North Carolina Newspapers

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