£
A BETTER COUNTY THROUGH IMPROVED FARM PRACTICES
TRBNTQK, N. C. THURSDAY, APRIL 26. 1951
Jones Representative Is
Standing Behind Change
MadeonEducationBoard
wear sirs:
I read with much interest
**» article on the front pace
end1 the first column of the
pace and your editorial on the
sixth pace of the Journal dated
ApHI 19th, 1951, which had to
do with the Jones County
Board of Education sworn in
April 2nd.
The purpose of this letter is
to request you to correct the
very erroneous statement made
by your pdper in both the ar
ticle referred to and the edit
orial. And it is requested that
you publish this letter and give
it all the space needed on the
first or front pace of the next
issue of the Jones Journal, the
week of April*£6tb, and make
proper correction.
You stated that the only
reason given for refusing to
abide by the will of the voters
was that Trenton Township
would have had three of the
five board members if Mr.
Davenport had taken his right
ful seat on the board. I assume
that you made the statement
referring to me as having made
such statement to you or to.
some other .member of the staff
of the Jones Journal. If so, I
wish to say that that is untrue
and you know it. I have never
made such statement to you or
anyone at anytime after the
1958 Primary or during the 1951
Assembly, nor at any
Mr. Rider or anyone
Mae l knew, or should have
known, that Mr. Davenport is
A-native of Beaver Creek Town
ship and his appointment
would have nothing to do with
the board members of Trenton
Township. Mr. J. Carlton West
Jr., was named as a member
from Trenton Township, and if
Mr. Davpnport had been ap
pointed' It would have made
no change of the number of
members from Trenton Town
ship. But you seem to leave,
or try to leave, the impression
that I offered as an excuse
that the appointment of Mr.
Davenport from Beaver Creek
would nave given Trenton
three (3) of the five (5) mem
bers of Jones Jones County
Board of Education, which you
know is not true. Even if Mr.
Davenport had been from
Trenton Township, it would
only have given Trenton
Township two (2) of the five
(5) members.
Mr. Rider, and other mem
bers of the. staff of the Jones
Journal, well know that many
counties throughout the State
make changes in the board
members, and are not bound
by the Primary results. Wheth
er that is a good law or not
it is nevertheless the law, and
was made a good many yeans
before my day as a member of
the General Assembly. No grave .
crime or injustice has been
practiced on anyone as the
Journal would have it appear
to its readers, and I am one
of n>in
I have no apologies for'the
appointment of Mr. Clyde J.
Banka The reason for hi* ap
; is the fact that he'
Township,
Gordon Jenkins is
Again First to Set
Out in Jones County
Jones Coiunty Agent Wayland
Reams reported Tuesday that a
good many farmers In the coun
ty have already begun planting
their tobacco. Plant beds are
beautiful in every part of the
county and it is felt that this will
be one year in which there will
not even be a threatened short
age of plants. George Jenkins of
the Oliver’s Crossroad section is
reported to be the first Jones
County farmer to set out tobacco
this year.
Reams pointed out that this
early p 1 a n t i n g practice has
largely been discarded by the
biggest percentage of tobacco
farmers, since it is felt that a
May 5-10 planting produces
better cigarette tobacco. Tobacco
planted early, Reams points out,
will “toughen up” dining the cool
spells that are usual in April.
It is felt that over 90 per cent
of the tobacco planted in Jones
County this year will be of di
sease resistant varieties, since
there are few, if any areas in the
county that have not been hit by
either black shank or wilt.
Beer Dealers Told
To Strictly Abide
have been reminded by inspec
tors of the Malt Beverage Divi
sion of the North Carolina Board
of Alcoholic Control that effec
tive May 1st beer may be sold un
til 11:45 • In the evening. The
present time limit for beer sales
in North Carolina' Is 11 p. m.
This law extending the time
limit for beer sales was passed
during the closing days of the
session of the General Assembly
which ended this month. In
bringing this change in the law
to the attention of all retail
beer outlets inspectors for this
department have stressed that
beer sales must be stopped at
11:45 and'that all tables and the
counter must be cleared of beer
before midnight. (Rather like
Cinderella: Editor’s note.)
May 15th Deadline
For Participation
In Trent Project
A discouragingly small crowd
turned'up Monday night for the
meeting on the cleaning out of
Trent River from Trenton to the
Lenoir County line and in order
to give workers more time to at
tempt to raise the necessary $25,
000 that would be used to sup
plement the $50,000 allocated for
the job by army engineers the
deadline for participation has
been moved from May 1st to May
15th.
More than half of the $25,000
that has been asked from land
owners whose land is drained by
Trent River has been pledged.
A survey made by army engi
neers has revealed that $75,000
would be needed for this job. The
army was unable to allocate
more than $50,000 and the re
maining $25,000 was to be raised
in Jones County.
Army engineers have esti
mated that the work contem
plated would lower the level of
the stream at least three feet at
its banks-full stage. Jones Coun
ty Soil Conservationist Mack
Griffin says this is a most con
servative estimate of the good
that would be done by the clean
ing out of the river.
All landowners along the river
who have not pledged their fi
nancial support to this effort are
urged to contact Griffin’s office
or anyone of the following work
ers who have been helping se
cure the needed $25,000:
W. W. Lowery, John M. Har
gett, Bruce and Jasper Foy, Nick
Nobles, Z. A. Koonce, D. E. Tay
lor, Mr. and Mrs. B. H. George,
E. M. Philyaw, Mrs. Earl Franck
afttt Ffed Pollock.
Tax Valuation in
Lenoir Take a 414
Million Jump
One of the biggest jumps lit
the taxable valuation of Lenoir
County personal property and
real estate ever made in one year
has been reported by Tax Collec
tor Milton Williams now that
the 1951 listed valuation for the
county’s 13 townships has been
totalled.
In 1950 the total listed valua
tion of the county was $34,509,
435 and this year it is $4,507,905
more than that with the ’51 fig
ure ending up' at $38,016,340,
which is naturally an all-time
high.
Over 50 Years
Fishing Sutton
Lands Biggest
Cat From Neuse
Wyche Sutton, who lives just
south of Kinston, says he has
been fishing in Neuse River for
more than 50 years and in all
that half century he says this
king-sized catfish he is pictured
with here is the biggest specimen
he has yet seen. *
Sutton, a fisherman of the old
school, who still thinks that the
only civilized way to really go
for shad and rock is with the
“bows.” landed this eight and
one half pound catfish this
month in his favorite“whirl” not
too far north of Kinston.
This specimen measures 27
inches in length and is four
inches wide between the eyes.
This gentleman sized catfish
wound up in a stew, according to
latest reports and turned out one
Of the most succulent dishes of
the season.
j-WF^-v -v
Change in Welfare Law
Makes Estate of Person
Liable for Funds Given
George Wiggins Has
Resigned Jones Post
To Move to New Bern
The exodus of Jones County
extension department workers to
New Bern apparently is conta
gious since Assistant County
Agent George Wiggins, Jr., this
week handed in his resignation
effective May 1st to accept a po
sition with the Maola Milk and
Ice Cream Co., Inc., of New Bern.
Former County Agent A. V.
Thomas resigned from his Jones
County post effective April 1st
to accept a post with the New
Bern Oil and Fertilizer Com
pany.
Wiggins, a native of Wayne
County, has been with the Jones
County department for more
than three years and had done
an outstanding job of promoting!
work among 4-H clubs and haS
also been a strong influence to
ward the increased livestock pro
duction that has taken place in
the county since the end of
World War II.
Wiggins will be largely respon
sible for publie relations work
with the New Bern milk com
pany and a part of his duties will
consist of increasing dairying in
this part of the state. He has al
ready moved his family to New
Bern and will commute to Tren
ton until his resignation becomes
effective.
Jones BFBL Council
Names Rev. C. B. Long
President for Year
Last Friday afternoon the
Jones County Council on Better
Fanning for Better Living met in
the Agriculture Building and
named Rev. C. B. Long of Tren
ton president of the council for
the coming year. Other officers
named were R. L. Edwards of
Trenton vice president, and
Coupty Agent Wayland Reams,
secretary.
Following the election of offi
cers of the council for the com
ing year the group mapped out
plans for visits on May 1st to
each of the 2 3Jamilies in the
county who have entered the an
nual contest, which is sponsored
by local merchants and the
Tidewater Power Company.
Plans call for seven teams of
visitors to meet at the Ag Build
ing at 10 a. m. on May 1st at
which time Tidewater Agricul
ture Agent Neil Bolton will meet
with them to explain the prin
cipal ideas behind this annual
program. Bolton will also visit
over the county with one of the
teams that will do the visiting on
that afternoon.
Lanier Trial Delayed
The long delayed case a
gainst J. Con Lanier, promin
ent Greenville attorney, who is
charged with hit-and-run driv
ing and involuntary man
slaughter as one result of the
highway death last November
29th of 62 year old William
Henry Tripp of Grifton, was
delayed some more Monday
when Judge A. R. Crisp of Le
noir convened a one-week
mixed term of Lenoir County’s
Superior Court. Defense coun
sel for the well-known Green
ville attorney insisted that
First District Congressman
Herbert Bonner is needed as
an important witness for the
defense and that due to pres
sing affairs in Washington it
ip impossible for Bonner to at
tend this session of court. The
| ease ls now set for trial in May.
One of the most far reaching
changes made in laws pertaining
to welfare departments in North
Carolina will become effective
October 1, 1951, after having
been passed by the 1951 General
Assembly. This law will make
the estate of all persons liable
for any an^ all funds paid to
that person through a welfare
department.
Under present regulations a
person may own his home and
still be eligible for old age as
sistance from his welfare de
partment. This view is taken
since a person most have shel
ter and if he is forced to sell his
home he would have to rent a
place to live, which would usual
ly be higher than taxes and up
keep on a home.
In the past many children
have found themselves “unable”
to help their parents because
they knew that under the law
they had no responsibility to
their parents. They also knew
that if the county kept their pa
rents up with an old age assis
tance check each month it
would be possible for them to
come around and claim the prop
erty that might have been own
ed by their father or mother.
At present if a person has less
than $400 in cash, bonds or pos
tal savings and has an insuf
ficient income to live upon, is
past 65 years of age and there
is not sufficient income in his
immediate family to take care
of him he is eligible for old age
assistance.
In the future, it is hoped by
those who worked for passage of
this bill through the legislature,
that many persons owning their
home will be discouraged by
their children in accepting these
old age assistance checks since
they will be charged against that
estate and will have the next
legal priority after a tax lien
against this property.
The Lenoir County Board of
Public Welfare at the tint! this
bill was offered to the Assembly,
Chairman Jack Rider, Dr. Rachel
Davis and Tom Davis, gave their
unanimous support to this legis
lation which was killed in the
1949 session but was passed at
this session without too much
trouble.
This bill is in no sense aimed at
depriving needy persons of the
help that is available through
the welfare department but it is
aimed at preventing relatives,
including children, inheriting a
piece of property—no matter
how small—after the tax payers
have had to keep up the owner
of that property during part of
his life time.
Every property owner who is
now receiving aid through the
department will be notified be
tween now and October 1st that
all funds he gets after that date
will be charged against his
property. It is the general feel
ing among those close to the
welfare program that this
change in the law will cause
many clients to come in and
cancel their claims.
Up For Parole
Lloyd “Chubby” Cummings,
well known Kinstonian, who was
sentenced to five, years in prison
after pleading guilty to setting
fire to a house owned by Mr.
and Mrs. Charlie Bur sell in 1949
in Kinston, is now up for parole,,
after having server the required
one fourth of his sentence.
Iredell County turkey growers
are planning about a 20 per cent
increase in their flocks, this,
year.