Fifty-Fifty Figuring
A New Order O
Foreign Trade
Attention
The President’s
Position I
Perhaps not the most important
but in political circles one of the
most interesting things being talked
about here is the discovery that the
repeal of Prohibition has not put
the bootleggers out of business, and
that the new taxes on whisky and
other liquors are not yielding the
revenues that were expected. The
two facts are closely connected.
Joseph H. Choate, Jr., director of
the Federal Alcohol Control Ad
ministration, reports that two
thirds of all the liquor being sold in
the United States is being made in
illicit stills, built in Prohibition days
and never licensed, so that only a
third of all the liquor consumed
pays taxes to the Government. The
enforcement unit has been so re
duced that it is impossible to fer
ret out all these illegal sources of
liquor and stop flow from those
sources. Their business thrives
because the high tax on liquor
makes it profitable to take chances
on making and selling stuff which
pays no tax.
—
The remedy proposed for this
state of things is to reduce the tax
on whisky and gin, to a point where
there would be no profit commen
surate with the risk, in making it
illicitly. If Mr. Choate’s figures
are correct, and two-thirds of all
the alcoholic beverages in the mar
ket are paying no tax, then a re
duction of the tax to one-third of
what it is now would bring in just
as much money, if it were collected
on all the liquor manufactured.
The question under discussion here
is whether or not all liquor could be i
A uccessfully taxed, evert at a re
Auced rate. It would involve
|i^knding a lot more than. lias been •
c enforcement of
§y^^*'he real problem, many think, is 1
^®how people can be induced to drink !
more whisky; though the President ‘
has a plan to let liquor from abroad '
come in free of duty in the hope
that it can sold so cheaply that
people will prefer it to the bootleg
stuff at the same price.
All in all, official Washington is
waking up to the fact that the li
quor problem is a real and serious
problem, as much now as it was
under Prohibition.
Another major topic of conver
sation is the marked change that
has suddenly come over the attitude
of the Administration in the public
utterances of its representatives on
the general subject of social re
forms. Criticism of the program
under which social regeneration
was being emphasized far more
than economic recovery, and reali
zation that some of the most highly
publicized recovery projects are not
working as had been expected, is
slowing down the social program
and setting officials to hunting for
new means of bringing business
back.
The indications now are that less
stress will be put upon the demand
for higher wages and more upon
getting men back to work at any
wage the industry or business can
afford to pay; also that there will
be less insistence upon higher prices
for commodities, and more toler
ance of price competition.
The report of the NRA commit
tee on durable goods has been re
ceived with some concern. Under
this heading of durable goods come
such things as locomotives, power
plants, steam-shovels, buildings,
everything which is not directly
consumed but is used to make or
house or transport consumer goods.
Business has not increased in those
lines, because there has been no
new capital available with which to
buy them. Such things need addi
tional capital on the part of the in
dustries using them.
The condition is having an ef
fect upon consideration of such
things as easing up restrictions on
new capital stock and bond issues,
and upon the loosening of long
term credits.
Much greater attention] is being
given to means of increasing and!
recapturing America’s foreign
trade. When Secretary Wallace,
in his clearly-thought-out booklet,
''America Must Choose,’’ pointed
(Continued on Page Four)
The Carolina Watchman |sss|
FOUNDED 1832—I01ST YEAR SALISBURY, FRIDAY MORNING, MAY II, 1934. “ VOL 101 NO. 41. PRICE 2 CENTS'
TO. PROBE SHARE. CROP CHARGES
Hughes Says Enforce Law
rarm Agents To
Survey, Make
Adjustments
Farm Admimstratioen Plans To Cor
rect Injustices In Cotton Crop
Control.
TENENTS PROTEST
It Is Claimed That Tenants Arc Be
ing Discriminated Against
By Landlords.
Washington—In an effort to
rectify complaints that some share
| croppers and tenant farmers have
been discriminated against under
cotton reduction, contracts, the
form administration has appointed
eight extension service agents to
j "investigate and adjust” all viola
tions.
At the same time, the adminis
tration disclosed it intended to re
fer to this group a report made
public in New York by Norman J
Thomas, the Socialist, in which the i
cotton program is criticized.'
The Thomas report, based on a
survey of 500 tenants and share
croppers families in Missouri, Ark
ansas, Tennessee and Mississippi,
[said the acreage program is "un
sound.”
made on the cotton program. The
other was conducted for the depart
ment by Dr. Calvin B. Hoover, 1
Duke university professor, who '
several months ago served the de
partment as an advisor. This re
port was made public ten days ago.
As an outcome of the Hoover re
port, extension agents from eight
southern states were called to Wash
ington this week to study charges
that share-croppers and tenants
were being discriminated against by
some landlords in the division of
benefit payments made under the
program.
Their three-day conference was
concluded with the agenjts being
designated to work as field men
for the administration "to investi
gate and adjust all complaints, vio
lations and misunderstandings und
er cotton adjustment contracts.”
These agents are: W. J. Green of
Stillwater, Okla.; C. C. Randall of
Continued on page eight
Gains In Indiana
Pleases Doughton
Washington—No one in admin
istration circles found more solace
and satisfaction in the election re
sults in Indiana than did Repre
sentative Robert L. Doughton of
Laurel Springs, chairman the house
ways and means committee and
North Carolina member of the
Democratic congressional com
mittee.
'.The election returns from In
diana are a barometer of the times,”
said the veteran lawmaker.
"Everywhere the people have
spoken at the ballot box they have
voted confidence in and satisfac
tion with the administration of our
President. As fast as one election
is held after another in 'various
states, the people have recorded
'their approval of our great leader
and the policies which he is pur
suing to restore the country to a
healthy and prosperous state.
"One feature that is overlooked
by many of us is that in states
where dual primaries are held, the
large number of votes cast and the
increased number recorded for the
Democratic candidates are indica
tive of the firmly established status
of our party. Not a single in
stance has a house Democrat what
!has stood loyally by the adminis
tration been defeated for renomi
nation. Thus all augurs well, and
forecasts are that the Democratic
losses in elections of the 74th cong
ress will be inconsequential.’’
NEWS
BRIEFS
DIES OF WRECK INJURIES
Norman Ward, 22-year-old tex
tile worker at Rockingham, died
in a Hamlet hospital from wounds
received when a roadster overturn
ed.
OFFICER KILLED BY SHELL
Capt. Clarence O’Leary, ordi
nance department, died Saturday
from injuries received on Tuesday,
in the station hospital at Fort
®raS8> when a detonator exploded
in his hands.
—
PRESS MEETS AT BANNER ELK
The North Carolina Press as
sociation will holds its summer ses
sion at Banner Elk, July 11, 12.
and 13, accepting the invitation of
Edgar Tufts of the Lees-McRae
college.
SANDERS RESIGNS
Everett Sanders has tendered his
resignation as chairman of the
Republican National committee,
and a meeting has been called for
June 5 to elect a successor.
^CANNON WINS
\ confidence vote of 269 to
conference overrode a recommenda- '
tion of its Episcopacy committee
which voted for the superannua-1
tion of Cannon.
UNVEIL BRYAN STATUE
A bronze figure of William Jen
nings Bryan the "Great Common
er,” was unveiled in Washington
last week, and was accepted by
President Roosevelt on behalf of
the nation, Joseph Daniels, Am
bassador to Mexico, and president
of the Bryan Memorial association
made the presentation address.
FOREST FIRES
Fanned by a brisk wind, forest
fires swept over 200,000 acres in
^Wilkes and Alleghany counties last
week, destroying 13 homes, and
two persons were believed lost.
Flames broke out in many places,
and were soon beyond control.
LETS NEW CONTRACTS
Temporary airmail contracts on
15 routes have been awarded by
Postmaster-General James A. Far
ley, while others will be let soon.
FAMOUS MOTHER DIES
Mrs. Rebecca Doughton, mother
of Congressman R. L. Doughton,
chairman of the powerful ways and
means committee, and R. A.
Doughton, long a public servant,
passed away last week at her home
in Alleghany county after a pro
longed illness. She was 96 years
of age. Funeral services were held
at Laurel Springs.
NEW ANTI-CRIME LAWS
Ten anti-crime bills, including
one to permit the federal govern
ment to put a stiff price on the
heads of criminals branded as pub
lic enemies, have been pushed '
through the house, at the instiga
tion of Attorney-General Homer
S. Cummings.
S. C. EXTORTION PLOT FAILS
An attempt to extort $5,000
from J. F. Bland, wealthy Sumter
county farmer, was revealed with
the arrest of Ozie'Mathis, 19, who
was charged with writing the ex
tortion letter. Officers revealed
that Bland last week received a
letter instructing him to put five
thousand dollars in small change
bills in a package and leave it at
Cane Savannah Station Sunday.
The letter was signed "Southern
Gangsters” and threatened death
if he failed to follow instructions.
Samuel lasulPsReturn
.. - ■ ■ 1 ..... • , I
NEW YORK v . . The most recent picture taken of Samuel Insull
(above), former Chicago “czar” of Public Utilities, as he boarded the
S. S. Exilona for the return to the United States under the watchful eye
o4 U 8. Federal Authorities.
insult Back Home
To Face Accusers
Fallen Utilities C^«r Is Brought
Samuel lnsull tin fallen utilities
czar, after an exilei of two years,
is back in America to face charges
of embezzlement, Iarcefty, fraudu
lent use of the mails and other ac
cusations brought against him.
He would seek not only freedom,
the aged prisoner said, but com
plete vindication.
"I have made mistakes—but
they were honest mistakes,” he
stated. "They were errors in judg
ment, but not dishonest manipu
lations.”
Those "errors in judgment” re
ferred to his activities as head of
a far-flung utilities empire, the col
lapse of which resulted in charges
of embezzlemenlt, larceny, use of
the mails to defraud and violation
of the bankruptcy act being
brought against him.
Swiftly and carefully govern
ment officials executed Insull’s
transfer from the S. S. Exilona to a
Chicago-bound train.
A coast guard cutter met the
steamship out at sea, and Insull
was bundled aboard and taken to
Fort Hancock, N. J.
There, a motorcade waited,
and speeded him to Princeton,
junction, N. J.
■-i
Badly Burned
As Gas Ignites
Mrs. Lewis M. Miller of 514
West Council street was critically
burned Tuesday morning about 6
o’clock when a basin of gasoline,
with which she was cleaning floors
in her home, became ignited.
The fire was started apparently
from the short circuit of a floor
lamp connection, a spark leaping
into the gasoline and igniting the
fluid. Mrs. Miller screamed for
help, and with her clothing afire,
rushed into the room of Edward
Fox who lives in the Miller home,
and he grabbed a blanket from his
bed and attempted tq extinguish
the flames.
Mr. Fox sustained painful burns
to the hands in trying to beat out
the flames. /
Damage of several hundred dol
lars was done to the house.
Passes Examination
Mrs. W. D. Kennedy, a register
ed nurse of Salisbury, has been no
tified that she successfully passed
the government civil service exami
nation for graduate nurses.
N. R. A. Plea To
Increase Rates
- Washington — The inter-state
commerce commission turned down
the plea of the N.R.A. for an; in
crease in railway passenger rates in
the southeast.
In a brief memorandum the
commission granted the Southern
Railway company permission to
continue charging one and one
ralf cents a mile for travel in day
coaches and three cents a mile in
sleeping and parlor cars for six
months after May 31.
Similar permission was granted
to other carriers in the southern
territory if they wished to start the
cne and one-half and three cents
rate or establish a two cent rate for
coaches if they so desired.
The permission was granted over
a demand by Sol Rosenblatt' depu
ty administrator, in charge of the
motor bus Code who told the com
mission that the low, rates charged
by the railway company are caus
ing motor busses to lose money.
Legion Post For
School Supplement
The Samuel C. Hart Post of the
American Legion at its meeting
Tuesday night unanimously in
dorsed the special school levy of 10
cents on the $100 valuation, the
question to be submitted to the
voters of Salisbury on June 5 at a
special election.
The funds, if voted, will be us
ed for supplementing teachers’
salaries and enlarging the educa
tional system here during the
1934-35 sesssion.
Fourth French J
Default On War
Debt Is Certain
Paris—The fourth ^Fren^h de
fault on the war debts to the
United States is considered certain
by high officials who spoke pri
yately of the question.
These officials asserted no nego
tiations regarding the debt "di
rectly or indirectly” have been in
progress recently and added the
situation is "more confused thaqj
if
ever.
The French position on the debt
it was reiterated remained the some
as after the overthrow of the gov
ernment of Former Premier Edou
ard Herriot who championed pay
ment.
GOOD
MORNING
A local oil man cut across the
country going to Jal a while back
He got off the road over in An
drews county and finally got to a
desolate raqdi house and asked
an old fellow who lived alone how
to get to Jal.
The rancher reflected. "Well, I
believe I would go back about a
mile and take the first right hand
road. No, I believe I would take
the left hand road. Come to think
of it, stranger, if T was going to
get to Jal I wouldn’t start from
here at all.”—Exchange.
_
Girl—"Every time I look at you
1 think of a great man.”
Boy friend—"You flatter me.
Who is it?”
Girl—"Darwin.’’
The schoolmistress was giving
fer class of youn,g pupils a test on
i recent natural history lesson.
"Now, Bobby Jones,” she said,
'tell me where the elephant is
found.”
The boy hesitated for a moment,;
:hen his face lit up.
"The elephant, teacher,” he said
is such a large animal it is scarce
y ever lost.”
hell have I seen you before?”
which Bishop Candler replied:
"I don’t know; what part of hell
you from?”
"Mamma, when the fire goes
out where does it go?”
"My dear boy, I don’t know.
You might just as well ask me
where your father goes when he
goes out.”
Baby’s fond of you, isn’t he?”
"I should say he is. He sleeps
all day when I’m a'way and stays
awake all night just to enjoy my
company.”
Culprit—"All I want to say is
that I hope the honorable judge
some day gets what he deserves.’’
Judge—"The prisoner is fined
$ 5 0 for contempt of court.
Golfer (to members ahead) —
"Pardon, but would you mind if I
played through? I’ve just heard
that my wife has been taken seri
ously ill.”
Woman (about to attend politi
cal meeting)—"I’m not prejudiced
at all. I’m going with a perfectly
open and unbiased mind to listen
to what I’m convinced is sure rub
bish.”
TAKING HOLD
Telephone: "Hello, I’d like to
know where I can get hold of Miss
Osgood?”
Operator: "I don’t know; she’s
awfully ticklish.”
GOOD ADVERTISING
"I wish”, complained ^he preach
er, "that I could make my flock
take more of an interest in Heaven.
None of them seems to want to go
there.”
"Tell them that children under
16 are not admitted”, suggested the
helpful friend.
NICE BOOK
"I hope that’s a nice book for
you to read’”, said the fond mother
to her young daughter.
"Oh, yes, mother, it’s a lovely
book, but I1 don’t think you would
like it. It’s so sad at the end.”
'How is it sad, dear?”
"Well, she dies and he has to go
back to his wife.”
Chief Justice
Asks The Aid
Of The Public
Impossible For Communities To
Promote Social Welfare Un
less Law Enforcement Is
Observed.
, DISPOSE OF 880 CASES
Statistics Prove That Criminal Jus
tice Is Promptly Administered
By Federal Courts.
Chief Justice Hughes appealed to
the public to insist upon, law en
forcement.
In a speech before the American
Law institute, he said. "The prin
mary need is a robust civil senti
ment, dominated by a sense of jus
tice, which demands intelligence in
the making of laws and impartial
ity in their execution, which is the
determined foe of graft and every
form cif official 'delinquency (as
well of outstanding breaches of the
criminal law.
"To cultivate and re-enfoce this
public sentiment, all social agen
cies must play their part.1'
Heaviest responsibility was on
the bar, he said, and there was dif
ficulty "in securing the co-opera
tion of the mpst leaded, enlight
foundations of the security of so
ciety.”
"No community can be trusted
to promote social welfare which
does not have the self-respect and
stamina to insist upon the enforce
ment of its laws.”
The chief justice reviewed what
I the supreme court, by authority of
congress, had recently done to ex
pedite the administration of crim
inal justice, and referred to the
great volume of work encountered.
Up to this date last term the
court had disposed of 756 cases,
and this term during the same
time, disposed of 880. He pre
dicted that the present term would
dispose of about 100 more cases
than the last term.
He appealed to the bar to refrain
from bringing to the high court
cases lacking merit.
"The spectacle of persons con
victed of crime at large on bail
pending unnecessary delays on ap
peal brings the processes ■ of the " ,
courts into public contempt,” he
added, giving statistics to show
that criminal justice is promptly
administered by the federal courts.
Candidates Must
Report On Expenses
By May 22
Raleigh—All candidates for
public offices in North Carolina
must file their initial statements of
expenditures by Tuesday, May 22,
according to the primary election
calendar compiled by the State
Board of Elections.
Candidates for state and district
offices must file statements with
the secretary of state. All candi
dates for state senator in districts
composed of only one county, can
didates for the house of represen
tatives and all county officers must
file their statements with the su
perior court clerks in their respec
tive counties.
NINE KILLED IN AIR
CRASHES SUNDAY
Nine persons were killed in three
air crashes Sunday. A woman and
three mfen died near Houston, Tex.,
in the fall of a private plane; a
woman ond two men burned to
death at Fulton, N. Y., as a plane
caught fire after fall; two men
were kill at New Market, N. J.,
when ship lost wing and fell.