North Carolina Newspapers

■JfpriJav. February 5, 1923. Sell replies to lists' That There is a Big Deficit and Not a Surplus j the Treasury of North Carolina- \ ,VVS ECONOMY badly needed ; , lVs (; over nor Failed to No tice the Deficits That Ap peared in Two Years in the State’s Money. \ Fob. a (By tin* As- Asserting that Gov , . :; ,n Morrison anil the butl :i.;i has "invented special their own to convert” the !l j hirer’s reported deficit it -into a $2,500,000 sur , rlicn recommend appropria • next two‘years covering ;V| j mt of that faliacions sur- T.J , ; iMition to two more full ■ N • ~:ii income,” A. .1. Max* i T p ..nidi commissioner, today i im;, 1 reply to the Chief T V ..•< attack on him in an ad the Assembly \|,! \v. i'll declared the "old frog ; v., siory” might be "applied t!" ;:ii::ncing with’state credit : . •• in the well” and that : m-t it out by denouncing ignoring the facts\ and T presented by our own „i. Sept eh Presbyterian state 1 1 . Treasurer was correct in . i;«i! to a net deficit of sl.- v i ■ i.i* operating expenses "one year’s of revenue in-. ■ i-oi: ; i lined. “and the mistake pi. t ;.n and tin* budget coiu . .. .in hot accepting at full > t.dfhful warning" that econ c !■«» practiced. ••Si: . aing the full stendgrapli i' , i iie Governor's address.” ■'uniniis.-ioner. "the mistake Governor and the budget - have made is clear Tiny did not have before repo.-: of tin- large deficit for .■oaths period from Deeeui ;to film l 30. 1921. or of - ! c .Icicit again in the period i. 1922 to December ' 01. : ! ! : r showed a deficit for of* $i.853,8J)5.4L They - _ ii!<i that deficit the resour .•"v i -’Mc tted uncolleeteil taxes a : : t \ estimated to be due and :■ Li : .i.nnr.ary 1. following, includ- Hill year of estimated in in tins way arrived at i -a plus of 32,4* >s,ooo. !i.*; did not. have liefore tL-:ii •■ciiing this conclusion the report of the Treasurer i i-i-ai year* jieriod. If they tie . would have- seen that the .i yc;;r already luul Iri its receipts ; i tr of income tax revenue. ' ! (."tween .lanuary and July The fiscal year from which - let; faithfully reports that : : 31.**53.894 was a complete it;.'! ; - I year, both by income and ;e i nly had 1i full year of in \ under the'new law. but it ■ ; s 114.101.03 of income col ih" counties under the old ' i mu settled for to the state ’ I! -aSthin that fiscal year. There - -o . ellceto.l within that .year '• i'.i- amount of inheritance tax ' i : mM. 3955,008.93. and with ! y Ml ' Mir of income from all nou i" -i! had a deficit from that ' 1 tiiat was report in l and prop ‘ i nt d upon by tin* Treasurer - -a >rt. and is an absolute dem ' 'i that lfie state already is - ■ ond it - means in a sum that - the soundness of the ,s ! ! policy at this time.” •OMAN SHOOTS HERSELF HI T DOESN’T KNOW IT ■‘ r "fhillef for 17 Hours in Mus- Hes Below Heart. York-. Feb. 1— A pistol bullet -■ ! in i ho-muscles beneath the ■ 1 Vi Eli non* Marker, of ■ ii. and remained, there for 17 : v night without her being it. was removed in St. Fet ' m Marker, who lets furnished 1 ' ! i i.ke police that, becojuing ' ■<t the frequency of hold • ; •!•!.*-rii's. site unpacked a re i id brought with her from ; ’ i two years ago and was :i; - the weapon yesterday morn ' it was accidentally uiseharg the only thing she noticed , ‘ ! * vais a severe headache uti ' s ' ; • taoved her clothing late liist found it stained with ' ' ,: h Lr, Out For Function Offi cials..,^ • ' Fob. 1. —warrants lor E. and R. L. White. Jr., of .* t i 1 "tmty, charged with viola*. , ; ■ 1 ■ tioti laws, hav.2 been . ' : ;, " f ! the men are under bonds ■ ' , '" t each. P.ronlow Jackson, T‘ s "s Marshal, stated tndav> a were elected officials in , ! ‘ lcciion and are alleged to to permit a. man to vote, * 1 < harged, \vas*eligibbs. The , ! . it is understood here. ,' : : the party was refused be* uicials were informed h 2 v> : Tialified. , 1 ‘ " n officials were aeino ;v ! ' in* party whp ik.is aleged a vo t s . was a republican.^ t eubin’t I nderstand. '.i,i T;; o'.' - announced five year n, , T : Proudly to his Sunday "T her. "is my birthday.” too- i' she, “it is mine. * f a oe clouded with per t,; & aid, “How did you get ' - digger n rue?” * m VH ? t v” 00L Bt ILDUQg UNDERWAY IN TIDE,STATE Create for Rural Dis- Proved Great Blessing. Vomi, n*’ J ,® n ’ 31 — Ci ties anil towns in vo»,r* . tlurin S the past two years voted bond issues of approxi umvi.Lt'T' 0 ??’ 000 for tl »' purple of ] 5 I)Ctter sch ° ol buildings, ac cordmg to the completed jmport of I)r. ; of public instruction, made public tonight*. h vs ;l h( ; are providing large hi ick buildings auditoriums for the rural consolidated schools.” the re oolcihi ea +^ S ‘ This has been lua( ie possible through the aid of the special building fund authorised bv the last This f«nd amounts to $;iu(XM),()00 anil is loaned to tliecoum tise. for a period of twenty years, the counties paying one-twentietli of the piindtpal and the accrued interest an nually.” Ihe report shows, in accordance with an announcement made by the superintendent recently, that the en tile building program, when completed, will cost about $25,000,000. “The idea of a state loan fund for aiding (he counties in erecting school buildings is not known,” it is stated. "In 1003 the general assembly very wisely set aside, the state literary fund, then amounting to about $2<K)looo to he used as a loan fund for building school houses. This amount lias been increased as the state lias sold its public lands and by legislative appro priatjon jintil today it amounts to 81,028,117.00, which is now loaned at 4 per cent interest to one hundred counties in the state on a ten-year basis, one-tenth, together with the accrued interest, is repaid and reloaned, mak ing about $150.1)00 annually which the state may loan from this fund. “But this has been totally inade quate. The counties had only one other alternative—local bond issues. But this required a vote of thq people. As a result, the strong wealthy cen ters could* secure bond issues by levy ing a reasonably low tax rate, while rhe more backward ristricts, in many instances, rs they were, in favor of i education, could not secure a bond is j sue of sufficient size to provide jtlie i necessary buildings without levying a | rax rate tluft would lie almost prohibi ! five. Since the. wealthier counties I were already bonding themselves, they were not enthusiastic about assuming additional burdens in order to help the more backward' districts, which ■were little in favor of edueatiton any way. As a result, the counties had a tendency to break up into district | Schools and the rural sections for the j most part were being neglected. "The general assembly of 11)21. how ' ever, made it possible for the counties jto secure funds to erect buildings in 1 rhe. rural districts and this paved the way for a. county unit system that will make better schools possible for the children of the county. . This was done by creating the special building fund of five million dollars. The | state mis authorized to ' sell bonds j amounting to this sum and loan the. j proceeds to the counties. In June, j following the act of the general as sembly. the state board of education ! adopted the following rules governing i the loans : _ "1. The special building fund will be loaned to counties on a pro-rata basis. That is, each county will be entitled to borrow the same per cent of the special huililiiig fund that the school population of the* county bears to jtlie school population Os the stativ "2. If the entire amount is not bpr x*oweil on this basis the remainder will be loaned to counties in accord ance with their needs./ a "3. Counties may make application at once for loans from this fund on blanks to In* supplied l>y the superin tendent of public instruction. "4/Counties are at liberty to begin their building program this summer with the assurance, that the loan will lie available pu January 1, 1922, pro vided the bonds are sold. If the lioud market next December is not such that the entire amount is made avail able and the conutie-s desiring to se cure loans will secure purchasers for the sum needed, this amount will be loaned to the counties in accordance with Sections 1 and 2. "5. No loan shall be approved by the. state department of education until the plans of the building and location of thesamo and the size of tin* district have ln>en recommended h.v the director of school house planning. "By” June, 1921, applications, hail been received for the entire $• >,000,000. But the constitutionality _pf the. act was questioned and the state board of edu catiton was stopped from, making the loans until the courts could pass on its constitutionality. The decision of the Supreme Court was favorable to tin* state and far reaching in its effects. The count made it clear that the. con stitution demands a state system of schools with the county, not the dis trict, as the local unit of administra tion. “At flit' present ttyne, $3,800,000 have bee.u loaned and the remainder lie as’soon as the "bonds are sold. The cost of the buildings aided by tlfPse loans amounts to $9.02*4.035. The ate plication far exceeded $5,000,000- Over $8,000,000 of the amount already loan ed have gone, into small towns, villages and rural districts that could not have secured the necessary funds otherwise for tlu* erection of suitable buildings. The larger towns already were, financ ing their own building programs. / “According to estimates received in this office, as was said alawv the cost of the building program now under way will, when completed, amount to a taint $25,000,000. At foist half of this amount is spent in the rural dis tricts anil in the small towns and vil lages. "But this amount will not J>e suffi cient to complete the necessary build ing program and either the state should authorize another bond issue to be. loaned to the counties on similar terms or the counties under state su pervision should be authorized to issue bonds. Our children cannot be edu cated unless %hool buildings are pro vided,” it was asserted. You Ought to Hear Him. * “Yassuh, we shuah has - got a i fine new minister; you oiighter hsah him J pray.” I j “■Can he pray (better than the other one?” T "My oh my. yes why he can ask * for things othah ministers never j knew de iJivrd bad.” j HARDING AND COOLIDGE URGE BETTER POLITICS Council of Citizenship Created by Presi dent—Vice President Urges Voting. Washington, Feb. 2 (Capital News Service). —By executive order a new body -has come into being, the Federal Council of Citizenship Training. All government departmens as well as the Board of Vocational Training and the Veterans Bureau are repre sented in the new body. “The duties of the council,” the order sets forth, “are to make constructive suggestions as to how' the Federal offices may op erate to secure more effective citizen ship training, both in their own work and in co-operation with all other pub lic and private agencies throughout the. country. The facilities of all Fed eral offices shall he available so far as is practicable to further the work of the council.” Vice President Coolidge, in a public speech, urges a greater attentiton to the. duties of citizenship, and especial ly more attentiton to the importance of voting. He said in part: “Good government needs the active, energetic, and concerted action of an aroused and earnest citizenship. “They can not leave their elections to the dictation of the few. They can not leave the holding of office merely to so.lf-seekers. They must be pre pared to make the sacrifices, to endure the disoomforture and the misrepre sentation, the loss of business oppor tunity required h.v being a candidate for and holding public office.” With statistics at hand showing’that more than half of the electorate (al most twenty-eight million) did not vote in the last election, tin* highest officers in the government are urging a better and more conscientious effort to discharge the tii*st duty of citizen ship. It is well realized that a puo-' pie deserve the kind of government they get, and that only through a pro gram of education as to the patriotic duty of voting intelligently can the government adequately reflect the pop ular will. It is emphasized that while this government is one erected by the consent of the governed, it was never intended that such consent should be passive only, but that the government should be literally not only of the people and for the people, but by all the pe.ople entitled to a vote. WANTS GOVERNMENT TO BUY FARMERS’ NITRATE Bill Reported Favorably Aalls For Purchase of $ 10,09!),(I(M( Worth. Washington, Feb. I.—Government purchase of §10,000,000 worth of nitrate and its re-sale to farmers at cost fer use in connection with ihe 1924 crop would b=* authorized by a bill ordered favorably reported today by the house agriculture committee. As it was passed by the senate and .originally offered in the house by Representative Stevenson, democrat. South Carolina, the measure would have provided for the purchase and <ale of the nitratje. so/ this year’s, crop, but members of the house corny mittee changed the effective time on the ground that the operation could not be in time fer the u<e of the fertilizers on the farms this spring. The expectations is that the ni : trate would be bought in Chile, al though it is not so specified in the bill. 1 Maxwell Again Declares State Faces Deficit. Raleigh. Ft*b. 2.—Approving the ac tion of tin* general assembly in nam ing a committee, to investigate the con dition of the state’s finances, as re quested by Governor Cameron Morri son today, when he addressed a joint meeting of the legislature, and disa vowing any personal animosity toward the governor or his administration, Corporation Commissioner A. J. Max well tonight issued a statement to the Associated Press in which lie continues to insist that a deficit of more than $5,000,000 exists in the operating fund of tin* state., instead of the alleged prospective surplus upon which the budget commission acted. Yeluiig Men Tried For Blowing Up Calaboose. Salisbury, Jan. 31.—Many citizens' of the town of Roekwc/1 were in Salis bury for the sessions of Rowan roun ty court cither as witnesses or in terested spectators at the trial of a young man for blowing lip the cala boose of the town of Rockwell during a noisy celebration of the Christmas season. The charge was'that dynamite wds used. The defendant droved an alibi that was satisfactory to acting Judge Furr. There were other cases growing out of this celebration on part of the young men of the town, but main interest -centered in the blowing up of the calaboose. Ridgecrest Landslide Belays Southern / Trains. Aslievjjle, 7 n. 31. —Southern rail way passenger train dumber 10 east bound.’ was delayed more than nvs hours, and passenger train No. 2h westbound, was doayed four hours tonight on account of a landslide on the tracks at the mouth of a tunnel, two miles east of Ridgecrest. Train No 21 arr.v d in Asheville about inid-* night, the traces having been cleared at 11 p. m. No. 16 left Asheville at 4:40 o’clock this afternoon. The slide occurred about 5:45 o’clock. The cause is attributed to the recent raids in this section. Wauls .Ford’s Proposal Accepted. _ Washington. Feb. 3.—Unquiilified ac ceptance ox Henry Font’s Muscle Shoals offer was proposed today in the House by ('llairman Madden, of the Appro priation Coimnitte.e. / Representative Madden declared Ip' viewed the matter purely from a busi ness standpoint and that his desire was to put the great Alabama reject in the hands of the man of demon strated capacity irrespective of his politics. Think FA Mont Kelly Mill Resign. .Washington, Feb. I.—The early re tirement from office of E. Mput Reify, whose administration as Governor of l*orto Rico has been attended by cou tinurfl controversy in and out of the island, was forecast today i,n official quarters here. Mrs. A. S. Wilson, a native of Win ning, now residing in New Y(?rk, lias the distinction of being the first Brit ish-born woman to be admitted to the practice of law in the United- States. r THE CONCORD TIM-ES DAVIDSON PLEASED AT SELECTION OF YOUNGER Feeling is That Forme* Athletic Star Will Make Good ak Head Coach For Presbyterians. Davidson, Feb. 1. —The news this morning from Blacksburg, Va., mat WL L. Youngsr (better known as “iMonk” Younger), a member of ihe coaching staff of the V. P. 1., a former Davidson star, making in One var letters in football, basketball and baseball, and a large factor in estab lishing along with “Red” .Johnston, Hugh Grey and others, William Mcß. Fetzer’s reputation as a gen his Tor developing athletic talent in nis pupils, is to coach at Davidson the coming year, is received with every general satisfaction arid pleasure. Dr. J. M. Douglas, faculty repre sentative in athletics, had an inter view with Younger several days ago in Lynchburg. Va., and reported upon his return home that he was quite sure Younger would accept the offer made him, But with proper loyalty to V. P. 1., he declined to make any de finite promise he had gone over the situation with his friends at the Vir ginia institute. The feeling here is- that Younger will make good as head coach in tlie -ame pronounced way that he did at V. P. I. as coach in basketball mid assistant Coach along other* lines. There is no question... that Younger will have the enthusiastic support of the student body and of all athletic squads, and it is equally certain mat all necessary additions to complete a coaching staff of high quality will l>o given him in due time. ASHEVILLE TRAINS HIT AND EIGHT ARE INJURED Passenger Train No. 16 and a Freight Train Collide Headon (it Marion. Asheville. Fell. 1. —Eight people were injured as tlie result of a lieailon col lision early this morning between pas senger train No. Id and a freight train oil the Asheville division of the South ern railway at Marion, according to an official report received today by lo cal officials of the railway. None of the injuries was serious, of- Jicials reported, and passengers* and members of the crews were able to proceed on their journey after the collision. The* injured were: (’. A. Bray. Greensboro: Mrs. E. It. Wooten. Iliggens. f’ojin, :* and Mrs. J. M Lyverette. Salisbury, all passen gers: and J W. Dowling. Ifiltmore. Pullman conductor; William Simp sou, Charlotte, dining car waiter, and John Harper. Emma: David More, Asheville, and S. L. Wilburn, Ashe ville, Pullman porters. None of the crew on the. freighters in was injured. Officials stated today that they had not determined the enitse of the wreck. Np. 1(5 left Ashe ville yesterday afternoon at 4:40 p. in. en route to New York and the east. The freight train was hound for Ashe ville. The trains met in tin* yards at ! Marion and lx>th were going at a low rate of speed when the impact, came, 'about 12:45 o’clock Thursday morning. FARM RELIEF - PROGRAM IS ABOUT COMPLETE Passage of the Lenroot-Ahderson Farm Bill Will Complete Senate Farm Program. Washington, Feb. 2.—Passage by the Senate today of the Lenroot-Anilerson farm bill, regarded as certain when vote is taken under an agreement on Wednesday, will complete action by that body on its farm relief program. The Capper lull, companion measure to the bill to be voted on today, re cently passed the Senate and has been referred to committee by the House. Numerous amendments remain to Ik* disposed of. Among those rnd.eil on yesterday, the only one of import ance adopted was by Senator Swan son. democrat, of Virginia, providing* for the distribution of excess capital of credit agencies to be financed by the government. BELGIAN DEPUTY "PREDICTS WAR IN NEXT TEN YEARS Urges Six Months’ Military Service in Army Reorganization. Brussels. Feb. 1. —"I am convinced.! if tilings go on as they are going, that ; within live years, or at the latest 10 years, we shall lmvi* war,” said Emile i Vanriervehle, Socialist leader in tin* I Chamber of Deputies, in'tlie course of j a debate today on plans to reorganize . the Belgian army. “And what a war!" the speaker con-j tinned? “It will not Ik* between arm ies, but will be a people’s war of brini iyg and asphyxiation.” Trinity Students Get West Polnfr Ap pointments. Durham, Fell. 3.-J-North Carolina hoys who are going to West Point seem to prefer getting started from Trinity College, i Two members of the fresh men class at Trinity and one. ihember of the sophomore class >novv hold ap pointments to the army institution. They are G. B. Caldwell, of Monroe: R. F. Sink, of Lexington, ami Clay Bridget’s, of Raleigh. Caldwell, for the past two years guard aniDtackle on Trinity’s football players, is one of the. youngest varsity . men in the state and does bis stuff to the queen’s taste. He goes;to Fort j McPherson March (’> to stand a pliysi- J cal examination. At tfie same time ; Sink anil Bridgers will go to Fort ; Conroe, for an examination. In case ! the young men pass the physical tests j they will report at West Point on July 2. * j Woman Says Father /Solti Her For, $.309 to Husband. New York, Feb. 1. —A stoi’y of liow j she was sold in marriage by her; fatbJ2r for S3OO was told in the Bronx l county court today by Mrs. Stela! Vitulli, 20. Her father, Joseph Tos cano, convicted of beating her with an iron bar. because her hus band would not- meet later install ments after making an initial pay ment of SIOO,. r | H A Poor PUteri For a Sale. Two, gentlemen Os Hebrew extrae- j lion were shipwrecked, so we are told. For two days they floated around on a life raft. Near the end of the second'day one of them cried: “Ikey, I see a sail.” “Y£,t good does dot do us?” snapped back the former salesman, “Ve ain’t got no ADULT ILLITERACY I\ STATE MUST BE WIPED OUT Dr. E. C. Brooks Makes Recommen dations Showing How’ It Can Be Done. ' Raleigh. N. C„ Feb. ?>.—“The illit erate adulfc. population of North Caro lina will never learn to read and write in my judgment unless the state gives special aidr Making these schools a part of the public school system is not sufficient. This is a peculiar class that needs special attention. Not only the state and county officials but our churches, fraternital organi zations and women’s clubs should co operate to eliminate illiteracy from this class of our population.” This statement is contained in the biennial report of Dr. E. C. Brook*, superintendent of public instriiftion, based on a study prepared by Miss Elizabeth Kelly, commissioner of adult illiterates. "The census of 1920 shows that the native white illiteracy has decreased within the past two years jfrom 14 per cent, to 8.2 pm- cent.,” it is stated, “and fur both races from 18.5 per cent, to 12.1 per cent. By far the larger part of the illiterates to day are adults who did not have the advantage of an education twenty years ago. The census of 1920 v shows the illiteracy of children, of school age between ten and twenty-one years of ago. inclusive, and we may see from these figures how effective the schools have. been. In 1920, the illiteracy of white children between ten and twen ty-one years of age in twenty-five counties was 2 per cent, less; in three counties it was less than 1 per cent.: in nineteen counties between 4 and <5 per cept.; and in the other twenty two counties between (» and 9 1-2 per cent." The school system was in 1919-1920—the term was lengthen ed. more teachers were employed and the compulsory attendance law was made effective—and the records show that practically JIOO per cent, of the children of compulsory school age were enrolled in school, it is stated. The illiteracy of the next generation, it is asserted, will practically disap pear. "During the scholastic year 1920-21.” the report continues, "fifty-two coun ties organized schools or classes for adult beginners and had regularly •paid teachers, the state paying one half the expenses and the counties the other half. "Beginning with the scholastic, year 1921-22, the- schools for adults were made a part of the public school sys *teiy and were finuifced as other schools of the counties were financed. Dur ing the biennial period, special texts peculiarly suited to these schools have been prepared and published. Perhaps the most noticeable piece of work done in the state is to be found in Buncombe county. I have received letters from mothers, who heretofore had been illiterate, in which they ex press appreciation for this work and a joy in the fact that they learned to write to their children. "The need of a stridors enforcement of the compulsory attendance law is very.apparent. For example: we found in one county 4(12 pupils from 14 to 1(1 years of age now attending school that had not completed the fourth grade, in other words, boys and girls of high school age have not been in school long enough to learn, to read and write with ease and use numbers intelligently. Therefore, I believe that children unde.- 16 years of age who have not completed the elementary school should be required to attend school until they have com pleted at least the seven grades of work as outlined in the elementary school. "Our compulsory school law re quires the attendance in school of children between the ages of 7 and 14. But in our towns and cities and mill villages, continuation or part time schools can he provided with little additional expense, which would permit children between 14 and 1(5 years of age to attend school a part of the time. They might work half a day and attend school half or day, or follow the alternate work plan. This is being tried successfully in North Car olina and in most states of the Union,” the report reads. Sixty-Eight Alunii Meetings to Be Held. i Durham. Feb. 2. —At Troy in Mont 'gomery tonight It. E. Thigpen. assist j ant alumni secretary of Trinity Col ; lege, will launch the most intensive campaign among alumni ever mapped out by an educational institution in North Carolina. This meeting is the first of ON similar meetings to be held from Murphy to Currituck in the next -78 days. Trinity authorities by this intensive campaign expect to realize the goal of of the interest on $1,000,000 annually from subscriptions from the alumni of the institution. The. meetings are the follow-up of intensive advertising campaign carried on from tin* alumni office in Durham and by district chair man over the state. “While we are interested in reach ing the, goal set in the financial cam paign. that which is of equal import* alios.” says Dr. Few. president of Trin ity. "is that we arouse the general'en ! thusiasm of the alumni for their alma mater, bring back the love that was i theirs when they were students', that |we show them that the greatness of ! any educational institution may be 'measured by the interest which its j alumni display.” High Point Starts hi Big Building Pro j gram. - High Point. Feb. 2.— Building per ! mits calling for an aggregate expendi ture of $22 r v">o in constructiton work were issued lie re during January, ac cording to figures compiled today. This figure is one of the highest reach ed here in a nuAiber of months, al though January is usually considered a bad building month. One of the permits issued during the month called for the. construction of an SBO,OOO store building by the J. j. Cox estate, while another was isseml to the Parker and Hayworth Company for the "‘building of a • $50,000 store building. But the majority of the permits were for ue.w dwellings. The o'd-age custom of the_ Japanese of sitting down on their folded legs on a cushion or mattress is going out of fashion. All the schools and puolic places now hu\6 'Chairs <ind benches of the western style. VETERANS’ BUREAU GIVEN SHARP SHAKEUP Forbes Is Out.—Director Goes to Eu* rope For “Rest” and New Director Will Be Named. * . Washington, Feb. I.—The adminis tration of the veterans’ bureau, for months a subject of bitter controver sy, is undergoing an investigation which is expected by some well-in formed officials here to result in im portant readjustments. How fait the changes to be made will go in the direction of a complete ov erthrow of bureau personnel and methods of operation \ remains to be determined by President Harding af ter all the. facts have been ascertain ed and laid before him, but it would cause no surprise among some of his closest advisers if shifts recently made among bureau officials were fol lowed by others of a more far-reach ing character. The inquiry is understood to have been undertaken after many charges of improper administration had reach ed the V'hite House from the Amer ican legioV and other sources, and af ter members of Congress who have looked into bureau affairs had about perfected a plan to ask for* a public Congressional investigation. For the present the storm center of tlTe controversy appehrs to be the legal division of the bureau, which has the final say on all contracts for hospital sites and other contracts in volved in„ the government’s program of veteran aid. Charles R. Cramer, who, as general counsel for the bu reau, was head of the v legal division, retired today from office after he had announced that he would leave it to Col. (’has. R. Forbes, the bureau di rector, to say whether his services were any longer considered desirably. Now Colonel Forbes liimself is en route to Europe for a "rest” and ad ministration of the bureau is in other hands. Some of the colonel’s friends do not expect him to return to his desk, although administration officials insist that lie is in no sense under "suspension.” They are to predict whether he will be asked to step out or will voluntarily give up. his directorship. . FEBRUARY MEETING OF THE ALDERMANIAC BOARD HELD Most Important Matters Continued Un til March' —Several Matters Acted Upon. v , The board of aklerinen held its regu lar Februaryimeeting at the city hall Thursday night. Quite a large, num ber of matters were presented to the board, but the majority of them were continued until the March meeting, or until the me.eting to be held next Thursday night. * Widening of West Depot street was one subject that brought out much talk at the meeting. This subject was discussed at length, and finally the board decided to continue the. dis cussion at the .meeting next week. Joe Robertson, representing the North Carolina Public Service Com pany, appeared before the board, and asked for more time in making some payments due the city. His-company had been. asked to be ready to make a. report at the meeting. Illness in the. families of several officials made it impossible to get the reports ready Thursday, the hoard was told. The city engineer was asked to con fer with proper officials relative to making llie State and Federal high ways which run through Concord, one highway. The Treasurer was ordered to pay S2OO to the local military company for lfi22. The matter'of placing insurance on the city firemen was continued until the March meeting. '~ The hoard endorsed the potitipiv of the police department asking the water and light board to place more electric lights in the back lost of *the city. ABOUT 250 ARE VICTIMS I OF PTOMAINE POISONING Guests of Jackson Day Banquet at Norwalk, 0., Will Recover. Norwalk, ()., Feb. I.—About 250 of 250 persons who attended the twenty fourth annual Jackson day banquet hero last night were ill today of ptomaine-poisoning. Physicians said ithey believed the poisoning was caused by food which was served after the covers of the cooking utensils were left on it while it cooled. Political leaders of both parties from over Huron county attended the banquet. None of the cases of. illness reported so far are serious. In most cases the illness developed early this morning. Congressman E. L. Davis, of Tennessee, and Mrs. Mar garet Allman, of Canton, principal speakers on the program, had not been affected early today. Among those, most seriously ill are Probate Judge •T. M. Bechtol, and County Clerk E. W. Wall, of Norwalk. Both will re cover, it is said. Sugar Made by Liglil. London. Feb. 2. —If is announced by Professor Hugh It. Rathbone, of Liver pool University, that considerable quantities of sugar have been made from carbonic acid by the agency of light. This wonderful feat has been made possible by the results of remark able experiments carried out by Pro fessor E. C. C. Baley, a prominent in vest igtrtois of the of light. Professor Baly, with liis colleagues Professors Heilbrou and Barse.r, dis covered that ultra violet light would convert water containing carbonic acid •gas into formaldehyde, a substance now used on a large scale in many branches of surgery; hut they found, too, that the light rays continued in their wonderful pvoeOss, eventually turning the formaldehyde into sugar. Water is available in immeasurable quantities and carbonic acid is merely a waste product equally abundant, and the magic of light waves of a certain, length-will cause them to Combine and give sugar. Tries to Block Hale of Property Charlotte, Feb. I.—Miss Julia Ander son, a Charlotte lawyer, announced-to day that she had sent a protest to the (Mecklenburg delegation in the General Assembly seeking to block the sale of the City Ha',l property on the grounds that the price of $305,100 was inade quate. y A bill to make women eligible to jury service has been introduced in the Connecticut legislature. PAGE FIVE FINANCIAL CHECK IS ASKED BY GOVERNOR In Address Before Joint Ses sion of General Assembly Governor Morrison Asks for Investigation. / ■■ ■■ ■ ■ * MAXWELL ARTICLE WAS DENOUNCED Characterised as “Untrue” by Governor, Who Says He Wants “Slander” Exposed to the State. Raleigh, N. (’., Feb. 2. denouncing Corporation Commission or A. J. Maxwell for publication of treatise on the financial condition of the state, which he characterized as "untrue,” and asserting that its publi cation was motivated by a vindictive attitude toward the administration and it "constructive program,” Gov ernor Morrison in a half hour address to the joint session of the General Assembly called to hear him at noon, today, demanded a complete investi gation of the actual condition of the State’s finances. "A situation has arisen concerning the fiscal affairs of the state, which in my opinion, makes it my duty to come to you ai*d submit the remarks and information I am about to ad dress to you,” the Governor began, and after discussing the figures that were incorporated in the Maxwell ar ticle to which he referred, and deal ing with the source of his authority for the statement he made in his bi ennial address in regard to the con dition of the state's finances he cloy ed by declaring that the Maxwell al legations are "not the truth.” “It isn’t true. It isn't the. tliq Governor declared in hiS impas- , sioned conclusion, "aiMl I demand of .. this General that this mat ter fie investigated and this man ex posed in that slander of tjie state whose bread he eats.”. Opening his remarks upon Mr. Max well's treatise Governor Morrison said "an officer of .the state of North Caro lina holding a very high an<j Jbbnor ab'.o position which he,had Weld lor a long time, has made an assault uu the fiscal financial condition of the state and the financial condition or the Treasury which must be given atten tion.” He continued saying that "that part of the press so hostile to the pre sent administration that fairness could not be expected of it,” # had sougnt to have the*general Assembly believe that "I have given false and mislead ing” information about the state’s financial affairs, and this he had ignor ed, he stated adding that "the state ments coming from Mr. Maxwell an officer of the state, must receive irom those in authority prompt and fearless consideration.” » “If Mr. Maxwell’s statements < are true,” the Governor said, "the Treasury of the state has mads an untrue re port. If the re-ort of the Treasury is the truth this officer eating the bread of the state has made an untrue state ment affecting importantly, if not vi tally, the credit of the state at a enti al point in a great construction pro gram, "Make a prompt and fearless in sti gation, and wherever the wrong lies place it,” Governor Morrisop urged, and -reneeded to discuss the figures involved, telling the General Assembly that Treasurer Lacy had exported a de ficit in the state s operating fund of and stating that the re port was made as of June 30, 1922, the closing date of the stage’s fiscal year. ? That is the only deficit the Treas ury reported, the Governor stated* and he added that Mr. Moody, of the Treasurer’s .office had reasserted the accuracy of the figures today. "Mr. Maxwell said there are other* deficits,” Governor continued, "stating there is one back of that deficit. Os what character would Ik* the Treasurer's report which gives tlw actual condi tion at the end of the fiscal year, if back of that period was a deficit not brought forward? It would Ik* u false report.” "We deal with the fiscal year,” the Governor asserted. "This is a seri ous matter because every recommenda tion I have made to you, ah of the recommendations made by the budget commission, were founded on faith in the absolute verity of that report.” He added that there are those "inspired by malice and venom, seeking to in jure the Governor of this State, who have undertaken to show I have made statements that ure untrue, and in an effort to substantiate them they omit to mention facts” in the treasurer's sateffieuf "Maxwell alone I dignify with com plaint. he continued, and he called attention to the fact that the budget commission was a •legislative commit tee and not an v administrative one. composed of men whom he 'character ized highly in some detail to repeated applause*, and assented that this body had found the figures as to the state’s financial -‘'condition upon which the statement of an ultimate fiseaJ snrplus was based suffiejently satisfactory to t the commission to make them the basiA of its recommendations. Senate Votes Against Senator lletiiu. Washington, Feb. 2.—Dividing on party lines the Senate today sustain ed 40 to 28, Vice President Coolidge'A ruling that Senator"'' Heflin, democrat, of Alabama, in yesterday’s discussion of the British debt funding had re flected improj»erly upon Senator Wads worth; republican. New York, by de claring that he, (Mr.-Heflin) did not ’’represent v the bond sharks and big financiers of Wall Street.” He Foozled. ; “How did you get your moustache into this condition?” asked the hai ber. “Guess I'll have to take it oft.” ’’All right. I tried to steal a, kiss from 3, girl who was chewing gum.”