North Carolina Newspapers

( THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK VOLUME XLIX—NUMBER 70 THE ENTERPRISE Williamtton, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, August 30, 1946 THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEES ESTABLISHED 1899 | Judge Smith Calls Forty-Two Cases In County Court Fines, Amounting li $7-W, Collected During The Day Handling one of the largest dockets prepared in many months, Judge J. Calvin Smith and Solicitor Paul D. Roberson worked until almost five o’clock before clearing the slate in the Martin County Recorder’s Court last Monday. Forty-two cases were called and while quite a few of them were continued, the court assessed fines in the total amount of $740 against twenty-five of the defendants. Colored patrons and spectators crowded a section of the court room and the white population was well represented at the bar and in the audience. It was near ly 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon before the crowd started thinning out. Proceedings: The case charging J. S. Wil liams with non-support was nol prossed. Having been continued under prayer for judgment at the Aug ust 5 session, the case charging Richard Davis with an assault, was cleared from the docket when the court suspended judgment upon the payment of the case costs. A nol pros with leave was re horded in the case charging Char lie Freeman, Jr., and Louise Free man with fornication and adult ery. William Lawrence, pleading guilty of bastardy, was sentenced to the roads for six months. The term was suspended upon the payment of the costs and $50 to the prosecuting witness, Gladys Saunders, for the support of the illegitimate child. A continuance was allowed in the case charging Goler Ormond with non-support. LeKoy Sherrod, pleading guil ty of operating a motor vehicle while his license was revoked, was fined $25 and taxed witl^h^ costs. . Cnargea witn operating a motor vemcie wnnout a driver s license, Dorothy Corey was fined $20 and required to nay the costs. The case charging Johnnig Wil 5 liams with operating a motor ve hicle without a driver’s license, Vfas continued until the first Mon Pleading guilty of operating a motor vehicle with improper brakes, Duncan Ward was fined $10 and taxed with the costs. Henderson Jones was adjudged J not guilty in the ease charging him with reckless driving, j A continuance until next Mon day was granted in the case charging John A. Eberhart with drunken driving. Willie Hassell, with three charges lodged against him, had a hard day in court. Charged with drunken driving, he pleaded guil ty and was fined $50, taxed with the cost and had his operator’s license revoked for one* year. He pleaded not guilty in the case charging him with assaulting his •*»V.’ife, but was adjudged guilty. He was sentenced to the roads for thirty -days, the court suspending the term upon the payment of a $10 fine and costs and on the further condition that he is not to get publicly intoxicated nor have intoxicating liquors in his pos session, nor be convicted of any criminal law violation for one year. He is not to visit his wife at her home unless he gs invited during the suspension period. In a third case against him, Hassell pleaded not guilty of assaulting another man with a deadly weap on. He drew a second 30-day road sentence which was also suspend ed upon the payment of a $10 fine and costs. The case charging Francis Car son with cruelty to animals was continued until next Monday, Duncan Ward, facing the court in a second case, pleaded guilty of being drunk and disorderly and he was fined $20 and taxed with the court costs. Pleading not guilty of violating the sanitary laws—slaughtering beef—P. A. Ballard was adjudged not guilty. The prosecution ap pealed from the special verdict handed down by Judge Smith and the case goes to the superior court for jury trial. The case charging Henderson Norfleet with aiding and abetting (Continued on page six) Tobacco Sales Pass Two Million Pounds HOLIDAY While several offices and business houses will close for the day, next Monday, Labor Day, will not be observed as a general holiday here. The post office, banks, fed eral offices, the V. E. and P. Company, liquor store and possibly a few other places will close for the day. The to bacco market will be in the midst of a one week holiday, but stores and most offices, including those of the county, will remain open. No mail de liveries will be effected Mon day. Those persons normally scheduled to report to the un employment office next Mon day are being asked to report the following Monday, Sep tember 9. Arrest Three For Playing The Old ‘Flim-Flam’ Game --» — . Ethel RoihI* Refuses To Play Aiul Reports lnei dent to Eoeal Poliee - - Attempting to play the old pockctbook game on the local streets Thursday morning, three colored men not only failed but they also fell into the hands of local police. The three colored men, John Henry Doyle, 45; Ray mond Williams, 33, and Smith Wilson, 49. are being held in the county jail, ponding the comple tion of an investigation. A hear ing will he held before Justice J L. Hassell later in the week. Meeting Ethel Bonds on the corner of Main and Smithwick ne of the trio waited., along beside her or> North Smith - the confederate “found” the planted pockctbook near the cor-1 ner of Academy Street. Doyle, accompanying the Bonds woman, j '“akx htr'lhat he saw Wilson pick, up something. Doyle called toj that he would report to police un less a three-way division of the find was made. When the Bonds woman was called upon to put up so much money while the other went to get the approximately $125 changed, she refused, and the old pocketbook game backfired in the nim-flammers’ faces. The Bonds woman retraced her steps to Main Street and reported to the police department. A few minutes later Officer John Roe buck rounded up. two of the men. Shortly thereafter Officers Roebuck and Chas. Moore picked up the third member of the trio, but not until they had run a heat ed race. Carried to the police station, two-c-f thB-mcr. irnmediate ly identified by the intended vic tim, and the third one admitted he was a member of the group. The flim-flam attempt was admitted. Checking the records, police found that John Doyle had served a year on the roads in Florida for playing the pocketbook game, that he had served time in Wash ington, D. C., and Baltimore. Wil son served six months in Norfolk for a similar offense. Said to have made their head quarters in Norfolk, the trio spent Wednesday night in Roberson ville, but their activities there had not been checked at an early hour Thursday afternoon. •o Georgia Markets Average 44 Cents ♦ Closing the season last week, Georgia’s tobacco markets sold 140,019,378 pounds at an average price of $44.12, according to an of ficial report just recently releas ed. Prices in Georgia started off at a high point and held to that fig ure during most of the season, but during the latter part of the seas on, the average dwindled in size. In the last week of sales, the mar kets handled 25,223,286 pounds for an average price of $34.82. Average To Date Stands Right At $50 Per Hundred —— Redrying Plants Bulging With Record Tobaeeo Deliveries ——* At the close of sales Wednesday afternoon for a week’s breathing spell, the Williamston Tobacco Market had sold 2,246,208 pounds of the golden leaf, including a large Quantity of the nondescript type, for a general average to date of $49.89. So far this season the market has paid the growers $1. 120,531.58. During the first eight days of the 1945 season, the local market sold 2.101,798 pounds for about a 44-cent average, the price figure this year ranging a little over $5 a hundred above the av erage a year ago. A few fanners were in the mar keting area and even though there were no sales there was much activity in and around the j warehouses. Company workers | were busy removing tobacco that had been on the floors since Mon day, the few farmers milling in and out of the houses inquiring when they could deliver their next loads. | Reports from the companies stale that the redrying plants and factories were literally bulging with record deliveries. The local plant management stated Thurs day morning that there was some doubt if the accumulation of to bacco could be handled and pack ed before the holiday ends next i Thursday morning. “We are run I ning night and day and we have j n’t yet cleared enough floor space ifor free walking,” one of the op I erators pointed out as he climbed ' over tobacco piled more than shoulder high in the receiving room. I Scattered reports from the :ytlv 1 ’1s |~afb~boing continued, that present indications point to larger offer ings on Thursday of next week | than were on the floors for the ■ season’s initial opening on Mon ! day of last week. associations. warehouses and buying com panies, are appealing to the farm ers for orderly marketing. De spite the pleas present indications point to a big rush following the reopening. It is predicted in some quarters already that selling lime will be curtailed soon after the markets are reopened, that pos sibly a second holiday will be necessary. The local market plans to start receiving farmers’ tobacco next Tuesday for sale Thursday. A review of the sales for Mon day, Tuesday and Wednesday of I this week shows a fairly wide fluctuation in prices. Part of the fluctuation in the price average is traceable to the increased quan tity of inferior tobacco offered for sale, but even then some grades weir not selling for as much as they did the early part of last week. Apparently there was not too much competition for certain types of tips. After averaging (Continued on page six) — m — Fill Apartments In Teacherage '■ ♦ Williapston’s $20,000 teacher erage is now just about tilled to overflowing, according to a report released yesterday by school of ficials who pointed out that teach er families are occupying four of the five apartments. Mrs. A. F. Fussell, fourth grade teacher, and her family moved into one of the apartments Wed nesday from Carolina Beach. Principal and Mrs. B. G. Stewart and sons are occupying another. Mr. and Mrs. Hall of Pikeville are expected to move into a third apartment early next week. He is the new coach here and science teacher. Mrs. Hall is teaching home economics at Farm Life. Mrs. Varo H. Davenport, third grade teacher, is occupying one of the smaller apartment, leaving only one vacant at the present time. Review Of Effect Air Power Had In European Area Excerpts Taken From Re port of Commander To His Chiefs of Staff -- (The gradual deterioration of the German Air Force ts detailed by the supreme commander in this group of excerpts from his re port to the Chiefs of Staff.—Ed.) 6. “During the first six months of 1944 the German oil production was reduced by at least 40 per cent as a result of the bombing of the plants by the Strategic Air Forces, and the outcome was seen in the trials of the enemy rein forccmens and supply columns as they struggled toward Norman dy. ... ” 7. “When the enemy planes did come up, they showed a marked tendency to avoid combat. Only on 12 June did they react in any considerable strength when a mass onslaught was made on French airfields by 1,448 Fortress es and Liberators of the U. S. Eighth Air Force—the largest force of heavy bombers hitherto airborne on a single mission. On this occasion the enemy suffered severely at the hands of the Al lied fighters and failed to reach the bombers. The reluctance normally shown to engage our planes was doubtless in part dic tated by the need to conserve a depleted strength; but there was also noticeable a lack of organiza ion and experience on the part of the German pilots. The persistent RAF night bombing attacks of the past had led the German com mand to concentrate on the train ing and development of night fighters, with the result that day fighter pilots were generally of a poorer standard arid rarely a match for their Allied opponents. As a consequence of this weak ness, our forces—both on opera tions over the batile area and on long-range strategic id missions—frequently encountered no air opposition whatsoever, and the over-all weekly Allied losses averaged only about 1 percent of the aircraft employed. . . . dawn on that day by what was the heaviest and most concentrat ed air assault hitherto employed in support of ground operations. The operation was a fine example of Anglo-American air coopcra ' 'Vhwbrwi* 1 ** of RAF’ Bomber Command and the U. S. Eighth and Ninth Air Forces took part, dropping a total of over 7,000 tons of bombs. While RAF Halifaxes and Lancasters dropped over 5,000 tons of bombs in less than 45 minutes on the area south of the river over which the ground assault was to be made, United States planes at tacked the enemy concentrations to the rear and on the flanks. In the carpet bombing, fragmenta tion bombs were used to break the enemy resistance without causing extensive cratering which would have hindered the advance of our tanks. At the same time, a strong naval bombardment was made to supplement the air effort. ..." (Continued on page eight) THE RECORD SPEAKS . . . Limited during the 34th week to one accident and a property loss of $300, the ac cident record for this year is already a black one because of the early start taken by motorists in wreaking havoc on Martin County highways. Compared with last year both the number and property loss to date are doubled while the fatalities are equal at 3 each. Unlike 1945, this year found no rise in the accident rate on opening of the tobacco mar kets. The past two weeks have produced but one re portable accident. The following tabulations offer a comparison of the ac cident trend: first, by corres ponding weeks in this year and last and for each year to the present time. Thirty-fourth Week Accidents Inj’d Killed Dam’ge 1946 1 0 0 $ 300 1945 1 1 0 000 Comparisons To Date 1946 83 68 3 20,750 1945 40 18 3 8,750 Reports Point To Crowded Schools In Martin County Every Inch Including The Auditorium Overrun In Colored School -£ No complete review of opening day enrollment figures in all the schools could be had late Thurs day afternoon, but preliminary reports trickling in from a few of the schools revealed crowded con ditions in most of them. Williamston's colored school had so many pupils that every inch of space was overrun, in cluding the auditorium. There were so many trying to find a place to park that a complete count could not be had immedi ately. However, the number en rolling there is well over 700. Pos sibly the auditorium will be par titioned to care for the increase. The first report coming from Oak City stated that 399 had en rolled there, 258 in the elemen tary and 141 in the high school. Elementary figures were increas ed by 14 and the high school en rollment was 43 greater than it was on opening day last year. The report was released without com ment, but it is believed that the Hobgood High School reported there. With a total enrollment of 853, Williamston broke all records for an opening day. There were 697 in the elementary as compared with 665 a year ago. In the high school the enrollment jumped from 125 last, year to 156, about 25 of the number having been held over from the eleventh grade. Robersonville’s opening was delayed when some of the busses ran out of gas. The school offic ials will try to pry the plants open there Friday morning. No reports could be had from the other schools except poplar Point where fifty were enrolled. All the teachers were in their respective positions in the schools here except Coach Hall and he is to report eiVrly next week. Mrs. A. F. Fussell of Carolina Beach was added to the faculty a short time ago and she will teach one of the fouith grades. Mis. .Yarn H was recently elected to teach one of the third, and Professor Hall of Pikevili", Wayne County, is to coach high school athletics and teach science, leaving the position of public school music to be fill ed. was convinced he had an able corps of teachers and predicted a successful year for the schools here. While all teacher positions have not yet been filled in the county, substitutions were effected and the schools were off to a good start, it was declared. Funeral Held For Accident Victim Funeral services were held at the home, 203 Cone Street, Wil son, last Sunday afternoon for Little Miss Brenda Jean Rober son, four, who died in an Eliza beth City hospital last Saturday evening at 8:20 o’clock of injuries received when struck by an auto mobile at Kill Devil Hill on the Nags Head highway Thursday morning at 8:30 o’clock. She suf fered a broken neck, skull frac ture and a broken hip. Treated first at Manteo she was removed to the hospital a short time later. Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Sam my E. Roberson, formerly of this county, and sister, Patsy, had stopped beside the highway to climb one of the sand hills. Re turning to the highway the little girl started to join her parents on the other side and ran into a Vir ginia car. Surviving besides her parents and sister are her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. J. A. White, former ly of near Robersonville, and now of near Williamstori, and Mr. and Mrs. Louis Roberson of Enfield. Mr. Roberson is employed in Wilson where he has made his home for the past ten years.’ Rev. Cecil A Jarman conduct ed the last rites and burial was in Wilson’s Maplewood cemetery. INJURED IN ACCIDENT L D. Smithwick, employe of the Williamston Company, suffer ed a broken pelvis in a fall on the company’s lumber yard last Monday and is undergoing treat ment in the local hospital. Farmers Cooperative Speaker Sounds Danger Signals In An Address Here Last Thursday Mayor Hassell Makes Plea For Farm Bureau Support On the eve of the annual Martin County Farm Bureau membership drive, Mayor John L. Hassell yes terday made a plea for the or ganization’s support by business and professional men as well as farmers, landlords and others. Renewing his membership for another year at the time, Mayor Hassell pointed out that the Flue Cured Tobacco Stabilization Cor poration, promoted principally by the farm group, had already meant much to the welfare of the farmer and the economy of this entire section. "It may mean that Martin farmers will receive a mil lion dollars more for the current crop than they would have receiv ed without it," he pointed out, basing his statement on the early activities on this and other mar kets in the belt. That accomplish ment alone will save the farmers of this county enough money to join the farm organization for | years to come. One does not have to join the stabilization corpora tion to reap benefits; the organi zation is having a stabilizing ef fect on the market, meaning that all are sharing from the program. Martin County is being asked to boost its Farm Bureau member ship to 2.080 for the 1946-47 year, and it is believed that tiie goal will be reached and passed. Last year a few more than 1.801) joined the organization. At a meeting in the county courthouse Friday of this week at 8:00 o’clock, plans for the annual J membership drive will be com pleted. The drive is slated to get under way in a big way next Monday. At the meeting Friday night, the tobacco stabilization program will be explained in de | tail. Any person interested in the program and any one wishing to help the membership canvass are invited to attend the meeting. Possessions Stolen, Couple Is Stranded Weary of Bumming Mr. and Mrs. Jos. Unckel Stop Here --#—.—. En Kuulr To Texan, Veler un Anil tlriWe Wire For Money - t ”, 4 - «i ►.-T’* *- «o«M*yv — ' •' ' i in mm clothes stolen in Norfolk last Tuesday evening, Mr. and Mrs. William Joseph Unckel resorted to their thumbs in an effort to make their way home down in El paso, Texas. After walking most wa, UdfUf. I several short rides, the Marine Corps veteran and his bride of four months completed the first lap of the long journey late Wed nesday afternoon. Their feet blistered and travel weary and even hungry, Mr. and Mrs. Unck el lowered their thumbs, explain ed their plight to Mrs. Edna Laughinghou.se of the local Red Cross and pitched tent for the night. No plea for a donation was made by the couple, but they ex plained that a small loan for food and lodging would be appreciat ed. Their temporary needs cared for, Mr. and Mis. Unckel Thurs day morning addressed wires to relatives for cash advances and VKiide ready -U> continue tin- mp by common carrier. It was while waiting for a bus in the Norfolk terminal that Mis. Nnckel placed her pocket book containing $186 in cash and two tickets to the Texas city in her suitcase, thinking it would be safer there. While her back was turned for a moment, the suit case was stolgn. Abandoning all hope of recoverying it, the couple decided to take to the open road. Traveling was bud enough, but the food situation was even worse, the couple explaining late Wednesday that they had not eat en since the day before. Mrs. Laugbinghouse, from her own pocket, advanced the stranded couple several dollars and handled several of their pressing (Continued on page six) 01 Elected Director Of Peanut Co-Op M. Luther Peel, local man, w as elected iccently to succeed him self as a director of the Growers Peanut Cooperative, District No. 2. The district includes the coun ties of Beaufort, Carteret, Craven, Dare, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, Mar tin, Pamlico and Pitt. CONDUCTIONS V I Following (he opening of the tobacco markets oni Mon day of last week, county (as collections have been made in quite sizable sums. Collec tor M. Luther Teel said yes terday. To date, approximately ■ dUSlWKKt Stas frrt-n Wi,»'" iTTT iu,^Ts'i 175 7" .V If a‘i a« "" tiou of that amount was paid hy comparatively small prop erly owners, the record show ing that tobacco farmers are moving to get their tax ohli gat ions behind them for the , ' '»*»■’car. ■ ■ -n , The total county tax levy, including special taxes, amounts to approximately $218,000 this year. Judge Jno. Hassell Handles Ten Cases In Court Recently —®— Two Drfcmlanls Hoimil Over To Higher Courts For Triul -a Justice John L. Hassell handled ten eases in his court here during in seven and sending the defend ants to the higher courts fur trial. Navin Hawkins, charged with an assault with a deadly weapon, was bound over to the county court for trial. Bond in the sum of $200 was required. Charged with disorderly con duct, William Lanier was fined $5 and required to pay $(i.50 costs. Jasper Rogers was taxed with $6.50 costs in the case charging him with disorderly conduct. Charged with being drunk and down, Rufus Taylor was sentenc ed to the roads for thirty days, the court suspending the sentence on condition that, the defendant pay $9.50 costs and remain out of the town for six months. Lee Tyner was fined $5 and taxed with $8,50 costs for alleged disorderly conduct. John H. Smith, charged with operating a motor vehicle with improper lights, was fined $10 and required to pay $10 costs. In the case in which Elbert Morilin was charged with disord erly conduct the defendant was fined $5 and taxed with $8 50 costs. Operating a motor vehicle with improper lights, J R. Conner was fined $10 and taxed with $6 costs. William Eiiis, charged with simple assault, was fined $10 and required to pay $5.50 costs. Mann Reminds His Listeners Of The Early 2(fs And 30 s —® Krvirws Growth of FCX Al In The High School Here Addressing the annual meeting of the Martin County Farmers Cooperative Exchange in the high school here last Thursday after noon, M. Ci. Mann, general man ager for the State, sounded sev eral danger signals, reviewed briefly the growth of the coopera tive and appealed for a better bal anced farm economy in this and other counties. His address, quite timely, strong and forceful, was well re ceived by approximately 800 pa trons and friends of the organiza tion. ft follows, in part: Twt lve years ago the FCX was not much more than a dream. It is- true that a group of out state agricultural leaders, with a num ber of outstanding farmers, had for months been laying the foundation for a farmer coopera tive purchasing and marketing organization on a state-wide bas is, but it was not until July 1, 1084, that tin1 FCX was really launched. It is, therefore, hard to believe we have today serving farmers in both North and South Carolina, a farmer owned and farmer controlled organization with a membership of 44,189, It 1 is like \\ ise hard to believe that l farmers. through cooperation, I have been able to build an organi 1 ration in these twelve short years ; which today is handling a volume of supplies and aiding farmers in the marketing of the crops they produce, . aUied al more than u&JJSfcWtl.-CfiQ ;lnnuajhe . .H,(.is hke jriwvtod ’ ' — im jmiH'maH'ii though the gross margin of prom taki n at the time the farmers purchased more than $75,000,000 worth of farm supplies has been It s.- than 10 percent. They have been able, because of economical management to build an organ!* »*C)MK. y y ^t"1 cess of $2,000,000. When the Farmers Cooperative Exchange was organized and the first board of directors elected, the first policy adopted was that, of quality. We went to our State Agricultural College and asked the Dean of Agriculture if he would permit his dairy experts, poultry experts, and his agrono mists to work out the formulas by which all of our feeds and fer tilizers should be manufactured, in order that we might be assured of giving to our farm people the greatest return for every dollar spent for supplies that it was pos sible to give to them. Since that day down to this, we have not made a t;haflue.i our formulas that we have not first consulted the authorities at our State Agricultural College, both in feed and fertilizer. Wo have likewise called on our State Department ot Agriculture, along witn the College, to assist us in the purchasing of seed which the farmers had to buy in order to produce their crops. The open-formula policy on feeds, seeds and fertilizers has meant the savings of millions of dollars fot the farmers of the Carolinas during these past 12 years. The low margin which, this year, averaged only 8.94 for the state as a whole in all of the FCX warehouses, has likewise saved millions of dollars for the farm* ers of the state. . . . During these past twelve years the FCX has handled a volume of more than $75,000,000 and has had to charge off less than $10,000 in bad cheeks and in what we would think of as bad accounts. . . . I am not unmindful that with the national farm income—as well as our own state farm in* come—at its peak, estimated this year to be something like twenty billion dollars, it is hard for us to stop and realize that only six years ago, or in 1939, it was only seven billion, eight hundred thir (Continued on page seven)