fXHE ENTERPRISE IS READ BE
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT1
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEES
THE ENTERPRISE
THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BE
OVER 3.000 MARTIN COCNT1
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEES
VOLUME L—NUMBER 68
Williamston, Marlin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, August 26, 1947
ESTABLISHED 1899
Stimson Explains
^Why Atomic Bomb
Was Used In War
—•—
Former Secretary of War
Was Man To Make the
Recommendation
-•—
(Having detailed the work of
the advisory committee. Mr. Stim
son continues in these articles to
throw more light on the reasons
for his approvel of the use of the
atomic bomb on Japan.—Ed.)
The Committee's function was,
%f course entirely advisory. The
ultimate responsibility for the re
commendation to the President
rested upon me, and I have no de
sire to veil it. The conclusions of
the Committee were similar to
my own, although I reached mine
independently. I felt that to ex
tract a genuine surrender from
the Emperor and his military ad
visers, they must be administered
Ta tremendous shock which would
carry convincing proof of our
power to destroy the Empire.
Such an effective shock would
save many times the number of
lives, both American and Japan
ese, that it would cost.
The facts upon which my reas
oning was based and steps taken
to carry it out now follow.
The principal political, social,
and military objective of the Unit
ed States in the summer of 1945
was the prompt and complete sur
render of Japan. Only the com
plete destruction of her military
power could open the way to last
ing peace.
Japan, in July 1945, had been
seriously weakened by our in
creasingly violent attacks. It was
known to us that she had gone so
far as to make tentative proposals
to use the Russians as mediators
in a negotiated peace. These
vague proposals contemplated the
retention by Japan of important
conquered areas and were there
fore not considered seriously.
There was as yet no indication of
% any weakening in the Japanese
determination to fight rather than
accept unconditional surrender. If
she should persist in her fight to
the end, she had still a great mili
tary force.
In the middle of July 1945, the
intelligence section of the War De
partment General Staff estimated
Japanese military strength as fol
lows: In the home islands, slight
ly under 2,000,000; in Korea. Man
churia, China proper, and For
mosa, slightly over 2,000.000; in
French Indochina, Thailand, and
Burpna, over 200.000; in the East
Indies area, including the Philip
pines, over 500,000; in the by-pass
(Continued from page five)
Two Affrays Get
Into The Courts
—♦
Two affrays got the week-end
started here Thursday night and
Friday morning.
Charlie Mack Jenkins of Rober
sonville ran afoul of Olivia Pur
vis and her ready knife in the
Cotton Club about 11:15 Thurs
day night and was cut about t^ie
face and arm. Olivia said Jenk
ins ‘shoved" her around and fil
ed assault charges against him to
counter-balance the onces placed
against her. Justice John L. Has
sell held both of them for county
court under $50 bond.
William Davis W'as also ordered
held in $50 bond for county court, j
charged with slapping Annie Pur- I
vis at 10:30 Friday morning. .
I ROUND-UP I
V4---—M
Au even dozen persons
I were arrested and placed in
the county jail last week-end,
the alleged violations run- |
ning almost the entire crimin
al scale from murder to dis- |
orderly conduct.
Two were charged with af
frays, two with public drunk
enness and one each with
drunken driving, no driver’s
license, issuing a worthless
check, carrying a concealed
weapon, murder, larceny and
a twelfth one was detained
pending an investigation.
Four of the twelve were
white and the ages of the
group ranged from 18 to 46 ]
years.
f
Report Unionzation Race
Under Way on Labor Front
A race to unionize local indus
trial plants was reported under
way the latter part of last week,
| but no discernible developments
| have materialized, according to
I meager information gained dur
; ing the past few days.
I It was reliably learned that the
CIO, represented by a white man
; and a colored man, had contacted
lone or two plant managers, while
! representatives of John L. Lewis’s
j District 50, had talked with other
1 factory owners-operators.
During the meantime the w’ork
1 stoppage at the plant of the Wil
liamston Package Manufacturing
Company here entered its third
week today. No progress on re
opening the plant has been made,
as far as it could be learned. Many
of the workers are working at
other jobs, but reliable reports in
dicate that unemployment here is
gaining momentum. Warehouse
operators said late yesterday that
there were more applicants than
there were jobs available in •'to
bacco town.” Individuals were
also said to be looking for odd
jobs, a practice that has not been
in effect in this section since be
fore the war.
No official information could be
gained frqjn the organizers of the
two unions or from plant man
agers-operators. Rumors were
heard frequently, however, but
none of the work stoppages, more
j or less scheduled, has materializ
ed. Elections have been talked
after a sane and sensible fashion,
and a more reasonable approach
on the part of the organizers was
said to have been employed in re
cent maneuvers to organize some
of the local plants. However, it
w is reported that while an elec
tion had been agreed upon, the
method for calling and handling
the vote had not been settled.
Opening Of Schools
Delayed One Week
BUDGET
r
I
v
In special session tomorrow
evening at 8:00 o'clock, the
local town commissioners are
scheduled to again tackle the
current fiscal year budget.
Virtually forced by rising
costs to seek out additional
revenue, the commissioners
« wi!«jj\lrring”tt>s vr\. hw Vnv
water rate minimum, or up
ping the general tax rate a
dime, or instituting a full
'.eale schedule B or privilege
tax.
The public is invited to ap
pear before the board at the
meeting „nd offer sugges- J
tions. |
Alonza L. Hardy
Died At His Home
Early On Sunday
—•—
Funeral Service Held In
Funeral Home
Monday Afternoon
-~—<9
Alonza L. Hardy, well-known
farmer, died at his home on the
Bowen farm in Bear Grass Town
ship Sunday morning at 5:30 I
o’clock. He had been in declin- j
ing health for several years and
was confined to his bed for almost
a year. Little hope for his recov
ery had been held since last Feb
ruary when he was in a Durham
hospital for treatment.
The son of the late Thomas and
Mamie Grif f in Hardy, he was born
near Williamston 56 years ago on
March 22, 1891 and lived all hii'
life in this county. After spend- 1
ing many years in Cross Roads
Township, Mr. Hardy located in
Bear Grass about fifteen years j
ago to continue his farm work. I
Despite failing health, he was
fairly active and a successful far-!
mer until the latter part of hist !
year when he was forced to re-1
tire.
When a young man he was mar
ried to Miss Nellie Burroughs of
near Williamston. and she sur
vives with four children, Lance D.
Hardy of the home, Calton Hardy
of Wiliamston, Martel Hardy of
Washington, and Mrs. June Beach
of Everetts; one brother, Albert
Hardy of Bethel; and three grand- j
children, Barbary Ann Hardy and
Linda Beach, and Little Miss Dale
Hardy who had made her home
with her grandparents most of
her life. A son, Grady Hardy, lost
his life in action during the last
days of World War II in Germany.
Mr. Hardy was a member of the
Christian Church in Everetts for a
quarter century. Quiet and un
assuming, il he had troubles be
liever burdened his friends with
them, and he was patient in his
long and severe suffering.
His old pastor, Rev. J. M. Perry
of Robersonville, conducted the
last rites from the Biggs Funeral
Horne here Monday afternoon at
4:00 o’clock and interment was in
Woodlawn Cemetery here.
Late Harvest Of
Tobacco Crop Is
Cause For Delay
-o
All<‘ii(lan<‘<‘ Would Have
Horn Hardly Fifty IVr
r«*nt, Officials State
Mar tat CouWt}
will open Thursday, September
4. and the colored schools Monday,
September 8, one week later than
originally planned, it was an
nounced last week-end by the of
fice of the superintendent fol
lowing conferences with members
of the board of education.
The one-week postponement,
Superintendent Manning said, is
necessary to permit the housing
of an unusually late tobacco crop
so that all schools and districts
can move along on the same
schedule. During the past few
days numerous requests for delay
had come to the Board of Educa
tion office and it was found that
a number of the bus drivers could
not report for duty the first week
of the original schedule.
Two townships in the county, it
was said, could have gone ahead
with the opening on Thursday of
this week but it would have
thrown the county system out of
balance and probably resulted in
some confusion.
At the week-end there was one
ti aching position in the county to
be filled and it was thought at
the superintendent’s office that a
teacher for that spot would be as
signed this week.
It was conservatively estimated
that attendance the first few days
would hardly average 50 percefit
of normal had the schools opened
according to the schedule first
adopted.
Aside from the delay occasion
ed by waiting for tobacco har
vesting to be completed, no at
tendance problems are anticipated
until peanut harvesting begins in
October. This will probably not
be so serious as the present diffi
culty with tfie tobacco crop. Of
course, school folks always have
to keep their fingers crossed
against epidemics of disease in the
schools, especially in the winter
months.
Some of the school opening
work had already been complet
ed when the delay was found ne
cessary, including a meeting of
Elementary Council July 31, a
meeting of the principals August
13, while pre-school work of the
principals will continue through
September 2.
A meeting of the county school
personnel which had been sched
uled for August 27 will now be
held September 3; meetings in the
schools with principals will he 9
to 12 o’clock the morning of Sep
tember 4, followed in the after
noon by registration of children
from 1:30 until 4 o’clock. The
first school day will be Friday,
September 5, 9:00 a. m.. with is
suance of books and the assign
(Continued on page eight)
4-H Club Member
At Short Course
—»
By Amanda Faye Rogerson
On Monday morning, August
18th, eleven of the Martin County
4-Hers attended the short course
at State College in Raleigh for
one week. Those who represent
led Matrin County were Johnny
Tice. Dillon Rogers, Mahue Bail
ley, Jack Williamson, B. L. Leg
gett, Howard Bennett. Bobby
1 Lilley, Jack Woolard, Joyce Har
iris. Mary Ola Lilley and 1. We
left the agricultural building at
j 10:15 o'clock that morning and
i arrived at State College about
2:30 in the afternoon. Mr. J. W.
Sumner and Miss Garnette Crock
er, agents, accompanied us there.
First of all, we went to the Y.
M. C. A. to check ourselves in,
then after leaving there we went
to our dormitory. Of course, we
had to fix our beds for the night
and change around in our rooms
if we like. Most every girl did.
but every room I went into wasn’t
as neat and clean as my and Mary
Ola's. From four o'clock to six
was the hours for swimming. The
pool was in a very large gymnas
ium on first floor and on the sec
ond floor was a large court for
basketball with the seats up
above. From six to seven o’clock
we were served supper in the col
lege cafeteria and if you were not
there before the crowd gathered
you would have to stand in line
at least and hour or an hour and
a half. After waiting that long
for a meal I'm telling you, you
could eat a little when you did get
to the table and sit down. We
finally learned that if you got
there about half an hour earlier
you didn’t have to wait. Then af
ter supper the "Tower Chimes”
were heard from 6:45 to 7:15 and
WAS * fztun
, J0:0(J we wi ie supposed to hav»
our evening program in Riddick
Stadium but it rained that night
so we had to go to Pullen Hall.
We had our president, Ruth
(Continued on page five)
-a
Funeral Sunday
For Mrs. Mobley
♦—
Funeral services were Jield in
the Everetts 'Baptist Church last
Sunday afternoon at 3:30 o’clock
for Mrs. Kate Mobley who died at
the home of her son, Archie Mob
ley, here last Friday night. Rev.
E. R. Stewart, pastor of the
church, conducted the last rites,
and burial was in the Everetts
cemetery. She had been in de
dining health for some time, and
her condition was cr itical for sev
eral weeks before the end.
Mrs. Mobley, widow of A. Drew
Mobley, was bor n in this county
69 years ago. Sho spent most of
her life in the Everetts Commun
ity, later living in Oak City frp
several years before coming to
Wrlliamslon to make her home
the early part of this year.
Surviving are five sons, John,
Archie, and George "Mobley of
Williamston, A. L. Mobley of Hob
good, and Nathan Mobley of Oak
City; a daughter, Fannie Belle
Mobley of Oak City; a half-sister,
Mr s. L. H. Li 1 ley of Jamesvrlle; a
half-brother, Sylvester Simpson
of Elizabeth City; and 14 grand
children and one great-grand
child.
j LARGE BUSSES ]|
i j
The school bus problem in
Martin County is much im
proved this year with the ad
dition of five large new buss
es, Superintendent J. C. Man
ning said last week-end.
The five large busses can
not travel conveniently on all
county school routes so that
some re-arranging of routes
has been necessary to use the
facilities to the best advan
tage and not to overtax some
of the roads.
There is an ample supply
of drivers this year, all stud
ents, and they have taken
their driver’s tests. The tests
were given last Thursday. A
few drivers who had been
given first-choice ratings be
cause of locations were unable
to pass the tests and the jobs
went to the next in line.
A second, or follow-up test,
will be given on the 29th of
the month. J
Opening-Day Tobaeco Prices
Approximately $ 10 A Hundred
Under Those Of Last Season
Quarter Million
Pounds Sold For
Average of $45.00
—•—
Over 200 Farmers Join the
Sluhiliy.nl ion Corpora
alien Yesterday
-«
After set ting an all-time high
record last year, tobacco prices
started leveling off rather sharp
ly here yesterday when the first
sales of the 1047 season averaged
just about $10 per hundred
pounds below the 1940 opening
day figures. The market yester
day sold 245.554 pounds on the
1 opening yesterday for $ 112,709.29.
an official average of $45.90. The
opening-day average last year was
' right at $55.
> Ordinarily the price average re
ceived on the opening day would
have been well received, but the
$45.90 figures comes following one
of the most expensive crops ever
I grown. However, few tags were
turned, thanks to the Flue-Cure!
: Stabilization Corporation, and
II farmers registered no strong ver
.; bill complaints. “I have seen the
' time when prices were much low
er," Farmer Amos Perry com
mented. Others declared that the
prices were about in line with
what they expected. "If prices
hold up to the level established
'\s! ■■ . j: ■ o’d
but lhere u wii't hr ,•fh
other farmer commented.
The opening yesterday attract
ed thousands of visitors to town,
but the crowd broke no record.
Attorney Clarence Griffin, pinch
hitting for Mayoi Robt. Cowen,
welcomed the patrons, buyers and
visitors in a brief talk from the
top of the first pile of tobacco. In
cidentally, the pile of tobacco
went for 2 1-2 cents above gov
ernment grades.
Possibly farmers and others,
too, were more interested in the
first sales than at any other open
ing in years. They hardly knew
what to expect and they feared
for the worst. The downward
trend from last year slowly as
serted itself, and it was accepted
without much complaint. Farmers
could hardly get to their tobacco
the crowd was so large in the
warehouse, but most of them edg
ed forward in lime to appeal to
the stabilization corporation, an
agency that forestalled what
could have been a complete break
down in the price structure.
Checking the early morning
sales as they progressed, The En
terprise averaged the first 4,434
pounds. Selling for $1,867.92, the
lot averaged $42.13. Of the 29
piles checked, nine of them were
turned into the stabilization cor
poration, or about one uut of
every three piles. The next 9,342
pounds sold for $4,011.26, but the
government received 15 out of 61
piles. The next 8.970 pounds sold
for $4,100.00 averaging $44.70.
Only eight out of 64 piles, an av
erage of one out of eight, was
turned into the corporation.
Shortly thereafter the circuit
riders moved in and prices were
strengthened on some grades,
boosting the £em*ral average for
the day to $45,90.
When the first sales were com
pleted, approximately 225,000
pounds were left on the floors for
(the first sale today. It is likely
that the block will be cleared this
afternoon or early tomorrow.
Comparatively light sales are ex
pected Wednesday and Thursday.
Quite a few farmers on the mar
ket yesterday stated they planned
to return on Fi iday of this week,
but no blocks are anticipated for
ten days or two weeks, or not un
til more farmers complete the har
vest.
Prices yesterday were consid
erably lower for the inferior
grades, and any number of piles
went for less than ten cents, the
range going from a low of three
cents to a high of sixty cents.
While the better types of tobac
cos were selling well up in the
1 if ties, they were not as high as
(Continued on page eight)
Band Day To Be Observed
Friday, September Twelfth
Friday, September 12, has been
set as Band Day, the deadline for
raising a fund of $1,500 for the
purchase of uniforms and mater
ials for the Williamston High
School Band.
The day was decided upon at a
business meeting of the Band Par
ents Club in the High School audi
torium last Friday night when
various ways and means of raising
the money for about 20 new uni
forms to match those already on
hand and a few other items, were
discussed. The business session
followed a concert by the band
which in turn came just after a
picnic supper on the school
grounds.
Rev. John L. Goff was named as
chairman of the drive and will ap
point his assistants to conduct the
drive.
Even before the names of his
assistants had been announced or
plans for the drive were put in
concrete form a donation of $100
was voted by the Firemen of the
! town for the fund.
All funds raised before Band
Day will help to reduce the strain
on that one day but if the money
is not on hand by that day it is
planned to have it before sunset.
While the plans have been for
mulated and advanced by the
Band Parents Club it was empha
sized. that the responsibility of
making the High School Band a
distinct credit to the town when it
goes on parade is one for the citi
zens and business interests of the
town to consider. When the band
marches it will not do so as sons
or daughters of individuals but as
youngsters from the Williamston
High School and from the town us
a whole.
In helping the band to raise the
funds for the uniforms and the in
cidental materials it needs, the
community will be putting forth
only a fraction of the effort the
band parents themselves had ti
muster in raising over $5,000 for
instruments for the youngsters.
No effort has been spared by even
those parents of most modest
means to provide band members
with even better instruments than
they already had.
Man Held In County
t or Alleged Murder
Fred Little Shot
And Killed Early
I Sunday in Parniele
»■
\\i 11 i; 1111 kirkman. Innlilr
| To Arrange $ 1,000 Itoiul,
KeniaiiiH In Jail
-«,..
Fred Little, 44-year-old color
led man, was fatally shot by Wil
; liam Kirkman, also colored, be
tween 12 and 1:00 o’clock last
Sunday morning in Parmele, the
| attack climaxing an argument be
tween the two men a short time
i before at the home of Charlie
| Phillips.
There was a large crowd attend
ing a barbecue supper in the Phil
lips home that night, but as far as
it could be learned there were no
witnesses to the fatal attack, of
ficers declaring that they had
I been unable to learn all the de
rails about the argument leading
I up to the attack or about the at
tack itself. Those attending the
supper were slow to talk, indirect
reports declaring that drunks
were numerous and that possibly
few knew or realized what was
i happening or what actually took
I place even after Little staggered
into the house and fell dead.
, After investigating the killing
I for several hours, officer said
'that the two men, both residents
I of Parmele, attended the Phillips
barbecue supper and had an ar
gument. Following the argu
ment, Kirkman left to carry Gus
Pitt home, and Little left to go to
his store and see if his clerk had
closed the business for the night.
Before having the house, Little
was said to have had a German
make pistol and a black jack, but
strange as it may seem, no trace
of the weapons has been found.
Kirkman returned from the trip
and Phillips got him to go for
some bread, Phillips stating that
he had his .32 caliber pistol, that
he left it on the seat in Kirkman’s
car when they returned with the
bread. After leaving the pistol
on the seat and going into the
house Phillips said he heard a
shot.
It, was stated that Little, shut in
the stomach, staggered into the
porch, continued into lie living
room and finally reached the bed
room in the Phillips home, falling
j face downward. Several went to
him and turned him over and see
(Continued on page three)
DONATION
Local volunteer firemen,
anxious to Rive worthy caus
es anil undertakings a helping
hand, dippeil into their small
treasury last night and voted
a $100 contribution to the M il
liamston High School hand.
The donation is the first of
a $1,500 fund the hand plans
to raise to finance the pur
: chase of additional uniforms,
and other material for the
young musicians.
!Nutrition Group
Continues Work I
--«
Miss Ida Roberts attended the
district meeting of'the Nutrition |
Committee of the Home Eco- I
mimics Teachers from this section
of the state which was held at
East Carolina Teachers College in
Greenville Tuesday. Representa
tives were present from every
agency interested in better nutri- I
tion for Eastern North Carolina.
Plans were made to continue
the work of the Nutrition Com
mittee that was created during the
war. A definite need for this
work was noted since the draft
records show a high rate of ser
vice selectees were disqualified
because of malnutrition in North
Carolina.
The educational material suit
able for class room nutrition is be
ing prepared by Miss Hattie S.
Parrott, who heads the standing
committee in the field of public
instruction and will he ready by
October.
The State Committee will pre
pare a resource file with inforrna
toin suitable for the different
agricultural areas and it will be
available to the class room teach
ers in the early fall, the office of
the County Superintendent of
Education has announced.
—-«
ISinrty Lounly Teavhvrs
Hr/tori Fur Til X-rays
-»
Dr. John Williams of the Mar
tin County Health Department
stated yesterday that out of the
225 teachers employed in the
county only 90 had been x-rayed
for tuberculosis. All teachers aie
required to he x-rayed and the
health department authorities ask
that the law be complied wiih as
early as possible in order to avoid
I a loit minute rush,
Four Accidents
Reported During
Week-end Period
■*——$———
j Cyclist Badly Cut On Vrm
\\ lien Struck Bv Oar <)n
Jumesville Highway
At least one person was hurt
and a. property damage running
into the hundreds of dollars re
sulted in a series of highway ac
cidents in this county during the
past week-end. Complete reports
could nut be had immediately on
two of the accidents, but as far as
it could be learned no one was
badly hurt in them.
A large truck, loaded with as
phalt, turned over a few miles
west of Parmele last Thursday,
reports stating that the driver
tried to miss a stray dog on the
road and lost control of his truck.
An automobile was reported to
have went out of control and
turned over in Griffins Township
Sunday, but the details could not
be had.
Sunday morning at 2:45 o’clock,
R. R. Sparrow of 816 Duke Street,
Norfolk, driving a 1941 Dodge be
longing to Geo. Franklin An
drews. 1109 E. On ley Road, Nor
folk, tore into and ripped a,way a
barricade at the river bridge here.
Neither of the men nor their
wives were hurt and very little
damage was done to the car, Pa
trolman W. E Saunders, investi
gating the accident, reported.
Sunday afternoon, Robert
Grimes was driving his car to
ward Jamcsville. Pet Bell, riding
a bicycle, was meeting him oil his
(Bell’s) left side of the road just
as Grimes was meeting a car on
his left. A window ventilator
sh ark Bell’s r m and >-t a 15,
■ tile
an em
ploye at tin1 luraV hospital, was
admitted as u patient, last reports
.stating that he was getting along
very well, according to Patrol
man Saunders who made the in
vestigation
Tobacco Barns
Burn In County
j
~
Three more tobacco barns, all
located m the upper part of the
county, were destroyed by fire
last week, according to reports
reaching here over the week-end.
Fifteen curing barns have been
burned in the county so fa 1 this
season.
Two of the barns destroyed lust
week were equipped with oil bur
ners and the third was equipped
with a coal stoker.
J. W Cherry reported a barn
loss, including 800 sticks of tobac
co, on ins farm near Hassell. C. L.
Taylor lost a barn and 700 sticks
of tobacco on hi.s farm between
Husell and Hamilton, and Robert
B. Nelson lost a large barn on his
farm near the county line in Ham
ilton Township.
-4
Young Man Shoots
Self Accidentally
—»—
While cleaning his .22 caliber
rifle at a tobacco burn on his farm
m Williams Township last Satur
day night about 9:30 o'clock Noah
Roberson accidentally shut him
self m the left shoulder. The
wound while painful, was not
SCl lulls.
Carried to the local hospital, the
young farmer was operated on
Sunday and the bullet, lacking
about two inches of penetrating
the shoulder, was removed.
COUNTY SING !
s/
The Martin County fifth
Sunday sins will he held in
the Everetts Baptist Church
next Sunday afternoon at 3:00
o'clock, it was announced to
day by the pastor, Kev. E. It.
Stewart. A splendid pro
gram, including special num
bers by choruses, quartets,
trios, duets, solos and instru
mental selections, is being;
planned.
The public is cordially in
vited to attend and partici
pate and a large crowd is ex
pected to attend the event,
one in a series planned in the
county this year.