THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK THE ENTERPRISE VOLUME LV—NUMBER 63 v— _ Williams! on, Martin County, Sorth Carolina, Tuesday, August I9,i2 THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK ESTABLISHED 1899 Town Board Has .Varied ?r®grai8 For Discussion Water, Streets, Drainage Ami Other Matters Be fore Meet Last Night -® Meeting in regular session last night, Williamston's town com missioners had a varied program up for discussion, the topics cen tering around water line exten sions, speeding, drainage, paving, fire protection and other matters. A petition, carrying 21 names, was presented to the board for the extension of water lines as far out •*as Mickey’s Inn. Two property owners, Mrs. V. G. Taylor and Mr. Bowers, agreeing to finance the extension under certain con ditions. A cost estimate was or dered, but no definite action was taken at the meeting. Speeding in and near the Hau ghton-Main intersection was dis cussed and an officer is to be as signed to that station in the fu ture. Drainage is popping up as a big ((problem. A request for relief was heard from property owners just off Washington Street and near the colored high school. A survey has been made in the Elm, Pearl, Sycamore Street area, and the cost will approximate $14,000, it is understood. Treasurer C. M. Cobb reported $42,755.33 cash on hand, includ ing $14,723.51 for street paving. Sewer rentals last month added up to $728, and the income from ♦parking meters amounted to $003.52. A license to operate a taxi was granted Malchai Bonds. A bid of $1,280 for a pick-up truck was awarded to the Chas. H. Jenkins and Co. The water and sanitary depart ments reported 45 new “taps” were made last month. Bids for the surfacing on an alley between the Roanoke-Dixie Warehouse and Wier’s, and on Railroad Street from Washington to Smithwick were called for. ‘A In answer to a request for fire protection on Sunset Drive in West End, the board instructed the water department to order an other carload of pipe and to ex tend the water mains one block on Peel and one block on Morrison Street. No definite order was giv tn, but in the face of the steel shortage it might be necessary to pull out two or more hydrants Worn locations outside the town limits to make the protection available to property inside town One hydrant is outside the limits 4n West End, and several are out lide the limits in North End. | , Reporting on the sewer line ex tension project now in progress, 1 the engineer explained that 3,749 additional feet had been laid in i West End and “White City” at | a cost of slightly more than $7,000, including the cost of sixteen man iples. There is sufficient money % collected in sewer rentals to ex ; tend the lines out Warren Street gnd on East Main, it was explaip ed A request was heard Icii paving the Sfn»ll ,Ji iangle a’t South Hau 1 ghton and Washington Street near Griffin’s Quick Lunch. Cherry | * Street is to have a rock coating. Completes Flight * Course In Texas '-— Aviation Cadet Charles B. Sice loff of 228 Watts St. Williamston, has successfully completed flight training in the T-28 conventional type airplane at Perrin, AFB, Texas and is presently at Laredo Air Force Base, Laredo Texas where he is learning- to fly the T-33 Jet. The T-33 is a two se^t ed#version of the famed F-80 “Shooting Star” and is equipped with dual controls, a refrigera tion unit and the new type ‘‘ejec tion seat’ ’which automatically throws the pilot out of the plane and out of danger in the event that it would be necessary to bail out. The plane has a maximum speed of somewhere in the 600 mph. class. Before entering the USAF, ^Jharles attended Williamston High School and later the Univer sity of North C&roJjnaua*. Chape. Hill where he majoredln English Charles' parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. Siceloff, Sr. live at 228 Watts St. in Williamston. Board -Adopts ? or Hospitalization | ROUND-UP | Thirteen persons were rounded up and temporarily detained in the county jail last week-end. Seven were booked for public drunken ness, two for drunken driv ing, two for assault, and one each for non-support and op erating a motor vehicle with out a driver’s license. Six of the thirteen were white ,and the ages of the ground ranged from 19 to 62 years. Thousand Attend Farmers Meeting —t— At least one thousand persons, including members and interested friends, attended a meeting of the Farmers Cooperative Exchange in the high school auditorium here last Thursday night. The crowd was the largest ever to assemble here for such an event which at tracted visitors from several coun ties. In the absence of M. G. Mann, founder and general manager who continues ill, Robert A. Pon ton, personnel director for the or ganization, addressed the group, reviewing the progress of FCX since its organization in 1934. Mr. Ponton said there are 55 stores in the organization at the present time, handling a business of $52 million last year. He show ed pictures of the FCX properties, including stores, grain and feed mills and fertilizer plants, and ex plained that there are 150,000 members of the organization, 20, 000 of whum. jojnad during the past three years. Messrs. W. M. Hardison, who presided over the meeting, and R. G. Coburn, C. L. Daniel, T. B. Slade and W. M. Harrison were named to the advisor board for the next three years, and H. C. Ferebee of Camden was re-elect ed a State director for the eastern district. The big drawing card was a list I of door prizes. A $275 deep freeze ' unit went to Frank Ballance, col ored farmer of Bertie County. Other prize winners were, Joshua L. Coltrain, Mr and Mrs. Hugh B. Griffin, Elbert Griffin, W. C Winchester, Mrs. W. H. Taylor, Mrs. John Gray Corey, Herbert Cayton, Miss Joyce Padgett and Mrs. Fletcher Thomas Light refreshments were served the group following the business meeting Mr. J. W. Snead is manager of the local store and he made ar rangements for the meeting. Fire Department Gets Two Calls Williamston’s fire department received two calls over the week end, one to the Central Cafe last Friday night at 10:45 o’clock and one about 4:35 o’clock this morn ing to a tobacco barn on the Kelly Woolard farm a short distance' across the county line in Beau fort. The cafe fire was confined to a motor in a large refrigerating unit, and no great damage result ed. Fire destroyed the tobacco barn on the Woolard farm belonging to Farmer W. Oscar Peel and threat ened a second curing barn. Wash ington’s fire department also an swered the call. To Cleon t■ jt Skctcarkey Church Ground Friday ' —-♦— Members and friends of Skc warkey Church are asked to meet there Friday morning at 8:00 o’clock and assist in cleaning up the grounds. Steel Strike CoU Rung To Four Billion Dollar» -*— While it will be impossible to estimate its actual cost, the recent TsteeTHWgf ?s cifffmTiTgrrTo^Ve cost the nation a total of $4,000, 1000,000 in lost steel production and j lust wages in the steel plants and jin other allied industries. Commissioners In Regular Session Monday Morning Budget Culling For Total Of $500,410, Formally Adopted Bv Board -— Confronted with an ever-in creasing demand for hospitaliza tion, the Martin County Com missioners, in regular session Monday, fixed elegibility rules for treatment of certain groups in hospitals. Hospital costs exceeded $1,500 last month, it was learned, and in the future certain eligibil ity for hospitalization of appli cants. Those persons who are current ly receiving old age assistance, aid to dependent children, gener al assistance and so on will be I eligible for aid. No individual is elgible for hos pitalization who lives as a mem ber of a family In which the fa ther is able bodied and gainfully employed, the board ruled. All employable persons over 18 years of age applying for hospital ization aid must be referred to Vocational Rehabilitation unless the type of ailment or illness pro hibits such action. All eligible cancer cases are to be referred to the Cancer Divi sion, State Department of Health, Raleigh, and all eligible crippled children are to be referred to Crippled Children’s Division, State Board of Health. Raleigh. A county tax rate of $1.35 per $100 property valuation and a budget, calling for a total of $500, 410.00, were formally adopted by resolution. The board, in session until about 1:00 o'clock, recommended that three-tenths of a mile of road in Bear Grass Township be added to the State system. The road runs, from the Bear Grass-Stokes road, near the Rose of Sharon Church, westwardly to the residence of J. Arthur Peel. It was also recoln mended by the board that the State widen and stabilize about 1.3 miles of road in Hamilton Township, running from the Pop lar Point road to Willis Williams’. Tax collector M. L. Peel report ed that $351,445.00 of the $372, 148.04 levy for 1951 had been col lected H.® also, reported that $328,• 459.04 of the $337,123.44 levy for 1 1950 had been collected. All but $5,210.01 of the $314,098.95 levy for 1949 has been colected, and there is a balance of $3,938.34 due on the $284,820.88 levy for 1948, according to the collector’s month ly report. A request that the board re open the question of salary in creases was denied, the action leaving the $10 per month, straight-across-the board raise in effect. State Distributes Intangible Taxes Martin County and its several towns will soon get their share of the State tax on intangible prop erties. The inromj*, while falling j far short of its potential, is great er than last year, running about [five percent in most eases and some higher in others. Martin County's share this year is $10,740.39. Williamston is re ceiving $3,074.11 as compared ed with $2,840.00 rec"ived last year. Other portions go as fol lows: Robersonville, $954.19: Eve retts. $65.23: Hamilton. *41.37; jOak Orly, SOI.49; and Parmele, ! $17.66. Jamcsvillc and Hassell, two other towns in the county, are nut included in the list, as far as it could be learned. The tax is levied against such items as money in the bank, notes receivable, mortgages and other such instruments. The State, hanling the listings and collecting the tax, keeps twenty percent. Intangible tax collections for fiscal 1952 amounted to $4,227, ■©riWf-3* •anti tfTTC" * Si cr'jgi’arU’sT' iiT State history. For fiscal 1951, the total was $3,995,49^.51 and 10 years ago the figure wus $1,570, 760.31. Xnbffi. Cai^s In The.CfluntyJQMjrl Saturday Horning Larger Docket Expected This Week Following Many Arrests Lately. -» Judge R. T. Johnson and Solici jtor Clarence Griffin handled an even dozen cases in the Martin County Recorder’s Court last Sat urday. The session lasted less than two hours, but a fairly heavy docket is in prospect for Saturday of this week following numerous arrests during the past week-end. Fines, collected last Saturday, amounted to only $125. A few cases were continued for con sideration later in the month. Proceedings: Geo. Rufus Cherry of Wilson was taxed with the cost for speed ing. The case in which Randolph Brown was charged with gamb ling was nol pressed with leave. In the case in which Roland Beddard was charged with an as sault, the court found that the prosecution was frivolous and malicious and not in the public interest. The prosecuting witness, Walter Davis, was taxed with the court costs. Carl Maceo Slade was fined $15, plus costs, for careless and reck less driving. Pleading guilty of speeding, Lloyd C. Burton of Edenton was taxed with the court costs. Charged with bastardy, Heze kiah Bell, Jr., pleaded guilty and was given six months on the roads The road term was suspended upon the payment of the costs and $4 a week for the support ot his child. Richard B. Harrison failed tc report when called on a speeding charge. Pleading guilty of speeding Russell Mizclle was fined $10 and taxed with the costs. Pleading innocent, John A. Ro Her soft of RFD 3, WilTInmstOn,'was adjudged guilty of speeding anc was taxed with $22.05 costs. Charged with drunken driving J. G. Coltrain pleaded guilty and was fined $100, plus costs. He los es his license to operate a motor vehicle for a year. Charged with speeding, Waltei T. Cone of Greenville and Robert D. MaeDouglall of York, Pa., pleaded guilty and each was tax ed with the court costs. Plans Made For Soldiers' Vole .-—-«>— North Carolina has made things easy for military personnel who want to vote in this fall’s general election. Secretary Raymond Maxwell of the State Board of Elections pointed out that State law pro vides three methods service men and women can use to register and vote. xThey can send an application to vote to the Secretary of State or to the Chairman of their county board of elections or members of juiiniy ca/f'tf/J’piy for them. If the service people are eligi ble to register and vote, their ap plication wilJ serve to get them on the registration books even it they are not registered. Maxwell said several thou sand persons in the military forces voted in the recent primaries. Their applications for primary ballots will entitle them to re ceive general election ballots. In fact, added Maxwell, North Carolina has gone farther than a strict interpretation of the Con stitution would permit^in its law. foi voting by service personnel. The Constitution indicates that voters should appear in person Vrhcji on v register, but Maxwell said he doubted if anyone would contest the law. “We’re listed among the favor able states by a War Department agency which has been investigat ing the problem of voting by ser vice men," said Maxwell. School Building Will Coat At Leant 10 Billion Dollara At least ten billion dollars will have to be spent in the next ten ■years on new school buildings to wWntit? 'tTen.iiffilhaas'-miVu'X** m children into the public schools, according to Dr. Henry H. Linn, of Teachers College, Columbia Uni versity. Byrnes Dwindled In Sialnre A! The Chicago Meeting —»— Party Leaders Are Mapping Strategy For The All Out Cuinpaigu Washington.—If Jimmy Byrnes had any dreams of leading a new Confederate Army against the Yankees, those dreams turned in to dust at the end of the Demo cratic National Convention in Chi cago. The South Carolina governor, who held high offices under both Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, went to Chicago determined to block a strong civil rights platform and a Fair Deal presidential candidate. He also gave observers the im pression that he would not mind walking out, or being kicked out, of the convention. If that had hap pened, he might have led a united South in a general “revolt” which would have had the net effect of electing General Dwight I). Eisen hower as President. The groundwork was all very carefully laid to have half a dozen Dixie states swing their electoral votes to Eisenhower, either as a straight - out Republican 01 through some such camouflage a> a ‘states rights” ticket. A walkout or kick-out loomed as a possibility when the "young Turks” of the North rammed through the new rule requiring that thi' delegates do everything legal and honorable in an effort to place the regular Demon ath nominee's names on the ballots ol their sates in November. As Vir ginia, South Carolina and Louis iana refused to sign such a loyal ty pledge, the conventions hut grounds to keep them from vot ing. In fact, on the first test, there was a majority in favor of unseat ing the Virginia delegates. Bu more moderate old-timers liki James A. Farley, Scott Lucas, e (Continued on page eight) Drastic Changes In Auto Models Reports from Detroit indicati that the automobile industry is | getting customer-conscious am twill make a strong bid to attracl buyers in 1953. It is beginning ti look as if the big automobile pro ducers will make more changes in next year’s models than in any year since the end of World Wai 11. Chrysler is expected to put its new cars on the market in Octo ber and it is understood that then are major changes in the body designs of all four: Plymouth Dodge, DeSota and Chrysler Dodge is expected to come ou! with a new V-B type engine, 14( horsepower. General Motors is offering air conditioning units in the new Cadillacs and Oldsmobilcs. Both Buicks and Chevrolet are expect ed to change to the V-ll type on gibes--- '* .. Ford expects to introduce new cars in November. While extern sive body changes are not expect ed for the new Lincoln, Mercury: and Fords, the Mercury's and Fords may have new and more powerful engines. Hudson expects to offer a pew body and also a new car in the light, six cylinder field Stude baker bodies are to-be re-design ed completely. Packard is nffi rinj. power-steering and power-brakes In other words, it looks as though there will be plenty oi competition as the 1953 season ap proach's. The accent, which ha been on power in recent years, is turning toward comfort and thi prospects are that there will bi plenty of cars to gy around. SIJAKPK JAIL _ Oak City's new municipal building: was christened "The Sharpe Jail” last Saturday evening when Johnnie Sharpe of Norfolk was placed in it for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct. Chief Garland Hunting ' mad? ibe arrest and since Sharpe was the first to be placed there, it was immedi ately named the “Sharpe Jail.” EkeJnJi i wd In Car j Accidents In County1 Properly Damage Placed At $2,470.00 By Investigators I Iiiit N iclini)* ll«i>|»ilali/.«Ml lint Norte Believed I)aiif!rroii!«ly Hurt At least five persons were in .lined, none of them believed ser iously, in a series of seven mo tor vehicle accidents on Martin County highways and town streets during the past few days, according to preliminary reports filed by members of the highway patrol and town officers. The property damage, running as high as $1,011(1 in one accident!, amounted to an estimated $2,470 according to the preliminary re ports. Three of the victims were hospitalized but were released following examinations and treat ment. The first and most costly in the series was reported near Farmer Tom Roebuck's home on Highway 04 between Robersonville and Parmele Tuesday afternoon when a large asphalt tractor-trailer turned over, causing about $1,000 damage, according to Patrolmen If. P. Narron and Travis Register. It was the last accident investi gated in the county by Patrolman Narron before going to Rocky Mount where lie is now stationed. Driving on the Flat swamp road out of Robersonville late Friday afternoon, Daisy Hollis Smith lost control of her 1940 Chevrolet and the vehicle turned over. A small child suffered a slight cut on its left leg. Damage to the car was estimated at $100 LeRo.v Barnes, colored, lost eon trol of his 1939 Chevrolet on the Robersonville-Goid Point Road last Saturday night about 11:15 o’clock and ran into the side of Fdon Alston’s 1947 Plymouth. Al stun, seeing the approaching car go out id' control, stopped to the side of the road. Investigating the accident, Patrolmen B. W. Park or and Travis Register estimated the damage to the Plymouth at $40 and none to the Barnes cai Barnes wuis booked for drunken driving. Mrs. Leo l.mwmiu Smith, Gladys Manning and Clifton Mealy Matthews were injured in an accident near the Sundown Theater near Robersonville .Sun day evening at 7:45 o'clock Sid faring a head injury, Mrs Smith, and Miss Manning, suffering head, neck and leg injuries, were treat ed in the Martin General Hospital, but were released later that night. Matthews suffered a minor cut on his head. Smith, driving a l!)5l Ford, started to slow down and make a turn into the theater. Matthews driving a 1951 Ply mouth, was traveling behind him AtVof\i'mg 'o'1' r.liY, moan ' tv ' *v. Parker who made the invosliga tio nwith Patrolman Travis Reg ister, Matthews skidded his tires about 19H feet and struck the Ford in the rear, knocking d down the load about 75 feel. Damage to the Plymouth was estimated at $5(1(1 and that to the Ford »l $20(1 At 11:00 .o’clock that evening. Charles Henry Shaw, .Jr, of Kin ston, swerved his, car to miss a loose calf in the new Hear Grass Wilhamston highway near the Hadley home, and lost, control ~— Military procurement and con struction totaled $8,000,000,000 in the second quarter of this year, a gam oi per cent over j tlie first three months, according to Dr. John R Steelman, acting head ol the Office ol Defense Mo bilization. WORST IN YEARS v Public drunkenness here last week-end was described as the worst in years by Of ficer (.'has. It. Moore. While seven were booked for public drunkenness, two others were jailed for alleged drunken driving, and possibly a dozen others were able to dodge the law-enforcement officers. It was mean lit|uor they I were drinking bcacuse there were several fights and a j rowdy commotion from one ! side of town to the other,” the oficer declared. Georgia Market Weekly Report A strong demand was shown for Georgia-Florida flue-cured tobac co during the second week of I sales. The U. S. Department of | Agriculture reports average prices I were higher for practically all I grades when compared with open ; ing week. Volume of sales contin i ued heavy. Quality of marketings I was lower. I Sales for the week ending Fri (lay, August 1, totaled 45.1 H7.297 ! gross pounds and averaged $53.07 1 per hundred. This average was $1,117 above that of the first week of sales and the volume around 1 3-4 million pounds more. Sea son sales were brought to 88, (130, 931 pounds for an average of $52.15. The season average is $1.32 above that established the first ten days last year. One of the highest daily general averages ever recorded in the belt was set Monday, July 28, when nearly 9 million groups pounds sold ioi $54.54. Last year the top daily average was $54.1 1 set on opening day. Average prices for most grades were up $1.00 to $5.00 from the week before However, increases ranged up to $9,00 a hundred pounds. The larger gams were generally Ioi lower quality offer mgs. Practical top price remained at $05.00 although some individ util baskets of better quality tu ba' in went for $00 00. A i increase oecured in the per ecu'.age of common to fair le.d while a corresponding decrease was shown in the proportion of fair to fine lugs. Sail s consisted mainly ol low to good efuaniy tobacco with lugs and leaf pit' dominating. Receipts of the Stabilization Corporation under the Govern nient loan program for the week I amounted to around 2.7 percent of j gross sales. Deliveries for the sea son through Thursday, July 31, totaled 4,394,937 pounds and rep resented 5.5 percent of sales. For the same number of days last year receipts amounted to 12.1 percent. Wile Knocks Dili Husband In Fight Breaking a heavy glass howl over hei husband's head to bring then friendly relations In a low ehh, Mamie William.-, eolored ol Williamston, invited a serious threat to her own life earl\ Iasi Sundai afternoon. After planting the blow ellee lively, the wile ran away The husband, George Williams, Jr., gol his rifle and started after her He had pine only a short distance when he n il unconscious, the re sult. of the loss of blood. Williams was picked up, heated 111 a local hospital and jailed along with his wife Soil i.oiulilitmrrs I ail lit lull iftinoml —• The Department of Agriculture warns against the use of the new ehemieal "soil corufilioners1’ ex eept on experimental basis. De partment scientists state that while some materials were known 1n improve the structure of heavy clay sods experimentation is still in an early stale and warns grow ers to buy and use them in small quantities until convinced that benefits gained were worth the cost involved. M Bprdsr.Js.il. Has.,_ S54Avsrspf.Pi. Its First Sales I’rirc MmmiI $ I 11 i*£li«*r than La'I Year Despite In ferior (Quality -i>—. Despite inferior quality of ttie offerings, tobacco prices averag ed about $54 on the opening sales in the border section of North Carolina Monday, according to preliminary reports reaching here. The price is about $4 pet-hundred above the average reported on the opening day sales a year ago. Those grades of average qual ity and even the common grades sold about $10 higher than they did a year ago, and prices for the better types averaged about $4 per hundred higher, the prelim inary report indicated. The bulk of the tobacco sold on opening day ranged in price from $40 to $09 with the practical top pegged at $70. There were a few scattered sales at $71 per hun dred. Although the quality of the op ening-day "break" was said to have been inferior, it was rated slightly better than the quality of the offerings a yeai ago. Sales were comparatively light, and farmers, hardly complete with their harvest, did not attend the opening in great numbers. Few people in this section visited the markets opening day, and less than half dozen loads of Martin County tobacco was moved to the Border for sale the first day. Takes by the Stabilization Cor poration did not average more than three per cent Monday — one of the lightest transactions in several seasons for this govern ment price-supporting agency - — and the buying companies usual ly stayed well above the support price on the competitive grades. This was seen in a sampling of I grades picked at random as fol lows: Low orange primings, with a support price of 28 cents, brought from 37 to 52 cents per pile; good orange primings, 53 cent support, tlii cents; good lemon primings, 5ti-eent support, 59 to 170 cents; nondescript, 17-ccpt sup [port, 30 cents; fair lemon lugs, 57 leeiil support, 09 cents; fair green ish primings, 20-eent support, 50 cents; low lemon primings, 32 ceiit support,, 55 cents; and fine lemon lugs, 00 cent support, 71 cents. Some damaged tobacco, with ail odor like the low swampland o{ the Bolder Belt, brought from eight to 12 cents throughout the day without the benefit of govern ment support prices. Most all grades Had a trace of green, hut this element did not make a great amount of differ ence to the buyers as they con tinued to pay prices for some green grades that went as much as $20 per 100 pounds higher than last year. A growing season unfavorable lor tobacco accounted for the green tobacco, dryness and dam aged leaves, but some’grades with burned edges that peeled oil with a light touch briught as much as $05 per lot) pounds. And some common grades that failed to rx TCi i r'T-T tuSi Season el ougfit* o~V/ 1 1 more on the opening Monday. W 1’. Hedrick, tobacco market mi: ipeeialist with the North Car nlma Department of Agriculture, said alter lus usual swing around the Border Belt Monday that quality did not come up to expec tations because of the weather. lie recalled that the Border planted 92,000 acres in tobacco dining the 1951 season with a ,\ ieltl of 1,3115 pounds per acre. But lie explained that the yield will be oil at least 10 per cent for about 1,250 pounds per acre. j Short Interruption In Power Service Power and light servlet east of Tai boro was interrupted for about twenty-five minutes last night while workmen replaced a cross arm damaged in a storm Iasi week-end near Conetoe While most people knew noth mg about the interruption, elec tric clocks were about 25 minutes lute this morning Bndgekeeper Hugh Spruill was in a predica ment when a boat signaled for passage at the river bridge just a lew "minutes attci Uvr g: wvi NiJ'aS * cut off. The bridge keeper sig naled the boat to stop, and traffic . ^ on the stream was delayed until the power was restored.