VOI* TWENTY-TWO ^ " """ FABimU* WIT COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, FRIDAY, JULY 31st, 1931 NUMBER TWELVE -
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Investigation into Opera
tion of Major Oil Com
panies Operating in N. C.
Attorney General Has
Received Complaints of
Hleg&l Combinations
Raleigh, July 28.?Attorney Gener
al Dennis G. Brum mitt this week con
ducted an important investigation in
to the operations of the major oil
companies operating in North Caro
lina.
Mr. Brummitt in recent weeks had
received numerous complaints that
the various companies were operating
in violation of the state laws against
illegal combinations, and that con
tracts they were making with filling
station operators required exclusive
use sf the stations, also contrary to
Jaw.
So important to the people of
North Carolina did Mr. Brummitt con
sider this matter, that he took person
al charge of the investigation, and
conducted it throughout. While he
emphasized that the state has no
right to set the price of any product,
he pointed out that it does have the
- right to protect the trade channels of
the state in such a manner that throt
tling of competition is eliminated.
Mr. Brummit believes however that
the business men of the state wh'o
operate small filling stations have a
right to be protected from any en
croachment of their right to sell what
soever products they desire: and he
also feds that any attmpt, or what
appears to be an attempt, td establish
a monopoly in favor of some oil com
panies must be guarded against be
cause of its eventual evil effect on
the people as a whole, who have to
pay the gasoline bills. This is some
thing, he thinks, which is important to
every citizen of the state, whether liv
ing in the cities or on the farms, be
cause most of them drive automobiles.
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The various contracts UI UlC cvwi- |
panies were explained. It was ad
mitted that under certain leasing con
ditions competitive products are
barred, but all of the companies
have alternative contracts for those
filling' station operators who do not
care to lease their stations.
Mr. Brum mitt will study the evi
dence during the next six weeks and
Hhhdfefehmi
first. H any violation of the laws
are discovered, they will be revealed,
and the. companies held guilty will be
vigorously prosecuted in the interests
of the people of the state.
GENERAL MOTORS PREPARING
FOR INTERNATIONAL EXPO
SITION TO BE HELD IN 1933
Detroit, July 29.?Signing of con
tracts authorizing the erection of a
special building at a construction cost
of close to $1,000,000, to be devoted
exclusively to the display of General
Motors products at Chicago's Inter
national Exposition in 1933, is an-'
nounced by W. S. Knuidson, president
and general manager of the Chevro
let Motor Company.
Albert Kahn, architect, is now
drawing up plans for the structure,
which will have 100,000 square feet
of display space and will be strategi
cally located on the lake shore oppo
site 31at street, one of the main en
trances to the Exposition grounds, in
the transportation center.
A complete automobile assembly
line in constant operation is one of
the attractions planned for the new
structure, which also will contain the
complete lines of all General Motors
products, Mr. Rnudson said. This
corporation is the first industrial con
a special display building on the Ex
position grounds, officials said. Mr.
Knudson heads a committee of Gen
eral Motors executives who wilf have
charge of the project
Railroads Ask
Increase Rates
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Cotton Coop. President
Declares There Should
Be Rate Reduction on
Cotton '?? <
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Raleigh, July 28.?Commenting on
the railroads' petition for increased
freight rates now being heard in
Washington, U. Benton Blalock, pres
ident of the American Cotton Cooper
ative Association, declared this week
that there should be a reduction in
stead of an increase in rail rates on
cotton. . ;
"As a matter of fact," Mr. Blalock
continued, "the cooperatives for some
time have had a case urging the re
duction of cotton rates pending with
the Interstate Commerce Commission,
but seemingly have been unable to
get a hearing.
"The cotton cooperative associa
tions are making an organized fight
for lower rates, which ha3 been im
possible for the individual cotton
grower to do. In fact, few farmers
have realized that they have paid the
freight because they did not pay the
money directly to the railroads.
"But the cotton farmer did pay the
freight, for the buyer took it out of
the price he paid the farmer. And, '
for that reason, the buyer was not in
terested in lower freight rates as long
as transportation costs were the same '
for hi mas for other buyers.
"Therefore nobody was making a
fight for lower freight on cotton, :
while manufacturers and shippers
generally in other lines were continu- '
ously hammering for reduced rates on
this and that. The easiest thing for (
the railroads to do was to reduce the
rate where the hammering was the
hardest and raise the rate on farm 1
products, where nobody was hammer- :
ing."
"Speaking of the situation in North
Carolina, however, Mr. Blalock, who
is also vice president and general <
manager of the North Carolina Cot
eto5rGfrowe^s" Cooperative1 Association, i
said that, since most of the cotton '
handled by the North Carolina asso- !
ciation is sold direct to mills in the
Carolinas and little exported, it 1
makes very little difference to the
state cooperative whether rail rates i
on cotton are reduced or .not. The i
rate question, he added, is now a prob
lem between the truck owners of the i
state and the railroads rather than a
question between the railroads and the '
North Carolina Cotton Association.
The traffic department of the
North Carolina cooperative, Mr. Bla
lock concluded, estimates that last i
year we saved $90,000 by transport
ing cotton to mills by trucks instead
of by rail at the prevailing railroad
rates.
Mrs. Williams Free
Smithfield,. July 27.?H. V. Rose,
clerk of the superior court of Johns
ton county, announced this afternoon
that Abell and Shepard, attorneys for
Mrs. Ivey Hinton Williams, had drop
ped habeas corpus proceedings ^ se
cure Mrs. Williams' release when "the
required bond was reduced from
$6,000 to $2,750 by Coroner James H.
Kirk man Monday morning. Mrs. Wil
liams was released when' her father,'
George M. Hinton, signed her bond.
Mrs. Williams was ordered held
when a coroner's jury Saturday held
that her h sband, Jesse Williams,
Johnston county political leader, had
met death at her hands.
Thousands Perish As
Floods Sump Across
Central Part of China
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Several Cities Inundat
I ed and Oops in Area
Completely Destroyed
Shanghai, July 29.?Vast areas of
central China were under water to
day, hoBdreds, perhaps thousands,
I were dead and the prices of food
I staffs soared thirty per cent in many
I cities as XM ruajft of one-jfc the
worst floods in sSty
ever.
The foreign settlements of Hankow
were inundated, but there were no
casualties among the residents. The
800 foreigners comprising these set
tlements, including 100 Americans,
were, forced to make their way about
the. streets in sampans (Chinese
boats). ; ,
The Hankow correspondent of the
Associated Press reported the Yang
ste river had risen highta- than ever
before in the history df modern rec
ords. He said the stream was still
Hi
I? Telegraphic appeals poured into
Jt&e Nationalis^apljtei, ('
jfhOT" scores of cities throughout the
J t^sof the calam- ^
y i
Fonaer PreskJeot Calvin Cholkige |
allowed press photographers a. day |
, Tth hkn at his Flymouth,'V t; farm, |
where he was born and raised He |
is shown at the "controls" o! his oW hay |
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Fog Forces Two Ameri
can Fliers to Make Stop
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Pangborn and Herndon
Reach Wales on First
Hop of Globe Tour
Cardigan, Wales, July 29.?Prevent
ed by fog from making Moscow, the
first stop of their projected round
the-world flight, Hugh Herndon, Jr.,
and Clyde Pangborn, American avia
tors, brought their plane down safely
at 7 o'clock tonight on a sloping farm
field at Moylegrove, five miles from
here, after the 13th successful trans
atlantic crossing from New York.
The ocean crossing was made diffi
cult by persistent fog all the way, and
the fog forced the aviators down
when they still had a supply of fuel
sufficient for eight hours more of
flying.
Meanwhile no word was heard from
the other American transatlantic
plane, piloted by Russell Boardman
and John Polando, who took off from
New York at almost the same time
as Herndor and Pl?gl^ Tfcwe
was nothing upon w'hich even specu
lation as to the whereabouts of
Boardman and Polando might be
kase(}
It was assumed they met the same
foggy'conditions which impeded Hern
don and Pangborn between Newfound
land and Ireland, but there was noth
ing in the way of reports, either in
England or in Europe, to indicate
what fortune might have befallen
them.
Herndon and Pangborn went to a
hotel for a few hours' sleep before
continuing their flight. They left in
structions to be called-at dawn.
They said they sighted the coast of
Ireland about 3 o'clock this afternoon,
and continued flying eastward. Fog
prevented adequate observation, they
said, and it was only after they had
cruised over the Irish sea for some
When they landed in the farmer's
field, the fliers first question was:
landing place on the Welsh coast,
time that they were able to find a
"Well, just exactly were are we?" The
question was directed to farm hands
who came running to the plane.
The farmer and his wife got a
real surprise, Pangborn said. He
said they did not have the slightest
idea fcho the fliers were, and could
hardly believe they had come from
the United States.
"All the way across the flying was
most difficult," Pangborn said. "We
could not escape from the fog. We
didn't see a thing because of fog from
the time we left Newfoundland until
we sighted Ireland.
"It was entirely owing to the fog
that we had to land. We knew
roughly where we were, and for hours
we cruised over the sea trying to
find a way through. We landed in a
field on a farm and gave the farmer
and his wife a real surprise.
"We apologized for landing in their
field, but they said it was quite all
rght. They made much of us when
they became convinced who we were.
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"Our landing was perfect and the
plane is absolutely all right."
As news of the landing spread
about the countryside, farmers from
miles-; ground hurried to the scene.
The fliers Vent to bed at night. They
said they would continue their fligut
to Croyden, near London, when they
awakened;?.? ?
The hotel was soon flooded with
telephony calk, as the newB tf tiite
fliers 'arrival was flashed about the
Oriy skillful handling, it was said.
, enabled them to bring the ship down
I oft thellljside field without damage.
I Yo'unge8t'"Real|" D. A. R:
18 World'8 Qreaj^Begg^j
^S^5!n35er^r55x^nhe
Reichibank, Germany's leading finan
cial Institution, asked the AUka far A
$500,000,000 loaa. f
Metropolis After
Slayer of Child
Five-Year-Old Boy Dies
of Wounds Inflicted by
Gang Gunmen
New York, July 20.?Harry Bruno,
sought by police in their hunt for the
owner of. the car from which gang
sters yesterday fatally shot one child
and wounded four others, was taken
into custody tonight for questioning.
A metropolis more or leas hardened
to casual underworld executions took
the warpath tonight to bring to jus
tice gangsters who killed one little
boy and wounded four others at play
in a sweltering upper East Side
street. Five year old Michael Ven
gali died today.
For 24 hours after a green sedan
swept through East 107th street at
sunset yesterday, spraying death over
the youngsters of squalid "Little
Italy," the police had worked on or
ders:
"Go to the limit?bring in the kill
ers!"
They had been pressing ceaselessly,
to that end from the moment the
command came from Police Commis
sioner Edward P. Mulrooney. The
first tangible result came tonight
when investigators prowling in a si
lence which pervaded the Sicilian
neighborhood of the tragedy stumbled
upon a clue?the supposed ficense
number of the gangsters' car.
They were told, by somebody whose
identity was kept secret, that it was
9 Y 61-9 NY. It was fbund a car
with such a number" was owned by
Harry Bruno of the Bronx.
More delving into records revealed
that Bruno was known to police cir
cles, as a beer runner, formerly asso
ciated with Dutch Schulz. ' .
"Bring Bruno to me," was Mulroo
! r.ey's next command.
Georgia Mar
kets Open Wiffi
Short Leaf Crop
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Prices Are Considerably
Lower Than Last Sea
son's Opening ? Quali
ty Also Poor
Douglas, Ga., July 28.?Georgia
opened the .1931 tobacco market to
day as a curtailed crop of bright leaf
vent on sale at fifty-six warehouses.
Simultaneously the federal govern
ment's first attempt to report average
prices paid for standard grades and
types was inaugurated here. As the
season advances quote-iions will be as
sembled also at Lake City, S. C.;
Farmville, N. C., Oxford, N. C.; South
Boston, Va.; Lynchburg, Va.j May
fierd, Ky., and Clarksville, Tenn.
, The floors of virtually all of the
Georgia warehouses were full today
as auctions started but warehousemen
were agreed sales this year would be
below those of 1930, and the govern
ment forecast a production of 51,000,
000 pounds in the state this year as
compared with 106,000,000 last year.
Warehousemen here predicted a
crop decrease of from 25 to 30 per
cent for the Douglas area. They said
they expected light sales, especially
the first ten days of the season as a
result of late maturity of the crop.
Drought, unusual heat, curtailed
acreage and a drop in fertilizer sales
were among the factors cited "by
growers and warehousemen as con
tributing to the Georgia bright leaf
curtailment.
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The Georgia market was scneauiea
to remain open four weeks but buyers
and warehousemen have'agreed it
shall be extended if the late maturity
of some of the tobacco makes such
a move advisable.
Despite the late maturity of much
of the crop in Georgia, many growers
were optimistic about prices on the
basis of the crop curtailment and
(Quality of the leaf found produced.
FARMVILLE TO CELEBRATE
60TH BIRTHDAY NEXT YEAR
The year 1932 is already being her
alded with much pomp and pride as
the two hundredth anniversary of
George Washington, and historical^
patriotic an#'educational societies are
planning fitting observances.
Farmville will of course join hands
and participate in the magnifcent
program honoring "The Father of His
Country," but citizens of this com
munity will in 1932 also celebrate the
60th birthday of this splendid town.
This fact was brought to our at
tention by Watt Parker, a natural
born historian, whose hobby is the
gathering, of interesting and unique
data. He recently organized the Sep
tuagenarian Society here, the first
organization of its kind to come into
being.
Why not let 1932 be a Home Com
ing Year? Why not have a series of
celebrations occurring periodically and
designed to include every phase of
community life. Mr. Doctor, Lawyer,
Merchant lyTan, Chief, Preacher, Ed
ucator, Optimist and Pessimist, think
it over, and let us have your ideas
for the proper celebration of this mo
mentous occasion.
The town of Farmville was formal
ly incorporated on February 12, 1872,
and we have the honor of having at
least one citizen, who was a citizen at
that time, our beloved, and grand old
man, "Uncle Bob" Davis.
DEPUTY HARRIS CAPTURES
STILL AND OPERATORS
Greenville, July 29.?Deputy.Sher
iff Harris captured a large whiskey
still and two operators th's morning
when he made a one-man raid on the
Avon farm near Grimesland. Levy
Hardee and Horton Dixon, white men,
taken at the still, were brought to
jail in this city to await hearing.
Deputy Harris was said to have ar
rived at the still, a large steam out
fit, just/ as operations had beguh and
before any whiskey had actually
been run. About a . thousand gallons
of -beer anjl the still were destroyed
before he brought the operators to
this city.
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tarmville Designated As
Key Market for Eastern
C. Federal-State Grading
More Siprited
Tobacco Sales
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Second Day on Georgia
Markets Slightly Bet
ter Than First
Douglas, Ga., July 29.?Additional
1931 bright leaf tobacco sold under
the hammer through the Georgia belt
today but warehousemen reported the
sessions generally a little more spirit
ed than the market opening yester
day. ~ , "
A curtailed crop effected by unfa
vorable weather, and the late matur
ity of the leaf in much of the belt
were the principal factors in lazy
start of the market, but planters and
warehousemen were optimistic for
definite Improvement of the market
as the season progresses.
At Douglas, where an official quo
tations service is maintained by the
government, first quality iugs
brought $13.70 on the full days' sales;
second quality, $10.35-60; fourth qual
ity, $3.20, and .fifth quality lugs, $2;
sixth quality orange leaf brought $6.
Low qualities predominated.
Conditions were much the same
throughout the belt at the market
opening. Generally there was less to
bacco on the warehouse floors and
sales less brisk than usual. Ware
housemen reported many planters ap
parently were waiting for better
prices later in the season.
Opening prices ranged anywhere
from 1 to 26 cents per pound for the
various grades yesterday. Grower^
generally offered thei? poorer grades
first. '
WOMAN WINS AAA CONTEST
Seattle, Wash, July 29.?Another
record in the long list of victories
hung up'for six cylinder car economy
was added here when Mrs. W. B. Rob
ertson drove her new Chevrolet six
coupe to an official AAA perform
ance of 27.18 miles per gallon in the
212 miles Lake Crescent Tavern run
from this city. _ 1 . _ .... ?
The recbrd brought her the Gilmore
Oil Company.
In bettering a field of 21 different
makes of cars, Mrs. Robertson's
Chevrolet rolled up 41.85 points, the
scoring being based on ton miles, ar
jived at by multiplying the distance
traveled by the weight of the car in
tons and dividing this by the gallons
of gas consumed. Penalties of ten
points for each pint of oil and two
points ft>r each pint* of water con
sumed were levied. Mrs. Robertson's
car was officially credited with using
no oil or water.
The run was staged by the contest
board of the American Automobile
Association, cars were officially
Tobacco Cures Turning
Out Well ? Additions
Being Made to Tobacco
Factories
Farmville, always standing at a
top notch position among the five big
markets of this belt, has -been official
ly designated as the key market for
Eastern Carolina in -the Federal
State grading service, which is
thought to be advantageous in every
resp.ect and is expected by growers
to aid sales materially.
While this affords farmers of this
immediate community a splendid op
portunity for correct grading, is
most convenient and of inestimable
value, still grading by this means is
not compulsory. This fact is being
stressed on account of discussions
rampant among growers hereabouts.
Arrangements for Federal-State grad
ing service are being made Solely for
the benefit and convenience of those
who desire it
In accordance with advice of state
agriculturists and local tobacconists,
acreage has been cut to some extent
in this community, and the extra care
and attention made possible by the
cultivation of fewer acres, is resulting
in a better crop, and the making of
the finest cures in years. Crops of
cotton, tobacco, corn, feed stuffs, po
tatoes and truck are of better quality
and larger yield than they have been
in fifteen or twenty yea**.
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ims is me season ox ur; jcai mi?
the farmer puts fo* th his most stren
uous bajck breaking iaboi- throughout
the long day housing tobacco, and
then goes to the tobacco barn for the
night with the prospect of little rest
as curing necessitates a careful and
constant vigil.
Notwithstanding the discouraging
reports from the Georgia markets
farmers here are optimistic as to
prices on account of the splendid
quality of the leaf in this section, and
preparation for the opening auction
are being carried forward steadily.
Additions to the huge warehouses
and tobacco plants here include an ad
ditional 25,000 square feet to the stor
age plant of the A. C. Monk Tobacco
Company, which was built Last year,
and had a former capacity of 1,800
hogsheads. This company, of which
A. C. Monk, of this place 4s head,
handled more than five million pounds
of the weed at its plants in this sec
tion, and is growing rapidly each
year.
checked for strictly stock equipment,
and official observers rode with the
women drivers.
Mrs. Robertson in winning the gen
eral sweepstakes prize, of course,
finished first in her class. Of ten
cars entered in this class, four were
Chevrolets and finished respectively
first, second, third ar.d fifth, the of
ficial records show.
Carolina Bureaus to Give
Growers News Service on
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Tobacco Prices This Year
Federal Government In
augurates Price Aver
age Report
Washington, July 28.?The nation's
new tobacco crop started to market
today, inaugurating the Federal gov
ernment's first attempt to report
average prices jiaid for standard
grades and types.
Daily quotations, a part of the
$30,000 tobacco market news service
authorized by the last congress, will
be posted, by field offices in eight im
portant districts. Reports will be
made only on 20-lot sales of standard
medium colored or orange grades of
wrappers, leaf, cutters and lugs. Ac
companying trade comments will show
comparable values of lemon and ma
hogany grades.
. . Since Georgia markets open the to
bacco auction season, initial govern
ment quotations will cover the sales
of flue cured tobacco, U. S. type 1#,
i at Douglas, the only market in Geor
gia on which tobacco is sold by stan
dard grades.
As the season advances quotations
will be assembled at other points as
follows:
Lake City, S. C., southeastern flue
cured of South Carolina and south
western North Carolina, U. S. type
}3, beginning August 4.
Farmville, N. C., eastern North
Carolina, flue cured, U. S. type 12,
beginning September 1;
Oxford, N. C., middle belt flue!
cured of-North Carolina and Virgin
ia. U. S. type 11 (B), beginning Sep- ?
tember 22. 1 .i I
South Boston, Va., old belt flue
cured df Virginia and North Carolina,
U. S. type 11 (A), beginning "Septem
ber 29.
Lynchburg, Va., or Farmville, Va.,
Virginia ff? wired, S.
beginning .October 27.
Clarksville, Tenn., southern fire
cured of Kentucky and Tennessee, U.
S. type 22, beginning about Dec. 1.
Mayfield, Ky., western fire cured U.
S. type 23, beginning about Dec. 1.
No plans have been announced for
quotations of burley tobacco.
Frank B. Wilkinson, U. S. tobacco
marketing specialist, said one new
service was designed to fill a long
felt need for accurate and comprehen
sive market information.
Heretofore, he said, the tobacco
farmer and trader have been able to
get quotations on nothing more tan
gible than total sales of all qualities
of tobacco whereas the government
proposes to report the prevailing val
ues of each quality. It has meant very
little, he declared, to "know that a cer
tain number of pounds of, wrapper*,,
leaf, cutters or lugs sold at certain
average when in that number of
pounds may have been qualities vary
ing from one cent'to 60 cents a
pound.
| Government standards list three of
ficial grades of wrappers, seven of
leaf, five of cutters and five of lugs.
The new service, Wilkinson said, will
be an index by which any tobtcco -
farmer or buyer may estimate the
market value of his product according
I to prices quoted for the particular
grade he has.
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Last year B. B. Everett, of Palmy
ra, Halifax county, made an average
Of 80 bushels of corn an acre. This
year he has 800 acres that looks bet
ter than the good crop of 1980.
Sweet clover is showing a remark
able effect on the wheat and small
grain yields of Rowan county this
season. Over 5,000. acres of sweet do
rSr was planted fc? the county a few
yttaaio,
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