THE SADDEST ARE THESE: IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN1
Farmers Caught Without Hogs During
Current High Prices Singing Blues
By Jack Rider
Poetry is hardly being resort
ed to by those reluctant farm
ing dragons who have been
eaught in this high-priced pork
season without any hogs to sell,
but Whittier's famous line aptly
describes their situation.
With top hogs going for $28
per hundred pounds it is easy
to see that only a few 200-pound
top hogs could take a lot of
wrinkles out of Eastern Carolina
farm bellies left by last year’s
drastic tobacco production drop.
But if one ain’t got ’em, it’s
hard to selTem.
Hogs, bless their grunting
time, did take up a huge part
of the slack caused by reduced
tobacco income. . . but there
was still a $43 million dollar gap
between 1965 and 1966 farm
income in North Carolina.
' What’s worse, North Carolina
still imported over 158 million
pounds of pork last year while
thousands of farmers had nary a
porker on their farm.
Old' Nicotinus Tobacum has
reigned for two generations as
the king of North Carolina’s
farm economy. This year for
the first time in the history of
the state income from meat_
pork, poultry and beef passed
the income from tobacco.
Various estimates agree that
no less than 10 million bushels
of corn are shipped out of the
Kinston trade-area each year.
Even with sloppy management
and far below average hogs each
10 bushels of that departed, and
departing corn could produce
one top hog for market. The
corn leaves this area at an av
erage of about $1.25 per bushel.
Which means that all too many
farmers have sold all too many
10-bushel lots of corn for $12.30
when it could be selling — on
the hoof for $56.
Obviously the difference be
tween 10 bush«ls of corn for
$12.50 and a top hog for $56
is not a net $43.50 profit, be
cause hogs are not that efficient
in converting corn into cash.
But even after amortization of
investment in farrowing houses,
pig parlors, feeders, supple
ments, fending, medidne and
sometimes additional labor there
is quite a bit of profit in that
$43.50 difference between the
price of hogs and corn.
Espedally when full consid
eration is taken of the proven
fact that good hogs, well cared
for do regularly reach market
weight long before they have
chompred up anything like 10
bushels of corn.
Recent events in this area point
toward a continuing strong mar
; v . •'. * Vv^>. ' '
ket for hogs. Recent visitors to
Kinston from the middle west
said that the higher prices had
not attracted farmers back into
the hogs in the great hog-pro
due states, and that, if anything,
more and more farmers were
going out of the hog business.
Climate, land prices, taxes, la
bor and distance from market
are all factors contributing to
the decline of hog growing in
the middle west. The Kinston
area has made amazing gains in
the years since the end of
World War H.
The middlewest’s loss is the
Southeast’s great gain. But as
the poet said in the long ago,
it’s sure sad that all our farm
ers are not sharing in the
gravy.
■
NUMBER 38 ' TRENTON, N. C., THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 1966 VOLUME XVH
Accident Award of $42,000 Still Not
Finally Settled by Contending Parties
One of the largest jury awards
in recent Jones County history
is still unsettled.
Last week a jury awarded Wil
liam D. Metts $41,000 for per
sonal injuries and $1,000 for
damage to his car from an ac
cident in which he and a truck
driven by Richard E. Whitfield,
belonging to David, Inc. were
involved. . >
Defense, attorneys made a mo
tion that Judefe George Foun
tain set Die verdict aside as
too high was made when the
award was announced by the
jury. Fountain did not grant the
motion at that time but promis
ed to rule on the motion within
15 days.
Other actions in the week of
court included divorces to Myr
tle Grady Quinn from Esley Sut
ton Quinn, Calvin Simmons from
Hattie Mae Johnson Simmons
and Lott Sanders from Nettie
Mills Sanders.
A non-suit ordered in the ac
tion brought by Hezekiah Mur
rell against Jesse Baines was
appealled to the supreme court.
No appeal was made in the
ipter Makes Plans
ig Coming Year
Mrs. R.t. Ms frocks II ]
The Jones County unit of the
American Cancer Society met
at the Health Center-last Wed
nesday With Mrs. Ruth Peterson,
Field Consultant, attending.
Mrs. Grace Pollock, Acting
Treasurer, reported that the
Chapter had a balance of $353.
82 and $747,25 on savings. It
was discussed and decided by
the group that an applicant could
receive up to but not more than
$50. per application. However,
he may re-apply if additional
funds are needed at a later dale.
The policy that funds can only
be administered to patients
whose diagnosis of cancer had
been confirmed by Dr. John H.
Thompson, medical advisor.
Mrs. Peterson suggested that
non-suit of the action of Novella
Hunter against James Coy Grif
fin.
Judge Fountain held open un
til January 21st a ruling in the
action for possession by Mort
gage Investment Company of
Winston-Salem for the home of
iilohnny and Mary Belle Brown of
Pollocksville.
Seeks Divorce
One civil suit has been filed
in Jones County Superior Court
in the past week in which Ha
zel West Moore is asking a di
vorce from Cecil Edward Moore
on grounds of separation. The
suit alleges the couples marriage
on January 24, 1964 and their
separation on August 11, 1964.
One Jones Arrest
The only Jones County arrest
reported during the past week
was that of Jesse Franklin Foy
of Maysville route 1 who was
jailed on charge of violating the
terms of a probationary sen
tence.
I (monies raised through crusade,
memorials and thet contributions
which are sent to the State
Unit).
Tom Foscue recognized two
new members of our Executive
Board — Mrs. Carol Mattocks,
Publicity Chairman and Mrs.
Lottie Carroll, Crusade Chair
man. He expressed a desire to
see them push forward in help
ing to reach higher goals. '
The president stated that E.
E. Bell was resigning as memor
ial chairman. John W. Creagh
of Ppllocksville was elected to
fill this vacancy.
Members were encouraged to
attend the mid winter confer
ence to be held in Raleigh, Feb
ruary 2. Mrs. Petersoh extend
ed her appreciation to the Jones
County Unit for having been
represented by three members
at the annual meeting in Oc
tober.
i With no further business the
meeting was adjourned to April
13.
Jones County Hog
Grower Ties for
Top National Honor
Bobby Cox of Trenton route
2, long known nationally as one
of the top breeders of Poland
China hogs, tied for the highest
honor bestowed by the Poland
registry in 1965.
. Cox and the Lang Company
of Wisconsin tied for the indi
vidual lead in certification pro
gram sponsored by the associa
tion.
Both producers certified 14 lit
ters each.'Cox certified the ma
jority of the 20 litters certified
in North Carolina, and had a ma
jor hand in pushing North Caro
lina into the top five states in
the nation in Poland China cer
tification. This past year North
Carolina passed Ohio and In
diana in this department.
In addition to tying for top
1965 honors Cox also ranks 11th
in the nation for all time cer
tification records with 192 certi
fications.
And in the longtime records
4orth Carolina ranks 13th among
the 50 states, also largely due to
the work Cox has done in this
field.
Cox is holding a sale of 97
of his finest animals — includ
ing 42 bred gilts, 25 open gilts
and 30 boars on February in
the Pitt County Livestock Build
ing gt Greenville.
Peace in the Valley?
Jones County Attorney Donald
Brock said his interpretation of
letters received this week from
Raleigh indicates that the State
Personnel Department has ap
proved the present pay scale of
Jones County welfare workers.
This matter has been at issue
for some months now with the
welfare office in Raleigh com
plaining that Jones County wel
fare workers were not being
paid as well as Jones County
health department workers. . .
as well as not being paid as
well as Jones County health de
partment workers in other coun
ties. Janes County officials have
cited the fact that they approv
ed the budget requests of the
welfare department and that the
average pay in the welfare de
partment is far higher than for
comparable jobs in a majority
of the other county offices.
Crouton Forest Pays Jones County
$10,075.98 for 1965 Sales Share
Jones County has received a
check from the United States
Forestry Service for $10,075.98,
as the county’s pro-rata share
of the profits from sale of tim
ber during the year from Croa
tan National Forest.
This is the largest such check
Jones County has received since
this program was started.
Croatan Forest covers 306 -
300 acres, which includes 71,800
acres in Jones, 125,300 acres in
Craven and 109,200 acres in
Carteret counties. 1
North Carolina has a total of
1,124,152 acres in national for
est reserves, all of which is
managed and systematically tim-,
bered to encourage both maxi
mum conservation of soil and
water resources and production
of timber.
The federal government in all
owns 1,899,994 acres of land in
North Carolina, but the national
forests are the only acreages
Dies of Exposure
Lewis Koonce of Trenton route
1 was found dead this week in
a tobacco bar on the B. E. Mc
Daniel farm. Jones County
Corner Dr. George Davenport
ruled Koonce's death came from
exposure, 'since he was not
warmly dressed and sub-freez
ing temperatures prevailed on
the night preceding his being
found in the barn. He was a
tenant on the McDaniel farm.
upon which payments in lieu of
taxes are made to local govern
mental unit.
The next largest holder of
North Carolina lands among fed
eral agencies is the National
Park Service which owns 331,
494 acres.
The Navy holds 144,258 acres
— most of which is in the Ma
rine Corps stations at Camp Le
jeune and Cherry Point.
The Army holds 142,894 acres
— most of which is on the huge
Fort Bragg reservation.
The Air Force has 3,278 acres,
the Corps of Engineers 36,517
acres, Fish and Wildlife Service
83,414 acres, Tennessee Valley
Authority 22,144 acres, Coast
Guard 1,406 acres, Maritime Ad
ministration, 1,879 acres, United
States Information Agency (Voice
of America) 6,193 acres and the
Farmers Home Administration
holids 1,669 acres.
The remainder of the federal
holdings are in lots of less than
1,000 acres spread among a wide
assortment of federal bureaus.
The smallest tract is one acre
owned by the public health ser
vice, which is now in the process
of buying much more land in the
Research Triangle for its envir
onment health center.
Also the purchase of 15,800
acres for the Cape Lookout Na
tional Seashore Park and 12,
287 for a wildlife refuge in Hyde
and Washington counties is au
thorized.
South Lenoir Church Destroyed by Fire
ffiMW »c - «s-* >T~ ' ' ■' *
Howard’s Chapel Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
11 miles south of Kinston was destroyed by fire Tuesday night.
Some furnishings of the church were saved but the interior was
gutted and a majority of the church personal property was damag
ed or destroyed in the blaze which was foupd at about midnight
Kinston firemen arrived too late to save the church and its
Sunday School wing from the estimated $70,000 damage suffered
in the fire which is believed to have come frdm the church heat
ing plant. Howard’s Chapel is one of the oldest Mormon Congre
gation’s in this area, and it is expected that the church will be
immediately rebuilt w