WASHINGTON
The Security Act
The Labor Legislation
Turn To Economic
Stability
_
Adjournment of Congress by
May 1 ? th is the definite program
agreed upon by House leaders and
the President. But there is still a
fair chance that the Senate may
upset this, unless some of the things
upon which a number of Senators
have set their hearts are agreed on
before that date.
Most important of the items
which the President insisted upon
in his conferences with Cotngress
sional leaders on his return from
his fishing trip is an appropriation
of a billion and a half dollars to
continue Federal relief work. More
unemployed are now on the Gov
ernment relief rolls that at any pre
vious time; nearly twelve million
persons in all. The expcted new'
funds will be added to those already
available for public works, direct
Federal relief and aid to states and
municipalities.
Next on the President s program
of essential legislation is the Stock
Exchange regulation bill. This had
been amended so that it will not put
the stock exchanges out of business,
as the original measure was calcu
lated to do. The vital importance
of maintaining an open market in
which anyone who wants to buy or
sell stocks and bonds can always
do so, at a price, is assured by the
bill as it stands, and the drastc
provisions which would compel the
liquidation of billions in outstanding
bank loans halve beeii modified.
There are still plenty of teeth in the
bill, however, to discourage wild
speculation, which is its main pur
pose. Congress and the Administr
tion still believe that all of our pres
ent troubles started in Wall Street.
- I
The President also is insistent i
upon the passage of amendments
to the Securities Act of last year.
It has been learned, from nearly a
year’s experience, that it is impos- ■
sible to get honest men to take the ]
risk of offering new securitis for
sale, when under that law they
mght be sent to jail because some
salesman of whom they had never;
heard, long after the securities had
passed out of their hands, did not :
tell the whole truth about them,;
and any time within ten years any-;
one who bought them and was sick
of his bargain could claim his
money back from the original
issuers.
Since there is only one way
whereby private capital can invest
in business and industry, and that
is by the purchase of bonds and
shares of a business corporation,
and nearly every industry is con
stantly in need of fresh capital, par
ticularly so at the present time, the
idea is to make it safe for the in
dustries to float new bond and share
issues, and so put private capital at
work as well as Government funds
The understanding here is that
the President would be satisfied to
have Congress pass those three ma
jor pieces of legislation and then go
home. But the indications are that
Congress is going to take matters
into its own hands and pass another
inflation measure. This will be the
Dies silver bill, as nidified by
amendments drafted by Senator
Thomas of Oklahoma, and on which
the "farm bloc” and the "silver
bloc” are in agreement and are cer
tain they can get enough votes to
pass the bill. This would raise the
price of silver, put $5 0,000,000 a
month of new silver certifcates into
circulation, and put a premium on
silver used by foreign buyers for
American agricultural products.
There is less likelihood as time
goes on of the passage of the Wag
ner bill to limit hours of labor to
30 a week. The proposals for un
emplofment insurance under Fed
eral control will go over to the next
session—that is to say, to the next
Congress, for this is the final ses
sion of the 73 rd Congress. For the
first time since the latest amend
ment to the Constitution was ad
opted, the Congress elected next
November will take offce early in
January and begin its work—with
out any "lame ducks” or members
who have been defeated for re
election but still hold over, among
them.
Another major piece of legisla
tion, however, which probably will
be law by the time this is printed,
is the new income tax bill, which
takes a good deal of the burden off
(Please turn to back page)
The Carolina Watchman
FOUNDED 1832—101ST YEAR SALISBURY, FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL 27, 1934. VOL 101 NO. 39. PRICE 2 CENTS.
HEIGHT RATES ON COAL REDUp
Increase Pay For R. R» Labor
Salisbury To
Benefit Under
New Coal Rate
Reduction Of 18 Cents A Ton For
City From Southwest Virginia
Fields.
EFFECTIVE AUGUST FOURTH
State Will Sate Million Yearly;
Creighton Sees Need For Fur
ther Reduction.
Reductions in bituminous coal
freight rates to North Carolina
points, which will become effective
]August 4, will range from six cents
a ton at Waynesville and Hazelwood
to 3 8 cents a ton at Lenoir, accord
ing to William S. Creighton, traf
fic secretary-treasurer of the North
Carolina Traffic League. A re
duction of 18 cents per ton from
coal of the Southwest Virginia fields
to Salisbury will afford savings of
thousands of dollars a year to
residents of this section.
1 he reductions were ordered
Monday by the Interstatae Com
merce commission, and Mr. Creigh
on received a full satatement of the
findings from the commission
showing what the rates will be at
the different points. The league
ind the North Carolina Corpora
tor* commission brought the case
>efore the commission that finally
■esulted in the reductions.
"While the decision does not go
is far as we think it should, and |
Joes not completely dispose of I
jur complaint, either of unreason
ableness or discrimination against
North Carolina, in favor of south
eastern points, if, nevertheless, goes
a long way to improve the present
situation,” asserted Mr. Creighton.
The Interstate Commerce com
mission’s order, received, states in
its findings:
"In reaching our findings here
in we have weighed carefully the
interests of both shippers and car
riers as the facts with respect there
'are set forth upon this record. Bas
ed upon those facts, and measured
by the rates on coal more recently
prescribed or approved by the com
mssion in the eastern section of the
country, especially from the Poca
hontas district to southern Virginia,
we are convinced that, differences
in transportation and financial con
ditions of the carriers affected con
sidered, a number of the rates as
signed to destinations in central,
north and south central, and west
ern North Carolina, and in the ex
treme northern portion of South
Carolina, arc higher than reasonable,
ad must be reduced, and that the
assigned rates to other portions of
the designated territory involed are
not unreasonable.
"In determining upon the reas
onable maximum rates herein pre
scribed we have used, as a general
basis of guide, a distance scale of
rates commencing at $2.10 per ton
net for short tariff route distances
of from 140 to 160 miles, and grad
ing at 10 cents for each 20 miles
beyond the latter distances.”
150 MINERS DIE IN BLAST
Subterranean explosions in coal
mines in Yougoslavia killed at least
150 miners Saturday, according to
reports which evaded censorship,
and the disaster threatens to be
the worst in the history of south
ern European coal mining.
NEWS
BRIEFS
GROWERS RECEIVE CHECKS
FROM GOVERNMENT
Rental checks totaling more than
$2 5 0,000 have been received in
North Carolina for approved to
bacco adjustment contracts, E. Y.
|Floyd, N. C. State College, in
[charge of the tobacco campaign- has
[announced. Checks have been sent
jto county farm agents who in turn
[will notify farmers that their pay
ments have arrived, Floyd said.
\SLASH COAL RATES
Reduction in bituminous coal
[rates from the Pocahontas, Coal
.Creek and Southwest, Virginia,
'mining fields to North Carolina and
-a number of South Carolina points
jwas ordered by the interstate com
merce commission. The reductions
irange from 10 to approximately 20
jcents a ton.
WHISTLES call miners
BACK TO WORK
Work whistles summoned almost
50,000 striking coal miners back to
he bituminous pits Monday. This
harp signal blew because of new
wage structure for soft coal indus
try and President Roosevelt’s guar
antee of protection for the south’s
traditional wage differences. Act
ing to end three weeks of strikes
and violence, Hugh S. Johnson,
NRA chief, issued an executive or
der modifying the wage scale he
had approved on March 3 1 for the
bituminous coal industry.
CONGRESS PREPARES FOR
GRAND FINALE
Congress, in a rush of work, be
gan putting on its grand finale
Monday. Conferees squared off to
wrestle with a multitude of differ
ences over taxation and sugar leg
slation. Silver advocates—called to
an all-congress monetary parley—
pondered w'hether to bring out a
mandatory authority measure in
the face of Presidential objections.
FATAL CRASFI ON LINCOLN
HIGHWAY
Two men were fatally injured
and another seriously hurt early
Monday w'hen their automobile
crashed into an embankment and
overturned on a highway near
Lincolnton. The dead are Cletus
Reep, 28, and Marshall Brittain, 20,
both of North Brook township,
Lincoln county. Zeno Martin, 19,
the third occupant of the car, re
ceived painful injuries but attaches
at a hospital, where he was taken,
said he would recover.
FARMERS TO RECEIVE A
BILLION
American farmers have already
been enriched through their agree
ments to reduce acreage for va
rious products by nearly $200,
000,000, and it is estimated that
the benefit payments before the
end of 1934 will be more than a
billion dollars. This large expen
diture is a part of the large pro
gram for relief being made by the
farm administration.
WRONG JOSHUA
The Judge: "So vour name’s
Johui, eh? You’re not the Joshua
that made the sun stand still, are
you?”
Culprit: "Lor’, no Judge. Ah’m
de Joshua da made de moonshine.”
At The Dinner Party With Dr. Wirt
... -——
a i n - _ rr- u - JWWMMi
WASHINGTON . . . Pictured above are the persons named by Dr. Wirt,
Gary, Ind., educator, as having attended a dinner at whic the “Brain
Trust revolt talk’’ was a subject of discussion. Each of those named, but
satellites in government affairs, emphatically denied any such discussion
and Dr. Wirt was termed by one “a monologist, who talks all the time’’.. .
Upper picture shows David Coyle, Mary Taylor and Alice Barrow. Inserts,
left, Laurence Todd and right. Miss Hildegard Kneeland, those who attended
the dinner. ■ J( . >
Farley To Ask For
More Air Mail Bids
Washington—The postoffice de
partment will ask for bids within a
week or 10 days on seven or eight
additional air mail routes covering
4,092 miles.
Postmaster General Farley an
nounced this about the same time
as Chairman Black, Democrat of
Alabama, of the special investigat
ing committee was defending in the
senate the cancellation of the old
contracts.
A week ago bids were opened on
21 mail routes, but Farley said
contracts for these would not be
awarded until next week. Routes
for which new bids will be asked
were not made known.
Department officials disclosed
that bidders whose figures were
high last week had challenged the
financial and physical responsibility
of the low bidders. Among the
complaining companies were Penns
ylvania Air Line & Transport,
American Air Lines, Inc., and
Northwest Air Lines.
It was said, however, that, be
fore the protests were received, the
department had asked all low bid
ders to show their financial back
ing through balance sheets and bank
statements.
Citing official admnistration acts
from the time of Andrew Jackson
in defense of the contract cancella
tions, Black asserted in the senate
that it was not only Farley’s right,
but also his duty to take the mail
away from former holders, and
charged that a deliberate attempt
was being made by "certain”
groups, including "subsidized edi
torial writers” to mislead the pub
lic regarding the wholesale cancella
tions in February.
8th Check Of
Teachers Will
Be Delayed
F. D. Duncan of the state finance
division has advised superintendent
of the county schools, S. G. Hasty
that the money for the teachers
salaries for the eighth month would
be delayed until arrangements could
be made for disbursing the federal
money that the state recently re
ceived.
Owing to the fact that the city
schools were closed during the epi
demic of measles the city teachers
will not draw their seventh pay
check until May 2 and by the time
the eighth check is due it is ex
pected that satisfactory arrange
ments will have been made to take
care of the situation.
DEATH THREAT
Gov. George White, of Ohio, has
revealed recent receipt of a death
threat which was contained in a
letter that said that unless the gov
ernor pardons Harry Pierpont and
Charles Makley, gangsters, convict
ed of murdering Sheriff J. L.
Sarber, he would not live until the
end of his term in January.
New Sales Manager
A new comer to Salisbury is
Mr. W. T. Wrenn, a Tar Heel, but
for the last seven years located in
Washington, D. C., most of this
time with a large company, as
Sales Manager, has recently con
nected with Mr. T. M. Casey, local
dealer in General Eelectric equip
ment as Sales Manager.
Mr. Wrenn says that the oppor
tunities in the electric field for a
young man are greater, perhaps,
than in any other one thing. He
intends to build a live sales organi
zation.
YOUTH KILLED AT
LEXINGTON
Marvin L. Teer, 25, was instant
ly killed at Lexington Sunday
morning when he dozed at the
wheel of a truck he was driving,
which plunged down a fill. He
was an employe of a Durham con
tracting firm.
FORCE SHOWDOWN
The silver bloc are pressng for
ward in an effort to force a show
down on new monetary legisla
tion, undaunted by their inability
to convince President Roosevelt of
the desirability of enactment by
Congress of the terms of the Dies
Thomas bill.
GOOD
MORNING
L. L. D.
Tommy: "What does L. L. D.
mean after a man’s name. Tim
my?”
Jimmy: "I think it must mean
that he’s a lun^g and liver doctor.’’
CONDENSED REASON
Stranger!: "Wh/.t makes your
cat so small?”
Boy: “I guess it’s because we
feed it on condensed milk.”
HADN’T FORGOTTEN
Bingo: "Have you forgotten
that $2 that you owe me?”
Stingo: "Certainly not. Didn’t
you see me try to dodge into that
door-way?”
Jack Ragan had a girl named
Leila Bush. One Sunday afternoon
Father and Mother Ragan were en
tertaining a few friends on the
front porch of their home. Little
Jasper Ragan, a bright eyed boy
of twelve sat on the steps as Jack
came walking down the front walk
and up the steps. Little Jasper,
innocently, yelled, "Hello! Jack I
you been to the Bushes”?
HOGS FIRST
A visiting nurse was examining
some children in a Forsyth county
school. One youngster, aged six,
was sadly underweight. The nlurse
made inquiries as to his diet and the
following dialogue took place:
"You don’t drink milk?’’
"Nope.”
"Live on a farm and don’t drink
milk at all?”
"Nope, we ain’t got hardly
enough milk for the hogs.”
_
SAFE
He held her in his arms and gazed
into her sweet blue eyes.
"What would you do if I tried
to kiss you?” he asked heavily.
"Yell for father”, she quickly re
torted.
He sprang away from her and
gulped nervously.
"Great Scott!” he cried. "I
thought he was in India!”
"That’s right, he is,” she sweetly
replied.
HOW TIME FLIES1. .
Diner: "Are you the waitress <
who took my order?” ■
Waitress: "Yes, sir.”
Diner: "You’re still looking ,
well—how are your grandchild
ren?”
THE MAIN QUESTION
Professor (after lengthy expla
nation of philosophical theory):
"And now, are there any ques- :
tions?”
Voice in Rear: "What time is
it?”
Two And Half
Per Cent Raise
Will Be Given
':ull 10 Per Cent Will Be Returned
To Workers By April 1, 193 5.
R. R. LABOR BACKS F. D. R.
Railway Labor FI as Been Operating
Under 10 Per Cent Cut For The
Past Two Years.
Railroad labor, which has been
working under a ten per cent cut
:or the past two years, will have a
•estoration of two and one half
)er cent on July 1.
A. F. Whitney, chairman of the
-aiiway executive labor association,
s quoted as saying that this agree
nent was intered into to "comply
ivith the wish of the president of
the United States in the interest of
lational recovery.”
On January 1, 193 5 an additional
five per cent raise will be given
railroad workers and on April 1,
the remaining five per cent will be
added the basic rate of pay, bring
ing the wage scale back to the point
where it was before the 10 per cent
cut went into effect.
The following statement was is
sued by W. F. Thiehoff, chairman
of the conference committee of
managers:
"We faced the choice of reaching
a settlement with employees or of
carrying the wage controversy to a
conclusion under the law with its
attendant uncertainty and disturb
ing effects.
in tne interest or sraDiiizing me
railroad situation now, so as to
promote the national recovery pro
gram, we chose the former choice.
In so doing we have been mindful
of the consideration of national wel
fare pressed upon us by the Presi
dent, of the untiring efforts of the
federal coordinator of transporta
tion to compose the situation and
if the foreberance the employees.”
PRESIDENT MOVES AGAINST
LABOR TROUBLES
President Roosevelt has moved
:o strike a death blow at labor
:ontroversies troubling the govern
nent nerve centers. Forced to
;ake over personally another indus
rial dispute, the ralroad wage con
:roversy, he feels that the time has
:ome for estblishment of a per
nanent court to settle the many
abor disputes. Acting in advance
)f most capital expectatons, Mr.
Roosevelt was disclosed to havfe
i committee already quietly at work
>n revision of the Wagner labor
>oard bill.
"I suppose your idea of a rich
nan is one who has everything he
vants?”
"No it’s one who has everythnig
’ want.”
New Blue Eagle Is Being
Issued First Of The Month
Washington—NRA’s new blue
eagle will make its long delayed
debut on May 1.
Arrangements to begin its dis
tribution were announced here with
a letter from Administrator Hugh
S. Johnson which is being delivered
by the Post Office Department to
every business man in the country.
The new eagle, with the legend
'We Do Our Part’’ replaced by the
single word "Code” will identify
employers who are operating under
an approved code and “have united
to complete the work of recovery,”
Johnson said.
Under the word "Code” will ap
pear the name of the industry and
an individual registration number
For industries for which codes
have not yet been completed John
son issued an executive order per
mitting continued use of the old
blue eagle.
Johnson’s letter to business men
explaining the new eagle said:
"Its display by you will inform
the public that you are co-operat
ing with the vast majority in
stamping out unfair practices and
methods of competition and that
you are giving your employees a
square deal by paying code wages
and adhering to code hours.
"Last year you were asked to
display the blue eagle as evidence
of your faith in the ability of Am
erican trade and industry to defeat
depression by united effort.
"This year you are asked to dis
play this distinctive blue eagle as a
symbol that you, together with the
other members of your particular
trade or industry, have united to
complete the work of recovery.’’
Do You Know The Answer?
Continued on page eight
1. What is a trawler)
2. What is a codicil?
3. How long is a furling?
4. Name the first president of
the Reconstruction Finance Cor
poration.
5. When did President Lincoln
sign the Emancipation Proclama
tion?
6. Through which three coun
tries does the Meuse River flow?
7. During what war did the
Trent Affair occur?
8. What metal is used as an
alloy in sterling silver
9. Name the tallest building in
the world.
10. Of what word is co-ed an
abbreviation?