North Carolina Newspapers

Atmosphere Clearing. Tugwell Slowed Down. This Way Out. Treasury Post and Money. ~ " 4‘ *-—■ Washington — A good many members of Congress, both Houses who came back to Washington all steamed up to say out loud what they thought, about the New Deal, have been disappointed to discover that they can get no support from their colleagues for any open attack upon President Roosevelt and his policies. Being politicians, they don’t want to put themselves in an unpopular position, so they are keeping their feelings bolted up for the time being. Before long some of these safety-valves will begin to pop, and many things will be said on the floor of both Houses which will make "hot” headlines; but the fact will still remain as it 1C tinvr tlaat- T) running the Government of these more or less United States, and' Congress is still- taking orders from kim. Summing up the news which re turning Congressmen and Senators fiave brought back from their states and districts, it comes down to this: There is a general sense of kietter times. Recovery is definite ly on the way almost everywhere. There is a great deal of popular re sentment, especially among business men and industrialists, at what are termed the dictorial methods of xtrr l • i t W rtMHMgtUU, UUl UlCIC A picuy general agreement that the objec tives of the Administration are for the public welfare. What has stirred upmost of the objectors is not the purposes but the mothods. Therefore, since these representa tives of the people have got back to Washington, the soft petal has been applied to Government pronounce ments. It is being made increas ingly clear that there is no real in part of the govern over of retain con st and industry, to __ .plunge the country into Socialism. There has been a good deal of com pulsion, to compel business groups to get together and agree to coop erate, and there will be a good deal more compulsion exercised before all the groups which are concerned with vital social services have been whipped into line. But rather -• rapidly the Government is taking its hands off one trade association after another, as its organization is perfected, leaving it to the men in the industry to maintain the coop erative machinery. Government will keep an eye out to see that the old system of unfair competition 1 --- _ kilt Tltl tki r» \IUV1 nuv vv/iwv. - , the limits of fair play, competition will not be hampered, but encour aged. The President has made it clear to those close to him that he is not trying to destroy the Capitalistic system but rather to insure that it shall continue to work properly. And an essential part of the Capi talistic system is profits. Without profits there can be no important tax income for the Government. And taxes are all-important. The realization that Mr. Roose velt, although he listens patiently to their theories, is not going to play ball with the radicals who would turn the whole system up side down without waiting for any overwhelming' demand from the public, has been a great dissapoint ivient to most of the ultra-radicals who have had the Presidential ear. Not the least disappointed man is Professor Tugwell, Assistant Secre tary' of Agriculture, who is out spokenly Socialistic, and who has staked his career upon the effort to put a curb on business enterprise by his so-called "Tugwell Bill,” which would cripple the food and medicine industries and make it almost impossible for them to ad vertise at all. No proposal which has emanated from Administration circles has met with such wide-spread opposition as this. This opposition is the best evidence that the nation as a whole is very far from being ready to go . Socialist. Tugwell’s plan would nut two of the largest industries in the world under the complete autocratic control of bureaucrats. But Mr. Tugwell’s plan is not going through. The President has declined to swallow it whole, his Continued on page four |Still Shorter Working Time Is Considered Plan Depends On Continued Busi ness Improvement. TO CALL CODE MEETING New Proposal to Be Made to Con ference of Committees Feb ruary 15. ' A further general shortening of work hours will be proposed to Am erican industry next month by the national recovery administration if the improvement of business de velops to the point officials expect. Hugh S. Johnson told newspaper men that, "if business turns up, I think we c^n” reduce substantial ly the average of 40 hours a week now prevailing in coded industries, adding: "Not only that, but I thin'k business is going to.” He said he did not contemplate a universal 30-hour week or any other definite figure, but explained that hours virtually had to be de creased or increased by eights, which’suggested an average of 32 working hours a week as a possible objective. He will propose the general re duction plan to a gathering of the directing committees for the 200 coded industries at a meeting he will call for February IS. That session is to go over the entire code regime for its purpose of shaking out inequalities between enmnetinp- industries, disrriminii tions between manufacturing and distributing groups, abuses and un satisfactory policies of all sorts. Johnson’s idea is that, now that a large part of the codes Tire in ef fect, they can be co-ordinated into a working whole. Johnson’s intention of proposing work hour shortening suggested that the administration might have a definite plan to turn back upon private industry by spring a size able portion of the employment load now being carried by the fed eral government through the Civil Works administration. Under present plans the Uivil Works program would be cut off in May, and, if industry is expected then to shoulder the larger part of the load, many men will have to be transferred to private payrolls. The public works program, how ever, is expected to absorb part of them. Not all NRA codes established a 40-hour week. Some have as low as 3 5, some as high as 48, with al lowances for even greater overtime. In many cases the average is to be obtained over a period of weeks or months. Special Services At First Presbyterian Announcement is being made by the Rev. Marshall Woodson, pastor of the First Presbyterian church of a special series of services to be held at this church, beginning next Wednesday night and continuing for teh days with two services each day at 10 a. m., and 7:30 n. m. Dr. Robert King, of Johnson City, Tenn., will conduct the same and which is to be known as "An Abundant Life Crusade.” Dr. King is regarded as one of the great preachers of the Presbyteran church. 5 80,000 ACRE REDUCTION The cotton farmers of North Carolina are now asked to sign contracts reducing the acreage to the crop in 1934 by 580,000 acres, leaving 900,000 acres in cultiva tion for the staple. Heavy bene fits are to be paid for those who sign. NEWS BRIEFS HOLD 2 FOR KILLING AGENT Herman Barbrey, federal dry agent died at Wilmington from buckshot wounds sustained two days before after he had raided a whiskey still near the'Frank Millis home in Pender county. C. R. Millis is said to have admitted fir ing the shots from ambush which hit Barbrey and also Jesse Millis, who had been arrested at the still. dTirwni A n I?r tr?I? nvy w | Harry Hopkins, federal relief and civil works chief, has dissolved the Georgia civil works relief board and is administering the funds in that state directly through his own aides, after publicly criticzing Gov ernor Eugene Talmadge and his , board for obstructing the work. - ✓ DIES IN BURNING HOME Trapped in his burning home, Samuel Williams, 84, retired Alex 1 - aiiuci county rormcr, lost his hie in 'his home. j _ 190 HOME LOANS APPROVED j In the week ending December 29 the Home Owners Loan corporation in this state approved 190 loans on that many homes, the loans involv |ng $372,423. Approved' loans to that date ifl this state total 2,448 in volving $3,35^2,462. __ LOAN TO MECKLENBURG | Mecklenburg county has been awarded $438,000 of public works funds for construction of new schools and school additions, one of the biggest awards that has come to the state. N. C. GETS $122,000 VERDICT In Wake Superior court last week the state won a $122,000 verdict against three bonding companies, asking recovery on bonds covering deposits ot the state park commis sion in the Central bank of Ashe-! ville which failed in 1930. Ap peals were noted. POSTAL DEFICIT IS CUT Postmaster General Farley reports a $112,374,892 deficit in the postal department for 1933 as compared with a loss of $203,5 50,61 1 in 193 2. The number of postal em ployes is 23 5,573. 30,5 00 AUTOMOBILE VICTIMS • The National Safety coutjcil esti mates that 30,5 00 persons lost their lives in automotive accidents in 1933, an increase of 3 1-2 per cent 1Q11 T'.L - 1. • 1. t . i ccurucu toll is that of 1928 when 33,675 were killed. SURVEY OF HISTORIC POINTS A national survey of historic buildings have been approved as a civil works project and in North Carolina M. R. Marsh, Charlotte, has been named supervising officer with a personnel of 28 workers for this state. DEMOCRATS OWE $542,112 Although through its national committee the Democratic party received $728,536 in 1933 and spent but $170,640, the party still has $542,112 in unpaid obligations inherited from previous years, the treasurer reports. DIES IN FEDERAL PRISON Charlie Idol of Greensboro died in the federal prison at Atlanta, af ter an illness' of several months. The body was sent to his home at Greensboro, from where he was sentenced on a liquor case. NO RADIO LIQUOR ADS It will be pleasing to the radio public to learn that liquor adver tising over the air has been ban ned. After all, the fact that some states are yet dry and have some laws with teeth in them may have a salving influence for some good. Dry Forces Plan Constructive Work ■— — / Raleigh—The United Dry Forces of North Carolina will assemble in a state-wide conference at Grens boro, on January 16, for the pur pose of perfecting a permanent or ganization to continue in North Carolina a constructive program of education in favor of temperance and against the evils of alcohol. The county and other local units of the organization that fought to keep North Carolina dry in the re cent election desire to conserve the benefits of the recent campaign and to continue their cfforts to keep legalized liquor ant o! North Caro lina, and to improve the enforce ment of our present prohibition laws. Many local units have al ready become permanent, and it is anticipated that the Greensboro meeting avill set up a permanent state-wide organizations. All per sons in North Carolina interested in the promotion of temperance.are in vited to a'ttend the conference, and all members of the central com mittee, all candidates, county chair men and managers of the United Dry Forces are particularly urged to be present. AGAIN ORDER GOLD SURRENDER Another federal order designed to bring all gold coins and certifi cates into the treasury, was issued by the treasury 'department last week, the penalty for refusal being set at doubt the amount fo gold ar certificates held. The treasury states $311,044,98$ in coins andi $217,486,829 in gold certificates' is still held in private hands. I Liquor Revenue Bill Provides $2 Per Gallon Tax Washington — The administra tion’s liquor tax bill was jammed through the House by a vote of, 3 88 to 5, with only one Demo crat and four Republicans voting against the measure through which the government hopes to obtain $S 50,000,000 a year in ne\y reve nues. Acting under orders from the White House for speedy action, Democratic leaders whipped the measure to' final passage over snip ing opposition from both sides of a boisterous chamber. The President’s hold over the powerful Democratic congressional majority was shown when a motion rn/'rtmmit- tUo linimi* ♦-<•»v Kill nrai defeated by a vote of 287 to 103 on the roll call on passage of the bill, opposition had dwindled to Rep resentatives Allen (R), Illinois; Brumm (R), Pennsylvania; Ed monds (R), Pennsylvania; Hoep pel (D), California and McFadden, ' (R), Pennsylvania. The bill which provides for taxes of $2 a gallon on distilled spirits, $5 a barrel on beer and between i 10 and 40 cents a gallon on wines, 1 was sent to the senate where some1 slight delay may impede the bill,, but final enactment is not far off. Administration officials have es- : timated that each day of delay costs the treasury approximately $750,000 in liquor taxes, since the present revenue on spirits is only $1.10 per gallon. National Birthday Gift For President GOOD MORNING _ / 1st Feline: Why did you jump out of his car last night and run. 2nd Feline: I was being chaste. INTENSIVE FARMING Why are you running a steam roller over that field?” asked the stranger. I m trying to raise mashed po tatoes,” explained the farmer. Proud father: What shall we call it. Fond mother: Let’s call it Quits. Just as the male traveler pur chased the last sleeping space in the Pullman an old lady next to him in line burst into tears. Gallently he sold her his space and walked over to the telegraph office to send the Following telegram to his wife "Will not arrive until tomorrow. Gave berth to an old lady just now.” The only way to make money following the horses is to be a street cleaner. Housewife: "Hey, iceman, do you have the thhe?*' Iceman: "Yes, I’ll be right up is soon as I park de wagon.” Kissing yovir wife, is like scratch - ing a place that does not itch. SHALL WE GATHER—? A parson while baptizing a negro Said, "I’ll make you white clear through Said she, "Oh, parson, dat’s too much— s A nice cream color’ll do.” "Say, can Ola swim?” "No, but she’s a hot divan girl.” Little girl: "What’s a stork, _ Motner: "A bird of chance, my dear.” He: "Never tell a secret around thairs.” She: "Why.” He: "Because chairs are tale bearers.” NAUGHTY ELEPHANT Excited voice over the phone: Policeman, come up to my house at ance. An elephant is in my yard pulling up cabbages with his tail. Officer: "What’s he doing with :hem?” tu:. ,- „ _i .1 ii i • -.w ewu UlUMllUg lady rang off. WHAT NEXT Letter to a corset company. Dear Sirs: Is it moral for me to wear my corset to a dance when I enow how my boy friend feels? '•OR SALE For sale: A large walnut din ng room table, by Miss Jones with >rown mahogany legs. r guess that is cutting a swell igure,” said the chorus girl as she ell on a broken bottle. Her: "I don’t know whether to >uy a brass or mahogany bed” Salesman: "Lady you can’t g? vrong on a brass bed” She took the mahogany one - \ Bathing giirls: "Hello, there, drandpa! How old are you. Gagger: "Eighty”, dammit. Two old maids were in an in ane asylum for years, always knif ing and knitting. "Gee,” sighed Mayme one day! 'I wish some tall handsome man vould 'wind his'arms about me and queeze me until I gasp. "Now you are talking sense,” :rom the other, "You’ll be out of lere in a few days. -,< Action Asked By President On Question Wants Sinking Funds Established . By Both Carriers And Utilities. ALLOW MORE EARNINGS < - 1 Portion Of Earning Each Year Should Be Set Aside To Retire Debts. f President Roosevelt took sides ’ in a controversy that has stirred • students of railroad finance for % _ decade by urging that the lines pro- 1 vide for the systematic retirement _ r . i_ _ • 1 • 11. i i jj. uivu uugc uiutuicuiiCdS Vfy kite jstablishment of sinking funds. ' He recommended, too, that the big public utility companies, also faced with a huge debt burden, follow the same course and added the suggestion that both be helped toward this objective by more lib eral earning allowances from the Interstate Commerce ciknmisskm md state utility regulatory boards. Such crises as those through which many of the lines passed last spring, some of them escaping receivership by a scant margin, the Chief Executive thought could be ivoided through the sinking fund method, aided bvo^^ot two passed The practic^^^rge nerally fol lowed .«r TSiTrbad financing, Mr. Roosevelt said, is to supplant a ma turing issue of bonds with a new issue, making no allowance for permanent retirement of outstand ing. obligations. Under the sink ing fund method, a portion of a road’s revenues would be set aside :ach month or year for the specific purpose of reducing its debt. In its recent annual report, the interstate Commerce commission, liscussed the sinking fund question ariefly, asserting that it was giving ronsideration to methods of re versing the present trend in rail road financing. The commission idded a belief "that the desired re mits can be obtained, in part at east through the provision of sink ng funds to be sent up by the vumj/uiiivj UUl, Ill :ome for the puropsc of retiring i part of their funded debt before •naturity.” The report said that if the funds ivere not volutarily establshed the :ommission might require' them as i condition to the authorization to :uture bond issues. The power of the commission, although appar ently clear under the sectfon au ehorizing it to do this was declared iy one official to be a "debatable )ne.” _ Economical customer: "Do you take anything off for cash?” Saleslady: Sir! DON’T MISS THE FIRST INSTALLMENT OF The New Serial Story By MARY 1MLAY TAYLOL . . . Honor gets strangely twist ed and the .marriage of Nancy Gordon goes on the rocks .... even before the ceremony . . . Here is an exciting story of a matrimonial mixup of THE DOLLAR BRIDE First installment on page 3 this issue of The Watchman. ‘ ‘ Birthday Balia ’ * for President Roosevelt on January 30th., will be held in towna and cities throughout the country. Ool. Henry L. Doherty, New York, is chairman of the na tional committee sponsoring the move ment. the returns to go to the Warm Springs, (Ga.) Foundation which is to be endowed as a national center for the development of methods of treatment for infantile paralysis, a movement to whieli^tluiM&jx^ent has —much support. Phot* j-—show President Roosevelt \ a group of the cheerful little patients at Warm Springs and, lower right, the birthday cake for the President. • •.-S : c 1 Do You Know The Answer? Continued on page eight 1. In what country is the state af Minas Geraes? 2. In what city did the Tweed ring scandal occur? 3. vOf what country is Port au Prince the capital? 4. What is the largest interior body of water in the world? 5. Is the titli-xorcmodore used n the United States navy? 6. What Minnesota cities are ;alled the twin cities? 7. What docs the word tycoon nean? 8. Name tie heroine of Long- ■ fellows Indian poem, "Hiawatha.” . 9. Name the tenth President of the United States, 10. Where is Mt. Mitchell?