North Carolina Newspapers

THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK THE ENTERPRISE THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK VOLUME LV—NUMBER 56 Williamaton, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, July 15, 1952 ESTABLISHED 1899 Court Holds Its First Session On Saturday Twenty Cases Are Sandled In Short eriod That Day No Monday Session* of The Court Will Be Held For A While Holding the first session ever scheduled for a Saturday, the Martin County Recorder’s Court on July 12 handled twenty cases ♦and adjourned by noon time until Saturday of this week. With its session first scheduled on Tues day when the court was first es tablished back in 1919, the court changed its sitting date to Mon day to accomodate members of the North Carolina General As sembly. The Saturday session was created on a temporary basis by the county commissioners when Judge R. T. Johnson accepted a position with the Coast Line Rail ed Company in Washington. The judge continues to make his home here, however. It was pointed out that the Sat urday session is tentatively sched uled each Saturday for an indef inite time, but for only a few months at the most. The court attracted no large crowd last Saturday, but its ac tivities are generally limited dur ing July and most of August. Most (jpiembers of the bar were present, but one or two spectators, regular in their attendance upon the court sessions, were absent. Proceedings: Pleading guilty of operating a motor vehicle with a restricted operator’s license, Henry E. Bell-' flower was taxed with the court costs. Augustus Chance, pleading guil ty of carrying a concealed wea pon, was fined $50, plus costs. Judgment was suspended upon the payment of the court costs * when Fred L Everhart of Thom asville pleaded guilty of speeding. Ch’arged with public drunken ness and violating the liquor laws, Manuel E. Harris of RFD 1, Ay den, asked for a jury trial, and his case was automatically placed i on the superior court docket for j consideration at the September ! term. I ^Johnnie Mack Atkins, pleading guilty of violating the liquor laws, was sentenced to the loads i for six months. The court sus- ; pended the road term upon the1 payment of a $25 fine and costs The defendant is to violate no li quor law during the next five years. Artis L. Barnes of RFD 1, Rob ersonville, was taxed with the costs when he pleaded guilty of speeding. ^The case in which Jasper Rol lins, Jr., was charged with carry ing a concealed weapon was nol pressed, subject to be reopened later. John A. Woods of Rq^jtv Mount ■was taxed witii the costs for speeding Pleading guilty of bastardy, Bin Bennett was sentenced to the roads for six months. The load term was suspended upon ♦he payment of the court costs and a week for the support of his i nild and $2 a week for the ser- : vices of the midwife. Gabriel Wiggins, pleading giul-1 (Continued on Page Six) Recreation Head ! Is Named Locally: The Colored Recreation Council j in 9special meeting last week ap- j pointed a new playground direc-1 tor to suceeer Herbert Whitfield who recently resigned. Fred Ben nett, the new director, is a gradu ate of A and T. College and map j ored m physical education. Bennett is well qualified for the position and he, with his assist ants, are urging the parents to send their children to the play ground center where they are re aving excellent training in vari ous sports and games. The officers of the Playground Center will sponsor a wiener roast Friday evening at 8 o’clock. All children are invited. CANNED CLOTHES? Washington.—You may be writing your favorite haber dasher one of these days for a can of double-breasted blue flannel coat with two cans of trousers to match. The Air Force already has gone in for canned clothing. The Air Material Command has announced that 5,141 va rieties and sizes of uniforms, underwear, shoes, and other items worn by airmen are be ing packed in drums for ship ment overseas. Later cloth ing may be canned for ship ment in the United States. Officials said the airtight containers are cheaper and better than any other type of clothing packages. Cooley Speaks Up In Virginia City For Dirt Farmers •-9> Sayn Agriculture Ik Entitled To Fair Share Of The National Income Rep. Harold D. Cooley (D-N. C.), chairman of the House Com mittee on Agriculture, addressing the Sevent Annual Convention of the American Plant Food Council at Hot Springs, Va., recently de scribed the American farmer “as the low man on the totem pole” and called for continued “efforts in behalf of farmers “to the ulti mate end that the producers of food, fiber and timber, essential to the welfare of our people, may receive a fairer share of the na tional income.” He was introduced by Paul T. Truitt, President of the Council. "The Congress is interested in providing the working machinery which will achieve a better stan-| dard of living for all our people,” Rep. Cooley said. “The Congress is not interested in a program of scarcity nor is it interested in bringing about the production of a surplus beneath which the man on the farm may be buried while the rest of the people go in want.” Emphasizing that "the nation is entitled to abundant production at the hands of its farmers,” the House agriculture leader empha sized that "the government must assure those who till the soil that • hey will not be penalized by the abundance they iiave produced and, further, that they will be protected against the disastrous effects of an inadvertent, tempor ary or transitory super-abun dance.” He added that "the gov ernment is not charged with the responsibility of protecting farm ers against a constant and chronic over-production of any agricul tural commodity.” Rep. Cooley said that American agriculture has undergone a re volution ia. the post 20 years and (Continued on Page Six) Tobacco Barn In Bear Grass Burns Aii almost new tobacco curing barn was destroyed on the farm of Mrs. Gilbert Rogerson hear Bear Grass Sunday morning about 10:00 o’clock. It was the first cur ing barn fire reported in the coun ty this season. Replacing one that was destroy ed on the same spot about three years ago, the barn was equipped with a coal stoker. It contained 650 sticks of choice tobacco from a third • pulling”, and no insur ance was carried on either the structuie 01 the tobacco. The barn was owned by Mrs. Rogerspn and the tobacco belong ed to her and Mr. Geo. Taylor and sou. The barn had been inspected just a few minutes before the fire was discovered, and the origin of the blaze could not be deter mined. Williamston’s fire depart ment was called when it looked as if the fire would spread to other barns in the area. The fire, how ever, was confined to the one structure and represents a loss estimated at about $1,500. Three Accidents During Week-end In Martin Conniy One Automobile Burned Up and Two Others Are Badly Dnmuged One person was hurt, a car wasi burned and two other automobiles were badly damaged in a series of motor vehicle accidents reported on Martin County highways last week-end. All the accidents were on secondary roads and involved no other vehicles, according to a preliminary report released by members of the highway patrol. Driving on the road connecting Highway 125 with the River Road in Hamilton Township, William Edwin Whitley said his 1948 Chevrolet started “cutting up” and that fire flashed from under the dash board. It is believed the carburetor exploded. Whitley waff burned when he tried to beat the fire out. Unable to check the fire, Whitley jumped from the machine while it was traveling about 35 miles an hour. The car, ditching itself a short distance down the road, burned up, accord ing to a report released by Patrol man B W. Parker. Traveling toward Williamston on the Poplar Point road about 1:00 o'clock last Thursday morn ing, Alton Matthew Bcddard, of RFD 1, Plymouth, lost control of his 1952 Dodge in a curve and ran it into a tree near Whitley’s Bridge. Patrolman R. P. Narron, making the investigation, said Bcddard did not get hurt, but that damage to the machine will ap proximate $600 or more. Driving toward Farm Life on the Holly Springs road early Sun day afternoon, Wilson Wiggins, former Williamston policeman, lost control of his 1950 Chevrolet when a tire blew out. The ma chine was ditched in a curve and turned bottom side up. Wiggins, declaring he was not driving fast at the time, was not injured. Damage to the car was estimated at $150. Patrolman R. P. Narron made the investigation. Officers Installed By the Lions Club —$— The Williamston Lions Club held its regular meeting Thursday night, July 10, at 7:00 o’clock in the Woman’s Club building. Lion James Buliut'k presided in the absence of President Ben D. Courtney. All guests were recog nized including Rev. E. R. Shuller, former member of the club. Lion W. J. Dunn of Washington, N. C., newly elected District Gov ernor, installed tne following of ficers and directors during im pressive ceremonies for the fiscal year beginning July 1: President Ft. L. Welch, 1st Vice President W. Clyde Manning, 2nd Vice Presi dent W. Marvin Baker, 3rd Vice President W. H. Abernathy, Lion Tamer R. L. Bowling, Tail Twister J. H. Harrell, Secretary Wallace H. Tarkington, Treasurer Joseph W. Griffin, Director for two years Clarence W. Griffin, Director for two years J. W, Snead and Direc tor for one year J. C. White. Lapel buttons were awarded to all past officers. District Governor Dunn gave a very interesting report on the Lions International ConvAition held in Mexico City the-latter part of June. Youth Charged With Corn Theft -!f> Bennie James Boston, lit, was arrested in Williams Township Thursday and charged with the theft of two baskets of corn from Farmer R. J. Hardison there the ni~ht before. Boston admitted the theft, ex plaining that he was taking the corn to feed his father’s stock. The youth denied he was instruct ed by his father to make the corn raid. Farmer Hardison had been missing his corn all along for sev eral months, and Thursday morn ing Deputy Raymond Rawls pick ed up a “hot” track belonging to the boy. Pleading guilty in the county court last Saturday, Boston was sentenced to the roads for four months, the court suspending the road term upun the payment of the costs. Dark Spots Eliminated By New Street Lighting Plan The dark spots existing in the town’s main business districts down through the years, were eliminated by a new street light ing system installed and placed in use by the Virginia Electric and Power Company last Friday eve ning. In an informal exercise, Mayor Robt. H. Cowen closed the switch, lighting twenty-three of the latest type and most efficient street fixtures engineers so far< have been able to design. Replacing the swinging, mad dle-of-the-street lights, the new system with the fixtures hanging high from poles on either side of the street, provides several times more light than the old fixtures, affording a uniform distribution. The twenty-three lights are locat ed on Main from Watts to Haugh ton, on South Haughton to Grif fin's Quick Lunch and from that point down Washington to Main Street. While it cannot be listed strict ly as a white way since primary and secondary wires and services still hang in all directions, the new system affords a light equal to that of the modern whiteway. The value of the new system is best compared from a point at the intersection of Main and Haugh ton Streets with South Haughton shinning bright and North Hau ghton holding its dark spots. Representatives of the power company, the town board of com missioners and directors of Wil liamston Boosters, Inc., witnessed the closing of the switch, turning on the new lights for the first time at 8:00 o’clock Friday evening. RECOGNITION ___ WilliaAiston gained recogni tion yesterday for maintain ing a splendid safety record during 1950. A certificate of recognition was presented to Chief of Police John Roe buck and Mayor Robert II. Cowen during an informal program held in Radio Sta tion WIAM at 10:00 o’clock. The presentation was made hy Mrs. AliiC E. Johnson, field representative lor the Safety Division, Department of Motor Vehicles, Raleigh. No traffic deaths have dur ing the past several .years. Funeral Held For Native Of County Funeral services were conduct ed in Horner’s Funeral Home in Plymouth last Saturday afternoon at 1:30 o'clock for Thomas Pritch ard who died at his home near Roper last Friday morning. The Rev. W. 15. Harrington conduct ed tin rites and interment was in the Hamilton cemetery. A son of the late Josh and Mary Hassell Pritchard, he was born in this county 66 years ago, and located near 'Roper about two years ago. He had been in declin ing health for several years, and was a retired farmer. He was a member of the Huinilton Baptist Church. Surviving are his widow, the former Ida Liiley; a daughter, Beulah Pritchard; two sons, Rob ert and Jack Pritchard, all of the home, a brother, Burt Pritchard, of Hamilton, and six grandchild ren. i County Hoy Notv At Tltr Front In Korea -«— Pvt. Noah S. Bennett, young son of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Bennett of RFD 2, Williamston, is now in the front lines in Korea, according to information received here a few days ago. Answering a call in November of last ,yc-rti,' Pvt. ffciuicTf coiiV pleted his training at Fort Ord, California. The young man’s father was in World War I. Two brothers were in World War II. Another is in the current war, and he is in the front lines now. Farm Life Girl Editor-In-Chief —<j- — Greenville, N. C., July 14.—A Marlin County student has been named caitor-in-chief ol the "Teeo Echo", the East Carolina College newspaper lor the second summer session. Janice Hardison, a senior En glish major, has been appointed to publish the college paper until the current session ends in Au gust. She is the first woman editor of the "Teeo Echo" in a number of years, and she succeeds Hex ford Finer of Wilmington. Last year Miss Hardison was associate editor and feature writer and served as assistant editor to Fin er during the first summer ses sion. A graduate of the Farm Life School in Martin County, Miss Hardison has participated in num erous college activities. In addi tion to her work on the newspap er, she has been an active mem ber of the Women's Athletic As sociation, The YWCA, the Wo mans Chorus, and the College Singers. She has made the dean’s list or the honor roll every quar ter since she has been enrolled at East Carolina. Miss Hardison is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Ira Hardison of jamesvillc, Route 1. Auto Tears Down Street Hydrant —»— Believed to have been speeding | ul ound .. i, an rtuiwioijiu.’ driven by Leslie Latham tore down a fire hydrant at the cor ner ef Grace and North (Iuugh'.on Streets shortly before 11:00 o’clock last night. The driver, said to have been painfully but believed not badly hurt in the accident, disappeared and was not found until about 2:00 o’clock this morning. His ear was badly damaged. Water service was interrupted in certain blocks of the town for several hours. The hydrant vests 6i < ti.e ground and the connection with the big water main under the street was broken loose. Service was fully restor ed about 2:00 o’clock this morn ing. All available town forces were culled to meet the emergen cy. Free Will Baptist Church Organized In Williamston Climaxing a year or more of un tiring work, a Free Will Baptist ehureh was organized here re cently when the State Executive Committee of the denomination met here and perfected the orga nizational plans. Two sites are available on North Haughton Street, and-arrangements are be ing made to start construction work on a church home within a abort time. liberal contributions have already been made to the building fund, it was learned. Recognizing his efforts in per fecting the church organization here, the Rev. Roland C. Cherry has been named pastor for the coming year, it was announced. Until the church building is made ready, the congregation will continue to hold cottage prayer meetings each Thursday and Sun day evening in the homea of the twenty-eight charter members. The public is invited to attend the services. Charter members of the church include: Mcsdames John Coltrain, Grover Rogoram, George Wynne, Simon Gurganus, Roland Cherry, G T. Adams, Dewey Adams, L. T. Roebuck, Clyde Owens, Luther Taylor, Edward Taylor, Hoyt Hol liday, Bessie Nicholson, Marie Pierce, Myrtle White, Margie Ste venson, Lizzie Bennett and C. F. Modlin, and Messrs. W. A. Rober son, Clyde Owens, Edward Tay lor, Ed Cassell, Nathnial Taylor, L. T. Stevenson, James White, John Coltrain and Roland C. Cherry. Mrs. Simon Gurganus is the I church clerk. 1 Herbert Jackson Died In Hospital Saturday 'Morning —-<$> Funeral Held In Everetts Sunday Afternoon For Yonn^E Merchant Herbert M. Jackson, retired far mer-merchant, died in a William ston hospital last Saturday morn ing at 10:00 o’clock. He had been in declining health for about a year, suffering with a heart con dition. Apparently getting along as well as usual, he was out last Friday, but entered the hospital about 7:30 o’clock Saturday morn ing he Suffered another attack and entered the hospital. He had undergone a check-up in a Dur ham hospital only a few days pre viously. A son of Mrs. Emma Wobbleton Jackson of Greenville and the late Kelly Jackson, he was born m Gross Roads Township 115 years ago on November 21, 1910. He farmed most of his life, and op ened a store on the old Greenville road near Williamston about a year ago, virtually retiring from business on account of his health. In early manhood he was mar ried to Miss Edith Bailey. Surviv ing besides his widow and mother arc two sons, Ray and Gene Jack son, both of the home; a brother, Jasper Jackson, of Greenville; and a sister, Mrs. Helen Barrow, of Greenville. He was a member of the Eve retts Baptist Church and the fun eral service was conducted there Sunday afternoon at 4:00 o'clock by the pastor, the Rev. C. E. Gat ling, of Hamilton Interment was in Williamston’s Woodlawn Cem etery. Eisenhower And Nixon Form Team _ — Taking the Presidential nomi nation on the lirst ballot, Dwight Eisenhower, retired general, will with Senator Richard Nixon, U. S. Senator from California, as nominee for the Vice Presidency, represent the Republicans in the general election next November j The Eisenhower victory turned ! back Senator Robert A. Taft, the1 perennial candidate, at Chicago last Friday afternoon. Eisenhow ers running mate, the 39-year- | old Nixon, was the only one offer- . ed in nomination that afternoon. Nixon, a former student at Duke is rated a promising young man, but his record in the Congress claims no particular distinction. The two men are talking over their views with party leaders and making ready to launch a vigorous campaign. Eisenhower, the internationalist, runs head on into fourteen of his own party members who have supported foreign policy less than ten percent of the time, and has only nine or ten who have sup ported the policy more than t!5 percent of the time. Mr. Eisenhower’s victory, com ing at 13:45 o’clock Friday after noon when the Miimcsoia dele gation ditched its- favoiite sun, Harold Stassen, and gave Eisen hower the vote margin, is trace able to Tom Dewey’s expert ma neuvers, and powerful pressure similar to that exerted on the Michigan delegation by General Motors and Henry Ford II. Sandwich Shop Is Robbed Near Here —#— The Parker Peel sandwich shop in West End was entered some time during the early hours of lust Thursday morning. The robber, believed to have been a juvenile, forced an en trance with a bar through a side window and took about l.r>0 pen nies from the cash r gisicr. The robber unlatched the door and t walked out. Officers have questioned sev eral, but no arrest has been made in the case. Henry A. Johnson III At llis Home Here -« Suffering with a leg ailment, Mr. Henry A. Johnson continues II at his home here. He has an appointment with a Raleigh spec alist this afternoon in the capital ■’ty, but plans to return home. Plead For A Big Vote In Leaf Referendum f PRESIDENT i. J II. I.. Welch, local business man and civic leader, was in stalled as president of the Williamston I,ions Club at a regular meeting of the organi zation held in the Woman’s Club last Thursday evening. Reserve Bank Of District Reviews 1952 Farm Plans i»!•» Slight Increase lit Tohaeeo ami Drop In Other Oops The Federal Reserve Dank of Richmond in its current Month ly Review loosk at the 1952 farm picture, as follows: Fifth District farmers intend to plant slightly larger acreages of tobacco and wheat in 1952 and smaller acreages of most other crops than m 1951. For the coun try as a whole, slight increases are indicated for tobacco, oats, hay soybeans and sweet potatoes, but declines are indicated for cotton, peanuts, sorghum and barley. No change is indicated for corn, wheat, or Irish potatoes If such acreages materialize, weather con ditions are average, and it yields equal last year's, 1952 will go down in history as a year of good crop production, though not the year of record production that the United States Department of Agriculture had planned when it set 1952 goals some ti per cent above 1951's figures On the whole, farmers through out the nation are allowing a re luctance to reduce their acreage in hay and pasture which seems to reflect an appreciation ol the fact that much of the land now devoted to such uses should be kept under grass covar. More im portantly, however, is the ob vious shift to less intensive types of farming. During I he year preceding the intentions report (of March 19) die index of prices lt-ccived by tanners dropped U percent, 'While the index of prices paid rose 4 percent. Net effect of these diver gent trends was that farm prices declined front the post Korean high of IKf per cent of parity in February 1951 to 100 per cent of parity in February of ibis year Farm wage rates are currently about 11 peg cent higher than a year ago, and fewci workers arc available even though farmers are paying these higher wages. Those major factors of puce and cost appear to be reflected in the 1052 acreage plans Farming is, of course, a highly competitive line of production, and actual acreages planted to various crops are the composite result of literally mil lions of decisions by individual farmers Should enough individ ual laruicis, however, think that other farmers are planting less of some, crops than had previous ly been assumed ami conclude Ihal tins is therefore a good year to expand their own production, in the fond hope of “making a killing,” the ultimate acreage of various crops could be consider ably different from the figures in he accompanying table. Average goals were established jy the USD A as a means of indi cting the changes in flopping (Continued on Page Six) Goodly Number In Attendance at Pep Meeting Thursday -<$ Working For Over 3,000 Noli*s In RrfrriMiiluiii Saturiluy, July 19 Meeting in the county court house Thursday evening with rep resentatives of the Production Marketing Administration and other leaders, more than 100 Mar tin County farmers, including several ladies, agreed to support and get a sizable vote for the to bacco referendum on Saturday of this week. There is a voting po tential of approximately 3,300 in this county, and it is hoped that more than 3,000 votes will be poll ed. “We don't want to go back to the thirties," A. H. Kelton, field representative, said, adding that there is a possibility of doing just that. "We are operating on a nar row margin right now," he said, explaining that only two crops— tobacco and peanuts—-are under control. “Those outside the pro gram an asking why support should be accorded tobacco and peanuts, and many members of Congress, declaring they can't un derstand the plan, are in favor of cutting the appropriations," Mr. Kelton said. It was pointed out at the mend ing that there is a false economy drive on in the land, that to carry forward that plan and destroy the farm program the government would collect little or no income taxes in the tobacco producing areas. "We are not a bit doubtlul about the outcome of the referen dum, but we arc not certain about the size of the vote," the farm leaders explained. “We'll need a big vote rf we are to impress the doubtful congressmen," they said. It was pointed out that the loss of the program would certainly cost the farmers 15 cents a pound in $150 per acre, on an average, and that unless there is control it will be impossible to support un limited production. In July, 11)41), farmers voted !)4 percent for the program, but on ly about half of the farmers par ticipated in the referendum, it was pointed out. Such a small vote is not impressive when farm lead ers go before the congressional committees and plead for legisla tion necessary to the welfare of the farmer and the nation's econ omy. It Weis also explained that the tobacco program is costing the taxpayers nothing, that penalties are financing its cost and that sales are making small dividends possible. Mr. Little, representing the eastern division of the North Car olina Farm Bureau, pleaded for support of the Tobacco Associates# iii the referendum on Saturday, and asked for a large vote for the tobacco quota program. 'Tobacco Associates have work ed with Congress and other agen cies to promote tobacco exports. In 15)33-39, China and England took 73 percent of the tobaeeo ex ported from this coujitry,” Mr. Little said. "Today, China is lost and there’s a dollar shortage in England. Tobacco Associates have worked lor new and larger mar kets in West Germany, Sweden, Denmark, the Philippines and other countries to absorb the 400, 000,000-pound surplus,” he added. Chas. L. Daniel, president of the Martin County Farm Bureau, warned against indifference and (Continued on Page Six) HOUlNiHJP Eight persons were arrest fd and lemporaril.v detained m the county jail last week* end. Two were charged with violating the liquor laws and oue each for larceny, assault with a deadly weapon, disord erly conduct, assault, drunk enness and issuing a worthless check. One of the eight was white and ages of the group ranged from 18 to 52 years.