¥
ELKIN
The Bes£ Little Town
In North Carolina
The Elkin Tribune
ELKIN
Gateway To Roaring Gap
and the Blue Ridge
*»VOL. NO^ XXXIV No. 14
T
PUBLISHED WEEKLY
ELKIN, N. C., THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 1946
$2.00 PER YEAR
22 PAGES—THREE SECTIONS
■ComerApproves
‘Plan For Elkin
\School Change
Says, However,
K < Should Consider
Certain Factors
4 / The desire of Elkin’s school
commissioners to make Elkin a
separate administrative district
received the approval of John W.
Comer, superintendent of county
schools, at a meeting of the Coun
ty Board of Education at Dobson
Monday, night, abut Mr. Comer
pointed out that certain factors
are to be considered before a final
decision is made.
* In discussing the matter, Mr.
Comer stated: ' i
“This movement \yould not be
regarded as the best policy in line
, with the best of administrative
practice as followed by the State
Department of Public Construc
tion and the State Board of Edu
cation: Larger units are more
4 economically and efficiently ad
W ministered as a single unit.
“Legal distribution of county
funds to administrative units is on
a per capita basis. Under the pro
vision, Elkin, as a city unit, would
receive and be entitled to consid
erably less funds from county ap
propriations than have been re
ft ceived in the past. For all intents
|f.nd purposes of school adminis
tration pertaining to the schools
of Elkin, they have been a separ
ate unit in everything except
name for the past eleven years.
^ >No authority in the selection of
teaching personnel', supervision,
and general administrative auth
ority has been exercised by any
officials of the county unit. It
f^Kis been the policy and purpose
^of every official of the Surry
county administrative unit to fur
nish a full measure of cooperation
to the school district of Elkin
without any intimations of auth
^1 ority.”
The board unanimously approv
ed a petition, presented on behalf
of Elkin township by N. H. Car
4 Renter and R. W. Harris, to call a
T special election so that the voters
of Elkin township may approve
a special school tax levy of 20
cents per one hundred dollar valu
J ation. The election is to be held
• around the middle of April.
A similar movement is on foot
in the county to levy a 20 percent
tax on the county as a whole, in
eluding Elkin and Mount Airy, it
V was learned.
This tax would provide funds in
addition to the funds already pro
vided by the state and would in
sure extended educational facili
ties.
The petition, after having been
presented to the board of educa
tion was also presented to the
board of county commissioners,
members of which labeled it a
worthy and progressive step for
ward in education.
Lewellyn Improved
Following Attack
R. C. Lewellyn, president of.the
Bank of Elkin, who was stricken
with a heart attack while at his
desk Wednesday of last week at
the Surry Loan & Trust Company
in Mount Airy, of which he is also
| an officer, was better Wednesday,
* The Tribune learned Wednesday
afternoon.
Following the attack, Mr.
Lewellyn was carried to a Mount
Airy hospital, where for a while
♦ his condition was considered
serious.
I
: <
K
i
Chicken Owners
Are Asked To
Keep Fowls Up
Numerous complaints have
been heard by town officials
relative to owners of chickens
allowing them to run loose,
Chief of Police Corbett Wall
said Tuesday.
Chief Wall asked that all
persons keep their chickens up
due to the fact that the plant
ing season is at hand and loose
chickens can prove very de
structive as well as a nuisance.
STATE
RALEIGH, March 5. — The
144-member state Democratic
executive committee was called
j to order at 8 o’clock tonight by
Chairman W. B. Umstead, of
Durham, for the main purpose
of setting dates for the state
convention of the party and for
county and precinct meetings
this spring. Proposed changes
in the party organization plan
were on the meeting’s agenda
for consideration, but the
Chairman predicted that the
meeting in the house chamber
would be a brief affair. Gover
nor Cherry, following long
precedent, gave the executive
committee members a party
pep talk as the top figure in
the state’s Democratic admin
istration.
NATIONAL
WASHINGTON, March 5. —
Secretary of State James F.
Byrnes today accused soviet
Russia of trying to violate
America’s “open door” policy in
Manchuria and then sent a
message to the soviet govern
ment on its failure to evacuate
Russian troops from Iran.
Byrnes dispatched his message
on the Iranian crisis after the
Iranian ambassador, Hussein
Ala, on instructions from Teh
eran, appealed to the United
States to support Iranian and
British protests to Russia for
failure to live up to the agree
ment to remove her troops
from Iran last Saturday.
WASHINGTON, March 5. —
Winston Churchill’s proposal
for a virtual British-American
military alliance provoked un
favorable reaction among
members of Congress today.
The former prime minister’s
call for sharing of bases and
military preparations found
some support, but most sena
tors said they want no for
malal alliance because it
might arouse suspicion on the
part of Russia and be
cause it would link the United
States too closely to British
(Continued on page eight, 1st sec.)
I
FOLGER SAVES
SCHOOL LUNCH
Fifth District Representative
Pushes Through Amend
ment In House
LARGE FUND PROVIDED
Congressman John H. Folger, of
Mount Airy, pushed through an
amendment -to the $65,000,000
school lunch bill in Congress last
week and saved the Federal aid
“school lunch prog ra m” for
schools in North Carolina and
other states that operate separate
schools for white and colored
children. ,
Without the Folger modification
many Southern states would have
been excluded from Federal aid
for their school lunch-rooms. Be
cause of Congressman Folger’s
stand, the bill now provides that
an equal amount of money be
spent on lunches for both white
and colored children.
The original provision, which
was backed by the congressman
from New York’s Harlem district,
struck hard at states operating
different schools for the two races.
The final bill received the ap
proval of the lower house of Con
gress last Thursday, and it will
provide North Carolina schools
with more than $1,500,000.
t
TO TAKE PART IN FARMERS’ DAY PROGRAM—Pictured above are three men who will play, and
have played, an important role in the program of the annual Farmers’ Meeting here today and to
night. At left is Dr. William A. Irwin, national educational director of the American Institute of
Banking, New York City, who will be the principal speaker at the dinner to'be held this evening, his
address to be broadcast over radio station WSJS, Winston-Salem. Center is Former Governor J.
Melville Broughton, who will again act as master of ceremonies, and who has always been an honored
guest at the farmers’ meetings. Right is Neill M. Smith, Surry county farm agent, who has played a
big role in planning this year’s meeting, and who has been a mainstay in meetings of past years, and
to whom should go a large amount of credit for the success and growth of the annual event.
Elkin Teams Lose In Finals Of
Jaycee Sponsored Cage Tourney
West Yadkin,
Pilot Mountain
Are Winners
_
Cutting down all opposition to
fight their way into the finals of
the Jaycee-sponsored Yadkin Val
ley Basketball Tournament here,
the Elkin high school girls team
were denied the championship
Tuesday night by a West Yadkin
team, paced by a six-foot forward,
who shot goals with machine-like
precision, scoring 30 points of her
teams 46 to 30 win.
The Elkin boys’ team, which has
played good basketball all season
and who entered the finals with
but six defeats against their sea
son’s record, were defeated by a
smooth working Pilot Mountain
squad of 46-25.
The Elkin girls, defeating Flat
Rock Saturday night in a game
All-Tournament
Elkin girls’ and boys’ basket
ball teams each placed two
members on the All-Tourna
ment team named following
the close of the Yadkin Valley
Basketball tournament, it was
announced Wednesday.
Betty Lou Steelman, forward,
and Louise Smith, guard, were
the girls making the all-star
team. Bob “Cotton” Harris
and Brady Osborne were the
members named from the boys’
team.
The all-tournament boys’
team was announced as follows,
no positions being designated:
Harris, Elkin; Pardue, Yadkiu
ville; Simmons and Gordon,
Pilot Mountain; H. Wagoner,
West Yadkin; Osborne, Elkin;
G. Brown, Boonville; Stone,
Franklin; Martin, Franklin;
Steelman, Courtney.
Girls’ team — forwards:
Steelman, Elkin; R. Midkiff,
Flat Rock; Casstevens, West
Yadkin; Dobbins, Boonville; R.
Vestal, Jonesville; Hicks,
Franklin. Guards: Burge, Pilot
Mountain; Groce, West Yad
kin; Key, West Yadkin; Hob
son, Boonville; Smith Elkin;
Pruitt, Flat Rock.
packed with thrills from start to
finish, came back Monday to
eliminate Boonville in another
thriller 22-18. But despite a bril
liant exhibition of basketball in
the finals, they were unable to
overcome the advantage West
Yadkin had in Casstevens, the tall
forward, whose height proved a
handicap that could not be over
come, and was sure fire for a ring
er whenever she was given the
ball.
The Elkin girls played on even
terms with West Yadkin during
the first quarter, the score stand
ing 10-10, but in the second the
opposition pulled away and were
never headed. Betty Lou Steel
man sparked the locals with 18
points, but every member of the
team, including Click, substitute,
played heads-up basketball.
In the boys’ game, Elkin’s usual
ly smooth attach appeared to ex
perience trouble in getting going,
and as a result the Pilot Moun
(Continued on page eight. 1st sec.)
Are To Hold
Open House For
Doctor And Wife
Dr. and Mrs. Charles C.
Weaver will hold open house
Tuesday, March 12, at their
home, 142 Hawthorne Road,
honoring Dr. and Mrs. Harry L.
Johnson on their return to this
city from Greensboro.
Dr. and Mrs. Weaver will be
at home during the hours of
8:00 to 10:00 o’clock in the
evening to welcome the resi
dents of this city and commun
ity.
DAIRY PLAN IS
TO BE EXTENDED
Production Payment Program
To Be Continued Through
June 30th This Year
RATE .55 PER HUNDRED
The Dairy Production Payment
Program will be continued
through June 30, and rates for
the April-June period will be the
same as those for the correspond
ing period for last year, J. A.
Tilley, chairman, Surry County
AAA Committee, announced today.
Under the program, Mr. Tilley
said, the milk rate that will be
paid to North Carolina farmers
for April is 90 cents per hundred
weight for whole milk produced
and sold and 17 cents per pound
for butterfat. For the May-June
period,' the rates will be 55 cents
per hundredweight for milk and
ten cents for butterfat.
The AAA chairman pointed out
that the payments will be subject
to termination or revision in the
event of any general increases in
price ceilings for milk and its pro
ducts.
According to the Stabilization
Director’s announcement of Jan
uary 29, the general level of re
turns for milk producers will be
maintained during 1946 at the
1945 level, either by subsidy pay
ment or increase in price ceilings
should the subsidy be eliminated.
The Dairy Production Payment
(Continued on page eight, 1st. sec.)
Mount Airy Will Get
25 F H A Houses
Mount Airy, March 5. — Mayor
W. F. Carter, Jr., has received a
telegram from the Federal Hous
ing Authority which tentatively
approves the allocation of 25
housing units for Mount Airy.
Final approval and allocation
awaits the action of the city in
signing the necessary papers to
secure the houses.
It is not known yet just what
conditions govern the use of the
houses, but to get them will be
some help in the housing situa
tion in Mount Airy. The city of
ficials and mayor have been very
active for several months trying to
do something to relieve the hous
ing shortage here. j
SHOW AND SALE
HERE ON 13TH
Abcrdeen-Angus Event Will
Be Held In Gymnasium
Of Local YMCA
WILL STAGE BANQUET
The North Carolina Aberdeen
Angus Breeders’ Association will
hold its first annual show and sale
in Elkin’s Gilvin Roth YMCA on
March 13. The sale catalog lists
10 bulls and 45 females.
The show is to be held at 10:00
A. M., and the sale will follow at
1 o’clock in the afternoon of the
same day.
Dr. L. I. Case , of State College,
who compiled the catalog, is act
ing as sales manager.
According to W. A. Neaves, of
this city, president of the asso
ciation, water - proof roofing,
heavy canvas and a six inch layer
of sawdust will be placed on the
gymnasium floor in order to pro
tect it. Mr. Neaves mentioned
that similar shows are frequently
held in the ballrooms of large New
York hotels.
Tuesday night, March 12, the
eve of the show and sale, a dinner
for visitors and consignors will be
served at 7:00 o'clock at the
YMCA.
Two widely known cattle ex
perts, Joe Keefauver, of Cleveland,
Tenn., and Paul Swaffer, of Rich-,
mond, Va., will be judges for the
show. Tom McCord, known for
his ability as an auctioneer all
over the Atlantic Seaboard, will
auction the cattle.
Morris W. Monday
Seeks Sheriff Job
Morris W. Monday, of Mount
Airy, a son of Jesse "E. Monday,
also of that city, has announced
his candidacy for the Democratic
nomination for sheriff of Surry
county, subject to the primary to
be held next May, it was learned
Wednesday.
Mr. Monday, a former justice
of the peace in Mount Airy, is now
connected with the John D.
Thompson Furniture Co., of that
city.
New Man Added
To News Staff
Of The Tribune
Roger Marshall, of Winston
Salem, has assumed a position
on the news staff of The Tri
bune.
Mr. Marshall, a graduate of
Duke University, is a veteran
of three years and eight
months service in the U. S.
Marine Corps, having seen two
years duty overseas as a Japa
nese language interpreter. An
enlistee, he held the rank of
first lieutenant when discharg
ed January 6, 1946.
Mr. Marshall plans to move
his wife and two small children
here from Winston-Salem as
socit as housing is available.
DRIVE FOR RED
CROSS IS NOW
IN PROGRESS
Elkin’s Quota Has Been Set
At $4,000
NEED IS SAID GREAT
Colonel Robert E. White Is
Guest Speaker At Meet
ing Held Thursday
TELLS OF ROLE PLAYED
The 1946 Red Cross campaign,
seeking a goal of $4,000 in the
Elkin district, officially got under
way here Thursday. To date no
figures in the progress of the drive
have been reported.
Red Cross officials and workers
in the drive were guests of the
Elkin Kiwanis Club at its meeting
at the Gilvin Roth YMCA last'
Thursday afternoon, with Lt. Col.'
Robert E. White, of Atlanta, Ga.,
an official of the Red Cross
southeastern area, as guest speak
er. i
In his talk, Col. White recount
ed some of his experiences overseas
during the war and told of the
work of the Red Cross in battle
areas, emphasizing the fact that
although the Red Cross played a
vital role then, its work was not
nearly finished.
C. J. Hyslup, chairman of the
local drive, presided over the pro
gram, and introduced out-of-town
guests, Robert Smith, of Mount
Airy, chairman of the Surry Chap
ter, and Kellock Hale, also of that
city, past chairman.
It is hoped that everyone will
contribute generously to the cur
rent campaign and again put Elk
in over the top in reaching its
quota.
N. WILKESBORO
HAS BIG BLAZE
Disastrous Fire Wreaks
Damage Estimated At
$75,000 Tuesday Night
STARTED IN THEATRE
An estimated damage of $75,000
in the downtown district of North
Wilkesboro was caused Tuesday
night when the Liberty Theatre
there caught fire and flames
upread to adjacent business
houses, sweeping quickly through
the town’s Poindexter Building on
Main street. ‘
Six hundred persons quickly
filed out of the theatre when alert
theatre attendants discovered the
blaze as it started in the picture
house ceiling. All patrons of the
theatre were evacuated quietly
without incident before the build
ing was ultimately destroyed.
After two hours fighting the de
structive blaze was brought under
control by the North Wilkesboro
fire department with the aid of
some equipment from Lenoir and
Wilkesboro which was brought in
to help combat the blaze.
A drug store in the building,
owned by J. H. Johnson, was dam
aged badly by smoke and water;
a photo shop owned by Ed Van
noy and offices of one doctor and
one dentist were destroyed, it was
said.
A poolroom, owned by B. J.
Robinson, and an automobile ac
cessories firm, were damaged by
the flames.
The building, owned by Mrs.
C. G. Poindexter, wife of Sheriff
C. G. Poindexter of Wilkes Coun
ty, was one of the largest in town.
Whether or not it was covered by
insurance, or whether insurance
was held by persons whose prem
ises were damaged or burned out,
was not ascertained.
Are Redecorating:
Reeves Theatre
The Reeves theatre has been
closed this week for redecorating
and repainting and all pictures
originally scheduled are being
shown at the State theatre.
New carpets are being laid in
the Reeves and all seats are being
refinished, so that when complet
ed by this week-end, the interior
of the building should prove very
attractive.
Management of the Reeves state
they hope the theatre will be
ready to resume business by Fri
day night.
Your Red Cross must carry on.
Elkin’s quota is $4,000. Give!
Approximately 1,000
Expected To Attend
Annual Program
---* _
0
PLAYS BIG PART — Garland
Johnson, mayor of Elkin and
chairman of the Elkin Agricul
tural Council, has played one of
the leading roles In arranging
the annual Farmers’ Day Meet
ing which will be held here to
day (Thursday), having active
ly cooperated in the event since
it was first inaugurated here
four years ago.
COURT RULES
AGAINST BONDS
County Commissioners Can
not Issue Bonds For
Dobson School
REASON IS EXPLAINED
The State Supreme court ruled
Wednesday of last week that the
Surry county commissioners could
not issue $55,000 in bonds for the
purpose of building a school at
Dobson without a vote of the peo
ple.
The high court upheld the de
cision of Judge Allen H. Gwyn of
Superior court, who ruled that the
issuance of bonds by the Sui'ry
board would violate article five,
section four, of the state constitu
tion. This section prohibits issu
ance of bonds in excess of two
thirds of the amount by which the
outstanding debt of the county
was reduced during the preceding
fiscal year without the approval
of the(voters.
Surry county made a payment
on its outstanding debt on June
20, 1945, in an amount adequate
to cover the proposed bond issue.
Although this payment was not
due until July 1, 1945, the begin
ning of the current fiscal year, the
county officials believed that the
(Continued on page eight, 1st sec.)
PLAN RELIGIOUS
CENSUS SUNDAY
Will Contact All Families of
Community For Neces
sary Information
COOPERATIVE DRIVE
A religious census of Elkin will
be taken Sunday, March 10, be
ginning at 2:30 in the afternoon.
All the churches of Elkin are
earnestly requesting that families
living within the city limits of
Elkin remain at home until they
have been contacted for informa
tion.
The town has been divided into
ten zones, each under a captain.
The census will be taken through
out the ten divisions.
In this census the information
desired will be as follows: <1)
names of every member of the
family and others who may be
residing in the home; (2) where
each member of the family has
his or her membership, and (3) if
any member of the family is not
a church member, which local
church does he or she prefer.
The census cards will be filed
with the Elkin-Jonesville Area
Ministers’ Association where the
information will be available to all
ministers.
Big Banquet To
Climax Event
This Evening
Almost 1,000 farmers from four
North Carolina counties are ex
pected to attend the Fourth An
nual Farmers’ Day Program and
Banquet to be held today in the
Gilvin Roth Y.M.C.A. here. Neill
M. Smith, Surry County Agent,
will conduct the official opening
at 2:30 P. M., and Frank H. Jeter,
Agricultural Editor of State Col
lege, will take over as presiding
officer.
Farmers from Surry, Wilkes,
Yadkin, and Alleghany counties
will have an opportunity to hear
prominent representatives of the
two Agricultural Colleges of North
Carolina and Virginia. Mr. Jeter
will open the first program, ex
plaining what Elkin has done for
agriculture in this area and
throughout the state. Dr. T. B.
Hutcheson, Dean of Agriculture
of V.P.I., at Blacksburg, will speak
at 3 P. M. on Economical Crop
Production as Relates to Live
stock Production. He will be fol
lowed at 3:30 by Dr. J. H. Hilton,
Head, Department of Animal
Industry, State College, Raleigh,
whose subject will be Essentials in
a Livestock Development Program
for the Elkin Area.
The second program, beginning
at 4:10 P. M., will consist of three
separate instruction and discus
sion groups. Farmers will be di
vided among these three groups,
and they will be presided over by
Staton Mclver, District Soil Con
servationist of North Wilkesboro,
Tal H. Stafford, District Super
visor of Vocational Education of
Asheville, and O. F. McCrary, Dis
trict Agent of the Extension Ser
vice of Raleigh.
Discussion leaders for the first
period will be: T. L. Copley on the
subject of Soil Conservation as
Relates to Tobacco Production, R.
W. Graeber on the subject of
Forestry and A. C. Kimrey on tha
subject of Dairying.
During the second period, J.
Earl Teague will lead the discus
sion on Saving Soil Through Wat
er Control, A. D. Stuart on Hybrid
Corn Production and Dr. John E.
Foster on Beef Cattle.
Subjects and discussion leaders
for the third period, beginning at
5:30 P. M., are: Pastures by Dr.
Roy L. Lovvorn, Farm Manage
ment by H. Brooks James and
Poultry by Dr. Roy S. Dearstyne.
There will be an hour’s inter
mission before the third part of
the program—the banquet — gets
under way at 7 P. M.
An address by Dr. William A.
Irwin, National Educational Di
rector of the American Institute
of Banking, New York City, will
climax the evening program. For
mer Governor J. Melville Brough
ton will act as master of ceremon
ies. Elkin’s Mayor Garland John
son, who is the Chairman of the
Elkin Agricultural Council, will
recognize distinguished citizens
from Surry and surrounding
counties and from over the state.
A part of the banquet program
will be broadcast over WSJS,
Winston-Salem.
March 4 Proves
To Be Hottest
In Many Years
North Carolinians were led
to expect an early Spring Mon
day when, according to the re
cord, that day became the hot
test Mareh 4 in almost 50
years, with Elkin no exception.
Temperatures ranging as
high as 79 degrees were report
ed in various portions of the
state. Weathermen in Raleigh
and Durham reported that
their thermometers reached the
79 degree mark, and Charlotte
reported a maximum reading of
78 degrees. The previous re
cord for a Mareh 4 in Charlotte
was recorded in 1899. That
day the mercury tipped 76.
The freak “heat wave” was
not confined to North Carolina.
In Richmond, Va., for ex
ample, the weather bureau re
corded a reading of 80 degrees,
the hottest March 4 since the
weather bureau was established
in 1843.