. supAition, remove.juj.*. sect breeding menaces, cut pollen bearing weeds, destroy disease bear ing germs and increase human effi ciency. All yards, back lots, vacant lots, and all lots back of the stores must be cleared of trash, and ntbbish which if not attended to is likely to menace health and result in acci dents and make a fine breeding place for mosquitoes and other in sects. Without, the cooperation of our citizens both white and colored, we cannot make this campaign a suc cess and we are asking everyone to join in this clean-up campaign whole heartedly to the < nu that our town may be made more sanitary and a more beautiful place in which to Now .therefore, I, J. L. Hassell, Mayor of Williamston, do hereby de clare the week of April 9-14, as Clean-Up Week in Williamston, The civic organizations of the town are joining in this campaign and let us make it the best clean up we htive ever had. ' J. L. Hassell, Mayor.