t THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BE
OVER 3^00 MARTIN COUNT*
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
THE ENTERPRISE
TIIE ENTERPRISE IS READ BE
OVER 3.000 MARTIN COUNT!
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
VOLUME L—NUMBER 63
Williamaton, Martin County, J\orth Carolina, Friday, August 8, 1947
ESTABLISHED 1899
Judge Smith Hears
< Twenty-two Cases
In County's Court
— »
Fines, Amounting to 8180,
Are Imposed At Session
Last Monday
•
The apparently flagrant viola- ’
tion of the law requiring the li- j
censing of motorbike operators;
got into the limelight in this |
county last Monday when two de- j
fcndants were fined $25 each fori
(^intentionally or unintentionally j
driving the chug-chug machines
without operators’ licenses. Quite
a few of the machines—bicycles
equipped with a two-by-four en
gine—were being operated in this
county at one time by minors
who could not qualify for drivers'
licenses. Possibly a warning
against the practice by Highway
Patrol officials had its effect be-i
^Ttiuse the machines are not so
^numerous now.
The court session this week had
several baffling cases, and when
it was fairly evident that some of
the litigants had mapped them
strategy after an unethical fash
ion, Judge J. C. Smith, working
on the theory that where there’s
a lot of scars there must have
been a lot of fighting, adjudged
one defendant after another guil
ty
The jurist and Solicitor Paul D.
Roberson worked until 4:00
o'clock that afternoon before
clearing the docket. It was the
first time in (fpme time that the
court found it necessary to go into
an afternoon session.
Proceedings:
Pleading not guilty in the case
charging him with an assault with
■ svticudly tfCSpAlV Tvitl •Sw.t.r-w.iS'
adjudged guilty of a simple as
sault. and he was fined $15 and
taxed with the costs. In a second
case charging him with gambling
and an assault, Scott again main
tained his innocence. However, he
was adjudged guilty of a simple
assault and the court suspended
▼ judgment upon the payment of
the costs.
Charged with an assault with a
deadly weapon, Edgar Cross
j pleaded guilty and he was sen
tenced to the road.: . ninety
days. The sentence was suspend
ed upon the payment of a $25 fine
and costs and $35 to Dr. E E. Pitt
man for medical service rendered
Ben Scott.
Joseph Oscar Wiggins was ad
judged not guilty in the case
charging him with assaulting a fe
male. In a second case in which
' t lie was charged with non-support,
Wiggins pleaded guilty, and pray-'
cr for judgment was continued
until August 18.
The case charging Albert As
kew with violating the liquor
laws was continued for the de
fendant until August 18.
In the case charging Frank Or
mond and Ernestine Riddick with
an affray, Ormond was adjudged
not guilty. Found guilty, the
other defendant was fined $25 and
required to pay the costs.
Drunk and disorderly, Allen
McNair was sentenced to the
loads for thirty days, the judge
suspending the sentence on con
dition that the defendant pay a
$10 fine and costs. McNair was
unable to arrange for the fine and
costs immediately.
Charged with drunken and
reckless driving, John Paul Jones
failed to answer when called and
papers were ordered issued for
his arrest.
Charged with operating a mot
orbike without a driver’s license,
Odell Hart was fined $25 and tax
ed with the costs.
Pleading guilty of assaulting a
female, N. S. Nichols was sentenc
ed to the roads for thirty days.
The court suspended the sentence
^ upon the payment of a $20 fine
and costs and on the further con
dition that he is not to associate
with Idell Brown, colored.
The cases charging Bill Wright
with assaulting a female and Lula
Mae Wright with being drunk and
disorderly were continued for the
defendants until September 8.
Charged with drunken driving,
Robert Suggs pleaded guilty and
was sentenced to the roads for
•4, ninety days. His license was re
voked for one year upon the re
commendation of the court. The
defendant apparently found the
new mandatory fine of $100 for
drunken driving too expensive.
(Continued on page eight!
Prices Average $50!
On Border Markets!
INCOME
Sources of income beside
general taxation yielded a
fairly sizable sum for the
county treasury for the month
of July according to reports
filed by the several county
officers with the commission
ers at a recent meeting of the
board.
The recorder's court netted
S1.4S5.85, including $840 in
fines. Another $177.15 was
reported by the court clerk as
coming from miscellaneous
items. The register of deeds
reported S348.35 raised from
the recording of various pap
ers during the month, and the
sheriff’s office submitted $158
income from the service of
papers, making a total of
$2,189.35.
! " “
Intangibles Tax
Melon Divided In
County. 4 Towns
Total of $12,465.62 Beinf*
Distributed By Revenue
Department
Martin County and four towns,
: Everetts, Oak City. Robersonville
! and Williamston, are receiving
j $12,465.62 as their part of the
! 1946-47 intangible tax Assessed
.*i,’.1 w~-: .l, ■
! ment of Revenue, the tax is much
larger than t was a year ago.
The total collection was $15.
622.75. but the State shares in the
melon cutting and then some ex
j pense has to be deducted for as
sessing and collecting.
| The county is receiving $11,
l 215.aft~.tht .following amouj 1
! mg to foui towns: Everetts,
j $46.12: Oak City, $64.82; Rober
: sonville, $9U7.50; and Williamston,
$2,731.22.
j Th Inrgi-.-t .-.ingle amount in in
1 tangible property taxes was col
lected right in the banks. A re
port from the Revenue Depart
ment showing that $6,771.22 wa
collected on money on deposit in
banks. When intangible proper
ties were listed with the deputy
collector in the county, the listers
reported just enough money or
hand to raise $87.89 in revenue
i Accounts receivable, limited to the
! most part to items recorded-in the
I public registry, produced $1,395.21
in revenue. Notes, bonds, mort
gages accounted for $2,997.46
Stocks, reported to the depart
ment by the corporations anc
companies with some few excep
tions, brought in the second larg
est amount from any single source
of revenue, the report showing
that $4,057.04 was raised frorr
holders of stocks. Penalties anc
interest on delayed payment;
amounted to $310.35. And to caf
the revenue coming from in
(Continued on page eight)
Mother Is Asking
\ Return Of Her
Hero Son’s Body
Mrs. John C. Newborn of Wes'
! End this week asked in an officia
I application the return of her here
son’s body from a U. S. Military
Cemetery in France. A paratroop
|er in World War II, John C. New
j bern, Jr., made the supreme sacri
I fice in Fi ance the early part ol
j 1945. Removed from the fieid ol
j battle, the young man’s body nov.
rests temporarily in :» military
cemetery at Epinal, France, and it
to be brought here foi burial.
The application, prepared in the
office of the Martin County Chap
ter of the Red Cross here, was the
second filed in this county, thr
Hollidays having asked the return
of the body of their son anc
brother, Lewis Thomas Holliday
a short time ago.
Home Service Director Mrs. Ed
na Laughinghouse will gladly as
Isist in preparing application:
when received by others desiring
the return of the bodies of theii
loved ones.
-o
Prices For Early
Sales About $3.00
Under Last Years
! Downward Trend Reported
Oil Georgia Markets In
Keren l Days
-®-'
The seventeen tobacco markets
along the border of North Caro
| lina and South Carolina opened
| today with an estimated price av
erage right at $50 per hundred
i pounds, according to reports bas
| ed on the first two-hour selling
I period.
The North Carolina and United
‘States Departments of Agricul
j ture in an ea ly report reported
| the average ranged between $50
! and $53 pci hundred, but individ
i ual reports maintained the aver
age was hardly $50 on several
markets. The departments staled
that a large percentage of the in
ferior grades were selling below
the Flue-cured Stabilization Cor
poration support price, indicating
that farmers were patronizing the
corporation. The first reports
from the Border said that prices
ranged as low as $4 and reached
$68 in one or two instances. Qual
ity of lugs was said to be fair to
fine, and the quality of cutters
was low to fair. Growers were
said to be satisfied and few sales
were rejected.
The average this year was about
$3 per hundred pounds below the
j-ngTVay nguie i3sV*Jeai.
Press reports, released early
Thursday afternoon, placed the
over-all average at $50 per hun
dred with the better grades bring
ing from $62 to $68 per hundred
pounds.
Darlington reported an average
of $54 to $58. the report being
.Ln.iia-ojt- ■'.>« sUskUy- uuoffotwal feati
I mates.
LUiiway, explaining nun muvn
i inferior tobacco was on the floors
I there, reported an average of $47
pci bundled. 1’iiccj i cut bed uii
occasional top of $65 per hundred.
! With good quality tobacco on
its floors there, reported an aver
age of $47 pci hundred. Prices
reached an occasional top of $65
per hundred.
With good quality tobacco on its
floors, Tabor City reported an
average of $54.40.
Timmonsville had an average of
about $50 per hundred and a 88
eent top. Quality of the offerings
was described as good.
Lumberton reported a 52-cent
| average and a top price of 63
I cents per pound.
With half million pounds on its
floors. Kingstree had a 52-cent
average and a 60-cent top price
during early sales.
Reporting a main price range of
$20 to $62 per hundred, Lake City
had a $51 average.
A late report Thursday after
; noon from Valdosta declared that
prices on Thursday in Georgia
i were about the lowest of the seas
on.
Light sales were reported on
most of the markets along the bor
der in this State due to the fact
that in some areas hardly more
| than half of the crop has been
harvested. However, the sales,
now two years removed from the
war period and with the price
trend a bit more uncertain, at
tracted large crowds on every one
of the markets. Quite a few
interested persons* including to
bacconists, farmers and others, at
tended the opening sales from this
section.
Indefinite and somewhat con
fusing reports came from the bor
der this week relative to the qual
ity of the crop there. It was stat
ed by some that the quality was
good, but baldly up to the record
of last year. Other reports de
clared that the opening day sales
on some markets were made up
of all types of tobacco of poor
quality except there were no tips
seen on the floors.
On the Georgia markets a
downwaid price trend was re
ported to have developed in re
cent days, after sales boomed to
I the highest level of the year fhe
latter part of last week. Over
eight million pounds were sold
(Continued on page eight)
Area Employment
Reports Increased
Activity In July
Nearly 2,000 Persons Were
In Contact With the
Office Last Month
The Williamston office of the
State Employment Service, serv- |
ing Martin, Bertie, Washington, I
and Tyrrell Counties, reports that
1850 persons contacted the office
during July regarding job open
ings, self-employment claims, in
formation on Social Security and
employment opportunities in other
areas of the State and nation, and
veterans in quest of information
about the veterans' assistance pro
gram. This is the highest num
ber of reception contacts for the
office in one month for some time,
reports Howard S. Sexton, the
local office manager. For this
group the office rendered such
services as job placement and job
counseling, handling claims for
the self-employed, submitting in
formation on the Social Security
Act, and giving information to
veterans on on-the-job training,
insurance, schooling, pensions and
GI loans for housing. The ma
jority of these contacts were with
Martin County residents.
Mr. Sexton reports that there
has been a large increase in ac
tive applications for work over
the past month due to work lay
offs and project termination here
and there. At the end of July the
office had on file around 800 ap
| plications for the four counties
I whereas at the* end of May there
were only 114 on file. There are
over 100 job openings in the area
| at this time on file with tlu^ of
j fIce,'*“ou" experience and educa
tional requirements prevent plae
ing of a high percentage of the
| job seekers in the existing open
j ings. The Williamston office
| staff placed 68 persons on. jobs
! during the month of July, and an
I ticipates placing a considerably
| larger number during August due
r to seasonal PlnpiOy men t in Hie
j in the tobacco industry "roni the
total persons placed in July, 34
were veterans of World War 11
and three of these were placed
in on-llic-jub lianiing positions.
The office, located on the third
floor of the city hall, is anxious
to interview individuals qualified
for the following positions: Secre
tary, bookkeeper, salesman, male
office worker, caterpillar opera
tor (Bertie County), electric line
man, lathe operator, housemaid,
cook, stationary boiler fireman,
circular headsaw operator, ma
chinist 11, auto parts clerk, and
laborer jobs in such work as elec
trical construction, highway, log
ging and lumber.
Mr. Sexton states that the above
are chiefly Martin County open
ings and that in addition the of
fice keeps an up-to-date list ol
some 175 job openings all over the
State of North Carolina us report
ed to Raleigh by all offices, but
all of these require skills and ex
perience of varying amounts. Alsc
for those interested in Civil Ser
vice jobs, the office recieves a list
of these jobs every week cover
ing Eastern United States. It
should be remembered that it i.
useless to seek any of the posi
tions unless the applicant posses
es the occuational background tc
mutch the existing openings.
Cooperative To
Meet August 28
•—■
The Martin County Farmers Co
operative Exchange will hold its
annual meeting in Williamston’s
I high school building on Thursday,
August 28, it was announced this
week by John Marshall, director
of public relations.
Similar meetings have been
held already in the western part
of the state w'here record attend
ance tigures were reported. M.
G. Mann, general manager, cred
ited the increase in attendance
upon the farm meetings to the
“enthusiasm and interest aroused
last spring by the North Carolina
Merchants Association in its fight
on farm cooperatives during the
1947 General Assembly.” '
A program for the meeting has
\ not been announced, but the
I schedule, getting under way at
4:30 o’clock in the afternoon, will
not interefere with the opening
ui the county schools that day.
Strike Threat Climaxes Drive
To Organize Workers At Plant
Of Williamston Lumber Firm
“We’ll Do It Our
Way,’’Organizers
Warn Managers
o
—•— I
CIO ami AFL Reported Ae-j
live Here During the
Past Several Weeks
Organizational efforts by John
L. Lewis! District 50, United Mine
Workers of the American Federa
tion of Labor, and reportedly by
the Congress of Industrial Or
ganizations reached a climax here
Wednesday when union repre
sentatives threatened to “strike"
the Williamston Lumber Com
pany's plant.
The threat brought into the
open, for the first time a drive
launched some weeks ago to
unionize the workers at the lum- I
ber plant and in other industries
here. Few details could bo had
at first, but it was learned that i
representatives of the A. F. of L.
affiliate had held group meetings
in tin' Williams Chapel church
here on Rhodes Street. It was
reported that representatives of
the CIO had held meetings in the
River Hill Christian Church, but
the report could not be confirm
ed.
Just who and how many have
joined the union could not be
ieavfiVd; viV tcp.wi ..istfd (iw
posibly 100 or more workers had
signed. It was reliably learned
that the initiation fee was fixed
at 50 cents per member, and that
“dues will be discussed as the or
ganizational work progresses.”
William P. Thomason, repre
sending himself as state director
•!.i{ the A. F of 1, ;■ ifi!’.;de, could
not be reached for a statement or
information. It was rumored
some weeks ago that plans were
being advanced for the unioniza
tion of lurid pinr\U' but no name".
could be learned until yesterday,
and workers would offer no com
ment when questioned.
| When the representatives of the
| A. K. of I,. Agency contacted the
I managers of the Williamston
Lumber Company Wednesday the
strike threat was suggested if the
company should refuse to sign a
union contract. One of the own
ers pointed out that he was un
able to understand how a strike
could be called when no contract
existed, and the union representa
tive was quoted as saying, •'We'll
do it our way."
The company management ex
. plained that it was understood
that the workers, desiring to join
a union, would go into an election
arranged and supervised by the
National Labor Relations Hoard
so that the workers could choose
their own bargaining agency. The
management pointed out that as
far as they could learn no election
has been arranged.
Just when the union represen
tatives plan to carry out the
strike threat could not be learn
ed.
Leading citizens of the colored
population not directly associated
with industry but acquainted
with some of the organizational
work yesterday expressed the
hope that the work would be car
1 ried on above board, that no labor
strife would follow. It was also
stated that many employees who
had enjoyed cordial relations with
the employers ovei a period of
years hud refused to participate
in the unionization movement.
Discussing relations with its
(Continued on page eight)
Lilian l‘oxl lnslalliiifi
Officers Monday Nighl
Meeting next Monday night at
8:00 o’clock in the Legion hut on
Watts Street, the John Walton
Hassell Post will install new of
ficers for the coming year. A
Dutch supper will be served, and
all members are cordially asked
to be present.
i Ray Galloway, newly elected
State Commander of the Ameri
can Legion, of Wilmington, will
install the new officers and ad
dress the meeting.
f
Police Department Reports
Fifty-Six Arrests In July
-«
j Making a monthly report to the
i board of commissioners in session
last Monday night, Chief of Police
W. T. Simpson stated that fifty
six pei sons were arrested and
charged with various infractions
of the law. Most of them were
charged with public drunkenness,
i while a goodly number faced as
sault and affray charges.
Of the 56 persons arrested, six
teen were white males. Thirty
were colored males and ten were
colored females. Thirty-eight of
the 56 arrested were booked for
trial during the month, the re
maining eighteen to face the
courts this month. Fines were col
lected in the sum of $305.00, and
court costs amounted to $468.20,
making a total of $793.20.
Commenting on the activities of
the department during the month,
j Chief Simpson said that only one
incident or crime remained un
solved. “We have been unable to
trace the origin of a stray bullet
that struck Jas. A. Leggett,” the
chief said, adding that the pellet
must have been fired a block or
two away possibly just off of
North Haughton Street.
One change resulted in the de
partment personnel at the end of
the month. Officer P. A. Ballard
resigned and he was succeeded by
Bill Haislip, former deputy sher
iff of the county.
If the present trend is main
tained, arrests in August will out
number those rep'orted in July
and fines and costs are likely ti
be greater.
Members of the departmenl
were “armed" with town motot
vehicle tags this week and n
structed to have them put on tin
tagged vehicles or have the own
ers report to the court.
Curing Barn Lost
In Poplar Point
Be lieved to have started when
a stick of tobacco fell on the flues.
1 u'e' desli oyeeVa*^)i"u"ii"K curing barn
and 1,000 sticks of tobacco on the
T B. Slade farm in Poplar Point
shortly before midnight Tuesday,
lit was the fifth barn reported to
have burned in the county so far
this season. The loss, partially
covered by insuiance, will au
I proximate $1,800. The operator,
I Dick Slade, staten frtvtV the tobac
co, the third pulling, was about
the best he had.
The burn was equipped with a
stoker and other than the motor
I 11 • c automatic equipment vv O.J not
! materially damaged, Mr. Slade
said. “We were just about
through ‘cooking’ the tobacco
when the fire started,” the owner
said.
Open New Studio
Operating under the firm name
of Royal Photographic Center,
Messrs. William Tetterton and
David Hillen are opening a mod
ern studio in the Harrison build
ing on North Haughton Street
here next Saturday. In addition
to their regular work in the
studio, the photographers are pre
pared to do extensive home pho
tography on short notice. The
studio is adequately equipped
with modern fixtures and mater
ials for making portraits and all
other types of pictures.
Mr. Tetterton, a native of this
county, has had twelve years ex
perience m the business, he hav
ing worked in Brooklyn prior to
locating here. His associate has
had seventeen years experience in
some of the country’s largest
studios.
Ainvets Are Given
By a recent act of Congress pro
viding a national charter, the
Amri lean Veterans of World War
II popularly termed the "Am
] vet-,," am now officially recogniz
ed and hold “legal status equal to
that of the American Legion, the
Veterans of Foreign Wars, the
Disabled American Veterans and
the United Spanish War Veterans,
I the only other veterans’ groups
holding Congressional charters.”
The organization, which was
formed in 11141), is reported to
have more than 120,000 members
in more than 1,200 posts in forty
eight states. Its major objectives,
as stated in its charter, are to
work for promotion of world
| peace; to work for the preserva
tion of the American way of life;
i and to promote legislation and
nieasures designed to help vetcr
OITn ial Standing
aus help themselves.
i MAKER'S DO/KIN
v.
One of (he most unusual
freaks in the grain kingdom
was displayed here this week.
Miss Carrie Dell Peaks
brought to ’i’he Enterprise of
fice a cluster of ears of corn
grown on the farm of her
step-father, Mr. James Bow
en, near here. There are
twelve fairly well-developed
ears of corn ringing a normal
ear. The cluster measures 1!
inches in circumference and
the main car is ten inches
long.
Father Of Local
PrincipaTruoses
Will t Stewart, father of Pro
fessor B, G. Stewart of the local
schools, died suddenly at his home
in Gloucester near Beaufort in
Carteret County Wednesday
morning of a heart attack. De
spite his advanced age of eighty
years. Mr. Stewart was very ac
tive until he suffered the attack
just a short time before the end.
Mrs. Stewart's father, M. W. C.
Stallings, died of a heart attack
in Arlington, Va., on Thursday of
last week.
Surviving Mr. Stewart are sev
en children, B. G Stewart of
Williamston, Mrs. 1) A Jarvis of
Straits, Mrs. Cecil Mason of New
port, Mrs. Wordie Murphy of Ha
leigh, Mis. Herbert Phillips of
Hookerton, Mrs. Clyde White
hurst of Gloucester and Mrs. John
G. Smith of Fort Myers, Fla.
Principal and Mrs. Stewart
and sons left Wednesday for Car
teret County. Funeral arrange
ments had not been made at that
time, and could not be learned
here Thursday.
SPEAKS . . .
THE RECORD
Trailing the 1946 figures by
a wide margin for some time,
the 1947 acident record re
flected a fairly rapid closing
of the gap last week when
five wrecks were reported on
the highways of this county.
So far, motorists have been
considerate of life and limb
as compared with the reck
lessness recorded in the first
31 weeks of 1946,
The following tabulations
offer a comparison of the ac
cident trend: fust, by corres
ponding weeks in this year
and last and for each year to
the present time.
31st Week
Accidents Inj’d Killed Dam'se
1947 5 ' 1 0 $ 1.269
1946 3 0 0 350
Comparisons To Date
1947 71 32 3 15,785
1916 80 67 3 19,650
Bam! Day To Be
Held Next Month
To Raise Funds
Slimmer Sr»ion To ('.lose
V\ itli Picnic At School
August 22
-*
Meeting in the high school audi
torium Monday night of this week
the Williamston Band Parents’
Club decided to hold a Band Day
rally and fund-raising drive some
time early in September in an ef
fort o supply uniforms for every
member of the band.
Professor Jack Butler, director
of the band, put his musicians-to
be through a stiff rehearsal as the
meeting opened Monday night and
it was noted that remarkable pro
gress had been made since the
early part of the summer when*
the band work really got its first
instruments together.
The goal of the campaign has
been set at not less than $1,000.
It is to be raised by diverse means
with the big day coming as the
climax to the campaign.
Final date for the big day will
be determined at a picnic-meeting
of the band parents and members
i of the band Ft iday. August 22, at
j the high school building. All par
| ents of band members and othej'S
interested in the promotion of the
band program are urged to be on
hand for this final summer meet
ing.
Presiding over the meeting last
Monday evening, Pn ident M. M.
Levin heard vai ions suggestions
regarding the ways and means of
getting the uniform money. In
cluded m the suggested ways of
raising the funds were: Request^.,,
of donations from various civic
clubs, solicitations among the peo
ple of the town, serving of meals
to civic organizations, cake and
pa sales, tag day, serving of meals
which would be open to the pub
lic instead of being restricted to
the membership of organizations,
and similar activities.
i. vf.ih , a. a "L> se’f 'lops' ts'r
membership into the club at $2
per family per year and it was
estimated tins would give the club
some working capital.
V.h. ". 11.. t_.i»n11 I..j ,. i. k, ...
planned to have the band march
through thi' streets with every
other member attired in one of the
new uniforms already on hand
while the fellow next to him car
ried a sign proclaiming Ids need
of the proper raiment. That this
scheme would make striking pic
ture of the need for uniforms was
not questioned. The big burden
in tins event would be upon the
shoulders of Director Butler who
still is trying to whip his recruits
into a workable organization. He
has few veteran band students
and a great many who have just
started taking lesson, with newly
acquired instruments.
Final plans will be completed at
the picnic and meeting on the
; 22nd of tins month but opinion ap
peared pointing toward a one-day
drive with the idea that it could
j be made more impressive in that
(Continued on page eight)
--—*$>.— .... —
Tobacco Damaged
!By Hail and \\ind
-»>_,
A freakish storm, bordering on
a little tornado, struck and badly
damaged several tobacco crops in
the Farm Life section of Griffins
Township last Monday shortly be
iot'c noun.
Rain, described as about the
heaviest ever seen there, fell for
about thirty minutes, and the hail
and wind fell hardly more than a
minute or two about fifteen min
utes after the rain started. Some
fields of tobacco were badly
punctured by hail, but wind ap
parently did more damage, rip
ping two or three leaves from the
stalks and leaving others broken
and badly battered.
The damage was limited to a
comparatively few farms, center
ing mainly on those owned by
Fenner and Rul'us Hardison, W.
B. Harrington and State Rober
son.
According to Mr. Harrington
the peanut crop apparently was
damaged to runic extent by the.
heavy rain and wind. ‘ The bunch
tops were blown down almost to
the ground; but most of them
reared their heads a short tune
later,” the t'anmif said.
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