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BUY AND SELL IN ROCKY MOUNT, TRADE CENTER OF EASTERN CAROLINA
4.
The Rocky Mount Herald
VOLUME 1. NO. 20.
TYLER ELECTED
PRESIDENT OF
MERCHANTS
The new board of directors of
the Merchants Association met
Wednesday and elected officers fol
lowing an annual meeting at the
Ricks hotel dining room where J.
C. Williams, prominent Wilming
ton merchant, past president of the
state association and present mem
ber ef the state board of directors,
made the principal address.
All three of last year's officers
were renamed to head the associa
tion this year. They are: A. L. Ty
ler, president; W. G. Robbins, vice
president, and P. L. Thigpen, treas
urer. E. C. Speight holds the of
fice of secretary without the ne
cessity of reelection.
Referring to the state sales tax,
the speaker at Wednesday's gather
ing declared it a hinderance to na
tional recovery because anything
'which retards the quick distribu
tion of goods is a drawback in the
nation's fight to regain normal
conditions."
"I thing anyone who supports
the sales tax is being disloyal to
President Roosevelt" and I urge you
to support candidates who are op
posed to the sales tax. You should
do this from a motive of patriot
ism if from no other," the speaker
declared.
Brick School Holds
Closing Exercises
Dick Fountain Counsels the
Graduates "and Commends
Roosevelt
Tarboro, May 25. —The com
mencement exercises at Brick
school, near Whit&kers, which now
is operated as a high school for
colored students by Edgecombe,
Nash and "Halifax counties, were
held Wednesday with Principal T.
S. Inborden, presiding.
He introduced former Lieuten
ant-Governor Richard Fountain of
Rocky Mount, who delivered the ad
dress to the graduates, these being
the first graduates from the color
ed rural schools of the county.
Governor Fountain commended
Professor Inborden for his fine
work at this school, where 39 years
he has been the chief instructor.
"I am for education, for ignorance
is the greatest cost and education
should be given all races," said Mr.
Fountain.
"The tendency in old times was
to give an education to those who
showed the greatest aptitude, but
those less mentally alert should be
trained also. This school has serv
ed a great purpose and Principal
Inborden has rendered a great ser
vice. I never have heard of a crim
inal from this school. Our educa
tional system is lifting people out
of ignorance and teaching them
against crime. We are passing
through the worst depression ever
known wßtch was brought about by
ignorance and greed. Roosevelt
stands for the new deal and says
farmers have a right to receive
reasonable returns for their prod
ucts. Cotton has advanced from 6c
to 12c a pound and tobacco from
12c to 18c a pound. Roosevelt has
broken the shackles and chains. All
increase comes from the soil, heat,
light and moisture. Learn to labor
and take advantage of the God
given elements as everything
•comes from the soil."
Carrie Battle Bratcher, colored
Tural supervisor, introduced Super
intendent J. A. Abernethy, who
presented the diplomas to the grad
uates who were: Irie Coffield, Hal
ifax; Lima Bowen, Edgecombe;
Henry Lynch, Edgecombe; James
Bryant, Edgecombe; Ruth Taylor,
Halifax. Red Cross certificates for
10 girls, who were trained and in
structed by Miss Mattie Shackel
ford, World War nurse, were
Awarded by Professor Abernethy.
Dr. J. L. Peacock made a brief ad
dress to the graduating class, in
which he gave sound and whole
some advice.
He said he was proud of the rec
ord of this school and bestowed
(Please turn to page four)
i
Doughton Raps
New Basic Law
Points Out Provisions Which
He Describes As Insuper
able Objections
Sparta, May 26. —R. A. Doughr
ton of Sparta, veteran North Car
olina legislator and former lieut
enant-Gpvernor, in ;« statement
today came out against the state's
proposed new constitution, citing
several provisions he described as
"insuperable objections" to its
adoption.
Doughton, who has been chair
man of the joint finance committee
in several legislatures, said the
proposed constitution would give
the General Assembly unlimited
power of taxation and "a document
can hardly be called a constitution
which does not contain such re
strictions as will protect the peo
ple from exercise of unrestrained
power."
The veteran legislator also said
the instrument, upon which the
State will vote in the November
elections, would empower the Gen
eral Assembly to take from the
people the right to elect any of
their local officers.
"The people should elect some
of their officers, both state and
local and their right to do so should
be put in the constitution itself,"
he asserted.
Further centralization of the
schools was opposed by Doughton,
who said the county should remain
as the unit for school administra
tion.
"To my mind, these are out
standing objections to adoption of
the proposed constitution,'* his
statement said. "I shall, therefore,
vote against it, and hope that it
will be rejected by our people."
Doughton declared the document
contains some changes in the
state's constitution which could be
well made and for which he would
be glad to vote if submitted sep
arately.
District Officer
Is Heard In City
Raleigh and Rocky Mount
Clubs Met at Home of R.
T. Fountain Thursday
Night
If civic clubs have accomplished
nothing during the past few years
except keeping alive the spirit of
friendliness among the club mem
bers, then their existence has been
justified.
The fact was brought out by
Frederick L. Willis of Asheville,
district governor of the Carolinas
Civitan clubs, in a joint meeting of
the Raleigh and Rock Mount clubs
at the home of R. T. Fountain,
lieutenant governor of the district
Thursday night. Nearly 50 Civitans
and their wives were assembled
for the occasion.
Following the supper, served in
buffet style, the visitors were wel
comed by John M. King, of the lo
.cal club and the meeting was turn
ed over to Mr. Fountain, wh 0 in
turn, presented the speaker for the
meeting, D. E. Bulluck, local club
president, presided.
Quoting from a noted bishop, the
speaker lauded the merits of civic
clubs, particularly as a means of
promoting friendship and stated
that he was proud to belong to an
organization of which citizenship
building was an objective.
He urged the club members to
constantly promote friendliness,
helpfulness, an understanding of
other people's viewpoint and "to
hang on to something worthwhile"
which he named as the church. He
urged the clubs to strive for good
citizenship and clean government
and expressed a belief that Presi
dent Roosevelt had been divinely
sent to the nation in a time of dis
tress.
Appreciation to the local club
and to Mr. and Mrs. Fountain for
the entertainment was expressed
by J. Wilbur Bunn, of the Raleigh
club, Dr. Stuckey of N. C. State
(Please turn to page four)
ROCKY MOUNT. NORTH CAROLINA. FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 1934
NEW CONSTITUTION OPPOSED BY DOUGHTON
In this issue of The Herald there is carried a statement
from Governor R. A. Doughton, veteran North Carolina legis
lator, former Speaker of the House and former Lieutenant-
Governor of the State, citing his reasons \Vhy he cannot sup
port the proposed new constitution. Gov. Doughton states in
simple and plain language his reasons for not being able to
vote for the new constitution and this paper concurs fully
with his views.
We stated some time ago that the new constitution took
all limit off of taxation and in Gov. Doughton's statement
he says that the proposed constitution would give the Gen
eral Assembly unlimited power of taxation and that a docu
ment could hardly be called a constitution which does not
contain restrictions and limitations which will protect the
people from the exercise of unrestrained powers. He further
stated that Jhe new constitution would empower the General
Assembly to take from the people the right to elect any of
their local officers. The people should elect some of their
officers both State and local and the right to do so should
be put in the constitution. He furher opposed it on the
grounds of centralization in school matters.
Gov. Doughton was Speaker of the House in 1891, and has
been in the General Assembly either as a member of the
House or Lieutenant-Governor, practically# since that date
and is a leading member of the Bar in the western part of
the State and probably more versed in the affairs of the
State than any other citizen in the State and his views on
this matter are entitled to serious consideration and we pre
dict his. views will receive careful attention and consideration
from the people of our State.
IS THE LAW ALWAYS OBEYED?
Some time ago the question arose as to whether Herbert
Gulley, former Secretary to Senator Bailey and now with the
prohibition enforcement of the Nation, was taking any part
in political and primary matters. He stated that he was not
taking any part in these matters because the law of the
land said that he should not engage in partisan politics and
of course, he expected the people to believe that he was not
because the law of the land said that he should not.
This statement reminds us of statements that have been
appearing recently from the office of Mrs. Thos. O'Berry,
head of the CWA Relief work in the State, in which she
states that her office is functioning without regard to poli
tics and again in a few days another notice would appear of
like character. Of course, the law states that her office shall
be administered without politics. A few days ago when one
of these notices appeared a citizen having read it stated,
"that if her office was functioning without regards to poli
tics he had observed that not a single State white collar job,
so far as he had been informed, had been given to a citizen
by Appointment from her, who had supported Fountain for
Governor, notwithstanding that a shift in six thousand votes
would probably have changed the occupancy of the Govern
or's,off ice."
The Law says that Gulley must not engage in politics and
the law also says that Mrs. O'Berry should not deal in poli
tics. Is the law being observed ?
SALES TAX MAIN ISSUE IN THIS CAMPAIGN
The chief issue in the coming Democratic primary in a
iarge number o'f Counties is whether or not the general sales
tax shall be retained or repealed.
One group favoring the gross sales tax on the grounds that
they do not know any other source from which the money
can be derived. There is another group of candidates who are
opposed to the general sales tax and are standing for repeal,
stating that the State is able to support its functions of
Government without the general sales tax, pointing out that
foreign stocks are absolutely exempt from taxation even
though their chief business is located in the State and that
franchise taxes can be levied on the dividends of these for
eign corporations, which would not violate the constitutional
limitation. The Attorney General having recenly issued • a
statement in which he states that according to recent deci
sions of the Supreme Court these taxes can be legally and
justly levied.
There appears reasonably certain that there will be a sur
plus in the Highway funds of about $10,000,000 by the time
the Legislature meets in January and it is estimated that the
gross sales tax will not yield more than $6,000,000 and prob
ably may not raise more than $5,000,000. The excess surplus
in the Highway fund will probably be $10,000,000 which is
practically double the amount that the gross sales tax is
expected to yield. With the above figures how can the gross
sales tax be necessary?
Wants Marketing Agreement
With The Tobacco Companies
Better prices will be paid for to
bacco this year if the administra
tion negotiates another marketing
agreement with the tobacco com
panies, says Dr. G. W. Forster,
head of the economics department
at State College.
The leading cause of the increas
ed prices in the 1933 season was
the agreement signed by the to
bacco companies, he said. The ev
erage price rose from below 10
cents to more than 15 cents a
pound.
The size of the crop this year
and the amount of the carryover
will have some effect on the price,
he said. Nonetheless, another mar
keting agreement is needed t 0 in
sure a livable return from the
crop.
Last year the market was glut
ted with a production of 730,000,-
000 pounds, and the carry-over was
570,000,000 pounds. "Is it any
wonder," he questioned, "that
prices fell lower and lower as the
season adyanced until the govern
ment had to intervene with the
marketing agreement?"
The 1933 crop will be considera
bly less, but a carry-over of 800,-
000,000 pounds is liable to produce
conditions on the market similar
to those of last year, Forster opin
ed.
If the weather conditions result
in the 1934 crop being limited to
350,000,000 pounds, he said, to
bacco should bring about 15 cents
a pound without a marketing
agreement, 0 r 20 to 23 cents a
pound with an effective agreement.
But if 400,000,000 pounds are
raised this year, Forster predicted
that the price would slump to an
average of less than 12 cents a
pound unless another marketing
agreement is put into force.
The profits of tobacco companies
have been increasing progressively
during past years, Forster said,
and a slight rise in the price per
pound of tobacco should have little
appreciabple effect on future prof
its.
Governor Names
Pless For Judge
J. Wallace Winborne Declines
Post and Solicitor Is
Quickly Named
Raleigh, May 25.—Solicitor J.
Will Pless, Jr., of the 18th judicial
district was appointed superior
court judge of the district by Gov
ernor Ehringhaus to fill the unex
pired term of Judge Michael
Schenck, who Monday will become
an associate justice of the North
Carolina supreme court.
Solicitor Pless, whose home is in
Marion, was tendered the appoint
ment by the governor and immedi
ately accepted. The solicitor was
reached at Rutherfordton.
Winborne Declines
A few minutes earlier J. Wallace
Winborne of Marion, state demo
cratic chairman, had declined the
judgeship on account of financial
reason.
Governor Ehringhaus said there
was no criminal court in the 18th
district next week and that he
would not appoint a successor to
Mr. Pless until he had studied the
situation further.
As the solicitor was running for
the democratic nomination in /the
June 2 primary against two oppon
ents, the field was narrowed by his
appointment. One of his opponents,
C. O. Ridings of Forest City or R.
L. Whitmire of Hendersonville, will
be chosen the nominee to enter the
November election.
It was believed here that Mr.
Pless would be nominated by the
18th district democratic executive
committee fop the judgeship. Judge
Schenck was the unopposed demo
cratic nominee when he was ele
vated to the supreme court by the
governor to succeed Justice Wil
liam J. Adams, who died in Balti
more Sunday.
Telephone Study
Well Underway
State Commission Orders In
vestigation of Telephone
Reports
Raleigh, May 24.—The analysis
of the inventories of its properties
recently submitted to the State
Utilities commission by the South
ern Bell Telephone and Telegraph
company, to determine whether
they are reasonable or excessive,
has already been started, it was
learned here today. Leonard A.
Blackburn, 0 f the engineering firm
of Slaughter, Saville and Black
burn of Richmond, Va., employed
by the utilities commission to as
sist in studying the invoices sub
mitted by the various telephone
companies, has already arrived
here and is busily at work studying
the detailed statements and in
voices submitted by the Bell Tele
phone company.
This company was ordered to ap
pear before the utilities commis
sion May 17 to show cause why its
rates in the city of Raleigh and
other cities served by it. But the
company asked for a continuance
s 0 this hearing was postponed un
til June 5. In the meantime the
commission has employed Mr.
Blackburn, an expert utilities en
gineer, to analyze the invoices sub
mitted and to advise it with regard
to the various amounts charged to
different objects.
Take the item of depreciation,
which Commissioner Stanley Win
borne regards af being excessive
•nd which was given as $846,217
for 1933. The commission is insist
ing that every item charged off to
depreciation be carefully studied in
order to determine whether or not
all the items charged to deprecia
tion should have been charged to
it. A similar study of the $611,556
charged for maintenance is also
going to be made, so that the com
mission may know the veal facts
with regard to this charge. And so
on through the report of the com
pany.
"What we want to know are the
real facts and figures," Commi3-
(Please turn to page three)
PARAGRAPHS ON NATIONAL
PROBLEMS AT WASHINGTON
Congress Hands
Sales Tax A Blow
Washington, May 29. —Congress
today handed the sales tax another
blow when the House commerce
committee rejected the Senate bill
designed to give sales tax states
the right to tax merchandise com
ing into the state from other
states.
Governor Ehringhaus, Commis
sioner of Revenue A. J. Maxwell
end other proponents of State sales
taxes made an earnest'appeal to
Congress for passage 0 f the law to
provide for levying a sales tax on
goods in inter-state shipment. It
was contended that North Carolina
merchants were a great
volume of business because of res
dents making purchases out of the
state to escape the sales tax.
Opponents of the measure con
tended that passage of such legisla
tion would tend to intrench sales
tax as a permanent form of tax
ation and it was this kind of argu
ment which caused the commerce
committee to turn down the pro
posed legislation. The committee
voted 10 to 7 against consideration
of the bill at this session.
Edgecombe Drys
Rely On Jefferson
Cite Great Democrat In Urg
ing Support of Temper
ance Candidates
Tarboro, May 20.—Rev. J. M.
Page of Raleigh representing the
Dry Forces 0 f the State had a con
ference with the Edgecombe Dry
Forces committee here Thursday
afternoon, Mr. Page said that a
campaign for temperance will be
conducted in the schools of the
State.
The following preamble and res
olution was adopted by the com
mittee:
Whereas, Thomas Jefferson,
founder of the Democratic party,
was strongly opposed to intoxicat
ing liquor and whereas the Demo
cratic party has always professed
allegiance to the principles of Jeff
erson and whearas Jefferson at the
end of his eight years term as
President declared: "Were I to
commence my administration again
with knowledge which from experi
ence I have acquired the first ques
tion I .would ask in regard to every
candidate for public office should
be: Is he addicted to the use of
ardent spirits.
This Resolution was passed by
the Edgecombe prohibitionists:
"Resolved, that we suggest to
the Dry Forces of Edgecombe in
view of the fact that no candidates
have publicly declared themselves
in favor of supporting and uphold
ing the dry laws on the statute
books, we pledge ourselves t 0 vote
for those candidates in the coming
primary who has the interest
of the dry laws at heart. We pro
test against the men who refuse to
stand by the principle of Jefferson
in regard to liquor."
SOVIET TO TRAIN YOUTH
Moscow.—War training for 4,-
500,000 Soviet youths is expected
to provide general military eactics
and some specialty for boys and
thorough first-aid (training) for
girls.
NOTICE
Those desiring to subscribe to The Rocky Mount
Herald may do so by sending SI.OO with name and
address to The Rocky Mount Herald, Rocky Mount
N. C.
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CODE SUPERVISION WOB
BLING.
INDUSTRY FINDS PROFITS.
MANY YET UNEMPLOYED
DEFICIT AND TAX INCOME.
DARROW VS. JOHNSON.
TARIFF A PARTY LINE-UP.
SILVER PARLEY NECESSARY.
THE REED-PINCHOT VOTE.
President Roosevelt's permanent
economic and social program,
which has been held back by press
ing problems of the emergency,
will provide ample campaign argu
ment. One idea in clearly enunciat
ing the principles of the permanent
legislation tr> be proposed at the
next session of Congress, is to give
the nation some time to consider
and, in the fall elections, an op
portunity t 0 approve it by electing
candidates pledged to support it,
Heretofore main attention has
been centered upon recovery meas
ures, designed to restore confid
ence and place agriculture, indus
try and normal living on an even
keel. Whether this has been ac
complished is a matter of wide dis
agreement but, nevertheless, the
administration feels that enough
progress has been made to begin
something like a consolidation of
the gains. The permanent reforms
include three phases, social, busi
ness and economic programs.
The social items include a meth
ed to settle labor disputes, unem
ployment insurance, old age pen
sions, insurance of workers against
sickness, a housing program a pub
lic relief system and some changes
in NRA to make minimum wages
meet costs of living. The business
program would make NRA
thirig of a co-operative, coordinat
ing body rather than a ruling
board, with possibly the abandon
ment of minor codes and exemp
tion of "sen-ice" industries. The
economic agenda involves nations!
planning, with particular attention *
to harbor and river development,
prevention of erosion, conservation
of natural resources and the adap
tation of land usage to human
needs.
Government supervision of the
codes, already weak in places, may
break down if plans to reduce
NRA personnel are carried out.
Of the 432 codes approved only
333 have been supplied with ad
ministration members. If the move
to drop a number of the jodej af
fecting small industries is carried
out there would seem to be no need
for the extensive staff created. If,
on the other hand, codification ia
to run the entire gamut of boji
ness, the need for a staff big
enough to supervise their operation
is imperative.
Moreover, labor insists that in
the government of business the
working man's interest should be
represented and there are others
who frankly declare that the con
sumer should be safeguarded by
representation. A measure of so
cial control with as much "freedem
for industry" a s possible, but with
out "taking the brakes off" entire
ly, is certain.
Gen. Johnson, NRA ch : ef, has
been trying to persuade industry
to voluntarily reduce the hours of
labor by ten per cent with a cor
responding increase of ten per
(Please turn to page four)