The Carolina Watchman
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY MORNING BY
The Carolina Watchman Publishing Co.
SALISBURY, NORTH CAROLINA
Established in 1832 99th Year of Publication
E. W. G. Huffman__ Editor
S. Holmes Plexico...__Business Manager
PHONES:
News and editorials _ 695
Advertising; and circulation_532
Business _ 532
Locals and Personals_2010-J
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Payable in Advance
One Year _ 31.00
Three Years _ 2.00
Entered as second-class mail matter at the postoffice at Salis
bury, N. C.. under the act of March 3, 1879.
"If the choice were left to me whether to have a
free press or a free government, I would choose a
free press.”—Thomas Jefferson.
THURSDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 15, 1931
POPULATION DATA
CITIES AND TOWNS
Salisbury - 16,951 Gold Hill _ 156
Spencer - 3,129 Granite Quarry_ 507
E. Spencer _ 2,098 Rockwell _ 696
China Grove - 1,25 8 Faith _ 431
Landis _ 1,3 88 Kannapolis ..13,912
TOWNSHIPS
Atwell _ 2,619 Morgan _ 1,327
China Grove_ 8,990 Mt. Ulla _ 1,389
Cleveland - 1,445 Providence_ 2,589
Franklin_ 2,246 Salisbury _ 25,153
Gold Hill _ 2,642 S. Irish_ 1,251
Litaker_ 2,562 Steele _ 1,142
Locke_ 1,904 Unity_ 1,406
ROWAN COUNTY_56,665
A COMFORTING "CREDO”
The editor of The Ladies’ Home Journal is
evidently an optimist. The "credo” he ad
vances is a comforting sort of philosophy for
these strenuous times. It is well enough to re
member that in spite of our own sometimes
narrow perspectives, the world is growing
better. Editor Schuler says that he believes:
That most people like clean movies bet
ter than dirty ones;
And clean books better than dirty
books;
And clean plays better than dirty
plays;
That college professors who break
down the homespun religion of their stu
dents are as much public enemies as any
other racketeers;
That home-making is the most digni
fied of all occupations;
That the elimination of drudgery in
household tasks is the greatest job that in
dustry and invention have ever done;
That the so-called wild younger gene
ration is, on the whole, a fine, upstand
ing bunch of boys and girls;
That crime would decrease if it were
less advertised and glorified;
That we shall wake up some bright
Thursday morning and find that the de
pression has quietly come to an end and
business is pretty good again;
That we in America are living in the
greatest country and the greatest age that
man has ever known.
_M_•_C
U U
FIVE MILLION JOBS WANTED
Workers in American industries during
1929 produced commodities valued at eight
million dollars more than in 1919, although
there were 675,000 fewer workers in 1929
than in 1919.
These figures have been compiled by gov
ernment authorities and have been released as
official.
As a result of this increase in Labor’s com
modity-producing capacity, and business de
pression, the employers have discharged more
than 5,000,000 workers, turning them over
to charity funds for a living for themselves
and their families, and placed 5,000,000 more
on part-time work and earnings with drastic
lowering of living standards.
The underlying causes and social results of
this catastrophe are being studied by a com
mittee appointed by Secretary of Labor Doak,
to investigate "technological” unemployment
and the effect of the displacement of work
ers by machinery.
Dr. Charles A. Prosser, former director of
the Federal Board for Vocational Education
and a writer on educational subjects, is chair
man of the committee.
In explaining the work of the committee
Dr. Prosser says it has divided the problem
into two parts. It will endeavor to determine
what effect technological improvement has
on the volume of employment, and also what
can be done to "conserve” the workers whom
the employers discharge because fewer men I
working the same number of hours with semi
automatic machinery can produce more goods
and services than more men with the old ma
chinery.
In commenting on the tremendous increase
in the output of Labor under machine pro
duction and the millions of workers now with
out jobs, Dr. Prosser said that technological
unemployment may result in "sweeping eco
nomic and social changes.”
He stated that the problem of "conserv
ing” the worker displaced by machinery in
volved the problem of caring for all the un
employed, regardless of the cause.
"The committee also will make a report,”
he added, "regarding ways and means of safe
guarding workers before displacement, at the
time of displacement, and after displacement
through improved placement and restraining
services in states and local communities.”
It is gratifying to know that the commit
tee has included in its program the problem of
"caring for all the unemployed, regardless of
cause.” The jobless millions have but little in
terest in scientific and microscopic explana
tions of the causes which have deprived them
of the right to earn a living. What they want
is work.
-5-5-5
EDUCATION
Schools everywhere are under way and the
colleges are opening. There is a larger number
of students in all grades, from kindergarten
to university, than ever before.
As long as this state of things keep up there
is no reason to have any apprehension about
the future of America. We are getting very
close, as a nation, to the point where every
person above the age of ten will be able to
read and write and have some rudimentary
knowledge of simple arithmetic. That may not
sound like a very high educational standard,
but it is enormously higher than that which
obtains in almost every other part of the world.
Every year sees more young Americans en
tering high schools, larger and larger numbers
pressing so hard upon the facilities of the col
leges that those institutions are put to it to
find money and space in which to carry on
their work. All of this means that we have a
steadily increasing proportion of people who
have been taught how to use their brains. In
the long run it is always the people who have
learned how to think who control the affairs
of a nation. These young folks are learning
how to be different from their parents. That
is the real purpose of education, boys being
different from their fathers. They will look
on the world differently when they are forty
from the way in which men and women who
are forty today look at it. They will try so
cial and political experiments which the older
ones regard as foolish and hazardous. But they
will make the world a different kind of a place
in which to live, and one that will suit their
generation better than the present world does.
Nothing is more useless, it seems to us, than
to try to keep conditions from changing. The
intelligent thing to do is to give the children
every possible opportunity to train their in
telligences, so that when they start changing
the world over, as they surely will, they will
not be blind revolutionists but rather enlight
ened evolutionists.
-9—9—9
WITH HUMBLE APOLOGIES
An insurance company wrote out a $1,000
life policy in the name of one Samuel John
son. Premiums were paid promptly for a few
years, but suddenly stopped. After sending a
few delinquent notices, the company received
this reply:
"Dear Sirs: Please excuse us we can’t pay
any more premiums on Sam. He died last May.
Yours truly, Mrs. S. Johnson.”
—Christian Register.
-5-5-5
FORBIDDEN STREET SCENES
A group of Americans who went to Turkey
to take motion pictures for Oriential atmos
phere was not allowed to take pictures in Is
tanbul. Officials of the new Turkey, willing
enough to have westernized aspects of the re
public filmed, objected when camera men
started taking pictures of the beggars and cats
(that still give Sultanic flavor to Istanbul
streets.
—Boston News Bureau.
-5-5-5
MULE BITE
People are snake-bitten, dog-bitten and
mule-kicked, but rarely is a person mule-bit
ten. Yet Mark Burrell, about 40, of Cleark
Creek, was bitten by his mule so severely last
Tuesday that he was brought to Highlands
for treatment. The animal sank its teeth into
the calf of his leg and held on for nearly five
minutes.
—Highlands Maconian.
4*
| The I
! Watchman !
+ *
I Tower i
+ .... _ _^ a. +
Mr. M. E. Miller,
Supt. City Waterworks,
Salisbury, N. C.
My dear Mr. Miller:
Analysis by the state laboratory of
hygiene of our city water shows that
it is second to none in the state, and
that it contains the necessary ingred
ients essential to health.
I feel that the efforts of your de
partment are responsible for this con
dition and I desire to congratulate
you.
I am also glad that daily tests are
made of our water. Nothing is more
conducive to good health than pure
water.
Governor Matthfw Rowan.
To the Mayor and
City Council:
Provision made by you to pay the
teachers’ salaries out of local funds
pending the arrival of checks from
the state board of equalization, deserv
es commendation and will meet with
the approval of the citizens and tax
payers of Salisbury.
Press reports indicate that teachers
in other cities in our state will not be
paid until funds are received from
Raleigh. This will undoubtedly great
ly inconvenience the teachers and will
handicap them in meeting their obli
gations. Through your foresight this
will be avoided in Salisbury.
Governor Matthew Rowan.
Tar Heel Pet Stock Association,
Salisbury, N. C.
Gentlemen:
I wish you success in the poultry
show you are going to stage in Salis
bury November 2 5. 26, and 27. Your
organization is in a position to serve
a worthwhile purpose in this commun
ity and will be an inspiration to all
who raise pet stock either for pleasure
or profit.
Governor Matthew Rowan.
To the Voters of
Rowan County:
Statistics recently published by the
census bureau show 28,5 24 persons in
Rowan county are eligible to vote in
the general elections. This represents
the maximum voting strength of our
county.
It would be a fine thing if anything
like this number would actually par
ticipate in the elections held from
time to time. Plowcver, the total tab
ulation of votes following the elec
tions in the past fall far short of this
figure.
It is not that our people are unpa
triotic; rather, it is because they fail
to realize the matter of voting is a
duty and not only a privilege. This
condition is not local but world wide.
Governor Matthew Rowan.
Dr. J. S. Forbes, President,
Salisbury Civitan Club,
Salisbury, N. C.
My dear Dr. Forbes:
Decision of your club to continue
awarding citizenship trophies in the
six high schools of the county and the
junior high school of Salisbury .3 but
one step in your program of "build
ing good citizenship.” But is a big
step; a step worthwhile.
Teaching the young girls and boys
of today the object and meaning of
"good citizenship” is indeed a noble
program and will pay dividends both
"material and spiritual” as is so beau
tifully expressed in the Civitan Creed.
It is needless for me to wish you
and your club continued success in
this undertaking. It has been! my priv
ilege during the past few years to ob
serve the interest taken by the various
students in these awards. Not only has
success rewarded your efforts but, in
addition, you "have built a better and
nobler citizenship.” Your motto—
builders of good citizenship—is not
merely a matter of words, but a re
ality. You have made, and are now
making, better citizens.
Governor Matthew Rowan.
Mr. W. A. Brown, Chief,
Salisbury Fire Dept.,
Salisbury, N. C.
My dear Chief:
For the first time in my life, I have
really derived something practical and
beneficial from fire prevention week,
thanks to you and your department
for the demonstrations given last
week. Heretofore, fire prevention
week to me has merely been some
thing to take up space in a newspa
per. But this year it was different.
Through the activities and demonstra
tions of you and your department,
fire prevention week turned out to be
something to fill up a certain cranium
vacancy.
I now know how to turn in a fire
alarm. I now know why the city in
stalled a modern fire alarm system. I
now know why we have several first
class fire trucks I now know why
Salisbury’s fire loss is small. I now
know why you have been regularly
elected chief of the fire department.
Knowing these things, I desire to
doff my hat to you and your fire de
partment boys. I believe in giving
credit where credit is due. I am proud
of our fire department and I know
every citizen in Salisbury who fully
understands your system and opera
tion will join in with a hearty amen.
Governor Matthew Rowan.
COMMENTS
THE LEGION AND ANONYMOUS
CRITICS
To the Editor:
The average American, in spite of
his admitted short-comings, is a pret
ty fair-minded fellow. Deeply enroot
ed in his makeup and character is that
splendid British quality of fair play.
He, like his English cousin, despises
sham, hypocrisy, bad sportsmanship
and anonymity. He likes to face the
world with his beliefs and opinions,
boisterous as they may be, and he
shoulders full responsibility for them
all even though he is opposed by the
rest of mankind for so doing. He
doesn’t like the fellow who strikes out
from the dark, the type of humanity
that furnishes us with blackmailers,
spies, poison-pen artists and anony
mous letter writers. Upon these groups
he heaps his disapproval. To him they
arc a yellow lot with a social standing
just a shade lower than an Arizona
coyote.
The American legion, a great cross
section of our average American pop
ulation, has had its share of anony
mous assaults from those who hide in
the dark. Those who disagreed with
and disapprove of us in the open com
mand our respect, just as we respect
ed the Prussian guardsman in 1917
and 1918, but the rank and file of
us have no brief for the miserable
back-biting and misstatements of in
dividuals who rush daily into the Pub
lic Pulse columns of our newspapers
and then sign "Aristocrat,” or some
other nom dc plume equally as silly
to their communications.
This "Aristocrat”, who speaks ex
cathedra on every subject except the
present depression, might devote a lit
tle time to the abundant world war
literature available in every library,
and thereby learn that the "few com
paratively speaking that got to the
front” were considerably over a mil
lion men. It might be interesting to
the party in question to ascertain that
the Americans killed, wounded and
gassed in the Meuse-Argonne offen
sive alone practically equalled the com
bined forces of Lee and Meade at Get
tysburg. And if our anonymous Pub
lic Pulse stuffer would acquaint him
self with legion affairs, he would find
that the men who faced German steel
in France and Belgium are the ones
who arc furnishing the leadership of
our great organization today. What
does this "Aristocrat” know about
"Gregarious conventions and blathers
kite speechmaking?” He probably has
no more knowledge of legion conven
tions than the average back alley tom
cat has of Sanscrit. The legion at De
troit voted down the bonus and did
not vote for beer, but merely voted
in favor of a referendum. If "Aristo
crat” has any further complaint
against the legion, he should, in all
iairness, come out in the open like a
man, sign his name and thereby com
mand our respect, but candidly, Mr.
Editor, I fear this is asking too much
of men of his type. Like all of his
kind he hasn’t the intestinal fortitude
or "guts” as we used to say in 1917
and 1918, to come out of his bomb
proof dugout and face the men who
made the "world safe for democracy”
and anonymous letter writers.
J. Allen Dunn,
Member of Samuel C. Hart Post No.
14 American Legion.
Salisbury.
WITH POLITICIANS AS MEM
BERS OF "EXAMINING BOARDS”
THERE WOULD BE WEIRD SE
LECTIONS.
To the Editor:
The following proposal is poison to
politicians. How does it appeal to you?
(1) Organization of a national in
dependent party.
(2) State conventions to create
examining boards in every State.
(3) Examination for the nomina
tion for President and Vice-President
open to any American citizen.
(4) Each State send the person re
ceiving the highest rating to the na
tional convention as a nominee for
President.
(5) From those remaining, nomi
nations to be made for Vice-President,
Senate and Congress.
(6) Examinations to be on (a)
health; (b) character; (c) education;
(d) democracy, etc.
A Citizen.
OPPOSED TO MAKING RELIG
IOUS EDUCATION AN ADJUNCT
TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
To the Editor:
What percentage of public school
children are without church affilia
tions? Why take one hour from school
time for religious education—how
much can be absorbed in one hour per
week—thirty-sir hours per annum?
Churches conveniently located near
schools are by what reason the proper
ones to deliver to any group of chil
dren appropriate religious education?
How can a sectarian church teach
nonsectarian religion when it accepts
converts to its sect?
If churches want to give children
of the unchurched religious education,
let them adopt the church schedule
and plan of operation to the child, not
the child to some plan conceived by
an adult mind for his own conven
ience.
Since when have American church
es degenerated to such a state that
they must plead for assistance of the
public school or any other group or
institution? "Keep our public schools
free from any and all religious en
tanglements.”
— A Preacher.
-€
JARRELL HEADS
P. 0. S. OF A. IN
ROWAN COUNTY
-5
Enthusiastic Meeting
Held Recently At Bost
ian School House; Offi
cers Elected.
Featured by the election of officers
for the ensuing year and decision to
sponsor* and promote local pageants
and plays pertinent to the national
George Washington bicentennial cele
bration, the county meeting of the
eight Washington camps of the P. O.
S. of A. held recently at Bostian’s
school house near China Grove, proved
to be the best in the history of the
organization. Several hundred mem
bers attended from different sections
of the county.
Officers elected follow:
A. L. Jarrell, president.
A. B. Patterson, Vice-president.
John H. Bost, secretary.
J. S. McCorkle, treasurer.
Reports from the various camps
were received, showing commendable
progress had been made during the
past year. *
Several excellent talks were made by
members of the association. Reports
were also received from the recent
national convention held in Atlantic
City.
The Bostian school house camp
again won the honor banner for the
best work and results during the past
year.
In line with the work of the nation
al organization, the local camps decid
ed to sponsor the George Washington
bicentennial celebration locally and
plans were mapped out to have the
various schools, churches and other
organizations in this county to stage
various pageants and plays of a pat
riotic nature. The material for these
performances is being furnished free
by the bicentennial commission in
Washington upon request.
The following county wide com
mittee to supervise this work and to
carry out the purposes involved, was
named:
John S. Steele, Cleveland.
W. B. Duttera, Salisbury.
C. R. Menius, China Grove.
G. Ray Peeler, Faith.
J. S. McCorkle, Mill Bridge.
Z. A. Klutz, Rockwell.
Carl Cline, Bostian X Roads.
W. G. Isenhour, Lowerstone.
Delightful refreshments were serv
ed. The Patriotic Order of Americans,
representing the ladies, also shared in
the occasion.
The next meeting will be held in
Salisbury the first Monday in January,
1932.
m
-o
Sweet Potato Tests
Show Fertilizer Needs
-5
Yields of 240 bushels of sweet po
tatoes an acre as compared with the
average of 100 bushels an acre have
been secured in fertilizer tests made
with sweet potatoes in Currituck
county by representatives of the
North Carolina Experiment Station
and the United States Department of
Agriculture.
The experiments show that ferti
lizers containing 3 to 4 percent nitro
gen, 8 percent available phosphoric
acid, and 8 to 10 percent, potash pro
duce the best results. Many growers
in the early producing area in Curri
tuck county have adopted the new
formula with excellent results. Be
cause of this, the tests are now being
made in four additional counties. The
growers find that the new mixeures
give less injury to young plants, per
mit better stands and produce larger
yields with consequent higher profits.