North Carolina Newspapers

Ehe R( an( e Beacon ******* and Washington County News *★★*★*★ VOLUME LIII—NUMBER 2 Plymouth, Washington Co nty, North Carolina, Thursday, January 8, 1942 ESTABLISHED 1 389 TO W N OPICS Representative Herbert C. Bonner this week announced the appoint ment of Jesse Cecil Gatlin, jr., son of Mrs. J. C. Gatlin, of Creswell. an alternate to the United State; Military Academy at West Point. William Emmett Ingram, of Eliza beth City, received the appointment as principal. Based on data compiled from official records by the North Car olina Rural Electrification Au thority, Washington County ranked 97tli last year among the 100 North Carolina counties, with but 32 miles of REA lines, serv ing 155 customers. Only Gra ham, Swain and Tyrrell Counlies had fewer miles and customers than this county. Alfred Bratten superintendent of water works for the Town of Plym outh. fell down the steps al the pumping plant on Water Street last week and broke his arm in two places. He has received treatment and hopes to return to work soon. Private First Class Arthur W. Mar riner, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Marriner. of Roper, was recently pro moted to corporal because of his at tention to duty and soldierly quali ties. He enlisted in 1940 and is now stationed at the Arlington Canton ment in Virginia. Mrs. M. W. Sprull is working at the courthouse as list taker for the Town of Plymouth. When a resident of !.he town lists with W'. L. Hassell for his county taxes. Mrs. Spruill makes out an identical declaration for the town, making it possible for property owners to get all their listing over with at one time. Farmers are unable to understand the weakness in the sweet potato market. They complained that food prices in general are rising, but that sweet potato prices to producers arc down to an unofficial $1 per bushel. They would like to see an increase in price. Authorities here now fear that tire thefts and bootlegging of tires will be started because of rationing. Of ficials will make every effort to stop llegal activities, and offenders will find themselves in a lot of trouble if they try to get around the ration ing order. Highl y Patrol I: Placed on Alert Members of the North Carolina Highway Patrol have been notified by headquarters to be on the alert for any emergency in connection with national defense and have been pro vided with equipment that will make them ready for almost any kind of trouble that might occur. Corp. T. B. Brown said that head quarters required members of the patrol to be ready at a minute's not ice to help in blackout, patrol duty or whatever else may be needed, and they were also told that they should be prepared to give efficient and prompt service in any emergency. Corporal Brown is required to have in his car at all times: fre exting uisher, axe, bmaehine gun, tow chain broom, flares and other like equip ment. Tire Rationing Board Explains Regulations To Dealers in County i HEADS RATIONING j W. I.. Whitley, riymouth at torney, was last week named chairman of the tire rationing board for Washington County. E. F. Still and A. J. Riddle are the oilier members of the board. Continue Civil Cases Set lor This Week In Superior Court Will Start on Next Week’s Calendar When Court Resumes Monday When Judge J. Paul Frizelle, of Snow Hill, returns Monday to pre side over the second week of Wash ington County Superior Court, devot ed to the trial of' civil cases, the court will start with the second week's cal endar. Other civil actions, which were on the docket for this week, were con tinued. i. S. Ward Washington at torney. who was interested in the cases scheduled this week, was called home on account of the death of his brother, and the cases were put off. The calendar for next week fol lows : Monday, January 12: Gladys Coop er. Admx. vs. American National In surance Comapny: In re: the will of Charles DeShields. Tuesday, January 13: Beatrice Nor man vs. Metropolitan Casualty In surance Company; Industrial Bank vs. Joe Nowaroh. Wednesday, January 14: Fannville Woodward Lumber Company vs. H. W. Bowen: J. S. Shugar vs. Tliad Spencer; W. D. Peel vs. Herbert Boomer; Plymouth Box and Panel Company vs. P. H. Darden; Hubert Spencer vs. Tennison C. Weede. Thursday, January 15: Ben A. Dav enport vs. Jennie R. Davenport; Town of Plymouth vs. Nancy Coffee; Mag gie Swain et al vs. Claudia Beasley Wage Drive for Scrap Metal on Local Farms Farmers Asked To Assemble Materials At Central Location Bids Will Be Asked From Licensed Junk Dealers For Entire Lot With shortage of basic materials closing down blast furnaces in sev eral parts of the nation, a committee composed of R. E. Dunning, chair man, A, Edison Davenport and W. S. Moore, has been appointed by the Agricultural Workers Council of Washington County to head a cam pagn to be conducted among farm ers to gather every available piece of scrap metal for sale to dealer-'. The scrap metal is urgently needed to further the national war effort. Mapping plans with the office c" the county agent for a concerted drive into every nook and corner of the county for the metal, H. W. “Pop” Taylor, of Raleigh, extension marketing specialist of State College, met with several farmers here Tues day night and described the short age of scrap iron and steel as seri ous. Advised that many farmers in the county would be willing to deliver their crap iron and donate it to the government, Mr. Taylor said that this was not necessary, and that by han dling it through dealers the metal would undoubtedly reach the plants where it was needed much quicker than in any other way. Mr. Dunning and members of the committee urge farmers to gather the scrap metal at some central place Darden To Head Paralysis Drive Postmaster John W. Darden will serve as chairman of Wash ington County for the celebra tion of the President’s birthday for the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. A. Lloyd Owens, chairman of the enter tainment committee of the Coun try Club of Plymouth, will ar range for a dance to celebrate the President’s birthday on Jan uary 30. District chairman for the cam paign will be appointed later, school children, as well as adults will be asked to take part in the annual “March of Dimes” cam paign for the worthy cause. Mr. Darden will make further an nouncements next week regard ing the campaign. on the farms as rapidly as possible. A date will be designated and a place near a railroad siding selected some time within the next few days as a concentration point, and licensed junk dealers will be assembled to bid on the scrap metal. While all metal is needed, iron and steel are especially desired at this time. Parts from discarded farm machinery, tractors, gas en gines, automobiles, fence wire and all such ■ items are urgently needed. Farmers have been offered 40 cents per 100 pounds for the junk metal by one dealer in this county and 65 cents by another. It is believed that by assembling the metal and seek ing bid; the highest price can be obtained by the farmers. Very Few Persons Eligible To Apply For Purchase Order County Allotted 7 Tires, 6 Tubes for Cars; 16 Tires, 13 Tubes for Trucks Washington County's tire ration ing board, composed of W. L. Whit ley, chairman, E. P. Still and A. J. Riddle, met at the courthouse here Tuesday night with representatives of tire sales organizations and dis cussed the classification of those eli gible to purchase tires and tubes un der the regulations recently imposed. This county's quota for January is 7 tires and 6 tubes for passenger cars, and 16 tires and 13 tubes for trucks and busses. Mr. Whitley said that the county board would be notified by the 25th of each month what the quota would be for the following month. It is not lawful to issue certificates for more than 25 per cent of the total quota in any one week. Each garage owner and tire salesman in the coun ty was appointed an inspector by the board. The board will meet each Wednesday between 1 and 2 o'clock to pass on applications for tire pur chases made to the board. In a short talk, Mr. Whitley em phasized that the inspector was re sponsible for examining tires and de termining the need for replacement by any applicant. All the old tires and tubes must be left with the tire dealer when they are replaced, as efforts are being made to reclaim the rubber from discarded tires. It is also believed that the OPM will put a ceiling on tire prices to prevent unreasonably high prices. It was said at the meeting that many people would now begin using retreaded tires, and prices for them are expected to rise to unprecedent ed heights as the demand grows greater. Subject to the county quotas, eli gibility rules for tire purchasing are as follows: i A) Tires for vehicles used by phy sician, surgeon, visiting nurse, or a veterinary, and which is principally used for professional services; <B> ambulances; <C> vehicles used for fire fighting, public police, public health and safety; garbage disposal and sanitation: maintain mail serv ices; 'D) Vehicles with a capacity of 10 or more passengers operated for transportation of passengers as part of the services rendered to the pub lic by regular transportation system: to transport teachers and pupils to and from school; transportation of employees to or from any industrial mining establishment or construc tion job, except when public trans portation facilities are already avail able; <E> Vehicles used for one or more of following purposes: transportation of ice and fuel; transportation of material for building and mainte nance of public roads; for construc tion and maintenance of public util ities; for material and equipment for construction of defense housing fa cilities and military and naval estab lishments; transportation essential to render roofing, plumbing, heating and electrical repair services; trans portation as a common carrier; trans portation of waste and scrap mater ials: transportation of raw materials, semi-manufactured goods, and fin ished products, including farm prod ucts and foods, provided that no cer tificate shall be issued for a new tire or tube to be mounted on a truck for transportation of commodities to the ultimate consumer for personal, fam ily or household use; <F) Farm tractors or other farm implements other than automobiles or trucks for the operation of which rubber tires or tubes are essential; iG) on industrial mining, construc tion equipment other than automo biles or trucks for the operation of which rubber tires or tubes are es sential. Bicycle tires are not included with in the scope of rationing regulations. Want Wickard To Fix Farm Prices E. H. Overman, president of the Washington County Farm Bureau, has been delegated by farm bureau members in this county to telegraph the Office of Production Manage ment in Washington, D. c„ urging that Claude C. Wickard, Secretary of Agriculture, be given authority to fix the price ceilings for farm products. The farmers are of the opinion that Leon C. Henderson, price control of ficial of the OPM, te not sufficiently informed about farm price levels to arrive at satisfactory maximum prices for farm products. They be lieve that Secretary Wickard's ex perience is more likely to afford far mers a fair price for their commodi ties Grand Jury Favors Repairs To Number Buildings of Couniy Report Conditions Need At tention at Courthouse and Numerous Schools The report of the grand jury, re ceived by Judge J. Paul Frizzelle, of Snow Hill, presidin' over superior court here this week, revealed that 13 schools and the courthouse and other public buildings had been ex amined and a number of conditions found which needed attention. High lights of the reports, with recommen dations made by the jury, follow: Courthouse: Walls show roof leaks. Dirty and unkept. Jail has rubbish on the floors and beds are unkept and dirty. Window sash in library decayed. Superior court clerk needs typewriter. Furnace room unkept with accumulated waste paper and trash. No deodorant in stools or urinal. Muddy water in cooler in grand jury room. Sheriff’s office has eak from stool on upper floor. Base ment vault to register of deeds office dirty and unkept. Agricultural building stools are unkept. From a sanitary standpoint, the whole court house needs a general cleaning. County home: Good condition. Plymouth High School: Leaky roof, insufficient heat caused by worn door stops to outside doors; window lights out. Plymouth colored school: Leaking roof; wooden building in need of re pair. Roper school: Classroom walls in bad order, with large patches of plas ter fallen off due to leaks in roof; Window shades ragged, torn and dis colored. Some drinking fountain' out of order. Sink in laboratory needs repairs. Lavatory drains stopped. Windows broken- Windows have broken sash cords. School buses in good condition. J. J. Clemmons colored school at Roper: Crowded; blackboards need ed; clean. Mount Delane: Crowded: only one entrance. Suggest using south win dow to make a door to permit sec ond exit. Stove flues dangerous, cre ating fire hazard. Blackboards need ed. Deep Bottom: Conditions good with exception of two stove flues which are in bad condition. Blackboards needed. Macedonia: Sill over front porch rotten, causing roof to settle, causing leak. Bad flue. Clean. Cherry white school: Toilet needs cleaning. Small back room in bad condition. Window and back porch .needs repairing. Window lights out. Auditorium plastering broken. Leak ing roof on front side of building. Lunch room good condition. Leak in roof around flue. Cherry colored school: Building roof, metal, needs paint. New heater and stove pipe needed. Flue repairs needed. Windows need repairing. Sills in front porches should be re placed. Unsanitary toilets. Creswell white school: In A No. 1 condition with exception of fountain, which needs repairing. Cloak rooms in dilapidated condition. Creswell colored: Crowded: build ing in bad condition. Pritchett: Building neerfs repairs. Sound Side school: Building in godo condition. Two heaters needed. Jail: Creswell jail is very uncom fortable place. No heat. Farmers Are Again Warned To Order Parts for Equipment Unless Orders Placed Now, Little Prospect of Them Being Fill'd -® Farmers are reminded once again that they should at once purchase the repair parts that they need for their farm machinery, according to County Agent W. V. Hays, who ad vices that it is urgent for them to take this precaution at once before the government reduces the produc tion of parts so that the metal can be used for war materials. Equipment and machinery owners are advised to order only such new equipment as is absolutely needed and that special efforts should be made to repair and recondition the present equipment in order to save metal. It is emphasized that the orders for repair parts should be placed at once, as the manufacturers will not be given priority rating for metal ex cept upon dealers' orders backed up by bona fide signed orders from the consumers. Unless the orders are placed early, there will be no parts available if the machine should later break down in the field. While every farmer is urged to or der enough parts for 1942, there are urged not to hoard the material. Re placement parts, including mower guards, binder twine and baling wire should be placed on order at once. Farmers are also advised to swap parts among themselves. Mr. Hays urges immediately at tention of every farmer to this mat ter in order to keep farm machinery in the county operating. Broken down machinery later may mean dis aster to the farmer. Complete Blackout Set for Plymouth Tomonow Night Courl Clears Docket 01 Criminal Cases; Quits Until Monday Recess Taken at Noon Yes terday; Several Cases Are Reviewed After completing work on the criminal docket, the Superior Court of Washington County recessed yes terday at noon, when counsel for the ;everal cases on the civil calendar requested that the actions be con tinued until next week. Proceedings in the court Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday morning follow: Since C. Edley Hutchins, 25, white, charged with non-support and aban donment of his wife, failed to ap pear for trial, H. M. Casey, of Bun combe County, N. C., was called on to forfeit the $500 bond posted for Hutchins' appearance. Lenneth Fayette Williams, 30, white, charged with robbing the Nor fokl Southern Railroad station at Maekeys of a box of candy, had his ase removed from the docket. He is reported to have been tried in oth er counties on similar charges of robbery. Nol presses were granted in the following cases: James Cox. 20, col ored, charge with assaulting Jueenie Johnston with a bottle; Joe 3oddard, 46. white, charged with drunken driving; Goddard and Ma linda Linton, charged with hit-and run driving in an automobile acci dent in which Paul Haridson was in jured; Jack Cason, white, charged with robbing the Maekeys freight station. Dennis Cahoon, 28. white, charged with giving a worthless check, had his case continued. Roy Blount, 19. white, charged with careless and reckless driving, was given 18 months on the roads, suspended upon paying $400 at the rate of $10 a month, to Dalton Phelps, who was injured in an au tomobile collision with Blount. C. C. Cahoon, 64, white, charged with setting fire to grass and brush on the property of Ira Alligood, was fined $1 and costs. Joseph Tharps, 26. colored, was ■entenced to two years on the roads for the theft of A. Lloyd Owens’ car last October. The car was practi cally demolished. Charlie Agnew. 48, colored, charged with shooting Martha Collins, Mar tha Hedgebeth and Willie Spencer ast November 2, was given two years m the roads, to be paroled in 12 months if he has a good prison rec ord. Henry Bryant, 19. colored, charged with robbing John James here, re ceived an abatement of judgment. Bryant was driving the car when Glennie Oil, colored, wis killed in an attempt to rob Bateman's Serv ice Station near Roper late in No vember. John G. Spikes, 18, and Ernest Boney, two other members of the gang, were transferred to Nor folk to be tried for the murder of a Greek restaurant owner during a hold-up there just before the rob bery attempt in this county. Defense Courses to Be Taught in High Schools of County Boys and Girls Will Have Opportunity of Learning To Help Nation Washington County white schools at Plymouth, Roper and Creswell will begin teaching war courses within two weeks, according to H. H. Mc Lean, superintendent of public in struction, who said that he was ex pecting a suggested list of texts from 'lie state defense curriculum com mittee within the next few days. "We are not interested in putting m a show, because our schools here will not permit it, since we have only a small staff assigned to the schools, and the boys who eventually get into' he army would have to be taught j all over again, but there are many things of value we can do,” said Mr. McLean. Mr. McLean pointed out the value of vocational courses for work in de fense production or any other activi ty which will fit the boys and girls for valuable services. For instance, he said, it has been suggested that boys be taught to cook in quantities, as some of them may be required to do this work in the army. There may be drills which the na tianal authorities recommend, said school head, and physical education will be stressed, inch.ding the physi cal examination of all high school pupils, in order that they may be better fitted when their services are needed. State committeemen on this work were asked to meet Tuesday of this wfeek, when members of the commit tee made suggestions. Tax Listing Gets Slow Start Here Tax listing is off to a slow start in Washington County, if Plym outh Township listing can be used as a basis for what is being done in the other three town ships. Thursday morning only 95 persons had listed with W\ L. Hassell at the courthouse here. Seventy-five had listed with Mrs. M. W. Spruill, the Town of Plym outh list taker. The 95 who have listed here is only a small fraction of the 1.800 in the township who are required to report their holdings during the month or be penalized for their negligence. And the 1.800 who listed last year should be in creased if all newcomers list their poll taxes and personal property. No reports have been received of progress in Lees Mill, Skin nersville. and Scuppernong Townships. Farmers are urged to bring along a report of their plantings in 1941. Waste Paper Needed For War Purposes; Collection by Scouts Pulp Plant Manager Asks Employees and Others To Save Paper In 1940, the total paper and board mill production in the United States amounted to 14,000,000 tons; and in December some mills which are en gaged in the production of containers from pulp made of old papers for de fense purposes operated only part time because of insufficient collec tion of waste paper, according to E. L. Walker, manager of the North Carolina Pulp Company, who this week addressed a letter to all em ployees of the company asking that they save >■ ] wa ',e paper and turn it over to local scouts, who are mak ing the collection here. The United States Office of Pro duction Management is demanding increased collection of waste paper, Mr. Walker said, and through this effort it is hoped that 7,000,000 tons of waste paper per year—or one-half of all paper manufactured—can be returned to the industry for repro cessing. Waste paper is said to be vital to victory, because paper is the chief material from which paper board and containers are made, and mil lions upon millions of containers be yond the country’s normal require ments are now needed to ship ma terials to the nation’s war industries, military camps and the Allies. The letter of Mr. Walker suggests : that when an employee of the pulp company has saved 50 to 100 pounds of the waste paper he fill out a cou 1 See WASTE PAPER, Page Four) Will Lasl lor Half Hour; Fire Siren To Sound Signals --- All Traffic To Halt and No One Allowed on Streets Except Officers Plymouth's first test biackout will be held Friday night from 7 to 7:30, with the fire siren sounding a one minute blast at 7 p. m. to mark the beginning of the blackout period. A short blast at 7:30 p. m. will be the "all-clear’’ signal, according to P. W. Brown, chief air raid warden for the town. Chief Brown said that during the blackout period all traffic must come to a standstill and everyone must take cover, leaving the sidewalks and streets entirely clear except for air raid wardens, fire and police officers. No lights may be used which can be seen from the streets. If lignts are used in homes, windows and doors must be entirely covered so that no reflection is visible from the outside. Merchants are warned to turn out the lights in their store windows be fore the blackout period tomorrow night. An air-raid warden has been ap pointed for each two blocks inside the town limits, and every resident will be contacted by him to see that the air-raid regulations are observed. Chief Brown urges all citizens to see their air-raid wardens and learn just what is expected of them to make the blackout a success. Immediately after the “all-clear'’ is sounded at 7:30 p. m.. all air-raid wardens are to report to the police station for a discussion of the success of the black out. Wardens appointed are: Poye Dav enport, C. E. Ayers, Jack Peele, Bill Joyner, Cleve Cratch, W. J. High smith. R. L. Tetterton, Tarleton Gardner, Ernest James, Eddie Blatz, Fred Keyes, “Slim" James, R. D. West, George Barden. Ed Ayers, Roy Manning, jr„ George Smith, John Brovy. W ”, p«rry, p. a. Duvall, •,cr '’iiL *?'. 1 Elmer Bryan “Your coi i i ' ion in thio lest may mean the sa.uig of li”es later, and everyone is asked to do his part will ingly, cheerfully and to remain calm," said the chief. Education Board Puts Off Action on Request for Bus The Washington County Board of Education, in session here Monday, postponed to the first Monday in February the matter of providing transportation for colored children on the Western Farm of the FSA farms project to the Cherry colored school. Dr. N. C. Newbold. state director of Negro education: W. D. Moore, jr„ community manager at the Scupper nong Farms; and James W. Westby, community service supervisor of the regional office of the Farm Security Administration, met with the board members. Add 13 Acres Tobacco To County Allotment Scon Hake Plans For Registration Plans for regitering all nion in Washington County, not previ ously registered between the ages of 20 and 44. inclusive, will be announced by the Washington County Selective Service Board in a few days, according to Clerk S. A. Ward. The registration has been ordered for Monday, Feb ruary 16. It is believed the registration will be held in accordance with plans governing the first regis tration on October, 1940. mean ing that registration places will be set up in districts and volun teers will handle the work. Men between 20 and 44 regis tering on February 16 will be sub ject to active military duty. Auto Turns Over Near Roper Tuesday Night None of the several occupants was serously injured when the automo bile operated by M. B. Richards, of Norfolk, turned over on the curve near the home of E. R. Lewis, beyond Rcper, Tuesday night. The car, which is owned by C. H. Creedmore. of Norfolk, who was an occupant, was practically demolished. Mr. Richards is being charged with reckless and careless operation of the automoble and with operating a car without a driver's license. Names of the other occupants of the car could not be obtained. Little Difference in 1842 Quota Figures From Last Season 271 Allotments Last Year; About Same Number This Season Thirteen more acres of tobacco have been alloted to Washington County for 1942 than were permitted to be grown without penaity in 1941, ac cording to County Agent W. V. Hays who said the allotment for this year was 1.065 acres, against 1,052 acres last season. Last year there were 271 growers who participated in the allotment and this year there will be about the same number. Prior to the tobacco referendum held on July 20, Iy40, the growers were promsed that the crop would not be reduced if the three-year pro gram was adopted: and since there is no great demand for an increase by the market, the quotas will be in creased only by a small margin al though this country is now at war. In the referendum held July 20. 1940. 256 voters favored the three year plan, 5 the one-year plan, and 10 voted against quotas altogether in the county. The referendum on quotas applied to the 1941. 1942 and 1943 crops. There is reported to be plenty of surplus tobacco in this country now. even though war de mands have increased purchases. However, some countries that have been purchasing tobacco in the U. S. 'See TOBACCO, Page Four)