Established in 1888. A
VOLUME XXXIV
FRENCH AGAINST :
PROBLEM IN RUHR
!
BEven if Germans Work It' 1* Doubt-;
ful if They Will Produce
Much Coal
BUILD UP NEW SYSTEM.
WASHINGTON ? The te.hni
cal difficulties which confront the
French as they ; -e described by men
who are familiar with the industrial
organization of that region are insuperable.
And according to the dispatch
from abroad it is the realization
that their technical services in
the Ruhr are inadequate, that has
caused the French to move slowly
since their occupation.
The coal industry of Germany is
more highly centralized than any industry
in this country. It might be
compared to the packing industry in
Chicago a number of years ago, be
fore local packing plants began to
spring up ail over the country. It ,
it entirely controlled by the coal
syndicate or coal trust of Germany,
which centers in the Ruhr.
So when the mine owners of the
Ruhr refused to obey ihe orders of
the French generals they broke down
the entire coal distribution s\stem
of Germany. Distribution was entirely
in their hands. Therefore even
though the French should succeed in
prod-.:, 'g coai they v. ill have ti:
build up a whole new system of distribution.
And France is no* a country
with large industrial experience.
Mnrever the tlow of coa' from the
Ruhr :?ef > the French occupation
[ was one third to France for reparation
.md two-thirds to Germany to
be consumed in industry there. Even
ne iicrman government snowiu permit
the transportation of coal mined
by the French over its railroads that
it is doubtful whether German industry
can now buy coal from the Ruhr
or anywhere else.
Thus the French have not on' got
to build up a new distributio
tem but must find new markets for
coal which Germany will either refuse
to take or will be unable to
A bUyThe
belief here is that the French
will be able to produce coal from
the Ruhr mines. The German miners
there must either work or starve.
If the French pay them ar.d provide
them with food it is expected that
they will work.
But they will hardly be efficient.
Even if they had the best will in
the world to produce under the new|
masters the complete break up of
the old organization alone will slow
up production so it is doubtful, ac-|
cording: to experts in industry, whethIer
the French will be able to take
out of I he ground much more than
50 per ceo.t of the coal the German
syndicate was ruining.
Then the feeding of the miners
will be a serious problem. The Ruhr
is not an agricultural region. Noarly
all the food for its population has
to be brought in. Mo.-i ol it has been
coming from other sec. ons of Ger^
many. But the German jlggfver..:iient
will probaoly eat oflF thar uureo of
supplies. In the Ruhr today th. re
is only food enough on ha:.o for a
few days. So the French f > the
task of not only distributing the coal
they mine through new chaneis, but
also of providing food from new
X sources. And you cannot improvise
steamship lines and railroads at a
moment's notice. Here is a highly
populous region whose output hitherto
has flowed ~-ast and whose food
has flowed in from the east. Suddenly
and without preparation, its
/ output must flow west and its food
must flow in from the west.
It is not much exaggeration of
the problem of the Ruhr to compare
it to what would happen if New England
one fine morning, should* draw
a military cordon about New York
city and the other industrial cities
around it, and New England should
have to provide the food for this industrial
region and the outlet for its
products. The flow of food from the
west to Now York and of products
from New York to the west. What
the French have accomplished is a
violent dislocation of an industrial
system that has taken generations
to build up. Their task is to substi
stute a new one overnight.
Of course the rest of industrial
Germany will starve. It has only at
most a few weeks' supply of coal on
hand. And the mark has dropped to
the point where it is little better as
a purchasing medium than the Russian
ruble. German industry will be
unable to buy coal either fropi the
French in the Ruhr or elsewhere on
any such scale as to keep the industrial
population fully employed*
It is believed here that the French
are counting on starving Germany
into submission. But in the meantime
they are seriously lowering ii
not destroying her capacity even tc
pay reparations.
The American Government feel:
that it can do nothing but watch thii
complex situation develop, ready U
use its friendly offices when the mo
meat zor compromise, arises.
.. .
ic Hfe
i Non-Partisan Family Newspaper. De<
BOONE, W
THINK LINE URGED
FOR LOST PROVINCE
Special Board Appointed To Investigate
Feasibility of Opening
The Northwest
THREE ROUTES NOW
BEING CONSIDERED
Direct Line Into the Coal Fields and
the Ohio Valley is Pr nnary Object
of Coram1 sion.
(Bv Brock Barklcy)
Raleigh, Jan. 18.?"The safest and
sanest course for North Carolina to
pursue, if it expects to open up the
"Lost Provinces," is not to foster
the construction of a secondary
branch line into this territory, which
would have to depend entirely on
the besiness development in that section,
but to look toward the construcJ
lion of a gauntlet that would ultimately
open up a trunk line midway
between the Virginia cities and
the KnoxviHe-Ashville gateway," the
special commission that investigated
the proposal to sell the state's railroad
stock and build a line into the
north western counties, repores.
The commission reports that ir.
has unanimously deckled it would be
unwise "at the present to sell the
iock ?>f the state of North Caro'
i.a !m ;lu North Carolina railroad
and the Atlantic and North Carolina
road both of which roads are
under leases, the terms of which W
not expire for many years to cone
and it is the opinion of your comn>
on that if the stock is sold pending
said leases thai said stock would not
bring its value."
The report of the Commission has
been .submitted to the general assembly
which Cionted it at the 1 S?2I reg
uiar session to connnet tne investigation.
Composing the commission
are Benneham Osmvrun, Chairman;
C P Bradham, T. C. Bowie, W. C.
and A. J. Draper. The following
includes the more important
statements and recommendations of
the report.
"Your commission after holding a
meeting in Raleigh held meetings ut
North Wilkesboro, StatesviUtr *.nd
other points along which railroads
were proposed to be constructed by
the state and mAde a preliminary
investigation of propositions for the
construction of several routes, whi^h
were proposed with the view of redeeming
the so-called 'Lost Provinces'
of North Carolina, among were the
following propositions:
"First pro pose Id route: "From
North, the western terminal of the
Winston-Salem division of the Southern
railway, up Roddies river to Jefferson
and West Jefferson in Ashe
'county, to intersect with the Abingdon
division of the Nor fork and Western
r ..Iway ;*t West Jefferson; thence
up North Fork of the New river to
intersect at some point on the Appalachian
division of the Southern
railway at or near Maymeade, Tenn.
"This proposed route would tra
verse the northwestern portion of
\\ i.es county and the southern half
of Ashe county and the northwest
portion of Watauga.
"In the construction of this route
it is probable that the location from
North Wilkesboro to Jefferson and
West Jefferson would follow a large
portion of tne old Wilkesboro-Jefferson
turnpike in which the state has
6,381 share of stock, which cost the
' state $63,810.
"The assesed valuation of the realestate,
the area and population of
the counties traversed by this route
. based on the valuation and census
jof 1920 are as follows:
"Ashe valuation $17,731,331; pop'
ulation, 21,000; area 492 square
' miles.
"Wilkes, valuation $18,673,020;
population 32,614; area 735 spuare
j miles.
"Watauga, valuation $11,542,401;
; population 13,477; area 303 square
miles.
' "Second proposed route: From
North Wilkesboro to Butler, Tenr..,
j via Boone with a branch from Tay'
lorsville to North Wilkesboro and a
branch from Grandin tc Lenoir.
"This proposed route would tra]
verse the western part of Wilkes
I county and divide Watauga county
? nearly equally from east to west, and
.{the branches proposed on xnis would
| traverse the northern part of AlexI
ander county and the sounthern part
' of Caldwell county.
The construction of this route
would probably utilize the Watauga
and Yadkin Valley railroad, which
i has been graded as far as Darby,
a distance of about 26 miles from
North Wilkesboro and was equipped
i and in operation to this point in 1916
r when portions of this road were washed
away by a freshet; the state has
' 552 shares in this road, which cost
? the state $55,200.
"The assesed valuation of the
i' real estate, the area and population
ij of the counties traversed by this
, I route based on the valuation and cen
I su3 of 1920 are as follows:
I Caldwell; valuation $18,428,255;
f oted to the Bckt Inter, sts of Boone,
ATAUCA COUNTY, NORTH. CAROL1
BERLIN BOURSE CIRC
RIPE FOR AMERICA '
Believe U. S. Administrative Mandate
ea Would Save it From French Contrc
District Join Coal Miners in General
BERLIN?An American protector- on<
ate over the Ruhr sector as a com- ite
promise aternative to the present' tec
French invasion is being proposed in
Bourse circles, which believe that eoi
such a settlement would save the by
west Phulean industrial area from toe
French control.
In support of the proposition that j h?i
the United States assume such an i de
administrative mandate, it is argued j ca
that since the German government | ju:
is confining itself to an attitude of j an
passive resistance, the time is ripe Th
for diplomatic counter steps inas.r.uch tei
as the French plans, according to the thi
German view, aspire to the otganiza- ex.
tion of a gigantic Rhenish Rhine- th>
land monopoly,land monopoly , which j wi
would be bound to develop c nnpeti- i no
tion with American and British in-1
l .sines. | c
%<French proposals in this sense I co
are even now being made to Ger- pr
man industrialists at the point of: by
the bayonet." says Die Ziet, the i cis
indu.-triaiists' org an. The propos-; ot
als, however, it adds, have been con- , Ri
temptuousy rejected by the German hh
lead'. ! -. This newspaper, noverthc- re.
les-. believes that the situation Has j by
reached a stage whe re Americ an ana'' wl
British iiuiustr.ni and tins u-ial inter- th
is cannot afford to view ? reach 4 ag- at
aTuliz*. nv nt" in the U'.ii with com- | do
pietc mditlVrnneo.
Jjte ,
DORTMUND?The railroad men j in?
have declared a strike. All passen-, ho
yvr and ireiight traffic has ceased in Sli
he regio; of Dortmund. I.angetidrcer ex
and Bochuni. The service is normal r-.
in other parts of the Ruhr. on
Nationals demonstrations took . to
place in Dortmund today and the 1 th
city was dec re*;d a "danger zone" i du
by the French authorities. Aall j hi
French allied and neutral nationals j pit
in the Ruhr were warned tc keep j fo
away irom uortniund. thi
French troops were ready to in- w?
terfere in the extent of clashes be- w*
tween the nationalists andthe communists.
,fc
FRENCH CAUGHT REAL co
TARTAR IN THYSSEN ih
! Fr
BERLIN?The business associates mi
of Fritz Thyssen assert that French mi
caught a real Tartar when they laid
hands on him. "His will has the un- rej
flinching quality of the ancients" said bo
population 19,981; area 471 spuare lin
miles. thi
"Alexander, valuation $10,606,078: th
population 12.212; area, 289 squart ihi
miles. kii
"Ashe. Wilkes and Watauga's as lei
sessed valuation, population and arc. vil
same as above. de
"Third proposed route; From aa
Statesville Air Line railway to tin po
Yadkin county line and then a north- to
'co^.ui; UUVV.UUII Li; i-iiwi; ami ??i- ivi
leghany railroad at Sparta, from B<
Sparta to Jefferson and West Jef- ih>
fersfconnecting with the Abingdon th
branch of the Norfoik and Western th
railway at West Jefferson. 1;
"The proposed route would tra \vi
verse the counties of Iredell, Yadkin 2?]
and along the border line of Wilkt s ca
and Surry and would nearly divide ie:
the counties of Alleghany and Ashe a
from east to west. th
"In the construction of this route a
there would probably be utilized the X.
Statesville Air Line road, a large portion
of which has been graded and pe
v?f which the slate has 2,d.>0 shares C?
of stock and which cost the state C?
$132,400: also the the Elkin an.! -Sj
Alleghany railroad, which is now i:i w<
operation from Jefferson to Elkin ra
a distance of 15 miles and three ad- so
ditional miles which has been grade* dc
land which the state has 3,003 sharer, th
costing $303,000." nc
The commission itemized the valI
nation as of 1020 thus: Iredell, $45.159,1.84;
population, 37,956; area m
588 square miles; Yadkin, $12,503,-jbt
| 324; population, 16,391; area 3-4; yt
Wilkes, $18,673,026; population, 32,- sy
644; area 735; Surry, $30,097,416: w
population 32,464; area 520; Aid- al
ghany, $6,880,982; population,7,403; oi
area 234; Ashe, $17,731,321; popula m
tion, 21,000; area 492 square miles- te
The commission then says that the
counties aiiectea oy this proposed iy
route have no railroad connection j jn
with North Carolina and have for w
many years tributaries to the states ta
of Virginia and Tennessee. The cuon- di
ty of Yadkin is without a railroad t<
altogether. The four counties having p]
no railroad connections have an ag- w
gregate valuation of $66,000,000 and
a population ,of 74,344. The commit' o]
sion continues: n?
Your commission is of the opinion CJ
and they hereby recommend that the ti
state should construct and i? neces- sj
^sary equip some one or more of the
'proposed route or routes that would jr
constitute a trunk line of railroad c<
from the middle west into North |n
Carolina thua constituting a trunk j &*
1
% Jpj^i
end Watauga County, "the Lead
NA, THURSDAY JANUARY 2
LES THINK TIME IS
ro ACT IN RUHR
Over Westphalian Industrial Aril
Railroad Men in Part uf Ruhr
Strike Excitement Reigns.
e of them. "He is a biock of gran,
and the French will break theiir
sth trying to budge him."
Emil Birdoff one of the Rhenish
al magnates, discussing the arrest
the French of his associates, said
lay:
"i know Fritz Thyssen; I heard
n -peak at the session when he
Tided to transfer the coal syndic's
hcadquaiiW.s to Hamburg. He
t carried us alone by his fervor I
d devotion to the fatherland.
iere was no wavering in his derm
inati on and when he got
rough speaking the rest of us felt
iu tly as he did. Fritz Thvssen and
i rest of them have shown the I
>-'?l that the race of German is
i xtinct."
The opinion current in Berlin ciri?
intimately familiar with the
ndit ions in the coal fields is tnai
ohably no single reprisal exacted'
French will contribute to de;ively
to a swift and compact pro-!
ian solidarity throughout the]
as the arrest of Thyssett and
-ol leagues. This condition ir H-|
i reflected in the action takeni
nu-ii uf the Tbyoser. plants.
- mnloy ?a,000, in demuiwlirg
l mmediate relief of -heir chief
French headquarters in Dut^selr*
Saturday
ne workers, according to the
nan report of this meeting were
ed at the absence from Fit _h
i quarters ?>f Generals Dcgouettc,
m .1 and Denvigncs, and gave free
pression to their feeling when they
sv?d to deal with a French colel,
who said he was not qualified
make any specific promises. As
c subordinate oftice failed to prove
General Degoutte or indicate
whereabouts the Thyssen tin>yees
delivered an ultimatum timed
r 0 o'clock monday morning to
e effect that ali the Thyssen plants
>uld shut down in case Thyssen
is not released by that hour.
The West Phahan fires are said
have taken on many additional
groes of heat when the F'renchlonel
assured the delegation that
e sentences to be imposed by the
each courts would undoubtedly be
Id if the workers remained >n th<;
nes.
The protesting delegation included
presentaaives of all parties and lar
organizations.
e of railroad fom the northwest to
e Atlantic thus delivering to and
rough freight and carload lots to
e Southern Railway System at EIi
or North Wilkesboro, Winston-San
Greensboro, High Point, Stateslie
and Charlotte, where it can be
livered to the Seaboard Air Line
d transported to Wilmington, South
rt and intermediate points and also
the Norfolk-Southern Railway to
ileigh, Wilson. Washington. New
?rn Morehead City and to the harr
of refuge at Cape Lookout, where
e vessels of the Atlantic can .ter
e harbor in 60 foot water without
e enormous pvrolnsi' ?-?f ???? ? rd
thout going 20 miles up stream and
miles back which would be the
se at Jacksonville, Savannah, Cliarston
or Norfolk, thus establishing
gatew ay for North Carolina on
e Atlantic Coast which would .be
basis to fix the freight rates to
orth Carolina."
The commission then discusses the
cuiiar railroad facilities of North
Eiroiina, particularly the Atlantic
>ast Line, Seaboard and Southern
rstems and says the proposed road
ould fit generally well into these
ilroad networks. The east and west
rvice. however, is not so good, it
glares. since there is not a single
rough line from the coast to Tcnfssee.
The commission continues:
"RaiHvay freight taritTs are not
ado upon the per ton mile basis
it have developed through the long
^ars of competition between railway
steins and between rail lines and
ater routes and an almost intoler>ie
situation has been produce*!. Out
' this has grown through inter-comerce
negotiations what are usually
rmed gate ways."
The commission also cites as near
all the freight shipment charges
ito North Carolina from the middle
est are based on the Virginia city
iriffs." It observes that notwithstanrig
all these negotiations designed
j end discrimination have accomlished
very little toward doing away
ith this condition.
,4If a line from central North Car
lina through the northwestern corer
of the state to the middle west
in be realized," the commission connues/'at
least 24 to 48 hours can b<
ived in the transportation of freight
rom middle western points to point?
i North Carolina. If this can be ac
[>mplished, freight will naturally
love that way, and ultimately publii
snliment can be developed to forci
matr
rr of Nortbwustcrn Carolina."
5. 1923
WANT TO CHANGE
THE 3-MILE LIMIT
;
WOULD SUBSTITUTE 12 MILE
LIMIT TC COMBAT RUM
FLEET
Conference is Held in New York and
Recommendations Made
NEW YORK. Jan. 22?Substitution
of a 12-mile limit for the threemile
limit now drawn by international
law has been recommended to
Washington as a means of combating
the rum fleet otT the New Jersey
Coast. <
Zywyiuiaciiiuauoni it was said
couay, was an outgrowth ot the conference
Saturday between acting
Collector of the port Stuart and
prohibition enforcement authorities.
The heory that extension of the
customs limit would check smuggling,
was based, prohibition agents
said, on belief that the small boats
running liquor from the rum fleet
to sh >re would find it dangerous to
ply far from shore.
Officials admitted they did not expect.
an immediate ruling o:? thi>
point. because the supreme court
now was considering a similar <ju?
tion in connection with the ;.;vh
of foreign vessels bringing Honor
into \merican waters.
Officials v.<-re concerned today
o\ he i. - v off Sa dy Hook
of tis cruiser "I. I." She was believe
\ o be carrying a cargo of
11 juor formerly in the hold of the
Br.t ish s'Ioop Grace and lab :.,
which was captured last May, eight
Pi He.- >'F tiie .'sew Jersey coast, ami
' in f thi Brit1,1:
g verfiment. The Grace and
JSdi... which \va put under a $20,000
bond, was found to he unsenworihy
and her cargo said worth $75,000
v. *.s transferred to the cruiser I. 1.
to be taken to St. Pierce and MiqueIon.
Loaded With Liquor
The cargo of the cruiser I. I., is
the second released under British
government protest which i reported
offered for sale by the rum fleet.
The schooner. Marion Marsher. freed
after capture, was seen last Saturday
yajui jwas $aid to be loaded with
whiskey.
The rum fleet off the coast is takinp
on the proportions of an armada
and is well armed according to officers
of two vessels which arrived
toduy. The captain of the Roquedlle
which arrived from Sierra Laona.
Africa, estimated the fleet at from
25 to 50 vessels.
Capi. Earnest Ciarke, of the Orbita,
saw a continuous line of rum runners
extended from fire island to
Ambrose channel 1 ghtship. while
Second Officer M -r i declared he
had seen nothing but rush boats. The
Orbita was de a.vcd li.i nou?s pk;k? a
ing he r g . .he fleet.
i v ere drifting
around ko a lot of dicks," Martin
. a.d - i.? r*. w as a . .. y f .. tic.2
v. c pc. Tire 1.- : .y. - o'clock
tni 1. !"n!:g ar.c lrom taen until -1
oYbu when we p. d Ambrose
iipl.t- .p iv.y heart was in my
mouth
\ h i-i f nuging uens, niow.ng
i and firing guns to give us
tht .! - .si: on. Ii was like* New
Year's . ght on Broadway^ only
more >. 1 slowed down to haifj
speed when I found what the situa-!
tion was. but once I had to order full j
speed astern and throw my heimj
hard over to keep from cutting a j
steamer in half."
M< . keys showing clear trace? of
laving suffered from smallpox have
beer, found by explorers of the Brazllia
ilds.
the i id of the rate- making bodies
the atest argument being "why
shou. i freight be paid on merchandise
from the middle west to North
Carolina by Lynchburg when not a
ton moves that way."
Concluding the commission says
if it understands its functions correctly
they are those of investigating
the? possibility and feasibility
uyc-iuji^ up uiv L'jrimvesiern counties
of North Caro'ir.a to the rest oi
the state with a line of railroad and
thus retain in North Carolina the val.
uable resources of these counties now I
i cemg diverted into the states of Vir-|
! ginia and Tennessee.
The commission comments on the
. interstate commerce commission rulI
ing: as to new lines of construction
- and says that unless that body can
be shown beyond all reasonable doubt
that a new line could be made to pay
they would hardly permit it to be
. built. The commision therefore urges
t a safe and sane course for North
. Carolina if it expects to open the
; Lost Provinces not to foster the cont
struction of a secondary branch line
5 dependent upon the business of that
- immediate territory. ,
j It concludes with a statement that
; it has spent only $500 of the allotted
5 $5,000.
Publi.-.hed Weekly
Nl MBER 13
whIIntrodijce
RAILROAD BILL
LOST PROVINCE RAILWAY PROJECT
COMING BEFORE THE
LEGISLATURE
Representative Bowie Favor* Financial
Assistance from the State
C. hariotte Observer.)
RALKiGH, Jan. 22?Regardless
of the apparent lack of organized
effort in behalf of the "Lost Provinces"
railroad project, the general
as.! mbly will have the opportunity
>f considering it.
Representative T, C. Bowie let it
be known today that he will introduce
a bill looking to the penetration
of the northwestern counties
under financial assistance from the
state, while Bland B. Dougherty,
head of the Appalachian Training
school in Boone, is here engaged in
the preparation of another measure
that would allow the stale to undertake
the project in association
with private enterprises.
That a substantial movement may
be launched yet is the statement of
enthusiasts- "lidrihwesterncrs" and
close friends of that territory in the
legislature. When a group of 30
;:t a mooting the other nigh4 got
o- farther than 'grecaiient that
ra rot line wo e a good
ha for the_ propesig
ticra! ; . -m y a interest of
r ho proj? gi\ - ; ; to triends
that something fulfi ll wilt be heard
about it yet.
Bath the Bowie and Dougherty
measures arc in line with the recommendaiions
of the investigation
commission. Mr. Dougherty's bill
would authorize the state to take 40
per cent >1 the stock in a private
enterprise upon condition that the
full 100 per cent be subscribed, lie
full 100 per cent be subscribed. Mr.
Dougherty thinks sufficient private
capital can be interested to organize
a company. He considers that
private capital is willing to sabscribe
half of the total authorization
necessary tup! would be sufficient
evidence as1 to the possibilities of
the road proving a paying proposition.
No provision as to the route
is made in the bill, this being left
to engineers' investigations which
may be made after the formation
of the corporation .
The provisions of Mr. Bowiie'fl
bill are not yet known. Both bills
however, would provide for such
connections by the rail line as to
give a through route into the state
from the middle west as the commission
suggests, it is understood.
Raleigh, Jan. 22?Preparation of
the Bowie bill to red com the lost provinces
?Ashe, Watauga and Alleghany
count?by the construction
of a through line railroad wsre going
forward here today in the absence
of a morning session of the
general assembly, and it was ani:oi;
need by framers of the legisla1
.w- * r. U : ?
?.w>. ..? vavi i Snpng maue
to have the bill ready for presentment
by iiie - iid of the week. The
work of preparing >t however, has
been going a.'on?: cautiously, the
Cramers announced, because of the
number of important matters involved.
ENGLAND HAS ONLY
63 MURDERS IN 1922
UNITED STATES SETS HER A
PACE WITH 9,500 IN SAME
PERIOD!
GREENSBORO. .Jan. 22.?Sir Basi1.
Thorny ::. K. 0. 15.. regarded as
the original Sh b>rk Holmes the
world's greatest detective, the most
noted crhn:: i Y: the world, during
the world war head of the British
secret service department and now
head of Scotland Yard, England's
great police and detective agency,
lecturing here tonight, reveaied some
startling facts, comparing British and
American crime figures.
Last year in the United States
there were 'J.bOO murders, in England
63. Of the 63 all but eight were cleared
up and the newspapers of England
are demanding why they were not.
In one penitentiary in Illinois there
are as many prisoners as in all the
prisons of Canada.
He attributed the much greater
amount of crime in the United States
than in England to delays in meting
out punishment and to under-policing.
PROGRAM FOR COMMERCIAL
CLUB, SAT. JANUARY 27th
Subject: Shall the name of our organization
remain as it is or be changed
to "The Chamber of Commerce"
1.?Prof. J. E. Hillman.
2.?Mr. G. P. Hagaman.
General discussion?10 minutes.
W. R. GRAGG
Chin. Committee