North Carolina Newspapers

The Roanoke Beacon ...... and Washington County News ******* MAKE EVERY PAY DAY BOND DAY mi TM W*OU UfUCU CUM VOLUME LIV—NUMBER 3 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, January 21, 1943 ESTABLISHED 1889 Town opics The Red Cross home nursing class here will hold its meeting this week tonight (Thursday) in the Legion Hail at 8 o'colck, instead of Wednes day night, as originally planned. Last night’s meeting had to be postponed on account of the hall be ing in use for another purpose. The change applies to this week only, and the meeting wil be held next week at the usual time. J. Brinson Cox, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Cox, left at noon yester day for Columbia, S. C., where he will enter upon a two-month Civilian Pilot Training course before going to a Naval Pre-Flight school. Young Cox has been enrolled as a Naval Ca det since last summer. Stamp No. 3 in the basic A gasoline rationing book expires today and stamp No. 4 becomes valid for 3 coupons, beginning tomorrow, January 22. The No. 4 coupons will continue to be good until March 22nd. County Agent W. V. Hays was ad vised this week that peddlers who use truck exclusively for the collec tion of scrap material are eligible to receive additional supplies of gaso line and to have such truck tires re capped. The office of the county agent has a suply of ODT Form CWN-5-S, which must be filled out to secure authorization for these extra supplies. Chairman W. L. Whitley of the lo cal rationing board, called Raleigh Monday and received authorization to grant supplementary gasoline al lotments to persons who use their cars to bring hospital patients home. Heretofore it has been posible to get emergency gasoline to take patients to a hospital but not for returning such patients to their homes. The OPA ban on sliced bread, which became effective this week, is reviving a lost art In many Plymouth homes. Local cutlery stores are having a run on bread knives as a result of the order, and many complaints are being heard from some whose slices are turning out to be hunks. Seawell Bowen resigned last week as manager of the Plymouth ABC store and was succeeded by Bill Styon, who has been employed there as assistant manager for gome time. Bill Tetterton has been employed as clerk in the store to assist Mr. Styon. John W. Darden, Plymouth post master, has been appointed Wash ington County chairman of the President’s Birthday Celebia*. lnc\, which seeks to rahe funtjr* this time each year to be used in the prevention and treatment of infan tile paralysis. It is doubtful that the usual dances will be held in the county this year, but detailed plans of the local campaign will be an nounced next week, Mr. Darden said. Continue To Issue Large Number of Tire Certificates -<9> 32 Persons Get Tires, Tubes Or Recaps During Past Week -® The local war price and rationing board continues to issue a large num ber of tire certificates each week. During the past week, purchases of 8 tires and 3 tubes were authorised for trucks, while passenger car own ers received certificates as follows: 34 grade III tires, 3 grade n tires, 2 grade I tires, 13 recaps and 7 tubes. Those who received certificates are as follows: J. F. Carter, Wenona, 2 tires and 1 tube for truck: Milton Armistead, Plymouth, 1 tire for pick-up truck; C. M. Davenport, Roper, 1 tire for pick-up truck; J. R. Pierce, Creswell, 1 tire and 1 tube, pick-up truck; E. C. Craddock, Creswell, 1 tire, 1 tube, for truck; Wiley Anthony, Plymouth, 1 tire for truck; Plymouth Box & Panel Co., 1 tire, truck; C. S. Heynen, Wenona, 1 grade III tire, 2 recaps, car; Cecil Clifton, Plymouth, 1 grade III tire, 1 recap, car; Roanld W. Spruill, Plymouth, 1 grade III tire, car; J. H. Satterthwaite, Roper, 2 grade m tires, 2 tubes, car; M. G. Ward, Plymouth, 2 grade III tires, 2 tubes, car; (See AUTO TIRES, Page 6) Local Stores Will Close at 3 o'Clock on Saturday Nights. Starting This Week Plymouth stores will begin closing Saturday nights at 9 o'clock, one hour earlier than usual, this week. This action was decided upon last week after requests were received from the Federal government to shorten store hours in order to conserve fuel and lights as war measures. Some time ago, the local mer chants began opening at 9 in the morning, instead of 8, there by cutting six hours a week off their former schedule of store hours. It was not considered practical to further reduce hours during the week, and the best way to comply with the govern ment request was considered to be lopping off an hour Saturday night. It is not felt that the earlier closing on Saturdays will greatly inconvenience patrons of local establishments after they be come aciu'tomcd to it. A few people have made it a practice to do some of their shopping after getting out of the movies at 9 o’lock, but they are reminded that the show here on Saturdays is continuous; and they can go to the movies a little earlier and do their shopping as usual after wards. The cooperation of the public will be appreciated. Officials Comment on Report by Grand Jury USE HAY BURNERS | -_I N. S. Harrington and D. P. Pharr, of Skinnersville, are pre pared for the gas shortage. Mr. Harrington (left) is mounted on a Texas broncho, while Mr. Pharr is riding a western saddle horse. Both animals are owned IJ,' . A . — ... ■ A- I A nersvillc section. Forest Fire Control This Year Is More Essential Than Ever Smoke Constitutes Hazard To Aviators Engaged in Submarine Patrol At a meeting held in the court house here Monday morning, plans were made to undertake an educa tional campaign throughout the county to lessen the usual hazards arising from forest fires at this sea son of the year. Roy L. Westerfleld, of Rocky Mount, was in charge of the meeting here Monday, which was attended by about 15 or 20 interested persons from the county, headed by Stuart P. Darden, county forest war den, and the recently appointed com - munity leaders of the Forest Fire Fighters’ Service. Community leaders are as follows: Plymouth, Jim Sexton: Lees Mill, J. C. Knowles: Skinnersville, W. W. White; Scuppernong, W. D. Phelps; (See FOREST FIRES. Page 6) -® Historian Wants Letters County Men in Service An appeal for letters from men in the armed services is being directed to county people this week by John W. Darden, who was recently assign ed by the State Historical Comir .s slon to collect items which may be come of historical interest concern ing Washington County's part in the present war. Mr. Darden asks parents -<ud friends of men in the service to turn over to him such letters from them as they can spare. He will see that they are preserved for their historical in terest in later years, whereas most of them may become lost or destroy ed if they remain in individual hands. January 31 Deadline for Having Tires Inspected Has Been Postponed by OP A The local office of the War Price and Rationing Board an nounced today that the Janu ary 31st deadline for inspection of all passenger vehicles has been postponed and frequency of in spection periods reduced. Car owners who have A gaso line ration books have until March 31 to have their first in spection made, with subsequent inspections to be made every six months. Those with B ration books must have their first in spection made by February 28 and subsequent inspections every four months. Those with C or bulk ration books must have the initial inspection made by Febru ary 28 and subsequent inspec tions every three months. The change was made in order to adopt a staggered schedule of inspections to avoid overlapping of the inspection periods. This will greatly relieve the inspection load now placed on the official tire inspection stations and, like wise, will permit the vehicle own er to comply more conveniently with inspection requirements. Say County Unable To Finance Needed Improvements Now Higher Tax Rate Would Be Necessary To Carry Out All Recommendations County officials, in commenting on the report and recommendations made by the grand jury to the su perior court here last week, agree that conditions in some schools and public buildings are deplorable, but they say it is impracticable—if not impossible-—to correct them under existing conditions without an in crease in the tax rate. And all of them disagree with the premise in the grand jury report that the peo ple of the county would rather have a higher tax rate than improved buildings, under present circum stances. It is cited that present county of ficials. as well as school authorities, have made every effort to perma nently remedy inadequate school fa cili'.ie ichout increasing the tax ■ ’ 11 and winter of 1941 a coiiipreiiciJtsive program was agreou upon, in cooperation with the WPA, which would have rectified most of the conditions about which complaint is made. At that time the county was prepared to put up its share, some $50,000, to build a new build ing in Plymouth, repair the high school here, and erect an additional building for Roper colored children. Then the war began and all build ing was banned. These projects are still on the approved list, but ne cessarily abandoned for the duration of the war. Under state law, the county cannot borrow more than two-thirds of the amount of bonds it has retired dur ing the preceding year. That is, without a vote of the people, and the county officials are so certain a pro posed bond issue—for any purpose whatever—would be defeated that they do not even consider putting It to a vote. It is pointed out that the county had little credit in recent years un (See COMMENT, Page 6) -® State Farm Bureau To Hold Meeting in Raleigh Next Week President of County Unit Is Named To Resolutions Committee J. Roy Manning, president of the Washington County Farm Bureau was this week made a member of the resolutions committee of the North Carolina Farm Bureau Federation, which will hold its annual meeting in Raleigh next Tuesday and Wednes day, January 26 and 27. Mr. Man ning is planning to attend the ses sions of the committee, which will get underway Tuesday morning at 10 o’clock, and he says that he would like to have two or three county farmers go with him to the annual meeting. He has room for them in his car. A brilliant list of speakers is on the program for the two-day session, inclding Representative Henry B. Steagall, chairman of the House Committee on Banking and Currency and author of the $5,000 guaranteed deposit law, who will be introduced by Representative Harold Cooley, of this state. Other featured speakers include J. B. Hutson, an authority on tobacco; Governor Broughton, Theo dore S. Johnson. State Director of the OPA; and officials of the AAA and other organizations. The meeting will be streamlined to a strictly business session dedicated to the theme “Food a Vital Weapon in the Struggle for Freedom.’’ Mr. Manning is anxious to have a repre sentative group from this county and especially would like to take at least two county farmers with him. Those vho are interested in going are ask ed to get in touch with Mr. Manning. I MISSING IN ACTION Bosie Aydlett Bateman, son of Mr. and Mrs. H. R. Bateman, of Creswell, last week became the second Washington County serv ice man to be reported “missing in action” in World War II. The young man was a seaman on the cruiser “Juneau,” sunk In mid November during the naval bat tle with the Japanese near Guad al canal. Mrs. J. T. Spencer, County Nat ive, Died Sunday in Norfolk Daughter of Mrs. Sarah F. Bailey, of Roper; Final Rites Tuesday <3> Mrs. Ethel Lee Halley Spencer, wife of J. T. Spence:. of Norfolk, Va., died Sunday at 3:15 p. m„ in Leigh Memorial hospital there. Mrs. Spen cer had suffered fi 5m nephritis for about a year and a i.alf, although she was not confined t- her bed during, all of that time; ani pneumonia fol lowed by uremic po soning was given as the immediate cause of her death. She had been to the hospital several times during the past year for trans fusions, but her condition was not considered critical until Saturday, and her passing crme as a decided shock to re’atives... and friends in Washington county, of which she was a native and where she had lived much of her life. Mrs. Spencer was bom at Roper on December 30. 1890, the daughter of Mrs. Sarah P. Bailey and the late Benjamin Franklin Bailey. She at tended the Roper schools and after graduating there attended East Car olina Teachers College in Greenville. She taught school for a number of years, at Oak Grove, White Oak and Roper in this county, and also at Stokes and Belhaven. After giving up teaching, she attended a Norfolk business college and later did office work for the Norfolk Southern Rail road. In 1919 she was married to Mr. Spencer, who is dockmaster at Co lonna's shipyard in Norfolk, and who, with one son and two daughters, sur vives her. Her son, James Thomas Spencer, jr„ 22, is a student at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest College at Winston Salem; while the two daughters, Misses Frances Spencer, 18, and Norma Spencer, 16, live at the home in Norfolk. She is also survived by her mother, Mrs. Sarah F. Bailey, of Roper; and by two brothers, form er State Senator Carl L. Bailey, of Plymouth; and Dr. Clarence W. Bailey, of Rocky Mount. All of the members of the family were at her bedside when the end came. For many years Mrs. Spencer was an ardent member of Sprugeon Memorial Baptist church in Norfolk, and she was very active in the work of the church as long as her health permitted. The funeral service was conducted by her pastor, the Rev. Mr. Morris, at Sprugeon Memorial church Tuesday. It was largely attended and there was a very profuse floral offering. Wil liam Shields, room-mate of her son at the medical school in Winston Salem, sang two tenor solos, “Abide With Me,” and “The Lord’s Prayer,” during the service. Interment was made in the family plot at Riverside Cemetery in Norfolk. Seed-Feed Loans Again Available Farmers who wish to apply for emergency feed and seed loands for 1943 are advised to make their applications as early as possible. Miss Martha Hornthal, at the office of W. R. Hampton, is receiving applications from Washington County farmers and will be glad to assist them in fill ing out the blanks. Loans are available to farmers for buying necessary seed and feed for the current crop year. The rate of interest is 4 per cent. Roy Hearne, field supervisor for the government agency which makes these loans was in town this week and delivered a supply of application blanks to Miss Hornthal. Work Is in Progress On Observation Posi To Be Erected Here Should Be Completed and In Operation Within Couple Weeks Work was started Monday on the aircraft observation post for Plym outh, but was suspended shortly thereafter on account of the weather and not resumed until yesterday. R. W. Tetterton, contractor for the job, now has a full crew of workmen at work and expects to finish the struc ture within about 10 working days, he said yesterday. The plans call for a 10-by-lQ room 23 feet in the air. Located on the old Hampton lot here, fronting on Water Street, the post will be reach ed by three flights of stairs built on the inside of the tower. There will be a 3-foot observation walk entirely around the room, and the walk will be sheltered by an overhanging roof. Completely enclosed, the room itself will have windows about four feet from the floor entirely around it, giving a full range of vision in all directions. When completed, the post will be furnished with a desk or table, chairs, electric heater, binoculars and tele phone. It will be manned on a round-the-clock schedule, with vol unteers being sought to share the work in such manner that it will not be burdensome. Edw. 8. (Ted) Blount is chief ob server of the post and is seeking as many volunteer observers as possi ble to spread the periods on duty as thinly as possible. Mr. Blount plans to have the post operated by ladies from 8 in'the morning until 8 at night, with the men taking over and remaining on duty until 8 the fol lowing morning. It is planned to divide the watches into two or four hour periods, depending on the num ber of volunteers. Up to yesterday Mr. Blount had about 25 women and 19 men volun teers, but it is expected that a great many others will give in their names before the post is completed, so that each person will not be required to serve oftener than once a week. It is hoped to have the post in opera tion within the next two weeks. -* Negro Gets 2 Years For Robbery Store Here Friday Night -® Captured By Patrolman Be fore Store Owner Knew He Had Been Robbed -« James Willis Barrow, 21-year-old Negro originally from Fairfield, was given two years on the roads by Re corder Edward L. Owens Tuesday, after pleading guilty to a charge of breaking and entering. Barrow was arrested shortly after midnight last Saturday morning by Highway Pa trolman M. B. Stewart, who suspec ted something was wrong when he saw Barrow with a big bag on his back walking along Highway 64 in the western part of town. He started an investigation which resulted in Barrow confessing that he had broken into the store of James Hardison and stolen a number of articles con tained in the bag. After picking up Barrow, the offi cers went to the Hardison store, where he found a piece of glass brok en out of the front window. Mr. and Mrs. Hardison live in the rear part of the store building, but did not know that the store had been rob bed until after they were awakened and told about it by the patrolman. Some of the property in the bag was positively identified by Mr. Hardison, and Barrow was held for trial at Re corder’s court Tuesday. The bag of loot carried by Barrow when he was arrested included sev eral boxes crackers, ladies hose, men’s sox, work gloves, 12 cartons of cigar ettes, 6 plugs chewing tobacco, combs, canned goods, 18 pads notebook pa per, some ice cream and 270 pennies. -- .-a . Dealers May Apply For Stock of Tires -$ ■ - The office of Price Administration announced this week that any deal er may apply to the OPA district of fice for an allotment of tires and tubes to be sold under the terms of the new mileage rationing program These tires come under three classes. B, C and D, and include recappable. repairable, or usable tires and tubes; grade 1, II and III tires and tubes. Applications should be made to the district OPA office on OPA Form No. R-54, it was stated. The district of fice for this section is located in Ra leigh. The recappable, repairable and us able tires and tubes mentioned above will come from the stock accumulated recently when all motorists in the country were required to turn in ail tires except five. Application Blanks No. R-54 have been mailed to most tire dealers, but it was stated that those who have not received them may write the district OPA office for a supply. Draft Board To Send 61 Men From County To Service Next Week GETS COMMISSION Hugh Fagan Jordan, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Frank Jordan, of Dardens, graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, N. Y., Tuesday and received his commission as second lieutenant in the Army Air Corps at the same time. He is a graduate of Plymouth High School. Hugh Fagan Jordan Gets Commission ai West Point Tuesday Son of Mr. and J. F. Jordan. Of Dardens, Graduates at Military Academy Among the cadets graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point, N. Y., Tuesday, Janu ary 19. was Hugh Pagan Jordan, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. Prank Jordan, of Dardens. Immediately upon gradu ation he received his commission as second lieutenant in the Army Air Corps. After graduating from Plymouth High School in 1936, Lieutenant Jor dan attended the Porter Military Academy at Charleston, S. C., for one year, graduating in 1937. He later attended Millard’s and Colum bian West Point Preparatory Schools in Washington, D. C., Braden’s School at Cornwall-on-the-Hudson, N. Y., and studied at State College in Raleigh. He received his appoint ment in 1938 to the United States Military Academy from the present Comptroller General of the United States, Lindsay C. Warren, then representative from the First North Carolina District. He was very active in all phases of 'TseTHUGHFWORDANnS^e 6) February Draft Call Is Upped 20 Per Cent The local draft board was notified this week that its February quota of white men had been raised 20 per cent to care for requirements of the Navy. Marine Corps and Coast Guard. The original call for the month was for 35 men to leave on February 5 for the Army. Mrs. Eliza Hamp ton Daniel, clerk to the board, said the instructions were not clear as to whether 42 men would be called for the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard in addition to the 35 wanted by the Army; or if the total would be 12 for the four branches of the mili tary service. It is believed however, that the total call will be for 42 men. rather than 77. The board also has a call on hand for 25 colored men to leave Febru ary 18 for the Army. This quota was aot affected by the 20 per cent in n-ease. The original quota of 75 white men called up in January- was •educed 20 per cent to 60. They are eaving next Tuesday. Seven Volunteers in Group Leaving for Fort Bragg Tuesday More Than Half Are Young Men Who Registered Last June 30 -® A total of 61 white men in Wash ington County have been notified to report to the local selective service board at 9 a. m. next Tuesday morn ing. January 6. when they will be sent to Port Bragg for final physical and mental examination and possible induction into the Army. The coun ty is sending one more man than the actual call, which is for 60. This is caused by the fact that one man volunteered after the calls were sent out. and there is also one transfer who is being inducted for the Balti more, Md.. local board. Included in the list to leave next Tuesday are seven volunteers, all from Plymouth and all in the 18 and 19 year old class. More than half of the total number are young men in the 18 and 19 year old group, whose service was authorized by Congress only last November. A few of them have reached 20 since they registered in June. Several of the volunteers are 18-year-olds who registered dur ing December. The Plymouth section will furnish 37 of the men called up, more than half of the total list. Roper, with 11. is second, followed by Creswel, with 9; Mackeys, with 2; and Wenona. with 1. Tire other man is Leon Wil son Clifton, formerly a resident of the Creswell section, who was regis tered with and is being inducted for a Baltimore, Md., board. The January call was originally for 75 men, but the number was lat°r re duced 20 per cenh However, t.-.e number to be sent to camp is one of the largest single calls ye* made on the county. The local board is nearing the end of its list of men presently available foi induction under existing regu lations. and within another couple of months will not be able to fill even a small quota unless some men are taken from deferred classifications. It is not yet known what course will be pursued when the present list of available is exhausted. Quite a num ber of married men are included in the contingent to leave next Tuesday. Those who have received notice to report next Tuesday morning are as follows: (v denotes volunteer): From Plymouth: 18-19-20-year tSee^DRAFT^LJSTrPage~^> County Merchants Urged* To Attend Price-Ceiling Meet -$ To Be Held in Williamston Friday Night; Board Here Organized Last Week -* Carl L. Bailey. J. E. Westray, and W. T. Freeman, who comprise the membership of the price-ceiling panel of the local war price and rationing board, held their organizational meet ing last week. Mr. Bailey was elect ed chairman and such information as was available dealing with the administration and enforcement of price ceiling regulations was dis cussed by the group at its first meet ing. Locai merchants are receiving in vitations to attend a meeting to be held at the courthouse in William ston Friday night of this week, a' 8 o'clock, when all phases of the price ceiling regulations will be discussed at length by specialist in various fields. Price regulations and inter pretations for all types of retail bus iness will be explained, and all the merchants of the county are urged to attend. The meeting is being held in Williamston for merchants of Martin and Washington Counties. No Extension of Time To Be Given for Tax Listing; Only Eight Day Remain Tax listing is proceeding very slowly throughout the county as a whole, although Scuppernong Township is reported to be more than half through with the task. Tax Supervisor E. F. Swain, of Creswell, said yesterday that he had been informed there would be no extension of time for list ing this year, which means that a great many people are going to be liable for the penalties im posed for failure to list during the period ending January 31. Taxes are required to be listed during the month of January each year. This leaves only eight more days after today, since Sat urday of next week is the final day. Mr. Swain said that about one-third of the Plymouth Town ship taxpayers had listed, about 29 per cent in Skinnersville, ap proximately 25 per cent in Lees Mill, and well over half in Seup pernong. In past years an extra week or so to list has usually been al lowed. which may account for thr current lag in listing. The sup ervisor said he had been advised by the county commissioners that there would be no extension this year, however, and he urges all citizens to see their respective list takers before Saturday of next week and avoid the possi bility of being penalized.