m OUR NINETEENTH ANNUAL TOBACCO EDITION DRIVE SAFELY! The Life You Save—May Be Your Own. The Wallace Enterprise £&. ™ Bright Leaf Tobacco Mart A Duplin County Institution VOLUME XXXIV—Number 43 WALLACE. NORTH CAROLINA THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 1955 PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY PRICE 5 CENTS COUNTY ASC COMMITTEE IS SUSPENDED • * • *r • ★ Wallace Market Opens Tuesday; No Racial Integration In Schools Of Duplin County When They Open Tuesday Says Board Of Education Board Authorized Members Of School Improvement Committee To Study Segre gation Problem And Advise It; In Meantime Schools Will Be Operated This Year , As In The Past BOARD IS COMPLETING SriUALIZATION PROGRAM Future Of Program Rests With Parents Of Children There will be no racial integra tion in the schools of Duplin Co unty when they open next Tues day, August 23rd, under the policy established by the Board of Edu cation. Following the advice of Governor Hodges, the Attorney General and the Special Advisory Committee on Education, the Board authorized members of the School Improvement Committee to study the problem and advise it regard ing the question of integration. Meanwhile the schools will be op erated this year as in the past. The School Improvement Com mittee, which is representative of all school districts in the county, has been in existence for four years and has co-operated with the Uni versity of North Carolina and the Kellogg Foundation in a program of School improvement in the co un/'\ ii.nce this committee has spent four years in studying school prob lems, it was felt by the board that embers would be able to ren der valuable assistance in meeting the problems raised by the Su preme Court decision of May 17, 1954. Superintendent O. P. Johnson, in commenting on the plans for this year, pointed out that the county has spent a large amount of money in recent years in building con solidated schools for the Negro children of the county. The most recent is the school at Kenans ville, which is by far the most mod ern in the county. Charity school and Douglass school at Warsaw are the other two Negro high schools and they are also modern in ev ery respect. Among the new elementary Ne gro schools are Faison, which has recently been enlarged to provide for the Calypso Negro children and Branch, which is in the northeast ern section of the county. They are also of modern design. When the Supreme Court ruling was handed down the board of edu cation had under consideration the _ld.ans for completing its equaliza tion program. These plans include provision for the Negro children at CMnquapin, Rose Hill and Wallace elementary schools and renova tion of Negro elementary buildings at Teachey and Magnolia. When this program is finished facilities provided the Negro children of Duplin county will be far superior to that offered white children at this time. The opinion has been expressed that Governor Hodges’ “voluntary separation” program should meet with acceptance in Duplin more readily than in some other school districts because of the existence of modern facilities which the board has been providing at a ra (Continued On Page Five) Miss Hunt Back After Attending Week’s Course Miss Helen Hunt has returned af ter spending last week attending tfate, Tax Collector’s School at Cha pZl Hill. The special one week course was( sponsored by the Institute of Government. Those attending stu died new laws of the legislature in connection with taxes. There was a period of license study for two days. Property taxes and list ing of taxes came in for a goodly amount of discussion. Miss Hunt said today that tax statements for the Town of Wal lace will be in the mail on Sept ember 1st Five Duplin 4-H’ers Attend 4-H Club Week ! On July 25, 1955, at 8:30 a.m. the Duplin County delegation left iKenansville to attend the 30th An nual 4-H Club Week. The delegation consisted of Jane Wilkins. Mary Vann Wilkins. Bar bara Heir. Douglas Turner of Rose Hill and Freddie Revelle of War saw. | We arrived at N. C. State Col lege Campus in Raleigh about 10:30 a.m. We registered at the Wil liam-Neil-Reynolds Coliseum and prepared for a busy week. In the free time we had Mon day afternoon we could swim or play basketball in the Thompson Gym. The week officially begun at 7:15 Monday evening with G. K. Davis, State 4-H Presiding presiding. At 6:30 a.m. Tuesday reveile was blown to mark the beginning of a busy day which included four spe cial interest groups: “IVs ^'ce to know” by Mrs. Corinno G: imsley, Extension Specialist in Family Re lations. “There’s music in air” by N. C. Lindsey, “Drive with care everywhere” by E. W. Jones, State Highway Patrol. Recreation Leadership by Mrs. Anne Livings ton, National Recreation Expert. We were divided in four groups: Head, Heart, Hands and Health, so each group saw one special inter est progra meach day until every one had seen all four programs. There were also demonstrations given by the district winners which were very interesting. Throughout the week, at night we saw “The State 4-H Dress Revue,” “The Health Pageant,” and the “4-H Parade of Talent.” The week was officially over af ter taps Friday night. We left for home about 10:00 a.m. We all en joyed a very inspiring week. Funeral Services Held For William Edson Bowden Graveside services were held for William Edson Bowden, 48, of Fai son, who died of a heart attack on Monday, August 8th, at the Faison I Cemetery at five o’clock with the Rev. T. O. Bird officiating. Mr. Bowden was a member of the Faison Presbyterian Church and was a retired produce buyer. Surviving are his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Bowden; a sister, Mrs. W. M. Baugham of Faison; two brothers, M. C. Bowden of Fai son and Dr, Beals Bowden of Jack sonville. Summary Shows No Traffic Deaths In District Five No traffic deaths were reporged in District Five, Troop B, for the period of August 8th through Au gust 14th, it was learned today from an accident summary recei ved from Cpl. T. G. Brooks of the State Highway Patrol. Duplin, Sampson, and Wayne Counties are included in Troop B. A total of 27 accidents, eight in juries and $6,990.00 in property da mage was reported for the three county' district. A breakdown by Counties follows: ,Wayne County was the scene of the greatest number of traffic ac cidents, 7, with two injuries and $2,065.00 in property damage. Both Duplin and Sampson Coun ties had the same number of ac cidenti, 5, as well as the same number of injuries, 3. A total of $2,300.00 in property damage was reported in Duplin, while Sampson reported property damage amount ing to 552,625.00. The arrest summary \showed a total of 76 traffic violations in the district ;with speeding and driving violations the cause of the most arrests, 19 each. Wallace Market Looks Toward Best Year In History As Sales Of Flue Cured Tobacco Begin On August 23rd Sales To Begin At 9 A. M. On Largest One-Sale Bright Leaf Tobacco Market In The Whole World ALMOST MILLION FEET OF FLOOR SPACE HERE Warehousemen Will Work Hard Getting High Prices The prevailing spirit in Wallace now is optimism. This optimism, shared by the growers, warehousemen and mer chants of the tow’n alike, has to do with the opening of tobacco sales here on Tuesday. Opening sales have a great in fluence on the lives of people in the community since anyone liv ing in the heart of the tobacco belt feels some direct or indirect in fluence from tobacco sales. Here in Wallace, opening sales have particular significance. Wal lace has, through the years, ac quired the title: “The World’s Lar gest One-Sale Bright Leaf Tobacco Market.” This impressive, though a bit cumbersome, title means sim ply that with one set of buyers Wallace managers each year to chalk up more tobacco sales than any other market similarly equip ped. Gaining this prominence did not come easy to the local market. It has resulted only from hard work on the part of individuals and groups of individuals. It is not surprising then, that the Wallace market has become known to growers in still another way too, as a farmer’s market. In no oth er market in the Eastern Belt is there to be found a better spirit of cooperation between the tobacco men and the farmers. The tobac co men work hard to try to get the best price for the farmer and the farmer expresses his confidence in the local market by bringing in more tobacco to the local mar ket. This situation has the fortunate effect of adding to the success of the town itself. It is small won der, then, that Wallace has gained the reputation of being a friendly town for tobacco growers. The men who operate these ware houses have impressive records of many years of service and success in getting the highest prices for growers who sell here. They know that the farmer can not be paid too much for his months of hard work readying his tobacco crop for the market. wiui me sales run yei open, u is a bit early to attempt predictions concerning the results of sales to be here this year. Wallace ware housemen and growers alike feel that prices will be about the same as last year and the bumper crop harvested this year will make the total amount in the pocket con siderably more than last year. “We have an excellent buying staff assigned here by the ten major companies, all the major companies I might add, and also a capable and experienced staff of government graders,” a warehou seman said today. Sales this year will be conduct ed at Blanchard and Farrior’s Warehouse No. 1, Sheffield’s Ware house No. 1, and Hussey’s Ware house No. 1. Sheffield’s is a new house opening this year for the first time although the owners, John and Granville, have much ex perience in growing and handling tobacco and know their product well. Bill Hussey, Sr., Bill Hussey, Jr., George D. Bennett and Gib Buck of Warsaw are partners in the op eration of Hussey’s. All have much experience in the warehouse busi ness. The firm has four ware houses and is leasing the Joe Bry ant Warehouse although all sales will be conducted at Hussey’s No. 1 on Highway 117. All three sell ing houses this year, incidentally, are located on the west side of 117 north of town. The house Hussey’s will sell in is the second largest warehouse in North Carolina and possibly the world. It contains 250,000 square feet of floor space. Hussey’s No. 1, it will be remem bered, was destroyed by Hurricane Hazel last fall. It has been built back bigger and more modern than ever. Blanchard and Farrior’s Ware house will be operated by O. C. Blanchard, Sr., O. C. Blanchard, Jr., William H. Farrior, Tyson La nier and R. H. Lanier. The firm iias another house immediately to the rear of No. 1. A modern build ing with concrete walls was built back within two months after the passage of Hurricane Hazel throu gh these parts last October 15. All of the warehouses to be op erated this year are brand new and in addition there are two oth ers which will be used for storage. Wallace offers growers a total of just short of one million square feet of floor space. This gives the growers plenty of room to unload and sell and each house provides the best in service and help to make farmers who sell here com fortable and their trip pleasur able. While it is too early to conjecture as to the volume of sales here this year it appears altogether likely that despite acreage cuts in to bacco allotments production has been better than in many years and the total will well exceed last year’s operation. At any rate, one thing is certain and that is that the spirit of co operation among the citizens of Wallace, which has led to such fame for the town as a market tow'n, will be present this year as in years past to insure that Wal lace will retain her title of which her citizens are justifiably proud: “The World’s Largest 0.;r Sale Bright Leaf Tobacco Market.” For the absolutely highest prices farmers are this year urged more than ever to place their offerings in big piles. “These sell better because it costs as much for a buying company to buy a small pile as a large one," a spokesman for the local market pointed out. V’Bookkeeping, handling and all factors remain constant. Most buy ers want large piles and appear to pay slightly more per pound for them, ft costs the farmer less in charges, too. Figure it out for yourself and make your piles as large as possible this year,” lie concluded. Little Damage Results From Hurricane Diane Farmers who had already finish ed harvesting green tobacco for this season probably breathed a sigh of relief as they viewed their fields following the downpour ac companying Hurricane Diane this week. Although very little wind dama ge by Tuesday's storm was re ported in this area, the wind-flat tened tobacco and corn fields left by "Diane’s” big sister “Connie” weren’t in any better condition af ter the soaking rains, makin it very difficult to harvest the tobac co, especially with tobacco har vesters. Most farmers over the co unty are through gathering or only have one or two more croppings of the bright leaf before calling it quits in the tobacco fields for this year. “There wasn't much to it, but I was a little scared at first”, was the usual comment heard follow ing the hurricane, classed by most folks as about like a “Northeast ern”. The absence of high winds brought relief to local citizens, re membering Hazel and Connie’s ex ploits. Another relieving fact was that there was no long waiting per iod before the storm hit as pre (Continued On Page Five) State Official Of Eastern Stars To Visit Area The new Worthy Grand Matron of the Grand Chapter of North Ca rolina, Mrs. Hilda S. Halliburton, will pay Pat McGowen Eastern Star members an official visit on Friday night, August 19th, it was announced today by Mrs. Helen J. Sumner, Secretary. Mrs. Halliburton will arrive in Garland, N. C., at eight p.m. All local Eastern Star members of Pat McGowan Chapter are in vited and urged to attend. Those who are planning to attend are asked to please meet at the Wal lace Masonic Lodge at seven p.m. Mrs. Sumner concluded. • ★ • ★ • ★ All Three County ASC Committeemen, Two Alternates Receive Registered Letters From State Committee Saying Are Suspended From Duty; Local Committee Protest Funeral Services For Vann Norris Held Friday Vann Norris, age 77, of Bowden died early Thursday morning in Duplin Memorial Hospital at Ken ansville after several months of declining health. Funeral services were conducted front Northeast Free Will Baptist Church near Wallace at 3:00 o’ clock Friday afternoon by Rev. Vann Rich, pastor, assisted by Rev. H. N. Baker of the Warsaw Bap tist Church. Burial followed in the Cavenaugh Family Cemetery. The body was carried to the church one hour prior to funeral service. He is survived by four daugh ters, Mrs. H. B. Carter, of Wash ington, D. C\, Mrs. W. C. Eng lish and Mrs. R. E. Henderson, both of Bowden and Mrs. Ross Tea chey of Rose Hill; four foster chil dren, Willie Norris and Horace Nor ris of Wilmington, Kenneth Norris of Wallace and Jack Norris of An derson, Ala.; one brother, Ira Nor ris of Wallace; fourteen grandchil dren; eight great-grandchildren. Beulaville Man Kills Wife In Sunday Incident A Beulaville man silently went about the business of murder yes terday morning as he killed his wife, the mother of their seven children, the youngest still on a bottle. Being held without bond pending an inquest tomorrow night at 7:30 at Gordon Muldrow’s office is Sta cy Edwards. The couple lived across the high way from Penney’s Store, two mi les west of Beulaville. According to witnesses Minnie W. Edwards, 40, was in the store to get something for Sunday dinner and was seated on a bottle crate waiting for service when her hus band came to the door. He allegedly looked in, saw his wife, said nothing but went back to his car, got out a single barrel shotgun and returned to the door. Still without murmuring a word, lie threw the weapon to his shoul der. The first shell tore into Mrs. Edwards’ buttocks. The second en tered her back between the shoul ders. She died instantly. The incident happened about 10 a.m. Sunday morning. Coroner Garland Kennedy said shw still had $1.15 clutched in her hand to get her groceries. The coroner's jury will consist of R. W. Kennedy, It. S. Basden, Bailie Thigpen, Jessie Brinson* Lis ton Maready and George C. Lanier when the hearing is held tomorrow night. Funeral Rites For Mrs. Lee Held Sunday Funeral rites for Mrs. Julia Fair cloth Lee, 76, were held from the Faison Methodist Church on Sun day at three p.m. with the Rev. Stills, Methodist minister of Rocky Mount, officiating. Mrs. Lee died at 1:10 p.m. in a Nursing Home in Rocky Mount following an ill ness of three months. She was a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Dan Faircloth of Dup lin County but had lived in Rocky Mount for the past eight years. In terment followed at the Faison Ce metery. Surviving are six daughters, Mrs. B. E. Ingram, Mrs. J. J. Andrews, and Mrs. W. F. Mason of Rocky Mount; Mrs. C. W. Wynn and Mrs. D. C. Bass of Clinton; Mrs. H. V. Brewar of Faison: four sons, Lem mie Lee, Jr., of Rocky Mount, L. C. Lee of Mount Olive, H. D. Lee of Warsaw, and W. M. Lee of Vir ginia; one sister, Mrs. Ozzie Whee ler of Cary; 30 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren, and one great great- grandchild. Autopsy records of the Poultry Disease Diagnostic Laboratory at State College show that Erysipilas has been occurring more frequent ly in recent years. Harvey Arnold And Committee Instantly Return Letter Re jecting The Suspension And “Requesting And Urging” An “Investigation Of The ENTIRE Duplin County; Arnold Claims A Number Of Fields Of Hidden Tobacco, Particularly Among Large Growers Found This Year, Thinks One Put Pressure On State Committee For Sus pension, Terms The Action “Political Subterfuge” “V7E WANT HEARING BEFORE ELECTION TIME SO TEAT OUR NAMES CAN BE CLEARED,” SAYS ARNOLD Chair: . 'n Says Committee Not Eligible For Re-Election As Things Now Stand, Thinks Political Angles Involved The three county ASC Commit teemen and two alternates have leceived registered letters from the State Committee announcing their suspension from duty. Most of tile letters were receiv ed Saturday or Monday from the Raleigh office. Suspended are Harvey Arnold of Rose Hill, chair man, Coy Hall of Beulaville, vice chairman and J. C. Blanchard of Warsaw, regular member a < well as alternates D. N. Brins> i of Kenansville and Henry Carter of Wallace. The suspension notice advisr 1 that a hearing would be given if requested. The entire Caplin Co unty Committee instantly return ed a registered letter rejecting the suspension and “requesting and ur ging” an “investigation of the en tire Duplin County” and underlined the word "entire.” "We don't know' what all this is about,” Arnold, the chairman, told this newspaper today. “However, 1 think it is because we caught the wrong man.” Without being specific Arnold pointed out that a number of hid den fields of tobacco have been found this year, particularly among several large growers. He said some were in well enough placed positions to bring pressure on the State Committee resulting in the suspension action. “We will stick with this thing," Arnold declared. "Those in Dup lin County and elsew'here who would destroy our tobacco program for politics or personal animosity have created a lot of hullabaloo about nothing. If it continues it will wreck the program in Dup lin County." “The action of the state com mittee is in reverse of rights grant ed all citizens by the Constitution. This says a man is innocent un til proven guilty. Under the reg ulations of the Secretary of Agri culture the opposite is true. A man is guilty until proven innocent.” In requesting an immediate hear ing Arnold said, “if the state of fice has anything justifying this outrageous action which could de ist roy our program in Duplin we w'ant to know about it and that right early.” Commenting on rumors about the county Arnold said that he and every member of the committee would like for any and everybody to visit and check on their farms. I have no hidden tobacco and none of the committeemen have.” 'he declared. “This is a vicious lie and we will fight the charges, whenever the state committee is I courteous enough to tell us w hat iwe have done wrong, IF ANY THING.” ! Arnold went on to quote J. C. Blanchard as saying a rumor had Jit that he, Blanchard, had six acres of hidden tobacco on his farm. ”1 would like the state to spot check this to prove to themselves I have no excess acreage," he said. The action this week followed hearings in the agriculture build ing last week and also three weeks ago. The county committee chairman said there were 40 applications for new growers allotments this year. Of these 23 were checked and rec ommended by the county commit tee. Three others were later ap proved by a Review Committee, making a total of 26. 51 acres W'ere applied for on these 26 ap plications. All were approved by the state committee. Three weeks ago as the growers neared the harvest conclusion the state com mittee suddenly cancelled out all but four of the original 26 applica tions, including the three of the Review Committee. This resulted in the July hearing and last week’s hearings. Nineteen of the twenty-two made appeals and were heard during the two separate hearings. As a result of the hearings eight got their al lotment back. Those who failed have the right to ■ appeal further and some may do so. (). C. Burton of Bolivia has been ordered to Duplin and is on the scene. The county office manager, Mrs. Dora Betty Bell, is in charge of the program temporarily, it is understood. Burton is a state spot checker and has worked in Duplin before, including this year. Regarding another rumor about the $96,000 alloted Duplin for farm improvement under the AC pro gram (a subsidiary program of the ASC office )the exact figure re quested and granted for one of the committee, Blanchard, is $30. None of the other five have ap plied for or received any. The committee can grant up to $1500 p ■ farm for improvements such as tih laying, pasture seeding, ditch ing, free planting, irrigation ponds, watering holes for stock, and for estry improvement as well as oth ers.” Ai the time of the last ap provals there was still more than $60,000 of the $96,000 remaining. "The county committee has the right to approve improvements on their own farms and I would like to point out that so far, with the exception of the $30, none has been spent on the property of any co unty committeeman, or applied for,” Arnold said. "We want the state committee to give us a hearing as soon as pos sible, and inform us speeiafically why this suspension took place,” Arnold declared. "If we have been doing anything unworthy of our position we should be kicked out,” he said, “but if not we want our names cleared and the whole mess: straightened out so that the to bacco program in Duplin will not I suffer further hurt.” Arnold pointed out that the an 'nual election of committeemen comes up in October. “We are not eligible for re-elec jtion as things now stand,” he said • i"We want our names cleared and the program in Duplin slraighten led out well in advance of the el ections. Otherwise, we shall be :forced to conclude that the sus pension is political subterfuge only and has nothing to do with any 'irregularities of the county com mittee as such.” "Fraud is on the part of the ap plicant and not the county commit tee. Our findings in January will 'show for themselves were meeting | regulations. Our spot-checks re vealed the applicants living on the farm at the time of approval and expecting to derive 50 per cent of his income from tobacco and hav ing no tobacco on any other farms. Spot checks in June and July show that some of the regulations may have been broken SINCE the ap plication was approved. Over this I we have no control and we resent j implications that we do.” Arnold concluded his statement with a word of thanks to his far mer friends. “I, and the rest of the committee, have always done (Continued On Page Five) Citizens Thanked For Aid Given During Hurricane When a job is well done, ex pressed appreciation is in order. During the passing of the two hurricanes of the last two days, a number of our local citizens have gone all-out for us. They have stayed up at night, using their time and cars and phones and safety shelters in our behalf. To those officially connected with our town’s administration, and to the Volunteer Units, we thank you. And I am personally grateful to Claude Hepler, Captain of our Aux iliary Police, who has taken over for me in my absence. William Hood, Director Wallace Civil Defense.