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The Oldest Newspaper Published In North Carolina
The Carolina Watchman
"The Watchman Carries a Summary of All The ISlews”
YEAR ■ ~ SALISBURY, FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH 17, mi = VOL. Na „ pR,CE 2 ^ =
Would Cut Automobile Tag Fees In Half
■ _ ——————— . . _ —
Reduction
Is Asked
By Roberts
State Would
Profit, Claim
_
Carolina Motor Club Head Says
High Fees Keep Many Cars
Off Highways
Suggests Law To Put Half-Year
Charge Into Effect For The
Present
Immediate enactment by the
North Carolina General Assembly
of a law providing for the sale now
of state automobile license plates
at the six-months fee was sug
gested as a method of getting
thousands of cars out of storage
and into general use again by Cole
man W. Roberts of Greensboro,
• president of the Carolina Motor
chib.
It is my personal opinion tl»at
jfjShe state would derive greater rev
enue_i£.Lhe General Assembly syill ,
immediately enact a law providing
for the sale of automobile passen
ger car plates now at- the six
months fee,” said Mr. Roberts.
Ordinarily this half-year fee would
not become effective until July 1.
"If it is provided that the six
months fee become effective imme
diately, thousands of cars that
would not otherwise be licensed
and buying gas, would have license
plates at once and enhance the re
venue of the state through the gas
oline tax, that would more than
offset the quarter-of-a-year reduc
tion which this arrangement would
provide.
"This, of course, would be a
measure to meet the present emer
gency. Such a law would give
great relief to those car owners
who have not been fortunate
enough to have been able to buy
their plates earlier. This measure
would apply to the present year
only and incidentally would give
us some experience to judge just
what the reaction would be to a
reduction in license plate fees.
"Car owners urged) the building
of our great highway system and I
am sure they have no desire to
shirk their responsibility to pay a
just tax. But present taxes on in
dividual passenger cars are exhor
i •. i x r ..i
Ulkdm, dlXU X 1CU Uldk. LUC Cdl XJ w 11
ers are entitled to some considera
tion and some relief, just as we
are providing 'relief for bankers
and farmers. The present gas tax
alone is a 54 per cent sales tax and
the car owners have carried this
burden without complaint, but the
time has come when consideration
must be given to reducing the li
cense plate fee.
"It must be remembered that
when an automobile is kept off the
highway due to high license plate
fees, that the state is not only los
ing the small fee that might be
easily paid, losing the gas tax, but
business in general is retarded1 be
cause when a person travels in an
automobile, they buy hotel ac
commodations, food, clothing, in
surance, automobile supplies Snd
entertainment. The more cars op
erating greater is the volume of
trade in all lines and greater is the
revenue for the state.”
$150,000 TARBORO BLAZE
A loss of $150,000 resulted in
destruction by fire of the Edge
combe warehouse along wth 3,
000 bales of cotton at Tarboro on
Friday afternoon. Insurance covers
the loss.
.oarDara '-'le£>g> Broadway stage
star, has deserted the footlights to
join her husband, Norman Schnei
der, at the former Schwab mine near
29 Palms, Calif. She is assistant boss
:o her husband ... and likes it, she
says.
With Our
Lawmakers
A resume of the week’s happen
ings in the state and nation fol
lows:
National
1. Congress passed the presi-|
dent’s emergency bill, giving the
:hief executive dictatorial powers
>ver banks. J
2. Congress passed the presi-1
dent’s economy bill whereby Mr.
Roosevelt hopes to effect a saving
af over $5 00,000,000, mainly
through the reduction of veterans
appropriation and reduction of sal
aries. The American Legion’s
national legislative committee is
sued statement accepting cut for
vets.
3. The house of representatives
passed the 3.2 Cullen beer bill. The
senate is expected to pass the
measure momentarily.
4. A majority of the banks, clos
ed under the state and national
banking-holiday, have reopened.
-5. Josephus Daniels named am
bassador to Mexico.
State
1. Governor Ehringhaus, appear
ing before a joint session of the
house and senate, urged the pas
sage of a sales ta^ if necessary to
balance the budget.
2. The state senate voted to give
the governor veto power.
3. Economy bloc seeks $10,000,
000 reduction in N. C. supply bill.
4. Governor Ehringhaus, in his
speech before the general assembly,
urged the following:
1— Preserve the credit of the
state by balancing the budget,
even at the cost of a sales tax, and
make sure provisions to keep it in
balance or prevent an imbalance,
by making all appropriations sub
ject to budget cuts.
2— Preserve the school opportu
nity in economy by the provision
of a lump sum, with a board to
administer it, as herein before
pointed out.
3— Preserve the homes of our
citizens from the foreclosures
which present ad valorem taxes
threaten and reduce the tax load
which now weighs heavily upon
them by abolishing special levies
for support of extended term.
4— Preserve the highways and
our great investment therein from
the waste and losses which inade
quate maintenance provision would
certainly entail.
5— Preserve our institutions and
departments from the destruction
which too heavy curtailment
threatens, to the end that they
may continue to serve our citizen
ship and prepare the youth,of our
land for better service to the state.
On this rock we shall build our
state and the forces of ignorance,
inequality, depression and despair
shall not prevail against it.
I
MEWS
BRIEFS
FRESH MEAT PRICE RISES
Sharply reduced marketing due
to financial uncertainties in Chica
go and other big live animal mar
kets, has forced a material advan
ce in fresh meat prices during the
week.
EMERGENCY BANK
MEASURE
A new bill drastically extending
emergency powers granted the
commissioner of banks and the
governor of the state to enforce
banking holidays in the state was
passed by the general assembly on
Monday. The bill approved the
banking holiday for the first three
days of the week and authorized
its extension or renewal. It also
authorized the issuance of clearing
house certificates as a medium of
exchange.
SECOND MISTRIAL FOR
WELBORN
ror the second time withm the
same term a Forsyth jury was un
able to agree on a verdict in the
action against Dexter Welborn,
Fligh Point youth charged with
manslaughter, andi Judge John H.
Clement withdrew a juror and or
dered a mistrial. The twelve men
deliberated about two hours before
admitting they were hopelessly
deadlocked.
NEBRASKA SENATOR DIES
Senator Robert B. Howell, 68,,
Nebraska Republican, died at
Washington of heart attack. Gov
ernor Charles Bryan will name a
Democrat to succeed Howell.
FALLS TO HIS DEATH
Elbert McGee, 17, of near High
Point, died there from skull frac
tures received the night before
when he fell from the rear of a
truck.
HOLDUP MEN SLAY
MOTORMAN
Motorman J. W. Brown was
shot three times and killed by
three negro holdup men at the end
of a Charlotte street car line Sat
urday night. They secured $15
or more and fled.
In a second holdup effort the
same night, Motorman E. D. Bart
let snatched the pistol from the
hands of bandit, Winfred Thomas,
negro, and fatally wounded him.'
HELD FOR OLD CRIME
Fate St. John is charged in Wilk
es county with the murder 16
years ago of Henry Souther, a boy
who was found dead on a road
with bruises on head and body. It
was supposed he had been killed
by falling from his wagon when
his team ran away, but St. John
is said to have recently implicated
himself.
JAPS TO QUIT LEAGUE
The Japanese cabinet has voted
to resign from the league of na
tions because of its condemnation
of . her Manchurian campaign.
Pending approval by the emperor
are the two years notice of resigna
tion and the notice that Japan will
retain the former German island
in the Pacific which she hold's on
a league mandate.
CERMAK’S SLAYER TO DIE
"I’m no scared that chair,”
shouted Guiseppe Zangara when he
was brought in a Miami, Fla.,
court on Friday to face sentence
for the slaying of Chicago’s may
or, Anton, Cermak. He had plead
ed guilty the previous day. Fie was
sentenced to die in the electric
chair, the governor to set the date.
Cermak was one of five shot on
February II when Zangara tried to
assassinate President Roosevelt.
Eggs for Coat
This Michigan farmer took some
eggs and dressed poultry to Detroit
and traded it to merchant Nathan
Schreiber for some underwear and a
winter overcoat. Many Detroit mer
chants are doing business on the bar
ter system.
Zangara To
“Die MafchG'i
Heavily guarded by a squad of
national guard machine gunners,
Giuseppe Zangara, the assassin who
shot five persons in an attempt to
kill President Roosevelt February
15, awaits the electric chair for
the murder of Mayor Anton J.
Cermak of Chicago.
Gov. Dave Sholtz signed the
death warrant after Zangara had
been secretly removed from the
Dade county jail in Miami where
he was convicted. The warrant
sets the execution for the week of
March 20, the actual day and hour
to be determined by Superintend
ent L. F. Chapman of the state
prison farm. It was held likely
Tuesday March 21 will be the
date.
HELD FOR EMBEZZLING
$100,000
W. T. Shore, Charlotte attorney
has posted $20,000 bond for free
dom pending trial on charges of
embezzling $100,000 ^rom Mrs.
Maude B. Trotman, Winston-Sal
em, for which he_was indicted in
Forsyth Superior court.
AIRSHIP MACON IS
CHRISTENED
The giant airship Macon, sister
ship to the navy’s huge Akron,
was formally christened at Akron,
Ohio, and will shortly be commis
sioned for service.
GOOD
MORNING
———————
THE SUCCESS FAMILY
The father of Success is Work:
The mother of Success is Ambi
tion;
The oldest son is Common
Sense;
Some of the older boys are Per
severance, Honesty, Thoroughness,
Foresight, Enthusiam and Co-op
eration.
The oldest daughter is Charac
ter;
Some of her sisters are Cheer
fulness, Loyalty, Courtesy, Care,
Economy, Sincerity and Harmony.
The baby is Opportunity.
Get well acquainted with the
"old man’’ and you will be able to
get along pretty well with the rest
of the family.
Sam: Hear about the Scotchman
who was arrested for going down
the street naked?
Jove: No.
Sam: He was on his way to a
strip poker game.
"Who made her dress?”
"Either the police or the cen
sors; I’m not sure which.”
—«A - mother, testify^*#
or her son, swore that he1 "worked
on a -farm ever since he was bom.’’
Triumphantly the opposing law
yer leaned over toward her and
thundered: "You tell this court
that your son worked on a farm
ever since he was born?”
"I do.”
"What did he do the first year?”
"He milked,” she answered.
"Robert,” said the teacher, to
drive home the lesson, which was
on charity and kindness, "if I saw
a man beating a donkey and stop
ped him from doing so, what vir
tue would I be showing.
"Brotherly love,” said Bobby.
Box Office Attendant: Can I
give you one in the third row?
Patron: No, I want one in the
first row.
Box Office Attendant: Very well,
here’s an extra fiddle. Tell the
stage manager to give you a seat in
the orchestra.
"Now, Robert,” said the teach
er, dilating on the virtue of polite
ness, "if you were seated in a car,
every seat of which was occu
pied, and a lady entered, what
would you do?”
"I’d pretend I was asleep,” was
the unhesitating reply.
"Did you give your wife that
little lecture on economy you‘talk
ed about?”
"Yes.”
"Any results?”
"Yes—I’ve got to give up smok
ing expensive cigars.”
City Schools To Operate
For 8 Months; Teachers
Will Wait For Salaries
Operation of the city schools for
a period of eight months is practi
cally assured.
The teachers of the city schools,
in a recent meeting, unanimously
agreed to complete the eight
months term even though their
salaries were not forthcoming at
the expiration of each teaching
month.
This action taken by the teachers
will be submitted to the board of
education and also to the city
council for acceptance or rejection.
Should this move be acceptable
to both the board of education and
the city council, the schools will
continue to operate until the mid
dle of May.
Delinquency in tax payments
has caused the city officials and the
board of education considerable ap
prehension as to whether or no:
sufficient funds can be raised to
meet the teachers’ salaries when
they become due. However, under
the action taken by the teache.rs,
the salaries will be paid as the
funds are collected, making possi
ble the eight months term even in
the absence of sufficient funds.
! An All-American Girl
mirmnmc «
Janet Hutchinson, one of the
twenty beauties selected by notable
artists as a perfect model in the wear
ing of apparel, also caught the eye of'
judges as being your typical Ameri
can girl.
95,686 Employed
In Relief Labor
In State In Jan.
A total of 95,68 6 men were em
ployed in North Carolina during
January and pa.d from relief
funds, according to statistics re
paid out in wages, or approximate
ly 65 per cent of the $1,250,000
which was spent for all relief pur
poses in the state during the
month.
These figures indicate that about
two-thirds of the heads of destitute
families in the state were working
for the aid which they received.
The others were given direct relief
either because no one in the family
was physically able to work or be
cause there was no work availabe
for them to do.
The jobs performed by these
workers vary considerably, the re
ports show. Always they const!-*
tuted work of one type or another
which was for the public good,
such as highway repairing and
beautification, school house build
ing and repairing, street repairs
and construction.
Beer Bill Is
Passed By Sen.
The senate last night passed the
beer bill with certain amendments
and sent it back to the house for
its final approval.
The senate changed the bill from
3.2 alcoholic content to 3.05 per
cent. The upper body also added
a provision to permit manufacture
and sale of wine.
Farm Relief
Urged By Pres.
President Roosevelt late yester
day transmitted his message on
farm relief and unemployment to
the congress.
The president urged) a one year
farm relief bill, asking immediate
action in order to aid farmers this
season. The idea was advanced
that the government lease certain
lands and withdraw these from the
production field.
Several plans dealing with the
unemployment situation were ad
vanced. Service camps and refor
estation were urged.
KNOXVILLE GETS SCRIP
Nashville, Teim.—An armored
truck left here carrying $3,000,
000 in scrip to Knoxville. The
certificates were printed here.
Pick-Up Is
Report’d By
Local Stores
Buying Is
More General
Substantial Increase In Business Is
Found In All Branches
Contractors Also Expect Upturn
In Building Program Soon
A revival in trade in the retail
stores of Salisbury has been regis
tered since the re-opening of sever
al banks in the city and county.
The first banks to open in the
county were:
nr*1 xxrr 1 • n 1 . t-w-t
iixc w fvnuvid uaiiK. ana irust
Company, Salisbury.
The Bank of China Grove,
China Grove.
Uptown sidewalks, occupied dur
ing the last week by slim crowds
with little tendency to shop for
more than the bare necessities of
of ''bargain days” as the men and
women of the city made purchases
they were unable to make while
their money was tied up in closed
banks.
"Trade showed a very substan
tial increase over that of the last
week. I believe business was bet
ter than it was before the banks
wfere closed under the national
banking holiday proclamation of
President Roosevelt,” one merch
ant declared.
"Our business showed great im
provement over trade during the
bank holiday. I would class trade
as quite satisfactory, a manager of
a local department store declared.
"There was more buying, and I
feel that we may expect to see
continued improvement,” another
business man stated.
"It is too early to say that busi
ness is good, but indications are in
a much better frame of mind,” one
declared.
The building contractors Con
tractors are very much encouraged
and feel that the bottom has been
hit. The needed medicine has been
given, and business is now on the
way up.
Benefit Show
At The Boyden
High Tonight
Tonight at 8 o’clock is Radio
Review night at the Boyden High
school auditorium. All the popu
lar radio stars will be impersonated
by local talent, assisted by the Tar
Heelians, an orchestra composed of
local musicians.
The Tar Heelians, under the
direction of W. Arnold Summey,
are proving themselves popular a
mong the younger set and are se
curing many engagements for the
coming dance season.
Roy Deal, as an independent per
former, will render several special
numbers.
An evening of pleasing enter
tainment is promised! all who at
tend. An admission of 10 and If
cents will be charged which will be
donated to the music department
of the high school.
DIES FROM POISON DOSE
W. R. Miller, died at Hamlet
from effects of a poison dose taken
two days before.