VOLUME TWENTY-EIGHT FABMVHtLE, PITT COUNTY, NOHTH CAROLINA*} FRUDAV. DECEMBER 51, 1M7 ? NUMBER THIBTY-THREB
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1ST OBODY knows what the New Year is going to bring. We hope it
will be peaceful, prosperous and profitable for every one in every way.
One things is certain?and that is that it must be a progressive year,
in every phase of national achievement. It must wing its way through
Time with 365 days recorded for Noteworthy Advancement. It can be
done?it will be done?with the efforts of every business man, every
citizen, in every city like our own, throughout the nation!
tail Maters
To Drap 3M00
IK Ks Enployes
Knudsen Says Purchas
ing Power Down; La
bor Head Blames Low
Wages |
-
Detroit, Dec. 28.?General Motors
Corporation announced today that be
cause of the "recession in business,"
approximately 30,000 employes in its
automotive plants in the United
States would be laid off effective
January 1.
William S. Knudsen, president
who made the announcement, said
no plant would be closed com
pletely, and that the workers re
tained would work a 24-hour, three
day week.
Others of the "Big Three' of the
industry also have curtailed opera
tions. In Chrysler's plants, which
have operated on a four-day, 32
hour work week, assembly lines
will be idle until after January 1.
Ford sources reported that about
40,000 of a normal 87,000 employes
are working this week at the huge
Dearborn plant. Ford assembly
lines are not operating, but their
resumption is planned tentatively
for next week.
Despite the announced layoff,
Knudsen said, "there will still re
main on General Motors pay roll in
the United States more than 205,
000 men and the monthly pay roll
will exceed $24,000,000." He said
January production would total
about 90,000 units, domestic and ex
port
Accumulated inventories, "both in
the Held and at the plants," he said,
"have reached a point where ad
justment must-take place."
Knudsen explained 20,000 General
Motors dealers have on hand about
60,000 more cars than at this time
last year, and that dealers in the
industry as a whole have stocks of
about 60,000 used can, which he
estimated to be 150,000 to 200,000
higher than last year.
"The used car market, is stopped,"
he said, "and when that is stopped,
our employment stops."
Approximately 20,000 of those to
be laid off are employed in the
corporation's Michigan plants, Knud
sen said. Local managers in plants
elsewhere will arrange the reduction
in working forces, which he said
would be seniority according to an
agreement with the United Automo
bile Workers' Union. There will be
no reductions in General Motors
plants in Canada, Knudsen said,
because "business, is normal, there."
Asked if price revisions- on near
cars might ease the marketing prob
lem, the General Motors official
said "a cheaper market will do no
good if we can't. sell used cars.
Purchasing power is down.".
? ???
Christmas Decorations Here
Surpassed Anything] [Heretofore
Attempted-"! City Beantifnl"
Prizes Awarded; For
Commercial, The
Rouse Printery; Ex
terior Residence, W. A.
McAdams; Interior
Residence, R, H. Knott
The thousands of yards of moun
tain laurel, the hundreds of colored
lights and Christmas trees, which
provided such a gay setting for
Farmville's festivities during the
Christmas holidays, have been re
moved; the lovely parties are all
over; the turkey and cake have dis
appeared; the last fire cracker has
been set off, and the town has set
tled back to its habitual state of
dignity and reserve, with the citizens
reporting rapid recuperation from
shellV shock and indigestion.
TheC^TSs^tb.co.'SSrw merchants
and home owners united m a fine
way to give this place a suitable at
mosphere for the Yule tide celebra
tion and a universal spirit ck, joy
and merriment reigned throughout
the season.
- - * *- -i-T
The prize of $25, offered ay uie
town to the merchants for the
most beautiful show window was
won by The Rouse Printery. The
prize window was arranged with a
background of crushed cellophane
woven on builder's hardware cloth,
and was centered with a small tree,
decorated with angel hair, and hav
ing cellophane-wrapped Remington
portable typewriters on either side,
together with a poster picturing a
boy peeping through the door at his
parents putting gifts about a tree,
and shouting, "Make mine a Reming
ton portable, Dad." The spotlight
with a revolving color wheel made
the window a dazzling scene, which
arrested the attention of every pas
ser-by. The Remington Rand divis
ion director had the window photo
graphed and it will appear in the
January issue of the Remington
Broadcaster, which is circulated
throughout the United States and in
several foreign countries. Mr. Rouse
estimates that the six people who
assisted with the window spent more
than a hundred hours in its assembl
ing.
The $15 prize, offered for the most
attractively decorated exterior of a
home, was won by Mr. and Mrs. W.
A. McAdams. The roof and walls
of the lovely new McAdams bunga
low on Contentnea street was out
lined with laurel and blue lights with
trees on either side similarly lighted,
and blue cand.es arranged in the
windows, presenting a striking pic
ture, exquisite in its, simplicity, and
appearing to have been transported
from fairyland.
Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Knott are re
ceiving congratulations upon having
won the home interior prize of $10.
The handsome Knott home on
Church street was aglow with red
incandescents; a Christmas tree,
which touched the ceiling of the
solarium was brilliantly illuminated
and lovely in its symmetrical beauty;
the Nativity and Santa Claus scenes
were arranged on marble topped
tables in the reception room, the
mantle of which was banked with
holly and lighted with red candles,
and a holly wreath had been placed
underneath the shelf. Huge floor
vases of holly were used in this room
and in the hall. In the dining room
the decorations were pure white, with
frosted foliage, white tapers and I
white deer being used with artistic
effect
Judges were Rev. D. A. Clarke, W.
J. Rasberry and Ed Nash Warren.
s?
Much of the credit for the idea and
cooperation of home owners and
merchants alike with the town autho
rities in its elaborate decoration is
due to Marvin Lindsay, popular man
ager of the new Belk-Tyler store
here, who acted as chairman of the
steering committee.
CHORUS TO RESUME
WORK MONDAY
The Farmville Symphonic Chorus
will resume its work Monday evening,
January 3rd, meeting at the Presby
terian Church at 7:30.
A cordial invitation is extended to
all who are interested in music to
eome, and,all who have bean members
of the chorus, either this year of last
year are urged to be present. New
work will now be begun and it Ja
hoped that a good number will be
present at this the first meeting of
Sea Movie Story
Of Penny Attack
News Reel Taken At
Scene Of Sinking
Shows Heroism of
Bomb Victims
Hollywood, Dec. 28.?The sinking
of the United States gunboat Panay
in the Yangtze River was shown
today in the first exhibition of news
reel film made at the scene.
The film, however, showed no
Japanese planes, nor was the Ameri
can flag seen flying over the strick
en boat.
The news reel, taken by a Fox
Movietone cameraman, was dis
played before a small private audi
ence, preparatory to being exhibited
in commercial theatres.
The attacking planes could not be
seen: in the motion pictures, but
their presence was made known by
scenes of American sailors training
machine guns on them as they 1
roared past.
The first shots of the attack were
t-aifpn from the decks of the Panay,
and the balance from navy launches
that took occupants ashore, and
from the banks of the Yangtze.
The film 3howed victims dropping
to the deck of the Panay as they
were wounded by the attacking
planes. Civilians and seamen car
ried them below deck. There was
no evidence of confusion. One of
the wounded men smiled broadly as
a Good Samaritan bent over him to
treat his injuries.
The news reel included several
action shots' of the Panay crew turn
ing machine guns skyward and let
ting loose a blast of bullets when
the unseen attackers "swooped low
over the vessel.
After the order to abandon ship,
navy launches were shown putting
off from the Panay with wounded
and other survivors.
Several bombs could be seen
dropping near the launches as they
sped for shore. A few survivors
were swimming ashore and hiding
in the reeds that line the river's
banks.
The camera, trained from a dis
tance, caught the Panay settling
into the water, but the shot did not
reveal any signs of an American
flag floating above the vessel.
The films, however, did not dis
prove American claims that the flag
was flying from the Panay as it
moved up the Chinese river. The
camera was set up in sections of
the boat where the flag could not
be seen and long range shots were
taken from too great a distance to
reveal an object so small as a flag.
An American flag could bev seen
fluttering from the stern of a" Stand
ard Oil Company boat, which also
was bombed and sunk. The film
showed that the weather was clear.
I
AmericaBS In
Chinese Port
Evacuate City
Gunboat Sacramento
Sails From Tsingtao
With 280; Japan An
swers British Protest
Shanghai, Dec. 28.?The U. S. gun*
boat Sacramento steamed out of
Tsingtao harbor today carrying
American refugees from the rich
Shantung province seaport isolated
by advancing Japanese armies.
Dispatches from the threatened
city said 280 Americans had evacuat
ed, many of them on the Sacra
mento, which was due in Shanghai
Thursday. Earlier this week Tsing
tao advices were that there were 300
Americans there, with the Sacra
mento, the destroyer Pope and the
Cruiser Marblehead standing by to
aid them.
Tokyo, Dec. 28.?Foreign Minister
Koki Hirota tonight delivered to
' British Ambassador Sir Kobert
r Shaigi Japan's reply to a protect
! |
ish Gunboat Ladybird
The fast of the note was not made
public,- \>ut the military section of
Imperii& headquarters issued a state
ment saying the attafck was "a mis
take" and expressing regrets. One
sailor tilled in the attack.
Hirotato report on the; attack,
which occurred on the Yangtze or
the saafe day the ?. S. gunboai
Panay.waa eg to ^tte^ bottom bj
I 11
WHAT CONGRESS DID.
MANY ISSUES AHEAD.
CONSERVATIVES' ADDRESS.
THE QUAIL DINNER.
LIBERALS ALSO CONFER.
REPUBLICAN PROGRAM.
TO VOTE ON WAR?
BI-PARTY OPPOSITION.
LANDON SUPPORTS F. D. R.
(Hugo S. Sims, Washington
Correspondent)
The special session of the Seventy
fifth CongTess, which lasted thirty
two working days, managed to pass
farm and housing bills which are
now in conference for report to the
regular session which begins next
month. An equally significant ac
tion "was the vote of the House to
recommit the wages and hours bill
to committee where it is pigeoned
holed. No other action of signifi
cance was taken and practically the
only other action worth noting is the
fact that 218 members of the House
signed a petition to force a vote on
the Ludlow Resolution to amend the
Constitution. This resolution pro
vides that Congress shall not have
the ? er to declare war, except in
the event of an invasion of the Unit
ed States or its territorial posses
sions, until a majority of votes are
cast in a nation-wide referendum on
the question of declaring war.
The regular session, which begins
on January 3, will probably speed
up its work as a result of the special
session and optimistic leaders are i
already engaging in the popular
pastime of predicting an adjourn
ment in May. Naturally, as 1938 is
election year, many congressmen are
anxious for an early adjournment
but there are reasons to believe that
the regular session will be long
drawn-out. While it is reasonable to
suppose that early action will be ob
tained on the Farming and Housing
bills, there are highly controversial
issues already pending and develop
ments abroad may create new prob
lems. Looming on the horizon, one
notes the Government reorganization
and regional planning proposals
which received practically no atten
tion at the special session. More
over, a tax revision bill is already
under consideration, the Anti-lynch
ing bill is set for debate in the Senate
to begin January 6th, and prolonged
discussion is certain to result when
and if the Ludlow amendment to the
Constitution reaches the Senate.
The special session closed with
evidences of some bitterness in the
wake of the House vote on the Wages
and Hours bill. The second item on
President Roosevelt's special pro
gram aroused considerable opposi
tion, with Southern members accused
of killing the measure. Howevery it
should b* noted that the American
Federation of Labor, led by Presi
dent William Green, lobbied strenu
ously against the bill which had-the
support of the Committee for Indus
trial Orgination. Threats of a re
prisal were voiced by some members,
from industrial areas who indicated
that they might block farm aid, or at
, least any proposals in regard to cotr
ton.
i ?
i Another develop of the special apt
; sion was an "address" prepared by
r conservative senators, including Sen
? ator Bailey of North Carolina, who
i admittecMM^se^ed as "editor." Hip
?,'*% ?' - "v.. - :V\?.
AverapN. C.
Mstar Vehicklss
Worth $20 (f
Its Owner Pays An
Average Of $60 In
Taxes Annually
Raleigh, Dec. 29.?The average
motor car, owned and operated by a
North Carolinian, is 4 years old and
is worth $200. Its owner pays an
average of $60 in taxes annually for
the privilege of owning and operat
ing his $200 car.
About one-fourth the cars are
more than eight years old, and about
the same proportion are two years
old or less.
Figures on motor car ages are
based on a study recently completed
by the Division of Statistics and
Planning of the State Highway and
Public Works Commission, under the
direction of James S. Burch, engineer
of statistics and planning.
In numbers there are about 140,
000 vehicles over eight years old, in
cluding a group of about 4,000 mo
tor cars over 16 years old. This
extremely old group includes vehi
cles ranging back from 1928 to 1914 i
and even beyond.
The study was conducted as a
phase of a general survey of North
Carolina motor vehicle?their loca
tion, their gas mileage, their usage,
and their taxation.
some ay.wu motor vemcies, rep
resentative of the entire 1937 regis
tration, were examined and classi
fied by models before statistical
stability was reached. The sample
was completed and analyzed in Sep
tember, 1937, just prior to the in
troduction of 1938 models by the
manufacturers.
Analysis of the models by years
brought out the interesting point
that approximately 10 per cent of
all automobiles still in operation are
1929 models. Following this last of
pre-depression prosperity came four
years of hard times, none of which
show a high proportion of cars now
operating in North Carolina.
Clinic To Be Held
Every First Friday
The Pitt County Health Depart
ment wishes to call attention to the
regular, monthly State Orthopedic
Clinic held every first Friday, from
noon until 5 o'clock, p.. m., in the
Health Department offices, 216 West
3rd Street, Greenville, N. C. The
next clinic will be held on Friday,
January 7th.
This clinic serves not only Pitt
County, but Beaufort, Hyde, Pamlico,
and Carteret as well, and is open to
both white and colored. All types
of cripples are received into this
clinic for examination without cost,
and where eligible and when needed
free treatment is given.
Dr. N. Thomas Ennett, Pitt Coun
ty Health Officers, requests that,
where practical, all patients bring
a note from their family physician,
and extends a special invitation to
all physicians and all welfare officers
to visit the clinic.
Postoffice Holiday
Saturday, Jan. 1st
The local postaffice will be closed
New Year's day, Saturday, Jan. 1st
The general delivery window will
be open for one hour?from 11:00 a.
m. to IB-noon.
I B, 0. Turnage, Postmaster. |
N. C. Division
MkCrippte
Rehabilitation. S a ve s
Human Wreckage For
State
Raleigh, Dec. 28.?At a cost of
$300 per case the state division of
Vocational Rehabilitation is restor
ing crippled citizens whose upkeep,
if they were sufiered to remain
crippled, would cost the state from
$300 to $500 per year, each accord
ing to H. A. Wood, assistant director
of the division.
In an article published in the De
cember issue of Popular Goxernment,
organ of the Institute of Govern
ment, Mr. Wood cites numerous cases
in which apparently hopeless cripples
were made productive and self-sup
porting citizens by the division's ef
forts.
He pointed out that all perma
nently disabled persons, who are
vocationally handicapped, are eligi
ble for vocational rehabilitation ser
vice regardless of the origin of the
disability.
Factors taken into consideration in
deciding whether or not the candi
date for training shall be accepted
include citizenship, moral character,
age, the degree of disability, attitude
of mind and environment. A case
must appear' "feasible" Mr. Wood
said.
After the disabled person is locat
ed the Rehabilitation Service (1) di
agnoses his physical, mental and vo
cational resources; (2) gives voca
tional guidance and assists in the
selection of suitable employment (3)
secures maximum physical restora
tion; (4) trains him for employment;
(6) secures or provides services in
cidental to the solution of personal
and family problems; and (6) places
him in employment and follows him
up until his ability to succeed is as
sured..
Through this work handicapped
persons become producers rather
than dependents, Mr. Wojd said.
Disabled persons are transformed
from public liabilities into civic as
sets. Skilled workers are restored
to industry and the family life of
the disabled worker is re-established.
G.P.C.A. Te Hold
Msatlss&eeiwille
WedBesday, Jan. 26
This Credit Association
Serves Pitt and Greene
Counties, and In 1937
Made Loans To Its
Members Totaling
$286*141.80
Stockholders of . the Greenville
Production Credit Association will
hold their annual meeting in Green
ville in the Austin Building at East
Carolina Teachers College on Wed
nesday morning, January 26, at ten
o'clock, according to an announce
ment by Mr. Jno. R. Carroll, presit
dent of the association, who says
that it is desired that every member
of the association shall be present.
At this meeting complete and de
tailed reports will be made by the
officers of the association on its
operations for the past year, direc
tors will be elected and other highly
important business transacted.
Mr. Carroll, in announcing the
date of the annual meeting, said that
it was hoped to make the attendance
at this year's meeting the largest of
any of the meetings yet held. He
said that these annual meetings af
forded the stockholders an oppor
tunity to learn every detail of thf
Operations of their association am}
that, it was their , duty to attend.
Hire Greenville Production Credit
Association serves Pitt and Greenf
Counties and in 1987 made loans
totalling $286,141.80. ? 1
Three years ago, W. R. Wagoner,
of demmons, Route 1, used home
made equipment to build some ter
races in his rolling Since that
time he has followed contour culti
vation and during the recent flood
rams in Forsytn ccmntjf* no oanaft
was doafe to Heidi so
: aieMKmmm,
N. G. State Employment
Service To Open Office
_ , ?? a
A Representative From
The County Office To
Re In FarmviDe Every
Friday at City Hall
Mr. W. G. Cherry, Jr., manager of
the N. C. State Employment Service
for Pitt County, stated yesterday
that beginning Friday, January 7th
an office will be opened here in the
City Hall and a representative will
be sent to Farmville each and every
Friday for the purpose of serving
the unemployed in this section of
the county who are eligible for com
pensation.
Those who are without work and
entitled to compensation are asked
to call at the City Hall Friday,
January 7th and file their claim for
consideration.
The location of this office is in
the court room of the City Hall and
a representative from the county
office will be there all day every
Friday for the purpose of serving
you, and acquainting you with how
to go about obtaining what is due
you under the Social Security Act.
Washington, Dec. 27.?Officials of
the Social Security Board expect
business to receive a lift about Feb
ruary 1 from the payment of unem
ployment insurance benefits in 21
states and the District of Columbia.
Board officials said today time
alone would tell how much of the
$437,300,000 reserve of the unem
ployment insurance systems would
be paid out this winter. They said
they would have no idea until in
sured workers who have lost their
jobs begin to register after Jan
uary 1.
An immediate upswing in busi
ness probably would reduce the
amount considerably, the officials
added.
"Unemployment insurance is not
a cure for the problem of unem
ployment," one said. "Work and a
wage are the only cure for being
out of a job.
"But unemployment benefits will
act as a shock-absorber during peri
ords of unemployment, both for the
insured worker and for business in
general.
"They will buy groceries and help
pay the rent Money will flow back
to local trade and help check the
loss of sales by stores, Iosb of orders
by factories, more lay-offs, more
people without wages, still less
business, still more qnemployment."
Pitt Valuations
ShowBig Gains
Property Valuations In
crease By $33,000,000
In 80rYear Period,
Greenville, Dec. 29.?When N.
Henry Moore, clerk of Superior
Court of Beaufort County, was
scanning some faded records of past
Eastern North Carolina history,
among other things, he discovered
that the total valuation of property
in Pitt County in 1867 was $1,361,
302 as compared with $34,210,492 to
day.
The fiscal year now ends June 30,
but 80 years ago, the /iscal year
ended September 30, according to
the records. Taxes for the county
totaled $6,575.36 in 1857, while State
taxes were $8,185.77. There was a
total of $408,534.76 in 1937 for coun
ty and district tax levies.
There were 370,618 acre* Of prop
erty on the list books in 1867 valued
at $1,267,749?the town property be
ing valued at $&,$&8. Today, the
value of 396469 acres of land is
listed at $14,323,746. The town
property on the list books today is
valued $10,020,445, and personal
property, $6,967,303.
Although there were no railroads,
banks, power and telephone com
panies here in 1867, they appear on
the list books today valued 'at a
combined total of $2,909,444.
Eighty years ago, State taxes in
cluded polls, $2^08.10; town prop
erty, $125.32; land property, $1,90#.
72; privileged voters, $2^0; taverns,
$108; liquor traffic, $442*66; playing
cards, $16.10; capital in Negro trade,
$16.66; capital inother trades, $11.20
and stubs and jacks, $72.00;
. Jones. County 4-H club hoys, plan
ning to grow corn next season, have
[planted more than 80 acresaf winter
I legumes at cover crops for the acres