T'own) opicsl Most people herabout will read ily agree that it would be ex tremely hard to get up any de cent sort of argument about whe ther or not the temperature has been high, the humidity high and the rainfall scarce of late. The sticky heat has caused quite a bit of comment but probably not quite so much as has been evoked by the dry weather. Rains came this week but generally were scattered and light and passed the Plymouth area pretty much by until Wednesday. Gardens and field crops have been begging for rain. The Rev. and Mrs. Dwight L. Fouts will celebrate their twenty fifth wedding anniversary for the benefit of the Educational Build ing Tuesday evening, June 29, from 8 until 10 o’clock in the Fel lowship Hall of Plymouth Metho dist Church. Friends of the Fouts and of the church are invited. No personal invitations will be sent. Friday of this week will be commencement time again here. This time, however, it will be final exercises at the vacation church school sponsored by Plym outh Methodist Church. Parents and friends are invited to the ex ercises to mark the close of the two-week term and which will be held by departments, accord ing to leaders. The attendance has been good and final figures ' will be available for publication next week, it was promised. Among 114 students at Mere dith College whose names are in cluded on the spring semester Dean’s List are Annie Lee Mayo, of Plymouth, and Delores Diane Morris, of Creswell. The acade mic requirement for this honor roll makes it necessary for a stu dent to take at least twelve se mester hours and earn a num ber of quality points equal to twice the number of hours taken plus three. It is understood that several people from Plymouth are plan ning to see the Marciano-Charles heavyweight championship fight via theatre screen at Norfolk, Va., among them Bill Roebuck and Bugs Beasley. Cukes Coming in * At Local Market Receipts of cucumbers were fairly heavy on the Plymouth Produce Market this week with the peak in volume expected next week. Prices ranged from $1.50 to $2.50, according to W. T. Freeman, one of the three co owners and) operators. There was a light volume of beans reported through business of Wednesday, with the average price paid hovering around $1 per bushel. The first tomatoes were receiv ed Tuesday with farmer's pack bringing $2. The first offerings of peppers are expected next week while week after next the tomato volume should be at its peak, it was stated. The volume of tomatoes this week through Wednesday was listed as fair. Market prospects were strengh ened this week with some preci pitation scattered over the grow ing area helping the outlook. With more needed rain in sight, things appeared considerably brighter, as of Wednesday. -1 Singing Practice For Club Members The first practice for the home demonstration clubs’ district sing ing contest will be held Thursday night of next week at Creswell High School, Mrs. Frances M. Darden, Washington County home agent, has announced. The contest is being sponsored by two radio stations in this area, WRRF, Washington, and WGAI, Elizabeth City. The sponsors are offering $50 prize for first place winner and a silver cup as second prize to the best county com munity chorus in the Eastern dis trict. Washington County club wo V men have some good voices, Mrs. Darden states, and they are urged to be present for practice. Club members living near Plymouth are asked to please notify the home agent if they can attend the practice. -t Heavy Damage To Oil Truck in Monday Mishap An oil truck owned by Kelly and Hall, Plymouth distributors, was damaged an estimated $600 Monday morning when a front tire blew, causing the machine to go out of control. The truck was loaded and headed south on NC 32 about 8 miles out of Plymouth when the accident happened. The driver, Joe Beasley, of Plymouth, escap ed injury but was shaken up con siderably. Time of the accident was placed at 8:20 o’clock. The Roanoke Beacon ****** and Washington County News ****** VOLUME LXV—NUMBER 24 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, June 17, 1954 ESTABLISHED 1889 A home newspaper dedicated to the service of Washington County and its 13,000 people. ————=H=J 150 Pints Local Goal Of Bloodmobiie Unit i Garbage Barrels ] I Should Be Moved! ■■■■■•■■■■■■a* •■■■■■■■■■■■■■» Plymouth Police Chief P. W. Brown this week called atten tion of the public to the fact that there exists a town ordi nance against garbage barrels being left on the streets. The chief stated that this or dinance is constantly being vio lated and that such barrels must be moved into the lots of owners or else the city trucks will pick them up. Owners of these barrels are asked to please cooperate. Couple Local Men Chosen for Board Of Planters Bank L. N. Womble and P. W. Brown New Members; C. L. Bailey and W. L. Whit ley Named Attorneys. Two additions to the board of managers of the Plymouth office of the Planters National Bank & Trust Company and appointment of two local attorneys to represent the bank were announced this week by D. Marvin Weaver, man ager of the bank here. /The ap pointments are to be effective as of July 1, Weaver stated. L. N. Womble, owner of Wom ble’s Drug Store, and P. W. Brown, Plymouth police chief, are the new appointees to the bank's board of managers. Both are well known locally and have been active in business and civic affairs for many years. They were appointed to fill vacancies on the board created by resignations of W. J. Woolard, of Plymouth, and Douglas W. Davenport, of Cres well. Womble has been active in civic affairs since moving to Plymouth in 1937. He was a charter member and served as first president of the Plymouth Junior Chamber of Commerce. He is also a member of the Lions Club and attend: the Christian Church. Brown is £ Plymouth native who is serving his 31st year as Plymouth police chief and tax collector. He is £ charter member of the Lions Cluh and served as its third president He is also vice president of the Plymouth Building & Loan As sociation, past commander of the American Legion post here anc has served on the board of stew ards of the Methodist Church for 24 years. Carl L. Bailey and W. L. Whit ley, both of Plymouth and lead ing members of the Washingtor County Bar, were named as at torneys for the bank. Weaver stated that acceptance of the appointments is a source of pride and gratification to the bank's management. “I am pleas ed to have these fine citizens as sociated with us in the manage ment and handling of the bank': affairs,” he said. “I look forward to working with them in pro See BANK, Page 10 Red Cross Bloodmobile Unit From Regional Center To Make Second Appearance Of Year Wednsday A Red Cross bloodmobile unit from Tidewater Regional Blood Center, Norfolk, Va., will make its regularly scheduled quarterly visit to Plymouth and Washington County Wednesday of next week, local blood bank leaders have an nounced. As usual, the unit will locate at the Veterans Club near the Wash ington County Hospital and will again be seeking a minimum quo ta of 150 pints. Donor hours have been an nounced as from 10:30 a. m. to 5 p. m. and transportation will be available for all persons wishing to give blood and who do not have a way to the unit center. Refreshments will be served to all donors of blood as in all past visits but it could not be learned late yesterday just what group would be responsible for furnish ing food and serving during the donor hours of the visit. The last visit of the bloodmo bile unit to Plymouth was on Wednesday, March 10, when 195 persons, including 38 first-time donors, showed up to give blood. Of these, there were 21 rejects, leaving a total of 174 pints se cured. This figure surpassed the quota by 24 pints and gave the local blood bank its second high est total since the program was first inaugurated here in Decem ber of 1950. The visit next Wednesday will be the 14th to this county. In the 13 previous visits a total of 1,723 pints of blood has been secured, according to Beacon file& Again sponsoring the visit will be the veterans’ organizations here. It has been pointed out to the public by local blood bank lead ers that since the schools are now closed for the summer months the program can no longer be worked through the schools as was so successfully done on the last pre vious visit when a contest among grades stimulated interest great ly. “This time we will have to de pend on the public,” Dr. E. W. Furgurson stated yesterday. He said North Carolina Pulp Com pany, a mainstay in past visits, still is “cooperating in its usual fine spirit." W. F. Ruffin and Ed Stewart are a committee of two in charge of securing donors at the pulp plant while Herbert Downing is working among colored employ ees there, it was stated. Local leaders expressed opti mism that the public would again come through in a splendid way to maintain the fine record com piled here during the history of the program. -f 3il Stove Flare Causes Real Scare, No Damage The fire alarm sounded Tues day during the noon hour and both trucks from the Plymouth Fire Department sped to the scene, a colored residence in the Sugar Hill section of West Water Street. An oil stove had flared up causing a scare to householders, but there was no damage. Tax Rate Same; Valuation Shows Slight Increase Budget Requirements Up by Over $20,000 in Estimate For 1954-55 Fiscal Year In This County The Washington County tax rate for the 1954-55 fiscal year which begins July 1 will again be $1.70 on each $100 property valu ation, according to recent action of the board of county commis sioners. The rate has been un changed during the past nine years. Total property valuation in the county is estimated at $10,500,000 this year, up $100,000 from the preceding year and $300,000 over that of the 1952-53 fiscal year. The hike is believed accounted for largely by greater personal property listings and perhaps to some extent by improvements to real estate and erection of new houses. Total budget requirements for the new fiscal year are higher by 120,416.21, being lister at $271, 381.56 as compared with a listing of $250,965.35 for the current fis cal year. Not all of this amount is to be raised by property taxes, however, as revenue from sources other than that raised by the tax levy amounts to an estimated $128,581.56, again showing a sub stantial increase of that of 1953 54, the amount then listed being only $109,548.35. This figure in cludes funds derived from legal whiskey sales at the two county retail outlets, state beer and wine taxes, fines and forfeitures, in tangible taxes levied by the state, matching funds from state and federal governments, etc., and leaving $142,800 to be raised by tax levy, plus $35,700 in esti mated uncollectible taxes and dis counts. This latter figure is also somewhat greater than previous ly. The listing on the budget esti mate for the current year in this particular category was $35,383 A breakdown of the tax rate by funds shows that the rate will remain the same for five items while increases are noted in three items and decreases in four. Comparisons of the budget anc tax rates for the two years fol low: General county fund, $71,390.8( this year, $67,194.20 last, tax rate down from 20 cents to 10 cents poor fund, $18,444 this year, $18, 746.27 last, tax rate 1’5 cents, un changed; health fund, $10,167.94 this year, $9,257.94 last, tax rate 10 cents, unchanged; Farm anc home demonstration work, $7, 525.94 this year, $7,410 last, ta> rate increased from seven tc seven and a half cents; fire pro See VALUATION, Page 10 County FHA Personnel To Attend Rocky Mount Meel -» W. Willis Bowen, county FIT/ supervisor, and Mrs. Ernestine Basnight, county office clerk, wil attend the FHA district meetin* at Ricks Hotel, Rocky Mount Thursday and Friday of nexi week. A training program will be car ried out under supervision o: Marion C. Holland, of Goldsboro state field representative. Horace J. Isenhower, of Raleigh, the new state director, is expected to at tend. FIRST IN SERIES OF SAFETY DINNERS FOR PULP MILL WORKERS J This photo, taken last Friday night, shows one shift of workmen at the plant of the North Carolina Pulp Company enjoying a fish dinner given by the company to employees who did not have a lost-time accident in the four-month period from February 1 through May 31. It was the first in a series of four such dinners, the others being scheduled for June 17, 18 and 25. Ap proximately 650 employees are eligible for the dinners, with only members of two shifts being disqualified. The dinners are being held at the pavilion back of the plant here. — Polaroid 1 Minute staff photo. 50 County Club Girls to Attend Camp 'Monday, June 28, will be gen eral vacation time for 4-H club members and about half a hun dred from this county are ex pected to attend the 4-H Club Camp at Manteo, opening that day. Those who attend from the county will return July 2. Any club member wishing to go is asked to notify either W. H. Pruden or Mrs. Frances M. Dar den, supervisors of the county program. All club members with their project record books up to date are eligible to attend, it was said. Winners in Safety Goniesi at Plant Here Get Dinners -+» Only Two Lost-Time Acci dents at North Carolina Pulp Company Plant Dur ing Four-Month Period Winners of a four-month safe ty contest at the plant of the North Carolina Pulp Company here are being given fish dinners during the month of June. The first of the dinners was given last Friday night, and will be fol lowed with similar dinners on June 17, 18 and 25, according to Howard B. Gaylord, personnel di rector. The contest, based on no lost time accidents, began February 1 and continued through May 31, with approximately 650 employ ees being eligible for the free dinners. During the course of the four-month contest, there were only two lost-time accidents at the mill, but these two disquali fied members of two shifts for the dinners. Commenting on the safety rec ord established during the period of the contest, Mr. Gaylord said “It is readily recognized that while competition between entire it 11 shifts is most desired, care itention had to be given P various factors in or^er to ma«tt the competition fair and to keef up interest at all times. The con test was designed to equal ir every respect working conditions hazards of the job and other fac tors. “The purpose of the contest wa: to get all employees and super visors within the mill safety con scious to the degree where all cooperated in eliminating (1) un safe acts wilfully; (2) unsafe con ditions by correcting those causec by improper attitudes; (3) mil blindness, by getting people in terested in good housekeeping ir their own departments; and (4! to create a desire to work safelj by correcting each others' unsafi habits.” Plymouth Girls At Baton School -♦ Three young Plymouth girl: are expected to return home th« first of next week following a 10 day stay at the University o: Mississippi, Oxford, Miss. The girls, all junior majorette; with the Plymouth High Schoo Band, are Robin Horner, daughtei of Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Horner Janet Bruce, daughter of Mr. anc Mrs. Robert Bruce; andi Jear Tetterton, daughter of Mr. anc Mrs. Ronald Tetterton. The girls joined their instructor Mrs. Shirley Crutchfield, of Roa noke Rapids, in that city Thurs day of last week and left Friday for Oxford where they were en rolled in a special baton twirling school. Mr. and Mrs. Tetterton receiv ed a long-distance call from th«ii daughter Sunday during which she stated that the girls had en joyed a nice trip and were getting along fine. For years the University oi Mississippi band has been known about the nation for its accom plished majorettes, among other things, and the baton school is said to rank with the best. -1 Sales of Whiskey About Normal at ABC Stores Legal sales of whiskey in Wash ton County continue to run about normal according to figures for the month of May released here by W. C. Styons, manager of ABC Store No. 1, Plymouth. Sales at both county retail out lets for the month amounted to $14,364.05, or somewhat under sales for several previous months, However, sales usaully decline a bit during the summer season. Figures for the Plymouth store were given at $13,306.35 while the total at the Creswell store show ed sales amounting to $1,055.70. The county group is scheduled to leave the Agriculture Building at Plymouth at 12:30 p. m. Mon day, June 82, arriving at Roper High School at 12:4.5 to pick up Roper members. Leaving Roper at 1 p. m. the next stop is slated at Earl’s Place. Creswell, at 1:25 o’clock, leaving there 20 minutes later in order to make the Sandy Point ferry at 2:30. The cost of the entire week, in cluding board and room, trans portation, handicraft material, pageant ticket to The Lost Colony and insurance will be $15 per club member. A $1 deposit with filing of application is requested. The balance will be collected when the group leaves for camp. Those who attend will need to bring bathing suit, play clothes, tooth brush, soap, towels, sheets and a blanket. All attending should have a coat or jacket along, it was said. Last year 42 members from Washington County made the trip and as many or more are expect ed to attend the camp this year, Mr. Pruden stated. Little Interest Is Seen In Primary June 26th Candidates Said Busy, Bui Light Vote Is Indicated; Four Candidates in Two Contests ] -« With the second primary to choose Democratic candidates tor two county offices only a little r over a week off, there are few surface indications of any inter est, although it is understood the candidates are “beating the bush es” in an effort to stimulate a sizeable vote. The primary date is Saturday, June 26. and there are four can- 1 didates in the running. Only one c of the contests, that for repre- ( sentative in the next General As- 1 sembly, is of a county-wide na- ( ture; the other being limited to ; Scuppernong Township, where two candidates are in the run-off , for county commissioner. ( t In the representative race, j former Representative E. O. Arn- , old, merchant and farmer, of j Skinnersville Township, is being opposed by Dr. J. M. Phelps, Creswell physician and surgeon. 1 Arnold was leader in a three-way contest for representative in the first primary, polling 827 votes to 645 by Phelps, with Ben A. oumner, the third can