The Rocky Mo
VOLUME 28, NUMBER 51
Judicial Pensioners
Below we are printing a copy of clipped editor al that ha?
meant food for thought. The Editor of the Biblical Recorder
has written on the subject in a very inspiring manner.
Governor Hoey, the past week signecf conmissions placing
four North Carolina judges on the state pay roll for the re
rqainder of their liveSj The commissions become effective
January 1 and the four favored ones are Superior Court
Jlltl(ge William F. Harding, of Charlotte' N. A. Sinclair, ot
jriyetteville; Henry A Grady, of Clinton, and E. H. Cram
ner, of Southport. They are retiring with a pension on
two-thirds pay.
Already there were four of these pensioned judges, Wal
ter L. Small, of Elizabeth City; Thomas B. Fin ey, of North
Wilkeaboro; Frank A. Daniels, of Goldsboro ,and P. A. Mc-
Elroy, of Marshall.
This makes eight of these pensioned judges living off the
taxpayers of the state We do not believe that if the ques
tion of starting this judicial pension list had been left to a
vote of the people that it would have been enacted into law.
We believe it would have been voted down two to one.
In addition to these eight pensioned judges we have five
or six special or emergency judges that are kept busy hold
ing courts for the regular 21 judges who may have some
thing else that they wish to occupy their minds.
It is claimed that these eight pensioned judges can be
called upon to hold special terms of court but the calls in
the past have been few and far between.
Thus it will be seen that we have a total of 34 judges in
North Carolina to hold our courts and a great part of the
time they are not busy. The North Carolina judiciary is
costing the taxpayers of the state too much money and
shou'd be curbed.
The Biblical Recorder, outspoken newspaper organ of
great Baptist denomination, in this state, doesn't have
much of an opinion of the judges pension legislation. Says
that paper in its current issue:
"It is reported that Governor Hoey has appointed four
additional emergency judges: there were already four, so
that now North Carolina has eight such. They are appoint
ed for life and are to receive a stipend or salary of two
thirds of their present annual salary, which is SB,OOO a year,
of a total of $42,933.33 a year, for which they are expect
ed to render no service, since the only seeming reason for
using the 'emergency' is to give this pension to them the
semblance of being authorized by the Constitution of the
State. I
"We have only respect for these men who have served
the State as Superior Court judges—they are all worthy
men—but we must say that we cannot approve, and we
think the people of North Carolina do not approve, putting
men of any class on a pension of more than five thousand
dollars a year, and least of all elective public officers. Judges I
are elective officers and as such are favored beyond any |
other class of public officers in North Carolina; their
term of office is twice as long as that of the Governor of
the State, and except for the salary of the Governor the
judge gets a higher salary than any other State official. It
has not always been so. Until the close of the century the
judges got $229.16 a m0nth,..£2,750 a year, or with a libeV
hl allowance for traveling expenses $3,000 a year. This was
increased before the war to $4,000 a year, and since the
war has been further increased to SB,OOO a year, including
traveling expenses. It does seem that those who for any
considerable period of years receive such a comfortabjo
salary should be able to lay up something for their old ag"
and not be under the necessity of becoming pensioners on
the bounty of taxpayers, many of whom in North Carolina,
thoujh most worthy men, do not have an annual income Ol
one-tenth of the amount of the annual allowance of an emer
gency judge'
R. C. BRAKE PASSES
In the passing of R. C. Brake, affectionately known as
Clarance Brake, the city of Rocky Mount has lost on eof its
most loyal and active citizens; active leader in the church,
, active in business and active and devoted to the develop
ment of Rocky Mount. He had been connected with the city
of Rocky Mount as alderman, city treasurer and chairman
of Public Works Committee for many years. Always vigi
lant and unitring in his service to Rocky Mount he was al
ways regarded as a young man because of his activity and
was a friend of young and old. He was descended from ar.
honorable old' Edgecpmbe County family. The city of Rocky
Mount sorrows with the devoted children in their loss.
HAS THE MAYOR FORGOTTEN?
We do not feel that it would be mete and proper for this
Christmas season to pass without discharging our public
duty by again calling attention to the mayor, the Board of
Aldermen, the City Manager and the Committee on Parks
and Playgrounds of the importance of securing and provid
ing suitable parks and playgrounds for our people and chil
dren. There has been some little progress made but it is
very little progress considering the needs and the unusual
opportunity of obtaining these sites. The land on Marigold
Street has been cleaned up, the ravine on Western Avenue
has been secured and cleaned up and according to press no
tices a piece of property has been acquired for the colored
people in Little Raleigh somewhere in the neighborhood be
tween the Battle White School and the Holland Colored
school. This of course is commendable but with the extra
vagances of the general spending up and down Tar River
and also the large amount that has been spent on stadium
and night athletic fields for the benefits of the Red Sox of
\ Boston. It is indeed small in proportion to these other expen
ditures. Barring what money that was spent on the water
tank which monopolized our former little park, there had
been no money spent on the Edgecombe side of the town.
The last mayor's platform was "Pass the honors around for
, securing more parks and playgrounds." In his opening ad
dress he stated that one of his first objectives was a piece
of land that is now vacant in the part of Rocky Mount ad
joining the Lutheran church property. Now we cannot think
that the mayor with this solemn promise has abandoned,
this objective, but we are anxious to know what is the
trouble, where is the delay, what is the delay ? Is the Board
of AJdermen not willing to back him in this object, the
platform that the people elected him on? The mayor should
inform the electorate if it is the alderman so that the
people could relieve the mayor. If it is the aldermen that
cause the delay by not backing up the leadership of the may
or then the people should know if these matters are to be
the only time the people have any rights in a democracy
remedied. This coming May will be another election and
is at the ballot box.
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1938
R. C. BRAKE
DIES AT HOME
Served City As Alderman For 20
Years; Funeral Services Were
Held Monday
R. Clarence Brake, alderman for
the past 20 years and native of
Edgecombe County, died of n heart
attack Sunday afternoon at Ilia home
here. He was 04 years old last
Repteriiljer 2fi.
The veteran alderman had begun
during the past month to show
promise >¥ recovering from a crit
ical head injury suffered July 21
when he was hit by a car. Follow
ing treatment at a hospital here and
in Richmond, he had been removed
lo his home during the latter part
of September. Recently he had been
able to leave the house in a wheel
chair and a week ago had walked
a short distance with assistance.
Funeral services were conducted
at 3 o'clock Tuesday from the First
Presbyterian church with Rev. Nor-
man Johnson officiating. Burial fol
lowed in Pineview cemetery.
Surviving members of the family
include t*vo daughters, Mrs. R. C.
Anderson and Mrs. Ben Roney;
three Bons, Clyde, Jesse and Doug
les Brake, all of Rocky Mount; two
brothers, J. Ben Brake of Edge
coipbe County and T. W. Brake of
Rowland; and three sisters, Mrs. J.
L. Calhoun and Mrs. J. M. Pearce
of Edgecombe County and Mrs. W.
B. Harper of Florence, 8. C.
His wife, who was before mar
riage Miss Hettie Cosby of Tarboro,
died in February 1937, Clarence
Brake, his oldest son and a Hender
son business man, was killed in an
automobile accident later the same
year.
Mr. Brake was the son of Jesse
Brake and Mrs. Elizabeth Thomas
Brake of Edgecombe County.
A. S. Lyon Injured
In Accident
City Purchasing Agent Suffers Frac
tured Rib In Truck Wreck Here
A. S. Lyon, city purchasing agent
for a number of years and formor
city utilities director, suffered a
rib fracture when a Dauglitridge
Fuel Company truck glided with
a city truck.
"Governor" Lyon was injured
when a utilities department truck in
which he was riding, driven by
Zorah D. Pullen, meter reader, was
hit by a truek driven by Burt Du
rant at the Main-Goldleaf street in
tersection at 9:10 o'clock. The truck
driven by Durant, going east on
Goldleaf, hit the left side of the
city truck, going north on Main,
according to the police report of
Officers L. L. Williams and M. N.
Hinton.
ERWIN ADDRESSES
BATTLEBORO CLUB
Schoolmasters Club Hears Superin
tendent Hiscuss Education
Clyde A. Erwin, superintendent of
the North Carolina schools, ad
dressed a meeting of. the Schoolmas
ters club of Battleboro held in the
Battleboro school.
Superintendent Erwin reviewed
the progress of the schools in that
state since 1914, pointing out the
many improvements made since that
time. ,
Hp discusses teacher welfare, em
phasizing an adequate retirement
law and urging the restoration of
salaries to the pre-depression level.
Mr. Erwin lalso spok of pupil
welfare, pointing out the necessity
for the establishment of the twelfth
grade and stressing tho import
ance of a wider scale of vocational
work.
He recommended a chango in the
compulsory school att ndance law.
LOST HIMSELF
Seth looked dazedand weary as he
trudged homewards, and a neighbor
asked the reason.
"Well," he said "my wifo told mo
to take ooru r eat out and lose it. I
put it in a basket and tramped six
miles into tho country, and if I
hadn't followed it, I'd never have
found my way home again."—Clip
ped.
First Plows of Tree Branches
The first farm plows were made
| of crooked tree branches and
worked by man power.
- The Star of Bethlehem shone
, bright in a wintry sky:
i. ethereal telegraphy, flashing a
, signal of the coming of a new
1 man-child. Tn a manger wa?
His bed. Straw cradled His
small body, and over Him in
prayer knelt Mary, His
Mother: blesfced virgin, chosen to bear a son in God's own
image. The Star of Bethlehem shone bright in a wintry
sky . . . and ithree alone visioned in it's radiance this won
der which come to pass. Three traveled toward that
Star, bearing gifts worthy of such a child. And after
these three came more. For Lo! Here was a miracle! And
as the weeks sped into months . . . the months into years
. . . more and more pilgrims came to see the Boy who was
wise in the ways of man, and prophetic in Has word's,, far
beyond his years. When he
was fully grown a man they
called Him- Teacher . . . Mentor
. . . Friend ... . and. in all that
He spoke, the messages of
Love, Peace and Brotherhood
were' the foundation of all' good.
Centuries have winged, their
way between His "then."' and
our "now"; yet still His words
live on . . an inspiration for us
to heed when doubt assails
us. He taught us how to follow
it. Now 1,938 years after the
Star of Bethlehem first shone
bright in a wintry sky
let us not forget!
EX-SHERIFF
DIES AT WILSON
t W. D. P. Sharp, Last To Handle
Rites Held Monday Afternoon For
Legal Hanging
Wilson, l>ee. 20.—.Last rites for
William David Pope Sharp, 77, for
mer sheriff of Wilson county for
14 years, were held from the home
here yestredny afternoon and in
terment was in Wilson's Maplewood
cemetery.
The formor sheriff was the last
sheriff to officiate at a public
hanging here before the state took
over the execution of criminals. He
was also remembered for his brav
ery as a law enforcing official and
for the fact that in his 14 years in
office he only drew a gun three
times and each time in self de
fense.
In the early part of this century
Sheriff Sharp officiated at the hang
ing of John Henry Rose, who was
convicted of the murder of a white
Mian, whose name has been long
since forgotten. It was the last pub
lic hanging in this section and pos
sibly in th entire state.
MR. CONSTANTINI MARKS
EIGHTY-FIFTH BIRTHDAY
Mr. N. Constantini was guest of
hono r at a family dinner party gi
ven by Mr. und Mrs. N. Constantini.
Jr., at their home in Tarboro on
Sunday, December eighteenth. The
occasion was the annual observance
of Mr. Constantini's birthday anni
versary, the day marking the eighty
fifth milestone.
The attractive home was bright
with Christmas decorations of red
and green, holly and other vivid
berries being combined ' with ever
greens to creftte a feetive scene.
The dinner table was appointed in
the same Yuletide scheme.
Those present for tho significant
event were; Mr. and Mrs. Alex Con
staritinj, Mir. and Mrs. Randolph
Constantini and Randolph Constan
tini, Jr., of Tarboro; Mr. Irb
Wright, of Chapel Hill, and Miss
Mildred Hawkins, Mr. Kirby E.
Hawkins, Mr. and Mrs. K. E. Haw
kins of this city.
NO PAPER NEXT WEEK
According to the custom of most
weekly newspapers there will not
he an issue of the Herald next
week—Christinas week.
The next Issue of The Rocky
Mount Herald will be January 6,
1939.
If you have time spade the vege
table garden this fall.
Winston-Salem
Is Second In
Volume
T'ttal Of Pounds Of
Flue-Pored Tobacco Has Been
Sold In North Carolina This Sea
son For Average Of $23.15
North Carolina farmers sold 484,-
40(5,530 pounds of flue-cured tobac
co through December 1 for $112,-
161,894, an average of $23.15 per
100 pounds, the state department of
agriculture reported Saturday.
The figures compared with 530,706,-
756 pounds sold through December,
1937, for $113,301,443, an average of
$25.12. For the entire flue-cured
crop last season, growers received
$141,060,367.
"Growers have marketed their
crop more rapidly this season than
last season," said W. H. Rhodes,
chief of the department's statistical
division, "and a larger percentage
sold to date than was sold last
of tobacco crop has probably been
year by December 1-"
Wilson warehouses, which have
sold 58,065,921 pounds at an aver
age of $24.14, led the state in
volume and price. Winston-Salem
was second in the price-average
ranking, with 39,209,800 pounds sold
at $23.05, Second in volume was
Greenville, which sold 44,747,674
pounds at $23.72.
Other cities with high price av
erages included Carthage, 2,390,556
pounds at $23.56; Durham, 33,165,-
738 at $23.37; Fuquay-Varina, 9,-
377,859 at $23.91; Reidsville, 8,281,-
021 at $23.50; Ahoskie, 3,050,622 at
$23,06; Farmville, 16,265,766 at $23.-
45; Goldsboro, 7,633,395 at $23.25;
Robersonville, 6,120,100 at $23,18;
Rocky Mount, 42,813,560 at $23.04;
Tarboro, 3,915,928 at $23.28; Wil
linmstoii, 6,260,590 at $23.62.
Producers' sales during November
totaled 51,263,239 pounds at $21.09 as
against 90,036,736 pounds sold last
November at $23.65.
The final estimates by tho fed
eral government on North Carolina's
tobacco crop will be, made public
December 19, Rhodes said.
"It is now evident from the sales
reports that the poundage of tobacco
produced in North Carolina this sea
son is considerably bettor than the
growers had expected earlier, and
final sales will approximate very
cloeely tho August and September es
timates of the crop," he added.
Used Cave for Glass Work
The first glass maker in Scotland
was George Hay (1566-1625). He
took advantage at a peculiarly
formed cave at Wemyss, on the Fife
coast, and set up his furnace there
in.
\ cwini«
/I I \GICHV
By Hugo sims. Special Washington Correspondent
PAN-AMERICAN PARLEY
EUROPE INTERESTED
IT. S. PRESTIGE HIGH.
SOME DIFFERENCES.
SEEKING COMMERCE.
NEW FUNDS FOR FHA.
EDEN'S VISIT
DANGERB OF WAR.
ECONMIC PROBLEM
RELIEF AND DEFENSE.
The Eighth International Confer
ence of American States in Lima,
Peru, last week attracted consider
able interest not only in the States
represented in the meeting, but also
in Europe where several nations
liave what they consider important
interests at stake.
With every nation in the West
ern Hemisphere represented and ap
parently intent upon proclaiming
to the world the solidarity of the
Western Hemisphere, the delegates
face a difficult task in the framing
of declarations to suit the individ
nal peculiarities of the nations in
volved. There was evident a desire
not to flaunt a spirit of isolation
from world affaire, and, on the part
of several important South Ameri
can nations, an anxiety not to of
fend European nations, heretofore
closely attached by commercial in-1
lerests and blood ties.
It is interesting to note that, for
the first time, such differences of
opinion as exist, do not involve the
United States which, heretofore, has
been th e target of a Latin-American
bloc usually led by Argentina. Some
of the nations desiered to proclaim
immediately some form of agree- j
ment relating to the joint defense I
of this part of the world, but the I
Argentinians wore strongly opposed I
to anything like an American League I
of Nations, a projected American'
Court of International Justice, and'
to anything like a continental al-
Amerit-11rr itrlCgstrtfff-, *fm*-
fhe most part, was not involved in
. the struggle between the opposing
, camps, but Wither devoted its time,
to an attempt to lind a common view
point.
The eapitol of Peru, now enjoying
I its summer season, was extravagant
ly decorated with flags as the dele
gates arrived. It is worth noting
rhat every nation in the Western
Hemisphere owes its origin to a rev
olution and most of the South
American countries venerate com
mon patriots. The general idea was
that a defense alliance in the form
of a treaty was unnecessary. Much
stress was placed upon the impor
tance of developing trade and cul
tural relations between the two
Americas.
I I
At the same time, it was pointed
out that there is considerable dif
ference between the P>' P e of the
'Jnited States and Canada, for ex
ample, and the inhabitants of the
other nations. Most of th.'iu de
j jcended from Latin races, with tl»e
! fulture of old Spain as well as its
i religion. ' This is quite different
from the Anglo-Saxon traditions of
the English and American peov e,
! but in the opinion of all speakers
a demonstration of the ability of
j nations to live togetlie r in p..ace
and t'odevelop their mutual inter-,
ests.
One of the results, of the confer
ence will be to focus the attention
of the people of the United States
upon the nations of South Ameri
ca. Their importance in the future
trade prospects of the United States
receives new consideration. The
standing of the United States has
never been better. Since the con
ference at Montevideo, Uruguay,
five years ago, when Mr. Hull con
vinced Latin-America that the Good
NOTICE
Those desiring to subscribe to The Rocky Mount
Herald may do so by sending SI.OO with name and ad
dress to The Rocky Mount Herald, Rocky Mount, N.
Name
Town State Route No-..
*I.OO PER TEAM
Neighbor Policy was sincere, the
prestige of the United States k«
grown immeasureably. In fae^
some of the ;]Urtin-American dc)»
J gates went to Lima with instrna
tions .to vote with the United State*
delegation on nil topics. This is, la
deed, an unusual condition.
That one of the prime motive*
of the United States i« to improve
; trade with these countries is ap
j parent from the declaration ia.
Washington that Secretary of th«
treasury Henry Morgenthan,
' is studying possible efforts to make
| available adequate exchange fact I h
ties with South nnd Central Amerir
! can countries. While none of the
Latin-American countries owe the
i United States Treasury any moneia
several of them have borrowed ei
' tensively from private investors. TW
1 possibility of lending gold to tbesa
countries in order to stimulate their
buying of goods from the United
States is receiving attenton. Before
it can be done, howeved, Congresi
would have to authorze direct loajt*.
Trade figures for the flrrt tea
months of this year show thai
i American goods to the amonnt «fr
■ $.120,000,000 were sold to Latia-
America and that the United States
I bought $622,000,000 worth from Im.
tin-America. This menns that we are
1 selling about one-fifth of onr ex
ports to the Liitin-Am 'rican cost
. tries, nnd buying from the n.iiiom
j of this hemisphere about oae-foortb
j of our imports.
j Acting according to an act of Con
| gress, passed last February, Pre.-o
dent Roosevelt hns approved an ij
civuse of $1,000,000,000 in the cap»r
city of the Federal 11. u.;'.n® ArV
ministration to insure residential,
mortgages. The President's actios
from Stewart MacPonald, Federal
Housing Administrator, who pointed
out that on December lrt Jhe I*. IL
A. had insured mortgages amnust
ing to $1(585,000,000, leaving it ajt.
unobligated balance of $415,000,00*
The appraisals already were in pro
gress on applications amounting- U
$115,000,000 and new application*
were coming in at the rate of
000,000 a mouth. Consequently,. it
was necessary, if the F. H. A. wma
to continue its program, to have mm
authorization for more than t&t
$2,000,000,000 set by the Act mt
Congress.
The visit of Anthony Rden to tt*
United States seems to have arous
ed sonu- interest in Japan, where
spokesmen recently announced (bat
the Japanese Government! had givea
up hope (>( driving a wedge betweea
Gnat Britain and the United State*
Henceforth, it v.'as said, (he igloo*
po'icy r.ou'd become firmer against
the United State... Tke B*itlGo
vernment, some weeks ago, admilt- d
tiiat it had under consideration t
loan to China, which would, of
course, help her in her resistance
to the Japanese.
Some years ago observers predict
ed that 1939 and lU4O would be
years of danger, when Germany am
Italy would reaeli the peak of theii
fighting Strength before facing a
te;.dy d.ciine ot military power aa
Great Britain linn Prance got theit
rcarinamcut progr. ins underway. Re
cent events, including the Italia*
agitation for French territory and
the German attitude toward Mi 1 mci,
indicates that the leaders of thctc
two aggressive powers realize that
their advantage is temporary. Wbafr
ever claims they have to advane*
might as well be sot out now and if
a war is to be fought, this ia the
best time for the battle, -so far «•
(Plea«« tiurn to page four)