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VOL. X?tXVI NO. __ KENANSVILLE, N.C. 18 PAGES THIS WEEK ___^ PRICE 10? PLUS TAX
Problems Facing Deplin County | '_mm
Board Of EducatiMK
HHHBR mm ? . * - ? ?ISHHi HHBPH&' ' jflRHH
Most citizens ere aware of the problems presently facing j
the Board of Education dee to school reorganisation. Other
problems exist in areas such as facilities, particularly at the
elementary level, and overcrowded high schools. In many
cases the elementary school plants are old high sell ools add are
not designed to house small children. The fact that the age of the
building will limit renovation is also of importance. If total
Integration of schbols jxxurs in 1970 or possibly In 1969, it
will cause major overcrowded high schools if the projected
organization takes place. Wallace-Rose Hill HJgh School will
be a major problem area If students in grades 19,11, and 13 are
housed in the existing plant. The building will be approximately
200 students over capacity when this move is made. Similar
situations will exist In both the James Kenan and East Duplin
Schools. North Duplin will be over capacity to a lesser degree.
It would seem practical at this time to start building these
faculties to meet the projected needs. If permanent buildings
are not constructed, mobile units will be needed. There are 31
mobUe classroom units In the county at the present time.
Nine more units are needed in order to house all students.
The last units purchased in 1966 cost 66,237.68 each. It Is
questionable whether or not this cost per unit is stUl in effect,
p In order to house students In this way it would cost the count)
666,139.00 based on the 1968 price.
A recent examination of the tax structure In Duplin County,
revealed that 37 per cent of the 61.66 tax levy Is budgeted to the
public schools for die 1968-69 and 1969-70 fiscal years. This
particular characteristic is not true in most of the school
units in North Carolina. The Statistics of Taxation, State
of North Carolina 1968 list the foUowlng contribution to the public
school systems served by those counties. It should be noted
that a It reduction in the Duplin County tax levy has occurred
since these figures were compiled.
1967 - 1968
COUNTY PROPERTY SCHOOLS PER OTHERS PER
VALUATION CENT CENT
Duplin S 86,678,931 1686,900 41.8 $ 826,802 58.6
Chatham 80,794,109 606,966 63.5 347,414 38.5
Craven 97,994/47 993,627 60 662,484 40
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swe, sss js&t vjac: r
Chatham and Craven Counties were selected because the
property valuation in these counties Is close to that of Duplin
County. %
If An same financial emphasis had been placed on education
in Duplin County as in surrounding coum.es over the p*?t years,
the structure of education would be better. Most counties have
eliminated fees for all students attending the pubhc schools.
If s high school student desires to take typewriting he simply
signs up for the course. A $15.00 to $18.00 fee is dunged for
typewriting in our schools. Basic necessities such is Instruc
tional supplies are purchased from fees charged to all students
at all levels. The State allocates $1.75 per pupil for this purpose
which is Inadequate. Additional teacher personnel to relieve
overcrowded classes is an area which needs close examination.
The curriculum in the schools Is net designed to include a
comprehensive approach to education. In all cases, academic
preparation overshadows vocational training. Vocational training
must become an integral part of the total educational program
if the 68 per cent of our students who do not enter college are
reached. Advanced academic courses must be Included along
with corrective courses for the slow learner. These problems
can be corrected only when the proper emphasis is placed on the
education process.
More dun ever before, if quality education is to continue
in the public schools, and if new innovations are to take place,
certain actions must be taken. **
1. The tax structure must be re-evaluated and emphasis
placed on education. The present tax rate of $1.65 is not
distributed with education in mind. If it is necessary to
raise the tax rate or utilize other taxes, e.g., saMstax
then it must if the problems mentioned above are to be
: solved. _ ? -v. '' '-v\ ?:ofj -Vjp
2. Elementary school buildings must be upgraded.
3. High schools must be enlarged to house students in atten
?? dance. ; ??* ^
4. A broad comprehensive curriculum must be avattalle
to meet the need of the talented child and the needs of the
slow learner. : *
6. More emphasis must be placed on obtaining qualified tea
cher personnel. It is imperative that new ideas and mater
ials on education be utilized.
The challenge is great for ail citizens in Duplin Canity.
The Board of Education will act to maintain a found educational
program for all students. The Job will require major support
from all people interested in a better education for their
children. The problems CAN BE SOLVED. ?4
ft tripfc 1
I
E) Ros
trf V,;,: m C?| >
In Oi ial F
Sunday afternoon. e39,froi
UlMiknAn F Ami IV
WOO am en roomy
Outing j
Rose Hill Woodmen of The
World Ladies Court was held
at Moore's Crack Battle Ground
with fifty families In die area
attending. 'isf?'Mil **'
Moses a Paul, secretary of
event. Area manager James A.
i*e?*Klrk Car a wan JtrcfSt
PrSiem'wUlie Finer family of
him for Jk* the Itf J|iU
Mrs. Tonia Bryan, left, Director of Volun
teer Services at Cherry Hospital was guest
speaker at the Duplin County Mental Health
Group meeting In the courtroom last week.
Mrs. Bryan Spaaker
With her are Rev. Kenneth Davis, Chairman;
and' Mrs. Millie Brown, acting Director
of Public Welfare. (photo ty Rmh wells)
Duplin Mental Health Group
The Duplin County Mental
Health Association heard Mrs.
Tonia Bryan, director of
volunteer services at Cherry
Hospital, describe die needs of
the hospital and Us patients
tfhen she tpohe at a county
wide meeting Thursday
in {he county courtroom.
Chairman Kenneth Davis in
troduced Mrs. Bryan who mitt
an appeal on behalf of the pa
tients ae Cherry from Duplin
Conpty.
Mrs. Bryan related dut the
budget for Cherry Hospital in
Federal Court Mia To
eluded, although inadequately,
money for doctors, psycho
logist, nurses,social workers,
and many others who administer
to the needs of these people.
Money is not available however
for the personal thing that add
^?o-mvisli to the meaning of life
such as a window curtalq, fcrd
spread, chair, yail decorations
of any type, find manf. many
other items. Many personal
items are needed such as soap,
shampoo, shower caps, deodor
ant, cosmetics, and stationery
to mention only a few.
I
Mrs. Bryan cordially Invited
the group to visit Cherry Hos
pital and get first hand Inform
ation on the conditions that
exist there. She especially
invited groups such as church
circles. Lions, Rotary, Jay
cess, Literary clubs, or. any
persons who feel inclined to
help a less fortunate fellow
man, to visit as a group to
see the desperate need.
She pointed out that the av
Contlnued to page 16
Dismiss Suit Denied
Members of the Duplin Coun
ty Board of Education, Superin
tendent of Schools, Assistant
Superintendent of Schools,
Board Attorneys, Attorneys
for the Plaintiffs, and a Re
presentative from The State At
torney General's Office met in
the chambers of Judge Algernon
L. Butler in Clinton at 2:30
p.m., June 18, 1969, to hear a
request by the Board of dismi
ssal of a suit, "seeking a pre
liminary and permanent Injunc
tion, enjoining defendants from
continuing, sanctioning, au
thorizing and encouraging any
policy, practice, custom and
usage of discriminating against
and denying equal educational
opportunities to plaintiffs and
other Negro citizens of Duplin
County, North Carolina because
of race or coloi* and from ex
pending public monies to main
tain racially separate schools."
The request for dismissal
was based upon the grounds
that the Duplin County Board1
of Education had heretofore en
tered Into a contract with the
Department of Heath, Edu
cation and Welfare, In ac
cordance with the rules regul
ations and guidelines as provi
ded by The Department of He
alth, Education and Welfare,
The Department of Health, Edu
cation and Welfare, The Depar
tment of Health, Education and
Welfare then being a govern
mental agency who supposedly
had control of the federal funds
and over the schools; there
fore, the suit should be dism
issed.
The court denied this plea
and now allows The Duplin Co- |
Continued to Page 16
Privilege License
D$* JuiY 1
Fred Ja Walston, State Rev
enue Collector, urges all tax
payers to procure State privil
ege licenses beflfce July 1,1969.
According to Walston, timely
applications far licenses, to
gether with die correct remit
tance, should be mailed to the
North Carolina Department of
Revenue, Raleigh, North Caro
lina or submitted to the local
State Revenue Office. He ad
vises that the penalty for fail
ure to comply will be 5?e for
each delintjuent month, or fr
action thereof.
due tea Dy n>r, orady vvneeler,
Job Corps Counselor^ Comm
Rose Hill and at the Welfare
Dept In Kenansvil e
Youno men herween 16 and 22
?- Former
Editor Dies
ROSE HILL ? Murphy Lee
(*r. 82, died in Sampson Me
morial Hospital Monday night.
Mr." Carr was editor of The
Progress Sentinel, a Rose Hill
newspaper that merged with the
Duplin Times. Upon this
merger, Mr. Carr became edi
tor of THE DUPLIN TIMES
PROGRESS SENTINEL, a
post he held until his retire
ment. He had previously ser
ved as postmaster of Rose Hill
for twenty two years.
Funeral services were held
in Ml Zlon Presbyterian Chu
rch Wednesday at 11 ajn. by the
Rev. W. Qark Porter. Burial
was In Rockftsh Cemetery.
Survivors include his widow,
Mrs. Grace H. Carrj two
4pUgtKers, Mrs. Horace Fussel!
hall sister Mm Stall*
Agricultural-Business Leaders
r Tour Mississippi Delta
The above local people were
part of a group of thirty-seven
agricultural and business lea
ders from North Carolina who
toured the Mississippi Delta ar
ea June 17 to 20. The group
represented a broad cross sec
tion of North Carolina agrlcu
tural interests. They were in
search of new ideas which would
benefit the state's agricultural
economy and broaden our di
versification program. The
thought behind the tour was to
place emphasis on developing
Increased profits from crops
already being grown as well as
new ones that might be grown,
according, to W.T. Hancock,
Tour Director and Vice Presi
dent of Southern National Bank,
sponsor of the tour.
The first day's visits inclu
ded a stop at the Delta Farm
in Parken, Arkansas. This
farm is comprised of 24,000
acres of newly cleared Delta
land devoted almost exclusive
ly to the production of soybeans.
Here they saw the advantage of
large volume farming which is
essential in the production of
crops with a low unit profit.
It was pointed out that a $20
per acre profit with a satis
factory margin on a farm of
this size. Also, on the first
day of the tour a stop was
made at Circle M Ranch in
Senatobla, Miss., ?$ere the
group saw the outstanding Pol
led Hereford'Herd belonging to
"Hot" Moore, the outstanding
Polled Hereford breeder in the
United States.'
In the same area a feed lot
producing in excess of a thou
sand steers annually was visl
-- ? ~
ted. The group was Impressed
by the practical buildings and
feeding arrangements develop
ed by the Pond brothers, ow
ners of this farm.
Wednesday the farms visited
included the famous Delta and
Pineland Co. Farms at Scott,
Miss. The entire morning was
devj^ed to touring this 36,000
acrejiarm which produces more .?
cottonseed than any farm in the
world. Also seen here were a
variety of agricultural crops
including vegetables, rice and a
large beef cattle operation with
feed lot.
At Stoneville, Miss, the gr
oup toured the extensive re
search farm where more cotton
research is being done than any
where else in the United States.
The work at the station is a
cooperative effort of the U.S.
Dept. of Agriculture and the
Miss. State Dept. of Agricul
ture. Also in this general
area a visit was made to,the
Walker Farms Dairy, t^e^Sta- ^
'"pie Cotton Cooperative 'je. Gr
eenwood, Miss., and a final stop
at the' Morgan City Fisheries
where the group toured a small
processing plant and saw the
400 acre catfish growing
ponds of this company. The
Continued to page 16 ,
??
Touring the Mississippi Delta area were left to right: W.T.
Hancock, Felton Rackley, and Dennis Ramsey. Second row,
Grover Dobbins, Extension Agent; Nash Johnson, George Spain,
N.C. Dept. Agr., and Bryan Smith, N.C. Dept. of Conservation
and Development.
Recent rains In Duplin County have completely destroyed many
crops and heavily damaged others. The wilted leaves of tobaccc
are an Indication that the plants have drowned. Son.e plants
revive while others as In cases of this kind, will fail to revivi
and tobacco poundage produced by the farmer will be sharply
curtailed. Many acres of crops in the county have been plowed
un(*er- (Photo by Ruth Wells)
Heavy Rains In Dunlin Leave Sad Plight
Crops in Duplin County, hit
by two separate deluges of water
that approached flood propor
tions. are indeed in a sad pl
ight.
Many parts of the county sus
talned rainfall in mid May unof
ficially measured nine inches,
and even more in sane Inst
ances during a three day period.
Crops on light sandy soil were
to any encouragement to grow.
Crops on soils of a nature
that could withstand such heavy
downpours lost many of their
feed roots, turned a sick yellow
and managed to survive at all
only by a second application
of fertilizer and cultivation to
help dry out the soil. These
crops have shown signs of re
covery, at least to some extent
and have Started growing again.
A second downpour of flood
waters hit Duplin last week,
acaln In in any Instances mm- ?
ft v
uring nine inches. This came
in less than a twenty-four hour
period and dealt the final blow
to many crops.
High water signs were posted
on US Highway 117 between Mag
nolia and Rose Hill and on Rural
Paved Road 1003 between Mag
nolia and Kenans ville, warning
motorist of the Impending dan
home of Mr. and Mrs. Leslie
Drew, Rt. 1, Magnolia floated
out of the ground.
Tobacco, long recognized as
the Golden Weed has literally
become golden, prematurely in
the fields and many of the lea
ves lay limp and wilted down
the stalks.
Many acres of truck crops
and grain in the county have be
en plowed infer, leaving the
hare fields a grime reminder