I'
THE WEEKLY PILOT
Published every Friday morning
by the Pilot Printing Company.
STACY BREWER, Manager
Entered at the Postoffice at Vass,
N. C., as second-class mail matter
FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 1922
THE COST
OF LIVING
In the continuous kick about
the cost of living people oveilook
the one big factor, and that is
the burden of war taxation. We
have a debt of about twenty-
five billion dollars, which is so
great that nobody comprehends
what it means. But if we figure
that it is twenty-five billions to
be paid by a hundred millions
we can see by simple division
that it is $250 for every man,
woman and child in the country,
or about a thousand dollars for
the average family. With the
debt we have the interest to
pay, and with that the running
expenses of the state and gen
eral governments.
This country has to pay off
that big debt, which it is doing
right now, and it has to pay the
interest on it right along. It
also has a big expense of army,
navy and other costly functions
to pay. As we are all afraid to
pay our tax outright we sugar-
coat it by various round-about
methods and every time it takes
a. new round it adds to the
amount. We put a tax, let us
say, on sales, which congress is
discussing now. The man who
makes the sale at the factory
pays the tax, and he charges
the cost in the goods the dis
tributor buys. He also makes
the pric^ a little higher to cover
the cost of collecting the tax
from the jobber. The jobber
passes it along and he adds his
profit on his goods he adds a
same amount on the tax, for he
does not carry tax and costs
separate. The wholesaler counts
on say five per cent profit on
his sales. He gets five per cent
profit on the taxes also, for he
merely adds his profit on what
his stuff cost him. The mer
chant figures on fifteen to thirty
per cent profit on what he paid,
so by the time the tax reaches
the buyer it has had half dozen
profits added and we who buy
pay the tax and the profits.
Or if the tax is laid on some
thing else it all gets around to
the final buyer, for no one else
will take up the costs and lose
the money. And thus it is that
on everything we buy we are
paying a big added cost because
of taxes. That added cost in
creases every time an addition
al man is added to the chain,
and the only way to stop the in
crease of cost is to stop the col
lection of taxes that way. But
people will not pay direct taxes,
so taxes are laid on every con
ceivable thing that will disguise
the collection. We protest
against the high cost of living,
and go on paying the bills, but
we kick directly and forcefully
at the taxes that we pay the
state and county direct, al
though that is insignificant be
side what we pay in taxes and
collection fees on what we pay
through the indirect methods.
Lots of people have paid more
taxes on soda water than they
have paid on direct collections to
the community tax collector,
but on the soda water never a
protest has gone up. We can
materially reduce our taxes if we
cut down the amount of the use
less things we buy, but if we re
duce those things enough to af
fect the taxes that go to the
government a levy will be put on
something else. If we had the
courage to pay our taxes direct
we would see the cost of living
take a quick tumble, but we
have not the courage to do that.
We insist on paying nothing that
we can see, so we compel the
government to put on us a pile
of taxes that are in effect filched
from our pockets without our
knowledge, and we let it go with
a kick against the high cost of
living.
High cost of living is going
to stay-.with us as long as the
debt of the country calls for
about a billion a year to pay off
the principal and another billion
or more a year to pay the in
terest, and another billion or
more for general government
expense including the tremend
ous cost of army and navy. Some
further adjustments of prices
are yet to come, but we are not
going to see prices where they
were eight years ago until the
war debt is paid off, and it makes
no difference what party is in
power in the government nor in
the state. The people have the
big debt to pay and the interest
on the big debt and it runs for
many years before it is com
pleted. We may think we can
shift our taxes to the rich, or
the rich may think they can
shift the taxes to the poor, but
it can't be done. The burden of
taxation rests on production and
consumption, and the only man
who can dodge his share of taxes
is the man who neither produces
nor consumes, for if he produces
he must pay his taxes in the
expense of production and if he
consumes he must pay his taxes
in the final cost of what he buys.
The rich pass the tax along in
what they produce and sell, and
the poor pass the tax along in
what they produce and sell, and
the rich pay the tax in what
they buy, and the poor pay it in
the same way,, and the distribu
tion is general- But in the long
run the buyer settles the entire
bill, rich man, poor man, beggar
or thief. We can lessen the
taxes we pay by buying less,
and we can lower the cost of
living by buying less, and there
are the only ways we can have
the slightest effect. But if the
people generally do that some
other plan for taxation will be
laid, for we cannot escape paying
the big debt and the big interest
charge, and that means a bur
den of cost no matter where we
turn. It is just as well to un
derstand some of these things.
THE FLOODED
RIVER BOTTOM
Last week the river bottom
between Vass and Lakeview was
about as high with water as it
often gets, but there was this
difference in getting through the
water. In the past every man
depended on his own efforts to
get through. Last week the
state forces had mules at the
river, and cars were towed
through the water by men who
were familiar with the road, and
no charge was made. The mules
pulled one car one way and then
turned and pulled anther the
other way, and thus kept the
traffic moving, and with but lit
tle inconvenience to the people.
It is worth noting that the
present highway system of the
state is working in a way that
makes the state road a factor
of convenience and not simply a
passage way for those to get
through who can get through.
This has been one of the most
trying winters known in this
section for a long time, but the
road department of the state has
kept traffic going forward, and
not only in Moore county, but
in all the state. It has given
the people a new idea of the use
of roads, and a different concep
tion of what they get in return
for the money they are spending
in taxes. If we compare the
present manner of handling the
roads with the method preval
ent here twenty years ago when
every fellow took a shovel and
went out and dawdled a few
hours on the road and called it
road work we can see where we
were a mighty easy suited peo
ple in that time. Now we see
that roads must be built and
handled in a systematic man
ner, and that such a method
makes roads real arteries of
travel instead of just a right of
way.
It is not expected that we will
soon again see such high water
as flooded the river bottom last
week, yet that flood is all the
more argument for the new road
that is to be built, and for the
road to be located on the east
side of the railroad. The water
could not draw off from the road
last week partly because the
vent through the railroad does
not allow it to flow freely, and it
backed up over the road. Had
it been possible for the water to
draw off faster through the rail
road opening it is not believed
so much water would have dam
med back over the highway.
With the highway on the lower
side of the railroad the highway
would not be drowned out by
backwater from the railroad.
Probably before another big
flood comes the new road may
be built and rea,dy for use. But
if it is not it is a satisfaction
to know that the road depart
ment of the state keeps the
roads in shape to get through
even if that getting through
requires supplementary power
on the part of mule teams.
CHEAP EGGS
Eggs are down in price and a
good many are coming into the
markets all over the county.
This may seem to the farmer a
hardship, but it is not costing
very much to produce eggs just
now if it is done intelligently.
The hens forage for a good deal
of their keep, and their feed
should be made as nearly as pos
sible on the farm. The farm
that sells eggs to a profit will
not sell the high priced eggs in
limited numbers and get out on
that basis. The eggs that are
produced at the lowest cost and
sold in the largest numbers will
be the money-makers of the
poultry department.
The town folks and the mill
folks can profit by the price of
eggs when they are low. No
food is better than eggs in liber
al supply, and nothing is cheap
er. We do not eat eggs and milk
enough in North Carolina, and
the appearance of the people
shows it. Communities that eat
liberally of eggs and milk do not
see the girls with drug store
complexions, but with native
color that health gives, and
which beats the powdered and
painted face to the limit. Neither
is there any come-back to an
egg and milk complexion, none
of that ghastly, cracked and sal
low color that follows too long
indulgence in those things the
girls think are necessary to de
corate their faces. Now that
eggs are plentiful they should be
made and kept a frequent ar
ticle of table supply in every
home.
And by the same token the
farm can use eggs in great quan
tities just as profitably as to sell
the eggs. Old Omar Khayyam,
writing once about wine, said
that, ‘‘I often wonder what the
vinters buy, one-half so preci
ous as the stuff they sell.” The
expression might be applied to
eggs. If the people of North
Carolina would make use of eggs
on the table, in cooking, in pies,
puddings, etc., like the people of
some sections do, we would not
have to worry so much about
paying store bills for other eata
bles that are not so useful. One
day a right prosperous farmer
said to The Pilot, “I live at home,
and in doing that I live. I raise
on my farm stuff to eat, and
don't think I eat at the second
table. I feed my family on the
best we make, and if any is left
that is what I sell, but I feed
my family first.” The man who
does that does not need to sell
as much as the man who sells to
pay a grocery bill.
PERSONALS AND
If they cut out the standinj^ army
too much it may become too weak to
stand.
Some motorists seem to think the
roads in this section are a fine place
to run across people.
Princess
SOUTHERN PINES, N. C.
Thursday, March 16th.
NORMA TALMADGE
in a Drama of Thrills and Mystery
DE LUXE ANNIE
Saturday, March 18th-
EUGENE O’BRIEN
—in—
THE PROPBET’S PARADISE
An Adventure Story of the Orient
Tuesday, March 21st.
CLARA KIMBALL YOUNG
—in
EYES OF YOUTH
TWO PERFORMANCES~-Commenoiii(
at 7.30 and 9.00 p.m.
Southland Orchestra
Admission :^^rcKestra, 30c. Balcony,
45cw Children, 15c. Plus war tax.
Mr. T. J. Brooks, of
passed the week-end in
Mr. W. F. Thompson
week-end at his home in Ti
Mr. A. M. Cameron spc
of last week in Charlotte.
Miss Bertha Cameron cl
from Oak Level for the
Mr. J. C. Thompson, of
in Vass last Monday.
Mr. Stacy Brewer was in|
last Tuesday.
Have you been into the!
store yet*?
Mr. R. L. Burns, of Car]
in Vass on Tuesday.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. SU
on March 9th—a daughtei
Mr. Reid W. Pleasants, oi
was a caller at The
Wednesday.
Mrs. Anna Gschwind and|
Gschwind went to Sanfor(
day.
Mr. J. B. Muse has movej
ly from is home on Cam<
one to Mr. W. T. Cox’s plj
Miss Flora McQueen wa|
at the Vass graded schooj
day.
Dr. and Mrs. Earl Hunt(
ford, visited at the home
sie Thompson Sunday afi
Mr. D. C. McGill came
Wendell last Friday for a
home folks.
Messrs. W. B. Graham
Brewer made a trip to Goh
week.
Mrs. J. M. Tyson and
John McLeod, visited r<
Raleigh last week.
Mr. W. B. Graham retui
day night from a trip to sj
lina.
Mr. H. R. Ihrie, receii
Vass Milling Co., sold thj
property of the company oj
Mrs. Annie Fry, of Cartl
ed Mrs. Stacy Brewer the
week.
McKeithen & Company
a warehouse built on the
rear of their store.
Prof. A. B. Cameron an]
shaw were in Vass Wedm
Kershaw made an interest!
the graded school in the aj
Mr. Theo Berg, a mem]
Peoples^ Realty and Insurj
Aberdeen, was a visitor ii
terday.
If you don’t make a
reading our ads, begin no^
much new information in
week.
Mr. G. E. Brewer, of
was in Vass last Monday,
er is a candidate for the
of register of deeds in the
primary this year.
Mr. L. Weber, of New
has been visiting relatively
Wednesday for Reidsville|
nied by his mother, Mrs. H(
who will return to New
him.