North Carolina Newspapers

THE ENTERPRISE ALrmO k , ■MTOR * PROPRIETOR. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION: $i .00 Per Year. Strictly in Advance VOL. IV. - NO. 16. GOVERNOR S MESSAGE % Goyernor Ajxock's annual mes sage to the General Assembly was read in both branches of that body Wednesday, the 7th inst.. and the reading was followed with deep in terst It is an unusually strong State document, dealing with many momentous issues. The message in part follows: The Honorable, the General As se in Lily: I welcome yon with much pleas nre to the capital of the State. With the beginning of your labors my own are appreciably lessened. You come to your work fresh from the people with a knowledge of their wishes and with a sincere desire to meet their just expectations and di , ninnds. The year just passed has been one of great prosjjerity to the people of the state. Farmers have produced good crops and received reasonable prices for them. Indus tries have increased and manufact urers have been kept busy. Labor has had steady emplo> ment at fair wages and the State has probably never en joyed a period of more gen eral success. The State govern ment, liowever, has been embarras sed by a want of sufficient revenue to meet the appropriations provided for by the last General Assembly It will be one of your first duties to devise means bv which the expendi ture* of the State will come within the revenue. lam of the opinion that the Revenue Latv now in force nndcr the new assessments which will be made next June will supply all the demands for current expeu ses. The Revenue and Machiuerx Acts of the last Legislature were uiuch criticised at the time of th.ir passage, but experience has shown that with a few modifications they are perhaps as good good as con be mude under our Constitution. The adjustment of taxation so tint the burden shall fall equally upon all and in proportion to the ability to pay is one of extreme difficulty;, if. indeed it is not altogether impossible There lias been much complaint of the inequality of assessments ill our State. Farmers and raerchautscom pluiu that the corporatious do uot pay their pro]>cr part of the taxes foi the suppoi t of the government, while" some of the corporations in sist that they are taxed in excess of the taxes levied upon other prope - ty. The laws now in the statute books provide for equality of assess ment but by equality of assessment it is not understood that th »>c who have scoured franchises from the State and thereby enjoy special pi ivileges should be exempt from payment of taxes on the value of the franchises and privileges which they enjoy. Mr. Justice Miller, in a case before the Supreme Court of the United States, declared that "it has been a desideratum, perhaps not yet fully attained, to find a method of taxing this species of prO|A.rty which will be at the saou tline just 10 ilie owucii of it, eq.ial and lair in its relations to t ixcs on QtlAu property, and which will en force the just contribution that such property should p.tv tortile benedts Wuicli were uiore luan pi opt rty efaiij, ii rcceiyea at the u*nus of £uVCI UUM-Ut." The law now on our stat'ite hooks for the taxation ot rauroaus follow sj tjie hue of this decismr). fiptt law j pr-ovt.ics 1 lie method of ascertaining the value oi the property of rn Uuaus, a..a me uKtuoi provided •txtas to be lair auu just. Tui» law 1 the advantage ot haviog been I panned upon by the Supieinc i 01 the Uuitid Slates. Much of the: l Value of coiporatiuns is intangible l and no tax u.w which ignores ihia iulal.j4.Llc p.opeity is just to the OAUersof tangible -property asseas at its true value, ahe law now iu force recognizes this {act and pro rs:' vides for the assessment of this in taugiLle property and lays duwn rules by «hieh it cau be doue with accuracy. These rules • proceed upon the idea that "what-'' ever property is worth for the pur I poses of income and sok it is slk> . wpith k>r taxapon " 1 4einaiaU wore than tfeis and no': : lair-uindcd man can justify any-1] There is much property other; than railroad property undervalued for taxation. When the law says that property shall be assessed at its value in money auy system or rule of assessing it at less than its true valueonght to beabandoned. Obed ience to the law by these charged with its execution is essential to the maintenance of good government, bv oliedience in matters of assess ment of all property a mule reveuue will come to the State for every legit-1 imate purpose,and those who area!-, ready paying upon full value will. enjoy that equality which by right belongs to every citizen in bearing! the brrdeus of government. The Machinery Act passed by the laat Legislature makes ample provision for securing this end. 1. therefore, recommend that both the Revenue and Machinery Acts now constitut ing our law in reference to taxation shall remain as they are with the modifications recommended by the Treasurer and Auditor. Much time is consumed by each Legislature in passing a new Revenue and Machin ery Act. Before the people become accustomed to the new law another is enacted, creating constant un easiness, misapprehension, and crit icism. The officers and people alike liegin now to clearly understand the present law. It is wise, therefore, as a matter of economy of time to the Legislature and tor the benefit of taxpayers to make few changes ; n the existing law. THE SOUTH DAKOTA SUIT. The Governor says: The princi ple involved, is of serious import ance, not only to this, but to all of the States of the Union, and it the suit cau be maintained it will be a dangerous departure and one ser iously infringing upon the sover eignty of the States. I have em ployed counsel for the State who ill conjunction with our able Attorney General are representing. DEPARTMENT OF STATE. The report of the Secretary of State is a very valuable document and I commend the recommenda tions contained therein to your most careful consideration. It appear* from that report that grants were issued during the two years ending December 1, 1902, to the number of seven.hundred and thirty-two, for which the State received $6,911 ,- 22 at \2% cents per acre It is doubtful if the State owns any land subject to grant aud many of these grants are taken out for the pur|x>se of clearing the title of the true owner and in order to force a 1 payment of money by him to the person taking out the grant Un- j der the law as it now stands the Secretary of State is compelled to issue the grant even though he is I certain that the State owns no land covered by the grant. Th's ought 1 to be changed and certainly th -re can be no reason off.red for the sale | of land if owned by the State for 'e« than fifty cents an acre. I rec ommend that qll vacant lauds be longing to the State be transferred i to the State Board of Education to j 'ie sold for the highess price obtain-1 able, but in no case for les« titan 53 j cents an acre, the sale to he approv- I ed bv the St*te B >ird of Edue?lit u before the grant is issued. UwLr the law as it now stands, the o3Le of Enrolling Clerk h.is I been abolished aiiJ the Set. eiarj of 1 iSi*te is clfnrged with the snpervt's*' I ion of the enrollment of bills. The' j Act proviUco for the eui|>l->>iiieut ! o f only one w-istant together with such cobyi«ts as may be needed. It j lis impossiolc for the wor'c to be I | dime by the Secretary ot State with-1 out more than one assistant. I su^-1 gest that the law be so amended as, to allow hi 111 to employ all needed 1 assistants and copyists. He wil n>t employ more than are necessary. The work done by the Secretary of State in the past is a guarantee thit any additional duty devolved upon him will be done, and Well done, at the very lowest possible cost to the j State. This fact is made patent when we learn that the general in dex of grants in his office has been brought up tra oast to the 8t Ite. The Statti tor several years |mc has been com. pelk-d to rent storage room for doc uments, records, manuscripts and ffljf (fettrpist WILLIAMSTON, N. C, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16,1903 : other papers of much value. Dur ing this year for unsuitable aud in- , convenient rooms for this purpose the State has paid $444 and for in surance on the Supreme Court re- ' ports stored therein $447.75, mak- , ing an outlay of $891.75. The cost the previous year for the same was $904. We are, therefore, paying annunlly interest on a sura of mon ey which would be adequate for , building a suitable hall of records, j The State owns a lot 011 the north. , west corner of Salisbury and Mor , gan streets, S?X by too feet and I recommend that au appropriation ! be made for building thereon a sub stantial three storv, fire proof build ing at a coot to he limited by the Act. If such building isconstructed the office for the Commissioner of Laltor aud Printing and for the Ad jutant General should be transfer red to that building. The State Library now needs the room occu pied bv the Commissioner of Labor aud Printing. Under our election law provision is made for the certification by the Clerks of the Superior Courts to the Secretajy of State of the per manent roll o(Registered .voters, and it requires mis roll to be copied alphabetically by townships in the Secretary of State's office. The Secretary of State in sending out 1 books and blanks to the Clerks of the Superior Courts for the list of registered voters had the books ar ranged by townships and the certi fied lists returned to him are ar ranged alphabetically by townships in each county. It would seem to be unnecessary to require these list to be copied in Secretary of State's office. To copy them would f.ost be. tween $1,500 and $2,000. I recom mend, therefore, that the law be so amended as to make the certified list now in the Secretary of State's office tie permanent roll of regis tered voters without requiring the same to be copied. I concur in the other recommendations made by r Secretary of State. T.HE STATE TREASURY DE PARTMENT. The report of the State Treasur er accompanying the document will g've you full information as to the condition of the Treasury; its re ceipts and disbursements. Soon af ter the present Treasurer came into office he discovered that the institu tional clerk of his predecessor was e'tnbezzling the funds of the State. The last General /s «entbly appointed a committee to J make a thorough investigation. ) This committee ascertained that I tneamount embezzled wassi6,o6n. JO4 under Mr Worth's sudiuinistra :tion, £374,84 under Mr. Lacy's. To be more explicit $1,249.52 was I; taken after January 15 1901, but to 'balance the lk*af and Dumb Insti- I tution's account. Mr. Martin dc- I posited $759.03 of that money to I the credit of that institution. He aho paid prison * arrants out of the same 111 >uey, to the amount of I £lls 65. This shows that Mr iWcith should pay $16,060.04, and Mr/> Lncv $374.84 Mr Worth has I made good the full amount of the defalcation under his administra- I tif>n The present Treasurer was | iMith by' cnst«m and necessity led | ' to k-ep the old clerks until the new 'jclerks under him could lie trained. He was in no way to blame for the J («wilieii He auuwui Mul eoulu he. joy auy luitssight and care have pro- I v-wtiJ it. Liducd hi» watchfttlunal I w..» so thorough that he detected) ii imiijcd ..tjy after it occurred.and j thereby saved to the State the sum which heretofore hud been taken. In v'cw of tli's fiict it apj-ears to Ime that Mr. Lacv should be re I lieved from tHe rinvnient of the sun; | V" 1 takeu during his term.of office. STATE AUDITOR'S DEPART MENT. The reports of the Auditor for the State accompanyinv this docu -1 ment furnishing complete infor | mation as to the sources of our rev enue, the purpose for which collect ed and the amount anJ purpose of the expenditures, together with the recommendations which appear to him ot be wise after his experience lu bis olFcj I commend his re port* to your most careful consider ation. I, concur in the Auditor's ■ , ■ i . - The Business That Does Not Talk Is as Tight as Open tlio Shell and it in Delicious. Hare you ever triel it? Try opening your business so People will know about it. Now is the time ' THE ENTERPRISE. Will open your Business Shell and bring Satisfactory Results. If you are not satisfied, bring your troubles to THE ENTERPRISE JT WILL PUSH YOUR DUSINESS FOR 1903^ recommendations. T!IK BOARD OF AGRICUL TURE. This Board has done excellent work during ihe past two yrats ex tending the scope of it* usefulness as the mjni'i of the State manifest themselves. I transmit herewith the rejiort of tlie Commissioner of Ag riculture ami xtniniend tile same to your careful consideration. I con cur in the recommendation, therein made. THE CORPORATION COMMIS SION. This Commission is doing work of far-more value to the State than is generally understood and its bene ficial results would be greatly en larged if the people in the State 1111- derftt od that all complaints made to the Commission in reference to any matter in regard to transpor , tation whether of persons or of property will receive a prompt and , careful investigation If those who are disposed to complain about Corporation Commission would complain to it much good would be done. During the past year the passenger rate was made the same on the branch lines of the South ern. Atlantic Coast Line and the Seal>oard Air Line Railroads as theretofore existed on the main lines., Tnis reduction in itself ..mounts to a considerable sum to the travelling public. The reports accompanying this message set out in detail the work of the Commis sson for the past two years. THE PENITENTIARY. It is gratifying to be able to re port to your Honorable Body that' the Pemleutiary is self-sustaining and will need no appropriation. Dy reference to the report of the Board iof Directors it will be found that I when they took charge of that in stitution there was on hand the sum of #33,877 80 with outstanding debts amounting to #33,262.69. Their report shows in baud as cf t!'e hist of January of this year #23.994.23.111 addition to the money on hand the Penitentiary has avail-1 i able as-ets in the form of surplus crops which wi'l hereafter be sold amounting to $16,005.36. Some years ago the authorities of the Pen itentiary leased a considerable body of land in Anson county which they worked at an annual loms in additiou to the rents which the State was : paying for the leased property. Finding this to be the experience of 1 all the different managers of the ! Penitentiary the Board of Directors I compromised with the owners 1 of the property by surrendering the ; lands ty them and paying the own- i ers $2,587.72, This suai has been I paid. In addition to this expendi- I ture the State's prison has paid out i of its earnings $1,216.61 for tne 1 capiuie oi escaped convicts, an tx- j 1 ' pnditure which under the immedi j 1 atclv preceding administration was paid out of the general fund. Early in the spring of .'9Ol a great freshet in the Roanoke river swept away the dikes which proiected the State farm aud caused damage to the amount of ,000. During I the summer, this dike was replaced but was subsequently swept away by another freshet. Notwithstand ing the loss incident to this freshet th- directors by moot careful man agement have been able to show a balance in their favor. It is their purpose the coining >ear to recon struct tin dike, but at a greater d.stance from the river so as to give the water larger room and lessen the pressure upon the dike. At present the dangerous insane are under the management of the Penitentiary. Insane people.wheth er dangerous or otherwise ought not to be kept in the Penitentiary, but sepcrate provisionought to be made for them. If the dangerous insane department is to remain under the manage the State's prison an appropriation of $5,000 a year f will be required for its snpport.and there ought to be an additional ap propriation of SI,OOO for the im provement of the .system of heating SALE AND MANUFACTURE; OF LiyiTOß. For many years the Legislature of this State has step by step nar rowed the limits in which liquor could lie sold and manufactured un- 1 til at the present time this business] cannot be carried on in half of the counties of the State, while more than two-thirds of the counties have either by county or legislative ac tion restricted the sale to incorpor ated towns. No good reason L> ap parent why the Legislature should not in all the counties apply tlie re strution which exists iu more than two-tliirds of them. This should be done for the reason that in the J Country there is no police supervis ion of the Lusiuess. Those W'IQ live in the country have no protect tioii from the evil mtults growing out of Ihe manufacture and the sale of liquor. 11l many pl iceo the law lessness due to this business has 'ui iveu good people who preferred to live on their larms into towns for 1 safety. I recommend, therefore, « that a general law be passed prohib 1 iting the manufacture and sale of s liquor throughout tlie State save in > incorporated towns. The mar.u- facture of liquor even in incorpora- ted towns should be subject to the ; same restrictions that now apply to. | the st»le. If your honorable body 1 should pass this la* I believe that 1 jou would see good result from it ( in the near future and your action « would meet with the approval of the 1 best citizens of the State. In pass- c ing a statute on this subject cars I should tie taken to avq-d restoring f the manufacture and sale of liquor.» where it i* uow prohibited by V*wr, I THE ENTERPRISE RATES OF ADVERTISING : ~|||l—i UK ia-cttioa 75 Cent*. • " *• (uo tnacltiona >lls - « amc month M"- " " three moi.lba ..... ~ « " $7-m - - tnln " lu.oo. Par tant®* 1 •dTCTtttcnu-nU Liberal Contracts will ht mailt! Striugrnt provisions should be] made to prevent tlie operation of' blockade stills. The State should! no longer depend u|>on th; Federal Government to suppress this evil business. STATE INDEBTEDNESS. . The total deficit in the treasury of the State on the first of Deo-m --ber, 1902. amounted to £319.409,- 41, It is regretable", of course, that this indebtedness should have cmie aliout, but the State has had full value for it. The appropria tion > made by the the last General Assembly exceeded the estimated income and even where the appro priations were paid it was found by most of the institutions of the State, on account of their increase*l attendance and by reason of unfor seen accidents that they could not conduct their business upon the ap propriations made. There is in al most every institution a deficit for maintenance due not only to in creased attendance, but to the high er prices paid for all articles con sumed. The cost of living has in ! creased in every private family and the State has felt the efTect of the high prices quite as much as tin individual. Our assessments of J property were made liefore the high prices and at a time when bus iuess and agriculture were much depressed. Hence the revenue fell far short of the amount anticipa . ted by the last General Assembly. I In consequence of these f?cts it be came certain early in la*t year that • the appropriation could not be met. Upon this being made to appear I called the Council of State in con sultation and upon their advice I invited many prominent, rcsponsi | ble, and wise men from different sections of the State to meet with me and the Council of State in my oflfice fur consultation. After view ing the situation from all possible standpoints it was* finally determin- cd tlist we should borrow for the'i State the sum of two hundred! thousand dollars. Either oue of, three courses might have been 1 pursued. First, withhold the ap- j 1 propriations for the enlargement of, tne asylum and refuse to pay tLei one hundaed thousand ($100,000), 1 dollars appropriated for bringing the public sciio >ls up to the coit stitutional requirement of four ■ months in each district. Second, call the legislature together in spe cial session and let it tjke the re sponsibility of repealing the appro priations or making provision for meeting them- Third: pty the ap propriations and issue bonds at six cent for fifty years with which to meet the interest on the public debt. It did n it seem to qi wise hi view of our repeated pledges to the peo ple to provide for the insane and for the education of the children to withhold these appropriations. To CqstinVX» ON SECOND PACE. WHOLE NO. 172 Professional Cards. g)K. JOHN D. BIGGS, DENTIST OFFICE: MAIN STREET. Geo w nkwfll, TTOIiXKY-A T I.A 11". » Ofjcr npsttini in Nrw Fank I uild in*. left hand aade. Tcp of »Upa. "V ii.i.iamston N C. •f-Pradictt wbcrtvrr ara virra are tltrixrC Special alkatioa gir tn to »riiiinf ard aarnk «H| title (or purrt aN it of tiarbci and (inter la i*u Si! Mi 0 A- FOWLER. Kiuger- AMERICAN AND - - - - EUROPEAN PLAN. 18 to 28 Prat Street, . * . . BALTIMORE, MD. Thoroughly Renovated and pat in First-Clars Or«ler. i-iyjrtlr N*lnr«« #y - Kwck) Mount. X t., 1»75 CEO. R. DIXON 1 Practical Sheet Hi-tal Worker. • i f- 3 /; J Tin Roofing, ('iiittfriiii; nti«l Tobacco Pities a Sjwtialy, also 1 in Roifs, I'tmtcd 1 wilt ponittveiy t* on hand AT WILLI AM STON tu furnish the l-'ariiicrs with TOMACCO FI.UES iliiftng tlie Season of i«>3. If you want the Re«t Mnten.il ami the Best W nk, Call on or ul«lre*s GEO. R. DIXON, Rocky Alouni, N. C. vr 1 :t~ h,x ~~fM *| •• — &**■ f ;oi» ««...•• •• *-f ffl ft S«. •• ' *-. d I •~W i, »t ; j i n-■ a it :n yr.l -. (" "v, ji ,'a f ; la t .T-.'.T iW u .1 -"U jjj am irs' C !; .L 'c ;r 9 «s if- tiio Ir'.v' ie I; Ij, i- 'I I .' •. (*tc «s. f r,t. ; j| • Ire- ,4 set tiie -,.u ,v >o >r. S :f i! 'yti'. cd a i'" i.itf . Cl' t!». 1 {"i. rn ,Mj;tßt-r.rv'af!. !:• n 3 j Cr*l Ci .-V-«!.- »•« lIC • ,t«C :•)!>. r j »••«, ris* l.'.ulr v. ,1 . c >'t j f ' ill !» IwtJ wllj W1 ? ' •>!»? i • ful'J.'C f iCu.ie.S. 'i ICe . j ' • j-i.* -.ro.v pj| -V- it ; Is e 1 - I •;w ftui.m -iroj s. ,ve tt--1 ' »• f otiic 1 ori. it '«•, ' n c v »ur g". *nr .f air i •V, t. u, p .riy 'f! i, fn I vi- a *■ j--" . ili. F ■':r. -j.4 E AW.'r*». il •:«>« e * A-~r. !• a... «••'«! -. *• rj X" j it. t'iks, 2ic att. ' J I-'or si!e liy Amlcrson, llasstll &Co .anp Eli (>ur^aHUS. Hefl@l Dyspepsia Cure Digests what you eat^ This i-rcpamt I'm contains all of tba 'ililfPHtaiito and digests alt kinds of 1 fond. IlKirea instant f an;l new ' faiU to cure. 11 allows ynu to cat all ; Um; food jrnu want, Th«' most « nsitlr* i w«>r>arh* cr.n t*' "it. Ity its use thoii-.-md* ot dyspeptic* hive beea I cur-d af'jr everytliinjr else failed, la Uiwwi"u;l«s for the stomach. ChiUV -1 ren w' h w.-ak siomaci . U'rivc on iW ■ First(l isc reli'Te». A.ict ii;n.n cs?arf. | Cares all trooblat i FR?.n .'lonif )qr E. C. liiWitt On. . (lila|» I %ie~ «L ivUit contains 2Vt iLuuc Uio jOc. S. K »ICCS TnAD - MAtnm Oo»fMQHTI Ac. AnvoM iwfiflr4| a iMrli axul tHrrlrUoa nay 7 mu op*nk»n froa »V:b« am hv«r.;ton nar i»My aimitabk f» aamika H'HiaaiXtlffailJ antfaL lUadbook a Psaaii ait *»nl IIMmI mfmcj 'or ■*» »ti , nifc V 4aa*a IJan Uarmarh Mum 3t n uhj a H boat efcaria. U tka Scientific Jlntrtem.' A TiwwiVtf Klui ra'H y. I -rraat