THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY
t OVER 3,3m MARTIN COUNTY
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
-L.
THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY
OVER 3.30>y MARTIN COTTNTT
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
VOLUME JLVII—NUMBER 51
Williamaton, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, June 29. 1954
ESTABLISHED 1899
Red Cross Falls
Under Its Recent
Rloodmobile Goal
--
One Hundred And Fifty'
Four Persons Report.
But Get only 131 Pints
After making a splendid show
ing in this chapter last March, the
Red Cross bloodmobile fell nine
teen pints short of its 150-pint
quota last Thursday, according to
a report released by the Red
^ Cross office.
One hundred and fifty-four
persons reported to the center at
the American Legion Hut on
Watts Street, but twenty-three
were found physically unable to
donate blood, it was said.
. Early that morning it looked as
if hardly more than one-half the
quota would be reached, but urg
ent pleas were made, and a rush
developed later in the day. Chief
John Roebuck made personal
pleas on the streets and boosted
the county by about fifteen pints.
J. C. Coltrain was again at the
center, adding his thirteenth pint
and helping boost the take for the
day to 131 pints. A consideiable
boost was reported when Henry
Griffin reported with six of his
employees.
Those reporting to the center
and offering to donate blood in
clude the following:
N. D. Griffin, Henry G. Corey,
Willie Gray Lee, A. B. Ayers, Jr.,
H. E. Roberson, Julian Jackson,
Mrs. Wilford Griffin, Miss Mary'
L. Taylor, Mrs. Vera Pearl Col
train, James E Bulluck, Mrs. Do
ra B Rogerson, William Tetter
ton, Elbert Harrison, Mrs. Elbert
Harrison, Donald C. Frank, R.
Earl Brown, Willie Whitfield, Dr.
L S. Christian, Mrs. Avis W. Bul
Toek. James S. Griffin, Benjamin
L. Ward, L. C. Moore, Mrs. Brax
ton Williams, Mrs, S. A. Graham,
Norman Everett. Paul Bailey, Le
10 C Bond, Earl Roberson, R. J.
Hardison, Lester Bryant, Coronne
Bryant, Exum Ward, Jr., Williq
E. Deeato, D. D. Bazemore, Ern
est Wiggins. D. P. Gljsson, A. D.
Ange, Roger A. Critcher, Jr., Mrs.
Mattie White, Cecil Batts, Clyde
Manning. Miss Daisy Maiming.
Joseph Manning, Cecil Brown,
| Braxton William.-, Kenneth But
ler, T. Marvin Britton, Mrs Cad
do Robertson. William L. How
ell, W R Bender, G. H. Piercy,
Hugh Hines, Mrs Lela Johnson,
Clyde R. Bailey, R. C. Malone,
Billy Griffin, Irving M. Margolis,
L. T Fowden, Waverly Outter
bridge, Mrs. Elbert Griffin, Heze
kiah Bell, Paul Griffin, Miss
Maud Thomas, Clabon Summer
lin, Clayton Revels, Fred Hardi
son, Bruce Holloman, Harrell,
Everett, Jr . John C. McKeel, W.
I. Skinner, Roger Roberts, Gary j
Dgvis, Mrs. Grady Godard, Dock j
Bullock, Reuben Williams, Nash
Burnette, Fred Silverthorne, Rus-j
sell Biggs, Clyde Griffin, J. C.!
Coltrain, John M Lynch, L. L.
Rhodes, Mrs. W H Abernathy.
R. Edwin Peele, Mrs. Elsie B. ;
Roberson, Evan Griffin, Rufus
Gurganus, Miss Myrtle Scott, ,
Mrs. James R. Bullock, Mrs. Mol- J
lie Oalfley, Miss Lela Hollis,’ Mrs,
Myrtle Rogerson, John Lewis Lee,
Charles Brown, William Ruffin,
Daniel Williams, Benjamin Ed
wards, Benjamin Hyman, Mrs.
R C Whitaker, Mrs. W. J Brid-j
gen, J. D. Baldree.
Maurice Stalls, John VanLand- j
iiigham, V B. Hairr. Mrs, Melba !
Wynne, Mis Jasper Jones, Mrs.
C B Rogerson, Mrs Lillian Peele,!
Fletcher Thomas, Mrs. Carlyle.
1 .angle;' Mrs. W H. Ross, C. T. j
Gaines, John B. Godwin, Darrell
Taylor, K. P Lindsley, Morris
Brown, Lugene Bell, Willie
Moore, Willie Parker, James Lee
Bradley, R. L. Bailey, Guy Leg
gett. Ben .James, John D. Leggett. I
M's Abner - Brown, Mrs John
Roebuck.
James D. Vann, Arthur B. Gur-(
ganus, Norman Lee Slade, Mrs.
William Deeato, T. L. Roberson,
(Continued on Page Six)
————<*>
I
1
Jimmy Myers Enlists
In The Marine Corps
• •
Raleigh.—James E. Myers, 21
son of Mr and Mrs. William My
ers of 304 Halifax Street, Wil
hamston, N C , has been enlisted (
in the U. S Marine Corps and1
been assigned to the Marine Corps
Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S. C„ j
Staff Sergeant Leo L. Smith, Ma
rine recruiter, announced today.
Myers will be assigned to a
ground, sea oi an unit ot the Ma
rine Training tr. 470 job skills..
General Holiday Scheduled
\ Here On Monday July 5th
i Since July Fourth falls on Sun- |
day a general holiday will be ob
served here on Monday, July 5,
according to information gained
i today.
; The post office along with all
I State, county and federal offices
j will be closed that day. The coun
j ty commissioners will not meet
i until the following day, July 6.
The Williamston town commis
i sioners are postponing their regu
i lar July meeting, the date to be
| determined later. No postal de
J liveries will be made either in
j the town or in the rural areas,
| and there’ll be no window’ service
: at the post office. Mails will be
dispatched and lock boxes servic
ed.
All stores, banks professional
! offices and heavy industry will be
closed, reports stating that sev
eral industrial plants are already
closed for a two-week vacation
here and in the county.
Running into a genera! holiday
the first of the July 4, week, The
Enterprise will have no Tuesday
edition on July 6.
The holiday schedule holds lit
tle hope for farmers since they
are expected to be busy housing
tobacco and handling other farm
chores of a rush nature at that
time.
Attention is called now to the
July 5 holiday schedule that the
public may gear its plans to it
and avoid any possible inconveni
ence.
A special one-week term of
court has been called for that
week, but it will not get under
way until Tuesday, July 6.
Funeral Friday
I For Major Johns
Major Joseph V. Johns was bur
j ied with full military honors last
Friday at 1 p. m. eastern daylight
time in Arlington Cemetery. The
procession originated from Ft.
Myer Chapel and was led by the
Air Force Ceremonial band from
Bowling Green. The firing squad
followed the band after which
marched the Chaplain. The hearse
was followed by the Security
Squad after which came the fami
ly, and members of Major
Johns’ squardron in that order.
During the march to the grave,
the band played a funeral march,
“Onward Christian Soldiers” and
"Abide With Me”. After the flag
| draped casket was placed over
the grave, Chaplain Coward,
! Protestant Chaplain, officiated.
Following the prayers three vol
leys were fired after which “taps”
was sounded. The flag was then
folded and given to the Chaplain
who presented it to Capt.-Yates
of Savannah. Major Johns’ es
cort. It was then presorted to
| Major Johns' mother,
j He was a graduate of Lee H.
! Edwards High School in Ashe
j ville in 1941. Major Johns of
s** in spoit.v, and.1,
i was one of the first string basket- i
| bah pia>fi^*SP^ioHR“Carolina
! State College under Coach Bob
Warren during 1941-43. He en-j
listed in the ROTC during 1941
and had completed his sophomore
year at State when he went into
active service.
During the war he served as a
navigator on a B-17 with the 8th
Air Force. He then became a pi
lot on a B-29 and had completed
several tours of duty overseas as
a member of the strategic Air,
Command. In February of this
year he completed his Jet train- ;
ing and was a senior pilot at the
time he lost his life in the strato- !
jet that crashed Monday June
21st about 50 miles from Savan
nah. Major Johns is survived by
his wife and three daughters Jill
Ann, Linda and Josephine, of Sa- ■
vannah; his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
V. A. Johns of Williamston, a |
sister, Mrs. George W. Corey of
Williamston. Major Johns was a
cousin of Dr. Varl V. Reynolds,
former State Health Officer, who!
now resides in California.
Attend Church Camp
[Scar More head City
Accompanied by their coun
selor, Miss Sarah Wobbleton, sev- 1
era! representatives of Roberson’s
Chapel and the Williamston Pres- I
byterian Church attended a spye- ]
cial church camp on Bogue Sound
near Morehead City last week. !
Among those attending were, \
Misses Edna Taylor, Janie Mizelle, J J
Shirley Hardison, Dot Rogers and i
Sandra Gardner, and Dennis j
Biggs, Carroll Rogerson and Wii-J
liam Leggett.
f KUUMMJP ~J
Six |wnoa)i were needed
up and detained in the Martin
County Jail last week-end,
the inmates finding the Jail
house just as cool as any place
around during the period.
One each was booked for
being absent from the armed
forces without leave, driving
after license had been revok
ed, hit-run driving, larceny,
non-support and issuing a bad
check.
Two of the six were white
and the ages of the group
ranged from 13 to 21 years.
( SCHOOL BIDS I
v. -*
Bids on the construction of
a new high school unit in
Roheraonvtlle and for a shop
and classroom at the Wii
liamston High School are be
ing: opened in the courthouse
here this afternoon at 2:00 o'
clock. By noon today, it ap
peared as If the contractors
of this State were meeting
here for a big convention.
Apparently the projects,
estimated to cost approxi
mately $300,000, are attract
ing the largest number of bid
ders of any project of its
kind ever advertised in this
county.
Wealker Topic
Of Conservation
- ,
While little cuuld be done about
it, everybody was talking about
the weather last Sunday, and
most of the talk was in the form
of exasperated complaints.
Well, the mercury did get on
the hot side. Officially, th emer
| cury climbed to j 01 degrees here
| that afternoon. It was the highest
i r.ea/tjne rif^the and
j Ueved to be a record for Jure- 27,
I P in and had uj the area toppled i
1 the mercury a bit late in the aft
j emoon, and even though 90 de
gree temperatures were in order
yesterday, there was little com
plaint about the weather, the ten
i degree drop being readily accept- !
ed after the scorcher the day be
fore.
Locally, little rain fell and
I neither was there any hail here.
Bridge Keeper Hugh Spruill re
i ported only .15 of an inch of rain
at the river, but the fall possi
bly was a little heavier even up
town. ,
Up until today 1.28 inches of
rain have fallen at this point as
against a normal of 5.07 for June.
Last year 6.89 inches of rain fell.
In-1952, only 1.83 inches were re
corded, but in 1951 there were
9.26 inches.
Heavy rains were reported Sun
day to the south, especially in
the Jaipesville section, and heavy
showers were reported south of
Robersonville. Other sections in
the county, with the possible ex
ception of one or two scattered
areas reported very little rain, es
pecially in the Hamilton-Oak City I
area. >
It seems that those sections
where hail damage was reported
also got the most rain.
One farmer in the dry area said
he would take a little hail if he j
could get a little rain.
Firemen Called
To River Front'
—
After finding it fairly quiet in
their line for several weeks, local
volunteer firemen were called to
the river front here yesterday j
morning at 8:20 o’clock when fire j
threatened a shanty apartment j
house occupied by Lillie Berry
and others.
Starting around a defective
flue, the fire was gaining much
headway in the paper-covered
walls when passersby discovered
it and held it fairly well in check
until the fire-fighting equipment
reached there.
No estimate on the damage
could be had immediately, but it
was limited according to fire
Chief G. P. Hall.
The building belongs to F. U
Barnes.
Tobacco Crop In
Connly Reported
Free Of Disease
Few Cases Of Black Shank
And Ollier Disease In
Scattered Areas
-®
As a whole, the tobacco crop
in this county at the present time
is virtually free of disease, ac
cording to the best information
available. There are cases where
black shank has attacked a few
fields in scattered areas about the
county, and some leaf spot, root
knot, a bit of Mosiac and some
sore shin have been reported.
Lightning damage was also re
ported in a few fields. Farmer
Wolfe of the Jamesville section
reporting heavy lightning in his
field during the Sunday afternoon
storm!
Aside from disease, heavy dam
age to tobacco has resulted from
the prolonged dry weather, ob
servers declaring that the crop
has been reduced twenty percent
in more. A few farmers have har
vested Some of the crop, not be
cause it was liped but to save the
leaves damaged by sun scald.
Hail did considerable damage in
the Jamesville-Farm Life section
and also in Robersonville Town
ship out toward Flat Swamp.
Wind also aggravated the con
dition in the Jamesville area, it
was said.
That the diseases, ordinarily
common in tobacco in this coun
ty, are fairly well under control
was evidenced last Thursday aft
ernoon when the N. C. Extension
Service conducted a tobacco dis
ease clinic in the agriculture
building at the Williamston High
School. Only eight farmers sub
mitted samples of diseased or
damaged plants, it was reported.
J. C. Wells, extension plant pa
j thologist, examined the samples
and identified the diseases for
Farmers James ft. Williams, Mack
Davis and W. L. Holliday of
Jamesville, J B. Harrington, Hen
derson Norfleet, Dampey Sim
| mons and Arthur Slade of Wil
liamston and Allen Williams of
Everetts. Three specimens were
diagnosed as black shank, one
with root knot, one with physiolo
gy^, l< kf snottiro? two with Mo I
sale, one with sore skin, two with j
lightning and two with sun scald i
Mr. Wells explained the causes j
underlying the diseases and dis
cussed means for checking them
It was pointed out that four of
the eight farmers submitting dis
ease specimens had not fumigated
their tobacco land.
In addition to the tobacco dis-;
ease samples, Farmer L. P. Linds
ley of Williamston submitted sam
pics showing scab and smut in
wheat.
The tobacco diseases are limit
ed to small areas, and are not af
fecting entire fields as black
shank did two or three years ago
in this county.
Guardsmen Backi
Home From Camp
—♦—
Members cl Battery C, 150th
AAA Gun Battalion, completed
a two-week encampment at Camp
Stewart, Georgia, last Saturday
morning and returned home early
Sunday morning. Traveling in a
convoy, the gaurdsmen made a ,
rest stop in Conway, South Caro
lina, Saturday night.
Man of the battery lgjxirled an
extensive training schedule dur
ing their stay at Camp Stewart,;
adding that everything moved ac
cording to schedule and without
accident.
The Battery plans to move into
the new armory about the middle
of August.
LAST ROUND-UP J
The last round-up of stray
dogs is under way in the
county this week. No detailed
report hat been released by
inspector Arthur (Clab) Rob
erson of Kveretts, hut hund
reds of stray and unwanted
canines have been destroyed,
it was learned.
The drive is being brought
to a close in H'illiamston this
week, and the inspector is
anxious to get ail the stray
dogs out of the way. Reports
on stray dogs will be receiv
ed and handled by the sher
iff's office or hy the inspec
tor. The cooperation of the
public io aokul.
Cosily Accident
On Street Here
At Noon Monday
Two Persons Slightly Hurl
In Four-Car Wreck On
Sinillnviek Street
-«
Two persons were slightly in
jured and considerable property
damage resulted in a four-car ac
cident on Smithwick Street near
the Church Street intersection
here shortly before noon yester
day morning. No other accidents
were reported either on the
streets or highways in this county
over the week-end.
Mrs. Samuel Zemon, riding
with a friend, Mrs. Josephine B.
Bressman of Staunton, Virginia,
suffered a bruised leg and a
sprained ankle. Mrs. Bressman
was bruised on one hand.
Mrs. Bressman, just in from
Virginia, lost control of her 1953
Chrysler when it was in collision
with a Ford driven by Mrs. Rosa
Saunders Rogerson of Bear Grass
at the Smithwick and Church in
tersection. The Chrysler, travel
ing toward Main on Smithwick,
swerved into Wendell Peels' 1953
Plymouth which was parked
against the curb in front of the
Baptist Church. One side of the
Plymouth was ripped away and
the right side of the body was
knocked against a maple tree.
The Chrysler then plowed into
the rear of Clyde Alfred Glass'
Oldsinobile which 4|hs also park
ed against the curb'just ahead of
the Peele car.
Investigating the accident, Of
fice is Roebuck and Haislip esti
mated the total damage at Si 1,500,
including $450 to the Bressman
car, $500 to the Peele car and
$550 to the Oldsinobile.
The Chrysler and Oldsinobile
locked bumpers and considerable
time was spent trying to separate
them.
On June 27, last year, Mr. Peele
parked his car in the hotel lot, anti
a hit-run driver sides wiped it.
causing so much damage that Mr.
Peele found it necessary to buy a
j new one.
i _ ^
Robbers On Loose
In County
Apparently there are those who
! rather than work choose to rob
, and steal for a livelihood, accorri
; ing to a report coming from the
i sheriff’s office during the week
end.
| Breaking into the Parmele
j school lunchroom and tcaeherage
| Iasi Thursday afternoon, robbers
carried away about $12 or $15
worth of canned goods from the
lunchroom. Nothing was missed
from the teachers, according to
Deputy Dennis Roberson who is
making the investigation.
Tearing through a side window,
robbers entered the M. K. Coun
cil Service Station in Oak City
Iasi Thursday morning and car
ried away among other things,
eight quarts of wine, < ight car
tons of cigarettes, a box of Clark
candy bars, a box of Baby Ruth
candy, $4 in pennies, key chains
and five packages of razor blades.
The station was thoroughly ran- j
sacked, Sheriff M. W Holloman
said.
'■%
Arthur Burnette
Dies At Hobgood
--
Arthur L. Burnette, native of
lliis county, died at his home in
Hobguod Holiday morning at 10:30
'! o’clock. He had been suffering
with a heart condition foi some
time, but was up and about the
' home ten minutes before he was
' fatally str icken
: The son of the late James and
Matin Coburn Burnetii, he was
born 04 years ago in this county,
and located in Halifax County
about 37 years ago.
i Surviving are his widow, the '
former Kathleen Cherry of Hitt |
County; one daughter, Mrs Ellis
Vaughan of Roanoke Rapids; two
sons, Arthur H Burnette, Ji . sla
Honed with the armed forces at
Holey. Alabama and John B Bur
; nette of Hobgood, one sistei Mrs
II C. Eure of Charleston I
The funeral service will be con
dueled in the Scotland Neck Fun 1
era! Chape! Wednesday afternoon
at 3:00 o’clock by the Rev W. W.
Thomas, Pentecostal Holiness
minister of Falcon, assisted by
tin Rev (i J Haynes, Baptist
minuter of Hobgood. Interment
v, ill Le in the Hobgood cemetery
Heavy Hail Damage
Reported In County
Estimate Losses
Will Reach High
Figure In County
I F>'<‘iiinitiary Krports Show
) More Tlian Hundretl
Ami Fifty Claims
; Record high temperatures suck
led in one hail storm after an
other last Sunday afternoon and
by late 4:00 o'clock tobacco and
other field crops on an estimated
150 farms in this county had been
damaged, according to prelimin
ary reports gained late Monday.
One farmer in the Jamesville
section reported three distinct
hail storms, all of short duration.
Going into his field to view the
damage caused by the first storm,
he was battered by hail stones
that came in a second wave. With
in an hour more hail fell, it was
. reported.
No reliable estimates on the
damage are to be had at this time,
but the loss is likely to run well
, into the thousands of dollars, ac
i cording to reports reaching here,
i Up until late Monday, approxi
mately 150 claims had been filed
with insurance company repre
■ scntatives. No accurate estimate
on the losses is to be expected un
til the adjusters complete their
survey, beginning Thursday of
this week. At least, four adjusters
are due to start the task early
that morning, and insurance com
[ pany representatives are asking
more adjusters be assigned to the
county to help with the survey.
With the exception of one or
two small areas, little rain fell
outside the sections where hail
was reported.
The damage apparently was
centered in a streak across the
southern part of the county, ex
tending from the Dardens area,
j through Angetown, that section
of Jamesville Township south of
I Cooper Swamp, right on through
I Griffins Township. Thi' storm al
so struck {ft iiauiiiitil Coun
ty where Allen Griffin reported
a loss approximating 100 percent.
Another storm Struck south of
i Rohersonville, moving into Pitt
j County in and around the Flat
Swamp section.
Heavy losses were reported in
the Flat Swamp section, but a
complete list of the losses could
not be had immediately. Herbert
Highsmith who operates his mo
ther’s farm between the church
and Leens had a loss that will ap
proximate 1)0 percent in more on
thirty acres of tobacco. Vance
Whitehurst has a loss estimated
by some at 75 percent in the same
terrftoi y. Other farmers there
reporting losses were, Z. V
Whitehurst, Mildred Grimes and
Elmer Parker.
Mi Highsmith displayed a bat
tered five-loot stalk with all but
j (Continued from Page Sixj
Local Young Man
Earns Promotion
—.»—
Herbert Harrell, local young
limn, win- recently promoted to
Airinan First Class in tlie U S,
Aii Force, In;, parents, Mr. and!
Mr. Julian Harrell, were advis
ed a lew days ago.
Enlisting in the service on Au
gust II, 1952, he received his bas
ic training at Lackland Air Force
Base, San Antonio, Texas, and
his technical instruction at Keesl
er Field. Biloxi. Mississippi He
was promoted..Ur Airman 2/e Iasi:
August. He iius been stationed
with the 90th Bomber Squadron
in Pusan, Korea, since last Oc
tober.
FIRST BLOSSOMS
c
The first cotton blossoms
reported this season were
plucked by Farmer Herman
Williams on his farm in Cross
Roads last Thursday. “We
have plenty of them,” Mr.
Williams said, explaining that
he picked three Thursday and
that there were many squares
in his three and one-half
acre field.
The crop v.as said to be
tactlltuL
f INDUSTRY IDLK
After moving along: at a
fairly rapid clip, big industry
is idle in a big way in this
county at the present time.
The North Carolina Pulp
Company idled more than 900
workers this week when it
closed its plant down in the
lower part of the county for a
two-week vacation period.
The Atlas Plywood Company
plant on Roanoke River here
is also on vacation. The Wil
liamston Peanut Company
completed its operations for
tli? season last Week.
» While the suspensions co
incide with annual vacations,
one or more of the plants are
said to have few orders on
hand.
C. B. Silierson
Funeral Sunday
--
Funeral services were conduct
ed m the Kcnansville Baptist
Church Sunday afternoon at 4:30
o'clock for C. B. Sltterson who
died at his home there last Friday
morning. The Itev. Lauren
Sharpe, pastor, conducted the
rites and interment was in the
Golden Grove Cemetery in Ken
ansville. He was a Mason and
members of the Lodge there had
charge of the graveside rites.
Mr. Sitterson, father of Mrs.
R, Edwin Peele of Williamston,
was born in Bertie County tit)
years ago, the son of the late T. B.
and Sally Waters Sitterson. In
19211 he located in Kcnansville
where he was superintendent of
the water and street departments,
serving Duplin County as coroner
for a number of years.
Surviving besides his daughter
lu re, are his wifi', the former Miss j
Lillie Dale Ward of Bertie Coup
| Iy, and four sons, Roy and Jack
of Kcnansville, C. B. Sitterson of
I Appleton, Wis., and Ih^Beecher I
j fVaid Sitterson of Cinemnali; a
I brother, T. B. Sitterson of Wind-1
isor; and five sisters, Miss Maggie!
Sitterson, Mis. Joe Spivey, and
[Mrs. Edgurd Hoggard of Wind
i sor, Mrs. J. 1,. Swain of Coving
ton, Va., and Mrs. Blaid Jenkins
of Raleigh.
Mr. Sitterson had visited here
I often, and although in declining
health he came here the latter
part of May to see his daughter
and friends here and in Bertie
County.
County Citizen
Dies In Hospital
David Lafayette House, a resi
dent of this county for a num
ber of years, died in a Tarboro
Hospital late last Thursday after
noon. He had been in declining i
health for sdme time.
The son of the late Gregg 'I'
and Mary Melissa Dixon House,
he was born in Pitt County and j
made Ins home there until 1934
when he came to thus county to
j make Ins home with his sister, j
Mrs, Benjamin M Worsley in Oak
| City.
Surviving besides his sister an
a niece, Mrs. William Berry, of
Oak City, and three nephews,
Hassell Worsley of Robersonville
and Francis and Benjamin Wors
ley of Oak City.
The funeral service was con
ducted at the late home in Oak
City Saturday afternoon at 3:30
o'clock by Elder E C Slevt nsoil,
Primitive Baptist minister of I
Hamilton, assisted by Elder W. E.
Grimes of Greenville. Interment
was m the House Cemetery at |
Greenville. j
Pallbearers were, John Hassell,!
Janies Hope Ayers, Harry Daniel,
Melvin Crisp, Fred Barrett, G. <
W Barrett, Minton Beach and
Hus,ell Turner
flepresenting County In
Dairy litotls Contest
-
Miss Catherine Rogerson of
Bear Grass is representing this
county in the 4-H Dairy Foods
Contest m Greenville today, it
was announced by the home
agent’s office
The district winner will com
pete ill tire State contest.
Two Big Problems
,To Be Solved By
Tobacco Industry
Bright Belt Warehouse As
sociation Meeting At
Virginia Beach
-*—
Virginia Beach, June 28.—The
i controversy on the effect of to*
! bacco on health is one of the two
I most serious problems facing the
tobacco industry, Fred Royster of
! Henderson, N. C., told the Bright
j Belt Warehouse Association here
today.
I Royster, president fu the asso
j ciation, listed the other major
problems as expansion of export
markets.
“While no conclusive scientific
proof as to adverse effects of cig
arettes in relation to health has
been established," Royster told
the association's annual conven
tion, “the number of doctors who
have expressed such opinions, to
gether with information media
used in informing the public as
to these expressions has no doubt
had an adverse effect on the con
sumption of cigarettes. The most
damaging of these is the an
nouncement of the preliminary
results of a statistical survey con
ducted by the American Cancer
Society.”
Perfect Background
Royster asserted that the type
' of advertising engaged in by cig
arette manufacturers last year
"served as a perfect background
for the unproven claims regard
ing the harmful effects of ciga
1 rettes." He added that the adver
^ tising "became so far-fetched and
ridiculous" that in October, 1953,
he issued a public statement con
demning the methods used.
’I A "marked change in cigarette
advertising” took place about the
i first of this year, “and I am quite
sure this has been greatly bene
' ficial,” he added.
I He said that the tobacco indus
try research committee was form
cd to study the situation, that an
j initial fund of $500,000 for re
‘ I search has been appropriated, and
•1 that additional funds will be made
'! available as required.
Tobacco Blamed Before
II Royster told the warehousemen
'1 that tobacco has at various tirpe^
m the pas! been blamed for van
11 ous diseases, but that the indus
try always has withstood the at
tacks. He added that he believes
| “thy present situation is of a
more serious nature and has and
| will continue to affect the con
| sumption of cigarettes for some
time to come.”
lie declared that while the en
tire industry stands to suffer,
"the growers have the greatest
potential loss resulting from a de
cline in the use of tobacco.” He
j added that he thought it “very
\ unfair and unfortunate for these
unproven medical claims and
I statistics to be made and such
i wide publicity given them when
Hie very livelihood of several mil
lion American farmers is at
stake.’
Sees Satisfactory Price
Royster asserted that present
i indications point to a satisfactory
price for the 1954 flue-cured to
bacco crop.
“While cigarette consumption
decreased slightly during the past
.'ear," he said, "the continued
j.'hift to king size and filter type
! means the total tobacco consump
tion this year will not be reduced
to any appreciable extent. The
j outlook for increased exports over
1953 is good; if a normal crop in
, poundage and quality is produced,
| we should nut experience any
serious difficulty.”
"A great deal has been accom
plished m recent years in pro
mating exports,” Royster said,
adding lie was “nut pessimistic
about the future.”
Fails To Understand
He said he failed to under
stand why, with the tremendous
revenue the Federal government
receives from tobacco excise tax
es, which amounted to $1,600,
000,000 in 1953, that the Depart
ments of Commerce and State are
not more concerned wtili provid
ing a favorable climate for ex
ports of .American cigarettes " He
said be thought the United States
"missed an opportunity to expand
in t! s field” following World
War II.
"With better Federal grading
facilities and more personnel
available for buying operations,
Royster said he thought there
would be improvement this year
in a more equitable adjustment of
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