North Carolina Newspapers

A home newspaper dedicated to the service of Washington County and its 12,000 people. The Roanoke Beacon * * * + * * * and Washington County News ★★***★* VOLUME XLVII—NUMBER 9 Advertisers will find Beacon and News columns a latch-key to 1,100 Washington County homes. Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Friday, February 28, 1936 ESTABLISHED 1889 STEPS TAKEN TO ABANDON PRISON CAMP NEAR HERE -* Is Condemned as Unfit by Both County Board and Grand Jury -® Prisoners from the local state unit of the Highway and Public Works Commission have been transferred from here to camps in New Bern, Kinston, Rocky Mount, Williamston, Wilson, Woodville, and Kitty Hawk. Thirty-five of the men have gone. The local unit was ordered to va cate the camp by the Washington County commissioners. It is safe ly estimated that close to $300 monthly in revenue for the mer chants of Plymouth have been lost. The guards, J. J. Burdine, W. M. Hopkins, and Louis Samuel Bate man have also been transferred. W. H. Gaylord, superintendent of the camp for years, continues with the state in charge of completing the task in moving. It is said that another camp will be located in this camp close to Creswell when the weather opens. At the January term of Washing ton County Superior Court the grand jury report included the fol lowing, relative to the state high way prison camp: “Our examination of this camp re vealed conditions that ought to be eliminated. It has the appearance of a collectio nof cattle stalls or horse stables on a neglected planta tion, and but for the energy and ef ficiency of Mr. W. H. Gaylord, sup erintendent, it would be utterly un fit for the purpose for which it is intended. “Even the superintendent’s indi vidual hut is unfit except for tem porary, very temporary, habitation. The state highway department is fortunate indeed to have the serv ices of the present superintendent at this camp_ Conditions are as near perfect as, under the circum stances, it is possible for them to be, due to the activities of Mr. Gay lord.’’ -9 Shakespeare Play To Be Shown Here —®— The New Theatre will celebrate the installation of their new RCA sound system with the picture, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” on Monday of next week. This picture is from the classic comedy by Wil liam Shakespeare and is accom panied by music from Felix Men delssohn. The players include such stars as James Gagney, Anita Louise, Hugh Herbert, Dick Powell, Joe E. Brown and others. Reserved seats are now on sale at the box office. Mail or ders will be given prompt attention. This is possibly the only time such a picture will be shown in a com munity as small as Plymouth. This picture will have two show ings, 3 and 8 p. m. It is said to con sume three hours. Only one day. Club Women To Exchange Plants —«— The home demonstration clubs in Washington County are planning a “plant exchange’’ for the month of March. Our motto- is “Leave your bit of the world more beautiful.” Each is to contribute shrubs, flow ers, or seeds at this meeting. Which clubs will be on the honor roll for having 100 per cent exchange? Any one having surplus shrubs please given them to the home agent so that they may be distributed to those who do not have shrubs. Naturally, one is judged by the appearance of the home grounds. Why not spend a little time on your yard this spring. You will be proud of the results.—Home agent. Prayer Service at Christian Church —• Friday, February 28, is world Day of Prayer. In cooperation with this observance, the Woman’s Mis sionary Society of the local Chris tian church will hold an impressive service at the church at 3 p# m. The public is cordially invited. —-9 Special Music at Methodist Church —•— Regular services wil lbe held at the local Methodist church Sunday morning and evening at the usual hours. Rev. T. C. Thrift will occu py the pulpit. Special music at the morning service. Hope To Reopen Schools Of County Next Monday Public schools in Washington County will open Monday, March 2, if the weather continues fair and no snow or rain falls in the mean time to make the roads worse, ac cording to H. H. McLean, superin tendent of schools. The children will probably have to go on Saturdays to make up for the lost time. And Mr. McLean did not think that the Saturday sessions would run on a rainy day schedule, which lets the children out about 1 o’clock by teaching through, elim inating study periods and recesses. So far, about 20 schools days have been lost since operation of the schools was suspended about a month ago. It is also expected that the term will be extended well into the last part of May. Many of the teachers left for their homes during the continued inclem ent weather. Except for a few days the colored schools have maintained their schedule. This was because not many of the children lived far from the schools. Homeand ciubNews By Mary Frances Misenheimer Schedule for Next Week Monday, Busy Bee Club. Tuesday, Hoke Club. Wednesday, Roper. Thursday, Chapel Hill. Friday, Beech Grove. Saturday, 8.30, curb market. 10:30, Morrattock Club. The snow cudn t stop Mrs. J _ Bowen, Mrs. Joe Snell and Mr. J. C. Knowles from coming to curb market Saturday. Mrs. Joe Snell, of Cool Springs Club, led the sales. Our faithful customers were here to buy the products Saturday morn ing. Thanks to them for coming. To the club that had their meet ings last week, I want to thank the women for attending. At Creswell the members came through a downpour of rain. At Swain they came in carts, as the roads were too muddy to drive their cars. At County Bridge they walked so as to be sure of being there. I have never seen a finer spirit of cooperation exist than does among the women of Washington County. The yard leader in County Bridge Club, Mrs. Williams, is making plans for an outdoor living room. Mrs. A. S. Holmes, food leader o Creswell club, gave a good demon stration on “Dutch String Beans,’’ at the last meeting. Mrs. O. A. Chesson, of Swain Club, says her chickens are doing fine. Their egg production has been over half this cold weather. An attractive well-balanced meal was enjoyed last week at Mrs. Mat tie Swain’s. It is encouraging to preach well-balanced meals, then finding club members practicing what you preach. There were several visitors at the Creswell Club last week. We wel come visitors at all times. Reports from the canning leaders and clothing leaders were given in County Bridge and Swain Clubs. A food leaders’ school is to be held here March 17 by Miss Sallie Brooks. Please plan to attend. <g Hold Funeral for Lindsey Phelps Creswell.—Lindsey Phelps, 41, formerly of Washington County, was killed in Philadelphia in a street-car wreck Friday, February 14. Funeral services were conduct ed for him Friday morning, Febru ary 21 ,at Philippi Church, of which he was a member, with Rev. R. O. Respass, pastor, conducting the serv ice. Burial was made in the fam ily cemetery. The floral offering was very beautiful. Surviving Mr. Phelps are his father, D. A. Phelps, sr., three broth ers, D. A. Phelps, jr., Frank Phelps, of Gatesville, and Wilbert Phelps, of Raleigh; three sisters, Miss Hazel Phelps and Mrs. Ernest Phelps, of Newland, and Mrs. Andrew Daven port, of Norfolk; one son, Jule Phelps, of near Raleigh. Sunday School at Episcopal Church —• — Sunday school wil Ibe held at the Grace Episcopal Church in Plym outh Sunday, instead of at the home of Mrs. Sarah F. Nurney. The heat ing system heretofore has not been providing the necessary heat to make the building comfortable and the meetings have been held in resi dences. W. F. Winslow, superin tendent, thinks that weather condi tions will permit meeting in the j church again Sunday. $55 Claim Is Paid by Resettlement Group Here Wednesday Mule Attached by Claimant To Effect Settlement Of Debt A claim against the Rural Reset tlement Administration for $55 was paid Wednesday by C. G. Hutche son, farm supervisor, after the com plainant, Mrs. Edna M. Latham, had attached through the process of law a mule owned by the government agency. The mule was in the possession of John Hassell. Sheriff J. K. Reid was ordered by Magistrate John W. Darden to seize the property and hold it until the $55 was paid. This money was due for rental on a house in which a client of the rural resettlement administration lived. Repeated efforts to collect the money, which was due weeks ago, failed in securing any returns. Mrs. Latham tired of the red tape of the agencies, carried the matter to com pletion in short order. Mr. Hutche son came forward the day after the seizure of the mule and paid up. The first issuance of the paper was on a mule in the custody of Aaron Davenport, but it was found that Davenport owned the mule and then the papers were transferred to the animal in the possession of John Hassell. HOEY OUTLINES STAND ON VITAL CAMPAIGN ISSUE Says He Is Not A Radical Or a Conservative—Just Plain Old Democrat Clyde R. Hoey, of Shelby, not only made good his promise to out line fully and completely his posi tion on all controversial questions within the State in the extended political speech he made recently over a state-wide radio hook-up, but he went a good deal farther and said considerably more about a number of things than either his supporters or opponents had ex pected, according to some of the politicians. Some of Mr. Hoey’s opponents maintain that he did some clever pussyfooting and fence straddling in some portions of his speech, especially those dealing with the liquor question and the sales tax. But many of those who heard the speech were surprised at the frank and flat-footed position which the candidate for governor took on most questions and at the lack of fence straddling. Most of those who listened to the speech or who have read it are in clined to agree that Hoey has made his position unusually clear on al most every controversial question which has already developed or is likely to develop in the campaign for the Democratic nomination for governor. Mr. woey s speecn was volumi nous and lasted one hour. It was the first political speech since the announcement of his candidacy for the democratic nomination for gov ernor of this State. He offered no personal platform, declaring, “I do not believe in personal platforms— I stand on the democratic platform in state and nation.” Evidently taking indirect cog nizance of the charges which have been frequently made that he is an ultra-conservative, Hoey said early in his speech: “I am a democrat without prefix or suffix. I am not a radical, neither am I a conservative. I am just a plain democrat who believes in and advocates democratic principles and supports democratic nominees. I shall offer no issues as the basis of my candidacy. You do not select a platform or an issue as governor, but you select a man and unless I am the kind of man who ought to be elected governor, then no issue I might champion and no platform I might construct would either qualify me for the office or entitle PUBLIC HEARING ON INCREASING DEPTH OF RIVER Will Be Held in Plymouth On March 25; Urge All Interested to Attend -® A public hearing on increasing the deptii of Roanoke River from Hamilton to Weldon, from 5 to 10 feet, will be held in Plymouth on March 25, at 1 p. m., in the court house. In many places the river has be come very shallow at low water, and transportation is almost impos sible. It is generally believed that a 10-foot depth, mainta.ined at low water, will be of considerable bene fit to the river area from a stand point of water transportation. It is possible that fi fight boats that are now coming up' the river as far as Wiliiamston may estab lish transportation lines further up the river, and this posibility also applies to water transportation of gasoline. Probably the greatest benefit will be to the owners of vast tracts of timber along the river, which can not be profitably moved except by water. Timber barges \cannot be loaded, successfully, above Hamil ton, but if water transportation is available all seasons of the year an outlet and sale for this vast area of timber will be created, and will be very beneficial to every timber own er on the river. All interested parties are invit ed to be present, or to be repre sented at this meting, especially those who navigate and operate wharves, terminals, and lumber in dustries on the Roanoke River, and the officials of any county, town, or local association, whose interests may be affected by the matter un der consideration. Mrs. K. R. Hopkins Passes Wednesday the Christian Church Friday after noon at 2 o’clock for Mrs. Inez Knowles Hopkins, 39, wife of Ken neth R. Hopkins, who died in a Rocky Mount hospital Wednesday night. She had been suffering from a poisoned system caused by an ail ing tooth. Burial will be in Wind ley cemetery near town. Mrs. T. B. Wolfe Died Wednesday -1 Funeral services will be held Sat urday afternoon at 3 o’clock, for Mrs. Minnie P. Wolfe, wife of the late Dr. T. B. Wolfe, who died Wed nesday in Florence, S. C., where she was visiting her son, Tommie Wolfe. Pneumonia caused her death. Mrs. Wolfe maintains a residence here on Main Street, where she and a daughter live when they are not visiting relatives. -9 Thinning of Pine Forests Is A Profitable Practice -s> The practice of thinning pine for ests has proved profitable. The cut ting out of dead, crippled or over crowded trees not only furnishes the necessary firewood, but it also [eaves the largest and best trees to grow out as marketable timber in the shortest time. The average an nual removal of cordwood will more than pay taxes on the woodland and the remaining trees will more than double the value of timber in a few years. The thinning, however, should be systematic and should al so be done as the growth becomes crowded. Receive Inquiries for 10,000 Pounds of Lespedeza Seed Inquiries for irtore than 10,000 pounds of lespedeza seed for 12 Cleveland farms were received by the county agent’s office last week. me to the nomination.” Hoey’s views as outlined in his speech on various topics of interest, and greatly condensed, are as fol lows: Taxation: The basic principles of taxation are ability to pay and ben efits to be derived, in proper bal ance. The Sales Tax: “I had nothing tc do with the adoption of the sales tax and have never advocated the sales tax. However, I am not criti cising the general assembly for re sorting to the sales tax to meet what it considered a real emergen cy. I continue to regard the sales tax as an emergency measure and I will not accept it as a permanent fiscal policy of the State. I favor the immediate repeal of the sales tax as it is applied to articles of food and or- meals without regard to whether or not any tax is levied on liquor.’’ STATE FIFTH IN VALUE OF CROPS FOR PAST YEAR •-4> Texas, California, Illinois, and Iowa Ahead Of North Carolina -«. North Carolina stood fith last year in the valuation of farm crops by States, Dean I. O Schaub, of State College, said a few days ago. According to figures compiled by the United States Department of Agriculture and sent to the dean, the total value of North Carolina’s farm crops in 1935 was $246,348, 000, a rather sizeable sum if the State did rank fifth. Texas led the nation with a valu ation of $375,298,000. Next were California with $367,143,000, Iowa with $289,230,000, and Illinois with $273,931,000. The value of farm crops in this State dropped slightly ' under the level for 1934, which was $262,973, 000, the dean added. The value of North Carolina’s crops on a per acre basis was much higher than in most of the other States, however, he pointed out. Last year 6,152,000 acres were planted to crops in this State, as compared to 27,554,000 in Texas; 20,883,000 in Iowa, $20,158,000 in Nebraska, and 17,692,000 in Illinois. In other words, the average per acres in this State was $41, while in Texas, where the total valuation was highest, the average per acre was around $15. California, however produced its $367,143,000 crop on 5,372,000 acres to make a per acre value of $69. All the figures in the report were based on the farm value of the crops raised, and do not include benefit payments distributed to far mers who cooperated in the AAA programs. -$ Crop Effectiveness Rests Upon Three Important Factors Cultivation, Rotation And Use of Fertilizers Are Main Principles By G. A. CARDWELL (Agricultural Agent for A. C. L.) Since permanent soil productivity depends largely on cultivation of the- soil, rotation of crops, and the use of fertilizers, it logically fol lows that, assuming the use of good seed, soil productivity in genera) may be materially increased by improved methods of tillage, by im proved and more systematic rota tion of crops, and by the intelligent use of farm manure, commercial fertilizers, liming, etc. Whatever efforts a farmer may put forth in maintaining or in increasing soil productivity by the methods sug gested, he should at all times be mindful of these two encouraging facts: (1) Crop rotation may prove as effective as the use of farm ma nure or commercial fertilizers in maintaining or increasing crop yields; (2) when rotation and the use of fertilizers are conjoined their combined effects on crop yields are additive. Since the ordinary effects of ro tation and of the use of fertilizers when practiced together are addi tive, it logically follows that when a farmer increases the productive efficiency of his rotation and of the use of fertilizers the increased ef ficiencies of these two practices, when conjoined, will likewise be additive, and will be thus reflected in increased crop yields. Although the statement is made that crop rotation of some descrip tion is practiced by most of the farmers of the country, even though the rotations may consist in merely a change in cropping without any definite system or any degree of regularity, yet in some sections far mers have not yet come to know the economic importance of crop rotation because of the want of di versification in farming. From a general-weiiare or economic point of view it is generally conceded that, in most of these sections or localities, diversification, wherever it is possible, is the first important step toward more stabilized agricul ture, and this stabilization in turn would lead to more contented farm homes, the only condition which should prevail generally in order that agriculture may be made a strong national bulwark. Diversi fication in farming is the mother of crop rotation; and rotation is not only a major factor in the main tenance of soil productivity, but the establishment of systematic cropping systems or of proper ro tations is the real beginning of or ganized business farming. Plans Abandoned for State Tobacco Control Farm Notes By W. V. HAYS, County Agent The Farmer's Cooperative Ex change had a poultry car in Plym outh last Saturday and about 12 coops of chickens were delivered by farmers to the car. These chickens were weighed and paid for at an ad vertised price when delivered at the car door. The amount of poultry received was very good, consider ing the heavy snow and road con ditions at that time. We plan to have a poultry car at Plymouth once a month in th efuture. There is no definite information that we are able to give the farm ers at this time relative to the new or proposed crop control program. We are told by State officials and others who should be in a position to know that we will have a pro gram of some kind to offer the farm er previous to planting time. The Albemarle Mutual Exchange had a meeting of the directors last Monday and decided to open a store in the town of Roper and to carry a line of quality seeds, feeds, and fertilizers. This will be the FCX brand, which is open formula ma terial made with ingredients as specified under formula recommend ed by state authorities as those for mulas which are most economical and at the same time necessary for proper plant and animal growth. Mr. C. C. Hilton, field representa tive of the FCX, attended the meet ing and gave the directors informa tion as to- how our local exchange could affiliate itself with the state exchange and receive greater bene fits than would be possible operat ing as an individual unit. This serv ice will be offered to the general public as well as members of the exchange and should be operating within a very short time. A meeting of farm leaders was held at the courthouse Saturday aft ernoon, at which time Mr. Ray from the Federal Farm Bureau, made a talk on Farm Bureau Federations and what benefit farmers of Wash ington County might expect to re ceive by organizing a unit of the Farm Bureau Federation in Wash ington County. Those present thought so well of the idea that a County Federation was initiated and a temporary committee appointed to complete the organization of a Washington County Farm Bureau Federation. There were about 30 farmers present, and the following motion was made and adopted: “That we organize in Washington County a unit of the North Caro lina Farm Bureau Federation to fed erate with the American Farm Bu reau Federation to cooperate with the Department of Agriculture and the North Carolina Extension Serv ice for the purpose of promoting and protecting the National Program for Agriculture.’’ Organization officers elected and appointed were as follows: L. E. Hassell, chairman; Francis Beasley, secretary and treasurer; H. C. Spruill and R. B. Davenport, of Plymouth Township; J. M. Clagon and R. L. Stillman, of Lees Mill Towmship; J. C. Swain and C. L. Everett, of Skinnersville Township; J“ DeWitte Davenport and W. D. Phelps, of Scuppernong Township; and Carl S. Heynen, of Wenona. -® I Many Phone Calls During Past Year —_»— Telephone calls in the United [ States lead all forms of communi cation in volume. There were 25 billion calls made from the 17,000, 000 telephones now serving this country last year, as compared with 12 billion calls made in 1910. In 1935, according to the tele phone almanac issued by the Amer ican Telephone and Telegraph com pany, there were 13 billion letters mailed, while 165 million telegrams were transmitted. This compares with 8,000,000,000 ietters in 1910 and 100 million telegrams. Only 212 million telephone calls were reported in 1885, which was seven years after the invention of the telephone by Alexander Gra ham Bell. During that year there were 2 billion letters mailed and 40 million telegrams transmitted. There are now about 34,000,000 telephones in the world, 93 percent of which may be interconnected with telephones of the Bell System. Thirty-five years ago only 36 per cent of the telephones in the world could be interconnected. « -9 Hope Held Out for Definite Program to I Control 193 7 Crop —®— Constitutionality of New Program Debated at Some Length -® Plans for effecting a program for •he control of tobacco production in 1936 by compact between the tobac co-growing states, were abandoned in Washington this week, when a conference of state officials, appar ently without any backbone, threw up its hands and laid the cause of lailure to Georgia. In short, the conference, attended by Governor Ehringhaus, Governor Peery, of Vir ginia, and representatives from sev eral other tobacco-growing states, left the control program w'ide open rather than atempt a compact that mighth have proved of some value. It is the opinion of some that the conference took a political turn at the last minute. Eugene Talmadge, Georgia governor, was blamed for the immediate failure of the move ment to form the compact. It is also believed by some that the governor of this state was relieved when the action of the conference virtually rendered unnecessary a special ses sion of the N. C. General Assembly for consideration of tobacco control legislation. Before quitting the conference of fered the encouraging hope that prospects for a compact were bright for next year. The snag in the proposed control program was struck when the right of Congress to pass a law controll ing interstate shipments of tobacco from those states not entering the compact was questioned again and again. The members of the confer ence apparently were fearful some one else would share in the bene fits, and they paid little attention to Mr. O’Neal of the American Farm Bureau Federation when he urged action regardless of what other states did. Reports from the conference in dicate that the discussion topic was overshadowed by the Supreme court and held in awe by the con stitution. Aside from what the high court might do to a law passed by Congress to protect the com pact, the conference just threw up its hands in fear of what states outside the compact would do in the way of increased plantings. Instead of the proposed bill, 19 pages long, one attorney suggest ed the following: () The Congress of the United States hereby consents to and au thorizes the states of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Kentucky to enter into an agreement and com pact respecting the control of the production sale and distribution of tobacco until the ownership thereof vests in the manufacturer or ex porter. (2) The said states are authorized to vest the power or powers to car ry into effect the said objective of tobacco production, sale and distri bution control in a commission (or authority) to be composed of equal representation from each of the com pacting states to be appointed by the governors of the same as per meth ods required for other appointees acting in executive capacities; and the said commission may be auth orized to make all necessary, need ful or appropriate rules and regula tions for the execution of said pow ers. (3) The said states are hereby au thorized to name the secretary of agriculture of the United States (or his nominee) as ex-officio member of said commission (or authority) who may serve as chairman of said commission (or authority) with the power to vote in case of a tie. “The farmers are red-headed and want something done,” Mr O’Neal told the conference. “I have been interested in what has been going on here, but I have not liked to see so much buck passing. The states seem to want to put this baby in the lap of Congress and Congress wants to pass it back to the states. The Supreme Court has already given the baby to the states, and I believe that what is now being proposed for tobacco will be done all over the United States for other commodi ties, and I believe cotton will be next.” He advised the conference to “for get about other states.” -® Since 55 percent of a hen's body weight and over 65 percent of an egg is water, laying hens need a constant supply of fresh and clean water.