North Carolina Newspapers

ISPATC 4MM PEOPLE BEAD THE DISPATCH, WHT HOT IOCI ip it happens irs n THE DISPATCH ONLY ONI DOLLAR A TEAR. THE PAPER OF THLsEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE AND WITH THE PEOPLE ESTABLISHED 1882 LEXINGTON, N. C. WEDNESDAY, APEIL 5, 1911. VOL. XXIX-NO. 46 THE THE HEW TAX ASSESSMENT.: Tun la DarMon W01 Not be Mate rially Imtmw - How tie Sew Law Will Work, Davidson county has long been list ed among the pauper counties of the state, much to the shame and humilia tion of every patriotic citlsen, but It has been climbing up every year and last year was only $65.89 "in the hole." Other counties, more than half of the counties of the state, were far umpvr ui uiv uuio auu vuij uuo iajuu- ty in the pauper list had a smaller de ficit than ours. In some counties the . deficit ran as high as $12,000 and the average was considerably over $2,500. No patriotic citizen, no matter what party he belongs to, wants Davidson county to remain on the pauper list any longer.- It Is wrong, and very wrong, at that, to expect other coun ties in the state to go down In their pockets and dig up cash to pay our running expenses and no good citisen ? wants them to. This Is exactly what has been done In the past There is no good reason on earth why Gull- ford, Forsyth and Rowan should be ' called on to help pay the expenses of our county government and - the so called pauper counties are ' going to have to hustle for - themselves. in some of them, where the deficit is so large, taxes are going to be increased: The county commissioners will be re- quired to levy taxes on the assessed valuation of property sufficient to meet the running expenses and It Is I believed that there will be no pauper counties alter mis year. . Will the new assessment Increase taxes? Not so you can notice it Da vidson county's deficit will have to be ' made up, of course, but as that is thirty one cents less than sixty six dollars, It will make no noticeable in crease In taxes. After this year, ev ery citizen will pay taxes on his prop erty for its full value, but the tax rate will be lowered. There is no rea son for raising any more money than is needed to administer the affairs of government carefully and economical ly and no more will be raised. This will be left with the board of county commissioners, who will ascertain the exact needs of the county and fix the rate to supply these needs. There will be no increase in the taxes of any citizen under the new law, unless the county commissioners see need for more money and so fix the rate of tax ation. ; '' ' " There la probably $8,000,000 worth of property In Davidson county. If the new assessment runs the property valuation to $24,000,000 it will not In crease taxes. The rate will be placed at just one third of, what it is now. The amount of money to be., raised : will be just the same as before and Davidson county will be benefitted wonderfully, in that It will be shown mi it Mi. wni-lri bb . atrnii v -vrlnh county with a very low tax rate. - MACHINERY AND REVENUE ACT. -'. The full text of the Machinery and Revenue Acts is too much for publica tion here. Because of the Interest that the reference to the law in The Dispatch aroused last week, it was de sired to publish several sections of It, so mat the people may Know just what sort of a law they are to en counter. The main points of interest and Imoortant changes are admirably set out in the legislative edition of the News ft Observer of March 28, and It Is here given: When the ' legislature " assembled there was a deficit In the state treas- nry, and there was wide spread com' nlalnt of undervaluation and Inequall- v nt valn.tl An nf nrnnnrtv. . ' Under these conditions, and with a re-assess-.ntent of property lust ahead, which is to stand for four years, It was gener ally expected that Important changes . . would be made in the macmnery act. . A number of changes were - made. . which are important, and which are xoected to result in a better ana . more uniform valuation. LONGER .TIME FOR TAX LISTING. 1 Perhaps the most Important change Is that of giving a longer time In which to do this work of assessing oronerty and completing tax lists. Heretofore the assessment period has bexun the first of June, the entire work of assessing property and making out tax lists for each township was done in the month -of June, and tax '. books for county turned over to the sheriff September first The new ma chinery act lengthens this period a month at each end, making tax listing begin May first and tax lists are not required to be completed till October flrat ' - TOTAL- . TAX VALUE WILL BE KNOWN BEFORE TAX LEVY WILL BE MADE. - This gives two months Instead of one tor tax listing; gives one montn for eaualizlng and computing, total valuation and, what is still more im portant, it extends the time for man- Ins the county tax levy until August first Br that time the boards of county commissioners will have be fore them the total tax valuations on which they are levying tax, and can calculate exactly what a given tax rate will yield In revenue. .- x HIGHER VALUES LOWER, TAX ;,.! .rate. v . . So that If tax valuations are lsrgery Increased, as It Is anticipated they will be on account of great enhancement . ' in real - estate value since last ap- nralsement four years ago, , the coun- ' ty commissioners will be in position to make redaction In the tax rate wlthbut having to take chances or guess at what revenue will be receiv ed. ' The machinery nnder which the re assessment is to be made is as fol lows: STATE TAX COMMISSION WITH ' FULL POWERS. The Corporation Commission Is con tlnued aa a State Tax Commission with enlarged powers. In a general way they are given pretty thorough machinery for supervision of tax as sessments. They begin by appointing hv the first of Anrtl an officer to be known aa county assessor In each county. Ha Is to receive four dollars per day for such time as may be nec essary for him to serve not exceeding three months each year. He is re- oulred to be a "discreet freeholder and au experienced and practical biilnxs nmn." lie Is to Instruct THE DISPATCH RECEIVES Interestlng Visits and Visitors 1 Drssk man, a Hear Beer Deal. , er and a Lawyer. Wednesday afternoon; The Dispatch office was visited by three very angry citizens who vented their rage in language all of It heated, much of It disgusting and not a little of it un printable. The first of the triumvi rate was drunks He had apparently been on a protracted debauch, judg ing from the inroads that intoxicants had made on his ordinarily decent appearance. It Is certainly more charitable to ascribe his appearance. words and actions to temporary aberration caused by over-indulgence in booze, than to say that he ,was cold sober" Wednesday arternoon. This gentleman had' been reported slightly injured in a fight in a disrep utable joint on Main street. The second citizen was a near beer dealer. . Two months ago The Dis patch had reason to roast the joint operated by this particular man, af ter certain happenings that were a disgrace to the town. His particular hell hole has all of the ear marks of a blind tiger and The Dispatch did not hesitate to say so. It is a men ace to the welfare of the town and Is doing untold injury to the boys and young men of the community. Wed nesday afternoon the . proud possessor of this doggery threatened to whip the editor, of The Dispatch and when invited to wade in and do it said that he was 'waiting to catch blm outside of the city limits. So, there is a licking In store for the editor when he gets outside the corporate limits maybe. i - ,' The third Irate citizen was a law yer. Just why he should choose thib. ot nil times, to vent his ruge for st fancied grievance is hard to say. It certainly looked like he was mighty careless about the company he kept, to say the least of his performance. He followed close on the heels of the near beer man and his was the only part of the show that was "worth the money." The other performers were disgusting. His part ot the show was excruciatingly funny and his audience howled with appreciation. By the time he opened up there was a large audience present, including two po licemen. He demanded .- stren uously, earnestly and vociferously that his fair name be kept out ot The Dis patch forever and ever, and the Boss Man issued orders on the spot that the gentleman's cognomen should nev er again blacken the pages or ine Dispatch and it will ' Be even so. Storms may sweep over the gentle man s devoted head., judicial. guDer natorial, of even presidential light ning may strike him, but never a word of It will find its way Into the columns of The Dispatch. The gentleman may not know it but he has relegated him self to oblivion so far as Lavidson county is concerned and whatever may be his deeds of prowess in the future, even his friends will know not of them Unless he becomes a menace to pub lic welfare 4 and dire necessity com pels The Dispatch to use his name, he will remain forever in the obscur ity which he has chosen as" bin por tion unless he repents. However, he Is a fairly safe and reasonably sane individual and It Is not at all likely that he will be "called out" In these ..columns. . . 1 - " Thus passed the afternoon. There have been afternoons more pleasant but never one more interesting. Picnic at Brlngle'g Ferry. There will be a picnic and good roads rally at Brlngles Ferry, near Daniel. Easter Monday. There will be fine speakers from Davidson and Row an counties and music , by a good brass band. Old fashioned Davidson county barbecue will be served and everybody In the county is invited. A multitude Is expected and everybody la urged to bring a big basket ot eat ables with them and help mane tne day a great success. There will be a (rood time for everybody. The south bound will give special rates for the occasion and a special train will be run on that day. leaving Winston-Sa lem at 8 o'clock. It will reach Daniel at about 10 o'clock and will leave Daniel In the afternoon, returning from Whitney," at 4:30. This will give about six hours at Brlngles Ferry and a big crowd from Lexington and oth er points- along the line should at tend. - ? ; Wwek at China Grave. There was bad wreck . at China Grove on' the Southern , Saturday evening. It was caused by h broken truck under a coal car and the wreck was one of much destructlveness. A negro was killed and others of the crew were in lured. The coal car on which was the broken truck causing the wreck was thrown on Its side across the north bound main line and two cars pf fer tilizer following were thrown one across the siding and the other almost crosswise ot southbound track. . For more than 200 feet the heavy steel rails on both tracks were broken and twisted entirely out of shape. The body of the negro killed was found to be Paul Ingram of Newells, who In company with two others were on . their way home to spend Sunday. The three were In the employ of th Southern at Spencer and had been given passes home on No. S5 bnt de cided to. go on the freight as they could get there earlier than to wait on the passenger train. - Sr. 8. L. Owen a Candidate. At the solicitation"- of numerous friends I hereby announce myself a candidate for the office of mayor ot Lexington. If elected, I shall endeav or -to discharge the duties of the of fice to .the best ot my skill and abil ity. S. U OWEN. April 4, 1M1. Thrown from Wagon and Killed. Mr. Joe Carter, a well-to-do farmer. who Uvea In Ormondaville section of Greens county, was horribly killed in a runaway acldent near his home Tuesday. He was driving along the road with his mule and cart, when the mule became frightened and ran away. Mr. Carter was dashed violent ly senlnst a stump and his body was so Imdly mangled and bruised that CLEAN UP DATS THIS WEEK. Children Will Have Half Holiday Fri day AU Are Urged to Oft la the dame Early.. The battle' cry. this week Is "Clean Up!" Every boy and girl in the city is urged to get in the game early and stay In to the finish. There will be a big fat $5 prize for somebody and les ser prizes for those who follow close ly. '; While the prizes are ottered to the children, the day is by no means for their observance alone. Every house keeper and storekeeper in town should have a heavy hand In It If every citizen takes a pride In the ap pearance of the streets, in his own yard, front and back, and gives ex pression to that pride and interest by actual deeds all that has been hoped for the day will be achieved. Do these clean up campaigns pay? It has been the experience of every city that ever tried a clean up cam paign and carried it through to a suc cessful conclusion that it does pay and pay big. In Charlotte it was tried last year and the Charlotte Observer this year lent its powerful influence to help further the movement. It called attention to the fact that clean up day has been tried with only good results the country over and the record of Charlotte's health in 1909, tho year it was inaugurated, was one of the very best in its history, there being only two deaths recorded as resulting from typhoid fever, which is only one of the many evidences that typhoid fe ver follows In the trail of the fly, and whatever disturbs his breeding places and decreases his number lessens the fever scourge and the same Is true of malaria and the mosquito. So when Charlotte offi cials put the seal of their approval and their hand to help the clean up day project, they performed a public benefaction, duty and 1 service, for there are deeper principles than mere neatness, sightliness or beauty in volved. Last year the movement was a suc cess in Lexington. The boys worked hard and it was wonderful to see the amount of garbage that was dragged out from hidden places and from all sorts of nooks and corners. The city's sanitary department was taxed to the limit in handling the problem ot dis posing of the debris and Lexington was cleaner than it nad ever Deen before. This year the ladles of the Civic League hope to surpass the rec ord of laBt year and It they can im part to their youthful helpers half of the enthusiasm that they themselves feel m the work, they will do what they have set out to do. : ,: Let everybody help. Prof. A. H. Jarratt, superintendent of the Graded Schools, has agreed to give the chil dren a half holiday Friday so that they can get to work early and ac complish much. The people should remember that this no trivial matter and that vital Interests are at stake. With cities as with Individuals, eter nal vigilance is the price of cleanli ness and while It is a fact that Lex ington has had a wonderful health record. It must . be remembered that It takes real work to retain that rec ord.,.-. - JUDGES FOR CLEAN UP CONTEST. Clean Up Day starts Friday morn ing and the contestants will have all day Friday and Saturday, up to tour o clock in the afternoon, to collect their trash In piles. Every pile of trash is to be numbered - and the judges will not know whose plies they are. . They will begin their rounds promptly at four o'clock Saturday afternoon and all piles should be ready at that time, so that there will be no delay about measuring The Civic League has secured the following gentlemen to act as judges: Capt. 8. E. Williams, Mr. W. E. Holt Jr., and Mr. H. o. varner. ,. THE LEAGUE POEM. The league offers the' following lit tle poem: Raking up rubbish of chips i and of string Raking up rubbish because It Is spring; Bottles and boxes and scraps ot old paper Raking up rubbish In Spring is the caper And so whtle we're raking, let's rake - up the mind And see how refreshing a task we. will find. Raking the yard, and - the lawn all . around. The house and the shed, where the - rubbish was found. A resting place over the winter and . - now , . We can't bear to see It around us somehow,' Raking the spirit, the heart and the soul. That's something novel, but good on the whole. ' Raking up derelict purposes, lost In the conflict and effort, at- very . great cost: But when it's all done, and It must be seems Better and sweeter all sound us, so clean . - That the grass of the spirit comes up :. again green. , Escaped Cenrlct Killed. A telegram was received her tbls morning stating that John Edwards, son of Frank Edwards, of this city, and an escaped convict from the Ca barrus county chain gang, was killed by a train In AshevUle yesterday, but no particulars were given. Edwards escsped from the chain gang about two months ago and sine that time his whereabouts have not been known although the officials have been mak ing an effort to capture him. He was serving a sentence of IS months for highway robbery, being convicted about a year ago tor holding up and robbing a man near the depot here. He had served about 12 months of his sentence and had been made trusty when he made his escape. His brother left this morning for Ashe vllle to take charge of the remains and it Is probable that he will M bur led here. Concord Tribune. The city of Gsstnnia Is to have a new d"pot Work will bKln on it at n early d;il. It is to cost about $.r, ASSISTANT ASSESSORS NAKED. Good Reads Elections Ordered Sev eral Districts Will Vole ra Special Tax for Schools. . The board of county commissioners met in regular session Monday and were In session two days, in addition to the routine- business that, had to be attended to, there were several matters of great importance to be passed on, chief among which was the calling of elections in five town ships for good, roads and in three districts for special tax for schools. The southern part of the county Is waking up on the good reads ques tion. Two townships down there have already voted special tax for roads and an election was ordered for Em mons last month. ' This time Boone. Healing Springs, Jackson Hill, Alle ghany and Reedy Creek presented strong petitions and elections were called In all of the townships for May 30th, except in Boone, where the elec tlon is to be held May 4th. In Boone the following election of ficers have been named: Registrar Walter Wilson: . Judge W. D. Sim merson and Oscar Wiser; Jackson Hill, George L J. Elliott i registrar and A. L. Smith and C. N. Riley, judges; Healing Springs, W. Wj Hedrick reg istrar, and E. M. Snider and W. R. Snider, judges; Alleghany, A. H. Ml chael, registrar and Fi L Cook and J. L. Doby, judges; Jtejpdy Creek, C. E. Nitons, registrar, ana w. v.. My ers and J. C. Hoffman judges. All of these election will be held at the regular polling places and It looks. like May 30th, will be GOOD ROADS DAY in Davidson county. A new registration was ordered. Elections for special tx for schools were ordered for three1, districts, as follows: Thoonasville NA 11, Kindley school: Ahhotts Creek lo. 2. Boston school; Churchland Hlgi School dis trict in Boone township. TOWNSHIP TAX ASSESSORS. The board then took up the matter of appointing assistant assessors for the various townships of the county with the following result: Arcadia I. P. Flshel. Alleghany J. L. Doby. ' Abbotts Creek J. L. Recce, v Boone R. K. Williams. Conrad Hill M. F. Brlles. Cotton Grove H. P. Feezor. Emmons J. O. Garner and C. R. Russell. Healing Springs David Floyd. Hampton Edward Sink. Jackson Hill J. L. Thompson. Lexington H. P. Gal II more and B. Midway P. E.. Whlcke ... - , Reedy Creek John Hege.'"i?; ' Silver Hill W. E. Rhodes. Tyro Ol in T. Davis. Thomaavllle E. F. Westmoreland and A. M. Hyatt Yadkin College Ed L. Green. Jndge J. S. Adsmg Dead. The following news dispatch from Raleigh to the Charlotte Observer Monday brought grief to many hun dreds of the friends and admirers of Judge Joseph S. Adams, of Asheville, one of the strongest judges on the superior court bench: , The remains of Judge si Joseph S. Adams of Buncombe court were here between trains this evening en route tram Warrenton to Asheville, this able and . much esteemed member of the North Carolina superior judiciary having died suddenly of apoplexy this forenoon. He- concluded the Warren superior court Saturday and was to all appearances in his usual health this morning and partook of break fast heartily. v Judge Adams was elected to the su perior court bench for the fifteenth district In 1908, succeeding Judge. J. D. Murphy of Asheville, who had been appointed In August of that year by Governor Glenn to fill out the unex plied term ot Judge Fred Moore de ceased. The news ot the death of Judge Adams brought deep sorrow to many friends here. A number of tho members of the Raleigh bar and jadges ot the supreme court were with the remains at the union station here. . Reynolds to Put Up Another Big Building. Plans- were completed yesterday morning and the contract awarded by the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Com pany for the erection of another monster storage house for leaf tobac co. The building is to be 264 feet in length and 140 wide. The site , se lected for the structure is between Eighth ' and Ninth streets and near the Norfolk ft Western Railway. A tiding will be run from this railroad to the new storage house. Mr. James Ordway was awaroed the contract to do all the concrete work and grading necessary In the construction of .the new building. while the house will be erected by Mr. Solomen, workman for the com pany. The construction of this big stor age house In addition to the other large buildings of the company is but another evidence of the marvelous growth of this mammoth enterprise. -Winston-Salem Journal. Killing la Meant Airy. A citizen from Mount Airy, here to day, reported that a deaf and dumb negro 'killed his brother U that town yesterday.. The names were not learned. It appears that ths two brothers fell out when the one that could talk struck the deaf and dumb one. then the latter picked up a rock and threw It striking the brother In the head, cracking bia skull for five inches. The Injured brother went home and died last night The deaf and dumb brother was arrested and locked up Winston Sentinel. . Colonel Beydea Docllnfs, Cot. A. H. Boyden was to-day not! field by Governor Kltchln that ha had been chosen by the governor aa one of the seven members or the State Building Commission and the govern or, expressed the nope mat ne wouia accept the appointment However, Colonel Boydpo, has wrtttnn to Gov ernor Kltchln thanking him for the honor tndired but din-lSi i-s to sorvs s one of the comniliou. r ,H: nry IN AND ABOUT LEXINGTON. 1 1 Personal Mention Movements ( tke Feeple Small Items of In terest Mr. Glenn Smith son of Mr. J. B. Smith, is seriously 111. Mr. and Mrs. T. M. Hall, of High Point. .visited relatives here Sunday. Mr. A. W. Feezor, of Cotton Grove township, was in the city Monday on business. Prof. S. G. Hasty, the popular bead ot the Churchland High School, spent Monday here. Miss Minnie Beck spent Saturday and Sunday in the city as the guest of Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Koonts. Miss Ada Eanes left Monday for Mocksvllle to see her brother, who is seriously ill with pneumonia. Miss Elsie Hlnkle, sister of Mr. A. H. Hlnkle, who underwent an opera tion for appendicitis a few days ago, is recovering rapidly. Mrs. J. J. Fagg and daughter Miss Istalena, who have been visiting Mr. and Mrs. D. A. Shoaf , will leave for Roanoke, Va., Saturday. Mrs. R. B. Glenn, of Winston-Sa lem and sister Miss Deaderick, of Tennessee, visited Mr. J. F. Deader ick the first of the week. Mr. H. Clay Grubb, of Boone town ship, was in the city Monday, help ing to launch a local tax campaign in the Churchland High School district. Mrs. Laura Young, who has been spending some time here visiting her sons, Messrs. Charles and Baxter Young has returned ' to her home in the county. . Mr. J. Curtis Beck is back at the general delivery window of the Lex ington post office again, after a short absence. He worked a few weeks in Baltimore but did not like the cli mate and came back home. Mrs. Wllloughby Lynch, who has been visiting friends and- relatives here, left Sunday for her hjme in Wallaceton, Va. Mr. Lynch, who has been in Texas for some time arrived here Saturday and accompanied his wife home. ; Mrs. J. W. Smith and son, of Bal timore, Md., arrived in the city last week. Mr. Smith, who Is a painter, has been several months and has made good at his trade. They will keep house on Fifth avenue in the west end of town. Mr. Smith has just finished painting the residence of Mr. W. Ti.vT on Jaeoond. avenue and is now engaged in painting ' another which Is being finished in that sec tion. . Mr. E. J.; Zimmerman, of Welcome, was in the city Monday. Mr. Zim merman was enthusiastic over the prospects of Welcome. He said that the - lot sale Thursday was entirely successful even better than he had hoped for. .The lots sold for good prices, the residence lots bringing from $40 to $120 each and the busi ness lots ranging higher. He has been selling lota steadily since the BttMS. Court In Davle This Week. A special from Mocksvllle in the dally papers yesterday told of the In beginning of one week of court Davie Monday, as follows: - Davie superior court convened here this morning with Judge C. C. Lyon presiding. The criminal docket is light : There is one murder case. state against Robert Williams for the killing of Laird, which occurred s number of years ago and for which he was then tried convicted and sentenced to 3 years In the penlten tiary. An appeal was taken tj the supreme court,' which grau'ed a new tr.nl. The case has ben continuo-l from t'me to time and it Is thought that this case will come up for trial tbls week. The rest of the criminal cases are of minor Importance. Judge Lyon dispatches business with great skill and satisfaction. His charge to the grand jury was concise and to the point Mnrrled on the Train. On Tuesday night Mr. Paul V. Vaughan and Miss Laura Bell boarded the 7:38 train with a view of going to Halifax,- where they would be Join- In holy wedlock. - As the train reach ed Kltchln 's spur just this side ot Spring Hill, there was a slight wreck, and It looked for a while like the bri dal party, passengers, and all would have to spend the night in the car. . One young man, among the pas sengers, never willing to be out done proposed that they take a band car, go to Spring Hill, wake up Esquire J H. - Darden, bring him back to the scene and there have the ceremony performed. This plan was carried out and about 12 o'clock at night in the presence of about 20 passengers, Mr, Vaughan and Miss Bell were united in marriage. Scotland Neck Com monwealth. Bitten by Mad Cat. Last Wednesday morning a cat be longing to Mr. Joe Jones, who lives on the J. D. Thorne farm in Speight Bridge township, bit four -people who ara now taking the Pasteur treatment In Raleigh. It first bit Mr. Jones daughter. Miss Minnie Jones,- after which It left and going a mile or more to other homes In rapid succes sion, bit Mrs. Lucy Wtggs, Fred Snipes and John May. Hydrophobia was suspected and the cat's head on Thursday, was sent to the state lab oratory of hygiene, where evidences of the dread disease were found, and so Friday morning all of the above left for. Raleigh to take the Pasteur treatment Snow Hill Standard-La conic. ? , Woods-Roth rock. This evening at 7:80 o'clock will be celebrated one of the most notabls weddings of the season when Rev. Clarence Woods will lead to the altar MIbs Lena Belle Rothrock, the charm ing daughter of Mr. E. A. Rothrock, treasurer of Davidson county. The wedding will take place at the First Reformed church. Dr. J. C. Leonard, TBtor, will perform the ceremony The young couple will spend tr 'Mf-vnioori In Guilford county vi ROADS BT TAXATION. Newsom Correspondent Answered Some Advantages at the Taxa tion System Outlined, A correspondent from Newsom. Al leghany township, Davidson coun ty, desires more Information as to how to work the roads by taxation. in tne nrst place, if any township votes a road tax It cannot be for more than 20 cents on the $100 and 60 cents on the poll. The voting of this tax repeals the old free labor system, though the old system will prevail until the tax is levied and arrangements made for active road work. The free labor system is a relic of the middle ages and has no place in this day of progress and en lightenment. It originated in the days of Queen Elizabeth In old England and was discarded in that country sev eral centuries Ago. Even in the days of Good Queen Bess, it was regarded oy many as unfair and unjust, be cause it taxed the poor of England far more heavily than it taxed the great property owner, whose wagons and teams destroyed the roads while the bumble peasant did no damage to the roads at all. If unfair and out of place even la that day of semi-bar barlsm, when only the crudest notions of the rights of man prevailed, how much more out of place is the system in enlightened, right-loving America. It is not right that the poor citizen of Davidson county, who owns neith er land nor teams, should be forced to do the same amount of work on the roads that the man of big property, the owner Of teams and wagons, is required to do. Good roads enhance the value of real estate. The poor man has no real estate. Good roads decrease the cost of transportation making markets easy ot reach and farm products more easily and more cheaply marketed, all going to swell the bank account of the farm owner. The poor man has no teams to drive over the roads and, usually, but little produce to sell. He is benefitted, of course, but the man who gets the big gest share of the profits of good roads and the man who does practically all ot the damage to the roads, is the man who owns property. Who should foot the bills? The very idea of requiring -" the same amount of labor from the poor man who travels across the fields With his hound dog following and his gun on his shoulder, as is re quired of the man of property who Is perhaps exempt because he is more than 45 years of age, is of itself ab solutely ridiculous. No elaborate ar gument Is needed to convince any man of Averageiatelllnoer'4his4te. fact. The Newsom correspondent is on the right track. The only right and proper way to work the roads of Al leghany township, or of any other township, is by a direct tax or by bond Issue. The tax method seems to meet with more favor In Davidson county than any other and it has giv en satisfaction wherever tried. The spending of the money Is placed In the hands of competent and reliable trustees, appointed by the board of county commissioners. The law pro vides that five trustees shall be ap pointed and that not more than three of these may be of the same political faith. This prevents the handling of the road funds by a partisan board and a wise provision it la. These trustees, of course, can work the roads of the township as they see fit The law allows them to do the work In their own way. It Is the opinion of experienced road-builders. however, formed after long and care ful investigation and observation, that the best way to work the roads un der the taxation method Is bv the contract system. The trustees of the road fund first proceed to lay off all of the roads of tho township In 2, 4 and s mile sections. The kind of road work Is then specified and these sections are let to the lowest respon sible bidders by the year. It is the duty of the trustees to watch the work carefully on every mile ot road In the township, and see that it is be ing done according to specifications and that the contract Is carried out In full before any money Is paid out This has been found to be the cheap est and best way to work dirt roads. The township trustees will find It advisable to purchase a good, four- wheeled road grader for the use or the various contractors of the township in grading their sections of road. A good machine can be bought for $225. Each contractor should be required to make use of the split-log drag at the Droner times and each contractor should be provided with one or more of these simple. Inexpensive machines, If this is done, the dirt roads of Da vidson county will be almost perfect boulevards for at least ten months in the vear. Roads should nrst be properly lo cated. Too much emphssis cannot be given to the question of the loca tion of the road for the location is the only permanent part of a road and great care should be taken that the road Is located In the right Tne nest Investment of a part of your toad fund will be to employ a competent man to locate your roads. . The High way Division of the N. C. Geological Survey could probably help you and give you good advice - regarding this. After all stumps and rocks are removed and the road Is graded and drained, with the proper use of the split log drag after each rain, your roads will bo almost perfect It has been proven in a great many states that dirt roads, sand-clay and gravel roads can be kept In perfect condi tion by the use of the split log drag at from $Z to $5 per mile per year. This is unquestionably ths cheapest plan of road maintenance. This same condition applies to any other town shin in this or any other county and If once tried the people will be de lighted. If you want information in reference to building a spilt log arag, write to Dr. Joseph Hyde Pratt State Geologist Chapel- Hill, N. C , or to Hon. Logan Waller Page, V. B. Otnce of Publlo RoailH.i.wiwblngton, D. C. and they will take - rnt pleasure In sending you full 1) ctlons as to how to build and iin- a spilt log (Inn, which Is tho greaict lcv -;.m of t age, and t'-- c;.-' it it,. . n"-"nt t hRs ever b""n " 1 on a r 1 1 Will ( R' - t 'it ,n.-l ) 1 1 I FORWARD STEP TAKEN. Capital Highway Association Prepares for a Wider Field of Cwfalaess la Road-Balldlng. In order to gain the benefit of the advice and experience of road build ers all over the country, the Capital Highway Association of Plnehurst N. C, has become an associate member of the American Association for High way improvement, tne national or ganization formed In Washington by leading men in the country to corre late and harmonize the efforts of all existing organizations working for road Improvement - Leonard Tufts, the president of the Plnehurst association, was already a regular member of the big association in Washington and to that extent the North Carolina and national organiza tions were affiliated. It was decided, however, that by having the caoital highway association join the Wash ington association as an associate member better results could be ob tained. . Half a score of other local and state road improvement associations have also joined the American association for highway improvement and there is reason to believe that within a few months the association, which is more or less a clearing house for all other ' existing organizations, will have re lations with every influential road lm provement organization In the United States. : Some of the associations which have already Joined the national body are: The International League tor Highway Improvement, of New York. wnose president is John A. Stewart; The Southern Appalachian Good Roads Association, whose secretary is -Dr. Joseph Hyde Pratt; the . North Carolina Good Roads Association -whose president is Dr. Pratt; the South Carolina Good Roads Associa tion, whose president Is F. H. Hyatt, of Columbia, South Carolina; the Ohio Good Roads Federation, whose president is Archibald Huston; the Arkansas Good Roads and Drainage Association, whose president is Judge Joseph Asher; the Gulf Coast Good Roads Association, J. H. Hawley sec retary; the New Sante Fe Trail As sociation, R F. Faxon, president, Gar den City, Kansas; the Montana So ciety of Engineers; and the Capital Highway Association of Plnehurst N. C: Leonard Tufts, .president. While the American Association for Highway Improvement will not sup plant any of the existing . organiza tions, it will be of great use to all its associate members. The association : is nationalizing the movements having In aid ot all such enterprises, the- Washington association will, as its fa cilities develop, provide well-informed and thoroughly capable lecturers. writers and organizers, and will not restrict its efforts in this direction! to ' the attainment of a salaried staff of assistants, but Is even now obtaining the gratuitous aid of men conspicuous for their success In all walks of life aad who ' are willing to aid the na tional movement for good roads from , the standpoint of broad minded ipatrl-. ' otlsm. - - - - As an example, if any of the organ izations which have become associate members are struggling with a prob lem ot how best to provide a suitable system of improved roads; the asso-, elation will endeavor to have repre sentatives from some other county that is sucessfully solving the same . problem give their aid to the move ment by addressing public meetings or by writing an explanation of their work. As the state and local associations come into the American Association for Highway Improvement, they will nnd that their strength will be In creased one-hundred fold. The pol icy of the association will be to throw Its strength lust when and where It needed. Thia will guarantee re sults.. It any other assurance of success for the new nationalizing movement were needed It would be furnished by the list of officers of the Ameri-. can Association for Highway Im provement including L. W. Page, Di rector of the United 8tates Office of Public Roads, as president: W. C. Brown, president of the New York Central, as vice-president: Lee Mc- Clung, treasurer ot the United States, as treasurer; and Louis Hill, presi dent of the Great Northern Railroad Company, as chairman of the board of directors. The president ot the United States, William Howard Taft, has become a regular member of the association. Minister Drops Dead. A dispatch from Asheville tells of the sudden death of Rev. S. C. Owen, of Candler, who dropped dead at bis home Saturday while starting toward nis bea to lie down tor a few minutes. He had complained of feeling unwell , and had remained In bis room while other members of the family went to dinner. Hearing the noise of a fall, his wife rushed Into the room to find her husband dead. He was a prominent Baptist minister of this county and secretary of the county Farmers' Co-operative and Education al Union. Surviving are his wife and several children. Death Is said to have been duo to aa attack of apo Plexy. could only realize that It Is a fact be-' yond question that the bad roads that they now have are costing them from $7,000 to $10,000 per year in the loss of time, for men and teams, the wear and breakage of vehicles and other disadvantages, they would fall over each other to get to tho polls and would vote unanimously for a road tax. The mud tax Is blffger than all other taxes you pay and the pity Is that few realize it; simply btw-aiiKe they don't stop to think, flErure and llstnn to the men who want to ro for ward and make this section what It should be. Improved roads will br' li " r schools, and great or at'' i -t.r honl '1 8"fl (!! Vi'T ) tlon, 1- -r t.-n. l i I. I r . I ! 1 he 6 A In a short time. He wss t -n i t f n:'!y. l.:itin Free. I'r (i w:Hmi"i on rage Four.) ;-t.