f
WASHINGTON
Civil Power Supreme
No Furniture Factory
Attention to Capital
Washington—For the first tin*
since he began to put the New
I*. mto effect, President Roose
' c c fflced a storm of open and pub
lic criticism as a result of his dras
tic order summarily cancelling all
existing airmail contracts and turn
mg over the air-mail service to the
military aviation forces.
Telegrams and letters from all
sorts of people in all parts of the
country expressed the view that the
President had acted too impulsively
in wrecking a great industry mere
ly because there had been disclosures
before a Senate committee that a
few men had made a great deal of
money out of Government con
-r t i
*‘“vw pxaiic^ anu engines.
Telegrams came from such im
portant and respected figures as
Col. Charles A. Lindbergh and oth
ers of equal fame in the world of
aviation; from thousands of inves
tors in the shares of aviation com
panies; from communities whose
air-mail services were threatened,
and from plain citizens who warned
that the mail service is not one to
be entrusted to flyers who have
specialized in quite another branch
of aeronautics.
The arbitrary action by the Presi
dent started a good many people,
too, to using the word "dictator”
in their more or less private con
versation. The word has been
heard a good many times in Wash
ington recently. Mostly it has been
used Dy tne President s political op
ponents^ whenever they have deem
ed it safe to indulge in words at all.
The President’s friends have pointed
out that a dictator is one who
seizes power without the consent
of the legislature, and who main
tains that power by use of military
force.
President Roosevelt has been
punctilious to ask Congress for such|
power as he is exercising, and has.
never asked' until lie was assured in!
advance that the powers would be
granted. And, up to now, there|
has been no suggestion of disregard-'
ing the Constitutional provision|
that the military shall always be
subordinate to the civil power of
the Government. Incidentally, it
is that provision in the Constitution
that prevents the President from
_nn Arrmr /vf-firpr nc ^prrpJ
“““““O —- j
tary of War a Navy officer as Sec
retary of the Navy.
There are some, however, who
are beginning to point out that
Mussolini, who certainly ranks as
dictator in his own Italy, is care
ful to go through the form of cos
suiting the Italian Parliament and
obtaining permission to do what he
wants to do. TheSe same critics
of the Administration also point
out that Mussolini did not have the
official Italian army behind him in
his March on Rome, but only his
Fascist "militia,” and they are
viewing with some distrust the
suggestion which is being talked
about, more or less openly in Ad
ministration circles, that the young
men who have been enrolled in tae
CCC, the beneficiaries of CWA
who db not find other emplcymnt,
and numerous other groups ought
to be regimented into a perman
ent "work reserve corps.” Some of
the more bitter enemies of the New
Deal profess to see in this a military
:—liration. suggesting the possi
bility of the organization of a fight
ing force which might be used, in
unscrupulous hands, much as Mus
solini used his Fascists. .
There probably is nothing in that
idea, but those who hold it are
frank in saying that the use of
Army and Navy aviators to per
form a civil function, such as car
rving the mails, sets a precedent
under which soldiers, sailors and
marines might be used as letter
carriers, or even as workers in othet
lines of industry. c
It nearly escaped notice wher
Congress turned down one of Mr
Roosevelt’s proposals to put, th<
Government into comparison with
urivate business, the other day
The question was on an approprn
tion for the building of a furmtur.
factory in West Virginia, where on.
of the Administration’s pet scheme
for a colony of "subsistence home
steads” is to be tried out.
Secretary Ickes, in charge 01 pub
lie works, had allotted $525,000 t.
build a factory which was to pro
vide employment for the subsis
Continued on page four
The Carolina Wat< man
FOUNDED 1832—101ST YEAR. SALISBURY, FRIDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 23, 1934. VOL 101 NO. 30. PRICE 2 CENTS
Baulking, Industry Show Gain
JOHNSON OPPOSES *30 HR. W*EEK
_ _
President Gets
Encouragement
i From Leaders
Banking Structure is Reported As
Sound ,ind Getting Back to
Normal Lending Policies
OPTIMISTIC FOR FUTURE
Business Has Been Steadily Gain
ing in Last Four Months and
Trend Seems to. Be Defi
nitely Upward.
Reports of improved conditions
in banking and industry were given
to President Roosevelt by leaders
in these fields. They came at the
same time that the Chief Execu
tive considered efforts to move the
heavy capital goods business into
higher speed to take up slack from
the government’s emergency pro
gram.
Henry I. Harriman, president of
the Chamber of Commerce of the
United States, and Francis M.
Law, president of the American
Bankers association, in separate
talks with the President spoke op
timistically of conditions and dis
cussed plans for the future.
Harriman said the crux of the
problem was to stimulate the capi
tal goods industry "in order to get
men to work there as the govern
ment’s emergency program fades
out.”
Law said "the banking structure
is very sound” and the banks were
"getting back to a more normal
lending policy.”
However, he agreed that federal
aid in providing private credit and
long-term financing might well be
considered.
Mr. Roosevelt has been very
busy with his financial lieutenants
Continued on page five
Roosevelt Asks
Further Delay In
Wage Slashing
Warning that the national em
ergency still exists and that eco
.stabilized, President Roosevelt call
nomic conditions are as yet lin
ed on railway capital and labor to
agree to a six months’ extension
of the 10 percent railway pay cut
from this coming June.
Mr. Roosevelt’s views were con
tained in a letter addressed to the
conference committee of managers
representing Class 1 railroads and
the Railway Labor Execuu
sociation.
"I am confident that such an
extension.” the President wrote,
"would be of advantage to those
directly concerned, and also to the
entire country.”
The White House pronounce
ment came a few hours after dis
patches from Chicago said the con
ference committee had served no
tice of a 15 per cent pay reduc
tion on all classes of union labor
on and after July 1, 1934, for a
year. *
$64,815 Sales
Tax Collection
In Rowan County
Sales tax collections in Rowar
county for the first six month;
period amounted to $64,S15.
The enactment of sales tax anc
: other measures of the past legis
; lature regarding taxes afford ;d ;
• property tax reduction of $277,
1 543 in the county. The indireci
sales tax return for the yeai
■ would amount to $1,% J O, whicl
► leaves a property tax“\ 1 .>n u
■ excess of the sales 1; y*
■ madie and anticipated
of $147,913.
NEWS
BRIEFS
BURLINGTON CHILD
KILLED
Charlie, five-year-old son of Mr.
and Mrs. C. E. Farlow of Burling
ton, was instantly killed Sunday
afternoon in an automobile crash
near there. Others injured are
expected to recover.
ARMY MAIL HAS EARLY j
rASTTATTlFS
Three young army pilots assign
ed to the airmail service met death
in binding fog and snowstorm in
the Utah mountains while enroute
to take over the work of civilian
flyers. Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker
pronounces this incident as "legal
ized murder”. He was pilot on
one of the commercial lines.
NOT TO WED
From one of the few intimates
of enigmatic Greta Garbo, film
folk have learned that the Swed
ish actress will not marry Rouben
Mamoulian and that he probably
will not direct ^another picture
starring her.
G. O. P. FIGHT?
North Carolina’s Republicans
are going to have a championship
fight, according to Greensboro,
Hendersonville, Asheville and Ral
eigh news, and if There were not
some allies of Judge william C. |
Meekins who seld'om have been
among the insurgents, the contest
could be explained as the old
Struggle of the Bourbons against
the progressives.
BISHOP CANNON WANTS
FUNDS
The criminal charges against
Bishop James Cannon, Jr1., and
Miss Ada L. Burroughs, his former
secretary, of Richmond, Va.,
will come up for trial at Washing
ton City sometime in April. They
are charged with conspiracy to
violate the corrupt practices law
because of failure to report all
the contributions handled by anti
Smith headquarters in Richmond
during the 1928 presidential cam
paign. An appeal is being sent
out in four-page pamphlet form
stating the cause of the Bishop
and calling for funds to aid him
t-ViA Ipo-al rnntMf. The con
tinued pursuit of the Bishop to
bring him into court has depleted
his funds to a low point, and he
must have aid1 it is claimed.
GANG ROUND-UP
The net spread by hundreds of
Oklahoma and Arkansas officers
over the Cookson hills badlands
for fugitive desperadoes on Sun
day had caught 17 suspects and
the drive for others was pressed
vigorously. The manhunt, most
extensive in the history of the
southwest, was started early Sat
urday night with Charles "Pretty
Boy” Floyd as the principal des
perado sought.
GREEN’S FACE TRIAL
The state will brook no further
; delay in weigning out justice iui
Bascom and Lester Green, father
and son, who were brought to
Taylorsville from Tennessee last
week to be tried in Alexanler
county for the murder of T. C.
Barnes, killed in a bank hold-up
last July. Trial probably will
start Wednesday morning.
RAISE POSSIBLE FOR N.
SCHOOL TEACHERS
North Carolina school -t|
now on salaries far belo
wage levels, may gey
gress passes th
federa
1 coi
—.—.— l - ■ •_=
-1-:-:
Wives of Democratic Pr^id^KS
NEW YORK: ... A dinner at the Women’s University Club here was
the occasion which brought the wives of two Democratic presidents together
as honored guests. . . . On the left is- Mrs. Thomas J. Preston of New
Jersey, widow of Grover Cleveland, who reigned at the White House in
the 80's and 90’s. On the left is Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, .today's
“First Lady’’ who was made an honoraiy member of the club.
Textile Federation Is
Organized For State
-
Five-Day Week and Five-Hour Day Among Objec
tives Of Organization Effected Be Represen
tatives Of Workers Here.
Old age, sickness, accident and
unemployment insurance are aims
of the North Carolina Federation
of Textile Workers along with
a five-day week and a five-hour
day.
Resolutions recording the new
organization of hosiery and textile
workeis in favor of these social
changes were adopted as its con
vention here closed. Leaders of
the organization claim it represents
5 5,000 workers.
Public ownership of utilities and
transportation and communications
systems was advocated in other res
olutions adopted.
The organization was completed
with election of P. R. Christopher,
of Shelby, as president; S. Davis, of
Burlington, as first vice-president;
Van Hill, of Asheboro, second
vice-president, and J. D. Buie, of
Belmont, secretary-treasurer.
Army Will Use 147
Planes For Mail
Army air mail headquarters an
nounce that a total of 147 planes
will be used to carry the nation’s
air mail. Sixty-six planes have
been assigned to the eastern zone,
42 to the central zone and 39 to
the western zone.
The planes to be operated in
eastern zone will be assigned as
follows:
Newark to Chicago, one bom
bardinent, 14 observation, and one
cargo; Newark to Miami, nine ob
servation; Chicago to Jacksonville,
nine pursuit; Newark to St. Louis,
eight observation; Cleveland to
Memphis, five pursuit; Washing
ton to Cleveland, nine pursuit.
Disastrous Fires Strike
3 North Carolina Towns
Large Structures Razed at Smithfield and South
ern Pines, Causing $125,000 Damage;
Raeford Building Burns
. . . . _ . • i i* i
Smithlield—u am age esumateu
at $100,000 was caused by fire
that swept through the Sanders
building, Smithfield’s largest busi
ness structure, early Tuesday.
The building, covering a quarter
of a block, housed the town’s only
theater, the local postoffice, the
Western Union office, and several
private offices. The fire was be
lieved to have started in the the
ater.
Other nearby buildings were,
threatened for a time,
byterian churcl^
frame buildj,
ror a time it ucncvcu ncdi*
by buildings would be consumed
by spreading flames but after sev
ral hours fighting by firemen from
Aberdeen and Pinehurst in addi
tion to those from the local com
pany, the fire was brought
control.
The building, owned b^j
B. McBrayer,
Carolina
GOOD
MORNING j
One day recently, so the story
runs, pretty Helen Vinson of tilt
movies was driving in her new
car when something went wronj
with the engine. The traffic lighi
changed from green to red and
back to green and still she could
not' get the car to budge. The
traffic cop came up.
"What’s the matter, miss. "Ain’t
we got any colors you like?”
A few days ago the lady was
shopping on Fifth Avenue. She
left the taxi waiting at the curb.
In the shop she found that she
had not hrmip-Vif hf»r mircp "Rsrk
>he went to the taxi.
"I’ve left my purse at home,”
she explained to the driver. "Drive
me home/’
The chauffeur, a big colored
man, pulled out a $10 bill and
landed it to her.
"Your credit is good with me,”
le said. "Twenty years ago you
laved my life ”
ZAUSE AND EFFECT
"It says the man was shot by his
,vife at close range.”
"Then there must have been
x>wder marks on the body.”
"Yes, that’s why she shot him.”
DEAD FOR KEEPS
A native of western town which
aad had a remarkable boom some
,'ears ago moved away and he hap
aenied to run across one of his old
leighbors when they were both on
i trip to Washington recently,
rhe first man asked the second how
ihings were in the old home town,
rhe friend replied: "You can’t
magine how dull they are. You
_mil wJ!
dropped dead in front of the post
jffice Sunday and they didn’t find
the body until Thursday.”
TROUBLES
The ceremony was over, both
had “I willed”, and the happy
couple were receiving the clergy
man’s blessing.
First he said a few words to the
bride. Then he turned to the
bridegroom.
"My boy”, he said, "you have
come to the end of your troubles.”
A few months passed, and the
man met the clergyman again.
"I thought you told me at my
wedding that I had come to the
end of all my troubles?”, he said.
"My boy”, he said, "I did not
tell you which end, did I?”
WHAT BETTER COURSER
In a Philadelphia
ly, the engagement of a
was announced. A frieq
was met at the door bv
maid who
Miss Alice ai
she’s gone
Sees Danger In
Abrupt Change
For Industry
Says Reduction Should Be Gradual,
And System Must Be
Flexible.
NO FIXED RULE ACCEPTABLE
Many Small Businesses Hflve Pro
tested That They Could Not
Exist Under Flat 3 0 Hour
Week.
* Huglh S. Johnson, who has asked
a lot of questions of other persons
during the last few months, ans
wered a few himself, during the
course of which he told a house
committee that he thought am
arbitrary 30-hour week could not
be applied to industry.
He went to the labor committee
early in its hearing and sat by
while Gerard Swope,, president if
General Electric, voiced similar
views against Chairman Connery’s
30-hour work week bill. Both he
and Swope took the attitude that
hour reduction should come
through the more flexible opera
tions of NRA codes.
"My opinion from nine months’ -
experience in watching the codes go
by,” he explained, "is that you
couldn’t apply-a flat rule in indus
try. Such a law would be accept
able only r£ it were made /use as
flexible as it is now. You’ve got
to maintain a flexibility to prevent
an untold result that you or no
body would want to have.
"The complaints that have been
coming in from the small indus
tries have been chiefly, not of any
monopolistic tendencies of the
codes, but that they could not
subsist under the shorter hours
given them. These would be
nothing to what you would get if
you passed a law of this kind.”
Aclrpd if thp nennlp* vpnprallv
would think the 3 0-hour week bet
ter than the NRA, Johnson re
plied the industries "would turn
backward somersaults at the
thought of a 30-hour week.
Johnson declined1 to say' how
fast he thought the unemployed
could be reabsorbed by industry,
but he did say more than two and
a half million probably still would
be unemployed under a 30-1]
week, and that he sj
indicating approxj
were out of wo