The News
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VOLCX.NO. 182.
TEN PAGES TODAY
RALEIGH, N. C, MONDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 29, 1919.
TEN PAGES TODAY
PRICE: FIVE CENTS.
SIX WITNESSES FAIL
TO IMPLICATE ANY
OF LYNCHING PART
Coroner Johnson and Solicitor
Norris Start Investigation
of Saturday Night Trag
edy In Franklinton
NEGRO KILLED WHITE
MAN AFTER FORMER WAS
ARRESTED BY OFFICER
Victim of Mob Followed Mr.
Brown From Theatre and
Altercation Occurred In Mid
die of Street ; Chief of Police
Winston Tried To Prevent
Bodily Harm But Green Was
Too Quick For Them; Im
mense Crowd .Attends Fu
neral of Dead White Man
From Pope's Chapel; Other
Crowds Throng Thicket
Where Green Was Hang Up
(Special to The News and Observer.)
Franklinton, Dee. 28. Coroner A. F.
Johnson ami (Solicitor H. E. Norris thia
afternoon began the investigation, of
the lynching last night near this town
of Powell (jroen, a negro who shot and
instantly killed R. M. Brown. The ex
amination of six witnesses, Including
.Mayor Ford, however, has not revealed
tho identity of any one nor implicated
any man in the display of mob spirit
that enusetl Green a death.
Tho coroner, after selecting his jury,
began an inquest in Mayor Ford's office.
, following a visit to the scene of the
lynching. The jury and officials viewed
tiio negro's body before Sheriff Kear
ney cut the rope that held the body
impended to the limb of the tree,
(Sheriff Winston removed his handcuffs
before the roue waa cut.
Tho coroner's jury is composed of B.
V. Taylor, C. C. Hudson, H. C. Poser,
, W. J, Cooper, J. S. Howell and B. L
Peoples.
Shot While la Caatody.
Green ahot and killed Brown while he
was in custody of Policeman Johnson,
who was in charge of the negro when
he fired the ahot that killed the moving
picture theatre proprietor, according to
, evidence given to the coroner's Jury
' this afternoon. The negro followed Mr.
Brown from the theatre and an alter-
: cation occurred in the middle of the
. atrcet. Chief Winston and the police.
nan reached the two men and tried to
restore order. The policeman grabbed
Green by the left arm and neck. The
negro, with hit right hand free, whipped
nut his pistol and fired across the po
liceman pointblank at Mr. Brown, who
fell with a bullet in his left breast.
Chief Winston testified that he then
wrenched the pistol from Green's hand
only after tne negro had attemped to
shoot the policeman. The ehief waa in
charge of the prisoner and started on
the trip o Raleigh upon instructions
from Sheriff Kearny at Louisburg.
Crowd Blocked Road.
"I had gone about a mile from the
town whea automobiles blocked the road
at the crossing in iront oi Mr. wuuams
home, be testified. Home unknown
man, he stated, then stepped oa the run
ning board of the ear and demanded -the
negro. Others quickly followed and the
Six officers in charge of Green soon
found themselves powerless.
roughly treaed and exhibited a is anna
to the jury but no marks of violence
were visible. In reply to the question,
he told Solicitor Norris that all the men
in the crowd were fully masked and that
he was unable to recognize one man
: either by face or voice.
, Mayer Not Interested
Mayor trd waa also questioned by
Solicitor Norris but showed lltt'e in
terest In the proceedings other than to
state that the mob waa angry and
Meant business whea the men gathered
around the jail. He asked to be released
' from the coroner's inquest because of
sickness in his family.
Other r witnesses included ' Mr. Wil
liams, near whose home the negro was
. taken from the officers, and two Speed
brothers who were deputised to help
n . n.i.;v TV... iM
about the blocking of the road and the
crowd taking the prisoner from them.
Resume Hearing.
The coroner's inquest will be re-umsd
Tuesday morning ia Louisburg whea
Solicitor Norris will examine other wit
nesses and gi't friends of the lynched
negro a ehanee to present evidence if
they wish.,-" . " ' ,3:
Crowds Flock Te Scene.
All day today crowds have beea flock
, ing out to a little pine thicket about one
and one-half miles" from here te look
upon the gruesome- sight of Powell
Green hanging by his neck to a pine
sapling where he was strung up by a
III T VJ 1 T7 U ... . invi.m .... . .v.w
murdered ia cold blood Mr. B. M.
Brow a. proprietor of the Globe Thea
ter of this place. The tree- to which
he was banged waa a email one, scarcely
able to hold up the weight of its load.
There ia bo doubt but that he was dead
whea bang up. He was tied to the rear
m - . i. : i v : i - 1. . ... .is..
and dragged fully one-half mile.' - His
clothing was torn and otherwise showed
the signs of rough treatment by the
infuriated mob. The only expression
heard from the erowds that gathered
was that be bad beea rightly dealt
.J thaM mm 11 srnrria of Ira.
pathy for him. The negro was a young
- . . . . . I J . L.J
10 HOW noons to years vm, ho mu re
cently beea discharged from the army.
He wae andoubtedly a bad negro. It
leesu that he was disposed to think
well of himself-, and was self assertive,
' and reseated anything that seemed to
reflect ea him or his conduct. - '
Offered Ne Offeaae,
The evidence of eye witnesses ii that
USE POWER OF STATE TO
APPREHEND LYNCHERS
All the power ef the State will
be exerted te apprehend the lynch-'
era ef Powell Greene aad te make
them Buffer the fall penalty ef the
law, declared Governor T. ,. W.
Blckett yesterday, maintaining that
the act ef the mob constituted an
aaaanlt upon the "very citadel ef
ear civilisation."
"The whole State ia shacked aad
hnmillated by thia horrible outrage
ea ear laws,' aald the Governor.
"Sack deeds pat te epea shame oar
boasted white civilisation aad make
the aame ef Southern chivalry a by
word and a reproach. It la true that
the crime committed by the negro
waa an atrocious eae, for he shot
dowa without csuse ead without
provocation one ef the beat cltlaens
of Franklinton. This naturally
aroaacd great indlgaatloa bat It af
fords ao semblance of axeaaa for a
mob taking the law into Ita own
hands.
The aegro, above all ethers. Is en
titled to the protectiea of the law.
Be has ao voice la the making of
the law. He has ne haad la ita exe
catloa. All the power aad all the
processes of the law are la the heads
of white men. Aad yet thia mob sav
agely denied to a helpless negro pris
oner the right to stand before a
white judge and a white Jary and re
ceive a white man's justice. The aad
trath ie that the men who did thia
negro to death gave way to the aame
barharoaa and brutish passions that
made the aegro aheot dowa his vic
tim without cause.
The members of that mob craci
Bed the elementary principles of jus
tice for which white men have fought
aad bled aad died through a thoas
aad yean. They have aaaaalted the
very citadel ef ear civilisation aad
all the power of the State will be
exerted to apprehend them aad make
them aaffer the faU penalty of the
taw.H
OFFICER KILLED .
IN DUBLIN AFFRAY
Believed That Attack Planned
In Vice Regal Lodge Near
Irish Capital
EIGHT MEN IN PARTY
WHICH MADE ATTACK
After Hearing- Shots Inmates
of Lodge Make Search For
Intruders; Which Results In
Sharp Exchange of Shots
and Lieutenant Boast Falls;
Civilian Also Meets Death
Dublin, Dee. 88. (By The Associated
Press.) Aa officer of tho guard aad one
member of a bead of intruders were
killed early thia morning ia shooting
affray in Phoenix Park a abort distance
from the Vice Regal Lodge. Ia some
quarters the belief was expressed that aa
attack waa in . preparation against the
ledge.
Abont eight men are believed to have
made up the band of interlopers. Four
arrests were made.
At 1:30 o'clock this moaning, shots
were heard ia the neighborhood of the
Vise Be gal Lodge. They continued in
termittently at intervals for nearly aa
hour ia that portion of Phoenix Park
between the lodge and the magazine.
There apparently was ne direct attack
oa the Vice Regal Lodge itself. The
inmates of the lodge at first thought
the shooting was connected with some
sort of holiday revelry.
Sharp Exchaage ef Shots,
. As the firing 'persisted, however, a
military guard, eonsiting of aa . officer
aad two men, turned out and searched
the grounds. Finding nothing unuraal
there, they went through the park near
the mala road. While traversing the
center of the park. they engaged ia
sharp exchange of firing with the in
truders and Lieutenant Boerst, who was
leading bis men, fell, shot through the
heart' ' '
One ef the attacking party also was
killed. He waa a eiviliaa about 40 rears
of age.' According to Jome reports be
waa wearing portioas of a soldier nni
form. No weapon was found ea or near
his body, and op to the preeeat the
maa's identity has hot beea ascertained.
Pools of blood were found oa the scene
hieh is about half a mile from the
lodge. . . i ' '
After the shooting the intruder lied
ia the darkness. The four' men ar
rested were aot taken into eaatody near
the scene of the shooting, but were ap
prehended as they . ware leaving the
park about two hours later. They de
nied having bad any connection with
the affray, aad it ia reported that ao
incriminating evidence was found ea
them. , .' ' ,
Machine Caa Used.
After the shooting- the military
brought a maehiae . gnu to the scene.
Thia was fired la the direetioa la which
it was supposed the men had taken
flight. Nobody was hit by the bullets.
The bodies of the two dead men were
takea to the George V. Hospital, where
aa Inquest will be held tomorrow,
(Continued ea rage Two.) - "
DR
VERMILYE HAS
IFE LIVING WITH
OF
Southern Physician, Who Fails
To Appear For Wedding,
Makes No Comment
LIVED WITH HIS WIFE
UNTIL SIX MONTHS AGO
Married Twenty-five Tears
Ago, Says Wife of Son, and
They Lived Together Until
He Entered Service of Ship
ping Board; v Miss Keeney
Leaves Hospital
- Near York, Dee. S8.Drr WiiiiamTey
Vermilye, who failed to appear Christ
mas day to marry Miss Ruth M. Keeney,
at Monsoa, Mass., aad is now a patient
in the Cumberland street hospital, re
fused to make any comment tonight
when informed that his wife hsd beea
located in Harrisburg, Pa., where she
ia living with her daughter.
Information that Dr. Vermilye had a
wife with whom he had beea living up
to the time the physiciaa gave up pri
vate practice to take a position with
the United States Shipping Board ia the
South was gives by Mrs. P. E. Zindell,
of Brooklyn, wife of a soa of Mrs. Ver
milye by a previous marriage. She
said that Dr. Vermilye and his wife had
lived ia Brooklyn, but Mra. Vermilye
had. gone to Harrisburg eix months ago
to visit her daughter and waa still there.
Misa Keener Leaves.
Miaa Keeney, who has also been a
patient in the hospital since last Bight,
whea ahe fainted, and became hysterical
because Dr. Vermilye refused to see her
or explain his failure to appear for the
wedding left the institution today. She
and her father agaia attempted to inter
view Dr. Vermilye before leaving the
hospital but he refused to see them.
Whea hospital officials who say the
physician ia there to undergo a slight
operation, informed newspaper mea
that he would see ao one except rela
tives, they asnt Dr. Vermilye the fol
lowing note:
Tour wife, said to be located ia
Harrisburg, Pa, has made charges
which perhaps you would be glad to
eiear wy WW ye please Ais defCT
ait statement and clear up the whole
matter-
' Haa Nothing To Say.
Dr. Vermilye'e reply, which was writ
tea oa the back of the Bote, was: "I
have nothing to nay."
Then Mra. Zindell, who lives at the
vermilye home on Pacific street, was
saked if it is true that the physician
haa a wire, ahe said
"It is. Her name ia Mrs. William
Grey Vermilye, and she la at present
staying with a daughter at Harris
burg, Pa,
"Has Dr. Vermilye and bia wife lived
here with yout
"Yes.l ahe responded. "Mra. Vermilye
left thia house about five months ago
because her husband was ia the service.1'
"Have yon ever heard of Dr. Vermilye
or bis wile getting a divorce!"
. "No, so far as I kaow they are still
married
Mrs. Zindell said ahe did not know
Mies Keeney but "heard ihe ia a well
educated girl.
Married Twenty-five Tsars.
When quae tie aad further ss to
whether there wss any doubt as te the
woman ia Harrisburg being Dr. Vermi
lye a wife, Mrs. Zindell replied "I have
no doubt at all but that she ir his
wife."
- She said that Dr. Vermilye aad Mra.
Vermilye had beea married about 3
years.
Mrs. Vermilye, it waa learned to
night ia the second wife ef the physi
eiaa, his first wife having died.
CATTLE GROWERS APPEAL
TO PRESIDENT FOR AID
Present Their Bequest Through
. MoAdoo To Upset Compro
' mise With Meat Packers
" Washington, "Dec 8. Members of
twelve Western cattle growers aesoeia
tloai have appealed te Prsideat Wilson
through former Secretary MeAdoo, to
upset the arrangements made by At
torney -General Palmer to compromise
the government's anti-trust proceedings
against the meat packers. Joha Miller,
of Fort Stockton Tex, presideat ef the
Panhandle Cattle Association announced
here today.
The growers, Mr. Miller aald, submit
ted to the President through MeAdoo
a eerie ef charges to the effect that the
compromise does aot give them any
redress for their chief grievance, which
they allege, is the control of stockyard
markets by the packers to . the disad
vantage of the producers. They ask
that the. prosecutions be takea out of
the hands of the sttorney general aad
that aew suits be brought wtih Francis
J. Honey, .of Ban Francisco former
attorney for the Federal Trade earn
mission as a special prosecutor. -
According to Miller, the matter waa
laid before the President last week.
, "We adopted the anucual course of
getting the matter before President
Wilsoa" Mr. Miller said, "because we
thought it unwise to put our evidence at
the disposal of the Attorney General,
ia view ef hie attitude as demonstrated
by the settlement with the packers."
Mr. Miller said that ia additioa to
several Texas cattle assoriatioas, simi
lar erganixatloas ia Colorado, Okla
homa, and adjoining Statee bad joined
la the presentation. Coafereaees with
MeAdoo npoa the subject were made
by the growers representatives la New
York la at week -end the matter waa
ONE
CHILDREN
brought to Waahingtoa. I v.
MEXICAN CLAIIViS
REGARDING DEATH
Oil Company Says Account of
Killing-of James Wallace By
Mexico Incorrect
SENDS STATEMENT ABOUT
KILLING TO DEPARTMENT
No Occasion For Shooting of
American, Company De
clares ; Deny That Wallace
Was Intoxicated and Say It
Was Impossible For Him
To Have Assaulted Soldier
Washington, Dee. 2S. Claims of Yhe
Mexican government, aa recently pre
sented to the Americas embassy in Mex
ico City, that the killing near Tampieo
late ia November of James Wallace, aa
American citizen, resulted from his fail
ure to heed the warning ef a Mexican
sentry, are denied in aa account of 'the
incident which reached Washington to
day from the Aguila eompaay, of whieb
Wallace was aa employe.
The killing of Wallace caused the
State Departmeat to make aa argeat ia
quiry of the Mexican government as to
the eireumstaaccs. The Mexican foreiga
office ia ita reply charged that Wallace,
while intoxicated, passed a sentry sta
tioned at what was characterised aa a
"dangerous spot,'' aad failing to bait,
was shot and killed.
Company 'a Stateeaeat.
. The . Aguila company's report, which
was presented at a meeting ia Tampieo
of oil eompaay managers aad which
ia the first detailed account of the Amer
ican's death to reach Washington, aaysjJ
-On the morning of the 26th ef Nf
vember Mr. James Wallace, employed
by us as foreman of our earthen re
servoirs at Potrero Del Llano, waa rid
ing from the office dowa to the tank
farm, a distance of about 250 metres.
aa the road waa aa outpost of four gov
ernment aoldiera with a. maehiae gua..
Aa far aa we have beea able to ascer
tain Wallace's horse reared while pass
ing thia outpost and kicked the machine
gun, whereupon one of the aoldiera ahot
Wallace, killing him instantly. None
el ear men actually saw what happened.
8oraeS ttwnt bad been talking to Wal
hue asiauto or two before, aad bear
ing tho shot they raa oal ef the office
and found Wallace lying oa the ground
dead.
"The aoldiera have the explaaatioa
that Wallace insisted ea peesiag be-
tweea the maehiae gua and a sentry,
that kia horse refused to go forward
for which reaaoa one of the soldiers
beat it several times with the butt of
his rifle, aad that Wallace then threw
his horse over oa the soldiers nearly
up-setting the machine gua. They alee
claim Wallace hit the soldier with aa
axe-haadle he was carrying aad farther-
more make the statement that Wallace
was ia toxica tad. These statemeata are
not substantiated by facta. Apart from
the eireumstaaeea that we have aever
kaowa Wallace to be Intoxicated dur
ing tho tea months he was employed
by us. and that it is la any ease very
unlikely a maa would be under the In
flues ee of liquor wkea going to his
work at S o'clock la tbe morning. We
kaow positively that Wallace waa ab
solutely sober as several of our mea
were talking with him a few minutes
before be wss killed.
Ne AeaaaK Possible.
"As regards Wallace haviag assault
ed the soldier with aa axe handle tbe
lack of foundation for thia statement
is proved by the fact that the axe head'
le which h wae carrying dowa to the
tank farm waa still found strapped to
the saddle whea the horse Wallace had
beea riding waa brought back to the
eorraL Furthermore, it ia extremely'
ual ktry, to say the leant, that a maa
armed with only a stick should attack
four soldiers with rifles and a machine
run. Another circumstaaee which
proves the soldier who killed Wallace
did aot act ia aqlf-defeaee te that the
nature of the wound, according to medi
cal evidence shows beyond any poaal
bility of doubt that Wallace wae ahot
from behind.
Informer Shot To Death.
Cleveland. O- Dec liJoeeph Masse-
cisaa, S3 years old, a police informer,
who had helped detectives ia two e
ecnt murder eases, was ahot to death
while attending a party at the borne
of Biaaea Striata today. The police
learned of the murder whea aecjraing
to Lieut. Fred Behlegel, Btrtxsa rushsd
into the station aad shouted hs killed
a man. Striata was held oa a charge
of murder.
ARREST FIVE MEN IX MEW
TORE FOR SELLING ALCOHOL
New York, Dee. lloFederal ageato
late toalght arrested Sve mea whom
they claimed to be the beede of aa
organised bead which haa beea re
sponsible for the recent widespread
aale of wood alcohol awasestlsae
through fro States. Oao of tho maa
arrested was described by the gov
iranunt agenta as "the blag pife of
the Hag." Two of tho aaea la eaa
tody were described , as New York
bsalaaae mea... ,
Fee- tea days, since the rot fs
talttlea were reported frosa wood al
catel polelag, Cat Daalet L. Par
tar, supervising revenue ageat for
New York, and H. B. Da ha, apodal
federal agent, have beea working oa
the theory that the poison which has
caused asoreo of deaths throughout
Ne- England aad Nan York origi
nated la this city. The arrests to
alght were made la widely separated
parte of the city. -
OF EMPLOYE DENIED
MEETINGS TODAY
TO CONSIDER LAWS
BEFORE CONGRESS
Question of Increase In Wages
of Railroad Employes Also
.To Be Taken Up
BROTHERHOOD CHIEFS TO
DECIDE THEIR ATTITUDE
Declaration of Principles In
Accordance With Stand of
Railway Machinists Expect
ed Regarding Anti-Strike
Provision of Cummins Bill ;
Shop Trades To Meet Also
"WiahineOTrDeeS.---Peding-railH
rosd legislation will be diecusaed st
meetings to be held tomorrow in Wash
ington while at a third the question of
an increase ia the wagee of railroad em
ployes is to be considered.
Foremost, among the meetings will be
the conference, called for S o'clock by
Samuel Qompers, president of the Amer
ican Federation of Labor, at which
chiefs of the four, railroad brotherhoods
and heads of tea affiliated trades are
expected to decide on the attitude to
be assumed by organised railroad work
ers toward the antl-etrike provisioa uf
ths Cammias railroad bill. None of the
four brotherhood ehieft had arrived ia
Washington tonight and ths several
presidents of the other unions were re
ticent as to the action to be takea at
the conference.
The view was rather generally ex
pressed, howsver, that the railroad work
ers would adopt a declaration of prin
ciples la accordance with the stand
takea by the railway machinists anion
which baa voted to strike if the more
drastic labor provisioas of ths Cummins
bill are nlaeed en the statute books.
fThe first meeting 'of the three involving
panose Qi ia rauruao, moauoa wui om
held at 10:30 o'elock whea the mem
bers of the eoBgroasional conference
committee ea railroad, legialatioa meeta
to iroa out differences between ths
Cummiaa aad Each railroad reorganise
tioa bills as passed by the Senate aad
House, respectively. -
Members of the committee said to
night it was aot to be expected that
any definite action would be takea to
morrow aad certainly not oa the hoti
striqs action ef the Cummiaa measure
which Iss to be postponed until after
other disagreements are eliminated.
The queetioa of aa increase ia the
pay of shop employes, pressure for the
settlement of which waa postponed last
fall at the auggestioa ef President Wil
soa pending the government's effort to
reduce living coats, will eome up at con
ference which committees reprentlng six
shop trades' plaa to have during the
day with Director General Hlnes. Should
the appointment with the Director Gen
eral conflict with the general meeting
of railroad workers, it waa said that
the wage conference might be postponed
until Tuesday.
FOUR MORE DEATH FROM
DRINKING WOOD ALCOHOL
V. 8. Marshal Arrests Four
Men On Federal Warrants
at Ohlcopee
Caicepee, Mass., Dee. Ss. United
States Marshal Edward J. Leydea today
arretted- four mea oa Federal warrants,
two charging violation of ths wartime
prohibition act aad two illegal trans
portation of liquor from State to State.
The arrest resulted from his investiga
tion into the deaths ef more than fifty
persons la the Connecticut Valley since
Christmas from drinking wood alcohol
contained ia a mixture sold as whiskey.
' Four more deatha had resulted since
early thia morning from alcohol poison
ing, three ia Holyoke aad one ia Chleo
pee, bringing ths total for the Connecti
cut Valley, aot including Hartford, to
03, divided as follows;
Chieopee 3d, including two women;
Holyoke, Si Springfield 4, including one
woman; Greenfield l ana Thompson
vflle. Conn- 2.
Those under arrest oa the Federal
warraats are Joha Naaaisewaki ef Chie
opee aad Harry Shapiro of Springfield,
truck drivers, who are charged witn
bringing the liquor into the valley;
Adam Ostrowskl and Joha W. Starasyk,
both ef Holyoke, charged with viola
tion of the wartime prohibition act
They will be arraigned before a United
States eommislsoasr Monday morning.
All were released under S500 bonds.
Marshal Alfred Caron of the Chieo
pee Doliee left this afternoon for New
Haven, Conn., with warrants charging
murdsr against four mea who have Keen
arrested ia that city. The warrants were
sworn oat. the police eay on informa
tion glvea by William isaier or tnis
town, who is held ea a manslaughter
charge, aad Harry 8hapiro ef Spring
field. Although several aew cases of the
poisoning were reported todsy la the
valley, the number deercaaed consider
ably over Friday and Saturday. The
number increased ia Holyoke, giving the
Impression that some liquor brought la
that city may have beea eotirumed since
Friday, whea the first sigaa of tht pois
oalng became evident. - ' . 1
WOOD ALCOHOL CLAIMS
VICTIM. IN PENNSYLVANIA.
. Esaton. Pa.. Dec. 28.-Whiskey'' eon-
taiaiag wood alcohol claimed another
victim here tonight whea a local shoe
merchant died la a hospital shortly
after beiag admitted,' totally blind. The
ncllce arrested a former poncemaa ana
his wife ia connection with the case.
Within two weeks three deaths have oc
curred here from the same csuse aad
na Enstonisu died ia Battle Creek, Mich
igan .where he had gone to spend Christ
mas with relstives after drinking "whis
key'' ks took with him. ' . i
PRESIDENT CELEBRATES HIS
SIXTY-THIRD BIRTHDAY AT
WHITE HOUSE VERY QUIETLY
Washington, Dec. 18. President
Wilsoa observed his sixty-third
birthday quietly today, much 1m.
proved la health, aurrounded by the
members ef his family with the ex
ception of Mrs. W. G. MeAdoo, who
wss nasals -to be present. Mr. and
Mrs. Francis B. Sayre arrived from
Cambridge, Maaa, laat night, and
Mini Msrgsret Wilson hss beea at
the White Hoaae el nee her fsthcr's
illness.
Ths Presideat took hla aaual walk
about the aick room aad later sat
out oa the South portico for more
than aa hour. Part of the day waa
epeat hy Mr. Wilaon reading many
ef the hundreds ef birthday greet
ings thst csms from prominent oftV
etals and frlsnds not only In the
United States but abroad.
New York Construction Firm
Takes Over Mammoth Wil
mington Shipyard
GOVERNMENT PROGRAM '
WILL BE CARRIED OUT
Eight Freighters To Be Con
structed, Three of Which
Have Been Launched; De
velopment May In Time Lead
To Installation of Dry Doeks
at State's Chief Port
By BEN DIXON MscNElLL.
Wilmington, Dec. 28. Midnight, De
cember 31, will witness the formal
transfer of the plant of the Carolina
Ship Building Corporation, built and
owned by the United States Government
during the war, to the private owner
ship of the George A. Fuller Construc
tion Company of ew York, and the be
ginning of development under private
management that may in time lead to
the installation of dry docks and full
equipment for taking care of the port's
ehlppingj i Tbe contract transferring
the property into private handa was
signed in Washington a week ago yes
terday. No change ia management of the
shipbuilding plant here will be effected
through ita transfer to private hands.
Lorsnto C. Dilki, who is president ef
the Carolina corporation, is also one
of tbe vice-presidents of the Fuller
eompaay, and will continue aa head of
ths local organization. Other officials
will continue to serve in their several
capacities, and the same effective re
sults are expected in the continued ope
ration of the plant.
Will Complete Contracts. '
Prssent contracts with ths Emergency
Fleet corporation have been retained
aad will be rushed to completion before
tbe end of 1020. Originally tho eoa
tracf called for the construction of
twelve freighters of 9,600 tons capacity,
but four of these ships were cancelled
when the Fleet Corporation reduced its
building program. The final four shins
will be built by the new owners for
privste account. Three of the eight to
be built for the government have been
launched and two are almost readr to
be turned over to the bureau of opera
tions ef tbe Shipping Board.
The new contract by which the yard
ia transferred to private hands specifies
that the program of eight ships to be
built for the government will be com
pleted by November, 1920. Three of
the remaining five are on the wars and
will be launched before the end f
summer. The fourth ship will be
launched before the end of February,
and the keel laid for the last of the
government ships. The last four of .he
original contract will keep the yard
busy until well on into 1921.
Continued operation and possible ex
pansion of ths plant after the comple
tion of the ships now under contract is
assured. The Fuller Corporation ia one
of the most powerful and Influential
Industrial organizations . in America,
and through its connections in the busi
ness world, has already in prospect for
tonnage to be built that will keen the
plant here engaged for an indefinite
period. It was pointed out yesterday
that there ia a close alliance between
the United States Realty Company aad
the Texas Oil Company with the Fuller
corporation ana that tbe oil company
would very likely require the construe
tion of a large number of tankers, and
that these would be built here.
As to the immediate expansion of (he
yard and the Installation of dry docks
here by the corporation, there is noth
ing- developed ss yst. Beginning oa the
day that the plant ia taken over, its
repair shops, probably the moat modora
aad fully equipped south of Norfolk,
will be made a available to the world's
shipping and that any ships ia need of
repairs will be taken care of here. Wil
mington ia the nearest port in the South
to the Latin-American shipping lanes,
and will ao doubt draw largely from ths
increasing number of ships plying ia
that trade' - v , .
Dry Docks Coming Latsr.
There are no present plans for ths
installation of dry doeks here. This
will depsnd upoa the development of
the port's shipping and the demand that
may arise for facilities of this sort. A
dry dork would cost wtihln the neigh
borhood of a million dollars and just
now there ie not sufficient butineie hers
to warrant the expenditure ef so much
money. Officials ef the Fuller corpora
tion expect a great development in the
port, aad are prepared to keep pace
wltk that development in the way of
supplying fscilities to take care of its
- (Ceatlaaed ea Page Niae.).
WOULD ARBITRATE
LABOR
QUESTIONS
THROUGH
BOARDS
National Industrial Tribunal
With Regional Boards Sug
gested As Solution
CONFERENCE PRESENTS :;
TENTATIVE SCHEDULES
Publio Hearings Will Be Held
To Secure Expert Advice
When President Wilson's In
dustrial Conference Recon
venes In Washington; Better
Understanding Needed . .
WsbjiiglmuDccJT28Ientative rec-
ommendntious for tho establishment ef
machinery to prevent or retard labor
conflicts in private industry were an
nounced today by the Preident's la
duatriel Conference with a view to ob
taining constructive criticism before a
final plan ia adopted.
The plan aa now outlined contem
plates tho creation of a Notional Indus
trial Tribunal and Regional Boards of
Inquiry and Adjustment, which would
more to the settlement of, disputes be
fore there was any stoppage of produc
tion. Decisions would hsve the full
force and effect of a trade agreement
between the parties to the dispute.
Hcmarking that some public utilities,
such a railroads, are essential o the
very existence of the people, the con
ference's tentative statement expressed
the opinion that the "interruption ia
such essential utilities is intolernble."
such essential utilities is intolerable,
but the conference statee that further
consideration is required of tho problem
whether some method can be arrived
at that will avert all danger of in
terruption to service."
Te Hold Pablic Hearings.
Government employee, the third class
into which the wage earning public
are divided, should have the right te
uasot'iuic lor mutual protection, the
statement declared, but "ho interfer
ence by any group with the continuous
operation of government : functions
through concerted cessations of work
or throats thereof can be permitted
Whea the conference reconvenes Jan
uary 12, publie bearings will be held
to obtain expert advice as te the draft
ing of the final recommendations ia
the light of such criticism of the ten
tative report as may be received.
While stating that at this time it waa
believed more essential to devise ma
chinery for averting eontlicta tbaa te
undertake a discussion of the causes of
unrest, the conference indicated clearly
the general principles on which it has
based Its recommendations. .
"Our modern industrial organisation."
the tentative report said, "if it ia not to
beeome a failure, must yield to the .'
dividual a larger satisfaction with life.
Not only must the theory that la
bor ia a commodity be abandoned, but
the concept of leadership must be sub
stituted for thst of mastership.. "
Human fellowship in industry must
sither be an empty phrase or a living
fact
Public Getting Uaaaay.
"Pending the growth ef better re
lationships between employers aad em
ployees, the practical approach to the
problem ia to devise a method of pre
venting or retarding conflicts by provid
ing machinery for the adjustment of
differences. To be successful tueh tri
bunals must be so organised as to ope
rate promptly as well as impartially.
The plain fact is that the publie
has long beea uneasy about the power
of great employers; it is becoming ua
easy about the power of great labor or
ganisations. The community must be
ensured against domination by either.
"The plaa which follows does aot pro
pose to do away with the ultimate right
to strike, to discharge, or to maintain
the closed or the open shop.' '
The -National Industrial Tribunal,
lugguested by the conference, would
consist of nine members appointed by
the president, three each representing
the employers, employees and the pub
lic. The Tribunal would, In general, be
a board of appeal, whose decisions must
be unanimous, but provision was nude
for public majority and' minority re
poprts in cases where no agreement was
possible.
Industrial regions, probably twelve la
number conforming to the federal re
serve system, would be outlined and a
regional chairman appointed for each
by the president. Vice-chairmen would
i. i... k. t.i ...-. i ie k .,b
I IV u.lHCll "J III, . I 1 II VI Ii lit uw wv.m
in any, region required it. 1 "
Panels of employers and . employees
for each region would be prepared by
the Secretary of Commerce and the
Secretary of Labor, respectively, after
conferences with the employers aad
workers of that region. Each panel,
approved by the president, would be
classified by industries among the em
ployers and by industries, with sub
classification into' crafts, among the em- :
ployes. Lots would ' be east to de
termine the order of names, in each
panel. t. , " r
i Would Settle Disputes.
" When a dispute arose, ia any Tegiou,
the chairman would request each side
to submit it to a regional board ef ad.
justmcnt, consisting of the chairman,
one representative chosen by each side,
and two unchallenged members ef each
panel1 Appointment of representatives
of both sides to any dispute would con
stitute an agreement to continue the
status thst existed whea the trouble
arose. Decisions of such regional board-
would have to be unanimous or the ques
tion would be referred by unanimous
vote to an umpire, whose decision would
be final, or to the national tribunal.
' Refusal by any side to a eontrovermr
to submit to adjustment would result ia
(Continued ea Psge Nine.)
iCoatlaeed Page Two.).