Newspapers / The Rocky Mount Herald … / March 2, 1934, edition 1 / Page 2
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The Rocky Mount Herald Published Every Friday at Rocky Mount, North Carolina, by the Rocky Mount Herald Publishing Company. Publication Office Second Floor Daniels' Building, Rocky Mount, Edgecombe % County, North Carolina TED J. GREEN ....News Editor and Manager Subscription Rates: One Year, $1.00; Six Months, 60c; Three Months, 35c Entered as second-class matter January 19, 1934, at the post office at Rocky Mount, North Carolina, under the Act of March 3, 1879. V* Advertising rates reasonable and furnished to prospective advertisers on request If making money was as easy as spend ing it there would be more money in circu lation. Germany, having been warned about Aus tria, will proceed to let matters take their own course. Personally, we are not so good at answer ing riddles and admit that the gold standard and other monetary theories have us baffled and befuddled. When you hear wifey telling husband how fine he is and hubby telling wifey how love ly she is, you are in contact with a happily married couple. What's Sauce for the Goose, etc. Elkin Tribune. The State, edited by Carl Goerch and pub lished in Raleigh, not a long way from the Governor's mansion, calls attention to the activity of the Fair Tax Association and its effort to bring about the repeal of the sales tax and a reduction in the price of state auto mobile license tags. Editor Goerch admits that "Those two ob jectives are, in themselves, of a highly com mendatory nature," but, he adds, "It isn't fair for any organization or any individual to say that they favor repeal of the sales tax or reducing the price of automobile tags or eliminating other forms of taxation un less at the same time endorsement is given to some plan of taxation to make up the de ficit which would be occasioned by such course of action." This is the argument that the state ad ministration is using to succor its baby and help to make it peaceful in an unnatural sleep —to keep the sales tax hitched as one of the main drags for the state budget. If we didn't know differently about Carl • soerch, we'd think his expression quoted above was inspired. In 1932 candidates for the Legislature went about the state of North Carolina, pledging themselves to the elimination of the 15 cent property levy. Governor Ehring haus was emphatical in his approval of such a course. No one thought to ask: "from what source will its replacement come ? Edi tor Goerch was writing political pieces dur ing that campaign, but it hadn't occurred to him to take the stand that "it isn't fair, etc., etc.," until after the sales tax was saddled on' the people of the state, but now that there is a healthy demand that the Legis lature correct this iniquitous levy, he joins in the chorus, "first show your cards, and then git along, little dogie, git along." The Gravy Boat By Ray Tucker, Collier's Washington Staff Writer. Not even President Roosevelt's public criticism has completely routed these men who practiced law and politics at the same time. It did precipitate several prompt resig nations from the Democratic national com mittee, revealing that devotion to party did not match love of lucrative law, but it did not drive them away from Washington. They are still here, they still play golf and hobnob with some cabinet officers, preserv ing their political ties and friendships and it needs more than presidential denuncia tion to discourage them and a gullible public. Moreover, the blow-up came only after millions in unnecessary fees had been paid; it was like closing the barn doors after the horses were stolen. Many of these lawyers can, although they don't plan to. retire from law and the capital with the satisfaction of knowing that it is a pleasant and glorious thing to practice law for your party. Nor does the proposed Vandenberg bill, which bars national committeemen from practicing law before federal departments, go far enough, for these lawyers did not "practice" in the legal sense; they just hung around. Acute legislators insist the bill should be widened so as to prevent former political and federal officials from such ac tivities for eight years after they have quit public life. By that time new faces, pre sumably, would be holding public office, and the temptation to favor a friendly politician might be removed. The public, as recent disclosures show, must be protected against itself. Whether you call them lawyers or lobby ists, the pickings have never been more easy or plentiful, and their services never more useless and fruitless. It cost $5,000 just to talk to some of them, and reports of fees ranging from $25,000 to $75,000 are com mon; the fees and administrative expenses on one $23,000,000 project amounted to sl,- 500,000, and they run higher, proportionate ly. It paid to be a Democratic lawyer, or to have a political name. THE ROCKY MOUNT HERAL CLARK'S COMMENT Greensboro Daily News. Are Fair Collectors Cap'n Farmer reports that his patterrol lers made 1,603 arrests during the first month of the year. Of these 1,034 were drivers of tagless motor vehicles and 341 were improperly labeled. Some evidence that the patterrollers were fairly active in laying by the heels persons who didn't con form to the style beginning at midnight of December 31. But when the 1,375 arrested for revenue—for not paying tax—are de ducted from the total of 1,603 that leaves but 228 arrests for all other purposes— drinking and driving, speeding, reckless and negligent driving and all the other offend ings that make the highways unsafe. This number averages about two and a quarter to each of the 100 counties. Bui; it is assum ed that the patrolers were so busy gathering in the tagless boys that they couldn't give the attention to other violators which may be their custom. Incidentally the violators of all classes paid $5,566.72 in fines and $7,- 686.11 in costs. Notice the costs are higher. The school fund gets the fines. The costs —except the costs for arrests made by high way patrolmen —go into the pockets of court officials and the like. Revenue collected for the state by the patrolmen during January aggregated $120,- 957.58. Most of that presumably came from the 1,375 vehicles that had to be tagged. But the highway patrol have been fairly good revenue collectors from the beginning of their activities. They are in position to find the people who are neglecting to pay their road toll and it is entirely proper and right that they should gather them in. But in the primary purpose for which the patrol was created—to make the highways reason ably safe—the institution is a failure is re sults on the whole are considered. These officers do much good work but the number of killings and maimings, 99 per cent due to preventable causes, have steadily increased until last year the number of fatalities was shocking. Either the highway patrol isn't diligent in seizing traffic violators or the officers are too thin in the row—there are not enough of them. Due allowance is made for the latter and no doubt most of the offi cers are diligent. But one is moved to won der, if there was a head who had a different conception of his job, if a bit more pep could not be put into the officers with good results. First off they should cut out all the escort business. The Governor's car not only but funerals here and there. Funerals don't need official escorts and since the patterrol lers don't appear at all funerals they should appear at none. On big days concentration may be necessary at the place of assembly to take care of the traffic. But otherwise the patroler should concentrate his atten tion on the highways and give prompt atten tion to all who do not drive with due regard to the rights of others. It Was Lack of Candor Thanks to Mr. Bost for keeping the record straight with reference to the quotation of the governor on the sales tax. Mr. Craven's statement was not interpreted as crediting to this column the "I am unalterably opposed to any form of sales tax" credited to the gov ernor. Since that did not, as Mr. Bost says, appear in this column it was not supposed that Mr. Craven intended to say it did, al though it could be inferentially so connected. The criticism here of Governor Ehring haus, Mr. Maxwell and others who opposed the sales tax in the campaign and have now become the ardent defenders of the tax, is that the campaign utterances were uncan did. All three of the candidates were heard in the campaign and careful attention was given to the sales tax statement. What those candidates may have said! at other times we don't know but when Mr. Ehring haus was heard he contented himself with the simple statement: "I am opposed to the sales tax." Mr. Maxwell said practically the same thing. That was along in the cam paign. They were understood as having argued at length in opposition to the tax earlier in the period. Mr. Fountain said he was opposed to the sales tax "but if there must be a sales tax I would have the luxury tax." Any unbiased judge may determine for himself who was most candid. Mr. Foun tain inferentially admitted the possibility of the sales tax. The others made no reserva tions whatever. The talk here about pre-campaign utter ances is not for the purpose of discrediting Governor Ehringhaus or anybody. It is to call attention to the advisability of being more candid in campaign declarations. The men who declared against the sales tax with out any intimation that it might be neces sary to accept it must have had some know ledge of the financial situation of the state. That the tax was necessary to save the state's credit, its schools and its homes and farms was hardly a new discovery after the election. But the campaign statement, al though but a simple declaration of opposi tion, being unaccompanied by any hint of the necessity that might compel, was accepted by the average voter as unqualified opposi tion. It may not have been meant that way but it is the fault of the candidates who were uncandid that they let it go that way. If they had said, as Mr. Fountain hinted, that it was a possibility and may be a proba bility that the sales tax would be put on, there could be no criticism now of changed position. But the zeal to win election more than often moves a candidate to omit any thing that might prove unpopular. There may be no real purpose to deceive but the people believe they have been deceived when there is change of position on an unqualified statement, and there is basis for this belief. D, ROCKY MOUNT, N. C., FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 1934 SALARIES BY COMPANYS WHOSE STOCK ARE LISTED FROM STOCK EXCHANGES According to press report, the Federal Trade Commission shows that officials of certain great corporations according to salaries listed did not feel the effect of Mr. Hoover's reign nor the depression. These officials received salaries as listed below: Reynolds Tobacco Co. Mr. W. N. Reynolds, Chairman of the Ex. Committee— sl9,999. Bowman Gray, Chairman of the 80ard—533,999. S. Clay Williams, President—slß,ooo. James A. Gray, Vice President—slß,ooo. T. H. Kirt, Vice President—s24,999. R. E. Lassater, Vice President—sl4,4oo. C. W. Harris, Vice President—sl2,ooo. Liggett and Myers C. W. Tongs, Pres.—sl49,ooo. W. C. Carmichael, Vice Pres.—s9s,ooo. W. W. Flowers, Vice Pres.—s9s,ooo. E. H. Thurston, Sect.—s9s,ooo. In 1930 President Tongs received $296,000 and Mr. Ander son, Mr. Carmichael and Mr. Flowers, all Vice Presidents, received $183,000 each. _ American Tobacco Co. Mr. Geo. Washington Hill, President, received the salary in 1928 of $355,000; in 1929, $605,000; in 1930, $1,010,000; in 1931, $1,051,000; in 1932, $825,000; in 1933,- as in 1932. Late C. A. Penn, Vice Pres., in 1931 received $659,000; in 1930, $603,000; in 1929, $355,000; in 1928, $345,000. Junius C. Parker, Council received in 1928, $120,000; in 1929, $56,000. C. F. Neiley, Vice Pres., received in 1932, $473,000. V. Riggio, Vice Pres., in 1932, $486,000; in 1930, $459,000; 1929, $163,000; in 1928, $37,000. A. C. Mower, Vice Pres., in 1931, $339,000; in 1930, $555,- 000; in 1929, $317,000; in 1928, $232,000. T. R. Taylor, Vice Pres., in 1932, $50,000; in 1931, $386,- 000; in 1930, $45,000; in 1929, $53,000; in 1928, $13,000. Virginia-Carolina Chemical Co. Geo. A. Holderness, President, in 1933, $25,000; in 1931, as Vice Pres., $23,000; in 1932, $19,999. Charles G. Wilson, Former President, received $35,000 in 1931; in 1932, $30,000. J. C. Carol, Vice Pres., $16,340. S. L. Carter, Vice Pres., $23,000. Cannon Mills Charles A. Cannon, Pres., received in 1933, $15,000; In 1932, $24,111; in 1931, $26,304. A. L. Brown, Vice Pres., in 1933, $21,500; in 1932, $26,- 100; in 1931, $27,250. Adams Millis Hosiery Co., at High Point J. H. Adams in 1933, $20,000; in 1932, $22,919; in 1931, 1930, 1929, each year, $25,000. J. E. Millis, Sect.-Treas., in 1933, $13,750. With the showing of the above figures to salaries which would also indicate other expenses, probably might be in line with these. It occasions no surprise why the farmers' income from tobacco dropped from $140,000,000 paid by do mestic companies in 1927, to $68,000,000 in 1932 and the net profit of the domestic companies rising from $70,000,000 in 1927 to about $150,000,000 in 1932. With the coming into power of Mr. Roosevelt, in the proc lamation of the new deal, which ennunciates the principal that there are three parties to the business: the farmer who is the producer, the manufacturer, and the laborer in the factories, and that each is entitled to his just proportion, we look with hope to the future. 1 7 I | VAGABOND VERSES By J. Gaskill McDaniel 1 I EPITAPH \ I crave no flowers when I die, No curious souls, to come and eye The empty shell, all that is left of me; And let there be no bitter tears, No lovely lies, one never hears The glowing phrases in his eulogy. I've made mistakes, and paid the bill, I've gone astray, I always will, I've broken hearts, in fact I broke my own, And yet, for me Life's been worth while, So when I go pray wear a smile And tell this queer old world upon my stone, "He did but little on Life's sheHJ, Except to live, and be himself." Editor's Note: You may secure a personally autographed copy of Vagabond Verses by sending fifteen cents in stamps to the author, in care of the Herald. This pocket sized edition contains McDaniel's best liked poems of the past five years, as well as a photograph of the Vagabond Poet. The Week's Business Outlook Gains in recent retail sales create new confidence in the pre-Easter selling period and merchants generally are ex pecting substantial increases in business. The early advent of Easter, on April Ist, is expected to improve March business and to postpone clearance sales that might otherwise be held in March. The rise in industry is becoming more pronounced. Power production and steel operations are mounting, the latter due principally to demands of the automobile in dustry. Building contracts are far ahead of last year. The total for the first quarter of this year is expected to exceed $500,000,000, compared to $196,000,000 for the same peri od last year. Excess reserves of banks have touched the unprece dented mark of a billion dollars and rising commodity prices are expected to cause a much greater use of credit. The danger exists, however, that such a tremendous supply of available credit may generate a too rapid rise. Commodity prices show impressive gains and after eight weeks of consistent increases, approach the level of last summer's high. However, there is some maladjustment among the various groups with farm products lower and fuels and textiles higher. Proper adjustment of these dif erentials is essential to good business. While the agricul tural list is creeping upward, the industrial groups con tinue to forge ahead and the gap between is not much reduced. AMAZE A MINUTE SCIENTIFACTS BY ARNOLD * SPEEDING UP ANTS/ &//KLL' L ' %I. TH» SPEED OF ANTS VMKS M*ATJL* YYTTM THE TEMPER*N*TT.ARSF I'FCKJJ, FT ~£*J* FF |] I THEY MMX B« FMT AM HOUB - I AT IOO°TMBY MOVE rtofur MYRIADS OF CANOLCS- ?Ps§lX^ AT NOON ON A CLEAR OAV THE STBEHSTH X - _ OP THE SUN ON EACH SQUARE FOOT OFOROUNO IS EQUAL TO 10,000 CANOLE& PLACED ONLY ONE FOOT AWAY. N> T*» I*N »R>DK»«>. INC.) . . Public Forum Raleigh, N. C., February 26, 1934. To the Editor: On February 11, 1934, a staff of Columbia University Economists submitted a report on sales tax operation, and termed the sales tax an unnecessary and backward step in taxation. This investiga tion was financed by the Rocke fellow Foundation and the report stated that in actual operation the tax yielded results quite different from those anticipated. The pro ponents of the sales 'tax since its inauguration have made and arc making a determined effort to edu cate the people to its usage as a means of revenue. Many educa tors throughout North Carolina were led to believe that the crea tion of a sales tax was the only method of saving the public schools of the State, and following the passage of the Act, it was found that the very heart had been cut out of the school system, lowering the standard to less than it was when the citizens of the State were paying less than fifty per cent of the amount of taxes being paid today. Away with the idea of any po litical boss, clique or faction who would have the public believe that the sales tax was necessary in North Carolina. It was written and intended as a big interest re lieving tax, and it is actually just that. Even though the consumer is re quired to pay the sales tax and i is passed on to him by the mer chant, every merchant in North Carolina from that of the one who runs the cross-road's country store to the big department stores in pur metropolitan cities are feeling the affects of such a tax. Those who doubt this can find the proof by checking on the amount of money orders issued by the various postmasters of North Carolina. I urge you to ask your postmaster for the difference i n the last quar ters of 1932 and 1933, and you will see how much business is leaving North Carolina on account of the sales tax. Some of the sales tax proponents claim that the mer chants' business increased fifty per cent in 1933. If this be true, their business would have been one hundred per cent better were it not for the sales tax and mail order business. The little man will have to continue to carry the sales tax curse until a new legis lature has convened, but those anxious to rid the State of this menace should begin now to niake preparation to prevent its reinact ment before such a time comes, and unless this is done the chances are that the next session of the Legislature will find that instead of a three per cent sales tax, that it will be necessary to increase it to five or six per cent If the next Legislature is to be composed of members of the sales tax stripe (ready and willing to place their mighty political feet into the sunken chest of poverty and who are afraid of the shadow of the big interest) God forbid that such Legislation shall ever function. Very truly yours, S. E. DOUGLASS. 128 BOMBS IN NEW GRAVE I Tarragona, Spain. — Suspicious I of a freshly dug grave, polic& I opened it and found 128 bombs, I JAP TRADE GROWS {* I Manila, P. I.—Sales of Japanese ■ goods in the Philippines increased ■ about fifty per cent last year, whilo ■ American sales were dropping M twelve per cent. In cotton the view is general that this mar' H ket is lost to the United States H unless a new tariff is imposed. jB WOMAN DISS AT 123 I Bally Common, Ireland— Box* inH 1811, Mrs. Katherine Britlaad ill dead at the age of 123 yean. ShcH attributed her long healthy life to H the fact that she "loved work." H Here's a Personal ocomeiml 'HEW I BATTERIES Firestone Batteries spin the motor every time H you step on the starter ■Hj —cold or warm weather H —it makes no differ ence! We have new powerful Firestone Batteries on display— come in and see them. FIRESTONE SERVICM STORES, INC. 8 CHURCH AND NASH BTS.H PHONE lB K
The Rocky Mount Herald (Rocky Mount, N.C.)
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March 2, 1934, edition 1
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