North Carolina Newspapers

Mtlmingtim Itorotg Slar Published by THE WILMINGTON STAR ^COMPANY! Inc.. 109 Chestnut Street, p. h, BATTE. Managing Director. Telephones ^Business Office .£}*• {-i Editorial Rooms..JN0’ 0 Entered at the Postoffice at Wilming ton, N. C., as Second Class Matter. One Year.. *3.50 Six Months ...175 %hree Months ..-. ‘_ No weekly mall subscriptions. CITY DELIVERY—Papers are sched uled to be delivered before 7:30 Jn week days and 8:30 o’clock on Sun ays. Complaints regarding late s«.r Tice or nonrdelivery should be before 9:00 a. m. to Circulation Depart meat. Phone 51. —' r ' CHANGE OP address—Whea oe 4*rinff your .paper changed iroift fddress to another please give old as weii as new address._ - ALL DRAFTS, checks. exP*e®Vor° the orders and postal money orders for t^e paper should be made Pay,f order of the Wilmington ctar to. _1__—-— COMMUNICATIONS must be *ccom-, panled by the true nam« a»di aaarew Jf the Writer in order to' roc* b tion. Rejected manuscripts wiu not returned. MEMBER OF ASSOCIATED PRESS The Associated Press is exclusively entitled to ?he use for publication of all news credited to it, or not 0 tjje o, edited, in this paper and AUriirhts local news published herein. All g of re-publication of speoial dispatcnes herein are also reaerved. __ FRIDAY, APRIL 2d, 1923 America’s Need of a Merchant Marine While the United States has a great fleet of government owned ships tied up and rusting out. the statement comes from Washington that Ameri can ships are not carrying half of America’s foreign trade. The fact is, American ships can get only such foreign trade as our shipping com panies solicit or have tendered to them. Much of our foreign trade is not that which we have looked up but which foreign buyers have sought be cause of their own necessities. They buy our products and generally send their own ships over here after the cargoes. The Jones act, pt^sed at the last session of congress, ^attempted to deal with American shipping and some had interpreted it as mandatory upon the government. However, President Harding has made a careful study of the Jones act, as it affects the opera tions of the United States shipping hoard, and he has concluded that there is nothing mandatory in the provision declaring that in the event of failure to find purchasers for the government's vessels required for the essential trade routes, the government should seek charaters for the ships to carry on the maritime service for which they are suited. The president does not interpret any such reading of the Jones act, so the plan of chartering ships to private interests for maintenance or the trade routes as a possible alterna tive to direct government operation has been scrapped by the shipping board and President Harding. There fore, the announcement comes, from Washington that the proposition lias narrowed down to one or two courses —outright sales of trade routes to private interests; or direct operation under companies to be set up by the government. Some sections of the Jones act are contradictory but the President finds in it no -mandatory power compelling the government to sell or scrap its ships, but alternatives that enable the government to follow other courses in order to enable the government to comply with the act. That act, in its preamble, sets forth that “it is neces sary” for the proper growth of for eign and domestic commerce to have "an American merchant marine of the best equipped and most suitable types of vessels sufficient -to carry the greater portion of its commerce, ulti mately to be owned and operated privately by citizens of the United States.’ The president and the shipping board interpret that to mean that the . government not only must have a fleet of vessels of sufficient size to carry the greater portion of the for eign trade but services that will take care of 60 percent or more of the ac tual freight moving. Since the ships of both the Shipping board and of private owners are not carrying halt the trade, the Jones act is construed as leaving it to the president and the board to work out a plan that “ulti mately” will place the American mer chant marine in the hands of private American citizens. Since “ultiamtely” does not limit the government to any fixed ‘time" to. go out of the shipping business, it is held that the government can operate ships or take other steps necessary to enable American vessels to carry half of American’s foreign trade, .That may “ultimately” be a long time off, so that is given as the reason why Chairman Lasker of the shipping board recently announced, th^t direct . government operation ■would be launched on a “bigger and larger scale than ever” till the mer chant marine ultimately can be placed in the hands of private operators who can be depended upon to give the country the kind of shipping service required by the Jones act. The government can takes its time about that and continue to operate till it finds a way to get the whole business Into private hands. The Jones act does not.say how that can be done, so the government will have to find its own way out of the mari time business, if it can. Meanwhile, it may have to operate. House and Money Destroyed by Fire Wilson county furnishes the re markable example of a m£n who was well to do one day and penniless next day. A residence worth $5,000, unin sured, and $800 in cash in the house Instead of in bank, went up in flames, and all now left to the man and his family is a small farm and no means for operating it this season. The man who suffered this terible blow was Mr. Dobbin Eatmon, described as a good citizen for whom a public sub scription among his neighbors and friends in the city has been made necessary by his misfortune. The Wil son Times sympathizes'with this gen erous movement, and says: Sheriff Glover starts a fund for Mr. Dobbin Eatmon, and Mr. Sam Leonard, welfare officer of Wilson .founty is also actively interested in behalf of the family, composed of Mr. Eatmon, his wife and four small children besides his oldest daughter, Edna who married Ernie Tomlinson. We are sure this ap peal will strike the hearts of our people who are always generous and hearken to the cry of the dis tressed. Mr. Eatmon is a Wilson county man, and the whole of Wil son county will be glad to help him in his distress. His loss is heavy. His home with its fur nishings was valued at over $5,000 and in addition to that he lost $S00 in cash. Sheriff Glover is treasurer of the fund, and all contributions of cash should be ? ■ sent to him. Clothing, furniture and food should be sent to Mr. Leonard. While Mr. Leonard was soliciting funds for the relief of Mr. Eatmon, he heard some criticism of Mr. Eat mon because he had his money at home instead of in bank where it would have been safe. In view ot that criticism, Mr. Leonard explains in the Wilson Times that Mr. Eatmon keeps banking accounts in Wilson and at Bailey, and that the $800 burned up with the house was collected by Mr. Eatmon on the day prior to the night of the fire. He was, therefore, unable to bank his money. That explantion partly relieves the unfortunate man from blame in that respect, but it serves the purpose ot emphasing that sizeable financial transactions, as near as possible, should be done by check. Consider able sums of money on one’s person or in his house invites attacks by highwaymen ■ and burglars. However that may be, there was no insurance, and, therefore, no safeguard of for a home worth more than sixtlmes the cash burned with the bouse. The man without insurance takes a great risk, and the Wilson man’s sad experience proves it. The Pottery Trust In the United States district oourt at New York last Tuesday, members of the alleged pottery combine, on trial before Judge Van Fleet, were found guilty of violation qf the Sher man anti-trust law by entering into and carrying out a conspiracy to fix prices, limit the output and control the sale of the various products ot the pottery plants. According to Colonel William Hey ward, United States district attorney, and Assistant District Attorney David B. Podell, who conducted the prose cution, the defendants, quite a num ber of them, represent about 82 per cent of the pottery industry in the United States and do a business ot $100,000,000 annually. The jury recom mended most of the defendants to the mercy of the court for the reason that the archoffenders were defendants. Drugan, Chamberlain, Smith and Dougherty. What the penalty to be imposed upon the ring leaders will be is to be pronounced later by Judge Van Fleet. ' . This is one more case of the gov ernment’s prosecuting men because they combined in order to take ad vantage of the tariff passed for their benefit. The tariff .schedules put a high tariff on pottery products and shut out foreign competion for the benefit of the pottery industry, but the competion between the companies themselves was so great that nona of them could take" advantage of the tariff by . increasing prices and getting what was coming to them under the pro tective tariff. Owing to competion be tween the unbilled companies prices were cut to sacn a low level that none could get rich quick. Tlfe tariff having shut out foreign competion only, these tariff beneficiaries realized that the only other, way they could prevent home comnetion was through a com bination ana price fixing ooara wmcn could make uniform prices for the whole hunch. Thus they could make prices sufficiently Mgh as to enable the manufacturers to get every cent of the tariff levied for their benefit— and then some. Probably the pottery combine played £he hog, but whether they did or not the tariff enabled them to do', it. Grover Cleveland called the tariff a “breeder of trusts’'-and up to now no body has been able to dispute It. It breeds trusts now, but the same gov ernment which provides that sort of law for privileged classes, prosecuted the brood which takes advantage of its biggest opportunity under protect tive tariff laws. That appears to be lnconstency on the part of a government whose laws create the opportunity to form trust combines and which subsequently prosecutes those who do under the tariff law precisely what it enables them to do. Probably, Judge Van Feet will issue an order dissolving the pottery com bination, but the pottery trust has no reason to lose heart, for other trusts heretofore “dissolved" still live and do business as usual, Nobody can recall off-hand any trust convicts who were sent to the penitentiary. Some have been fined but the trusts they organized pay their fines, as a matter of course. No grateful trust would let any of its main guys be chucked into a cell. Conspirfacles in restraint of trade logically grow out of the tariff and many of them continue to grow long after they have been “dissolved." Temptation to enter into combines, by virtue of the tariff, cannot be resisted, hence the courts will continue to have trust cases on their dockets. It is not considered any disgrace to enter into a conspiracy to take advantage of the tariff and to exploit buyers. Will Give Ships to Ports or States Henry Ford’g magazine, the Dear born Independent,, calls attention to the fact that if a bill introduced by Senator Caraway, of Arkansas, just before congress adjourned, should ever pass, the government would make a gift of some of its ships to port cities or states which comply with the terms of the act, in the event that it should finally pass. The Cara way bill provides that any city, state or political supdtvislon of a state can establish steamship lines of their own and get government ships as a free gift. The senator’s bill is one of sev eral aimed at disposing of the gov ernment’s Idle ships and its chief ob ject is to extend the commerce of the United States my enabling ports and states to have ships with which to do business. The Independent thus ex plains: mis Dm passes tne next con gress all any city or state desir ing to engage in the steatrishlp business need do Is to ask the gov vernment for the ships and any such municipalities or states -will be made a present of what ships they need to establish a line, on certain conditions. This is cer tainly an opportunity that should be watched by cities and states bordering on the sea coasts that desire to build up great ports and a foreign trade. Any’munlclpallty or state mak ing application for ships to be al lotted to its should address the ap plication in duplicate, one copy to the committee on commerce, United States senate, Washington, D. C., and another copy to the United States shipping board. Necessarily these applications will lay over until the next session of congress takes up the measure. The government, under the pro visions of this bill, Is authorised to allot and charter ships to the applicant city or state, for a period of five years, free of cost. After the steamship line has been operat ed for five years the government transfers_ title in the ships to the city or state operating the line, but a guaranty is to be given the goyernmeiit that the line will be continued for thre years longer. It is thought that cities like Seat tle, Tacoma, Portland, San Fran - Cisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Galveston, Houston, Port Arthur, New Orleans, Mobile, Pensacola, Tampa, Jacksonville, Savannah, Charleston, Wilmington, Norfolk, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Newark, Jersey City, Hoboken, perhaps New York, New Haven, ‘Providence, Fall River, New Bedford, Boston, Portland and some of the states in which these 1 cities are located would bo interested. In view of the , Great Lakes-St. Laurence Canal, an<* the Wonderful cities on the Great Lakes, It Is thought‘some of them {night take advantage' of this, in case the bill becomes a law at the next sessloti. The num ber of the bill Is S.4646. President Harding has announced that unless the United States shipping board can sell the government's ships, the administration, proposes to bit the highseas with Its freight passen ger ships. No doubt If the goverrir ment finally decides to go into the shipping business, it uould easily get the co-operation of ports capable, of developing commerce of their own. The Caraway bill may not pass, but if the government does decided to go into the shipping business it will have to secure new legislation from congress. The last shipping and transportation act took the govern ment entirely out -of the shipping business, so it might be an altogether I practical thing |or the foverament-to | let the ports and the states try their hands at the maritime business. Of course, we all know that no port can do business unless it can hav.e shipping facilities apd is able to con centrate commodities to provide car goes for ships. Senator Caraway be lieves in his bill and it doubtless will be one of a dozen which the next ses sion of congress will have up for con sideration. The ship and port terminal proposi tion In North Carolina is attracting widespread attention all over the country, as the Star mentioned a few days ago. The Nautical Gazette, New York, one of the leading maritime papers in this country, referred to “North Carolina’s Shipping Plans” in an editorial in the April 14, number, and said this: ' Although North Carolina has some of the finest natural harbors' and fisheries in the world and her coast line Is well adapted for shipping, she lacks a shipping in dustry. Hitherto the railroad in terests .have been able to block every project for the development of shipping on a' large scale. During the present legislative session Governor Morrison per sonally sponsored a bill which provided for an expenditure of $2, 000,000 for the purchase of ships and the establishment of terminals and ports. The bill was strongly opposed and did not paBS in its original form, but an amendment was passed by the legislature whereby- • a commission has been appointed to make a thorough study of the proposition. Nortty Carolina’s movements along all the lines of progress are being closely watched, and considerably mors interest is taken abrbad than is known here in the state .where we haven't quit being startled at the magnitude of the things proposed for North Carolina’s progress. Doing things surely gets a great deal ot progress and publicity for North Caro j Una. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR LETTER BY SCHOOL GIRL To the Editor of The Star: As other sections of New Hanover county may be Interested in tbe' hap penings of Myrtle Grove section I will writs a few items for publication. Rev. C. N. PhIHIps is holding a re vival meeting at the Bethany Metho dist church on the belt road. We note with interest that the farm ers of Myrtle Grove sound are ship ping lettuce. J. W. Bryan of Myrtle Grove sound who has had a stroke of paralysis has improved until he is able to sit up. Misses Edna and Boris Brown ot Myrtle Grove sound, who have been boarding in Wilmington have return ed home for a short stay. As this is my first attempt to write an orticle 'for publication I will close. ALICE BROWN. % IS SPENT IN BED. MAKE IT RESTFUL BY SLEEPING ON BLUE RIBBON SPRINGS We have a large stock on hand. Seethe#. Hanover Furniture and Music Co. 29 South Front Street CUTTER SEMINOLE COMES HERE TODAY 4m - Coast Guard Vessel Will be stationed at Wilmington on Temporary Duty, Said The coast guard cutter Seminole will arrive In port this morning from Porto Rloan waters and be stationed here on temporary duty, according to In formation received yesterday' from Washington by the chamber of coni' merce. In the telegram received from the coast guard bureau of the treasury de partment by Secretary Louis T. Moore, the reason for dispatching the Semi nole to Wtlmlngton was not stated, but It Is assumed that the cutter will serve on this station until the cutter Modoc has undergone repairs* that were necessary to the vessel after she had completed ice patrol work oft the New Foundland coasts. That the Seminole will be stationed here even for temporary duty comes as good news to many at this port, as prior to her displacement here last ■ summer by the new cutter Modoc, the j Seminole had, been station at Wil mington for many years, and the of ficers and crew of the vessel are all personally known by many Wilmlng tonlans. Capt. E. S. Addison Is yet in com mand of the Seminole and many of the same officers that were attached snarnr. .. „ ---- ;o the cutter when she left here last pear are still aboard. At the annual tournament of the Woman’s National Bowling association, now in session at St. Louis, Mo., there Jaok Frost Salt is better.—adv. are 106 five-women teams, 175 double and 343 singles. Thie meet has broket all records for the number of entrie, Medium Brown Hair looks best of >n after a Golden Glint Shampoo.—adv, 1 ' — "" lL~' —1 & MEN BUY IT because it repeats in quality. That’s Cinco. Smoked by millions just like you, with your same • discriminating tastes. It represents .the utmost in value and smoke-content. 2 for 15c, everywhere Blui Ribbon Bed Spring construction is the seme as the standard uphol stery method used by the United States Gov ernment. Each row oi coils operates .ndepend ently. A hammock hung beneath the trees in the cool deep shade. A vagrant wind redolent with the perfumes of summer, seems to - carry away all the worries and troubles of the world, and you day dream. That’s rest, BLUE RIBBON BED SPRINGS ‘Make Sleep More Restful” ■ ^ ./"'“'EALTH is a matter of securing the /( proper rest. Rest largely depends ^ 1/7/ uPon restful sleep. *y Blue Ribbon Bed Springs are scientif-^ ically constructed to make sleep more restful. You are never conscious of Blue Ribbon Bed Springs, They adapt themselves so easily and comfortably to the weight and position of the body that you have only that feeling of deep restful relaxation that makes you wake in the morning refreshed. \ This perfect balance is secured by a method of con struction that makes each row of coils of Blue Rib bon Springs operate independently. Their resil iency is maintained through a lifetime of wear by the use of re-tempered blue steel wire. ' Blue Ribbons for all their superiority are not ex pensive. You can find a model at a price to please you at your dealers. Insist on the genuine. The trade mark is on each one, and as a further protec tion for you the springs are enameled a shining blue. r . pi tie Ribbon Bed Springs Are Guaranteed For Life. Southern Spring bed Co. Atlanta, Ga. blurribbonbedt sprimos " MAKE SLEEf MORE RESTFUX. ‘ BLUE' RIBBON