The Enterprise
Published Every Tuesday and Friday by the
ENTERPRISE PUBLISHING CO.
WILLIAMSTON, NORTH CAROLINA
W. C. MANNING |
Editor ? 1908-1938
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One year $2.25
Six months 1.25
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Entered at the post office in WiIliamsTon, "NT
C., as second-class matter under the act of Con
gress of March 3, 1879.
Address all communications to The Enterprise
and not individual members of the firm.
Tuesday, April 19, 1938.
Another Debt Problem
In addition to the problem of raising the
mohey and paying off the national debt, there
is the problem of determining the size of the
debt. Apparently the figures can be manipulat
ed to fit any claim and'be made to support any
contention. The. national debt is not as high as
many try to believe it is, and it is not as low
as some think it is.
There are those who point out that the na
tional debt is so many billions larger than it
was a short time ago. They point out the debt
of the first in a chain of stores and then point
out the debt of a developed chain, forgetting to
point out the increased income of the big chain
over the individual unit.
On August 31, 1919. the per capita net debt in
the United States was $242.57. The total net
debt was $25,470,321,974, these figures repre
senting the amount after deducting cash on
hand and notes of allied nations. In comparison
ti those figures,' others are offered as of the
fifth of this month. On that date the per capi
ta net debt was $213.04, the total net obligations
standing at $27,713,148,354, or just about two
billions more than they were in 1919. \
No body shouted in the Congress that this
?nation"was bankrupted in 1919, but there are
those now who are claiming the country is
busted. Probably what they are worried about
is the blow directed against usury tactics em
ployed by Wall Street banking syndicates for
so many years in conducting the financial af
fairs of this country. In their efforts to restore
the old system, they harp upon the national
debt;, they talk about restoring confidence
when they actually want the financial lash Re
stored to the private financiers with an extra
coating of sugar in the form of higher interest
rates on it.
debt is not the size of the debt; it is our attitude
toward that debt. We recognize the debt only
as meat for argument in directing attacks
against an economic program that is fair and
just to the borrower as well as to the lender.
But when it comes to paying taxes to retire the
debt, we balk,.lust as the individual ignores his
own debts, we, as a nation, are trying to evade
the national obligation.
Moral Breakdown
The adversity suffered from breakdowns in
our economic system in years gone by has
caused great concern, but in some way the or
der gained its equilibrium and the nation con
tinued its march of progress. A more serious
situation than that resulting from an economic
relapse is now facing this State and nation in
the form of a breakdown of morals. The atti
tude of the shiftless has threatened recovery
under the helping hand of government agen
cies, and now right here in our own state a far
more serious problem arises to thwart the ef
forts of educational leaders and darken the
outlook for society in general.
The report that there are 25,000 cases of so
cial diseases in State schools points to one of
the greatest dangers ever faced by organized
society in this State. The presence of so many
cases of the disease marks the weakening of the
social fibre to the extent that it is apparent that
the moral reserve will within a few years be
too weak to pull us out of the ruts.
If society will save itself it must recognize
the startling facts such as those revealed by the
State Board of Health officials recently and
others that appear almost without interruption
in the courts St (his ind other counties week
after weak. Once these facts are considered,
some solution to the problem must be advanc
ed.
The presence of thousands of social disease
cases in the high schools of North Carolina is
not to be charged altogether to the schools; in
fact, the deplorable conditions are traceable to
the homes and parents and to society where a
pattern of fast-living has become accepted as
the smart thing.
i youth of today does not pome? enough
to step at night," a minister
Mid recently. Another who has pleaded - from
the pulpit during the past half century for the
moral and religious uplift of youth points out
that after looking to young men and women for
years to come forward and solve the perplex
ing problems of society, he has now almost
abandoned hope. "Youth is just like a jumping
jack, hopping here and there without stopping
to think about the higher things in life," the
minister continued.
Two Pieces of the Pattern
Hertford County Herald
Production control on the farms, assuring
farmers reasonable prices for products and giv
ing protection against grinding poverty brought
on by cultivation of excessive acreage and
production of unwanted surpluses, is one thing;
but it is not unlikely that many supporters of
the farm program in the South will see Presi
dent Roosevelt's proposals for higher wages
and better hours for wage-earners in this ter
ritory as quite another thing entirely. The one,
however, is as necessary tor enduring prosper
ity in the South as the other. This message and
the determination of the president to carry the
benefits of,recovery to Southern*wage-earners
as well as to the farmers of the nation was voic
ed with Roosevelt's usual directness and bold
ness when he spoke at Gainesville, Ga., a few
(Jays ago at the dedication of Roosevelt Square
in that city in his honor. He said:
"The purchasing power of the millions of
Americans in this whole area is too low. Most
men and women who work for wages in this
whole area get wages which are far too low.
On the present scale of wages and therefore on
the present scale of buying power, the south
can not and will liot succeed in establishing
successful new industries.
"Efficiency in operating industries goes hand
in hand with good pay and the industries of the
south can not compete with industries in other
parts of the country, the north, the middle west
and the far west unless the buying power of
the south makes possible the highest kind of
efficiency."
If we want progress, if we want higher stan
dards of living, if we want better schools,
health, hospitals, highways, and a stimulation
ol business and industry, the way to these is
by increasing the buying power and the effi
ciency of the workers of the south. These things
can be had only by increasing the buying pow
ei of the people, wage-earners as well as far
mers. Greater buyipg power and greater effi
ciency will come only as wages are increased.
Until we accept this fact, the farmer and the
employer, we will be retarding the progress
and prosperity that "we seek. For better prices
for the farmers' products and better pay for
the wage-earner are each but a piece out of the
pattern from which permanent progress for
this section of the county must be cut.
Question of Confidence
Christian Science Monitor
If defeat of the reorganization bill restores
American business confidence there will be
few to mourn it. Such extravagant fears had
been built up concerning the measure's grant
of powers to the President that some elements
of business may now breathe easier. Possibly
nothing but a dramatic congressional revolt
would have convinced many that the Capitol
end of Pennsylvania Avenue is once more dom
inant. For those who fear Mr. Roosevelt as the
fountainhead of reforms which interfere with
their business this may be reassuring.
Many other Americans, less directly con
cerned with business, had been taught to look
upon the reorganization bill as a dangerous
" concentration of power in the Executive. For
then, too, the House of Representative's vote
may inspire new confidence in democratic pro
cesses.
This newspaper from a closer examination of
the reorganization bill than many opponents
gave it has been convinced that fears of it were
exaggerated. We felt-that the probable gains
for efficiency and the certain gain of Federal
employees placed under the merit system war
ranted passage, particularly after the bill had
been amended. And we have not felt that the
country could be helped by a bitter political
struggle at a time when united effort is needed
to overcome the major threat to the nation to
day?depression.
We must express doubts now as to whether
this rejection of presidential leadership will be
the best way of restarting business. Congress
may be both more confused and more extrava
gant than the President. There is every evi
dence that Congress is going to be even more
ready than the White House to try to spend its
way out of depression. And it may in the pro
cess give the Executive more power than anj
reorganization bill.
Under a parliamentary government this de
feat would amount to a no-confidence vote, and
there would be a new government Under the
American system there can be no new govern
ment until 1941. In the circumstances there is
no room for petty political jockeying which
will thwart any united leadership. If Congress
is going to reject presidential leadership it
should find some method for developing clear
cut leadership of its own. Or some better form
of presidential and congressional co-operation
should be worked out There is imperative need
far poaittrs leads whip
Uncle Jim Sags
You can't (row a good corn
crop on a place where the top
soil has been washed away.
Chevrolet Rejwrts
Large March Sales
e
Chevrolet dealers sold 62,639 new
cars and trucks in March, accord
ing to an announcement by Chevro
let motor division officials at De
troit today.
Tliis was 57.2 per cent increase
over the sales total for February
A. feature of the sales total piled
up by Chevrolet dealers in March
was that during the final ten-day!
period 27,606 new cars and trucks
were sold, which constituted 78-8
per cent of the total for the first 20
days of the month, indicating a firm
er market for new units as spring
and sunshine arrived.
The March used car sales of Chev
rolet dealers totaled 130,788 accord
ing to the announcement, an in
crease of 11.9 per cent over the Feb
ruary total of 116,915. This was the
37th consecutive month that Chev
rolet dealers sold in excess of 100,
000 used cars, and gave them a
grand tbtal of used car sales during
the last 37 months of 5,630,886.
PAINTING AND PAPEK HANG
ing Best materials used, work
reasonably priced. See M. D. Slade.
044 White Street. Williamrton, N. C.
m29-lOt
NOTICE OF SALE
Notice is hereby given that on
the 30th day of April, 1938, at twelve
(i2) o'clock noon tit tht C^ourt~
house door of Martin County at
Williamston. North Carolina, the
undersigned will offer for sale at
public auction, to the highest bid
der for cash, subject to .prior en
"My BUSINESS IS
I KNOW THAT OOCI 108*105 WW A 8C
DIFFERENCE IN A CIGARETTE AND BEING IN THE I
BUSINESS OF GROWING TOBACCO, IM RTRTlAl TO THE
CIGARETTE I WOK BUTS UP THE CHOKE KIND5 OF
TOBACCO THAT* CAATEL. I SOLD THE BE5T 10T5 OF
AV LAST CROP TO CAAAH. AT05TOFTHE
GROWERS HERE DID, TOO
wmmwzzsmsmwm
WALTEK DCVME
S*s iMCk pneM ?t ?m
eu'
"TU7HAT cigarette is made from costlier to
W baccos?" Planters who grow tobacco?
and get the check for it ?give the answer.
They know Camel buys up their extra-choice
tobacco. "Most smokers who grow tobacco,"
they say, "favor Camels." Camels are different
...made from finer, MORlfEX PENSIVE
TOBACCOS?Turkish and Domestic.
We SMOKE CAMELS
BECAUSE WE KNOW TOBACCO"
cumbrances, the following described
real estate, to-wit:
That certain apartment building
on Main street in the town of Wil
hamston, N. C., adjoining the lands
of Mrs. Chloe Taylor and others,
containing one-fourth (1-4) of an
acre, more or less, and being the
same lot conveyed to Mary H. Ward
by N. S. Peel by deed recorded in
the Public Registry of Martin Coun
l^^ri^ioolM)0(^^?ag^^l^^n^thi^
same lot described in the last will
and testament of Mary H. Ward
recorded in Will Book No. 6 at pace
286 in the office of the Clark of Su
perior Court of Martin County, and
being the premises now occupied by
J. H. Roebuck and others.
This the 25th day of March, 1B38.
MRS. EMMA THOMPSON.
By: E. R. TVler, Atty.
Roxobel. N. C.
mint
TAXES
MUST BE
^LISTED?
IN
APRIL
DO NOT
DELAY!
"YOU SAVE ALL WAYS
WITH A GENERAL ELECTRIC
Three ways that make the new 1938 General Electric refrigerator
the finest, thriftiest refrigerator ever built.
(1) BIGGER VALUE (2) LESS CURRENT (3) LONGER LIFE
Today's General Electric refrig- General Electric refrigerators not The long life of General Electric
erators have twice the cooling ca- only provide greater cooling ca- refrigerators has nevfer been ques
pacity, four times faster freezing pacity and faster freezing, but also tioned. There are over a million
than the famous General Electric * actually cost far less to operate. General Electrics in use today that
refrigerator made ten years ago; In fadt, today's General Electric have been providing uninterrupted
yet, the price today is $100.00 operates for about one-third the service for periods of 5 years or
lower. cost of its 1927 predecessor. longer.
MJUGJL
s*
HAS SO LITTLE MONEY
BOUGHT SO MUCH IN AN
ELECTRIC REFRIGERATOR
So little money buys so much General Electric
refrigerator that practically every home can now
afford this modern, thrifty refrigeration.
America bought more General Electrics last year
than ever before and this year's General Electric
is even a better buy. Why wait? Be a bit thrift
ier and get your new General Electric now! You
can buy on our easy payment plan.
It's Easy to Pay the General Electric Way
There are 12 beautiful 1938 models to select from.
You'll find just the size and price tg suit you.
There is 5 years performance Protection on the
sealed mechanism?a plan originated by General
Electric.
10% Down
IS ALL
YOU
NEED
"""'Gffi,
RAT OR
YOU WILL ALWAYS BE GLAD YOU BOUGHT A GENERAL ELECTRIC
WASH YOUR
DISHES
ELECTRICALLY
G ? N t " AI C I 1 I ? 1 ""
B. S. Courtney
DEALER ? -r.
Williamston, N. C.