North Carolina Newspapers

The Roanoke Beacon * * * * * * *and Washington County News ******* VOLUME LI 11—NUMBER 33 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday. August 13, 1942 *,* ****** IN WAR BONDS '*'******* ESTABLISHED 1889 Town opics Miller Warren, local fire chief, and E. Durand Keel, left Sunday to at tend the state firemen’s convention in Greensboro this week. Sessions were held by the firefighters Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and the representatives of the local depart ment returned today. Mrs. Tom B. Brown, of the county agent’s office force here, has been invited to be one of the hostesses at the Southern Farm Bureau Training School, which is to be held at the Sir Walter Hotel in Raleigh from August 16 to 18. The program fea tures addresses by noted national agricultural leaders, and represen tatives are expected to attend from 16 southern states and Puerto Rica. Fourteen county white men, who have been home for their 14-day furlough since being inducted into the army recently, left yesterday for Fort Bragg to begin active training. Three others left this morning, com pleting the contingent of 17 from this county inducted from the quota called for July. No successor has yet been se cured to fill the place of W. S. Moore as agriculture teacher in the local school, and County Superintendent H. II. McLean said yesterday that up to this time he did not even have a pros pect for the place. Agriculture teachers are becoming increas ingly difficult to find throughout the country. Walter C. Burgess, son of Mr. and Mrs. T. C. Burgess, was recently transferred from Port Francis D. Warren, Cheyenne, Wyo.. to Fort Chaffee, Aik Young Mr. Burgess completed a course as draughtsman while at the Wyoming post and hai been assigned to the architect’s office at Fort Chaffee. Technical Sergeant Aubrey W. Liverman, son of Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Liverman, of Plymouth, arrived home Monday. He has been stationed in the Panama Canal zone and in the British West Indies for the past two years and will be home for about 30 days. George Sexton, local left-handed barber, may have to give up his work tor the duration of the war. For the past eighL months he has been try ing unsuccessfully to buy a pair of left-handed shears. Formerly made in Germany, Mr. Sexton says they are now unobtainable. He and "Vic" Modlin went to Newport News Monday to set about getting work in the sl'.pyartS;. Harold H. Brinn, proprietor 01 the Band Box Beauty Shop, who is leav ing for the Army today has closed his shop here and moved the equip ment to tlie home of his father in Creswell. Mr. Brinn was unable to sell or lease his business here and de cided to store the equipment “for the duration.’’ Revival at Creswell Closed 'Last Sunday Creswell.—T h e revival services conducted last week at the Creswell Baptist church closed with the 11 o’clock serivce Sunday morning, af ter an interesting series of meetings. Nine persons presented themselves for membership in the church, three by letter and six by baptism. Services were held each morning at 11 o’clock and each evening at 8:30. In addition to presenting forceful messages at each of the services, the Rev. Mr. Mauney, of London Bridge, Va., who conducted the series, added interest and enjoyment with the singing of the junior choir under his direction. Those presenting themselves for membership by letter were Mr. and Mi'S. Fred Thrift and J. W. Razor; by baptism: Dorothy Spruill, Iris Ray Craddock, Ruth A. Spruill, Marlene Spruill, Whit Cooper,- and David Craddock. Creswell Minister To Hold Missions in Hyde County -® Creswell.—The Rev. B. W. Gaither, local Episcopal minister, left this week for Hyde County, where he will conduct missions at his several churches throughout the remaining weeks of August. It was announced that regular services will be held at Christ church in Creswell at 11 o’clock next Sun day morning. W. B. Cox Becomes Acting Clerk Superior Court Here As Darden Goes Into Army W. B. Cox this week assumed the duties of acting clerk of the super ior court of Washington County, hav ing been appointed by Wilbur M. Darden, the Clerk, prior to the lat ter leaving today to enter the Army. Mr. Cox’s appointment was approved by Judge Walter J. Bone, of Nash ville, resident judge of the second district, and his bond was approved by the county board of commission ers. Mr. Cox is a prominent local citi zen who has been working recently at the Marine Base at Cherry Point, near New Bern. He was cashier of the Washington County Bank and the United Commercial Bank here dur ing the 1920's, and is widely known throughout the county. When Mr. Darden learned he was to be included in the August group of selectees for the Army, he applied to Judge Bone for leave of absence,; which was granted and later approv ed by the board of county commis sioners. Mr. Darden has served as clerk of the superior court since March 1. when he was appointed by Judge Bone to succeed C. V. W. Aus bon, veteran clerk who resigned on account of his health after serving the county as clerk for 35 years. Mr. Darden announced for nomi nation prior to the Democratic pri mary in May and was declared the nominee without opposition. He will have no Republican opposition in the November general election, and his election for the four-year term be ginning in December this year is au tomatically forecast. His leave of ab sence is “for the duration,’’ and he will resume the work where he left off if the war does not last more than four years from the date his new term commences in December. Post Office Building Here To Be Enlarged And Alterations Made To Survey Area Added To Town The town council, at a special meeting this morning, employed \V. W. Ange to make a survey of all the property embraced in the extension of the city limits last fall. This action is necessary before the town can fix its tax rate for the current year, since the amount and valuation must be determined before the levy can be worked out. The contract with Mr. Ange provides that lie is to make an accurate survey and enter on the new town map the exact acre ages included ... orporatc limits since me extension elec tion. The survey will require about four weeks, and it must be approved by the council before payment is made of the contract price. Mr. Ange plans to begin work immediately. Merchants Will Set Up Credit Bureau; Store Hours Fixed Also Make Plans for Ban quet and Fall Trade Campaign -<s> About a dozen members of the Plymouth Merchants Association met in the municipal Building Monday night to consider a number of im portant matters affecting local busi ness establishments. Decision was reached to hold a banquet for all merchants in September, when plans for a fall business campaign will be made; a credit reporting bureau will be sponsored by the association; and store opening and closing hours after the first of September were agreed upon. It was also decided that all local business houses would be closed all day Monday, September 7, in ob servance of Labor Day. J. R. Manning ana J. R. Campbell were delegated to make arrange ments for the banquet, which will be held on the next regular meeting date of the association, the second Monday night in September. Not only members of the association, but all local merchants will be invited and urged to attend this banquet, and a number of merchants have in dicated they expected to bring some of their clerks with them to the meeting. At the banquet plans for a cam paign to stimulate trading in Plym outh will be discussed. A committee, S ee? ME RC H A NTS, Page Pour Masons To Have "Open House" Next Tuesday Night in New Quarters Here The local Masonic lodge, Per severance, No. 59, will show off its new quarters in the old Brinkley Hotel Building Tues day night of next week, with an "open house.” All Masons, their wives and members of the local tlastern Star chapter are invited and urged to visit the new lodge rooms at that time. Refresh ments will be served, and the weekly Masonic meeting has been called off so that members may show their guests over the new quarters. No formal invi tations are being issued, this notice being regarded as suffi cient, according to John W. Dar den, secretary. The opening of the new lodge room was originally scheduled lor Tuesday of this week, but due to difficulties in completing the wiring it was postponed until next Tuesday. The first formal meeting of the order will be held there the following Tuesday, August 25, with a double initia tion of two candidates for the first degree. Station officers of the local lodge are J. Linwood Knowles, of Dardens, master; Tom B. Brown, senior warden; W. J. Highsmith, junior warden; B. G. Campbell, treasurer; and John W. Darden, secretary. Begin Next Week on Work Estimated To Require 30-60 Days 12-Foot Brick Addition To Be Built at Rear of Pres ent Structure -$ Work will get underway next week on enlargement and renovation of the post office building here, it was stated this week by John W. Darden, postmaster, and H. E, Beam, repre sen ing the Brinkley estate, owners of the building. A 12-foot addition is to be built at the rear of the present building, a new floor will be placed in the entire office, and the partition at the front will be changed and re modeled. It is estimated that the work planned will cost between $2, 500 and $3,000. The 12-foot addtion at the back is being built to provide additional working space for the postal work ers. The present partition contain ing the service windows and lock boxes will be removed and a new one placed entirely across the building, providing a lobby 15 feet deep across the front. The postmaster’s private olfice will be located at the rear of the new quarters, instead of at the front, as at present. All of the service windows in the remodeled office will face the street, and an additional panel of lock box es will be provided. No other ad ditional new equipment is provided for in the plans. For sometime the present quarters have been cramped for space, and when the old lease on the building ran out recently, the improvements were agreed upon before a new lease becomes effective. The Post Office Department is entering into a 10 year agreement to occupy the reno vated quarters. Mr. Darden said that laying a new floor in the building will call for a lot of night nork, since the office must be continued in use during the daylight hours. Robert L. Tetter ton, local contractor, will be in charge of the work, which it is esti mated will require from 30 to 60 days to complete. -§ May Continue Tent Series of Services The revival services being held by the Rev. Raymond Brovtning, of the Church of the Nazarene, under the big brown tent on Jefferson Street is said to be continuing with grow ing interest. Mr. Browning said he had his largest attendance last Mon day night, when he preached his "Bear Story” sermon to the children. He told the youngsters that he would preach them another sermon before the campaign closes on the subject, "The Ant, the Rabbit, the Grasshop per, and the Spider.” Mrs. Fred Saneholtz, of Charlotte, is not only a most unusual pianist, but her gospel songs are greatly en joyed by the congregation. During the campaign the workers have taught the children some delightful choruses. Because of the interest in the serv ices, Evangelist Browning is serious ly considering the possibility of con tinuing the series another week. Important Meeting of Scouts Monday Night A scout meeting will be held at the courthouse here next Monday night at 8 o'clock. All boys 12 years of age and over, who are interested in becoming a scout, are invited to at tend. according to the Rev. B. E. Tay lor, scoutmaster. 28 White Men Left This Morning for Induction in Army Number Only About Half Of Quota Originally Called This Month Unable to completely fill the Au gust quota of 55 white men origi nally called for by state selective service headquarters, the Washing ton County board at 7 o'clock this morning sent 28 to Port Bragg for examination and possible induction in the army. It was announced last week that 31 would go to Fort Bragg, but since that time temporary defer ments were granted to three men. The three men deferred are Ervin Washington Ambrose and Robert Davenport, of Creswell; and William Randolph Gardner, of Roper. All of them were given deferments until November to enable them to harvest their farm crops. Those who left at 7 o'clock this morning, if accepted for service, will possibly return tomorrow or next day for the 14-day furlough now granted selectees before beginning their act ual training. Other schedules of departure in the near future are as follows: August 27, 65 colored men; September 8, 25 white men; and September 30, 45 colored men. The list of those leaving this morn ing is as follows: From Plymouth: Hilliary Sexton Tetterton. Hartwell Marion Ramsey, Clyde Felton Patrick, jr., Joe Denver Cruickshank, Frank Winesett, Alton C. Davenport, Hilton Harris, Carl Raymond Fisher, Wilbur Mattingly Darden, Rufus Swain Sitterson, Al bert Ross Chesson, John Shepherd Brinkley, George Bruce -Tetterton, Carley Rufus Marriner. From Creswell: Sam William Corn stalk, James Clyde Davenport, Thom as Daniel Woodley, Erenel Moran Clifton. Henry Calop Bateman, Mel vin Rascoe Gibbs, Jarvis Overton Stillman. From Roper: Charlie Frank Swain. Joe Thomas Furlough, William Lloyd Dunbar, Rolano M. Chesson, James David Clifton, Benjamin Frankling Jackson. Mackeys: William Halsey Rid dick. Local Ration Board Issues 8 Certificates For Tire Purchases -«■ Does Not Get To Bicycle Applications at Meeting Last Week Eight certificates for the purchase of new tires and tubes or recapping of old tires were issued by the coun ty rationing board at its meeting last Thursday night. The board was unable to consider any of the pend ing applications for bicycle pur chases at that time, as other mat ters took up most of its time. Some applications for supple mentary allotments of sugar for home calming are being received and granted at this time, although the amount is considerably smaller than it was early last month, when the big rush developed. Some applicants, when informed that 8 pounds of su gar per person was the maximum amount that would be allotted, have declined to accept any supplementary allotments at all. Certificates for tire purchases and recaps were issued to the following last week: Rev. R. N. Pitts, of Creswell, one tire and tube for passenger car used in ministerial work. Mrs. Gerald Gaylord, Roper, one new tire and tube for truck used in delivery of ice and fuel. Washington County Board of Edu cation, Plymouth, two recapped tires for school busses. J. R. Manning, Plymouth, two new tires and tubes for truck used in farm work. John Askew, Plymouth, two new tires and tubes for farm truck. R. C. Jackson Plymouth, one re cap for farm trailer. North Carolina Pulp Co., Plymouth, one new tire and tube for truck used in essential industry. W. J. Higlismith, sanitary inspec tor, Plymouth, one new tube for car used in health work. Revival To Begin Sunday at Roper A series of revival services will be gin at the Roper Methodist church next Sunday night at 8:30, continu ing throughout the following week, it was announced today by the Rev. G C. Wood, pastor of the Roper charge The guest preacher for the revival se ries will be the Rev. S. E. Mercer, of Franklinton. described as one of the outstanding young ministers of the Methodist conference. Mr, Wood urges members of the local demon inat ions to give the serv ices their whole-hearted support. Services will be held each night next week at 8:30 by the Rev. Mr. Mer cer, the revival closing with the sen - ice Sunday nig tit. August 23. Campaign for Scrap Metal Is Begun in County This Week Draft Board Has Three Calls Pending; One More This Month and Two Next At the weekly metting of the local selective service hoard Tuesday night, the clerk was ordered to immediately begin making preparations to fill the county's quota of 25 white men, called to leave here Tuesday, September 8. Work is also un derway on the August quota of 65 colored men, who will leave Thursday, August 27th; as well as the quota of 45 colored men called for Wednesday, Septem ber 30. The board does not anticipate any difficulties in completly fill ing the August quota of colored men; but it is likely that some single men with dependents will be ealled up in September. Practically all white men who have been classified as 1-A have already been called from this county; and the board indicated that calls in the near future will be made up of single men with dependents and married men without children. There are about 30 men in the county classified as 1-B. due to minor physical defects, but so far no calls have been received from men in this category, although three men classed as 1-B were accepted for the army this month. Budget and Tax Rate Of $ 1.80 Is Approved By State Commission Valuation Increase Of $157,201 Shown; Rate Same as in 1941 Budget Is Also About Same As Last Year; Calls for Total of $137,174 -® Washington County's tax rate for the current fiscal year will be $1.80. exactly the same as for the last se veral years, it was determined this week, when approval of the budget estimate was given by the Local Government Commission at Raleigh. The county commissioners had pre viously considered and tentatively fixed the rate, subject to approval by the state commission. The $1.80 total rate will raise an estimated $101,292.63, needed to bal ance the budget, on the total coun ty valuation of $6,399,905. Tire total county budget for the 1942 fiscal year is estimated at $137,174.40, but $35,881.63 will come from sources other than ad valorem taxation. The county valuation this year is $157,201 higher than it was a year ago, and the total budget require ment is $2,214.05 less than last year; but the estimated yield from taxa tion is less than $3,000 greater than it was during the 1941 tax year, which was not considered enough to effect a reduction in the rate. A breakdown of the budget require ments for the various departments shows but little difference from that of last year, although there are some variations, of course. The only de partmental fund showing a decreased budget from the tax levy for the current year is the county health fund, reduced from $3,433.48 to $3, 199.95. effecting a rate reduction from to 5 cents on the $100 valu ation. The debt service fund, al though requiring nearly $8,000 less than last year, will call for a tax levy substantially the same, due to loss of revenue other than by taxation. Tire rate for this purpose is lowered from $1.25 per $100 valu ation to $1.22 this year. This item is by far the largest in the entire budget. In other words, bond re tirements and interest require a tax rate of $1.22, while only 58 cents is required for all the other county ac tivities and programs. Other comparisons with last year’s budget and tax rate follow: County general fund, $31,018.68, against $27,556.92 last year; rate, 15 cents per $100, same as for 1941. County poor fund, $12,028.16. against $11, 321.92 last year: rate, 14 cents, against 12cents in 1941. Old-age assistance fund, $3,600, against $3, 145 last year; rate, 5Scents, same as for 1941. Aid dependent children fund, $1,732.50, against $1,950, rate 3Vh cents, same as last year; School current expense, $16,942.95, against $14,880.61, rate 15 cents, against 13 cents last year. The total budget requirements for this year are $137,174.40. against $139,388.45 for 1941: estimate of rev enue from sources other than taxa tion. $35,881.63. against $32,719.50; total amount needed from taxes to balance budget, $101,282.77, against $106,668.95 last year; total levy. $115,198.28. against $112,368.67 last year. Creswell Churches Hold Joint Picnic This Week Creswell.—Three Creswell church es, the Episcopal. Methodist and Baptist, held a joint picnic at Co lonial Beach Wednesday of this week. This is an annual event which is looked forward to every year by members of the three congregations. j LEAVES FOR ARMY -- t tr-:-:-xoooaaa * ■ Wilbur M. Darden, clerk of the Washington County Superior Court, was among the group of selectees who left this morning for Fort Bragg for induction into the Army. Mr. Darden was re nominated without opposition for a four-year term as clerk of court recently, and will have no opposition in the November gen eral election. He has been grant ed a leave of absence “for the duration” by Resident Judge Walter P. Bone, of the second judicial district, and the duties of the office will be performed by W. B. Cox, whose appoint ment as assistant clerk has been approved by judge Bone. Change Announced In Rules for Peanut Marketing This Fall Farmers May Sell Quantity Equal To Normal Yield From Allotted Acres A change in peanin marketing quo ta regulations to permit the sale, without penalty, of a quantity equal to the actual or normal production of a farm’s acreage allotment, which ever is greater, was announced this week by County Agent V. V. Hays. Last year the marketing quota was the actual production of a farm's acreage allotment. This provision, Mr. Hays said, is included in new marketing quota regulations issued for the 1942 crop by the United States Department of Agriculture. See, PEANUTS, Page Pour Collection Centers Located in Each of Towns in County Local Committee Hopes To Secure at Least Million Pounds During Drive To meet the nation's war needs for scrap iron and steel and other salvage materials, a new intensive drive is being launched this week in Washington county to obtain at least 1,000,000 pounds of scrap materials, it was announced this week by W. V Hays and H. H. McLean, co-chairmen of the local salvage committee. The local drive is part of the nation-wide drive announced recently by Donald M. Nelson. WPB chairman. “As the war becomes more inten sive on the various foreign fronts," Mr. McLean said, “the need for scrap materials has steadily increased" He declared that while collections of various types of salvage have already been made here from time to time, the expanding requirements of the war program have made it necessary to obtain much larger amounts of materials. “Tlie American steel industry tills year hopes to produce a record breaking 85,000,000 tons of steel—as much as all foreign countries put to gether can make. Our country alone this year is going to produce three tons of steel for every two lions the Axis can turn out. “To bring steel production up to the industry's full capacity of 90.000 000 tons in 1942, however, our steel indust/v needs an extra 6,000,000 tons of scrap steel for its furnaces. Every ton of scrap we can send them will swell our national production ol tanks, ships, planes and guns.” Headquarters of the local salvage committee are at the courthouse here However, collection depots will be set up in each of the three county towns. At Creswell, the depot will be at C. N. Davenport’s store, in charge of Mr. Davenport. It is uu • derstood that Mayor H. S. Everett, ot Roper, is in charge of the scrap iron collection there; while in Plymouth the collections may be carried di rectly to the yard of the Richard West Wrecking Company on Wilson Street Extended. C. E. Ayers will also buy scrop for cash at the Standard Service Station here. At the yard of Mr. West, cash will be paid on delivery of scrap metals, while at the other two receiving points in the comity it has been sug gested that receipts be issued for de liveries of scrap, and payment will be made on basis of weight shown in See. SCRAP METAL. Page Four One New School Bus for County v.-& H. H. McLean, county superinten dent of public instruction, said yes terday that Washington County had been allotted one new school bus by the state commission recently, and the superintendent expects the new vehicle to be delivered here Wednes day of next week. The new bus was badly needed and Mr. McLean wras elated over its allocation to the school system in the county. The superintendent also said that all school busses used in the county system had been worked over during the summer and made ready, as far as possible, for the opening of schools on September 3. All bus drivers in the county attended a two-w'eeks course last April and received certi ficates attesting their ability and proficiency in the operation and care of the trucks. The course of instruc tion included both textbook study and actual driving under the super vision of highway patrolmen. Mr. McLean said that there would be few changes in the drivers' per sonnel this term; the only ones he knew about at this time being senior student drivers w'ho graduated at the close of school last spring. P. Bruce Bateman Named Chairman Civilian Defense Council by Governor P. Bruce Bateman was today appointed ehairman of the Washington County Civilian De fense Council by Governor J. M. Broughton, and he will assume the duties of the office imme diately, it was stated. Mr. Bate man was named to succeed Wil bur M. Darden, who resigned re cently in order to enter the mili tary service. Mr. Bateman is a member of the local school board and has been very' active in affairs of the local American Legion post for a number of years. He has serv ed as commander of the local post, and at the present time is | commander tor the second dis trict of the North Carolina De partment of the Legion. The duties of the Civilian De fense Council are becoming in creasingly important in connec tion with the county’s war effort At the present time the salvage eommittee of the council is launching an all-out drive for the collection of scrap materials of all kinds, especially metals, in order to keep defense industries running at full blast. Miss Pauline Biggs is full-time clerk for the Civilian Defense Committee, and it is understood that she will continue her work in the office of the eelrk of the superior court in the courhtouse here for the present, at least.