The Rocky Mount Herald
■f VOLUME 5, NO. 5
LIBRARY WILL HOLD OPEN
HOUSE HERE FEBRUARY 9
. Ceremonies Will 'B e Held February
Library
Trustees of the Thomas Hackney
Br as well Memorial library, Mrs.
Nell G. Battle, librarian, and
staff will hold open house in the
library Wednesday, February 9, all
"* day and until 9 o'clock at night, it
was announced today.
The re-opening of the library has
been postponod for a week, until
February 9, Mrs. Battle said today,
because of unexpected delay in re
ceiving shelves.
It will be the occasion of re-open
-1 ing and re-dedication of the library,
which has recently been remodel
ed and has been complemented with
three new wings by gifts from the
late Dr. M. R. Braswell, who estab
lished the library, and his relatives.
Formal exercises of presentation
and acceptance of the remoleded and
extended library will be conducted
. at 3:30 o'clock February 9 in the li
brary auditorium, one of the new
additions. Mayor J. Q. Robinson will
participate in the ceremony, library
officials have announced, and promi
nent guests are also expected to
take part.
Grammar school children will bo
special guests of the library Thura
-1 day, February 10, and will be Invit
ed to inspect the new additions,
which include a children's room. \
story telling hour will be offered
for them in the library auditorium.
Stories will be told for the first,
second and third grades at 4 o'alock
and for the fourth, fifth and sixth
grades at 4:30 o'clock.
ASKS BRIDES
CHANGE CARDS!
Brides of 1937-38 who obtained So
cial Security account cards before
they ware married are requested by
the Social Security Board to send
in their now names to prevent confu
sion in the keeping of their wage
accounts for Federal old-age insur
ance, George N. Adams, Manager of
the Rocky Mount Field Office of the
'"Social Security Board announced to
day.
A card for this purpose, designated
as "Employee's Request for Change
in Records," is now available at any
one of the Board's 523 field offices
lostfted in strategic centers, Mr.
, Adams said.
'This card provides space both for
the newly-acquired name and that
used in applying for an account
number. Corrected account number
cards will be sent to those who re
port their change of name.
Mr. Adams explained that since
wage accounts aro kept in the name
'the worker gives tlio employer, in
dividuals who change their legal
names should correct their records
to insure the accurate recording cf
their wages. Wage information re
ports filled by employers and trans
mitted to the Social Security Board
indicate that many employees have
gone to work on new jobs under
their new names without notifying
" the Board of tho change. This, Mr.
Adams pointed out, complicates the
keeping of their accounts and
might make it difficult to ascertain
the full amount of the benefits to
which they will ultimately be en
titled.
Social Security account card hol
) ders may use this new application
form also to correct misstatements aa
to age, address, or any other inac
curate declaration that may have
made,
Mr. Adams stated that while tho
Board would accept without question
a new age declaration, the acceptance
should not be regarded as final since
an employee may be called upon to
furnish proof of age on filing a
benefit claim.
By making available the now card
the Board believes that thousands of
persons who have neglected to cor
rect their records will now take ad
vantage of this simplified procedure.
To know subject matter is not
enough, the county agent must al
so know human nature and his
work i g as varied as i« the life of
a county, says Dr. Frank Porter
"^Graham.
Weldon Credit
Group Holds
Annual Meeting
Ernest Graham Talks On Objectives;
L. W. Hedgepeth Elected Direc
tor
Weldon, Jan 31.—More than 500
farmers gathered here today to at
tend the annual stockholders meet
ing of the Weldon Production Cred
it Association which was held in
the local theatre with W. E. Smith
of Scotland Neck, president of this
association, in charge.
E. P. Gulledge, Northampton Co
unty agent, made a talk on tha
farm family in the production cred
it system. Following the reports of
the directors and committees, L. J.
Judkine, secretary-treasurer of tho
local association, introduced the as
sociation employees and recognized
the guests.
Ernest Graham of Columbia, presi
dent of the Production Credit As
production credit system. One new
director, L. W. Hedgepeth of Con
way, was named to serve with W.
E. Smith of Scotland Neck, J, M.
Person of Enfield, H. S. Ellis and
W. J„ 4 Long of Garysburg, all of
whom were reelected. Plans were
made for the new year's work with
the loan goal set at a half million
dollars.
The Weldon Production Credit As
sociation was organized in 1934 to
serve Halifax and Northampton
counties. It furnishes short term
credit for general agricultural pur
poses to its members. It now has
a membership of 800 and is grow
ing yearly. At the conclusion of
today's meeting the farmers par
cook tjf a barbecue dinner provided
by the association.
Sales Tax Shows
Slight Reduction
Revenue Report Revealß Drop In
Collections Compared To Year
Ago
Sales tax receipts reported for
January were slightly less than Jan
uary a year ago, the first time' in
this fiscal year that this item of
State revenue has dropped below
collections for the corresponding
monifli the previous year, despite
exemptions of basic foods.
Income tax collections also show
ed a decrease this month and in
the Motor Vehicle Bureau, auto li
cense tax collections nose-dived near
ly a million dollars. However, this
latter decrease was accounted for
by the fact that cost of tags were
reduced by the 1937 Legislature anl
by the fact that tags went on sals
15 days earlier in 1937 so that mucn
of the revenue wa s accounted for in I
December report.
Gasoline taxes —usually considered
a barometer of spending—showed in
creases for the month and for tho
first seven months of the fiscal year.
General fund receipts during Jan
uary totaled $1,937,817.03, an in
crease of $154,342.71 or 8.65 per cent
over January, 1937. General fund
collections during the first seven
months of the fiscal year totaled
$17,884,861.65, a decrease of $1,481,-
115.63, or 7.65 per cent.
Motor vehicle receipts during
January were $4,980,180.23, a do
crease of $787,681.15, or 13.64 per
cent. Motor fund collections for the
seven months of the fiscal year wert>
$21,040,417.43, an increase of $909,-
074.58, or 4.52 per cent over the
first seven months of 1936-37 fiscal
year.
All collections during January ag
gregated $6,917,897.26, compared with
$7,551,235.70 in January, 1937. Col
lections during the seven months of
the current fiscal year were $38,925,-
279.08, compared with $39,497,320.13.
Two large inheritance tax checks
received during the last fiscal year
more than account for the fiscal
year general fund collections de
crease, tax offifficials said.
General fund collections for Jan
uary, 1938, and January, 1937, in
that order, follow:
Inheritance, $100,56.22, $36,803.20;
privilege, $119,934.37, $117,538.72; in
come $113,307.69, $131,089.54; fran-
ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1938
Black Criticizes
Protection Given
To Corporations
Back Says Ruling Deprives States
Of Right To Regulate Corpora
tions; Reed Takes Place On
Bench: Court Upholds Authority
Of National Labor Tribunal
Washington, Jan. 31.—Associate
Justice Hugo L. Black today urged
that the Supreme Court abandon a
52-year-old interpretation of tho
Constitution giving corporations the
protection of the 14th Amendment
The abandonment provides that
no state may "deprive any person
of life liberty or property without
due process of law."
Tho court long has held that the
word "person" means corporations
as well as individuals. Black sug
gosted this had wrongly subjected
state laws regulating corporations
to "censorship of the United State#
courts."
President Roosevelt's first ap
pointee to the supreme tribuna',
Black expressed hi s views in dis
senting to the opinion of seven of
his colleagues that California can
not tax premiums received by the
Connecticut General Life Insurance
Company from other insurance com
panies doing business in California.
"A constitutional interpretation
that is wrong should not stand,"
Black said. "I believe this court
should now overrule previous deci
sions which interpreted the 14Th
Amendment to include corporations.
XXX
"The states did not adopt the
amendment with knowledge of its
sweeping meaning under its present
construction.
"No section of 'the amendment
gave notice to the people that, if
adopted, it would subject every
State law and municipal ordinance
affecting corporations (and all ad
ministrative options under them) to
censorship of the United States
courts.
"No word in all this amendment
gtave any hint that its adoption
would deprive the states of their
long recognized power to regulate
corporations."
LEGGETTS HIGH
HALVES BILL
Tarboro, Jan. 31.—Leggett Higli
basketball terms broke even in. re
cent doubleheaders with Whitakers
and Conetoe.
Whitakers girls won, 28-9; Leg
gett boys defeated the Whitakers
quint, 24-16. Carter made 17 points
for Whitakers girls; Jean Cooper
led the Leggett sextet. In the boys'
game, J. R. Anderson of Leggett
made seven points to take scoring
honors.
In the twin bill with Conetoe,
Leggett boys won by 30-23 but 'he
girls lo«t by 19-8. Captain Corne
lius Leggett made 18 points to fea
ture for the winning boys' team.
Lewis was best for the Conetoe
quint. Shelton, with nine points, led
Conotoe girls; Morris' defensive play
featured for Leggett.
Bert Gray Has
Disappeared
Bert Gray, young man of Murhpy,
N. C., who is in his third year of
medical school at the University of
Baltimore, has mysteriously disap
peared. He left his boarding place,
according to reports reaching here,
Friday, January 21, supposedly to
go to a show, and dropped from
sight completely. Friends and rela
tives have been unable to find any
trace of him since he disappeared.
chise, $263,165.60, $195,256.59; sales
$1,184,840.94, $1,241,535.68; beverage
$135,340.29, $60,788.87; intangibles
$20,560.47, zerp; miscellaneous $lO,-
45, $861.72.
Motor vehicle collections for Jan
uary, 1938, and January, 1937, in
that order follow:
License $2,860,662.61, $3,806,804-56;
title fees $24,191.51, $31,501.30; bus
and franchise, $48,593.58, $59,014.44;
gasoline, $1,951,713.56, $1,784,211.47;
inspection fees $45,018.97, $86,329,-
Feline Royalty Poses for Picture
. t
Their majesties Happy-Go-Lucky (left) and Snow Ball of Elmora,
two white kittens owned by Mrs. L. E. Kiernan, president of the New
Jersey State Cat club, graciously, If somewhat curiously, pose for their
picture while attending the annual show of the Atlantic Cat club.
Who Is The "Boss"?
SHALL THE CITY MANAGER OBEY THE WISHES OF
ROCKY MOUNT CITIZENS OR BROOKINGS INSTITUTE?
The recent discussion in the newspapers relative to a
proposed change in the police department has caused many
comments and much speculation. We notice the informa
tion given out the afternoon paper, while it does not
appear that it speaks for the city manager, yet its writ
ings did indicate that the writer was conversant with the
views of the citjy manager.
There are many of our citizens who wonder why a fire
man should be to head the police department ra
ther than a trained policeman, if there are any contem
plated changes to be made. If the present police depart
ment does not have material from which a chief may be
selected, as they claim, whose fault is it that the depart
ment has been built up out of men who do not possess the
required capacity to take leadership?
It is common knowledge that for many years past, es
pecially since thfe charter was amended, that the police
men have been -selected by the city manager and the po
lice committee without permitting the chief of police to
make any recommendations or have any part in the se
lection of the personnel of the police department. As was
suggested in a former communication under the forum.
Rocky Mount has in times past had the reputation of hav
ing a splendid police department when the present chief
was given the opportunity to make recommendations in
filling the post, and if the present police department is not
up to standard, it is certainly not the failure of the chief
of police, for the selection in the last few years must rest
upon the police committee and the city manager, for they
did the appointing. Now, this talk about the chief not
meeting the requirements of the Institute of Government
is purely Tommy Rot and ridiculous, for the so-called In
stitute of Government is run by young men without ex
perience, training or qualifications to undertake to give ad
vice in matters of this kind.
The late attorney general Brummit charged the Insti
tute of Government as being a very partisan body and be
ing used by certain authorities in the State to promote the
centralization of government as proposed by the Brookings
Institute. Now, if Rocky Mount is to permit the Institute
of Government to have any part in selection, it is certain
ly time that the citizenship arouse itself and make inqui
ries why it is necessary that a body of this kind should be
satisfied rather than the citizenship itself. It cannot say that
it is the Jack of centralized authority, because the charter,
when it was changed, gave this power to the city mana
ger, and if we have an inexperienced and untrained depart
ment, the fault is his or the police committee's and they
ought not to cry out against their own works.
Rocky Mount needs a chief who has natural ability. The
G business is alright for detective purposes, but it never
took the place of common sense. The first requirements of
a good policeman is for protective and not detective work.
TIME TO BEGIN ON PARK OPPOSITE LUTHERAN
CHURCH
The time is ripe and we are all getting older, while we
feel sure that Rocky Mount is to have the park opposite the
Lutheran church yet it is going to require some time to take
the legal steps necessary to acquire the land and if the
park is to be developed for use this year, the City should
begin at once to acquire the land. The City already has the
authority under the law to condemn the land where satis
factory price cannot be obtained.
The Courts have already held that parks are a necessity
and do not require a vote of the people.
VIRGINIA HAS
NEW GOVERNOR
Amid much pomp and in the pres
ence of thousands of cheering
citizens, James H. Price was inau
gurated Governor of Virginia at
Richmond Wednesday of the past
week. He is the fiftieth Chief Exe
cutive of the Old Dominion and
stepped up from the Lieutenant Gov
ernors place where he served four
years. His home is in Richmond but
he" is a native of West Virginia.
Three of Virginia's four living
former Governors, Byrd, Trinkle and
Davis, were present at the inaugu
ration as was the outgoing Govern
or Peery. Another former Governor,
Swanson, secretary of the Navy in
the Roosevelt Cabinet, was too ill
to be present.
Two former Governors died the
past year, Montague and Pollard,
and it has been but a few years
since two others passed away, Mann
and Stuart.
' i
Mr. and Mrs. Alex Mann of Mann's
Harbor in Dare County have begun
a project to supply fresh poultry and
eggs to Nags Head visitors this sum
mer.
Work with 4-H club members is
the most important job for the coun
ty homo and farm agent at the
present time, says Dr. 0. W. War
burton, national director of exten
sion work.
COOLEY SEES DRASTIC
CUT IN TOBACCO CROP
LOOKING AT
WASHINGTON
(Hugo S. Sims, Washington Cor
respondent)
ISOLATION IS ENDED
It may be some time before the'
vast majority of Americans under
stand the full implication of the
American rearmament program. It
marks the end of the policy of iso
lation, regardless of how the fact
may bo camouflaged and beclouded
by statements and explanations.
U. S. FORCED TO ARM
One has only to review the po
sition of the United States in
world affairs since the end of the
World War in 1918 to understand
the tremendous import of the spec
ial defense program about to be
undertaken by the Government.
Many readers will recall the &U-.
armament conference in 1921-22,
which set up a naval ratio between
Great Britain, The United States,
Japan, France and Italy in regard
to battleships and aircraft carriers.
The established ratios, five for the
United States and Great Britain.
Three for Japan and two for France
and Italy seemed a move to defin
itely limit competition in naval re
armament.
______
The United States, at this time,
demanded and Great Britain grant
ed, full parity for the navies of
the two English-speaking nation?.
, This was a concession on the part
of the British who had long follow
ed a naval policy of building ships
to equal the fleet of any two pow
ers.
The United States also made
certain vital concessions. We
agreed not to fortify certain is
lands in the Pacific, including
Guam, and not to strengthen mili
tary establishments in the Philip
pines. In addition, the United
States, which was in the midst of
a naval construction program,
agreed to junk millions of doMars
worth of warships, including bat
tleships in advance stages of con
struction.
As an offset to the concessions
made by the United States and
Great Britain, Japan and the other
nations entered into certain obli
gations in respect to the Pacifi;
and the Far East. These included
solemn undertakings to respect the
territorial integrity of China, to
maintain the "Open Door" in
China, to respect the right of tha
Chinese people to develop without
molestation and to take no advan
tage of existing conditions in .x
troubled Chinese nation for selfish
purposes.
LIMITATION FAILS
The limitation thus placed on
capital ships had no application to
cruisers, destroyers and submarines.
Naturally, the nations turned to
those categories that were unrestrict
ed. Therefore, in 1936 a conference
was held in London, at which time,
limits were established for these
smaller vessels. The net result was
that unarmed powers bega n to build
up to the treaty limits while the
United States, and to a lesser ex
tent, Great Britain began to build
up to the treaty as pacts to establish
permanent ratios for the navies f
the world and to render unnecessary
a large naval program.
JAPAN STARTS RACE
The situation was rudely changed
by notice given by Japan under the
terms of the treaty, that upon the
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Fourth District Congressman Provi
des Statement On 1938 Tobacco
Outlook; Sees Cuts Ot 10 To M -
Per Cent
(By Harold D. Cooley)
Member House Committee On i|r.
Realizing that tobacco farmers ara
now engaged i„ preparing their
plantbeds and appreciating their
desire to obtain as much informa
tion as can possibly be abtained at
the , resent tim© with reference to
the 1938 tobaceo program contem
plated by the general farm bill as
now in conference. I have discuss
ed the situation at length with offi
cials of til® department of agri
culture in the hope that I might
make a statement which will be of
some benefit to those who are now
preparing for their 1938 crop.
Secretary To Decide
Under the tobaeco marketing quj
ta provisions of the general farm
bill which is now in conference the
secretary of agriculture is required
to invoke the marketing quotas
provision of the act whenever an
abnormally excessive supply of to
baeco exists; that is, when the to
tal supply of tobacco as of the be
ginning of the marketing year then
current exceeds the reserve supply
level therefor. According to statis
tics this condition now exists, and in
the event of the final passage of tho
tobacco provisions of the bi]|l its
will become the duty of the secre
tary to make the required announce
ment and to impose marketing quo
tas. Upon making the announce
ment it will the n become the duty
of the secretary to conduct a re
ferendum of tobacco producers and
in the event more than two-thirds of
the producers vote in favor of th*
imposition of the quota provisions
the quotas will then become effec
tive.
The base acreage of flue-cured to
bacco in 1937 was approximately 1,-
080,000 acres which does not in
clude new growers in 1937 to whom
a base acreage allotment had not
theretofore been made. It is es
timated that taking into account ad
justments for old growers and bas
es for new growers i n 1937 and
1938 the total base would be in
creased to approximately 1,120,000
acres of flue-cured tobaeco. This
compares with the highest acreage
on record of 1,144,000 acres in 19-
30.
Big Increase
In addition to this there has
been a remarkable increase in tho
production per acre since the inau
guration of the farm programs. In
view of the present situation it ap
pears that the flue-cured crop in
1938 should be around 700,000,000
pounds which will of necessity re
sult in a reduction of acreage to
approximately 850,000 and 875,000
acres in view of the yields now be
ing obtained. It is not thought the
market will take a larger crop in
19J58 at anything like the prices in
recent years. In making the ad
justments growers with bases of four
acres or less would probably havo
a reduction of 10 per cent below
the base. Growers with a base of
more than five acres probably
would have a reduction of 30 per
cent below the base. Growers with
bases between four and five acres
probably would have a n adjustment
between 10 and 30 per cent down to
3.6 acres. It appears that the neces
sity for requiring the little grower
to accept a 10 per cent reduction in
acreage is due to the increase in.
yield per acre in recent years, the
idea being that by reducing the ac
reage the little grower would not
exceed poundage allotment and
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