North Carolina Newspapers

The Roanoke Beacon * * * * ★ * *and Washington County News ******* HASS EVERY PAY DAY BOND DAY JOII TNI PAT- I0U UVIMI PUN VOLUME LIII—NUMBER 20 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, May 14, 1942 ESTABLISHED 1889 Town opics Carl Goerch, editor of ‘'the State” magazine, was a visitor here Tues day, gathering material for a raido broadcast and magazine article about Washington County in the near fu ture. Mr. Goerch said the broad cast would probably be made over the Raleigh station at his usual time two weeks from next Sunday, while the article will appear in “The State” possibly a little later. Joe Nobles and Paul Basnight have vaccinated between 75 and 100 dogs against rabies, as required by law, during the past 10 days. Dog own ers are advised to see them and have their dogs treated immediately. A fee of 75 cents is charged, but this amount is refunded when the tax is paid, so the service really costs noth ing Chief of Police P. W. Brown this week issued another warn ing to local bicyclists about business district. It will not be riding on the sidewalks in the tolerated in the future, he says, as several accidents were nar rowly avoided last week, and he has been ordered to prosecute violators from now on. The county USDA War Board is planning to make a complete survey of the farm labor situation in this county. It is expected that all avail able labor will be registered, and the information will be made available to the farmers who will need farm labor later in the season. Mrs. Jacksie Wiggins Britton, who formerly taught in the local schools, spent last leek here with Mr. and Mrs. P. B. Bateman. Mrs. Britton, the wife of a naval officer stationed at Pearl Harbor, recently returned from Honolulu, where she was living when the Jap attack occured on De cember 7. Tobacco transplanting has been nearly completed through out the county, estimates indi cating 90 per cent of the crop has been set out in the fields. There was little blue mold dam age and plants were plentiful this year. Some farmers are report ing extensive damage from cut worms. S. Keith Arnold, who was with the Roanoke Beacon from 1937 until February of last year, returned to his I work here this week. He had been with a Bedford. Va., paper for a lit tle more than a year. Mrs. Arnold and tlielr little daughter retarded with him. There will be a meeting of the vestry of Grace Episcopal church at the home of Julian Brinkley tomor row night (Friday) at 7:45 o’clock. All members are urged to be pres ent. Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Liverman have received word that their son, Aubrey W. Liverman, has recently been pro moted from corporal to sergeant in the United States Army. They do not know exactly where their son is at present, but he was at Trinidad, British West Indies, when they last heard from him. He has been in the service nearly two years. May peas, which used to be grown extensively in this county, are now produced on only a few farms. The crop is being moved to market, and the few farmers who grow them report that the yield has been very light, and the price low. One producer sold his first peas for 75 cents per crate, delivered in Edenton. Work was recently completed on the attractive new home of Mr. and Mrs. Joe M. Arps, and they moved into it last Saturday. It is located on Washington Street. Shep Brinkley, owner of the Plym outh Theatre, is confined to his home here with a badly sprained ankle this week. He suffered the sprain while in Norfolk Tuesday, turning his foot while walking down Granby Street. He hopes to be out again by the lat ter part of the week. Home Demonstration Club Women of Fifteenth District Will Hold Annual Meeting in Williamston Tomorrow Home Agent Urges as Many County Club Women as Pos sible To Attend; Interesting Program Prepared; State Federation Officials To Attend The annual meeting of the fifteen th district Federation of Home Dem onstration Clubs will be held in Wil liamston Fr iday of this week, accord ing to Mrs. Frances M. Darden, county home demonstration agent, who urges as many members of the county clubs as possible to attend. An interesting and entertaining pro gram has been prepared, with several well-known speakers to be heard, and a luncheon and band concert will also be featured. A number of state officials of the federation will be present, and the main address at the morning session will be made by Mrs. Charles W. Sea well, administrative director of the Associated Women of the American Farm Bureau Federation. Mrs. T. G. Whedbee, of Tyrell County, district president, will preside. Mrs. Edison Davenport, of Mac keys, is second vice president of the state federation; and Mrs. W. H. Har rison, of Washington County, is treas urer of the district organization. Washington County members of dis trict committees include the follow ing: Mrs. Edison Davenport, resolu tions; Mrs. W. H. Harrison, courtesy; Mrs. Mattie Swain, time and place; and Mrs. B. B. Chesson, transporta tion. The program for the morning ses sion, beginning at 10:30, is as fol lows: Song, “America,” led by Billie B. Peele; invocation, Rev. W. R. Bur rell; welcome, Mayor John L. Has sell, of Williamston; welcome, Mrs. H. A. Early, president of the Martin County Federation of Home Demon stration Clubs; response, Mrs. L. L. Gibbs, president of Tyrrell County federated clubs; greetings, Mrs. Por ter Paisley, president of the North Carolina Federation of Home Demon stration Clubs; greetings, Mrs. C. C. Hilton, president 15th district N. C. Federation of Women’s Clubs; Busi ness session, minutes, roll call, an .(Continued on Page Six). Corned Beei and Cabbage Is All Right, Bui 'Corn' and Cabbage Spells Trouble Loading their ear with some assorted eountry produce—in cluding five quarts of “stumphole corn squeezin's” or its equivalent —three young county colored men last Saturday ran into some hard luck in the person of Cor poral T. B. Brown, of the State Highway Patrol, and L. L. Bas night, county ABC.' enforcement officer, and wound up the day in the county jail, charged with transportation of illegal whiskey and sundry other counts. It seems the police officers had been tipped off that something was cookin', and they hied themselves down the county to the Skinnersville section, where they pulled up alongside High way 64 and awaited develop ments. Pretty soon along came Elmer Lee Norman. 26, of Roper; William Edison Wilkins, 28, and Herbert Lee Wilkins, 26, of Mackeys. They were halted and a cursory examination re vealed exactly nothin*? illegal or out of place. Then the officers really got down to business and dumped a sack of cabbage on the ground, where it was found that someone had absent-mind edly stuck a quart of whiskey, on which the maker had negli gently forgotten to pay the tax. Snooping around some more, the officers found four additional quarts of the forbidden joy juice under the hood of the car. Given a preliminary hearing before U. S. Commissioner John If. Leggett, the three colored men were ordered held for the Sep tember term of Federal court in Washington in default of S300 bond each. Their car was also confiscated. It only goes to show that “A quart in the bag and four under the hood Puts a feller behind bars, and that ain't good.” 25 Men Leave Today For Army; New Call Is Received by Board Rationing Threat Increases Traffic Enjoying what many think will be their last Sunday outing in the family automobile, for a while at least, motorists greatly increased the flow of traffic in this section last week-end. In some places, filling stations sold out of gas at an early hour. Today, on the eve of gasoline rationing which begins tomorrow, car owners are literally packing the fluid in their gas tanks. In addition to filling the car tanks, many motorists are bringing con tainers of various sorts to be filled and stored away for use ' when they begin to feel the pinch of rationing. Amounts carried home vary from a few gallons to 55-gallons drums and even larg er tanks. Navy Recruiter Will Be Here Next Week Navy Recruiter A. A. Camper, Chief Water Tender, USN, of the recruit ing substation at New Bern, has an nounced that a temporary recruit ing station will be open at the Post Office building in Plymouth Monday Tuesday and Wednesday of next week, for the purpose of enlisting ap plicants in the Naval Service. Those accepted will be sent to Ra leigh, for final examination and to be sworn into the naval service. An unusual attractive enlistment program is offered, and the Navy has a place for all qualified men be tween the ages of 17 and 49 inclus ive. Applications are accepted for the regular Navy and Naval Reserve, offering men the opportunity to serve their country, build then- future, and earn while they learn. Some of the many training schools now available are: aviation mechanical; radio; signals; clerical; metalsmith; ma chinist; electrical; carpentry; store keeper. There are immediate vacancies for colored men in the messman branch. Men registered for Selective Ser vice can enlist in the U. S. Navy, or Naval Reserve. Third Registration Men To Be Included In June 3rd Group Those Who Will Leave in June Being Examined This Week The first of the third registration selectees called from this county for induction into military service will leave Plymouth on Wednesday, June 3, according to Sidney A. Ward, clerk to the local selective service board. A new call has been issued to this county for 25 white men to report on that date, and the clerk said it would be necessary to include some of those who registered on February 16 in this quota. Not all the quota will be made up from those who registered in the third registra tion, but a substantial proportion will be included, the other being men who have been reclassified from previous registrations. In the meantime, 25 other young Washington County men left on a bus this morning for Fort Bragg for induction into the Army. The ra pidly growing United States Army is making unprecedented demands on this county. The group leaving this morning is the fourth contingent since last September ^j, three of them white and one colored. For some reason few colored men have been called so far this year. The 25 men called to leave next month have either already received their screening examinations or they are being examined this week. The complete list has not yet been worked up by the draft board, but will probably be announced next week. The list of men who left this morn ing is as follows: From Plymouth: John Edward Wil loughby, Joseph Stanton Norman, Walter Carstarphen Burgess, Fred Wilson Allen, Herbert Austin Saucier, Elijah Haddock, Sylvester Earnest Williams, Hubert Wesley Ange, Pres ton Thorne Newberry, Leon Gray Ange, Mack West Ange, Erie Ray Bateman, Osbourne Aldridge Marrow and Stanford Morris Mizelle. From Roper: Leon Mayo Swain and Cecil Hassell. From Mackeys: Nathan Patrick Whitfield and Haywood Warren Over ton. From Creswell: Lehman Penn Am brose, Jesse Robert Merritt, Robert Charles Spring, Jess Willard Spruill, Clyde William Spear, Raymond Theo dore Davenport, and Ralph Cale Jer nigam Recorder Has Brief Session This Week Tuesday was more or less a dull day in recorder’s court, with only two cases tried, both for violation of highway laws, and continuances granted in a couple of others. Re corder W. Ronald Gaylord, Solicitor W. Blount Rodman, and Clerk W. M. Darden made short work of the doc ket and called it a day almost be fore things coluld get settled down after opening court. William Spencer, colored, was fined. $10 and the costs for operating a car with an improper license. Herbert Williams, also colored, booked for driving a car with impro per brakes, was let down with the costs. Continuances were granted in the cases against Julius Brady, for hav ing improper equipment on a car; Bill Scheid, for trespass; and Christine and Lexton Gibbs, for an affray. --— The mosquito Fleet of seventy-foot motor boats is a new part of the U. 6. Navy. .1. 12,346 Registered for Sugar Ration Books In County Last Week 12,006 Received Allotment Cards; Others Had Too Much Sugar on Hand That Washington County volunteer registrars did an able job in receiv ing applications for sugar rationing books is reflected in the complete re ports from the 16 registration places, according to W. A. Roebuck, clerk to the local rationing board. Tire re ports show that a total of 12,346 per sons—6.857 white and 5,489 colored registered for their sugar quota dur ing the four registration days last week, and 12,006 books were issued, the other 340 having an excessive amount of sugar on hand. Comparing the registration with the 1940 census figures it is evident that very few people in the county have failed to register for their books. However, a total of 340 books were withheld because the applicants had an excessive amount of sugar on hand, 338 white and 2 colored. Those who for any reason failed to apply for books may apply to the ration ing board office in the courthouse here, after May 21 and the book will be issued if all requirements are met. Coupons are beginning to maKe their appearance in the local grocery stores in fairly large numbers, and rationing board officials point out that unless the coupon is used dur ing the period for which it is issued, it will not be possible to use it at all. Coupon No. 1 in each book is good until midnight Saturday of this week; then for the next two weeks Coupon No. 2 will be accepted; then No. 3 for the next two weeks, and so on. Each coupon is good for one pound of sugar, with the neces sary cash, of course, and that amount is supposed to last each individual for two weeks. Following is the report of the regis tration at the various places in the county, the first column showing the number who applied, the second col umn number of books issued, and the third column the number denied books because they admitted having excessive amounts of sugar on hand: White Plymouth_ 3,422 3,252 170 Roper_1,419 1,381 38 Creswell _ 1,393 1,282 111 Cherry _ 623 604 19 338 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals_ 5,489 5,487 2 Grand Totals 12,346 12,006 340 Baptist Church Here Will Begin Hevival Series Next Sunday Continues Throughout Next Week, With Services Each Evening Totals_ 6,857 6,519 Colored Plymouth_ 2,012 2,012 Morrattock - 198 198 Brooks _ 246 246 Deep Bottom_ 253 253 Roper _ 737 737 Macedonia_ 212 210 Sound Side_ 363 363 Mount Delane- 249 249 Back Woods- 300 300 Creswell _ 544 544 Cherry_ 195 195 Pritchett_ 180 180 Rev. J. M. JOHNSON, Pastor Services for Sunday, May 17: 10 a. m„ the church teaching the Bible. 11 a. m., the church at worship. 8 p. m., evening worship. We urge you to go to church somewhere Sunday. We always wel come visitors, strangers, newcomers to our community, and any others who will come and worship with us. We would be delighted to have you; however, if ours is not the church of your choice, we assure you that our interest in your spiritual welfare is not minimized because of such fact. You need the church and the church needs you! Go to church somewhere. Our service Sunday morning will be the first in a series which will con tinue, God willing, through the week each evening. We urge you with our deepest heart to be much in prayer for these serv ices. We need a heart-felt, soul-stir ring, God-snt revival in our church and community; and the only way, the best way and the sure way, to have such revival is to pray it down from heaven. Will you help us pray such prayer? We urge our people to give their best to these services, and we cordially invite eveyone to come Next Wednesday To Be Holiday for Local Bank The Branch Banking and Trust Company here will be closed next Wednesday, May 20. in observance of Mecklenburg Day. a state holiday. It has not yet been decided defi nitely whether or not the local bank will close on Saturday, May 30, to observe National Memorial Day. Al though this is a national legal holi day, banks in this section may de cide to remain open, due to it fall ing on Saturday and at the end of the month, when statements are to: be gotten out, . . ___ County Motorists Registering and Getting Allotment Cards for Gas; Rationing Is Effective Tomorrow Legion Auxiliary To Sponsor Poppy Sale lor Disabled Veterans May 23rd Foppies of patriotic remem brance will bloom in Plymouth Saturday, May 23, Mrs. J. B. Wil loughby, president of the James E. Jethro Post. No. 163, American Legion Auxiliary, announced to day. Every man, woman and child in Plymouth will be asked to wear a poppy that day in honor of the men who have given their lives for America. The poppies will be distributed by volunteer workers from the auxiliary and the coins contributed for them will be used in Legion and auxiliary work for war disabled, their families, and the families of the dead. The poppies which will be dis tributed here were made by dis abled veterans at Veterans' Hos pital in Fayetteville. Making the little red flowers has given many veterans employment during the winter and spring months. The work is limited to those receiv ing little or no government com pensation and those with families to support. Contributions received for the poppies are a principal source of support for the vast welfare work carried on by the Legion and the auxiliary among disabled men and dependent families. With the new war adding to America’s list of war victims, there will be greatly increased need for funds during the coming year. Merchants Talk Over Price Ceiling Order in Effect Next Monday Designed To Freeze Living Cost at Level Prevailing in March Lengthy Session of Local Merchants Association Held Monday Night The Plymouth Merchants Associa tion had a lengthy session Monday night, members trying to figure out the heads and tails of the recent or der fixing price ceiling on practically all goods handled in local stores and setting up regulations for posting the ceiling prices for the convenience of shoppers. The order becomes effect ive next Monday, but the hows and wherefores are still a mystery to a good many merchants, and just how much effect the order will have in bringing down and holding down the cost of living is still problematical. The law provides that for most commodities the highest retail price charged by any retailer during the month of March shall be the “ceiling price-’ for that dealer, beyond which prices may not be increased after May 18. Each individual dealer has his own ceiling price, and the price charged by a competitor has no bear ing on the matter. Retailers are also required to post at a conspicuous place in their stores all the items they carry and their ceiling prices. This requires a tremendous amount of work for all storekeepers, and is equivalent to taking an extra inven tory, since almost all items and prices are required to be listed and posted. At the merchants association meet ing Monday night, the first presided over by the new president, E. E. Har rell, the workings of the sugar ra tioning plan were explained by W. A. Roebuck, clerk to the local rationing board, and he also gave what infor mation he had about the price ceil ings order. W. S. Moore, who W’as in charge of the gasoline rationing here, was also present and outlined the main features of this plan to the merchants. Revival of the credit bureau form erly operated by the merchants asso ciation here is be'ng investigated by a committee composed of H. H. Al len, A. J. Byrd, and F. H. Modlin, appointed at the meeting Monday, and they are to canvass the town to get the names of all retailers who de sire to have the bureau function again and become members of it. They will also confer with Miss Em ily Waters, who served as secretary of the bureau here a few years ago, in an effort to plan the set-up of ihe reorganized bureau. -$ Registration Books To Close Saturday Registration books for the primary May 30 will close Saturday night-, and so far only a comparatively few per sons have added their names to the list of eligible voters. Those who registered two years ago. when a new registration was held, are not re quired to register again in order to be eligible to vote, but people who j have moved into the county since I that time or who have become of vot ing age must get their names on the books before they close Saturday night in order to cast a ballot in the primary. Following are the registrars for the five precincts in the county: Mrs. Hermine Ramsey. Plymouth; W. L. Furbee, Wenona; Tom Dillon, Lees Mills; Mrs. Myrtle A. White. Skin nersville; and J. A. Combs, Scupper nong, Rubber Situation Is Said 'Perilous' A notable quote of the week was that by a member of the Sen ate military affairs committee, who said, after hearing seven high-ranking officials spell out the rubber situation in closed ses sion: “Actually perilous from a military standpoint.” These are the strongest words yet uttered on the subject and give force to the officials urging the committee to recommend the most drastic step yet proposed in the U. S. toward commandeer ing private property, namely the requisitioning of autos and tires. The need for saving rubber lies behind the car-requisitioning proposals. While some members expect “nothing drastic” in the way of requisitioning in the im mediate future, the threat of such drastic measures is definite ly possible “from now on.” Col. W. C. Rodman Died Last Thursday Colonel Wiley C. Rodman, of Wash ington, distinguished soldier and at torney, died last Thursday night at Veterans’ hospital in Kecoughtan, Va., following a stroke of paralysis. Colonel Rodman, who was the father of W. Blount Rodman, local attor ney associated with Z. V. Norman in the practice of law, was 63 years old and had been in failing health for a number of years. Colonel Rodman practiced law in Washington for many years and held a number of public offices, including that of Beaufort County representa tive in the General Assembly. He was colonel of the second regiment of the North Carolina National Guard, in which capacity he saw service on the Mexican border. Early in the first World War, he organized and saw service as captain of Battery B, which was recruited from Beaufort county residents, and served with dis tinction throughout the war. He was later commander of the North Caro lina Department of the American Legion. Several years ago he accept (Continued. on Page Six) Complainants Are Cited To Officials Of Ration Board -$ Registration Will Be Com pleted Today; 5 Classes Of Cards Issued Registration for gasoline rationing throughout the county will be brought to a close tonight, after three days of intensive work, with reports indi cating that those handling the job have just about had their hands full. Long lines formed at the school build ing here during much of yesterday, but at that the work was handled in a competent and expeditious manner Some motorists have made com plaints about the type of card issued them, and it is expected that a num ber of appeals will be directed to the rationing board for additional amounts of gasoline. The registrars at the various points in the county, so far as could be learned, went strictly by the letter and intent of the law, and while some of the com plaints may be justified, it is regarded as fairly certain that some of the others were attempting to secure a type of card to which they were not entitled. A casual survey of the early ap plications filed at the school here In dicates that possibly more class B cards were issued than any other type, and most farmers were granted B-3 cards for passenger cars, while trucks and other commercial vehicles of course receive unlimited amounts of gas. Most of the residents in Plymouth received a class A card, which contains coupons calling for 7 units of gasoline. At the present time, each unit represents 3 gallons of gasoline, but it is pointed out that the unit base is subject to change at any time for the Office of Price Ad ministration. There were three classes of B cards issued, B-l, B-2, and B-3. The B-X card hac coupons calling /or 11 rnits of gasoline; B-2 for 15 units, and B-3 for 19 units. Those who require gaso line in excess of these amounts must apply to the rationing board for a supplemental card. Provision is also made for issuing supplemental cards in cases of emergency, but the ap plication must be made to the ration ing board. The rationing board here is being very careful in its issuance of class X cards, which entitle the holder to buy gas in unlimited quantities, and most of the appeals from local reg istration officials were based on re fusal to issue the unlimited type [cards. The law provides for issuance of class X cards to persons in certain specified occupations, such as doc tors, ministers, government em ployees, and the like, but it provides that "all or substantially all” of the use of a car for which such card is issued be for official business or in the performance of essential occu pations as outlined in the applica tion. Gasoline rationing becomes effec tive tomorrow, which means that all gasoline bought after today is sub ject to the rationing cards issued this week, except in the case of com mercial vehicles, for which no card is required. Program of Services at Grace Episcopal Church -® Regular services Sunday at Grace Episcopal church, as follows: 10 a. m„ Sunday school; 11 a. m., morning worship service; 8 p. m., evening worship service. The Rev. Sidney E. Matthews, rec tor will preach at the morning ani evening services. Washington County Democrats To Hold Biennial Convention Saturday Morning; Precinct Meetings Were Held Last Week Small Attendance Reported at Precinct Conventions; Main Business Here Saturday Will Be Election of Chairman and Delegates To State Meeting Washington County Democrats will perfect their county organization Sat urday morning at 11 o'clock, when the bi-ennial convention will be held in the courthouse here, according to W. Ronald Gaylord, chairman of the county exercutive committee. The precinct meetings were held last Saturday, with very few in attendance at most places. The precinct execu tive committees were elected and all who attended were named delegates to the county convention this week. They were empowered to vote the strength of their respective precincts at the meeting here Saturday. Chairmen of the precinct execu tive committees automatically be come members of the county execu tive committee, and the county chair man will be elected by this group at the convention here Saturday. Dele gates will also be elected to the State Convention in Raleigh next week. It was not possible to secure names of all members of the precinct ex ecutive committees this week, but the following list gives the names of the chairmen and as many members as could be learned here today: Plymouth: W. R. Gaylord, chair man; W. M. Darden, secretary; E. G. Alps, J. R. Campbell, and Mrs. Her mlne Ramsey. Wenona: Jesse Vaughn, chairman; H. J. Furbee, secretary; W. E. Allen. Lees Mill: W. E. Knowles, chair man; Dan Marrow and Tom Dillon. Skinnersville: Walter White, chair man. Scuppemong: C. N. Davenport, Jr, chairman,