VOLUME
THE
PILOT
NUMBER
21
Is a Paper Devoted to the Upbuilding of the Sandhill Territory of North Carolina
Address all communications to .
the pilot printing company. VASS. N. C.
ADDITOR’S story
OF NOORE COUNTY
Examination of County Affairs
Throws Light on Business
Situation
The 'ounty commissioners have re
ceived from the public accountants
who liave done the work a copy of an
audit of the affairs of Moore county
up to November 30, 1923. The work
is complete and from the first time
perhaps since the county was organ
ized it possible to tell its exact busi
ness (ondition. In a general way af
fairs are in right fair shape, but the
auditoi’s report indicates that a se
rious lack of system has prevailed,
a condition that has been common in
most of the counties and which results
from continuing to carry on a big
business as county affairs were han
dled when the county was a little busi
ness.
From the report supplemented from
some fiarures of the county auditor it
appears that Moore county is collect
ing and is spending in the neighbor
hood of $340,000 a year, which is
equivalent to more than a thousand
dollars a day for every working day.
This is a big amount of business to
handle, and especially to handle with
no more compact or systematic or
ganization than the State of North
Carolina has provided for county gov
ernment. To carry on this vast busi
ness three commissioners are elected,
and they are expected to transact
their business at twelve meetings of
one day each, being the first Monday
of each month throughout the year.
These three men carry on the bulk of
the business of the county. The other
officers handle the business of their
departments, but even the school board
and the highway commission meet a
limited number of times in a year.
For doing the work of the county
some of these men get a few dollars
for their yearly salary, some of them
nothing.
The assessed value of Moore coun
ty for this year will run about twenty-
four million dollars. The taxes laid
against this appear to average about
a dollar and forty cents on hundred
dollars of valuation. The money re
ceived is divided into separate funds.
The county general fund spent last
year up to November 30 was $42,584.
This includes the court, and jail, the
poor, farm demonstration and things
of that character. Road construction
costs S31,870. Upkeep of roads
$27,564. Other road expenses brought
the total of highway expenditures to
$78,421. Interest on road bonds ac
counted for another fifteen thousand.
To carry on the schools cost $120,000.
New building took about $57,000.
The report indicates that in some
departments the county has been go
ing ahead of its receipts, which has re
quired the borrowing of some money
on short term notes and some money it
owed on current indebtedness beside
the outstanding bonds. The audit has
shown the relation that exists between
the various departments and from
now on the accounts of all depart
ments will be kept separate. It has
^een claimed in the past that some
confusion has arisen by the transfer
of funds from one department to the
other. In a statement of the assets
and liabilities of the county it is
shown that the debt when the audit
was closed November 30 was $622,-
465. Ajrainst this the county owns
property in its court house, jail, home
^nd farm, school houses, roads, bridg
es and so forth, valued at $1,117,600.
IS shows nearly half a million dol-
rf u Property more than the total
^ The bonded debt seems to me
^^^od shape, with provision for a
sinking^ fund each year to take care
Of the debt as it matures. The in-
® ted ness of the county seems to
been wisely handled and appar-
y it will be taken care of without
burden to the people as fast as it
jnatures. The report of the auditors
not been in the iiands of the com-
^issioTiers long enough yet for them
® ave taken much action on it, but
McLauchlin, who is a member of
the board, says that at the next meet
ing It will be propably taken up and
the recommendations carried out. He
is gratified with the results of the
audit of the county arfairs and says
that with the establishment of the
new county auditor Moore county
will now go forward on a strictly sys
tematic and business basis.
The new system which has been in
troduced has been attracting attention,
and a short time ago seme visitors
who were studying methods of county
government and financing visited Car
thage and reported that Moore had
one of the best organiriations that
had been seen.
FOUR MILLION POUNDS OF
TOBACCO SOLD IN MOORE
Mr. Simpson, of the Vass Co-opera
tive warehouse, says that above four
million pounds of tobacco was sold in
Moore county of the crop of 1923. He
is looking for the Vass warehouse to
increase its sales in 1924 from three
quarters of a million to a full million.
Some of the leaf sold in the county
was from other counties, but this is
offset by tobacco that was sent out to
be sold at other markets. The season
was a prosperous one to the tobacco
farmers.
R. W. BEADLE TALKING
WATERWORKS IN VASS
R. W. Beadle, of Brockway ville,
Pa., and some other Pennsylvania and
New York men, were in Vass this
week talking a little with the people
about putting in a water system. An
appointment will be made in a day or
two for the leaders of the village af
fairs to go over the situation thor
oughly with Mr. Beadle, who is much
impressed with the progress the town
is making. He will be at Southern
Pines next week or longer.
JDIKiE NcCONNELL
WRITES EDITOR
Thinks North Carolina Is Wast
ing Time In Permitting Men
To Think
To the Editor: I notice from the pa
pers that the legislature of the State
of North Carolina, resenting the im
putation of scientific enthusiasts that
we are distantly related to the mem
bers of the monkey tribe and an im
provement of them, has forbidden the
further study of the question in the
public schools.
I have heard it intimated that the
monkeys themselves are also quite
offended with the suggestion of the
scientists, and point with pride to the
fact that they never have found it
necessary, in the management of their
affairs, to wage war, build prisons or
enact a prohibition law.
I heard a man remark the other day
that he had always been skeptical re
garding the Darwinian theory until he
read of the action of the North Caro
lina legislature.
A friend of mine was saying yes
terday, that he presumed Gallileo
must be happy to know that he was
comfortably dead and had never been
a resident of the State of North Caro
lina.
I think all these remarks were made
by men of bad tempers and limited
vision.
I am personally inclined to believe
that this action of your legislature is
decidely to the advantage of your citi
zens and may lead the way to a new
kind of leisure.
What is the use of thinking, study
and investigation ? They all take time
and lead many strong and healthy
men away from trade, manufacture
and agriculture.
A limited body of men selected by
suffrage (universal preferably) should
be appointed to do all this brain work
for us.
Why should the church be broken
into schisms? There must be one
right schism and that could be de
termined by the legislature.
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FMDAY, APRIL 11,1924
NcKEITHEN SAYS
SEE UITER NOORE
Road Commissioner Advises Peo
ple to Drive More into the
River Townships
Edwin McKeithan, a member of the
county highway commission, who last
week made a journey over the roads
of the upper end of the county, .s.iys
that the people of Moore, and espe
cially the visitors who are south for
an enjoyable winter outing, miss a
great opportunity in not taking ad
vantage of the good roads to see the
picturesque scenery and the rural at
traction of the townships in tlie Deep
river district. He said to the Pih»t,
in telling of his racent visit to the
roads of the clay section:
“The roads up that way now are
in good condition, and probably v/ill
be for years to come. They have been
rebuilt, and properly located, and it
is a delight to travel over these fine
highways, and particularly through
the unusual territory that the new
roads open. You can start out by way-
of Carthage and skirt the entire Deep
river area from the Horseshoe coun
try clear over to Biscoe and Star,
varying the journey into many cross
roads and connecting route;^, and ev
ery mile of the trip is one of a suc
cession of points of real interest. One
of the striking things is the change
from the more level country of the
south side of the county lo the hills of
the clay belt. The hill country affords
a variety in the geology of the county,
the rocks up that way showing the
violent agitation that has character
ized the past, and giving to the
amateur geologist a fine chance to
note the uncovered basic rocks of the
continent. Some of the oldest rocks
of the earth are exposed to view on
the hills that fiank the Deep river,
rocks that in the north are covered by
a thickness of two or three miles of
more recent formation. In the plateau
that has been formed in days long
gone, the '.treams have cut deep val
leys, and these valleys are as sharply
in contrast with the hills as in any
part of the United States, although
the hills are not so high and the can
yons not so deep. But they are l>igh
enough and deep enough for all the
romantic effect necessary.
“Then,” said Mr. McKeithan, “so
many unexpected things meet the
traveler at every turn of the road.
The talc mines at Glendon and near
Hemp are worth a drive if nothing
else along the road contributed to the
pleasure of the journey. The impres
sive white walls of the mines are dif
ferent from any other underground
workins any place. The pottery plant
is another novelty. The possibilities
of that institution are great, for the
clay is amenable to a variety of forms
of treatment. The pottery made is a
novelty and a lot of it is taken away
by visitors who are pleased with its
quaintness. The bits of forest, and
especially the pictures in the valleys
by the little streams and the more ex
tensive stretches of valley road on the
bigger streams ought to be better
known.
“I would like to see a movement
started,” continued the speaker, “to
get the winter visitors out into the
upper end of the county in larger
numbers. If the automobile drivers
and the car owners could know
more about what awaits their patrons
in that section, a concerted effort
would be made to annex the upper
end of the county as a feature in the
winter entertainments of the Sand
hills. There is not a mile of all the
extent of roads in that part of the
county that has a sign of monotony.
Everything is new and different and
interesting from its own particular
point of view. A dozen different
routes can be laid out for a day's out
ing up that way, and each one will be
different from the other. The trav
eler can start from Southern Pines,
for instance, and go up by Aberdeen
and Drowning creek, by Jackson
Springs, by Pinehurst, by Eastwood,
by Carthage, by Vass, or Cameron,
and vary outward route as completely
as possible, coming home by as many
different routes. A road map of the
county will show all the possible com
binations of roads, and a thousand
miles of travel is possible without
hardly striking the same piece of road
twice. All over the county of Moore
roads are available from one point to
another, and in many cases three or
four roads are offered as a choice. The
upper end of the county is one of the
biggest assets the Sandhill country
has to offer either the resident or the
visitor, and if we could get the people
to realize this, it would be of great
benefit to everybody.”
Mr. McKeithan’s statement is re
ferred to the hotels, the automobile
men, and the chambers of commerce
of the community.
RECOMMENDS SANDHILL
POWER CO. STOCK
At the meeting of the Kiwanis club
for their Wednesday dinner, Mr. Tuck-
erman of Pinehurst talked about op
portunities for safe and sound invest
ment in this section, and particularly
emphasized the value of local indus
tries and people, and on a permanent
footing with its future assured by
the growth of the communities it
cares for. Mr. Tuckerman told his
hearers that investments of this
character are helps toward thrift on
the part of the stockholders, who
saves the money when invested, and
important help in developing the
community.
TOBACCO CO-OPS
START ELECTIONS
Discuss New Credit Plan for
Association Members; Win
in S. C. Court.
The future of the Tobacco Growers'
Co-operative Association passed into
the hands of its members last Satur
day when organized tobacco farmers
from 130 counties met at their court
houses in the Carolinas and Virginia,
and nominated the electoral delegates
whose final selection will be deter
mined by the ballots mailed to 95,000
members of the marketing association.
The organized tobacco farmers took
active control of their election
throughout the three states covered
by the marketing association, turning
out in great crowds at many of the
large markets. The meetings in
South Carolina took on the nature of
a celebration at several points, and
resolutions of confidence in the tobac
co association and its management
passed, according to reports reaching
Raleigh headquarters where the se
lection of hundreds of electoral dele
gates by the members had been re
corded.
Thousands of Virginia growers at
tended the mass meetings in the
court houses of Campbell, Charlotte,
Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Henry and
Brunswick counties April 5th, where
they nominated their electoral dele
gates, and learned of the new plan of
credit by which members of the as
sociation will be assisted in raising
their 1924 crop of tobacco. Oliver J.
Sands, executive manager of the to
bacco association; T. C. Watkins, Jr.,
its manager of warehouses; treasurer
James H. Craig, and several of its di
rectors, addressed the.^e meetings.
Contract breakers who faiied to de
liver their tobacco to the co-operative
warehouses in accordance w'ith an or
der of the court at Florence, S. C.,
were given the choice of a fifty dcllar
fine or fifteen days in jail by Judge
S. W. Shipp at Florence. These oases
follow the sentence of $250 fine or
thirty days in jail, recently imposed
upon C. C. Rogers of Marion by Judge
John S. Wilson, in the court of general
sessions there for contempt of court
in failing to appear when summoned
for breach of contract with the To
bacco Growers* Co-operative Associa
tion.
Members of the associati >a in South
Carolina are reported as delighted
with the distribution of more than a
million and a half of dollars made
last week.
SUBSCRIPTION $2.00
NOORE ISFOURTH
AT RALEIGH FAR
County Carries oflf More Pre
miums Than its Neighbors
and Vass Fares Well.
When the state fairs are held at
Raleigh the Sandhill country is al
ways in evidence. A letter from the
management of the fair says:
“It will be of interest to your
readers to know what your people are
doing to boost their county by mak
ing exhibits at the State Fair and at
the same time boosting their state as
well as the State Fair.
“Seventy-three of the one hundred
counties of the state participated in
the d'stribution of $10,928.75 which
was paid in premiums to residents of
North Carolina, ranging in amounts
to the various counties of from $1.00
to $1,795.50.”
It will be noticed from the state
ment that accompanied the letter that
the premiums were well distributed
over the county. The following is the
list of the individual winners:
Gertrude and John Williams, Car
thage, club work, $5.00.
Deaton Nurseries, Vass, agrricul-
ture, $3.00.
Sandhill High School, Vass, vo
cational-agriculture, $32.00.
Garrett Dawson, Vass, vocational
agriculture, $9.00.
Frank Kelly, Vass, vocational agri-
tulture, $9.00.
Pinehurst Farm, Pinehurst, swine
and cattle, $535.00.
William Chapel, Jackson Springs,
Boys and Girls club, $17.50.
Miss Floria Morrison, Eagle
Springs, club poultry, $2.00.
Mrs. W. Warner, Carthage, house
furnishings, $2.50.
The total amounted to $615.00.
Alexander $ 26.00
Avery 3.00
Alleghany 84.00
Anson 67.75
Alamance 250.75
Buncombe 594.50
Beaufort 83.00
Burke 2.00
Columbus 574.00
Craven 274.00
Cleveland 42.00
Chatham 13.75
Cumberland 78.50
Catawba 843.00
Currituck 4.00
Caldwell 10.00
Caswell 5.00
Durham 227.00
Davidson 10.00
Duplin 83.00
Dare 2.00
Davie 4.00
Edgecombe 88.50
Franklin 48.25
Forsyth 583.25
Greene 131.00
Gaston 39.50
Granville 126.00
Giulford 1199.75
Hoke 13.00
Halifax 21.00
Harnett 104.75
Hertford 28.00
Haywood 6.00
Iredell 63.50
Jackson 14.00
Johnston 102.00
Lincoln 6.00
Lee 65.75
Lenoir 10.50
Montgomery 74.00
Moore 615.00
Martin 77.00
North Hampton 24.75
New Hanover 74.00
Nash 21.00
Orange 28.50
Pamlico 14.50
Polk 69.50
Pasquotank 24.00
Person 185.00
Perquimans 2.00
Robeson 36.00
Rockingham 5.00
Rowan 300.50
Richmond 33.00
Randolph 130.00
Rutherford 25.00
Surry 308.00
Sampson 26.00
(Continued on page 8)