THE ENTERPRISE IS READ B1
* OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT*
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
THE ENTERPRISE
THE ENTERPRISE IS READ Bl
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTS
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
VOLUME LI—NUMBER 65
Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, August 17, 191ft
ESTABLISHED 1899
Annual Meeting of
Warehousemen In
* Greenville Friday ^
Disnisf and Accept Current
Stabilization Contract
Without Change
■ m
Representatives of 72 of the 77
warehouse firms in the Eastern
^ Carolina Warehouse Association,
whose markets open on Thursday
of this week, attended the group’s
yearly pre-season meeting last
Friday in Greenville.
The group accepted the current
Stabilization Corporation con
tract, cov< ring the government's
guarantee of*at least 90 percent of
parity for flue-cured tobacco on
^ the market. Fred S. Royster,
Henderson, president of the
Bright Belt Warehouse Associa
tion, and L. T. Weeks, Raleigh,
manager, Flue-Cured Tobacco Co
operative Stabilization Corpora
tion, explained the contract in
full. Royster also outlined mar
keting regulations as adopted by
the belt-wide Flue-Cured Market
fk ing Committee.
J. Con Lanier, Greenville, gen
eral counsel for the Leaf Export
Dealers Association and the To
bacco Association of the United
States, suggested that the ware
housemen supply buyers with in
formation on the Stabilization or
support price whenever a final
bid on a pile of tobacco is one bid
less than the advance (support)
% rate. The Association agreed, in
accordance with the contract,
which guarantees the buyer such
information.
Lanier also suggested that when
a buyer's final bid is the same as
the support price, the tobacco
should go to the buyer rather than
to Stabilization. However the con
^ tract calls for buyers to bid at
least one bid above the support
price in order to obtain a pile of
tobacco, and the Association vot
ed unanimously to abide by the
contract.
“We feel that this great tobacco
program,” Lanier said, “will have
a better chance of continuing if
^ we can go before the next Con
gress with a small amount of to
bacco in Stabilization stocks,
rather than a lot, which ties up
large sums uf government
money.”
B. B. Sugg, Greenville ware
houseman, replied that:
"It would be suicidal to us as
agents of the farmers to agree
with the proposed change. By
'• telling the buyers the support
price, we will be providing more
money for the farmer. But, as re
presentative of the farmer, if we
agreed to sell his tobacco at, say,
60 cents, when he could get 61
cents, it would be disastrous.”
Former Governor J. Melville
Broughton, general counsel for
the Bright Belt Warehouse Asso
ciation, said:
"The established balance be
tween supply and demand has re
sulted in a satisfactory price to the
farmer. The farmer will likely
receive this year for his reduced
acreage substantially as much, in
the aggregate, as he received for
his 1947 crop.
“The present price of tobacco is
not too high when the cost of pro
duction is considered. The theory
that we are 'pricing ourselves out
of foreign markets’ is not justified
by past or present statistics or ex
perience. The farmer is entitled
to a fair price for his product.”
Royster and James T. Keel,
Greenville, president of the East
ern Warehouse group, presided.
Speakers included: Stephen
Wrather, Washington, D C., Unit
ed States Department of Agricul
ture; M. A. Morgan, Raleigh, To
bacco Associates, Inc., Field Ser
vice Director; Bill Whedbee,
Greenville, Secretary-Treasurer
of the Eastern Association, and W.
A. Lucas, Wilson, counsel for the
Association,
- o-—
Firemen Culled To .
Home On ff'est Main
Fire, believed to have started
from burning trash, damaged an
outbuilding on the J. B. Taylor
promises on West Main Street just
outside the town limits last Friday
noon. The damage confined to a
small part of the structure, was
estimated at $200.
Local volunteer firemen an
swered the call
CITIZENS OF TOMORROW
The Enterprise takes much pleasure in presenttnj. another
in a picture series of this section’s "citizens of tomorrow”. So
far none has figured prominently in public affairs, I it as fu
ture citizens they have a tremendous assignment to handle in a
muddled world. Certain they’ll do a better job than has been
done or is being done. The Enterprise presents the youngsters
as the one great hope for the future.
Top row, left to right, Judy, ten months, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. H. G. Leggett, Robersonville; Charles, Jr., nine months, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Jones, Williamston; Billy, nine
months, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Griffin, Williamston; Bottom
row, Billy, six months, so nof Mr. and Mrs. S. A. Davis, James
ville; Betsy, seven months, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. M.
Baker, Williamston; and Robert, five months, son of Mr. and Mrs.
R. C. Seaton, Jamesville.
OFFICE
r
-'
Plans have been completed
for opening an area office
here for the inspection service
of the Norih Carolina Depart
ment of Motor Vehicles, ac
cording to information releas
ed today by Mayor Kobt.
Cowen.
Office spare has been allot
ted the department on the
third floor of the city hall, but
it could not be definitely
learned when equipment and
personnel would be located
here.
George Dail will be in
charge of the office as super
visor of the eastern district
which embraces 38 counties
Tobacco Prices
Firm On Border
.. —
Wlulc there is a fairly marked
downward trend in averages on
the Georgia-Florida markets, to
bacco prices continue to hold firm
on the Border markets. For the
week ending last Friday, the
Georgia belt sold 23,367,951
pounds for an average of $40.47,
but it was pointed out that the
quality of the leaf offered during
the five-day selling period was in
ferior. The markets there had
sold for the season 126,355,160
pounds for an average of $46.04.
Most of the markets in the belt
closed last week, and most of the
tobacconists from here returned
home during the week-end, in
cluding, Evan Woolard, Jack Har
dison, Jas, E. Griffin, Joel Muse.
Talk of Second
‘Panama Canal’
—»—
Is Uncle Sam going to did a
second "Panama Canal?” Yes,
according to Eduardo Angel, For
eign Minister of Colombia. Last
week he said another canal will
be dug across that country, con
necting tire Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans if a U. S. government pro
posal is approved by the Colom
bia legislature.
Panama, through which the
present canal runs, was part of
Colombia until it was separated
by a “revolution.” It is no secret
that “Teddy” Roosevelt, then
President, had a hand in arrang
ing that revolution, because Co
lombia didn’t favor the canal idea.
-o——
Gets Term In Prison
In Munslaiif'liter (lose
♦
Walter Harper, Williamston col
ored man, was sentenced to prison
for not less than eight and not
more than ten years by Judge R.
Hunt Parker in the Halifax Coun
ty Superior Court at Halifax yes
terday. Charged with manslaugh
ter, Harper ran down and fatally
injured two young boys in Weldon
some months ago. He had been out
under bond s'nce the accident. A
much longer sentence had been
predicted for the defendant.
Find,? His Race
Fares Better In
South than North
[Now Jersey Fililor (ales A
Few Fuels To Pro\e His
Contentious Correct
-• —
(The following article, written
by Davis Lee, publisher of The
Newark Telegram, Newark, New
Jersey, a weekly negro newspap
er, is reprinted because it gives a
view of the problem discussed
which all too few northerners are
willing to share.—Ed.)
I have just returned from an
extensive tour of the South. In
addition to meeting and talking
with out agents and distributors
w ho get our newspapers out to the
more than 500,000 readers in the
South. I met both negroes and
whites in the urban and rural
centers
Because of these personal obser
vations, studies and contacts, I
feel that I can speak with some
degree of authority. I am certain
ly in a better position to voice an
opinion than the negro leader who
occupies a suite in downtown New
York and bases his opinions on the
South from the distorted stories
he reads in the Negro Press and
Daily Worker.
The racial lines in the South are
so clearly drawn and defined
there can be no confusion. When
I am in Virginia or South Carolina
I don't wonder if I will be served
if I walk into a white restaurant.
I know the score. However, I have
walked into several right here in
New Jersey where we have a civil
rights law, and have been refused
service.
The whites in the South stay
with their own and the negroes do
likewise. This one fact has been
the economic salvation of thp ne
j gro in the South. Atlanta, Georgia,
compares favorably with Newark
l in size and population. Negroes
i there own and control millions of
i dollars worth of business. All the
1 negro business in New Jersey will
! not amount to so much as our race
j has in one city in Georgia. This is
also true in South Carolina and
I Virginia.
New Jersey today boasts of
| more civil l ights legislation than
any other stale in the Union, and
state government itself practices
j more discrimination than Vir
ginia, North Carolina, South Car
■ olina or Georgia. New Jersey em
! ploys one negro in the Motor Ve
; hide Department. All of the
j states above mentioned employ
| plenty.
No matter what a negro wants
i to do he can do it in the South,
jin Spartanburg, South Carolina,
j Ernest Collins, a young negro, op
erates a large funeral home, a
taxicab business, a filling station,
grocery store, has several buses,
runs a large farm and a night
club.
Collins couldn't do all that in
New Jersey or New York. The
only bus lines operated by negroes
, are in the South. The Safe Bus
(Continued on page five)
Arrest Three In
Raids On Stills
In Martin County
500-Gallon ('aparity Plant
Wrecked In Griffins
Last Thursday
Apparently anticipating an in
creased demand following the
opening of the markets this week,
illicit liquor manufacturers
launched operations on a com
paratively large scale during re
cent days, but they experienced
reverses in extensive raids con
ducted by county ABC enforce
ment officers and agents of the
Treasury’s alcohol tax unit.
Three persons were arrested
during the raids and they receiv
ed road sentences when carried
into the county court this week.
One of the largest manufactur
ing outfits of its kind found in this
county in many months was
wrecked in Griffins Township
along the Beaufort boundary last
Thursday by Officers J. H. Roe
buck and Roy Peel who were as
sisted by federal agents. The
plant was equipped with a 500
gallon capacity still of the subma
rine type, two 500-gallon vats,
four 400-gallon coolers, nine 50
gallon coolers, 100 pounds of meal,
a pitcher pump, an oil drum and
20 gallons of oil, a weeding hoc,
five 5-gallon jugs, an oil burner,
one 50-gallon fuel drum. The of
ficers poured out an estimated 2,
750 gallons of mash.
I hat alternoon, the same ollie
ers raided in Williamston Town
ship, wrecking a 50-gallon capac
i'y oil drum, doubler and cooler,
five 50-gallon capacity fermenters
and poured out 200 gallons of sug
ar mash. One-half gallon of il
licit liquor was found in Guilford
Brown’s smokehc use and he was
booked for possesion. Given a
hearing before U. S. Commission
er Buck Taylor in Washington, he
was placed under bond in the
sum of $500 and is to face trial in
the federal court in October.
Last Friday morning Officers
Roebuck and Peel found a partial
plant in Jamesville Township,
pouring out 100 gallons of nasty
beer and confiscating four and
one-half gallons of white fluid.
Going into the Reedy Swamp
section of Williamston Township
that afternoon, Officer Roebuck
and Peel, assisteo by Deputy Buck
Holloman, found and wrecked a
50-gallon capacity oil drum still,
five small fermenters, oil burner
and two large glass jugs. They
poured out 200 gallons of mash.
Garland Cowen and Jodie Peaks
were arrested and in court Mon
day they were sentenced to the
roads for six months, the court
suspending the road terms upon
the payment of $100 fines each
and the costs.
About a week before that, Offic -
ers Roebuck and Peel were raid
ing in Jamesville Township and
arrested Edward Pearce as he was
placing a still worm and two jugs
in his car. He was sentenced to
roads for four months by Judge
J. C. Smith in the county court
this week. The road term was
suspended upon the payment of a
$50 fine and costs.
The following day the same of
ficers wrecked five fermenters
and poured out 200 gallons of
mash at a plant in Jamesville
Township.
Damages Auto In
Saturday Wreck
•
One person was slightly hurt
and considerable property damage
resulted when Whit Donald
Moore’s 1041 Chevrolet tudcr se
dan went out of control and turn
ed ove: on the Bailey Road in
Cross Roads Township last Satur
day evening at 6:20 o'clock. Syl
vester Leggett, riding with Moore,
was slightly hurt, but he was dis
charged from the hospital follow
ing treatment. Moore was not
hurt, but Patrolman M 1’. Powers,
investigating the accident, said
that the damage to the car would
approximate $500.
Driving about 25 or 30 miles an
hour, Moore said he turned to
avoid striking an ordinary dog
running loose in (lie highway. The
lront wheels struck some soft dirt
and the car turned over, rolling
into aii embankment. Leggett was
thrown out as the car made the
turn. i
Funeral Service
This Afternoon
For War Victim
Pvt. Dennis Mayo Harrison
Was* Killed On Loii/.on
March 30, 1915
--
Funeral services are being con
ducted this afternoon at 3:30
o'clock in the Rose of Sharon Free
Will Baptist Church near Bear
Grass for Pvt. Dennis Mayo Har
rison, 35, who made the supreme
sacrifice on Lou/.on in the Philip
pines on March 30, 1945. Rev. Mr.
Hamilton, the pastor, assisted by
Elder A. B. Ayers, are officiating.
Interment will be in the Mobley
Cemetery in Bear Grass Town
ship.
A detail from the John Walton
Hassell Post of the American Le
gion will have charge of the rites
at the graveside.
Pvt. Harrison was fatally
wounded while in a fox hole on
Luzon, March 30, 1945, dying a
short time later that same day in
a field hospital.
The body was delivered to the
Biggs Funeral home late yester
day, lying in state 'here until its
removal to the church for the last
rites this afternoon. It was first
buried with full military honors
in an American cemetery, Santa
Barbara, No. 1, on Luzon. His
body was the tenth to be returned
to this county from overseas cem
eteries for burial in native soil.
Son of the late Redmond and
Mattie Roberson Harrison, he was
born in the Bear Grass Commun
ity of this county 28 years ago,
living and farming there until he
entered the service. He received
his basic training at Fort Bragg,
going there on August 28, 1942,
and engaged in several drives in
the Pacific theater.
Surviving are three brothers,
Ernest, Gussie and Reuben Har
rison, all of Bear Grass; one sister
Mrs. Buddy Rogers, of Bear Grass,
and a half-sister, Mrs. J. Frank
Weaver, of Williumston.
Make Plans For
Opening Schools
Meeting in the office of the sup
erintendent today, the several
principals of the county school
system are making final plans for
opening the schools on Wednes
day, September 1. This morning
the school heads are discussing ad
ministrative problems and the
topic for the discussion this after
noon will have to do with an in
structional program.
The principals of the colored
schools are to meet on Angus* 25.
The next big meeting will be
held on August 21 when all the
white teacher personnel holds a
conference from 1(1:00 a. in. until
3:30 p. m. in the local high school
building.
umy one cnange in me prin
cipal personnel has been announc
ed for the corning year. J. E. Man
ning, for a number of years en
gaged in educational work in
Georgia and Tennessee, is going to
Everetts, The names of those re
turning to their respective posts
are, W. B. Sugg, Jamesville; Ethel
G. Roberson, Farm Life; II, V.
Parker, Bear Grass; li G. Stew
art, Williamston; (’. B. Martin,
Robersonville; George S. Haislip,
Hamilton; H. J. McCracken, Oak
City, and Viola P. Leggett, lias
sell.
Several positions are yet to he
filled m the school faculties, but
applications are being considered
j for most of those places and the
authorities are doing all they can
to make the appointments and
have everything in readiness for
the opening September 1.
i
There was little activity on
the crime front in this county
over the week-end, the sher
iff’s office stating yesterday
that only four persons were
arrested and temporarily de
tained in the hoosegow.
Three persons were hooked
for being drunk and disorder
ly and one was detained for
issuing a worthless check.
Two of the four arrested were
white, that ages of the group
I ranging from 24 to 57 years.
Union Election Scheduled
At Lumber Plant A ugust23
With each side claiming a ma
jority, an election will be held at
the Williamston Lumber Com
pany plant next Monday to de
termine union representation or
a plan ruling out the union for
twelve months. The election is
to be held at 4:30 o'clock that aft
ernoon in a shed room with a
representative of the National
Labor Relations Board and repre
sentatives of the two unions com
peting for the bargaining position
and one for the company observ
ing the vote.
Approximately 75 workers are
eligible to participate in the elec
tion which will feature the secret
ballot.
Union representatives have
been active here in recent weeks,
and according to some reports,
they have made up and told fan
tastic stories.
Harry Margolis, representing
the National Labor Relations
Board and with headquarters in
Winston-Salem, arranged the
election and it is likely that he
will be here for the event next
Monday.
The workers will have an op
portunity to vote either for the
International Union of Operating
Engineers, Local 4f>7, of the Amer
ican Federation of Labor, the
International Woodworkers of
America of the Congress of In
dustrial Organizations, or vote
for no union. If no one is given
a majority, the two holding high
est positions will go into a second
round of voting.
At the present time three plants
—Marvil Package Company, the
Standard Fertilizer Company and
the Skinner Tobacco Company —
are working under union con
tracts nere.
Consider Plans For
Draft Registration
Organization Of
Draft Hoard In the
County Perfected
-o
Inspect Quarter* in the (lily
Hall For The (loimty
Moan I Offices
-
Holding their first meeting last
week, members of the Martin
County Draft Board perfected
their organization, inspected quar
ters in Williamston's City Hall'for
the board office and tentatively
discussed plans for handling the
registration of young men, 18-25
years of age.
Pending the receipt of more de -
finite instructions from Raleigh
the latter part of this week, the
board is delaying the announce
ment of tentative plans for the re
gistration. Possibly the registra
tion will be handled in one or
three centers, the chairman ex
plaining that eighteen days have
been di signated as registration
days and that it would be difficult
to find volunteers to handle the
work in more than three centers.
He added that the one center re
gistration plan would be advis
able. Complete plans for the re
gistration are to be announced
within the next few days.
Eugene Rice, Williamston
pharmacist, was named chairman
of the board. Other members are,
Chas. Gray of Robersonville and
L. It. Everett of Hamilton. No
clerk has been named.
Governor R. G. (dierry this
week outlined in a proclamation
the procedure for registration in
North Carolina under the Selec
tive Service Act of 1948. An esti
mated 295,000 North Carolinians
are required to register under the
Act.
I he proclamation, issued in re
sponse to a call by the President,
stated that all youths between the
ages of Ifi and 2fi should report for
registration beginning August .'10
The proclamation stated also
that all persons subject to the
Selective Service Act are required
to familiarize themselves with the
regulations covering registration,
and called upon all Federal, State
and local agencies to give those
under their charge sufficient tune
in which to comply with the regu
lations.
Dates for registration were fix
ed as follows:
1. Persons born in the year 11122
after August 30, 1922, shall be
registered on Monday, August 30.
2. Persons born in the year 1923
shall be registered on Tuesday,
August 31, or Wednesday, Sep
tember 1.
3. Persons born in the year 192-1
shall be registered on Thursday,
September 2, or Friday, Septem
ber 3.
4 Persons born in the year 1925
shall be registered on Saturday,
September 4, or Tuesday, Septem
ber 7. •
5. Persons born in the year 1920
i shall be registered on Wednesday,
(Continued on page eight)
*--V
I TAX ACCOUNTS
v/
All county lax accounts,
numbering right at 8,000 for
the current fiscal year, have
been figured by the account
ant's office and placed in the
hands of M. Luther 1'eel for
collection.
Unable to get a supply of
envelopes immediately, the
collector’s office is unahlc to
mail out all the notices at this
time, hut he hones to have all
of them in the mails shortly.
During the meantime taxpay
ers can settle their accounts
by visiting the collector’s ot
lice.
Justice Johnson
llenrs Few Cases
—*—
Crowding the criminal court
! dockets for weeks, worthless
, check cases reached a i iimax in
Justice It. T. Johnson’s court over
. the week-end when Jesse Whit
| ley, colored, was sentenced to the
| roads for violating the bad check
i law. The man, making a practice
I of issuing worthless cheeks, drew
! thirty days on the roads.
Charged with public drunken
! ness, W. H. Rawls was taxed with
■ $6.50 costs.
Booked for disorderly conduct
following a gambling ch inking
party last Saturday night, Russ
Perry, Spencer Mendenhall, S.vl
vestin' Wynne and Rimer Modlin,
I all young men of this community,
I were fined $10 and taxed with
1 $6.50 costs.
-*>
Trel ! <‘|»|!v: [hen
| You’ve (,'ot -S|»i/,/;
.'
1 Full of "spizzerinctum,” Now
I England agriculturists, home eeo
I nomists, and news and radio food
! commentotors had a new-old
world to juggle with today. New
i to them, it was old enough to
[ have found a place in the diction
aides.
It was encountered during a
spizzerinctum party staged at
Stratham, N. IE, by Andrew
| Christie, poultryman aim chuir
j man of thi New England Egg and
| Poultry Institute. lie uses the
term “Spiz/er . . for his register
ed poultry, said to be lull of vim
and vigor called for by the the
definition,
—. --t*.--—.
Officer Transferred
I rani Duke lltts/nhd
In Duke hospital for the treat
mi nt of a fractured hip received
when he was attacked by a pris
oner m Oak City two weeks ago.
Chief Edmond Early ( was trans
ferred from the Durham institu
j tain to a Tarboro hospital last Sat
today. The operation on the hip
was described as successful, and
the officer was reported yester
day to be getting along very well.
He made the trip to Tarboro in
a Biggs ambulance.
First Of Current
j Tobacco Crop Is
Moving to Market
W urcliouscmcn Say Omality
On!\ hair Rut Predict
V S.l.l Average
The first of the current tobacco
crop started moving to market
here yesterday, reports from the
market today stating that the
movement is gaining momentum
rapidly with the possibility that
the first sale will be filled by late
this evening.
(dierry and Lassiter of near
Williamston were the first farm
ers to make a delivery. They plac
ed 1,066 pounds on the floor fair
ly early Monday morning, a fuil
three days before the opening on
Thursday of tins week. Quite a
few farmers visited the market a
short time later inquiring if they
could make deliveries later in the
day.
Warehousemen were certain
this morning that the first sale
would handle 4.000 baskets, that ,
possibly some would be carried
over for sale on Ftiday. It was
first thought that the lening
would be light because many _
growers have not had ample time
to prepare any of the crop for
market. The harvest is almost
complete, but in a few instances
farmers declare they will not fin
ish the task until week after next.
It is quite likely that marketing
preparations will get under way
on a large scale the latter part of
this week with heavy sales in
1 prospect for next week. The mar
ket plans to start advance book
ings fm sales next week.
Quality of the first tobacco plac
ed on the floors here this week
was described as being only fair,
but pi ssiblv some better than it
was last year when this section
marketed its poorest crop in a
number of years.
There are some exceptionally
good quality crops and some very
interior ones with the crop, as a
whole, holding only a fair elassifi
( ation.
Even though the quality is hard
ly up to par. warehousemen ad
v Hired the opinion yesterday that
tin' opening sale would average
around $55 a hundred pounds, the
tobacconists basing their predic
tion on reports coming from the
Border markets.
Farmers declare that the pound*
(Continued on page eight)
-u
A urprisingly large cotton crop
of 15,169,000 bales was forecast
by the Agriculture Department in
Washington recently.
The estimate was nearly 2,000,
000 hales larger than the cottorl
trade had expected It was based
on indications that the yield per
acre will be the highest on record.
In response to the forecast
prices on the New York Exchange
tumbled more than $3 a bale be
low the previous day’s close. At
New Orleans prices also dropped
sharply.
The crop would be the seventh
largest on record, and 3,318,000
bales or about 28 percent larger
than last year’s. The record crop
was 18,946,000 bales in 1937.
The crop would be about 3,155,
000 bales larger than the 1937-46
average.
-s
—o
! Prisoner Threatens
Officer In Oak (lily
George Wynne -year-old col
ored nan, was arrested in Oak
City last Saturday evening for be
ing chunk and disorderly and
threatening the life of the arrest
ing officer. Gene Tyson, who is
serving while Chief Edmond Ear
ly is recovering from a hip frac
ture suffered two weeks ago while
arresting a law violator in the
county Mum.
Tyson told Wynne who he, was
and explained to the man that he
(Wynne) was under arrest,
Wynne whipped out a knife and
the officer delivered a blow on his
head vith a blackjack. Wynne*
had tlu wound closed and was
placed in the county jail. In court
Mi nday Wynne said he was drunk
at the l ine of the attack, that ho
J did not know what he was doing*