The Enterprise
Published Every Tuesday and Friday by the
ENTERPRISE PUBLISHING CO.
WILLIAM8TON, NORTH CAROLINA
W. C. MANNING
Editor ? 1M8-1938
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
(Strictly uah in Advance!
IN MARTIN COUNT*
One year $1.75
Six months 1.00
OUTSIDE MARTIN COUNTY
One year $2.29
Six months 1 25
No Subscription Received Under 6 Months
Advertising Rate Card Furnished Upon Request
Entered at the post office in Wilhamston, N.
C.. as second-class matter under the act of Con
gress of March 3, 1870.
Address all communications to The Enterprise
and not individual members of the firm.
Tuesday, April 25, 1939.
Stop And Think
Eastern North Carolina farmers, with some
few exceptions, are entering one of the biggest
gambles in their lifetime. They are turning
their backs on the one certainty, and plunging
into the production of tobacco irrespective of
excessive stocks, world market conditions and
prospective prices. The general belief that there
was going to be a shortage of plants is without
foundation, and the country is setting out right
now to produce a billion pounds of tobacco,
weather conditions considered.
Tobacco consumption, increased in past years
when women turned to the cigarette and tiny
tots assumed a mannish air and developed the
"habit", has possibly reached its peak. Today
there is no outlet in sight for increased tobacco
production, but apparently the growers don't
believe that startling fact, a fact that will face
them in the form of starvation prices next fall.
With uncertainty surrounding the produc
tion of the crop from the time the seed are
planted until the auctioneer "knocks it out" on
the warehouse floor, the growers are appar
ently willing to enter into the gamble, and
throw all reason and judgment to the four
winds, overlooking some attractive posilibili
ties that offer no gamhle and which are bound
up with a very certain degree of certainty in
the solid conservation program.
In Martin County, the approximately 1,500
farmers have the opportunity of participating
approximately that amount. This year they
are receiving approximately $150,000 for par
ticipating in the program last year. How much
will be available next year is a question to
bacco farmers can and should answer for them
selves right now. If they can raise an increased
tobacco crop at a loss and continue to meet
their obligations including the mortgage inter
est and principal, the tax collector's demands,
the needs of their families and continue to op
erate next year, then it is their business to go
bury their earnings in a tobacco patch and try
and get it back. The farmer who retires at night
after a hard day in the field With a foreclosure
staring him in the face and- the same thing
staring him in the fare the following morning
has no business trying to plant all his land to
tobacco or even increasing his crop. If he does
he is not playing fair with the economic sys
tem, but rather he is contributing to the eco
nomic upheaval that has made itself felt to the
very foundation of our system of living and do
ing things.
Martin County farmers are urged to consider
all the facts before they leap. They are asked
to ignore the plans of the other fellow and set
tle down and give some serious thought to then
own problem. Figure out how much you can
make by participating in the conservation pro
gram as a certain thing, and eliminate as many
of the bad features as possible from a gambling
system that is bad at its best.
To Balance a Budget
Asheboro Courier.
People will do some funny things for mon
ey? and state legislatures, being made up of
people, will act, in the mass, like human be
ings where money is concerned.
Take this proposal to balance the state bud
get by imposing a tax on slot machines. Of
course, the tax is on "amusement" machines,
but who ever saw a slot machine that was in
tended for gambling purposes?
The proposal brings the "one-armed bamSfts"
out in the open, properly licensed as amuse
ment devices, and makes them respectable
as heavy contributors to the state revenue
funds. Citizens will, it would seem, be doing
a patriotic duty in patronizing the machines
which balance the state budget, no matter
what these machines may do to the personal
budgets of those who are entertained.
It is asserted that at least 2,500 of the "one
armed bandits" are operating in the state and
"that they are there because the law enforce
ment officers will not enforce the law." And
so, we'll make them respectable tax payers.
Oh, well, individuals and legislatures have
done even funnier things than that, for money.
Nazists And Don't Know It
Severe criticism has been justly heaped upon
Germany's Hitler these past few months, but
what the German dictator is doing after a mass
fashion we are accomplishing in our own indi
vidual way. The ai mof Nazism is a return to
paganism?to the worship of the material and
physical as the ultimate in life.
Collectively we talk about the high ideals of
democracy; individually we have reached a
high degree in the worship of material things
making secondary the finer aspects that figure
- in the basic foundation of a~ lasting structural?
society.
One doesn't have to go into the stranger's I
camp to recognize the steady and fairly rapid
trend toward the material and away from the
basic things in life.
As the clock pendulum swings first to one
extreme and then to the other, so we are reach
ing that extreme where material things are
held paramount. There is a balancing force in
American leadership today, and possibly that
leadership will return us to normal. Possibly
we are making ready to swing back to the
principles that characterized the early devel
opment of America, but the return will be slow
unless we attack our wrongs at the same time
we criticise and attack the other fellow's, be
he Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Chamberlin.
Who Pays For Highwayst
Washington Daily News.
What is probably the most complete study
yet made of highway costs has recently been
issued by the Association of American Rail
roads. But the study is not of railroad origin. It
was prepared by three experts with national
icputations in their field?Clifford Older, head
of the Illinois ? State Highway department.
Charles R. Breed, head of the school of civil
engineering of Massachusetts Institute of Tech
nology, and W. S. Downs, professor of highway
engineering at West Virginia University.
Their study was undertaken to determini
three things of vital importance to the tax
payers of America?first, the total annual cost
of roads and streets; second, what part of these
costs is borne by the general taxpayers and
what part by motor vehicles; third, what
should be the equitable division costs between
these two groups. The survey covers the 12
years from 1921 to 1932. This period was chos
en because the records for years before 192!
are incomplete, and no comprehensive data is
available for years following 1932.
The study goes into great detail, and includes
charts, graphs, tables, etc. It seems to be as
scientifically accurate as is humanly possible.
And here is its startling conclusion:
During the 12-year period, the total annual
cost of streets and roads was $20,876,146,000. Of
this total general taxes should have paid $5,
007,797,000?and motor vehicles should have
paid $15,788,349,000.
However, motor vehicles actually paid only
$6,031,395,000?and general taxes paid the re
maining $14,844,751,000.
In other words, over a representative 12
year period, the taxpayers subsidized motor
vehicles to the tune of almost $10,000,000,000!
Surveys made by various bodies in individual
states have come to similar findings. The prob
lem of highway costs, and who should pay them
is something that hits every pocketbook and
that deserves a great deal more public atten
tion than it has received.
Judges Salary, Increase, Bill of $1000.00
Kocky Mount Herald.
The Supreme court has at last held that the
government has a right to tax salaries of Fed
eral and State employees. These has been no
change in the Constitution, but there has been
a new interpretation. The judges have in times
past held that these salaries could not be taxed
for income. The judges held that their own sal
aries were non-taxable, and when they did
this they undertook to justify it by putting all
salaries of Federal and State employees in this
class. The law is right much what the Court
holds. The State Supreme Court now is seek
ing to have its expense salary raised to $1500
like a Superior Court Judge, when the Super
ior Court Judge is supposed to have a home ra
ther than having to spend all his money in a
high priced hotel. It looks as though the Leg
islature is going to increase the judge's salary
from $8,000 to $9,000, while our old-age pen
sioners and paupers draw only five dollars a
month and are taxed with the three per cent
sales tax, which leaves only $4.85.
According to press reports, we notice in our
city that a negro defendant was sent to the road
for drawing a few dollars Social Security mon
ey because he had a measley job that was pay
ing less than five dollars per month, according
"To our information. So the demands and necet
sities of one class differs widely from other
classes. The Scriptures say, "To him that hath
shall be given and to him that hath not shall be
taken away, even that that he hath." However,
we never heard of the legislature being a scrip
ture body.
"The Churches must learn humility as well
as teach it."?Shaw.
"A church is God between four walls."
Hugo.
It would be easy to jack up business if the
people had the jack?Greensboro (Ga.) Herald.
Worry Is Wrecking
Many Humans In
The United States
Men and Women "Going to
Pieces" in Increasing
Numbers
We are wving in a "civilized mad
house" Which is sending as many
people to mental institutions as it is
graduating from college, says Dr.
Jay B: Nash, of New Yortr Univer
sity.
Men and women are "going to
pieces" in increasing numbers, he
asserted, because their bodies have
been catapulted 1,000,000 ye:?rs
ahead of their nervous systems and
because of the social and economic
uncertainties of the modern age.
Addressing the mental health
workers division at the national con
vention of the American Association
for Health, Physical Education and
Recreation recently in San Francis
co, Nash said:
"One can imagine the average
person saying, 'my job is insecure,
I'm back in my rent. Susie has in
fected adenoids, Johnny needs
glasses. I'm not saving anything for
old age or sickness. The boss is con
stantly after me to speed up but I
-must not worry, I must be calm, re
lax, recreate'."
"Few men kill themselves from
over work. Over-worry, over-rush,
over-drink, over-eat, under-sleep
are the killers.
"The antidote can be supplied
only by restoring at least to a de
gree, the simplicity of primitive liv
ing. This will mean building new
cities where s,Rign may live more
quietly and* happily.
It will mean some plan of social
security so as to remove the night
mare of sickness, unemployment and
old age insecurity."
Unemployed (jet
$10,000,000 Benefits
Benefits of $10,000,000 to unem
ployed and partially unemployed ;
workers in North Carolina in the,
15 months of benefit payments will
be reached this week, Director E. W
Price, of the Unemployment Com
pensation division, said today. Ac-1
tual benefits paid through last
Thursday reached $9,957,084 44, by
which it was assured that the $10,-i
000,000 mark would be reached
within a few days.
As of April 20, the contribution
payments of employers reached
$22,072,332.08, to which has been
added $411,124.88 in interest, prac
tically all of which is on the com
mission's balance in the U. S. treas
tund had a balance of $12,526,372.52
as of April 20.
Number Of Births
Decrease In State
Raleigh?There were 254 fewer
births in North Carolina last month
than in March, 1938, and 60 more
deaths, according to figures just re
leased by the VTtal Statistics Divi
sion of the State Board of Health, of
which Dr. R. T. Stimpson is the di
rector.
Influenza deaths last month to
talod 176 throughout the State, as
compared with 75 the same month a
year ago, while tuberculosis deaths
numbered 157, against 135 a year
ago, the report shows. There was al
so an increase in the number of
deaths from cancer, the March, 1939,
total having been 186. compared
with 151 in March 1938. Pneumonia
deaths, however, dropped from 314
to 309.
Deaths from what are termed pre
ventable accidents last month num
bered 108, compared with 101 in
March a year ago. Thirty people
died of burns, as against 25 in March
1938, while fatalities from railroad
accidents increased from 5 to 7.
Suicides showed a decided drop?
from 33 in March a year ago to 19
last month, but homicides increased
from 25 to 29.
Infant deaths under one year?ut
age increased from 386 to 415,
throwing the rate for the month up
from 56 6 to 63.4, while maternal
deaths showed a decided drop?from
47 to 35, bringing the monthly rate
down from 6.9 to 5.3.
During the month there were 3,
028 deaths, compared with 2,968 a
year ago, and 6,546 births, compared
with 6,800 in March, 1939.
*
Things To Watch
For In The Future
Paper plates with metal edges for
baking pies, said to do the job 15
per cent faster than will the time
honored pie tin ... A new ammonia -
sugar compound which when added
ir; small amounts to dairy products,
fruit juices, bakery goods and coffee
is said to keep these perishables
fresh for two months ... A new ar
tificial bait which looks like a fish
swallowing a smaller fish with plen
ty of hooks for the teal fish to bite
on ... A combination comb and nail
file with the file partially embedded
111 the back of the comb ... A new
chemical for preservation of wood
to enable the lumber industry to
meet competition developing from
other types of construction mater
ials ... A new slow acting poison
for roaches that does not need to be
the end punched in so the pests may
eat . . .
Job Placements
Good In March
Placements in jobs by the Em
ployment service division of the
State Unemployment Compensa
tion commission In March of 9,576
workers represents the best month
since October, 1938, and was 62 per
cents above placements in March,
1938, Director R. Mayne Albright
reports.
Registrations of applicants seek
ing work also deennBT from March
a year ago. The active applicants on
April t, 1939, numbered 120,738,
which represented a drop of 10 per
cent from April 1, 1938, and the
number registering in March, 1939,
was lour per cent below that of
March, 1938.
Farmers made up the largest num
ber registering in March. In sever
al sections the active file was being
built up in anticipation of the straw
berry and tl^tck crops, which draw
heavily upon the supply of surplus
labor at this time of the year.
The next important source of ap
plicants was in the personal service
group, from which summer hotels
are manned and housewives secure
help for spring cleaning.
An increase in building activity
should provide employment for
many of the 2,237 applicants in the
building trades who registered dur
ing March. Building and construc
tion during March furnished jobs
for 4,937 applicants and was the lar
gest source of employment during
the month.
Jobs were found in homes and in
stitutions for 2,240 domestics and
maintenance workers, while manu
facturing used 677 of the applicants,
60 per cent of them? being in tex
tiles.
Condensed Statement of Condition of
Branch Banking &
Trust Company
"THE SAFE EXECUTOR"
Williamston, N. C.
At The Close of Business, March 29, 1939
RESOURCES
Cash and Doe from Banks J 7,<33,25#.04
Obliration* of the Cnited State* 7.108.970.24
Federal l and Bank Bonds 711.842.39
Federal Home l.oan Bank Debentures 173,369.38
North Carolina Bonds 304.589.20
Municipal It Other Marketable Bonds 1.384.479.58
Loans and Discounts
Accrued Interest and Accounts Receivable
Hanking Houses, Furniture and Fixtures, and
Real Estate, less Depreciation Reserve
TOTAL
2,7324*5.52
88403.57
237,335.94
$2*.175.945.86
LIABILITIES
Capital Stock?Common
Capital Stock?Preferred
Surplus
Undivided Profits
Reserves ,
Cnearnrd Discount and Other Llabllitle
Deposits
TOTAL
$ 400,000.00
324,960.00
400,000.00
7 08,237.96
286,312.40
94,367.55
17362.068.85
320,175,945.86
Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
SOUND BANKING AND TRUST SERVICE
FOR EASTERN CAROLINA
The Best Is Always Cheaper!
FaimersDemandFenceThatContainsCop-R-Loy
WHEELING
IS THE ONLY FENCE THAT
ContainsCop-R-Loy
Genuine Wheeling Fence Will
give vou many years of extra serv
ice because COP-R-LOY makes it
absolutely Rust Resisting.
Wheeling;
?eayt zinc COATO
UJ.j wheeling
FARM FENCE gy'ous
CCOP-R-LOY
With wire of this famous copper alloy,
heavily coated with pure zinc, you are
assured extra years of service. Every roll
is pre-stretched and pre-tested and comes
to you with a guarantee of service.
We have it in the style y?u need.
Mr. Farmer Cop-R-Loy Fence Is Sold by Your Retail
Dealer; If Not Demand Him to Get This for You
..Inc.
WHOLESALE DEALERS ONLY
AHOSKIE, N. C.