THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3,MO MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK THE ENTERPRISE THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK VOLUME XLIX—NUMBER 71 ESTABLISHED 1899 William ston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, September 3, 1946 Annual Drive For Members Started For Farm Bureau President And Assistant Secretary Address Friday Meeting Plans for launching the Martin County Farm Bureau’s annual membership drive were formulat ed at a meeting in the courthouse last Friday night when Chas. L. Daniel, president of the organiza tion, and Joe Williams, assistant state secretary, addressed a good ly number of farmers. Pointing out that Martin Coun ty was being asked to sign up 2,080 members, or about 250 more than the number joining the or ganization last year, President Daniel stated that the Farm Bu reau was needed now more than ever before with the possible ex ception of that depression period back in the thirties. “No body is going to do the job for us, and if it is done we will have to do it ourselves,” Mr. Daniel said. “Without some control, we are doomed, fellow farmers. We must have a strong Farm Bureau to safeguard the just rights of agri culture and those living in agri cultural areas. We have a good start and we have a good founda tion and we must keep it up,” he declared in urging the farmers there to go out and help main tain and build up the membership in this county. "Labor is acting to protect itself, and we must do the same,” the president conclud ed. The assistant secretary explain ed that a drive is being launched throughout the State to get 60, 000 members to support the or ganization this year as against 43,000 last year. “The Farm Bu reau Federation last year spent six million dollars in supporting agricultural legislation and pro grams. Illinois raised neary one sixth of that fund, and, yet. North Carolina possibly enjoyed more benefits than did Illinois,” Wil liams pointed out in support of his plea for a large organization in ^^this and othM^Jtoth Carolina counties. Williams reviewerith^tobacco stabilization ing that Farm Bureau leaders had woiked on the plan for three years, that it has made plans to continue operation for at least a.-J to support tobacco prices this year, and it will be prepared to extend Its activities in the future in the event the markets, for one reason or another, break,” he said. The speaker explained that the plan is very simple, that the farm er is asked to subscribe to a $5 membership which entitles him to life membership. If he chooses to place tobacco in the corpora tion, he can do so without any trouble, receive his money right along with that due him from other buyers. If the price ad vances, he will share in the ad vance, but if the price drops, he loses nothing. Williams also briefly mention ed the peanut program Sttd de clared that while prices have been pegged this year at $170 a ton for the type generally grown in this county, quotas would have to be restored sooner or later. Twenty farm leaders and sev eral others interested in the suc cess of the organization agreed to canvass the county for members. The meeting stipulated that only one delegate will be sent to the national convention, that the high two mor.eM tion'Vnay borrow (Continued on page sue) Auto And Truck Crash In Parmele ■ • No one was badly hurt but con siderable property damage re sulted when a 1938 Ford and a truck sideswiped in Parmele late last Saturday night. Jake Brown, colored of Pitt County, was driv ing the car in the direction of the railroad station from Highway 64 when the truck ripped off most of one side and continued on its way without stopping One report stated that the truck was later identified as be longing to Alton Grimes of Rob ersonville, but the driver was not immediately identified. Investigating the accident, Pa trolman W. E. Saunders said that damage to the car would amount to approximately $300, . « Dawson Lilley Dies Sunday In Hospital TOBACCO i,---/ Indications Monday and early Tuesday pointed to a break approaching a record when the tobacco markets re open Thursday following a forced holiday of one week. Tobacco started moving into the market here Monday and by early Tuesday some ob servers predicted that ii would be blocked lojng before sale time. A report based on the early deliveries for the market's second opening this season stated that possibly the qual ity was some better than that of tyte leaf offered during the few days before sales were suspended for the holiday. However, tips were being of fered in fairly large volume. As far as it could be learn ed, no marked change in price schedules is predicted when sales are resumed Thursday morning of this week at 9:00 o’clock. Town Board Will Consider Budget At Special Meet • Alleged Misuse of Depart" nient Automobile Men tioned at Meeting In a regular meeting lasting less than an hour last evening, the local town commissioners took very littie action on new business, but were advised that the annual audit is about completed and that a special session would be called possibly the early part of next week for a discussion of the 1946-47 budget. Two of the com missioners. V. D. Godwin and G. 11. Harrison, were not present and little new business was advanced for discussion at the meeting. " Lasteiung to a pica made by 1. S. Peel, attorney for the Carolina Coach Company, the commission ers petitioned the Corporation Commission to grant the Coach r 'in&ssauJSa^ >1* bus service between here and Greenville and Kinston, via Rob ersonville and Stokes. Treasurer N. C. Green would make no definite statement about the budget now in the making, but it is fairly certain that no material change will be made in the tax rate for the new fiscal year. However, it is evident that the town is expanding its water system and only recently added two new deep wells to bolster the water supply. Whether the pro gram will call for an increase in the present $2 rate could not be learned. Increased costs and fu ture expansion programs will likely be discussed by the full board in special session before the rate- is definitely ado-ptc-d;— * - • The commissioners briefly men tioned reports of alleged misuse (Continued on page six) -* Bus Companies Seek Franchise • - - Representatives of the Caro lina Coach Company and the Norfolk Southern Bus Corpora tion will carry their appeals to the State Corporation Commis sion in Raleigh on Thursday of this week in support of claims to a franchise for the operation of a bus line from Williamston to Greenville and from Williamston to Kinston. The local town board of com missioners last evening recom mended that the franchise be awarded the Carolina Coach Company, the town officials ex pressing the opinion that the Coach Company could offer a bet ter service in the way of connec tions. The Carolina Coach Company, it was pointed out by their local attorney E. S. Peel, plans to oper ate three trips from Williamston yia Robersonvllle, Stokes end Greenville to Kinston daily. The Norfolk Southern Bus Corpora tion proposes to run busses from here over the same route to Greenville and return. Prominent County Citizen Is Fatally Hurt In Accident —•— Funeral Held Monday At Home In Griffins Township Fatally injured in a logging ac cident in (Jriffins Township about 5:00 o'clock last Friday afternoon. Mr. John Dawson Lilley, promi nent county citizen and well known business man, died in a Washington hospital Sunday morning at 2:40 o’clock. His skull fractured in five places, Mr. Lil ley died without regaining con sciousness. Operating one of two tractors, Mr. Lilley was pulling a log to a loading ramp when two workers, Russell Perry and Garfield Man ning, felled a large pine. The first tractor, driven by Mr. J. Eas on Lilley, had gone ahead and Mr. Dawson moved up just as the tree fell, a limb striking him on the head. The tractor choked down and when workers reached him he was still on the machine in a slumped position. His brother and workmen carried him'in their arms out of the woods a distance of about 200, yards, placed him in an automobile and had him in the hospital within a very short time. One report stated that the two workers heard he first tractor pass near them and possibly thought that both of the brothers had moved on out and that the path was clear. It was also report ed that the length of the tree had i been estimated and its location I from the path checked, the work jers thinking that the top would not teach the path. I Mr. Lilley was born in, Griffins , Township 71 years ago the 21st I of this month, the son of the late Kader and Mary Griffin Lilley. He lived on the farm all his life, and few men worked harder or /-•niore than he i clid^^Hewa^^^oobusiiiess man and attained success as a farmer, timberman and mill operator. But he did not find peace, refuge and happiness in his successes alone; •fnis' gfcv if in his daily work, in living with his fellowman and :n doing for others. Although the end came suddenly and as a great shock to numerous friends throughout this section, his humble and friendly manner of living had enabled him to enjoy the fullness of life. Only a short time ago he had expressed two wishes, one of which he had already planned to put into effect. A member of the Riddick’s Grove Baptist Church for about twenty years and one of its most loyal supporters, he had planned to add two Sunday school rooms to the building. Interested in progres sive moves, he had hoped to sec the road by his home surfaced. Mr. Lilley was a great friend of his fellowman, ar 1 he seemed to get great satisfaction in help ing others. Despite his advanced years, he worked in his fields, not so much for the prices he would receive for his crops, but for the satisfaction of knowing that a row of sweet potatoes chopped by his worn weeding hoe would help ward off hunger for some one somewhere. And there is lit tle or no doubt but what he was working in’the logwoods last Fri day mainly to help produce lum her for those who were without homes. Mis warn inrougn me, uuwcvci humble it may have been, char acterized him as a benefactor of mankind, and a friend to all. Mr. Lilley was a lover of sports and while he seldom engaged in them he did operate with his brother for several years the Wil liamston franchise in the Coastal Plain League before it was reor ganized. When a young man he was married to Miss Charlie Anne Hopkins who died about nine years ago. Surviving are two sons, Kader and Benjamin Lilley of the home; six daughters, Mrs. Gilbert Peel of Greenville, Mrs. James Crab tree, Mrs. Paul Harrington, Mrs. Jessup Harrison, all of Williams ton; Mrs. Clayton Revels of Nor folk, and Miss Ola Lee Lilley of (Continued on page gig) Short Session Of County Board Is Held On Monday — Recommend More Roads For Improvement; Re ports Are Received -• Members of the Martin County Board of Commissioners—Joshua L. Coltrain, Robt. Lee Perry, John H. Edwards, C. Abram Roberson and R. A. Haislip—held a short and uneventful session on Mon day. The group made a few rec ommendations for road improve ments, handled routine business, including reviews of various de partmental reports, and adjourn ed before noon. W. Clarence Wallace. James ville Township constable for a long number of terms, tendered his resignation to the board, ex plaining that ill health made it impossible for him to carry on the work. J. Paul Holliday, Navy veteran, was appointed to com plete the unexpired term. Action on a permanent appointment is expected before next December. Williamston’s Lions Club and Robersonville's Rotary Club were exempted of county taxes on car nivals sponsored by the two or ganizations in the two towns this month. The board recommended that the roads near the W. C. Wallace farm and the one leading from Poplar Chapel to L. P. Holliday’s farm in Jamesville Township be drained. It was also pointed out that the old Williamston-Everetts Road needed bushing and re pairs. It was also recommended that the old Mill Neck Road from the old Keyes school house at Tar Landing to M. T. Gardner's, a dis tance of three-quarters of a mile, be worked as a community road. In his report to the commis sioners, Tax Collector M. Luther Peel staled that all hut $5,810.37 of the $189,051.80 tax levy for 1945 had Been collected. Fines, forfeitures and costs turned over to the county treas urer from the recorder’s court .v/nrrtjntrd to $1,705.81} for the month of August, Clerk of Court L. B. Wynne reported. Of the •amount, $ 1,0G5.o\l Was collected in fines. The superior court report ed $132.45 collected during the period. Father (jrrrit'iit— Resident Passes -« Mr E. L. Gatling, father of Mrs. W. G. Peel of Williamston and a prominent citizen of Windsor, died suddenly at his home there last Thursday evening shortly after 8:00 o’clock, fie was 76 years of age. Mr. Gatling, formerly a cooper age manufacturer and merchant, lately had devoted his time to farming, timber and real estate, fie had served two terms as may or of Windsor and also had been a member of the Bertie County Board of Commissioners. He was a deacon -in. the .Cashie Baptist Church and for 42 years had been teacher of the Women’s Bible Class in the church Sunday school. He was born in Hertford County December 25, 1869, and moved to Windsor in 1897. Funeral services were conduct ed in the Cashie Baptist Church Sunday afternoon at 2:00 o’clock and burial was in the family plot in Windsor’s Edgewood Ceme tery. Besides his daughter here he is survived by his widow, Mrs. Ella Maurice Gatling: three sons, J. M. Gatling of Washington, D. C-, and E. J. Gatling and E. L. Gat ling, Jr., of W’indsor; two daugh ters, Mrs. R. W. Shepherd of Col umbus, Ohio, and Mrs. H. W. Ly on of Windsor; and 13 grandchil dren and one great-grandchild. « I\o Reduction In Fine For Drunken Driving ■ * In the drunken driving case against Haywood Johnson in the county court last week it was stated that the defendant was fined $>10 and taxed with the cost. The report was in error and Judge J. C- Smith explained in open court this week that the fine for drunken driving had not been re duced, that Johnson, in court a second time for alleged drunken driving, was fined $100, taxed with the cost and had his license revoked for another year. 1 Enrollment Figures Are Back To Normal In County Schools Schools Pick Up 263 Pupils Over Last-Year Count -9 Most of Cain Traceable To Hold-Over lltli Grade In High Schools --» ■ ■ For the first time since before the war, enrollment figures in the nine Martin County white schools are about normal, according to late reports reaching the office of the county superintendent this week. Reports for the colored schools are far from complete, but according to the best informa tion now available a marked in crease has followed in most of those schools. Conditions were said to be crowded in most of the schools, but the twelfth grade is absorb ing the gain in the high schools and teacher loads, as a rule, have not been increased materially. Adjustments have been effected in most cases and the superin tendent’s office announced that the term was progressing smooth ly Monday. However, a few posi tions have not been filled perma nently, but substitutes are carry ing on the work in those grades. After reaching a low point of 2,984 last year, the total enroll ment in the nine white schools last week bounced up to 3,24T. a gain of 283 pupils. Most of the in crease is traceable to the six white schools where the eleventh grade was held over to start the twelfth grade for the first time on a rc ;uiar schedule. The high school enrollment jumped from 505 last fall' to 663. It was unof ficially reported that eighteen pupils from the Robgood district are included in the latest figures. Arrangements were made to send the pupils to Scotland Neck, but the patrons furnished transporta tion for their children and serif them to Oak City. Enrollment by ^j^^^dual schools varies in department, but maintains a steady gain in the high school. Jumcsville’s elementary school lost 24, but the high school gain W* JiuCTiow to • ail increase* j of one. f arm L.ne lost one in me lower grades but gained thirteen in the higli school for an over-all gain of an even dozen. Bear Grass gained 42 in the ele mentary and 18 in the high school to boost its total enrollment in crease to 60. Williamston reported an in crease of 32 in its elementary grades and 31 in the high school, making for the largest enrollment ever reported. Absorbing the Gold Point School after the term began last fall, Robersonville came up with a healthy increase this year. Gold Point, it is estimated, turned 43 pupils to the school, but without that number there was an in crease of 35 pupils in the elemen tary department, and the high school figures jumped from 152 to 180, a gain of 28 pupils in that department and an overall in crease of-106. Hassell, with 65 pupils, was short three of its last year total. Hamilton, with 166 enrolled, gained eleven pupils. Oak City more than held its own in the elementary school, but led the county with the largest high school enrollment gain. Fourteen pupils were added in the lower grades and in the high school the figure jumped from 98 to 141. Few details could be had about the opening day sessions, but more than one principal was tug ging at his hair trying to locate those pupils who had been away attending school in a goodly num ber of states during the war years. Books shortages were fairly gen eral, indicating that the free dis tribution of texts is not proving very satisfactory or that conser vatism in Raleigh is proving cost ly to the pupU. It lias been announced that at tendance records will be closely checked in the schools this year, that the enfoiceiueni of the Com pulsory attendance law is to be expected In the county, especially in the three districts where sup (Contlnued on paf e cix). Enrollment Comparison A comparison of enrollment for the first days of the 1945-46 and 1946-47 terms in the nine white schools follows: Jamesville Farm Life Bear Grass Williamston Everetts Robersonville Gold Point Hassell Hamilton Oak City 1945 Ele. H.S. Total 349 60 409 32 38 1946 Ele. ll.S. Total 152 240 665 125 221 342 152 43 68 155 244 98 184 278 790 221 494 43 68 155 342 325 151 282 85 45 56 697 156 220 420 180 65 166 258 14! 410 196 338 853 220 600 65 166 399 2479 505 2984 2584 664 3247 •Consolidated with Robersonville after the opening of the 1945-46 term. Number Marriage Licenses Increase In Martin County —♦— Issuance Sets Recoril Last Month unri Exceeds Total For All 1945 -* The number of marriage li censes issued in this county con tinues to climb steadily, the issu | ancc reported by J. Sam Getsing j er last month exceeding the count on record for August. In the eight months of this year, the number of licenses is greater than the total issued during all of 194V Up until the first of this month, 218 licenses had been issued in | this county as compared with 209 . in the twelve months oi 1945, 190 in 1944, and 203 in 1943. Twenty-three licences were is ' sued last month, eleven to while and twelve to colored couples, as ! | follows: I White i Dr. William Foster of Ashee/?^ | and Verlu P. J. Narron of Wil liamston and Kcnly. Grover Lee Terry and Doris Donaldson, both of Williamston. ^CVrady^T^Davds^d Windsor^and^ ton. John Rossell Rogers and Daisy Lena Whitley, both of Williams ton. Earl Taylor of RFD 1, Rober sonville, and Nellie M. Roberson, of RFD 1, Williamston. Jesse Taylor and Christine Tay lor, both of RFD 1, Robcrsonville. John. Wiiliani Purvis, Jr., of Rocky Mount and Mary Ward Slade, of Hamilton. Andrew House of RFD 1, Hob good, and Nellie P. Cooper of Scotland Neck. Jarhes Stalls and Dorothy Scott, both of RFD, Robcrsonville. Kenneth Buckley and Jean Buckland, both of Columbia, S. C. D. C. Young, Tr., of Salisbury, N. C., and Lois Rogerson of Rob ersonville. Colored Benjamin Little of Newark, N. J., and Carrie Taylor of Roberson ville. Dallas R. Briley and Bernice Roberson, both of Robei sonville. John H. Davis and data Jones, both of Williamston. Oscar Lorenzo Roberson of Robcrsonville and Oi len Bynum (Continued on page six) Badly Hurt When Run Down By Car —♦_— Leon Blown, slaughter house worker, was painfully but not seriously hurt when he was run down by a cai in front of Brown’s grocery on Washington Street here last Saturday night about 10 o’colck. The victim suffered an eight-stitch gash in one leg and was painfully bruised on the shoulder and face. One report stated that the car knocked Brown down and that the wheels ran over him, but no bones were broken as far as it could be learn ed. James Clark, driving out Wash ing Street, was quoted as saying tliat Brown stepped into .the street, that he coujd not mi*. S&u. f ROUND-UP Fourteen persons were ar rested and temporarily de tained in the county jail dur ing the week-end. For the first time in months the drunks were in a minority. Three were charged with flim-flamming', four with drunkenness, one with oper ating a motor vehicle without a driver's license, two with disorderly conduct, two.with assault, and one was booked on an old charge. Four of the fourteen were white, and the ages of the group ranged from ‘i'i to 4!) years. Mrs* M. H. Ayers Fatally Stricken Dirt* While Ih iiitf Removed ■». To u Ho-pita! lit Terboro Fatally stricken, apparently by a heart attack while walking !'■ nm distance away early last Saturday evening, Mrs. Mill 11. Ayers died while being removed to a Tar boro hospital. Found unconsci ous on the street, Mrs. Ayers was first believed to have been struck by a motor vehicle. Highway pa trolmen were called and it was later learned that she had suffer ed some kind of an attack. Few details of her sudden and untime ly passing could be learned im mediately. The daughter of the late John W. House and wife, Mrs. Ayers was born in Halifax County 55 ^mHVfijbng stat ion tore Home a short (Continued on page six) Youth Dies In Hospital Here ——— $ ■■ Thomas Hardison, ten yea i s old and a most promising little fel low, died suddenly in the local hospital this morning al 12:10 o’clock, the victim of a stomach ailment. He had not enjoyed the best of health for possibly a month or more, and it was first thought he had malaria. Monday morning his blood count increased rapidly and he was operated on for appendicitis and the other ail ment was discovered. Special doctors were called in but the trouble had advanced too fat to be juccesslully combatted. The son of Jack and Lala Grif fin Hardison, Thomas was born on March 2, 1936. at the home of his grandparents, Mr and Mrs. T. C. Griffin in Griffins Township. He moved with his parents lo Wil liamston six years ago and was living on Park Street. A bright and cheery little fellow, he was an apt pupil in the local schools and was to have entered the fifth grade this term. Surviving besides his parents are two brothers, Janies and Sam uel. Funeral arrangements had not been completed early this morn ing, but the services are tenta tively scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.. Thousands of Bills Were Introduced In 79th Congress -- R»*vi«*w «»f Most Important Legislation Enacted Into Law Since January of last year, nineteen thousand bills were in troduced in the 79th United States Congress- 3,000 in the Senate and 10.000 in the House. It was in deed a weary session that ended last month. A review of the principal legis lation enacted into law follows: 1. Appropriated $600,000,000 for an emergency housing program, designed particularly to meet needs of returned servicemen and their families. 2. Liberalized the GI Bill of Rights to encourage greater use of the schooling provisions. 3. Broadened the provisions of the GT insurance legislation. 4. Appropriated about $95,000, 000,000 for the federal establish ment. (Later, however, about $64,000,000,000 of this was retract ed, when the war ended.) 5. Cut the national debt limit from $300,000,000,000 to $275,000, 000,000. 6. Extended the life of the Re renst met inn Finance Corporation until next January, instead of for five years, as asked by the Presi dent. 7. Increased pay of members of Congress from $10,000 to $12,500 yearly plus a $2,500 tax-free ex pense allowance (Mr. Truman recommended a $20,000 salary); increased the pay of federal judges from $10,000 to $15,000 and of federal workers 14 percent. Also made members of Congress eligible i'nr contributory pensions. H. Set up a three-member Eco nomic Council to recommend ways to maintain maximum em ploy nit nt and avoid depressions. 9. Cut income taxes and repeal ed the excess profits tax. liy Made the federal-aid school lunch program permanent. 11. Established a federal aid to eneu wide development at merit of airport.-:. 12. Authorized exp(| $7% men hospitals and improve 13. Gave the Presidenl power to reorganize federal u s. alt lioiieli not as 14. Accepted two reorganization proposals the President submit ted. One was to centralize wel fare activities in the Federal Se : curity Agency as a preliminary i step to making it a new cabinet post. The other involved trans fer of more than a score of func tions between various agencies. 15. Provided for reorganization and streamlining of Congress. 16. Called for return of the United States Employment Serv ices to the States next November, instead of delaying it until next June, as asked by the President. 17 Extended the “anti-rack eteering" laws to cover labor un ions, in a measure known as the Hobbs bill It w.oijh^m.;jk,o it. a felony to interfere by "robbery or extortion" or by threats of vio lence with movement of goods in interstate commerce. In the closing hours of the Con gress action was taken “freezing’’ the Social Security tax at one per cent for another year from Jan uary 1. 1947 (had this action not been taken the tax would auto matically have increased on Janu ary 1 to 2 5 percent from both the employe and the employer). The (Continued from page one) . t Flim - Flammers Out Under Bond John Doyle and Smith Wilson, colored men charged with an at tempt to "pull" the old pocket* book game here last week, were released Sunday under cash bonds in the sum of $200 each. Raymond Williams, a third de» fondant in the case who main* tains that he was driving the other two around under contract^ has not been able to raise bond and continues in the county jail. No complete report on the re cords has oeen received from th# Fedeial Bureau of Investigation, but ihc two making bond are §1 leged to have practiced the tUtifr flam business for a goodly mint* her of years. » *