The Cari iuna Watchman L“t,
__ A NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE UPBUILDING OF ROWAN COUNTY
FOUNDED 1832—104TH YEAR SALISBURY, N. C, FRIDAY MORNING, JULY 17, 1936 VOL. 104 NO. 51 PRICE 2 CENTS
MOVIES . . . good—and bad
There is no doubt in my mind
that the moral tone of the movies
has been greatly elevated in the past
few years. There is also no doubt
that there is room for improvement.
In these beliefs I am in complete
agreement with His Holiness Pius
XI, Supreme Pontiff of the Roman
Catholic Church. The Pope’s re
cent encyclical letter to all prelates
of the church on the subject of mo
tion pictures is the most compre
hensive and truthful analysis of the
evil effects of vicious films upon
immature minds I have ever read.
The Pope calls on all bishops to
take steps to pass japon all new pic
tures, and upon all "right-minded
persons” to stay away from, and
keep their families away from films
that do not pass the church’s tests
of decency and good influence. As
a Protestant I applaud this renewed
effort to clean up the films. It
seems to me that every good Chris
tian ought to cooperate.
» * *
CENSORSHIP ... for truth
I have no sympathy with cen
sorship, insofar as it implies any at
tempt to dictate what I or any
other adult person may read or
hear or see. But until a child is
mature enough to have some under
standing of the world of reality, I
am heartily for every effort to
prevent his exposure to the world
of unreality.
The child mind cannot be ex
pected to understand that what it
sees on the stage or screen or reads
in novels is not life as it actually
is. Instead children too often get
the 5dea that everybody—except
themselves and their immediate cir
cles—lives in an atmosphere of
glamorous romance and perpetually
exciting adventure.
1 am not at all sure that many
of^die books and films commonly
regarded as good, Qr at least harm
less, do not do more damage than
some which are frankly vicious.
I am more concerned with truth
fulness, in the movies and else
T^ere, than I am with what is
usually meant by "decency.”
* » •
TONGUES . . . translated
The Bible tells of the "confusion
of tongues” at the building of the
Tower of Bab-El. There would be
equal confusion in the Assembly of
the League of Nations at Geneva,
if it were not for an ingenious
Yankee device which enables every
member to understand what any
speaker is saying in any language.
When Haile Selassie, Ethiopia’s
ex-emperor, addressed the League
the other day in the Amharic
tongue, probably no one there could
understand a word of it. But on
each member’s desk is a box with
earphones attached, and push-but
tons labelled with the names of the
world’s principal languages. Back
of a screen behind the speaker are
expert translators who understand
and speak every known language.
They translated into microphones
while the Abyssinian King was
speaking.
All any member had to do was to
set his receiving apparatus for his
own tongile,' English, French, Po
lish, Chinese or what have you, and
listen to the voice of the translator
who was repeating Haile Selassie’s
words in the listener’s own lan
guage.
lnat, it seems to me, is a real
triumph of modem science. I don’t
know the name of the engineer who
devised the apparatus, but Edward
A. Filene, the great Boston mer
chant, told me about it before it
was ever installed. It was Mr. Filene
who paid for it as a contribution
toward better international under
standing.
* * *■
CHANGES . . . always slow
I read and hear about many mar
velous new things that are going
to be done, but I notice that I
usually have to wait a few years
before they come into reality. I
have been waiting ten years now
for television, but it hasn’t got out
of the laboratory yet. I read of
great changes which the application
of chemistry to agriculture will
make, but I notice farmers are still
growing the same old crops in the
same old way.
I think we are all inclined to talk
too much about what could be done
and what we intend to do. When
it all doesn’t come true over night,
people begin to doubt that it will
(Continued on page Four)
SalisburyjW
V. Presilnt Of
State/Body
■ N
Rankin Lo._g Recognized
As One Of The State's
M o 81 Capable And
Fearless Officers.
Convention Held At
Chapel Hill.
Chapel Hill.—Decrying the in
fluence of politics in law enforce
ment, North Carolina officers
Wednesday requested the Institute
of Government to make a thorough
investigation of civil service sys
tems in this State and others and
report its findings to their associa
tion as a basis for further action.
Officers pronounced the insti
tute’s sixth annual police school
the most beneficial and stimulating
yet held. Total attendance for the
two days was slightly less than a
hundred and represented 39 coun
ties and 63 cities and towns.
The officers also voted unani
mously to expand the district
schools, which drew 800 officers
last fall, and hold them quarterly
instead of annually.
New officers elected by tne State
association were Frank N. Little
john of Charlotte, president, and
George A. Clark of Greenville, and
R. L. Rankin of Salisbury, vice
presidents.
: The officers also voted to have a
solicitors, and legislators in draft
ing a new criminal code for North
ganizing traffic schools for minor
violators; went on record as favor
ing the installation of the State
wide police radio as soon as possi
ble, and asked the institute to
make an investigation of t)he oper
ation of officers’ funds for the care
of sick, disabled, and dependents.
Instructors and speakers includ
ed Lawrence A. Hines, Federal bur
eau of investigation; Capt. Charles
D. Farmer, State highway patrol,
Sherwood Brockwell, State fire
marshall; W. A. Coble, Automo
bile Underwriters Detective bu
reau; Capt. J. J. Bailey, railroad
police, and Albert Coates, director
of the institute.
An elementary crime laboratory
for North Carolina, utilizing exist
ing facilities at the university and
other institutions for the analysis
of bipod stains, stomach contents,
and similar evidence, was proposed
by Dr. Dobbins.
Lots ol murdered men have
been buried in suicidal graves, and,
conversely, lots of innocent men
have been convicted, for want o?
adequate examination of all the
evidence in their cases,” he de
clared. "If we will only utilize the
facilities already here, w‘e can ren
der a g(eat service to law enforce
ment.”
"G-man” Hince explained the
use of the numerous scientific aids
in crime detection, urged Tar Heel
officers to make the fullest use of
the Federal laboratory in Washing
ton, and instructed them in the
proper methods to collect evidence
and ship exhibits for analysis.
Albemarle Man
Frames First
Dollar Earned
Albemarle.—One of the proud
est possessions of Boodie Sweatt,
well-known local man, is the first
dollar he earned, 30 odd years ago.
The bill is of the 1863 series, and
was given to Mr. Sweatt as a part
payment for a week’s work at a
lumber yard.
The bill now reposes in a frame
under glass, a constant reminder
of its owner of the value of money
well-earned.
Negro Boy Held For Looting Mail
Admits Stealing
Mail From Boxes
Past Six Weeks
Officer Dave Shuler
Makes Arrest And Boy
Confesses Crime
Herbert Moser, a 14-year-old
negro, was arrested Wednesday on
a charge of stealing mail fr^pm post
office boxes here over the last six
weeks.
The arrest wjs made by Officer
Dave Shuler of the local police
force. He admitted the robberies
to officer Shuler. Moser told,Shul
er and T. C. Blalock, U. S. Deputy
Marshal, that he had been stealing
from the post office here for six
weeks and that he would commit
this crime by pushing his hand in
side the glass windows and extract
mail from all boxes he could reach.
Moser had previously served time
at the workhouse for shoplifting.
He was taken to Mocksville for
a hearing before F. R. Leagans, U.
S. Commissioner.
Upon finding checks in the mail
he robbed, he would throw these
into the trash can, he told officers.
Moser admitted he had also robbed
the parcel post depository. One
check, it was ascertained, was for
$1,000.
A check-up is being made of the
robberies committed by the colored
youth.
—,made ■■■ .
Wingate UIUF*
Elected Local
Legion Head
R. N. Wingate, was re-elected
commander of the Samuel C. Hart
post of the American Legion here
at the annual meeting Tuesday
night.
Other officers selected included:
N. J. Yantisios, first vice com
mander; Dr. L. A. Coleman, sec
ond vice commander; George C.
Peeler, adjutant; Frank P. Buck, fi
nance officer; Fred IH. Young,
service officer; E. M. Allen, ser
geant at arms; Jack C. Scott, as
sistant sergeant at arms; Alfred
Buerbaum, historian; Rev. Marshall
Woodson, chaplain, Rev. Tom C.
Cook, assistant chaplain.
Bryce P. Beard, former State
commander, was named a member
the executive committee for one
year.
Oglesby Rites
Held Wednesday
Concord.—Funeral services for
Judge John M. Oglesby were held
Wednesday afternoon at 3 o’clock
at Central Methodist church here.
Rev. H. G. Allen, of Reidsville,
former pastor of the church, as
sisted by Rev. W. L. (Hutchins,
present pastor, and Dr. L. I. Echols,
pastor of Associate Reformed
Presbyterian church. Burial was in
Oakwood cemetery.
Mr. Oglesby died Monday night
at 11:10 o’clock in a Charlotte
hospital where he had been a patient
for 10 days. Acute peritonitis fol
lowing an appendectomy was the
cause of death. He was 49 years
old.
Drought Kills
300,000 Cows
'
Cheyenne, Wyo.—Russell Throp,
secretary of the Wyoming Cattle
Association, estimated the drought
has caused a shortage of 300,000
cows in Wyoming. "The situation
is more serious than most people
believe,” he said.
—READ THE WATCHMAN
U. S. Smashes Big Stock-Swindling Ring
Grand luiy In
Ga. Indicts 21
On 14 Counts
_i
Swindlers Had Offices In
Dozen Cities—Three
Defendants Seiz
ed In Chicago
MILLIONS INVOLVED
Washington.—Indictment of 21
individuals and five corporations
by a Federal grand jury at Gaines
ville, Ga., on charges that they
participated in a gigantic stock!
swindling scheme, was announced
by John J. Burns, counsel for the
Securities commission, j
Burns said the indictments were
returned after Lawrence S. Camp,!
United States district! attorney at j
Atlanta, and his assistants had;
testified before the jury.
He said the defendants operated
office* in a dozen cities, centering
their activities at Chicaeo.
All were indicted on
to defraud.
Burns said the indictments were
the result of a year-long investiga !
tion by postal inspectors, the De
partment of Justice, and the Se
curities sommission.
Three of 21 men indicted by the!
grand jury of participating in thej
multi-million dollar stock swindle
were seized by postal inspectors in]
Chicago.
Operations of the ring, which
Chief Postal Inspector Walter
Johnson of Chicago said involved
several million dollars, were said by
Federal officials to have centered
in Chicago.
Berger and Bernstein, who were
arrested in Chicago, were released
under bonds of $$2,500 each.
Mendleson, who was also taken in
Chicago, was said by Assistant U.
S. District Attorney Warren Can
aday to be under indictment for
similar charges in New York, ob
tained his release by furnishing
bond of $5,000.
The charges, Canaday informed
the commissioner, allegedly arose
from sales of stock in the Stutz
Motor Co., and the National Ser
vice corporation. _ _ ^
State Sunday
School Secretary
Has Resigned
The Rev. Shuford Peeler has re
signed as general secretary of the
North Carolina Sunday School as
sociation, effective October 1. He
made no statement as to his future
plans, other than to say he intends
to spend some time in special study
and in supply pulpit work.
237 Jobs Under
Way On N. C.
Highways
Raleigh.—Wjth 237 construc
tion projects under way, Capus M.
Waynick, chairman of the High
way and Public Works commis
sion, said it was the largest num
ber of individual jobs ever under
way on the roads of the State at
one time.
After World Title
CLEVELAND . . . Mrs. Grace
Hatch (above), America’s greatest
woman bowling champion, will be .
the only woman member o( the
American bowling team to Ger
many (or international and Olym
pic competition.
Farley Opens
Headquarters
Reaffirms Confidence
‘Man in The Street’
Will Re-Elect Roosevelt
dent
When asked about the poll con
ducted by the American Institute
of Public Opinion, professing to
show a trend toward the Landon
Knox ticket, Farley declared:
"I’m not concerned about it. I
can only say this: we are entirely
satisfied with the sentiment of the
people.”
The Roosevelt campaign leaders,
he said, likewise are not “disturb
ed” by the Lemke third party can
didacy.
"There’s no doubt in my mind,”
Farley declared, "about how the
man in the street feels toward the
President. He feels the President
has been desirous of helping him.
He knows that what the President
has done in the way of aid has not
been done to get votes, but because
the President and his administration
have been desirous of giving aid to
those who need aid.”
Furniture Mart
Opens Monday
In High Point
High Point.—Although mer
chandise for display purposes con
tinues to arrive slowly, the calm is
expected to be broken here next
Monday when the Mid-Summer
Southern Furniture and Rug mar
ket opens.
All exhibit space in the 10-story
exposition building was sold
months ago. Local hotels have
booked nearly every room for visi
tors, but many others are being
placed in private homes and in
hotels in nearby cities.
Attempt To
Catch Mule
Proves Fatal
Mocksville.—Henry Lee Allen,
69, was fatally injured Sunday
when thrown against a tree while
trying to catch a mule at his home
near here. He was taken to a hos
pital where he died at 10 o’clock
Sunday morning, two hours after
the accident.
- ---y___________________________
Rings The Bell Every Time
BEVERLY ROBERTS
Miss Roberta not only figuratively rings the M in p««^.frs but she
literally makes It sound when she trains her air rifle on a bell target
Picture Of Future
i
- I
Although the advancement of
North Carolina in recent years has
been marvelous, the best days of
this State are not in the past, Clyde1
R. Hoey, Democratic nominee for]
Governor, told members of the]
North Carolina Traffic league at j
a banquet closing their annual]
convention. I y
Sharing the program as honor]
guest of the league was Stanley!
Winborne, State utilities commis
sioner, who also spoke. Ward B.
Threatt, Charlotte humorist, made
an amusing talk preceding Mr.
Winborne’s address. The utilities
commissioner discussed the great :
need of bringing about a revision <
downward of the transportation ] <
rates applicable to North Carolina. !<
The two greatest drawbacks to]!
the further development of thej
State, said Mr. Winborne, are taxes]!
and high freight rates. Although!,
there were more industries in North 1
Carolina in 1929 than there were <
last year, the State last year collect- ;
ed from its industries in income i
and franchise taxes $2,000,000
than it- A\A in Tr» Vif- '
ginia, as an example of the com- ‘
petition North Carolina industry ]
faces from its neighbor States, the
taxes are lower and the freight
rates are lower. Although industry
must pay a fair tax, it must not i
be treated unfairly, he declared, 1
and he urged his hearers to con- !
tinue without letup their efforts to 1
force the placing of this State on a i
parity with others in the matter of 1
freight rates. i
Mr. Hoey’s subject was "North i
Carolina” and in one of his charac- <
teristic addresses he drew heavily i
upon his oratorical prowess to paint i
a colorful picture of the State’s
future as a well rounded common- !
wealth in which both agriculture
and industry will be pre-eminent ,
and the spiritual qualities of its
people will take precedure over its ,
material success.
North Carolina, Mr. Hoey point- ,
ed out, has advanced to sixth place ■
in the nation in the value of its '
agricultural products, but it can ,
advance much farther. The State
now sends out $121,000,000 a ;
( Continued on page four) i
Federal Agents!
Set 35 Stills!
With No Court to Hamp
er Activities, Alcohol
Unit Has A Record
Breaking Week.
With no court sessions to inter
ere with activities, investigators
>f the alcohol tax unit of North
Carolina last week chalked up one
>f the best weeks in the unit’s his
ory in the fight on illegal liquor
n the State. The investgiators
aided 3 5 stills during the week,
:onfiscating 415 gallons of whis
key and destroying 37,980 gallons
>f n.ssh. Four automobiles valued
it $700 were seized. Fifteen ar
ests were made during the week.
Voted Charlotte
Lawyer Died Sun.
Charlotte.—Charles W. Tillet,
'9, one of the most distinguished
awyers of North Carolina, died
iunday night at 'his home here of
leart attack. He held many prom
nent positions in his public career,
was frequently honored by his
:hurch, the Methodist, to represent
t in the general conferences. Fun
ral services were conducted from
he First Methodist Churcli Tues
lay.
[MART LAD
A slight of hand performer
:alled to his assistance a bright
ooking chap from whom he bor
owed a knife. He carefully wrap
>ed it in a handkerchief and hand
id it back to the boy who un
wrapped it exposing a gold watch.
'Now,” said the magician, "I shall
ihange it back again.”
"Oh, no,” replied the youngster
is he placed the watch in his pock
:t. "I like it better as it is.”