rtintv First, Sec Jj^gS and all the ferCH IT GROW!. ? An Independent Weekly Published in an inde pendent part of these United States. bie 28 PAGES \XX No. 18 POLK COUNTY? The Gateway of Western North Carolina FIVE CENTS PER COPY Tryon, N. C., December 11, 1924 $1.50 a Year fjgStorieS About f, en Affairs f,n Aarcn 771 ? J ones ^ i \ >l fcIS A. GARFIELD ulont uf Hiram College^ a S rrir; i:| ,amc to' him one day ^ . i have plenty of money 10 go through l0ir" hurry. He, does -not ?t Z-lnd lour tediolis years t0 - Can you arrange it i1"5 '1'". 'AVai(l all but the high ^at v,.1 answered Mr. Gar. ! c;in 'arrange it, but let me ; vou !? i aUic11 ??d makes a /' lie takes two hundred u; v lien be makes a * 'V ukes two months." easy chairs neath soothing glow, IfiOOP intentions are the all build when our better are in control. Ae'eiul in jui all-things-in-tune , sett It tl in our reaiiins lamps , a g'tory ju>t linjshed with a just, ^.wanted it-to.come.out ending Ve t>ur eyes and build them? , dream structures. On founda selected from our most sincere ntions we build our "Edifices tireat massive arches of jtierly love supported by columns he-serv e^_best-whq^jrofits_best , i?zi- i rforKlt^iP^-'bat-mortgag"?^ a? rooms- elegantly furnished I il.soao.churgh-neict-Sun,day_ Kcstts, From our throne,' the uy chair, we admire the finished picture with an, its-mine air# ftch ami go to bed. Next morn our eggs and paper we scold aaid and rush officeward. Our k;.'; of ideals in the (^ust# crumbled ii fo&otton. into halls of Ill-wait-awhlle. con sul ITS BETTER TO dr^am and r?e than never dream at all. told that we could only cultivate control our dreamy, better fcking. ea>y chair selves as we do voices, farms ^and business, fe'd soon be overly willing to take .affirmative side of the debate "Is world growing better?" FLOWERS ARE USUALLY plant. r in front yards. But in our alley^ ?te each day a group of strolling ti: ..ians plant their in,strtments. Se:, into the heat of our work_a jay occupations comes the notes of ifcic? givin^ expression to romance tana, tradsedv and comedy. Low ad high, ,-ach sounded tone describ ee expression ()f children's faces, 4e rrandeur of rose_tinted sunsets^ if solitude of olrl age, the ministry friendship, mother love and the sen: of flowers. At first the notes tto-p inquiringly itfto the soul, hesL Kingly, questionly ? will . they be wlcome, Then as their presence is assured /they charge forward cap_ luring the best there is in us. Out greed, ? jealousy^ discontent; in rotes greater desires to achieve,1 for %. goo,] that achievement can It more music could only come tao more alleys of life. the OTHER DAY I met a porcu. jice dressed up like a man. PorcuJ lines have a way o? being very un Piea-ant^ they carry poisoned darts tabling all over themselves. You nevir intend to molest them Ea.v just be passing an' 1 didn't watch where' I was go g' Changing from a human into p lupine is a slow process; eop,e are not born bristling with omlloned dan, which are fed by ven from rj,0 inside. Bristles with bri i ?n ' are developed. ?* V, ? ??Ui.-.v&fta position is to treat the position in differently. They can't spare the time from their private affairs that is really necessary to get an insight of the county's business. Time and study would be reauired for that. Like most boards of directors the commissioners follow the line of least resistance. They pass on what is brought before thejn, as best they can} but more than, often without ex act knowledge of the business they have been set to guard and for which they have accepted responsibility. r Evidently the commissioners of the county in which suit 3ias been brought against the estate of the dead sheriff didn't knov what they were doing when they made settle ment. Both sides are acquitted of any intentional wrong *doing. But it was the business of the commis sioners to know. As a " result of their ignorance and negligence the dead officer's estate, his bondsmen, must defend a suit: and if there is judgement againts the defendants, somebody will have to dfg up quite a sum o f money. But that county isn't ?n exception. That is the common custom as to the management of county affairs. Per. sons who observe the management in the average county can see that; and some who have made a careful examination of the conduct of coun ty business in this state have found such negligence the ?, rule rath^. than, the exception. It ig not un common for shortages to develop that are as much of a surprise to the commissioners as * any body. In some counties sheriffs have been found many thousands in arrears in settlements> some of them business men of high standing^ thought they had made full settlement and got all that was due. How many times such cases have passed without dis covery and the taxpayers suffer the loss of thousands, nobody knows; and nobody will know so long as the Believing that the energies of Pos. employees should not he sapped, to the last degree for any avoidable reason^ and^ intent upon securing for them the same Christmas privileges enjoyed by others, Postmaster Gen eral New asks the hearty co-opera, tion of he public. The last_minute or zero hour has been moved up so that all employees may eat their Christmas dinners at home# Rural carriers will deliver no mail at all on Christmas Day and clerks and car riers in the city offices will stop promptly at noon. -If 711 I THE BOLL WEEVIL, HAS I HIS UTTLE FAULTS ? BUT HE DOESN'T 1 WEAR A. SHEET AND J .OPERATE AT NIGHT. . j 1 ' it; f COPYRIGHT I9gg PUS AUTOCASTER SERV.fll present system of handling ccfunty business is continued. It is got so much corruption ? although that fea. ture is by no means absent ? as it is incompetence and downright neglL gence. And the basis for all the mismanagement is politics. V .... Tbe county officers are regarded as a political asset to the dominant party in the county; and the main consideration, generally speaking, m the administration of county affairs is politics rather than business. For that reason every effort to place the affairs of a county on a strictly bus. iness basis meets the combined and strenuous opposition of the local pol iticians; and as the legislators are usually a part of the local political machine it is easy to see that they are not g-M^to e*ert themselves to do anything* o,jut it. Lots of people who pose as rail road prsidents when they go visiting in other towns are really nothing more than section hands when they are at bome^ observes Jim Rioo^ Married men wrote all the Wed* ding marches. That's what makes] 'em sound flo slow /and sad. Now that women can vote they don't want to ? Let's pasrf a law com. pelling them to smoke. Christmas is Coming I strutted my stuff through N6vember And ruffled it over the yard, I'm fat and I'm prime and 1,'m flruessing Haw I'll look on a menu card, For Christmas is coming. ? ? ? ? ? ? ?? ? >. i ? Park-Beft Company's Spartaaburg Store Link In Gigantic Chain ? ?> Trcwdoii PirdusM Power of 36 Stan Oum Makes PossMe MintoCousmerSafiag The success of Parks-Be Ik Co. j I* due to tw0 primary elements la the organization and^ conduct of those modern stores^ the fact they are conducted along the most modern lines of organisation and collective buying and then th? service in the retail stores is of the highest ori^er. This makes a tour of this store necessary to every shopper within a radius of many miles. The idea of collective buying ana the conduct of a number of stores conducting one large central buy. ing establishment where, the opt put of mills Is taken over is a crea. tlon of the hour and the fact that it has met with such success proves that It has taken its place in latter day merchandising. This gives the ad vantage to a buyer who understands style, materials and prices as he makes them a continual study and comes in contact with world trade. Thus the stock of this store is not purchased by a casual buyer who goe* to the fashion and market centers oc. casionly while making purchases. This business like method gives this store the advantage of offering its goods at prices that cut out the mid. dleman and are a great saving to ,the people. Quality and style are not sacrificed to price as the buy. er sees that all stock comes to a standard. He Is an excellent judge of stock by his continual contact with everything in the line. The services at Parks-Belk Co. is the very best. The sales people are all specialists in their departments, thus being able to offer valuable sug gestions as well as answer all queB. tions with that knowledge of experi ence that relieves the purchaser of all doubt and uncertainty. They are very courteous and iyo matter what the else of the purchase you will find it entirely satisfactory. - I The Pariu^elk Co. is distinctly a department store and all the Stock is systematically arranged in depart, ments for the convenience of the cus. tomers , Every facility for its prop, er display has been provided and thus shopping Is made easy. The policy of Parks-Belk Co. has always been the retailing of good quality merchandise at one price to all. N0 matter whether you call in person, over .the phone or have their personal shopper send you my mall what you want you will always find it is satisfactory to do business with them as they always make all goods satisfactory^ .... The manager of each store of the Parks-Belk Cos. has an interest in the store and is a resident of the town' in which the store is located and takes an Interest in the affairs of the city in which he lives. . The great service this store renderes the people makes 4t of great economic value to the community and thus they are rendering the public the highest type of mercantile service. o Four Black Oxen Pulled The Covered Wagon Thru Bagdad Driven by a Sheik A Moving Moving Picture Tale of Terrific 1Mb aaJDariag Situa tions by a Moving Kctare Fan * $? Here's a very moving-picture story When "The Thief of Bagdad" broke "The Ten Commandments" by steaL ing a "White Rose " from "The En. chanted Cottage." "Three Women" telephoned the "Arm of the' Law" and "Outlaw" was "Cornered." These "Meddling Women" whose mouths were "Open All Night" for "Gossip1' also told "Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall," that "The Sheik" took "The White Sister" for a ride In "The Covered Wagon" which was dmwn by four "Black Oxen," When "The Riders of the Night" returned they reported that "The Madonna of The Streets" was engag ed by "Potash and Perimuter" In "Hollywood* to tell the "Secrets" of "The Forbidden City." Hearing of this "Slander," the "Hunchback of Notre Dame" feared that snch a "Turmoil'' would injure the "Reputa. tlon" of "The Sea Hawk," whose "Bad Habits" of acquiring "Danger, ous Money" were "Common KjpowL edge." ? The Idol whose "Feet of Clay" had been hidden from all "Men'' harkenfed to "The Voice from the Minaret" and with a hasty scrawl to his friend, "Monsieur Beaucaire," he retired to his "Golden Bed" there to dream of "Roatta" his "Argentine Lore^ ; j > - The Pulse of y Todsys Business Charles Schwab sees prosperity ahead. He says that badness in general will experience greater pros perity dnrins the months just ahead than iq any previous years. He ts of the opinion that, "If you hare capital to inrest in industry, do not hesitate |We are assured of a safe and >ane government, and tike fu ture of this country, offers greater opportunities than at any other per. iod. Endowed as it is with Incom parable recources, this country is go. ing to be the workshop of the woifd/ Speaking of his own industry, he believes that "Steel production this year will reach 40,000,000 tons com pared with 1.000.000 when the busi ness was, started. The National Industrial Confer, ence Board declares that state and local taxes are assuming dangerous proportions. From 1912 to 1923 to. tal net indebtedness of state and lo. cal governments in the ' United States increased 128 per cent.' In the first ten months of 1924 there wa& an increase of 1510,960,000 in their long-term bonds compared with the same period of 1928, and* plans for djbw financing, which received popular approval at recent election, call for additional issues of 9500*000,. 000. Net indebtedness of state and local governments now exceed the tremendous figure of 110,500,000,000, compared with 18,697,000,000 in 1922 and only$3, 822, 000.000 in 1912. ? ? ? ? 1 People are pairing larger initial installments on the automobiles they now buy than they did a few years ago, according to recent com pilation by. the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce. The aver, age outstanding note on automobile time sales is now $252. In 1920 the average note outstanding was 8277. In 1921 it wa* 8299 and in 19p2 $278. One explanation of this yearly da. Crease is, no doubt, the .fact that more people each year Sh turning in their old cars as part payment on the new one. This old car constitu. tea part of the original payment and less cash or smaller deferred pay ments are required . American claims for war damages amounting to more than $250,000,000 have been admitted by the allies. The United 8tates will, therefore be entitled to collect this sum in ad dition to the $800,000,000 cost of oc cupation in Germany. Of course, being entitled to collect and actually collecting are two distinct proposi tions. Most nations that are debt, ors to this country because of our assistance during their war needs prould like to forget the obligation. France, however, just recently made a gesture at French settlement of some of her obligations to the Un|ted States; Finance Commis sioner Clementel admitted in diebate in the Senate t&at they had agreed payment of American claims for war damages wonld be settled ont of pro. ceeds of the Dawes scheme of re par. ationa. If payments are received tn this manner, America will hare again evidenced the shrewdness for which its business men are noted by lending a creditor sufficient assis tance to help him get on his feet so he can meet- his obligations. By attempting to force collections with, out first lending this aid. collection might have been impossible. President, Warren 8. Stone, of Brotherhood of Locomotive Engl, neert, says: We are going into the greatest stock boom that the world has ever known,. There will be 80 or 40 big foreign loans made id the next year or year and a halt They are dressing np old stocks and bonds in new clothes an^ selling them to the public. This Is going to go on until they hare got all the gold, drained out of the country and got most of the suckers' money, and then we are going to hare another period of depression." ? o - ?