The Roanoke Beacon
* * * * * * *and Washington^County News* ★★★★★★
VOLUME LIII—NUMBER 21 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, May 21, 1942_ ESTABLISHED 1889
MAKE EVERY PAY DAY
BOND DAY
Win THS PAY-ROU. lAVlHSi PUH
Town
OP1CS
W. Blount Rodman, local attorney
and solicitor of the county recorder's
court, was this week advised that he
had been accepted as a volunteer of
ficer candidate for the Army, and he
will report for preliminary training
with the July quota of selectees from
this county. He was originally sched
uled to be inducted into the service
with the June quota.
Henry Freeman. 14-year-old son of
Mr. and Mrs. W. T Freeman, is in
a Rocky Mount hospital, where he
was operated on for hernia last Mon
day. He was taken to Rockv Mount
Sunday and his father said this week
that it would be necessary for him
to remain there about three weeks.
The decline in political interest
this year was strikingly shown by
attendance at the Democratic
county convention here last Sat
urday. Not even all of the can
didates for office were present for
the proceedings.
Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Clark were
advised this week that their son, Cap
tain Lawrence Bonner Clark, of the
U. S. Marine Corps, recently was pro
moted to major. Major Clark, a
graduate of the Naval Academy at
Annapolis, is in the Marine Corps air
service and has been stationed at
Quantico, Va., for some time.
Womble's Drug Store is now sell
ing War Saving Stamps in the 25
cent denomination. He added the
new line this week, and it is one item
about which the ceiling price doesn't
worry him.
A Navy recruiting officer was
at the post office here for the
first three days this week. He
interviewed about 50 men who
appeared interested in signing up.
and several of them filed appli
cations while lie was here. Ex
act figures were not given out.
Reuben L. Mayo returned home
this week after attending college in
Mississippi during the term .iust end
ed. He lias applied for enlistment
in the V-5 class of Naval Aviation,
and if accepted does not plan to re
turn to school this year.
The Plymouth Steam Laundry, aft
er “ironing out" some unexpected
difficulties last week, went into op
erations in full blast this week. J. S.
Willoughby, owner, expresses his ap
preciation for the fine patronage
which is being extended him and is
making every' efiort to render the
finest type of laundry service.
Gas rationing has put a rcM
crimp in traveling, according to
AV. A. Davidson, who made a
traffic count on the highway in
front of his home last Sunday,
lie said 38 cars passed his house
during a 30-minute period, while
last year about the same time he
counted 178 in the same period
of time. This represents a de
crease of 140. Of the 38 cars he
counted Sunday, 14 were driven
by colored people, and 7 of the
38 cars were from out of state.
Registration lor the June primary
ended last Saturday, with 317 new
names put on the books in Plymouth
and 40 in Lees Mills. No figures could
be obtained from the other three pre
cincts, but it is understood that about
15 or 20 registered in Skinnersville.
Saturday of this week is challenge
day.
H. W. Pritchett, of Creswell, un
opposed Democratic candidate for
county commissioner from his sec
tion, was a business visitor in Plym
outh Tuesday.
Three Get Permits
For Tires, Tubes
-$
The Washington County Ration
ing Board held its regular weekly
meeting last Thursday night to con
sider applications for tires and re
treads, but at that time there was so
much hullabloo over the gasoline
registration just concluded that the
board almost forgot it had other busi
ness to handle, too.
Applications were approved, how
ever, and certificates issued to the
following for purchase of tires and
tubes:
P. B. Bateman, salesman for prod
ucts essential to prosecution of the
war, 2 retreaded tires for passenger
car;
North Carolina Pulp Company, es
sential manufacturing industry, 5 re
treads for passenger cars;
J ,R. Carr, 2 new tires and tubes
for truck used in work as beekeeper.
RETIRING AND INCOMING PARTY LEADERS
E. G. Arps (left)was elected chairman of the Washington County
Democratic Executive Committee at the convention held here Satur
day. succeeding W. Ronald Gaylord (right), who had served two terms
and who declined to accept the office again after being elected Saturday.
1,444 Gasoline Cards
Issued to Car Drivers
In County Last Week
SUPERINTENDENT
C. J. Jordan, formerly of Ra
leigh, who is the plant Superin
tendent of the new Plymouth
Steam Laundry, which opened for
business here last week.
E. G. Arps To Head
Party Organization
ForNexlTwo Years
Succeeds W. Ronald Gay
lord. Who Declined
Third Term
Washington County Dmocrats held
one of the quietest county convention
in years at the courthouse here last
Saturday morning. Not even a reso
lution endorsing the state or national
Democratic administartions was pre
sented. and the entire session lasted
barely half an hour.
Called to order by W. Ronald Gay
lord, chairman of the executive com
mittee, information was given con
cerning the state convention, which
will be held in Raleigh Friday of
this week, and a motion was made
and carried that all Democrats pres
ent at the county convention be elect
ed delegates and alternates to the
state meeting.
Immediately afterwards, the chair
men of the various precinct com
mittees retired and reelected W.
Ronald Gaylord chairman of the
county executive committee for the
ensuing two years. However, Mi-.
Gaylord, stating that since he had
served in this capacity for two terms
and that he was likely to be inducted
into the military service in the near
future, expressed his regret at being
unable to serve further. Earnest G.
Arps, chairman of the board of coun
ty commissioners, was then elected
to head the party organization dur
ing the coming two years.
About Half of County Farmers Have
Received 1941 Conservation Payments
t
According to the office of
County Agent W. V. Hays 661
soil conservation checks covering
457 applications have been mail
ed to farmers in this county on
their 1941 crops. The total
amount represented in the cheeks
is S23.414.12. Mr. Hays said that
this indicated about 50 per cent
of the producers in Washington
County have now received their
1941 payments for soil conser
vation and that the others would
get them within a short time.
The county agent urges all
those who have received checks
to be sure they have received
the right checks before attempt
ins to cash them. He says this
can be done by checking the se
rial number on the check, which
is just under the name, with the
serial number on the farm.
These numbers should agree, and
should be checked to avoid mis
takes and errors which are dif
ficult to correct later.
Mr. Hays said the reason for
this warning was that the checks
are being mailed to growers di
rect from the Treasury Depart
ment in Washington, and he said
it is possible that there are two
or more farmers in some locali
ties who have the same name and
address.
>
Issue More A Cards
Than Any Other; 30
In Unlimited Class
Large Number of Trucks
Registered and Secured
“X” Cards
The first round of the gasoline ral
tioning program has just about been
completed, according to Bill Roebuck,
clerk to the rationing board, and just
what a mess is facing that board the
average person will never know.
That group held meetings last Thurs
day and Friday that lasted until
midnight and still has a huge task
ahead of it.
The report on the number of per
sons registering for cards last Tues
day. Wednesday and Thursday is ad
mittedly not accurate to the last
figure on account of late registrations
and an exchange of cards. Tire
rationing board itself and those who
assisted by conducting the registra
tion last week have been unjustly cri
tized in some cases for flaws in the
system over which they had no con
trol. As a whole, it is believed that
administration and issuance of the
rationing cards was more nearly
handled in the proper manner in this
county than in any of those surround
ing, based purely on comparisons with
the figures published in the near-by
areas.
However, at its best, it is still a
mess. The rationing board here has
already called in a number of “X”
cards, permitting unlimited purchas
es of gasoline, and plans to scan ap
plications for that class, as well as
~~ (See GASOLINE Page 41
Legion To Elect Officers
At Meet Tomorrow Night
-«s>
An important meting of the James
E. Jethro Post of the American Le
gion will be held at the Legion Hall
Friday night of this week at 8 o'clock.
Officers for the coming year are to
be elected, and all ex-service men in
the county, as well as members of the
post, are urged to attend.
The Legion has recently changed its
fiscal year to run from July 1 to
July 1. instead of October to October,
as in the past. Those elected at the
meeting tonight will assume their of
fices in July.
Principal Asks Parents of
Beginners To Meet Friday
Mr. Trotman requests all parents
who expect to enter children in the
beginners grade of school next year
and who did not attend the pre-school
clinic, to meet Miss Perry and him at
the Hampton School Friday after
noon. May 22. at 4 o'clock. The pur
pose of this meeting is to enroll the
child and to discuss matters pertain
ing to the beginning of school.
Young Boy Burned
In Accident Sunday
Bobby Davenport, 8-year-old son of
Mrs. Martha Whedbee Davenport, was
reported to be improving today fol
lowing an accident Suday night in
which he was badly burned about
the face and eyes when some black
gunpowder he was experimenting
with exploded. Di C. McGowan, who
attended the youngster, said that he
suffered no permanent injuries, al
though the burns were very pain
ful.
In some manner the youth secured
a small quantity of black powder,
and when he struck a match to it,
the powder flared up into his face.
He was treated by Dr. McGowan at
the time and taken to a Washington
hospital the next day.
Two Members of Di aft Board Resign;
Third Man Is Temporarily in Chaige
E. S. Blount, Clyde
Smithson Out After
Serving Since Start
Action by Both Men Was
Voluntary; Reasons
Outlined
It was learned here late yes
terday that Clyde Smithson, of
Creswell, had tendered his resig
nation as member of the YVash
ingtno County Selective Service
Board, effective immediately. The
reason assigned was pressure of
private business. No details were
obtainable here this morning, but
the state board has designated J.
Roy Manning, third member of
the local board, to carry on the
work as temporary chairman un
til two new members of the board
are appointed.
Edward S. <Ted) Blount wired his
resignation as chairman and mem
ber of the Washington County Se
lective Service Board to Brigadier
General J. Van B. Betts, state di
rector of selective service in Raleigh,
last Tuesday, following receipt of a
memorandum which advised that no
candidate for political office should
continue to serve in any capacity witli
the state selective service system. Mr.
Blount is a candidate for the Demo
cratic nomination as sheriff of Wash
ington County in the primary May
30.
Mr. Blount has served as a mem
ber and chairman of the local board
ever since it was instituted over a
year and a half ago, and under his
direction the work of the local se
lective service office has been com
mended by supervising inspectors on
several occasions.
The memorandum which advised
selective service officials throughout
the state against engaging in any
kind of political activity contained
no implied criticism of those who
have become candidates or engaged
in other political work. It was a
mimeographed form letter and sim
ply stated that it was desired that
the administration of selective service
be entirely “free of political activi
ties.” The full text of the letter,
signed by General Metts and address
ed to all personnel of the North Ca
rolina Selective Service System, fol
lows:
“In view of the coming election,
this office has received a number of
inquiries with regard to political ac
tivities of persons affiliated with the
North Carolina Selective Service Sys
tem. For obvious reasons, I believe
that each of you will agree that the
administration of selective service
must be free of all political activities.
“In my opinion, everyone is enti
tled to vote for and quietly support
any candidate of his choice. How
ever, I feel that each of you will agree
with me that anyone who enters a
political campaign for election to a
public office, or who takes an active
part in conducting the campaign of
a political candidate is, more or less,
creating a condition which can and
may cause criticism of selective ser
vice personnel in their endeavor to
properly perform their duties of ad
ministering the selective service and
training act. Though we regret to
be called upon to accept the resigna
tion of experienced members of the
selective service system, as we feel
that such experience is invaluable
under present conditions, we believe
that it is in the best interest of selec
tive service to do so when one enters
a political campaign for office.
Tenlalive List for
June 3 Draft Quota
Is Prepared Here
Several Have Already En
listed in Navy; Other
Changes Possible
The Washington County Selec
tive Service Board has prepared a
list of 33 white men tentatively se
lected to leave here June 3rd for in
duction into the United States Army.
It is explained that, there are some
on the list who have until Saturday
of this week to appeal from the clas
sification in which they have been
placed, and it is also possible that
some whose names appear on the list
wall enlist in the Navy or some other
branch of the service before they re
ceive orders to report for induction.
The formal orders for induction
have not yet been issued, but will be
possibly by the latter part of the
week. The men on the list have al
ready received, their screening ex
amination by the medical examiner
for the local board It is understood
that at least two of those named have
enlisted in the Naval Reserve, and it
is possible that others may do so this
week.
Of the 33 men on the tentative list,
24 are from the fit s; and second regis
trations, while 9 are come from those
^SeToRAFT UST Page 4)
ORIGINAL MEMBERS LOCAL DRAFT BOARD
- -------l
The resignation of Edward S.
(Ted) Blount and Clyde Smithson
(top, left to right) from the local
selective service board this week
will necessitate practically a com
plete reorganization of this body in
the near future. For the present,
J. Roy Manning is in sole charge as
temporary chairman. Mr. Blount,
who has served as chairman ever
since the board was set up over a
year and a half ago, resigned be
cause he is a candidate for sheriff
in the coming Democratic primary,
and Mr. Smithson resigned due to
the pressure of private business.
It is expected that the state board
will rush the appointment of two
new members in order that clas
sification and induction of selectees
may be continued at this time
when the Army is being rapidly ex
panded and heavy calls are being
made on local, boards throughout
the entire nation.
Price Ceilings Order
Has Merchants Here
In Dither This Week
More Light on Dark
Subject Is Needed;
Compliance Varies
Merchants Doing Best They
Can, But Details of Plan
Rather Indefinite
-<$>
Plymouth merchants have not been
worried this week about gasoline
rationing, or lack of business, or too
much business, or anythin? else, be
cause most of them have been up to
their ears trying to make sense out
of the price ceiling order which be
came effective Monday, but the de
tails of which nobody seems to be
sure about.
A ray of hope is seen in an an
nouncement yesterday from the of
fice of Price Administrator Lecn Hen
derson .who said that a bulletin,
•‘What Every Retailer Should Know
About the General Maximum Price
Regulation." setting forth the A, B,
C of price regulations that went into
effect May 18 for virtually all goods
sold at retail, would be distriouted
throughout the nation this week.
^See^PRICE^CEnffNG^age~4
Thomas G. Vail Appointed
Warrant Officer in Army
-$
Technical Sergeant Thomas O.
Vail, son of Mrs. S. J. Vail of Plym
outh. Route 1, who is stationed at
Grenier Field in Manchester, N. H.,
has been appointed a warrant of
ficer junior grade.
Warrant Officer Vail attended Ro
per, N. C„ High school before enlist
ing in the Regular Army in May,
1920.
Norman & Rodman
Occupy New Offices
The law offices of Norman and
Rodman were moved the latter part
of last week from the Harney Build
ing to then- own quarters in the new
building next to the old Plymouth
Merchantile Company store, now oc
cupied by the Western Auto Asso
ciate Store.
The new offices are very conven
ient, and members of the firm have
been looking forward to getting into
them since work tvas started on the
building last winter. The building
was erected by Robert W. Tetterton.
local contractor. It is a one-story
brick structure, with a basement for
the heating plant. It contains a large
reception room and two private of
fices connected by a hall running the
length of the building.
Six Arrests Hade
Oi Speeders Here
Signs have been posted at the
several entrances to Plymouth
outlinig the speed limits, and last
week-end local officers and Cor
poral Tom Brown, of the State
Highway Patrol, made six arrests
for speeding, one for drunken
driving and another for aiding
and abetting in drunken driving.
The officers state that this is
but a beginning, and that high
way laws will be strictly enforced
in the future, especially those
dealing with speeding. It is also
cited that aiding and abetting
in drunken driving, for which
one arrest was made last week
end, carries about the same
penalty as drunken driving, in
cluding revocation of driver’s li
cense.
Roper Young Man
Now Naval Officer
_ _
Maurice Maxwell Peacock. 27. of
Roper, has graduated from Abbott
Hall, the Naval Reserve Midshipman’s
School at Northwestern University in
Chicago, and has been commissioned
an ensign.
He is the son of Mr. and Mrs.
Richard C. Peacock, of Roper. He
attended the North Carolina State
College and Louisburg Junior College.
He was editor of the yearbook at
Louisburg and a member of the N. C.
State College Teachers' Club. After
graduation he was employed by the
Department of Agriculture at Oxford.
Name J. R. Manning
To Keep Work Going
Until Help Secured
State Official Also Praises
Manner in Which Board
Here Operated
Major Upton, an official of the
State Selective Service Board, yes
terday designated J. Roy Manning
to serve as temporary chairman of the
local board until members are nam
ed to succeed Edward S. Blount, the
chairman, and Clyde Smithson, both
of whom resigned this week. Mr.
Manning has accepted the temporary
appointment and will serve until the
new members are apointed and the
board reorganized.
Major Upton also ordered post
ponement of induction of Sidney A.
Ward, clerk to the local board, who
was in line to leave June 3 with other
selectees for the army. The state
official said that Mr. Ward’s induc
tion would be postponed until the new
board had time to secure a substi
tute for the clerk's position.
The work of the Washington Coun
ty Board was highly complimented
by Major Upton in his telephone con
versation with Mr. Manning yester
day. and he expressed his regret at
the resignations of both Mi-. Blount
and Mi-. Smithson. In this connec
tion Mr. Manning said that he had
enjoyed working with the two men
who have resigned, and that there
had never been the .slightest bit of
disagreement among the members
over any questions which had arisen.
Every vote taken by the board has
been unanimous, and Mr. Manning
said he believed their places would
be hard to fill, as they were both
very competent and fair.
It is not known how long will be
required to have successors named
for Messrs. Blount and Smithson, but
it is thought immediate action will
be taken, as the work of classifying
and considering appeals for defer
ment will necessarily be brought to a
standstill until a full board can be
set up and organ]red Prewar ilions
are going ahead for indue Lon of the
June 3rd quota, the men for which
have already been classified and ex
amined.
Legion Auxiliary Is
To Sponsor Poppy
Sale Here Saturday
Proceeds Will Be Used for
Welfare Work Among
All Veterans
"Wearing a poppy is a pledge that
we will not break with those who
have died defending America”, said.
Mrs. J. B. Willoughby, president of
the James E. Jethro Unit of the
American Legion Auxiliary, as the
Unit prepared for the annual ob
servance of Poppy Day Saturday.
•'The *._ppy comes to us from the
fields of France where Americans
first gave their lives in battle against
the dictator powers”, continued Mrs.
Willoughby. “We wear this little red
flower in honor of the men who fell
at Belleau Woods, Chateau Thierry,
St. Mihiel, the Meuse-Argonne and
other bat lies of the first World War.
We wear it also in honor of the
brave boys of Pearl Harbor. Wake, the
Philippines, the East Indies and all
those who have sacrificed life else
where in this renewal of the con
flice.
“The poppy, as you know, was in
spired by the poem. In Flanders’
Fields’ with its immortal lines: 'In
Flanders’ fields the poppies blow,
Between the crosses, row on row’.’
Paper poppies, made by disabled
veterans of the first World War, will
be distributed throughout the city on
Saturday by the women of the Aux
iliary. In exchange for them the Aux
iliary will receive contributions for
its welfare work among the disabled,
their families and the families of the
dead of both wars.
Few Supplementary Cards for Gasoline
Issued; Number Applications Pending
The local rationing board has
already issued a few supplemen
tary cards in connection with the
gas rationing program, and it is
scheduled to consider a number
of requests for the extra cards
at its meeting to*ight. The
holders of the “A" and "B” ration
cards are permitted to apply for
supplementary rations of gaso
line in cases of emergency or
when the card issued can be prov
en to be insufficient to meet the
holder’s legitimate needs.
It is explained that the motor
ist who uses more gasoline than
his card calls for in connection
with his regular business, and If
other methods of transportation
are inadequate or unavailable, is
entitled to a supplementary card.
In the ease of a salesman, for
instance, he must file a special
application, showing his mile
age estimate certified to by his
employer and signed and sworn
to before a notary public by the
applicant.
It was unofficially announced
by the Price Administrator's Ot
fiee in Washington this week
that the holder of a “B” card
who effects a saving of gasoline
by “doubling up'' with his neigh
bor or in any like manner Is en
titled to use the gas saved in any
manner he sees fit.