North Carolina Newspapers

The Roanoke Beacon j****** ♦ and Washington County News ******* A home newspaper dedicated to the service of Washington County and its 12,000 people. VOLUME LIII—NUMBER 5 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina. Thursday, January 29, 1942 ESTABLISHED 1889 Town opics The party planned by the Young Matrons’ Circle of the Christian church Friday night has been post poned on account of the womanless wedding, sponsored by the junior woman's club, at the Plymouth The p*-o ot tup fame time. The party will be given at a later date. Lugene Watson, third-class gun ner's mate on a Navy destroyer on duty in the Atlantic, was home on a furlough to visit his parents in Mackeys this week. Hecould give no Information as to what part his ship was doing in the war, but stated that not all of his trips had been “quiet." The Women's Society for Chris tian Service of the Methodist church will sponsor a cooking school here Tuesday and Wed nesday, February 24 and 25. Mrs. B. O. Campbell is in charge of arrangements. This will be the third annual cooking school sponsored by the Methodist so ciety. Sergeant Charles McCrone, hus band of the former Miss Mildred Norman, daughter of Mrs. Griffin Norman, is now in the Pacific area with the Marine Corps. He is a technical sergeant in the aviation department and has been in the Ma rines for 14 years. W. S. Moore said this week that he had been asked to take the lead in organizing a unit of the State Col lege Alumni Association in Washing ton County and he urges former stu dents of the institution to contact him. He estimates there are about 40 former students and graduates of State College in the county. Part of the money pledged by employees of the North Carolina Pulp Company for the war aid fund of the American Red Cross has been turned in, and the com mittee would like to receive the balance as early as possible. It should be turned over to J. Cor bett Swain. W. J. Barker, assistant extension forester, is in the county today con ducting timber-thinning demonstra tions and marking trees for farmers Who wish to cut timber for building purposes. He has been working in Martin and Tyrrell Counties. Sheriff J. K. Reid has sent a re taining warrant to the Virginia State Penitentiary at Richmond for the re turn here of Ernest Boney and John Spikes, colored, after they have served terms of 50 years and life, respect ively. for killing ii Greek restaurant owner in Norfolk. Tire two are wanted in this county for the robbery of John James and attempted rob bery of Bateman’s sei . ice station in November. Tax Stamps Must Be On All Cars, Trucks By Saturday Night Close To 400 Stamps Have Been Sold at Post Office Here To Date , -.•$> Close to 400 stamps, representing abeut $836 in revenue, have been sold at the local post office this week, as collection of the Federal use tax on automobiles and trucks continues, ac cording to Postmaster John W. Dar den. The stamps are on sale at all post offices, and are required to be on all cars by February 1; other wise the owners are subject to pen alties. The stamps, which expire June 30, 1942, cost every motor vehicle owner the same price, $2.09, whether for large or small automobiles and trucks. As the stamp is evidence of the payment of the use tax, it must be affixed to the instrument panel, windshield, or other conspicuous part of the car or truck. When the stamp is purchased, the car owner is provided with a blank card for the date, value of the stamp, make of vehicle, body type, year and engine number, so that the purchaser can notify the Collector of Internal Revenue at Greensboro and eliminte the possibility of being recorded as a delinquent in the payment of the tax. The next payment of the Federal use tax becomes due July 1, 1942. At that time a stamp will be issued for the full fiscal year, and it will cost the owner $5 for each motor vehicle operated. Complete Plans for Third Registration On February 16th Announce Places, Hours and Personnel To Handle Registration Plans are announced complete in the county for the registration or dered under the amended selective service act on Monday. February 16. of all men who attained their twen tieth birthday on or before Decem ber 31, 1941, and who have not reached their forty-fifth birthday on February 16. 1942. and who have not registered heretofore. Clerk S. A. Ward said that the young men would be registered at the following places: selective serv ice board's headquarters in Mr. Ward's office at Plyomuth, E. S. Blount, chairman of the board, in charge; Roper, high school auditor ium, Mrs. Eva Harrell in charge; and Creswell, high school auditorium, with Clyde Smithson, a member of the county selective service board, in charge. Those between the ages mentioned are required to register at the most convenient place between the hours of 8 a. m. and 9:30 p. m„ on Mon day, February 16. It was said that these hours would make it possible for everyone affected to register with out losing time or money. It is estimated that there will be about 960 persons in the county to register on the 16tli. This is based on calculations made by the national headquarters of the selective service organization, which estimated that about 60 per cent of the number reg istered on October 16, 1940. the first registration, will be affected this time. About 1,600 were registered in the county in the first registra tion, while only 67 persons were reg istered in the second registration last July 1. Mr. Ward said that while the per sons above named are in charge of the registration at the respective places designated, there would be many others in the three communi ties who would assist in the work, contributing their service without charge. Program of Services for Local episcopal Church Services at Grace Episcopal church Sunday will be as follows: Church school at 10 a. m.; Morn ing Prayer and sermon, 11 a. m.; Evening Prayer, 7:30 p. m. The Young People’s Service League will meet immediately after the evening service. -- Five Colored People Hurt in Auto Wreck On No. 64 Last Night None Seriously Hurt; Three Cars and Trailer Are Damaged Five persons were injured and three cars and a trailer were dam aged as the result of a traffic acci dent on Highway 64 near the “Little Richwood” village last night. A trailer attached to a car operat ed by C. A. Hough, of near Dardens, was struck by a car driven by Wiley R. Payton, Williamston taxi driver, whose car was struck in turn by an automobile driven by James Bias, col ored school teacher of this county. Payton received a cut on the fore head and back of the head. Al though in the community hospital at Williamston this morning, he was not thought to be seriously injured. Bias was bruised about the forehead, while his wife. Montrose Bias, was injured about the breast, although neithei was believed seriously hurt. Roy Freeman and Capitola Freeman, oth er occupants of the Bias car, received minor cuts and bruises. Mr. Hough was not injured. Payton’s car was almost totally demolished, the others bring the ag gregate damage to an estimated $1, 500. Corporal T. B. Brown, of the State Highway Patrol, investigated the wreck. Daylight Saving Time May Result in Hardships lor Rural School Children County school authorities are considering the posisbility of changing the time schedules of all schools in the county when daylight saving time becomes ef fective February 9, so that rural children will not be forced to leave home at daybreak or before in order to reach school an hour earlier, as required by daylight time. By congressional enact ment, daylight saving time be comes effective throughout the nation at 2 a. m„ Monday, Feb ruary 9. H. H. McLean, county super intendent of schools, said that advancing the clocks one hour will not greatly inconvenience children who live near schools they attend, but that in some rases it would be necessary for rural children to leave home by daybreak in order to catch the buses. In many cases it would work a real hardship on small children. Many children must now leave home about 7 o’clock in order to reach their schools by 8:25, when the sessions begin, and when the clocks are moved up an hour, this will make it necessary for them to leave home by daybreak. No more electricity will be required in operating the schools if the schedules are moved up an hour when the time changes, as they close at 3:30 by standard time, which would be 4:30 by daylight saving time. Attorney Advises County Officials To Go Alter $100,000 in Delinquent Taxes The Washington County Com missioners have been advised by County Attorney W. L. Whitley to seeure the services of a full time employee to collect an es timated $100,000 in back taxes due the county, the matter hav ing been permitted to drift along for a period of years. The county attorney said that taxes owed by some persons on both real estate and personal property dated back to 1934, and possibly further, and that it was hardly fair to those who did pay their taxes to permit those de linquent to escape carrying their part of the tax burden. Mr. Whitley said that it would probably be an expensive mat ter to get someone to do the work and that it would likely re quire at least a year to foreclose the existing tax liens on real property, thus wiping the, slate clean of unpaid back taxes, but he said^it would be well worth the expense to the county, even if the cost ranged up to one fourth of the amount collected. The attorney estimated that the county held tax liens aggre gating some $100,000 against property for taxes accumulated on the books over the past eight years or more. It was also pointed out that since Federal taxes are increas ing yearly, due to the war, steps should be taken now to liquidate the delinquent accounts while taxpayers are in better financial condition to pay local taxes than they are likely to be again in many years. February Tire Quota For County Smaller Boats Must Have Use Tax Stamps Owners of boats are reminded that the Federal use tax im posed on all boats becomes ef ective February 1st, and stamps signifying the tax has been paid may be obtained from C. H. Rob ertson, collector of internal rev enue at Greensboro. The amount of the tax varies according to the overall length of boats, propelled by machinery, sail, or both, beginning with $5 for boats 16 feet in overall length and ranging up to a maximum of $200 for boats over 200 feet in length. The tax is to be paid when the boat is first used. Application form 732 may be obtained from the collector on request. President's Ball at Club Saturday To Close County Drive Hope To Raise County’s Al lotment of $165 During Remainder Week Although no reports of progress have been made as yet, workers are continuing their campaign to raise $165 as the county quota for the Na tional Foundation for Infantile Par alysis, according to John W. Darden, county chairman. Climaxing the drive for contribu tions, a subscription dance will be staged at the Country Club of Plym outh Saturday night from 9:30 to 1:30. Henry Williams and his or chestra will provide the music, and proceeds will go to the fund. The dance will be staged in honor of the sixtieth birthday of President F. Roosevelt, and is one of thousands of similar dances being held through out the nation this week. A. Lloyd Owens, chairman of the club’s en tertainment committee, is in charge of the local dance. It is understood that a dance will be held in Creswell also sometime during the week-end, with the pro ceeds going to the infantile paralysis fund. Children in both the white and col ored schools are canvassing for con tributions through the "March of Jimes” program under the leader ship of H. H. McLean, county super intendent of public instruction. A percentage of the money raised in each community will be retained in the county for local infantile pa ralysis work, the remainder going to the national organization. Mr. Dar den hopes that Plymouth will raise $82.50 and Roper and Creswell each $41.50. Still Contracting For Cucumbers There is still time for farmers who wish to plant cucumbers this sea son to sign marketing agreements with C. C. Lang & Son, Inc., accord ing to W. A Respass, manager of the local plant. Mr. Respass said that up to this week about 250 acres had been con tracted for in Washington County, a considerable acreage in the Colum bia section, and about 200 acres in Bertie County. Cucumbers produced on all this acreage will be delivered to the plant here. The manager said that farmers who wished to deal with the Lang Company should see him immedi ately. The contract prices for cu cumbers will be higher this year than last, and machine grading will be used. But 5 Tires, 4 Tubes For Passenger Cars Will Be Distributed -$ Truck Allotment Is 12 Tires And 21 Tubes: Board Is Meeting Today A permit was given for the pur chase of only one tire by the Wash ington County rationing board at its regular session Wednesday afternoon, according to W. L. Whitley, the chair man, who said that another meeting might be held today to consider oth er requests. At the same time it was announced that the February quota for the county would be as follows: Passenger cars, 5 tires and 4 tubes; truck. 12 tires and 21 tubes. This compares with the January quota of 7 tires and 6 tubes for passenger cars and 16 tires and 13 tubes for trucks. It is pointed out that the quotas are not cumulative and any tires or tubes left over from the January quota cannot be issued in February. The quotas must be used up in the months for the which the allotments are made, or certificates may not be issued against them. L. E. Hassell, farmer near Roper, was the only man to secure a certifi cate at the meeting yesterday. He was given a permit to buy one tire for a truck, after it was shown that the truck was not used in the trans portation of farm commodities to the ultimate consumer for personal, fam ily or household use. An application is pending for the purchase of four tubes for school buses by the Washington County Board of Education. A decision on the application will probably be reached at the meeting today. Dr. C. McGowan said that the ra tioning board granted him permis sion to purchase a tire last week, but that he did not request certificate to buy a tube, as reported. As the board is meeting again to day, it is not known how many of the January quota of tires and tubes will be left over. Study Roanoke as Source for Power Possibility of developing hydro electric power in the Roanoke River basin, stretching from the mountains TOpct of Roanoke. Va., to the Albe marle Sound will be studied by the uunra of engineers for rivers and harbors, instructions to that effect having been issued this week by the Rivers and Harbors Committee of the House of Representatives. Tire Roanoke River is 400 miles long and covers a watershed of near ly 10.000 square miles. The new stu^y is supplemental to a survey underway, inaugurated un der instructions from the House Flood Control Committee. A group of men were here last spring gathering data for this report. Offer Insurance On 1942 Cotton Insurance on the crowing: cot ton crop is being offered for the first time this year, according to County Agent W. V. Hays, who said that this insurance could be obtained through the county AAA committees. All growers, whether they are landlords, owners, tenants, or share croppers, can obtain in surance on their interest in the crop, but they must insure all of the farms in the county in which they have an interest. Applications for such insur ance must be made on or before the closing date set by the cor poration for the county in which such crops are located, or before planting, whichever ts earlier. Farm Emergency Measures Topic ai Meets Next Week Will Be Held in 18 County Communities; Names of Committee Members A series of meetings has been scheduled in 18 communities of Washington County next week for the purpose of discussing agricultur al emergency measures, with County Agent W. V. Hays and Mrs, Prances M. Darden, home demonstration agent, to lead the discussions. There are from five to eight farm men and women on the committee for each neighborhood. These men and women comprise the agricultural leaders committee on the emergency program and land use program. The schedule, places and commit tee members in the various neigh borhoods are as follows: Mackeys: W. B. Davenport's store; Tuesday, 9 a. m.: Mrs. A. E. Daven port, W. B. Davenport, Mrs. Bob Chesson and J. E. Davenport. Pleasant Grove: J. C. Tarkenton's1 store; Tuesday, 10 a. m.: Mrs. Clara Snell, J. C. Tarkenton, W. A. Swain, Dennis Chesson and Mrs. W. B. Chesson. Skinnersville: C. L. Everett's home Tuesday, 11 a. m.; S. L. Davenport, C. L. Everette, Walter White and Chauncey Swain. Westover: T. R. Chesson’s store; Thursday, 9 a. m.; T. R. Chesson, Mrs. M. C. Vail, Clyde Robbins, Otis Chesson, I. R. Davenport and Mrs, Mattie Swain. Roper: community building; Thurs day, 10 a. m.: Mrs. C. E. Mizell, R. W. Lewis, E. R. Lewis, Mr. and Mrs. L, E. Hassell, Mrs. R. L. Stillman. Beaver Dam iPlymouth Township) Mrs. Helen Porter’s home; Friday, 9 a. m.; Mrs. Stella Porter, Henry Woolard Lula Watson and Sam Hop kins. Union Chapel: Mrs. W. H. Harri son's home; Friday. 11 a. m.; J. H. Allen, Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Allen, Mrs. W. H. Harrison and H. L. Respass. Hoke: R. C. Jackson's home; Fri day, 10 a. m.: R. C. Jackson, Mrs. Joe Browning, Mrs. W. A. Mizell and W. F. Ange. Wenona: Mrs. C. S. Heynen’s home Friday, 2 p. m.; W. L. Furbee, Mr. and Mrs. C. S. Heynen, Walter Al ien and Mrs. Ted Rosenthal. Chapel Hill: club house; Thursday, 11 a. m.; Sid Allen. Mrs. Bob Swain, aTrs. Edna Latham and George Sit terson. Plymouth: agriculture building: Fridav. 1 p. m.: Golden Simpson, Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Bowen, E. H. Liver man, A. J. Riddle, Joe Snell and Mrs. Sam Lucas. Pea Ridge: Mrs. Eloise Stillman's store; Friday, 4. p. m.; Mrs. Eloise (See FARM MEETS, Page 4) New Fire Truck Is Purchased by Town For Delivery in May Costs $3,800, but Contribu tions Reduce Town’s Ex pense To $2,500 -® A contract was recently signed by the Town of Plymouth Council with the American LeFrance Foamite Cor poration, of Atlanta, Ga„ for the purchase of a new fire truck, de scribed as a 500-gallon triple com bination pump, hose car and water tank motor fire apparatus, at a cost of $3,851.66. Delivery of the new truck is ex pected in about three months, if a preference rating can be obtained from George W. Angell, of the fire equipment section of the division of purchase in the Office of Production Management at Washington. D. C. The new fire apparatus will be mounted on a Ford chassis. Most of the equipment for the truck will be bought from the American LaFrance firm, except that a portion will be taken from the small truck now owned by the town. Although the new apparatus sells for $3,851.66. the cost to the town will not be much more than $2,500, since E. F. Still has promised the councilmen that if they would buy a new truck and equipment to im prove fire-fighting facilities here, the Plymouth Box and Panel Company, the North Carolina Pulp Company and the local plant of the American Fork and Hoe Company would con tribute $1,000 toward the expense. J. R. Manning, local Ford dealer, agreed to contribute his commission on the sale of the truck: and mem bers of the volunteer fire department agreed to donate their sendees for one year to the town, last year, the firemen were paid about $200 for their services in answering alarms and fighting fires. The old International truck which does not have a pumping engine, will be discarded, and may be traded or sold. It is said that about $150 should be realized from its sale. Some of the equipment on the old truck, which is about 20 years old, will be translerred to the big La France truck now used by the town which cost $12,000 about 11 years ago. Some of the equipment from the big truck will possibly to put od , the new truck when it is received. Scrap Metal Drive in County Expected To Yield About 200 Tons One More Week For Tax Listing An extension of time for one week, ending Saturday, February 7, has been granted to those who have not as yet listed their prop erty for taxation, according to E. F. Swain, county tax super visor, who urges immediate list ing by all who have been putting it off. The tax listing period was originally scheduled to end Sat urday of this week. Those who fail to list during the period set apart for this pur pose are subject to penalties. It is reported that there are still hundreds of persons in the coun ty who have failed to list so far. Christian Minister Is Named Head of Scout Troop Here -- Rev. Eugene B. Taylor Has Been Trained for Work; Other Scout News The Rev. Eugene B. Taylor, pas tor of the First Christian church, has accepted appointment as scout master of Plymouth Troop, No. 84, of the Boy Scouts of America, ac cording to announcement this week by T. W. Earle, chairman of the Al bemarle district, and Dr. A. Papineau director of senior scouting in the council. Mr. Taylor has received a scout master's training course and helped for a time with one of the troops in Wilson. OSicials predict that un der his leadership, the troop here will take on new interest and the work should progress accordingly. A1 Hodges, an assistant scout ex ectuive of Wilson, was here last week conferring with h‘e nr-.’* scoutmaster and said then that he planned to be here every week during February to help get things underway. Scout officials and others interest ed in the movement expressed their appreciation for the services rendered to the local troop by Earle Bowen and Shirley Young in keeping the organi zation together until a permanent scoutmaster was secured. T. W. Earle, district chairman, and Dr. A. Papineau, senior scouting di rector, attended the quarterly meet ing of the East Carolina Council in Tarboro last week, when William E. Lawrence, assistant national direc tor of the Emergency Service Corps, was the speaker. -® Miller Warren Is Reelected Chief of Firemen Recently Council Approves Election; Other Officers Named By Department I. Miller Warren was recently re elected by the 25 members of the Plymouth Volunteer Fire Depart ment to succeed himself as chief of: the department, and the Town of Plymouth Council has approved the | action of the firemen. Mr. Warren has been a member of j the fire department for many years and is regarded as very efficient in administration of the affairs of the organization, as well as directing the firemen at fires. He succeeded L. W. Gurkin last year, after the latter had been head of the department for many years. Other officers elected are: J. B. Willoughby, first assistant chief; L. D. Jones, second assistant chief; Henry Hardison, secretary'; Alton 1 Harrison, assistant secretary; Stan- 1 ford Mizelle, custodian of equipment; ' i See FIREMEN. Page 4 1 Farmers Rallying To Insure Success Of Salvage Drive Sales of Discarded Metal Have Been Underway All This Week It is estimated by County Agent W. V. Hays that Washington County farmers will turn 200 tons of scrap metals into channels for national de fense within the next few days, un der the collection campaign now in progress. The metal is being gath ered and sold to R. E. West, of the West Junk Yard, in Plymouth. Mr. West was at Roper yesterday to buy scrap metal from farmers in that section, and he is buying from farmers in the Creswell section to day; while every day during the week he has been receiving scrap metal at his yard in Plymouth. While his purchases were large during the week, it could not be learned today from Mr. West as to the amount he had received so far. The county agent said Mr. West would be at J. L. Phelps’ store In Roper again next Wednesday, and at the Norfolk Southern Railroad Com pany station in Creswell again on Thursday of next week. The scrap Is graded, weighed and paid for when delivered. Purchases are made daily when metal is delivered at the yard in Plymouth. Farmers are behind the scrap metal collection program in a big way, Mr. Hays said, and through it they are performing a patriotic duty, ridding the farm of objects which may cause injury to persons or stock, and are deriving a cash income for their efforts. “This country needs scrap iron and steel to speed up the defense pro gram,” the county said, urging the farmers to collect all scrap metal— except bolts, nuts, angle iron and parts which may be useful in repair ing farm maci. ncry-jind turn it over to scrap dealers. ■-& Special Area Case Worker Wiih Blind Lives in Plymouih Miss Patricia Stone Sets Up Headquarters Here To Serve 11 Counties -2 Miss Patricia Jones, special case worker in this area for the State Commission for the Blind, has ar rived in Plymouth to make her head quarters while working in 11 sur rounding counties. She is residing n ihe home of Mr. and Mrs. Harry 3tell on Washington Street. She will keep in touch with per sons in Washington County who are receiving aid to the blind through operation of the Social Security Act. Her duties will bring her into close cooperation with the local welfare department. She will visit homes of blind persons and aid in teaching them handicraft, the Braille system of reading and writing, home duties, ind check on their general welfare. Graduating in December from a six-month post graduate course in social work at the University of North Carolina. Miss Stone is one of twelve versons in the state who are engaged n this kind of work. She is also a rraduate of Madison College in Har •isburg, Va. Though Miss Stone is visually han iicapped. she can see well enough to ret about on the streets, but is breed to have a driver when she roes out on her car to visit other ■ounties. Six of the twelve persons engaged in this work in the state lave • seeing-eye" dogs to aid them n walking. Persons who were vis lally handicapped were sought by he state for the blind work, since it ras felt that they would be more >atient with the blind clients than vould those not so handicapped. Darden Is Offered Position as Clerk of Court; Has Wot Yet Decided To Accept Representative W. M. Darden said today that he had been ten dered the appointment as clerk of the Washington County Su perior Court to fill out the un expired term of C. V. W. Aus bon, whose resignation becomes effective March 1. but that he had not yet decided whether or not he would accept the appoint ment. Mr. Darden said he had con sidered tlie matter several times since he was recommended by the local bar association for the place, and especially since he had received the offer of the position from Resident Judge Walter J. Bone, of Nashville, but he was still undecided about accepting or rejecting it. Mr. Darden pointed out that the appointment was for only about nine months, since the term of Mr. Ausbon expires the first Monday in December. The office win be at stake this year in the spring primaries and No vember general election, and the candidate elected will hold the office for four years. The local bar association was very anxious to recommend for the office someone who had re ceived legal training. It was stated that a legally trained per son would make for efficiency in the office.