Newspapers / The Roanoke Beacon and … / Nov. 13, 1931, edition 1 / Page 1
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piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiii£ = A home newspaper dedicated 2 3 to the service of Washington 2 3 County and its 12,000 people, j| liiiiiiiiiHUiiiHiiimiiniiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiimimiiHiiiiiimiiMi The Roanoke Beacon * * * * * * * and Washington County News ******* 3 Advertisers will find Beacon 2 2 and News columns a latch-key to 3 2 1,100 Washington County homes. 3 Hnimiiiiittiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiij! VOLUME XLII—NUMBER 46 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Friday, November 13, 1931 ESTABLISHED 1889 ATTENDANCE IN THE COUNTY’S SCHOOLS GOOD Enrollment Smaller, But Percentage Better Than Last Year -@ The percentage in attendance in four schools in Washing County has improved the first month over the same time last year although the en rollment fell off a little this year, it was learned here today from James W. Norman, superintendent of pub lic instruction. In the Creswell school there were only 280 enrolled against 301 last year in the elementary grades while in the high school there was an en rollment this term of 83 against 101 last year. The percentage in attend ance is 90.9 this season while last term it was 86.S in the lower grades, while the high school was 91.4 this season against 87.6 last season. In the Roper elementary school there was an enrollment of only one less this season with a total of 316 with the high school increased one to a total of 96. The percentage in attendance is a point less in the ele mentary with two points less in the high school, the latter having a total percentage of 91.S. The Wenona and Cherry schools are elementary institutions. Wenona had an enrollment last year in the first month of 22 against 19, while Cherry h^d 163 against 139 this term. Wenona had 100 per cent in at tendance while Cherry was five points behind last year’s record with 85.1 per cent. In almost every case the per cent of attendance is better this season than it was last, but it is noticeable that the enrollment has fallen on account of a number of children remaining at home to aid in harvesting the crops. Enrollment and percentage of attend ance will increase the second month, it is thought by Mr. Norman. -$ FORM TAR HEEL FARMERS’ CLUB Creswell Chapter Elects Officers and Perfects Organization -® By S. B. NORMAN, Reporter Creswell.—The Creswell chapter of Young Tar Heel Farmers met in the agriculture room Tuesday morning for the purpose of organizing the club. C. H. Rabon, teacher of vocational agriculture, and also our advisor for last year, opened the meeting by out lining the purposes of the organiza tion. He emphasized the points that contributed to the success of the chap ter. The chapter will meet every two weeks during the school year. Inter esting programs will be made out and placed on the bulletin board at least one week before the regular chapter meeting. The entire program will be related to the field of agriculture and agricultural life. The officers elected to head the chapter during the year are: President, Bill Woodley; vice president, Stanley Spruill; secretary, Laddie Swain; treas urer, Bill Smith; reporter, S. B. Nor man; advisor, C. H. Rabon. Follow are the students enrolled in the agriculture class so far this term: Eighth grade: Kenneth Chesson, Jesse Craddock, Earl Davenport, Glen Davenport, Garland Phelps, Cecil Phelps; Edward Patrick, Gilbert Still man, Preston Woodley, Warren Sim mons, Howard Simpson, William Lang ley, and Whitford Swain. Ninth grade: Joseph B. Davenport, S. B. Norman, Junior Spruill, Stanley Spruill. Tenth grade: Stanley Ainsley, Hil ton Chesson, Dockin Davenport, Bill Jordan, Bill Smith, Stewart Phelps. Eleventh grade: Ira Alligood, Lad die Swain, Bill Woodley. Bill Waters Returns From Meet Held in Greenville -• William Waters, accountant in the office of James W. Norman, superin tendent of public instruction, is back home today after attending a meeting of public school accountants in Green ville this week. J. H. Hathcock, of Raleigh, director of public school ac counting, was the main speaker of the meeting. Mr. Waters left Green ville for Raleigh to secure further in formation in accounting. -»-• Home Agent Announces Schedule for Next Week The home agent’s schedule for the week beginning November 16, was an nounced yesterday by Miss Pratt Covington, as follows: Monday, Plymouth; Tuesday, pres sure cooker demonstration, Roper school; Wednesday, Swain; Thurs day, Creswell, pressure cooker dem onstration; Friday, Alba, and Satur day, curb market. Form Organization To Care For Needy Soil Survey of County To Be Started Soon W. A. Davis, a reprsentative of the North Carolina State College, will be here for six months en gaged in the task of making a de tailed map of Washington Coun ty showing the roads, streams, bridges, with colors on the map to denote the kind of soils in the various sections. It will take Mr. Davis about six months to com plete his work. He will begin work Monday. Mr. Davis will be assisted in a few weeks by K. V. Goodman, a representative of the bureau of soils for the Federal Government. Mr. Goodman will be a few weeks later in reporting, as he has to wind up some similar work that he is doing in North Dakota. Mr. Davis will be accompanied here by his wife and child. They will reside here during his work in this county. START CAMPAIGN TO RAISE RELIEF FUND IN COUNTY Hope To Surpass Record of Last Year, When Over $1,200 Secured -« A committee working with A. H. Stier is out today making an effort to break last year's record of $1,257.59 that was secured for the relief of needy people in Washington County. This fund was dispensed under the supervision of a committee last sea son including Mr. Stier, C. L. Groves and James W. Norman. Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Brewer, of Winston Salem, were in charge of the opera tions of the charity agency. The agency was sponsored by the chamber of commerce. The visiting couple were paid 40 per cent of the money, while 60 per cent was distributed to the needy. During the period between Decem ber 16, 1930, and June 30, 1931, the above mentioned fund was raised in money and material valued at the a mount. There were 210 families giv en groceries, making a total of 6,600 meals provided for needy through the winter. Two loads of wood were giv en to the needy, with 716 garments distributed. A score of sick people were given fruit. There were 114 pairs 9f shoes; 27 quarts of milk; 43 sick people given prepared meals; 223 sick people visit ed; 117 sick people prayed with; five dying people were visited; six profes sions of faith; five reconsecrations; six prison camp meetings; one cottage prayer meeting given and visits made during the period. A total of 328 families were given relief, not includ ing personal work. I An automobile operated by Mr. Brewer was driven 7,040 miles on these missions of mercy. There were two appeals made to the court for mercy and two prisoners helped to get their parole. All this was done on the a ' mount given with tambourine collec (tions that came freely after the people learned of the w-ork the couple were i doing. i Jack Peele Pressing Co. I Moves in Owens Building -* I The Jack Peele pressing and clean ing company has moved into the of fice here next to the Beacon. 1 he equipment for cleaning and pressing has been moved from further down Washington Street into town. --♦— Methodist Women To Serve Dinner Friday The Home Missionary Society of the Methodist Church will serve a turkey dinner Friday night, Novem ber 20, at 6 o’clock. A chicken salad course will also be served. A pop ular price will be charged. Respected Negro Dies In Skinnersville Section Skinnersville. — Williford Rhodes, negro, 77 years of age, died suddenly at the home of Lonnie Alexander, a negro friend, here last Friday. He started to arise from a chair and fell backward dying instantly. Apoplexy J is the attributed cause of his death. | He was well known and well liked 'among the white and colored in this ! section. He had been working for S. 1 B. Davenport prior to his demise. WORK TO BEGIN AT ONCE; PLANS ARE OUTLINED Will Again Secure Services Of Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Brewer for Work Machinery for the care of the needy in Washington County was set in motion here Monday evening when a group of representative citizens met in the office of Welfare Officer James W. Norman and organized the Wash ington County Unemployment and Relief Association that will join with the North Carolina Council on Un employment and Relief in cooperation with President Hoover’s organization on Unemployment and Relief that is conducted under the auspices of the United States Employment Service and the United States Department of Labor. There were a score present when K. T. Futrell, of Greenvill, welfare officer of Pitt County, spoke for a short time outlining the plan of or ganization that would include this work in all sections of the county. It was decided to comply with the organ ization method recommended by R. W. Henninger, of Raleigh, executive sec retary of the organization in North Carolina, who presented his plan through his representative, Mr. Fu trell. it was also unanimously decided to secure the services of Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Brewer, of Wins;ton-Salem, who were here last winter engaged in this work under the auspices of the Salvation Army. A central commit tee, composed of T. J. Swain, as chair man. with A. H. Stier and Z. V. Nor man as his associates, would he in charge of the work with L. VV. Gurkin as secretary and treasurer. The work will begin at once so that the person who will be in charge can begin active operations here by De cember 15 and continue through April 15. The work of collections will be in charge of the central committee, with Mr. Norman chairman of a sub committee on unemployment and clothes, while Mr. Stier will supervise the activities of the finance group and Mr. Swain will be in charge of the collection of food. The subcommittees will be named this week and work Will begin iat once, as arrangements are being made for the use of a room over the Chev rolet garage for storing the supplies. J. B. Sutton offered this room gratis. Also a couple of rooms in the base ment of the courthouse will be used for this purpose. Clothes, food, and other commodities will be stored for distribution when the agency is ready to begin work. A report by Farm Agent Dunning revealed that there will be more des titution this year than was formerly the case. A survey conducted by Mr. Dunning also showed that there would be the problem of supplying food for the needy in the towns and clothes for the country destitute. Miss Pratt Covington, home demonstration agent, will work with her clubs in supplying food to the needy in the community. The central committee will name dates next week for their appearance in the different sections of the county where they will meet groups and or ganizations to perfect this county-wide (Continued on page four) TAXATION IN WASHINGTON COUNTY _ By ZEB VANCE NORMAN--—— In this series of articles, I hope to be able to present to the taxpayers of Washington County the true situation of our tax problems and the remedy for their relief. In 1915, Washington County was absolutely free from bonded debt, the tax rate was low, the valuation reasonable, and farmers were receiving a fair return for their products. Nobody objected to pay ing his taxes and sale of land for taxes was at a minimum. In fact, I never knew of a tax sale certificate to be foreclosed in Washington County un til 1924, and tax deeds were not ac cepted and relied upon for title. Our first bond issue in late years was for roads in the sum of $30,000, a part of which was spent to rebuild the Turnpike and the remainder to improve our county roads and to build permanent bridges. It was generally conceded in those days that our sys tem of county roads was far better than the average county in eastern North Carolina. It seems that about this time, road building and road im provement were an epidemic, and this county—like others in the state—con tinued to build and improve its road , Note.—This is the first of a series of articles on Taxation in Washington County by Repre sentative Zeb Vance Norman. The next article in the series will be published within a few weeks. >--— system, particularly after a road com mission was created by the legislature! about 1919 or 1921. There were fur- j ther bond issues for roads, until our road bonds constitute a very large pa.t of our bonded debt. The faith and credit of the county are pledged to the payment of these bonds, and the law guarantees our property as se curity for same. School Bond Situation Our school bond situation is not un like the road bond status. With the increase in school population and the rapid progress along educational lines, we were compelled to provide better schools, better equipment, buildings, and longer terms. The progress of a county or state is measured by the kind and character of schools that it maintains. 1 neretore, wasmngton County joined in the march of prog ress, improved its schools, and erected magnificent school buildings. They stand as a monument to the training of our youth, and of them we are just ly proud. The first bonds for a school building in Washington County were issued for Creswell school district about 1917, $15,000. Subsequently, bonds were is sued for a like purpose by Plymouth graded school district. Later bonds w'ere issued for Mackeys school dis trict to improve its school building, later an indebtedness was incurred for the school building at Roper, and still later a school building was erected in Plymouth graded school district for the colored people. Of course, the county had expended a considerable sum from time to time in building schoolhouscs in other districts, but these were built mostly from current funds with state aid. Likewise, the faith and credit of the county were pledged to the payment of these school bonds, and our prop (Continued on page four) BUSINESS BRIGHT SPOTS NOT SEEN ON LOCAL MARTS Commodities Not Bringing As Much Here As in Large Cities Bright spots in general business conditions in America today failed to cast their reflection in the marketing of commodities produced in Wash ington County. Fresh country eggs today are being purchased at 28 cents a dozen in the city markets while there is a slightly lower price in Washington County unless the amount of the eggs is ac cepted in merchandise. Spring chick ens are valued at 20 cents a pound in Norfolk although they are retailed at about 25 cents a pound. Ducks are priced at 20 cents and turkeys 25 cents a pound at the store. Veal calves are being bought in the larger markets for 8 cents a pound. Fat sheep are selling to the markets at three cents a pound. Live hogs are bringing to the grower 5 cents a pound with 8 cents a pound for dress ed pork. Cotton is still reported on a small incline with the price being a few points over 6 cents in the lint while corn is quoted at about 40 cents a bushel. Peanuts are still ranging in price a little over two cents a pound with little or no demand for them. Some buyers are off the market. The Norfolk and Chicago markets as reported to local buyers are a lit tle off in all local commodities. Firemen Are Improving Quarters in Fire House Members of the local fire company are improving the pavilion over the club (house by arranging the room to resemble a club with furnishings to match the intention. The lower part of the wall is being panelled with veneering contributed by the local plant of the Chicago Mill and Lumber Corporation. Other lumber is being donated by John A. Getsin ger. Nails were purchased at a re duced price. The boys will use the room for reading and amusements with their regular activities. -- Negroes Released Last Week Agaifi in Stockade -$ George Fagan and Ellis Brooks, negroes, are back in the Washington County stockade after being liberated by the management of the prison last week. They served their terms for storebreaking and theft in this coun ty. This time they were sent back to to the pen for two years each for breaking into the store of Simon Rutenberg in Hertford. They were taken to Hertford for trial which was held Tuesday by Sheriff Whit Wright of Perquimans county. NEW EDITOR I _—-* Walter H. Paramore is now managing editor of the Roanoke Beacon. For more than two years Mr. Paramore operated a bureau in Hertford for the Elizabeth City Daily Advance. Mr. Paramore will make no change in the personnel nor in the policy of the Beacon except to improve it from time to time. Constructive criticism is welcomed from the subscribers and advertisers and others who have the success of the paper at heart. News from all over the county is welcomed but all letters submitted for publication must be signed. County Represented at Peanut Meet in Rich Square Tuesday FARMERS URGE SPECIAL SESSION AT MEET HERE —®— Growers Also Urge Hold ing Crop Peanuts Until Price Is 3 Cents -® The county farm demonstration a gent, Mr. R. E. Dunning, caleld a mass meeting of farmers in the county court house Saturday afternoon to consider the problem of marketing the present crop of peanuts. There was a large crowd and an unusual amount of in terest in the discussion. The question was considered from various angles and questions were asked about the feasibility of holding the crop, stor age facilities, credits, etc. The con sensus of opinion was that the crop should be marketed gradually and that the minimum price for good quality stock should be fixed at 3 cents a pound. Resolutions were drawn up and en thusiastically adopted to the effect that while 3 cents a pound is a very low price and that farmers can not make any money on the crop at this figure, it is perhaps in keeping with values placed on other farm commodi ties. A county chairman has been ap pointed, and he, with other represen tative farmers, will attend a meeting in Rich Square next Tuesday night at 7 o’clock. It is hoped that a suitable organization can be formed at that time to make detailed plans for im mediate business. There was a resolution unanimously adopted, requesting Governor Gard ner to call an extra session of the legislature to consider and pass a re duction in acreage law, for cotton and tobacco. Representative Zeb Vance Norman was present and was instructed to work and vote for such a law if the legislature convenes in extra session. -$ Bishop Darst To Hold Service in Creswell Creswell.—Bishop Thomas C. Darst will be at Christ Episcopal Church Sunday at the 11 o’clock service, at which time he will preach the annual memorial sermon to the American Legion. The members of the Legion and auxiliary will attend in a body. -$ Colonial Program At Roper School Friday -<$> Roper.—There will be an interest ing Colonial Program given by the alumnae of the Roper High School, Friday evening, Novembr 13, at 8 o’ clock, in the Roper School auditor ium. This promises to be one of the best programs put on in the school in some time. The proceeds will be used for the needy school children. A large crowd is expected. A small admission will be charged. - —■ Negro Sent To Roads For 5 Months Tuesday -<t> Kiser Joyner, negro, 18 years of age, was assigned to work the roads according to any assignment the Wash ington County Commissioners see fit to give him for not more than five months as the result of a larceny I trial in recorder’s court here Tuesday. Bootblacks in Shops Resent Price Cutting Price reductions on shoe shines in this vicinity are causing an tagonism among bootblacks in Plymouth. Barbershop employ ees are forced to pay a State tax for the privilege of practicing their occupation of $5 a year while the street man has nothing to pay for but the polish he uses and is charging only five cents a shine while his competitors in the shop must secure 10 cents a shine to help pay their taxes and to pay commissions for use of the shop. It is thought that some method will be taken by officials to bring the matter to an even basis with the non-barber shop shiners be ing assessed a tax also. In some towns there is a local municipal tax of $1 a year imposed on the street shine boys. Depressed business conditions resulting in the lack of shines have caused the barbershop bootblack to want help in holding down competition and keeping the price at 10 cents. ROANOKE RIVER WILL BE LOWEST EVER THIS YEAR —•— Engineer of State Depart i ment Says Stream Will ! Go Lower Than in 1930 I Last year when the water fell so how that the tide and winds reversed the course of the stream, many local people were of the belief that a dry spell had been reached. According to Mr. Thorndike Saville, chief engineer of the Department of Conservation and Development, the Roanoke River will have the smallest total annual flow ever recorded, although its daily minimum flow has not yet quite reach 1 ed the low mark attained last year. The cumulative streamflow for the 11 months ending September 30 is lower than for the same period a year ago. Freight boats, plying the Roanoke last year, struck bottom in many places between here and the Albe marle Sound. The boats were very havily loaded, however, requiring a greater draft. j With the reservoir of ground stor age filled by heavy rains of 1928 and 1 1929 seriously depleted by almost con ! tinuous deficiency in effective rainfall ! in the winter and early spring months 'of the past two years, many North ! Carolina rivers face the lowest flows 'ever recorded. After a study of conditions last sum mer, Mr. Saville pointed out that the ' division of water resources and en gineering of the consrvation depart Iment had predicted in the midst of a ! season of above normal rain a “stream flow drought” this fall. At that time, the engineer advised municipalities and hydro-electric plants having storage reservoirs to operate them with utmost care, even if filled to overflowing in July or August “as i later stream flows will almost surely be markedly deficient.” “It appears now,” said Mr. Saville, “that flow on many streams reached new low values in October or at least values very near the minimum ever recorded.” -«-. Store Is Robbed of About $15 Worth of Merchandise , -- Burglars forced an entrance into the store here of Steward Davis on Fourth Street one night this week and es caped wdth tobaccos and other mer chandise -amounting to about $15. The lock on the front door was removed. Officers are searching for the robbers. -■*> Thompson-Clagon, Inc. To Move Next Week -® Leland Thompson, of Thompson ! Clagon, Inc., announced today that he would move his merchandise into the store opposite the Brinkley Hotel ! and would be open for business on j November 17. For a number of years, ! the new quarters of this firm were occupied by Williford’s grocery. They will begin moving Monday. --- Is Improving -• Cfeswell.—Word has been received that Cecil Spruill, who underwent an operation in the Children’s Hospital, j Washington City, is getting along ’very well. He was accompanied there by his mother, Mrs. Mary E. Spruill. DENY SURPLUS EXISTS IN CROP THIS SEASON —<$>— Over 200 Attend Meeting; Holding of Peanuts Is Advocated A flat denial that there is a surplus of peanuts in the United States caused by an extra large crop this season was registered by the bankers, business men, and growers that met in Rich Square Tuesday night, with Washing ton County represented by A. L. Alex ander, C. E. Mizelle, Corbett Swain, W. R. Hampton and Farm Agent R. E. Dunning. There were over 200 people present at the banquet held in the community house in the Northampton County town that included the largest grow ers in 11 peanut-growing counties in Eastern Carolina and Tidewater Vir ginia. The meeting was held under the auspices of the Eastern Carolina Chamber of Commerce with N. G. Bartlett, secretary-manager of the sec tional commercial organization in charge. The organization also went on rec ord to secure storage houses in each county for holding the peanuts for bet ter prices. In Washington County will be the Plymouth tobacc ware house and two Joe Nowarah Stores in Roper that are available for space for storing the peanuts from A. L. Owens; the Federal Bonded Ware house that is being rented for this purpose by E. Leigh Winslow and Clyde McCallum; W. R. Hampton’s Warehouse; and one of W. H. Clark’s warehouses. The growers were of the opinion that they should get a price of three cents a pound for number one bunch peanuts and decided to hold their nuts in storage until this price was avail able, even though they were forced to do so for three to six months. Au thorized warehouse receipts could be traded as security for a certain per centage of the value of the nuts to be used in carrying on business. The reports that there has been a bumper crop this season have been exaggerated and are branded as unre liable by the growers, who represent ed the greatest number of bags of nuts that have gathered recently for a dis cussion of these problems. Rumors of a 35 per cent increase this season (were not accepted, as best figures a Ivailable showed there was not over a 114 per cent increase in production. A ; practically clean market awaits the I grower this season, with no foreign or domestic nuts in storage, and pea nuts should be 3 cents a pound in a short time, say the growers. The nuts grown this season should be consumed in 1931 and 1932, as a carry-over of a number of bags from last season is already out of the way. The quality of the nuts this season is the best in years, according to the opinion of a number of growers in this .county. ARMISTICE DAY IS QUIET HERE Program Is Staged At Lo cal School; All Stores Are Closed -« Armistice Day passed in Washing ton County without much ado about | the commemoration of the ending of | the World War except for the special programs presented by the schools, with the one in the Plymouth High School being featured. A few flags adorned the streets. M^ny of the veterans attended the elaborate cele bration in Edenton. Stores were closed. | The Plymouth school program was j featured by an address by E. H. Hicks ! superintendent of public schools, who | presented the meaning of Armistice Day. Rev. R. G. L. Edwards made the invocation. Ronald Gaylord was the bugler for the occasion. Mrs. Robert Johnson gave a reading. War songs were sung. The program was given by 8-A and 8-B civic classes with Miss Lucille Parker in charge. Receive Applications lor i Confederate Markers The general public of Washington j County is advised that the local chap | ter of United Daughters of the Con | t'ederacy have received applications for the markers for the graves of \\ ash ington County’s Confederate dead, and all those who have loved ones whose graves are not marked are urged to call at the Register of Deeds’ office in the county courthouse and have Mrs. Addie L. Brinkley help them fill out the application so these may be mailed immediately and the markers secured.
The Roanoke Beacon and Washington County News (Plymouth, N.C.)
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Nov. 13, 1931, edition 1
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