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VOL. 90 NO. 29 ~
ROUGHTON BROTHERS TEAM IN JUNIOR LEAGUE
First row, 1. to r., Buddy Irby, Ted Layson, Kenneth Ra
gan, Brad Gunter, Larry Bellflower, Milledge Anderson, Andy
Aultman and Batboy Carlton Pierce Jr. Second row, Bubber
Pierce, manager, Gibbs Hasty, Joe Martin, Jimmy Layson,
David Dismuke, Harry Dennard, Benny Mygrant, Jerry Huff,
and Ed Thompson, manager. Lonnie Cook was absent when
the photo was taken by Henry Gotten for The Home Journal.
Williams 1 $19,000 Check
Returned; Bill (or $15,000
Submitted Him by County
Charlie Williams, Warner Rob
ins real estate and insurance ex
ecutive, last week offered his
check to pay the Houston county
commissioners $19,000 for work
done in a Warner Robins subdi
vision, but the commissioners re
turned the check and submitted a
corrected bill.
The commissioners voted to send
a corrected bill which did not in
clude charges for convic labor be
cause a state law prohibits charg
ing for convict labor. The correct
ed bill is for $15,703.
It was expected that Mr. Will
iams will pay the corrected bill in
the next few days in view of his
willingness to pay the larger
amount.
Mr. Williams personally deliver
ed his check to the commissioners
with a letter explaining why he
had not paid the bill earlier.
Text of Williams Letter
To Houston County Commission
ers, Courthouse, Perry, Georgia:
Gentlemen:
It has come to my attention re
cently, primarily through the
press, that at least one of you
wishes very strongly that the
statement forwarded to me by you
for work done on the streets and
roads in a subdivision now known
as Shirley Hills Estates near War
ner Robins be paid.
Soon after the work was done by
the county on the streets and
roads in the subdivision, some ser
ious questions arose as to whether
or not the county could charge for
the work under the laws of this
state. The same questions seemed
to be arising in other counties of
the state. In view of the confusion
that existed, I did not feel that
payment should be made until all
those legal matters pertaining to
the work were disposed of and I
thought that you were of the same
mind.
Attached is my check in pay
ment of the original statement
'orwarded to me. The statement
appears to be completely itemized.
In tendering this check I am as
s timing that you have completely
satisfied your minds that the
charge made for the work done is
in accordance with the laws of
Giis state and could be colleceted,
ii necessary, through legal action
'• the courts of this state.
It is certainly not my intention
to violate the laws of this state
oy Paying this bill and surely this
s your thinking in the matter. I
have gathered the impression that
(, ' a l action on your part might be
mstituted against me if the bill
not paid. I have always been
willing to pay the bill provided it
' ould be legally paid. I trust that
j ni ' check will be accepted on the
11 is that all questions of law and
validity of the charge for work
as shown on the statement
orwarded to me have been satis
actorily determined. If payment
’he bill violates no law then I
tainly want to pay it.
Very truly yours,
C. L. WILLIAMS
Advised Not to Accept It
■ the Thursday meeting, Coun-
Attorney David P. Hulbert ad
-ed the commissioners not to ac-
Ce Pt the check for $19,923.14 be
• nise the charge for convict la
"r was included in that amount.
He suggested that the commis
sioners could legally accept a
( eck based on a bill which leaves
" UJ the convict labor charge in
PERRY, HOUSTON COUNTY, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, JULY 21, 1960
view of the fact that Mr. Williams
made a voluntary agreement to
pay for the work. He said he
“supposed” that Mr. Williams,
in making a request for the work,
was an agent for others since Mr.
Hulbert understood that the Shir
ley Hills property actually was in
the name of other persons.
“I’m not going to take it,” said
Mr. Kersey,
“I’m going to abide by the ad
vice of our attorney,” said Mr.
Davis.
“I recommend that we ask the
attorney general’s office if we can
accept the full amount or the
smaller bill,” said Mr. Stalnaker.
Another Bill Prepared
Mr. Hulbert said he had prepar
ed another bill that the commis
sioners could submit to Mr. Wil
liams and that he believes it will
be legal for Mr. Williams to pay
it and legal for the county to ac
cept it.
This bill would be for $15,703.44,
which includes $5,129.19 for pipe,
$2,687.50 for Tom Chapman on a
subcontract, and $7,886.75 for
hire of the county’s machines.
Mr. Kersey, who was not on the
board at the time Mr. Williams ap
peared before the board to request
the work, said he would be in
clined to accept a check for an
amount that did not include the
convict labor.
Thursday was the second
straight day that the commissioner
had met in an effort to set the
tax rate for 1960, and it was the
second day that two commission
ers, Chairman Jake Eason and W.
H. (Pip) Rape were absent. Both
i had been notified of the meeting,
I according to the commissioners.
| Mr. Eason was said to have “gone
,to the fields” and Mr. Rape was
i said to have commented that he:
I would not be present because Mr. I
i Eason had said he would not be
there.
Why Two Absent?
, Mr. Davis said he could not un
derstand why Mr. Eason and Mr.
Rape would not attend a meeting
I after having been notified.
Mr. Kersey, vice chairman, said
there appeared nothing could be
done about setting the tax rate
until all the commissioners are
present. With only three present, 1
two of the five commissioners 1
' could be put in the position of de- 1
! ciding a matter which should have
a majority of the five-man board. |
Mr. Davis made a motion to ad
journ the meeting and Mr. Kersey
seconded it.
Here is the text of the letter
from the county attorney to Mr.!
Williams dated July 15:
■ “Dear Sir:
“Attached hereto is your check in
the amount of $19,823.14, datedlll4 1
July, 1960, naming the County I
Commissioners as payees. This is
the check you delivered to the 1
commissioners at their meeting on
1 July 14.
"The commissioners recognize the
contents of your letter attached to
the check and your intentions in
tendering same. However, this 1
check is for an amount set forth
1 in an original statement submitted
to you and said amount is errone
ous and improper. Accordingly, the
1 commissioners are returning same.
I “Attached hereto is the corrected
statement of account, the total of
same being $15,703.44. Included in
j this statement are the valid charges
(Continued on Back Page)
Suspect in Murder Arrested
Swimming Class
To Begin Monday
Registration for Red Cross swim
ming classes has begun.
The swimming classes will be
gin July 25 through August 5 at
Vinson’s Valley. Busses will be
available for transportation of
Houston countians who wish to
take these lessons.
The minimum age for swimmers
must be at least 8 years. The
classes being taught this year are
beginners, intermediates, swim
mers, juniors and senior life sav
ing, and a special adult class.
Mr. Deaton, who is with the
Macon Red Cross, will direct the
swimming classes.
As the swimming classes are
sponsored by the Houston County
Farm Bureau, those wishing to
join these classes may register at
the Farm Bureau Office in the
Jernigan Building.
1 82 Phones Added
In Perry in Year;
Total Now 1,864
The new Perry telephone book
of General Telephone Company
of the Southeast shows 182 new
phones added during the last
13 months.
The new book was issued dur
ing the past week.
The total number of listings in
the book is 1,564, as compared
with 1,401 in last year’s book.
The number of instruments is
1,864.
It’s another piece of evidence
that Perry is growing steadily
and solidly.
Perry Girl Wins
Safety Contest
Mabel Hunt, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. B. J. Hunt Jr., 1205 Charles
Avenue, won 2nd honors in a safe
ty speaking contest at the 7th an
nual Georgia Teenage Traffic
Safety Conference last week. The
conference was held at West Geor
gia College in Carrollton.
Mable was invited to attend this
meeting by Rose Marie Stevenson
who was in charge of the Safety
Conference. Over 90 teenagers
i from the state of Georgia attend
[ed the conference, sponsored by
the various civic organizations in
the communities.
The four main topics presented
to the group for discussion were;
traffic laws, highway safety engin
eering, traffic safety education and
promoting safety in the high
schools.
Among principal speakers at the
convention were W. C. Derrick, as
sistant highway planning engineer
of the State Highway Dept., Roy
W. Turner, safety engineer of the
Georgia Power Co. and Jaycee of
ficials from Atlanta.
Surprised that many of the
towns in Georgia do not yet have
school boy patrols, drivers’ educa
tion in high schools or parking
space for the high school teachers
and students, Mabel returned to
her home very proud of the excel
lent progress and leadership of
the Perry citizens toward com
munity and school safety.
COMING EVENTS
Regular meeting of City Council
will be held at 7:30 p. m. today at
the Jaycee Headquarters Building.
MRS. ANNIE WALTERS
Funeral services were held Sat
urday for Mrs. Annie Walters at
the Liberty Church in Dooly coun
ty.
Mrs. Walters was the grand
mother of Jackie Peavy of Perry.
Youth Week at the Perry Meth
odist Church will begin July 31
through August 5, from 7 p. m.
until 9 p. m. each week night.
The age group for participating
in this youth program is anyone
who will be in the seventh grade
this year through college. Youth of
all denominations are invited.
Supper will be served each night
at 7 by the WSCS. Following the
meal, classes, recreation and wor
ship will be held.
The theme for the 1960 Youth
Week will be “How the Bible
Youth Week at Methodist Church
Will Run from July 31-to August 5
Emergency (alls
(Paste in phone book)
Police—GA 9-2323
Fire—GA 9-1212
Sheriff—GA 9-2800
Forest Fire—GA 9-1921
FBl—Dial “0”
FFA String Band
Second in Stale
By EARL CHEEK
Perry FFA Reporter
The Perry FFA String Band won
second place in the state finals at
the State FFA camp at Coving
ton Monday night.
The Perry boys competed with
seven other string bands from the
state. It is the fourth straight year
that Perry represented District 1
in the finals.
The local band is composed of
Hearn Bennett, Verlon Bell, Jerry
Horton, Wayne Stewart, Larry
Horton and Sidney Bloodworth.
The Perry FFA chapter held its
July meeting last Thursday night.
President Hearn Bennett opened
the meeting with the official open
ing ceremony. Dan Adkison read
the minutes of the previous meet
ing. Chaplain Chuck White gave
the devotional.
Plans for attending camp July
25 were discussed. Earl Cheek and
Ronnie Harper were selected as
delegates to attend the State Con
vention this week at Jackson Lake.
Earl will be a candidate for state
officer. On Tuesday he will give
a report to the convention on the
activities of the Perry FFA chap
ter in winning the state Farm
Safety contest.
Larry Johnson, delegate to the
Leadership Conference gave a re
port on his trip.
At the Hospitals
Nanette Colwell is home from
the hospital after having a ton
silectomy.
* * ♦
Betsy Edwards was dismissed
yesterday from the Macon Hos
pital where she underwent a ton
sillectomy Tuesday.
* * *
Walter Wilson was dismissed
from the Parkview Hospital in
Macon Sunday.
* ♦ ♦
Ben Marshall was dismissed from
the Macon Hospital last Friday.
* • *
Mrs. W. J. Wilson was admitted
to the Parkview Hospital last Fri
day.
♦ * •
Mrs. Julia Stanford was admit
ted to the Macon Hospital last
Thursday.
♦ ♦ *
Mrs. Bessie B. Goodman was dis
missed from the Macon Hospital
Tuesday.
♦ ♦ •
Louie Davis is a patient at the
Macon Hospital.
* * *
Jake and Mary Jo Duckworth
underwent tonsillectomies at the
Peach County Hospital last Wed
nesday.
* * ♦
Mrs. H. Q. Wright has been dis
missed from the Veterans Hospital
in Augusta for ten days, after
which time she will return for fur
ther treatment.
♦ * *
Mrs. W. C. Crisler was admitted
to the Middle Georgia Hospital in
Macon Monday.
Mrs. Eby Holtzclaw had as din
ner guests Sunday night Mr. and
Mrs. C. W. Holtzclaw of Macon,
Miss Louise Allmon of Ft. Valley
and Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Holtzclaw
of Perry.
Speaks to Us in Our Time.” Rev.
David Duck of the Cherokee
Heights Methodist Church, Macon,
will be the speaker throughout the
week.
A day of recreation and worship
at Ida Cason Calloway Gardens is
planned for Wednesday, Augusta.
Those in charge of Youth Week
are Joyce Lee, youth director;
Kathy Snyder, MY Fund pledge
service; Lynn Smith, worship;
Adelaine Stocks, recreation; Kathy
Borders, Helen Davis and Barbara
Sandefur, publicity.
~ I £ f t
jMHmA T y ■•< w '
•■• ;:; ’ t v.c> nv.V 1 . .■■ v, ;'V•. ci*
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h, .'. ’ ;
FLINT EMC General Manager S. J. Tankersley watches as
Thurman Whatley, Reynolds, secretary-treasurer of the Coopera
tive, signs vouchers covering disbursements of $83,500.81 in capital
credits repayments to 4,273 members who were on Flint's lines in
1946. Checks are to be mailed beginning next week.
Flint EMC to Begin Mailing Checks
Totaling $83,855 to Members Soon
The member-owners of Flint
Electric Membership Corporation
who were on the cooperative’s lines
in 1946 will begin receiving their
capital credits payments within the
next 10 days to two weeks, ac
cording to an announcement today
from Flint EMC, with the mailing
of the checks to begin next week.
The 1960 disbursement brings to
$279,855.01 the amount returned
to members during the past three
years, the announcement stated.
“We are again happy to dis
tribute these funds, and it marks
the third consecutive year of cap
ital credits payments by Flint
EMC to its members," said Floyd
H. Tabor, president of the cop
operative.
The total of the 1960 payments
is $83,500.81, and it will be paid
to 4,273 members who received
electric service from Flint Elec
tric in the year 1946, he said.
Capital credits are the funds
credited to each member’s account
each year out of money which may
remain after the costs of doing
business have been met, after re- j
payments of principal and interest
on the loans have been made, and
after proper reserves have been set
aside to take care of emergencies,
such as tornadoes or ice storms
which have harassed utilities dur
ing the past few years, explained
General Manager S. J. Tankersley.
These capital credits are posted to
each member’s account based on
his percentage of power usage, he
said.
By 1958, Flint’s REA loan had
been reduced to the point pre- j
scribed by law as the necessary
equity or members ownership level
in the cooperative—based on loan
repayments—the interest payments
were up to date, and the cooper
ative began to make capital credits
repayments to members who were 1
due them for the years 1943 and
1944, the first years in which such
credits were accumulated. Last
NORMAN PARKER 111, Per
ry High School senior who won i
second place in the State Jaycee
Junior Golf Tournament, will be
one of four Georgia boys to rep
resent the state in the Interna
tional Jaycee Golf Tournament
in Waterloo, lowa, Aug. 13-20.
Norman, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Norman Parker Jr., 1321 Georgia
Avenue, is shown here with his
state trophy. (Photo by Billy
Ethridge).
year, the capital credits for 1945
were returned to the members who
had earned them.
“Here again is tangible evidence
of, first, the advantages of our op
eration wherein the revenues over
and above the cost of business and
sound financial planning are re
turned to the member-owners of
the business, and second, the evi
dence of the soundness and ef
ficiency of operation of your co
operative whereby*it continues to
meet the increasing demands for
electric service, renders good serv
ice, and brings to its members the
lowest cost electricity it is possible
' for them to buy,” said Tabor in
announcing the capital credits pay
ment.
Mr. Tabor gave credit to the
sound judgment and dedication of
purpose of the Flint Board of Di
rectors, and the hard work and
loyalty of the Flint management
staff and employees as chief fact
ors contributing to the successful
operation of the cooperative.
Flint EMC now serves over 14,-
000 member-consumers in an eight
county service area, with over 2,-
500 miles of line. There are 85
employees, including the engineer
ing and construction crews which
are required to continually main
tain, expand, and improve facili
ties to keep up with the demand,
which has about doubled every five
years, according to Mr. Tankersley.
Headquarters of the cooperative is
in Reynolds.
Nunn Becomes New
Forest Ranger Here
Ray Nunn, graduate of the Uni
versity of Georgia in June, is the
new county ranger for the Houston
County Forestry Unit, succeeding
Gene Rogers, who has been as
signed to the district office at
Americus.
Mr. Nunn, who has assumed his
duties here, is a native of Mcßae.
His home phone is GA 9-2460 and
the number of the forest fire pro
tection unit is GA 9-1921.
Tax Levy Inside
The annual Official Tax Levy
of Houston County, approved
last week by the county com
missioners, is published this
week in The Home Journal.
Day to Day Battle on Highways to Keep
You Alive, Safely Official Says Here
The State Department of Public
Safety is “fighting a day to day
battle to keep you and your family
from getting killed on our high
ways,” Col. William P. Trotter, di
rector of the department told the
Perry Kiwanis Club Tuesday.
In Georgia this year, he report
ed, 528 persons already have lost
their lives in traffic accidents. He
said there are 3,000 more licenses
drivers in the five-county areacov
ered by the Perry State Patrol
Station now than there were a year
ago. More than 11,000 persons in
the patrol area are licensed to
drive, he said.
“If a man can’t handle his car
out there on the highway, we are
going after this man and we are
going after his driver’s license,”
Colonel Trotter said. “Since the
first of the year, we have sus
pended or revoked 16,000 licenses
in the state, and this program
needs to be stepped up.”
1870-1960
OUR 90TH YEAR
VO Years Old, But As Modern As
Tomorrow
ESTABLISHED 1870
Sheriff Charges
25-Year-Old Negro
With Knife Death
Sheriff C. C. Chapman said yes
terday he has arrested a 25-year
old Negro, Sammy Lee Smith, on a
charge of murdering Jerry Cooper,
73-year-old Perry Negro at his
home July 10.
The suspect is being held in an
undisclosed jail, Sheriff Chapman
said, and the investigation is con
tinuing with a view to presenting
the evidence to the Houston su
perior court convening here next
week.
The suspect, also known as Jes
sie James Smith, is from Dade
(Miami) County, Fla., but has been
visiting relatives in Peach county
recently.
It was learned that the dead
Negro’s watch played an important
part in tracking down the suspect.
This has been one of the tough
est cases he has handled in 35
years of law enforcement, the
sheriff said, because there were
no clues of any kind at the site
of the murder.
The Negro’s throat was cut and
he died about 2 to 4 a. m. Sun
day, July 10, according to the es
timate of the medical officer. He
was found about 14 to 16 hours
later by a neighbor who had not
seen Jerry all day and went to
check on him.
The sheriff said he has not de
termined whether Jerry had very
much money on his person when
he was killed, but “the Negroes
thought he had a lot of money”
and robbery definitely was the
motive.
GBI Agent C. D. Leverette has
been assisting Sheriff Chapman
and Deputy Skeet Chapman in the
investigation.
Subscription Drive
Is in Home Stretch
The Home Journal’s “Win a
Bike” plan for local youngsters to
sell subscriptions and get a bike
or a watch free is heading into
the home stretch.
The deadline for subscription
solicitors to turn in all their rec
ords and money is July 30, at 12
noon.
A half a dozen watches already
have been won and five bicycles
(both boys and girls) and several
of the youngsters are getting near
er to their goals of bicycles and
watches.
Since the first list was publish
ed two weeks ago, the following
youngsters have entered the “Win
a Bike Program”:
Charles Malone, 1105 Jewel
Drive.
Betty Bowen, Grovania.
Geraldine McClintic, Hayneville.
Larry Farrell, 624 Pine Ridge.
Cathy Buff, Unadilla.
Brenda Buckner, 551 Tucker
Street.
Armon Ragin Jr., Hilltop, col
ored.
Earlene Tharpe, 1516 Houston
Lake Rd., colored.
Clara Belle Gray, Rt. 1, Box 233.
The bicycles and watches have
beer ordered and winners who
have not received theirs will be
notified as soon as they are deliv
ered here.
Mrs. A. F. Jones of Orlando,
Fla. is visiting her sister, Mrs. W.
S. Lathem, and Mr. Lathem.
He said traffic courts have been
“treated as step-children”, with the
judges being paid little or nothing.
He said 15 million people go be
fore traffic courts in the U. S.
during a year, and traffic courts
deserve more consideration and
more support than they are get
ting.
Colonel Trotter said the acci
dent rate in the Perry patrol had
decreased from 302 accidents to
this date in 1950 to 237 at present.
The number of deaths for the
same period has been reduced
from 17 to 7. The number of ar
rests has increased from 1192 in
1959 to 1,893 to date in 1960, he
said.
The safety official pleaded for
more public support of safety pro
grams in the fields of enforce
ment, education, engineering and
the courts.
He was introduced by Mayo Da
vis, program chairman.