f ;* '? . ' ? ?.? ?? . % ?
Population
City Limits 7.208
Trading Area 15.000
(IMS Ration loari Flfim)
VOL 64 NO. 27 ^
U Pages
Today
Established 1889 ? ' Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, July 8, 1 954
Sixty-Fourth Year PRICE FIVE CENTS
Local News
Bulletins
AT GEORGIA TECH
Frank A. Summers bas re
turned to Georgia Tech at At
lanta, Ga., for graduate work
in civil engineering. A gradu
ate of Georgia Tech, Mr.. Sum
mers was employed toy Hum
ble Oil Company for a short
time after graduation and
prior to active duty with the
army corps of engineers at
Port Bel voir, Va., and in . Ko
rea.
STUDENT OFFICE B
At their monthly meeting,
the KINGSMEN, a business and
professional fraternity of
King's Business College, Char
lotte, elected Jdhnle Gaston
Littlejonn, son of Mr. and Mrs.
C. H. Littlejohn, of Kings
Mountain, second vice - presi
dent. Mr. Littlejohn is an up
per division student in ac
counting.
UNION SERVICE '
Sunday night's union servi
ce. for five x city church con
gregations will be held at
Central Methodist church with
ihev% P. J>. Patrick, pastor of
First Presbyterian church, to
deliver the message at eight
o'clock.
KIWANIS PROOBttfe
" A colorTllm "Land of the
Maharajahs" will be shown
members of the Kings Moun
tain Khvanl* club Thursday
evening on <a program arang
ed by Joton Cheshire. The club
meets at Masdnlc Dining Hall
? at 6:45. ? ?
LIONS PROGRAM
Kings Mountain Lions club
will hold an organizational
meeting for the fiscal year be
ginning at their Tuesday night
meeting at Masonic Dining
Hall at 7 o'clock. Committees
wOl M flfrfrotntCBa una xiner^
ed on their duties during the
coming 12 months.
optimist gift
Two gymn sets have been
given the city for use at the
MoGlnnis street City Picnic a
rea by the Kings Mountain Op
timist Club it was announced
this week by E. C. Nicholson,
superintendent of public
woiks. The gym sets have al
ready been instaUed. .
LEGION MEETING
(Regular July meeting of
Otis IX Green Post 135, the A
mertcan Legion, will be held at
the Legion Hall Friday at 8
p. m., James Bennett, comman
der, announced yesterday. All
members are invited to attend.
Jaycees Appoint
ThreeDbectors
Bestgnatlons of three members
of the board of directors and ap
pointment of three new members
was announced Tuesday at the
I regular meeting of the Junior
Chamber of Commerce, held at
Masonic Hall at 7 p. m. >
Wilson Griffin, president, an
nounced the appointments.
H. G. Plonk, Jr*, was appoint
ed to the board to fill the one
year term of Harold Phillips, re
signed.
Herbert Mitchem -vtfhs appoin
ted to the board to fill the two
year term of Sam Mitcham, re
signed.
Curtis Gaffney was appointed
sergeant-It -arms, replacing Bob
Cox, resigned.
Bill Jon?a announced that the
club had apparently failed to se
cure the district Softball tourna
ment. Last summer the club pro
moted the event successfully and
has been seeking authority to
present the tournament again.
Gordon Goodnjait, of the Shel
by recreation department, is dis
trict commissioner this year a^d
the event will probably be held
In Shelby the first week in Au
gust, Mr. Jonas reported. , : :
The group voted to move out
doors for the July 20th meeting,
possibly to th# ctty picnic area.
Dean Payne announced that
the cluib will begin presenting
attendance plna this year and
urged all iwemht n to work to
ifs
-
Inquest Monday
hio Accident
Fatal To lenldns
? . ? *
Coronor*s Inquest into the dea'U
of Roy Fletcher Jenkins, 28, Mar
grace Mill employee killed when
his motorcyle went out of control
Sunday near Huffate titer's Store
on Cherryville Road, has been
set for 5 o'clock Monday after
noonat City Hall courtroom, Cor
onor J. OUie Harris said Wednes
day.
Members of the six-man coro
nor's Jury impaneled for the hear
ing are Georgte W. Mauney, L. E.
Abbott, F, R. McCurdy, Yates
Harbison, George W. Allen, and
Harold Coggins.
Jenkins, who lived In the Pine
Ridge community, died of head
and internal injuries at Kings
Mountain hospital at 12:45 Sun
day afternoon, . about a half-hour
after the accident. The accident
involvted the 1953 Ford driven by
Reid Bell, Kings Mountain bar
ber, 'Highway Patrolman D. L.
Owens, said. Bell, traveling north
on Cherryville road, made a left
turn in front of the southbound
motorcycle of Jenkins. It appear
ed, Officer Owens, added, that
Jenkins moved to thte left side ol
the road and lost control of the
motorcycle, which skidded 105
feet before throwing Jenkins to
the. pavement
Funeral rites for Jenkins, a
World War EC veteran who was
observing his 28th birthday on
Sunday, wtere held at Mldview
Baptist church Wednesday after
noon at 3 o'clock, with Rev. Bud
Williams and Rev. Carl Martin
officiating, and with burial fol
lowing in the Moss family ceme
tery, near Blacksburg, S. C.
Jenkins is survived by his wife,
Mrs. Edna Moss Jenkins, his pa
rents, Thomas Jenkins of Mor
ganton and Mrs. Violet Farris
Jenkins Foster of Kings Moun
tain, two sons, Toney and Jerry
Jenkins, and a daughter, Linda
Jenkins, all of the home.
Two brothers, Thomas Henry
Jenkins of Gastonla, and Jerry
Jenkins of Kings Mountain, two
listers, Mrs. Ann Franklin of Ox
nard, Calif., and Miss Autfcney Jen
kins of Hartsvllle, S. C., and three
half-sisters, also survive.
Half-Tear Postal
Receipts Increase
Receipts at Kings Mountain
postofflce Increased $5,381.10 dur
ing the first six months of 1954
.over the comparable period last1
year, according to a report Wed
nesday by Assistant Postmaster
George Hord.
Total receipts for the first half
year were $29,701.64, compared to
$24,320.54 in thte January-June pe
riod of 1953.
II Receipts for the second quarter I
1954 were under quarter receipts,
but' only 'slightly. The figures
were; March quarter $15,668.03;
June quarter $14,033.61.
Figures for 1953 werte: March
quarter $12,281.21; June quarter
$12,039.33.
?
School Survey Team
Hero On Wednesday
1 A three-man survey team from
the division of school house plan
ning of the state department of
public instruction was in Kings
Mountain Wednesday. ? . .
The group inspected current
building projects and gathered
data in pifeparation of a report
on expansion of school facilities
in the city.
One member of th? group said,
that a report would not be ready
for two or three weeks.
Meantime, work was progres
sing rapidly on the East school
four room addition and on altera
tion* to the present
OCKy Welch was bound over
taiSup*??'? court on a charge of
assault wfth Intent to rape his
13-year-old daughter after prob
able cause was found against him
I by Judge Jack White in a prelimi
nary hearing, Tuosds/
in ('Ity Kocorrler's court. ; /?
Bond, set at (1.000, had not
been made Wednesday morning.
Welch declined to take the
stand, but stated. 'Tm guilty If
my wife says so^ JThe aUeged
June 30L .
Chief Hugh A. Logan, Jr., testl
fled that a statement was made
In the presence of witnesses by
Welch that he Was drinking when
the alleged assault occurred, and,
not remembering what took place.
pted but not successful.
To questions by the Judge, thte
child substantiated the charge, de
tailing In part the request made
of her by her father. Mrs. Welch,
Vbf defendant's wife, said she
was unable to take the stand but
stated from the courtroom floor
that she witnessed a part of the
assault. On leaving the courtroom
lift another mm, a charge and
a counter chargte of mmW with
a deadly weapsn against two Me
gro defendants, William Mitchem
and Veo Wlngo, retired in a
four month* road sentence for
Mitchem and a not guilty verdict
? , ' . ? V* * n
Roote 1 Deliveries
To Be Lote Saturday
Route 1, Kings Mountain,
residents will get their mall late
on Saturday, delivery to be de
layed tor the one day until Sat
urday afternoon.
Postmaster R Blakely
said the delay will be necessi
tated because of the U. S. Civil
Service commission examina
I tion Saturday morning, which
Temporary Carrier Harold
Glass, as well as substitutes for
the route, are planning to un
dergo.
The examination will be con
ducted at Wray Junior high
school, Gastonia, beginning at
8:30 a. m. Postoffice officials
report there were numerous in
quiries concerning the teats,
for which applications closed
June 22.
Fieak Wreck
Hospitalizes 7
Seven people were hospitalized
at ICings Mountain hospital Sun
day (evening after miraculously
escaping death when a 1950 Buick
four-door sedan crashed into the
residence of Mrs. Bertie L. Lock
ridge, on Cherryville road- An
eighth victim, Mrs. Lorene Wil
son, of Icand, received first
but was not admitted.
According to police repor&^gji
vehicle operated tty Evan Herman
Bivens of Church street, Cherry,
ville, was traveling north on
Cherryville highway at a high
rate of speed. As he neared the
Lockridge residence, police said,
Bivens lost control of his vehicle.
The vehicle first traveled Sfil
one Whetei off the pavement on
the right shoulder, then traveled
to the left aide of the roadway,
skidding 38 feet Then Bivens*
car veered into the yard of the
Lockridgte residence, struck two
trees and crashed Into the porch,
shearing four posts, and finally
coming to rest against a. 1954
Pord owned by Carl Hipps, of
route 1, Valdese.
Hospitalized were Bivens, who
received bruises on the head, Da
vid Lockridgte, 26, of Kings Moun
tain, lacerations on head and
small cuts: Ophelia Johnson, 18,
of Rock Hill, S, C., larceratlona of
right leg and left arm; Mary L.
Johnson, 45, of Rock Hill, S. C.,
lacerations of head, arms, and
legs; Clifford Wilson, 32, of Rock
Hill, S. C., lacerations of left and
right arms and legs; Wayne An
derson, 30, of Falrview street.
Kings Mountain, lacerations of
right and left arms and legs, and
mouth; and Mary Francis Lock
ridgte, 21, of Kings Mountain, la
cerations of left hip, right and
left legs, left arm and right hand.
Clifford Wilson and David Lock
ridge have been discharged.
According to the attending phy
>>??- Paul Hendricks, Wed
nesday morning the accident vic
tims are not in critical condition.
According to the police, Bivtens
when released from the hospital,
will be indicted by the police de
partment on information and be
lief of drunken driving.
Investigating officers were
Statte Patrolman C. D. Fortune,
Chief Hugh A Logan, Jr., and
Officers Tom Gladden and Jack
stoai^jpg
OF BONO! '???4.
j-Ci' jtoy Scout court of hot
win he iii|f^ram?
jjS&j* mm , '?<$&&
"B^O^ef Boundtable following*.. %
w .
Oak Grove Man
Died Wednesday;
Bites Tentative
John Wllburn (Will) w#th?p
mSSSL cerebral hemorrhage
suffered at his home In the Oak
Grove community at 5:30.
A prominent farmer, Mr Wat
EES h?u ln aPPareni Zrt
alth, though he had previouslv
pres8ure["CUJtJr ",,h '"2
A native of Cleveland county
WatT** a SOn of Mrs- Ida Dlxori
Watterson, of Charlotte ?nn
late John Watterson. He was i
church ?f ?3k Grove Bapis?
church, a member of the nXZ
SIS fo""er president of the
Bethware Progressive Chib and
w^rnSmc'"lnran or <*? VS.
mltMe c P"*tact com.,'
U ,^anda11. and Judy
ZT?-* ot K1"SS Moun
. 8- WUlard Boyle*
Clearwater, Fia. fIvp
tprL>8lX nf,e? 8urvjve, Bun Wat
S gj'y. Mitchbll
?? Irm I' ><LW,'le_rr
Watterson, C^rto,tJ'G^"S?"a
trice Rogers, Tulaa, Okla., Mrs
&ii Shelby- Mn- a. a
? ' K">gs Mountain Mrs oiwtt?
2?> ?*vI"e? and Mrs. P. w
"?J*?8. High Point
I; Funeral rites Have bean ? !
DAB Broadcasts
July 4th Program
3??r,3ua<"' ""o"
ssSS ssswra:
K""r??fnr:
re?a "" Mr.P JtrpUa T"" were
..j J- E. Anthony, Jr.,
S? MnD.^!nCelSUmmer8' solo
nil America" and "God
S^.^1Cal MU* "?">n2S
by ** * e.
naUMW^', dtta? ???
177fi ^f^?gles 8lnce July 4.
S that the naUon
and ^cr^ase Its
trength, militarily, economically
tod spiritually, but sugirestMi thm*
jmaMtufc o? ch.H?8S512S!
Sum!? if!. . United
Jeadert in foreign affairs.
f??ii? ^ dual Americana in
iowSS i SSS2* would do
toward Improving relations with
hiJou" "* th*n "???r
Bowen Services
Held Tnesday I
Funeral services for June G,
Bowen, 09, of route 1, Grover,
were conducted Tuesday after
noon at 3 o'clock from New Buf
falo Baptist church. Rev. N. S.
Hardin officiated and was
ed by the Rev. D. W. Dlgh. Burial
Was in the church cemetery.
Mr. Bowen died Sunday night
at Shelby hospital.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs.
Ethel McMurry Bowen; two sdns,
Hugh Bowen of Kings Mountain,
Route 2, and Clifford Bowen of
Grover, Route 1; six daughters,
Mrs. J. R. WhI taker of Shelby,
Route 3, Mrs. Troy Lee Wylie of
Blackaburg, S. C-, Route 1, Mrs.
R. L. Lemmom of Kings Moun
tain, Route 2, Mrs. Frank Ross
of Charlotte, Mrs. Julian French
of Union, ft. C., and Miss Mary
Ruth Bowfcn of the home.
Also surviving are IS grand
children and 'a great grandchild.
MZTCI bcuri
? A total ?f W4X47 was collec
v ted from the city's parking me
tes* durfng the weak ending
Wednesday at noon, according
, to report of Miss Grace Car
penter, of the city clerk's of
Postal Inspector
Recommending
Bonte 1 Addition
A number of Kings Mountain
citizens, with Bessemer City
mailing addresses, are expected
to get change addresses to
"Kings Mountain" within, the
near future.
After a recent visit here, In
spector C. H. Heffner has recom
mended that 53 residents in East
Kings Mountain foe served by
Rural (Route 1, Kings Mountain
.Postmaster W. E. Blakely said
Wednesday, rather than from
Bessemer City.
The recommendation, if appro
ved as expected, will add 335
miles to Rural Route 1 to serve:
37 residences on Linwood road;
8 residences on Morrow street;
8 residences on Jackson
street;
10 residences on Cleveland
avenue and Highway 161.
The letter of Mr. Heffner also
notes that reasonable service
will also be provided to residents
of Rhodes, Groves, and Cather
ine streets.
Approval of the recommenda
tion also, will mean that the ten
citizens on Cleveland avenue
and Highway 161, who have
been without mail delivery ser
vice since May 10, will receive
their mail on Rural Route 1.
Prior to May 10, the ten had
received their mail on Rural
Route 3, but this piece of route
was eliminated with the chang
es which added city carrier ser
vice in East Kings Mountain.
Since May 10, the residents of
Cleveland avenue and Highway
161 have had no home delivery
service.
Hospital Plans
Being Considered
Representatives of Ormand &
Vaughan, Shelby architects, and
of the county hospital administra
tion jrar^inAW*h Wednesday
tDtM*seftr plans Jor the forthcom
ing addition to Kings Mountain
hospital.
Thte plans, Business Manager
Grady Howard said, call for a 1
new wing on the south aide of I
the hospital for a pediatric ward
and for a number of private
rooms, for expansion of the pre
sent north wing to provide in
creased kitchen facilities and
space, and for erection of a sepa
rate storage room. Transfer of
the present pediatric ward will
permit utilization of that space
for rooms, and will enable in
crease of beds for Negro patients
to nine In the proposed 50- bed
plant. Plans call for two delivery
rooms.
The ntew pediatric arrangement
proposal replaces original plans
calling for a morgue, which hos
pital officials here have termed
unnecessary for the Kings Moun
tain plant - \
The plans are subject to appro
val of the State Medical Care com
nlssion, which, along with the
federal government, supplied a
major portion of the funds for
the addition.
Wxecks, fixes
Mav Hot Holiday
Two major accidents, one fatal
to Roy F. Jenkins, several minor
accidents, and tWo weekend fires,
one of which damaged slightly
the Margrace mill finishing plant,
marred the Independencfe Day
holiday weekend for some Kings
Mountain citizens.
Otherwise, the holiday weekend |
was observed quietly in Kings
Mountain, where stay-at-homes
were subjected to another heat
wave that continued through
Wednesday.
Kings Mountain was wet down
slightly by thunderstorms on Fri
day and Saturday, but the alight
quantity of rainfall was not gen
eral, insufficient to brighten suf
fering lawns and withering gar
dens, and passing over some dry
farm sections completely.
Some early holidayera are back
at work this week at several In
dustrial plants, but others are
taking post-Fourth vacations this
Next Monday will be return
to-normal day for almost all
Kings Mountain citizens, Includ
ing the city's laundry . cleaning
industry, shut tight since the
dose of IttsfaMM Saturday. Also
re-opening on Monday WlD be
Kite's Shoe Service, ako closed
tpr the week beginning Monday.
City offices, the poetoffloe. al
most All Detail StOTM and the
city's financial institutions wAre
cloeed on Monday, a one-day-late
lilies i vsnie of Indepen
rlsin ra Hag
aence ksmj. , -
?jr>. "> "
City Contracts For Delivery
0fNaturalGasByJanuaryl5
- ? ? - -V
Mauney Is Said
To Want S20.000
Foi Sewei Trad
The city board Of commission
ers, meeting last Thursday night,
authorized the mayor to sign a
contract with Transcontinental
Pipeline Company to accept de
livery of natural gas by January
15, 1955.
The Board also heard Commis
sioner W. G. Grantham report
Paul Mauney told him he would
accept $20,000 for 2.56 acres the
city seeks by condemnation pro
ceedings for utilization in its Mc
Gill sewage disposal tank moder
nization.
City Attorney J. R. Davis, ques
tioned on the legality of proceed
ing with condemnation with Mrs
Mauney In Great Britain, said the
North Carolina attorney general
had written that the action could
be continued in Mrs. Mauney's ab
sence, since her interest Would
be only a "d'ower right". However,
Mr. Davis suggested that the city,
with much construction work un
derway> might do well to delay
pressing the action until Mrs.
Maunby's return. Mayor Glee A.
Bridges, however, indicated he
wanted the project to go forward
without delay and the board mem
bers indicated concurrence,
though without formal action.
The city has previously filed con
demnation action In Gaston Su
perior Court and asked that R. L.
Lewis, of Bessemer City, be nam
ed the city's representative on the
three ? person appraisal team
provided by state-city statute.
W. K. Dickson, Charlotte engi
neer, had previously told the
boant he had plans for the Mc
Gill sewage unit ready and was
seeking approval of them by the
State Board of Health and the
State Stream Sanitation board.
In another action, thte board, on
objections to the previous action
of the board in raising the ped
dling license to $200 per year by
Commissioners Harold Phillips
and T. J. Ellison, amended the
privilege license ordinance to pro
vide that peddlers of produce may
obtain a license at $15 per year.
Mr. Phillips and Mr. Ellison were
absent at the June 28 session
when the privilege license ordi
nance was adopted.
In other actions, the board:
1) Voted to advertise for bids
on the temporary re-routing of
the city's raw water line during
the highway construction work on
York Road. The motion provided
that the State Highway commis
sion, which will reimburse the
city for cost of the work, is to ap
prove the contract award.
2) Authorized transfer of two
taxi franchises held by Coley
Freeman to Hubert Clemmons
and Joe Fisher.
3) Appropriated to the Jacob
S. Mauney Memorial Library
$300 from the 1964-55 parking
meter receipts.
Mayor Bridges told the board
that Carl F. Mauney, owner of
the Gold Mine property, had
changed his mind about giving
the city a long-term lease on the
property, but had no objection to
the city's use of it for stand-by
water supply. The Mayor also re
ported he had received several
commendations from East Kings
Mountain residents on the street
work now underway, and told
Commissioner Phillips First
street had not bten Included on
the oiling program because of
projected installation of a sewer
Continued On Page Bight
kufistetler Takes
Oath As Constable
* ? ? ? ? ... ?
G. A. (Gus) Huffstetler took
the oath of office as Number 4
Township constable before Clerk
of Court Everett A. Itouser Tues
day, shortly after he was ap
pointed to the position toy the
board " of county commissioners.
The office had been vacant
since the resignation of Paul By
ers, now a county deputy sher
iff. Huffstetler won the Demo
cratic nomination in the June 26
second primary. The present
term expires December 1, tout
Huffstetler is unopposed for the
office in the November general
election. ' . ;
City Tax Levy
One-Third Paid
The city's 1954 tax levy was one
third paid at the close of business
last Thursday, final day for ob
taining the full two percent dis
count.
Tax Supervisor Clarence E.
Carpbnter listed net payments of
$46,945.14 through ' Thursday a
gainst the combined levy of ad
valorem and poll Axes at $166,
404.
The prepayment record for
1954 is thus considerably ahead ?
both in percentage and dollars ?
of the 1953 figures, which, on
July 1, 1953, showed only 27.5
percent of the levy pre-paid.
The dollar receipts are heavily
ahead by approximately $12,000,
reflecting both the increase In
^crsentage of payments and the
40-ctnt increase in city tax rate
for the new tax year.
Rite Conducted
Foi Crash Victim
Funeral services for Robert
Earl Burton, 21, of route three.
Kings Mountain area's first traf
fic fatality for 1954, were held
from Patterson Grove Baptist
church Sunday at 2:30 p.. m.
Rev. J. J. Thorn burg, the pas
tor, officiated and burial was in
the church cemetery.
Burton was killed In an auto
accident Thursday about 7:30 p.
m., on the Patterson Grove chur
ch road 1.5 miles north of High
way 74, .when he lost control of
his car as he attempted to pass a
Jeep driven by his mother. Mrs.
Rosa B. Alford. The vehicle trav
eled 571 feet off th^Jeft should
er of the road before coming to
rest.
Burton died of a broken neck
and internal injuries 8:45 p. m.
at Kings Mountain hospital, less
than an hour after the accident.
The accident was investigated
by State Highway Patrolmen J.
H. Page and C. D. Fortune and
Deputy Sheriff L. L. Hamrlcit.
Surviving, in addition to his
mother, are a brother, Jesse Os
car Burton, and a sister, Rosa
Etta Burton.
TO FAR EAST
tLt. James A. Carpenter, son
of Clarence E. Carpenter of
Kings Mountain and Mrs. Bess
Webb Carpenter of Shelby,
will go by plane to San Fran
cisco, Calif., Monday to em
bark for duty in the Far East.
He has been serving as chap
lain at Camp Gordon, Ga.
Tentative County-Wide Tax Bate
95 Cents; Area Bate At $1.15
Th? tentative county-wide tax
rate for 1954 is 95 cent* per $100
valuation, following action Tues
day by the county board of com
missioners, which also adopted
a budget estimate of $1,754,165.
71, including $800,000 in bond
money for school construction*
The commisloners are sched
uled to meet again on July 1$
and will probably adopt the
budget and tax ?%te finally on
that date. '-v.';-'*'..
In addition to the county-wide
levy., the board levied the custo
mary, ao-cent Kings Mountain
district school tax. which means
that county residents of the
Kings Mountain school district
will receive 1954 tax bills based
on a total tax of $1.15 per $100
valuation.
<Otthe total SS-cent levy, up by
% v-. v':. -i r.
nine cents over last year, 50
cents foes for , school purposes,
and 45 cents for all other purpos
es. Auditor Max HamriCk noted
that the nine-cent Increase in
cludes five cents for additional
schools, three-quarter cent for
the county hospitals (up to 4.5
cents from 3.75 cents levied last
year), and the remainder tor oth
er general fund expenditures, lfti
eluding an additional amount
for operation of the sheriff's de
partment The latter increase,
Mr. JHamrick noted, was requtrfd
because last year's budget -lid
not provide for full-year opera
tion of the paid-deputy system.
Under special statute of , the
General Assembly, county tax
bills are payable at two percent
discount In August
1955 Inventories
Will Be Taxed
On 325% Basis
The county board of commis
sioners set policy Tuesday on pro
perty listings of inventories, for
tax purposes, for the year 1955, at
325 percent of actual certified
value.
Under the action, industrial
ancl commercial firms will be re
quired to furnish certified copies
of inventories at January 1, 1955.
Industrial and commercial
firms, through the Shelby Cham
ber of Commerce, had brought
the matter to the attention of the
commissioners several months a
go, with the pleu that the 70 per
cent of value policy was unfair
and resulted in over-taxation of
the mercantile and industrial
firms. It was not fair, the Cham
ber of Commerce committee pled,
to -tax real property on the basis
of 70 percent of 1945 value and to
tax inventories at 70 percent of
current value.
County Commissioner Hazel B.
Bumgardner said the 32.5 percent
basis would virtually equalize the
tax method on inventories, as
compared to real property,
though he said he made a motion
which failed to carry, to make
the figure 30 percent. The Cham
ber of Commerce committee had
suggested a 25 percent basis.
In the past, business and Indus
I try have listed their inventories
as varying percentage of actual
year end figures, some few at 100
percent, others at 55 to 60 percent
and others at much lower figures.
Certified copies of Inventories
have not been previously requir
ed.
Mrs. Rings Flays
City On Two Counts
Mrs. Estelle W. King, widow
o f the late fire chief, Grady
King, criticized the board of
city commissioners at their
meeting last Thursday night on
city enforcement of parking
regulations and for method of
obtaining custody of the fire
chief's car prior to her hus
band's death.
Stating that she sought infor
mation on legal matters in
town, Mrs. King first thanked
the board for its courtesies to
her late husband in declining
his resignation as fire chief,
tendered during his illness.
Charging that the city sent
a person unknown to the King
family to obtain the fire chief's
car in their absence, Mrs. King
questioned the legality of re
moving the car which her late '
husband had in his custody
without prior release or official
notice from the city. Mrs. king
said a mechanic from Mar
lowe's, Inc., first asked Frank
Hamrick and her sister, Mrs.
Eloise Nickels, to locate the key,
then, on refusal, hauled the ve
hicle away with a wrecker. Mrs.
King said both the mechanic
and city officials were intormed
they would return shortly.
Mayor Glee A. Bridges said
he accepted full responsibility
1 for the action, that the car w.ia
city property, was needed, /.nd
he had ordered i6 taken. He
said he did not know Mr. and
Mrs. King were returning "in
an hour".
On the parking matter, Mrs.
King charged that the city po
lice department is extra diligent
?in writing overtime par King
tickets for meter infractions but
Ignores chronic violations of -
other parking restrictions, in
cluding . over-parking at the
poBtoffice ten - minute zone,
parking In yellow-line phohibit
ed areas, parking too long in
hour zones, and parking fat
areas marked "no parking".
Mayor Bridges, indicating he
had discussed the parking mat
ter with Mrs. King, ?ald he had
checked the complaint with S.
R. (Pop) Davidson, and that all
/ ureas were reported checked
bMfs possible".
Mrs. King noted that she had
received a parking ticket alter
"one or two minutes delay" In .
a grocery store from Officer
BUI Bell, while non-metered
parking zone infractions were ,
ignored. ftUI