always abreast with
THE CHANGING TIME
IN RANDOLPH COUNTY
THE COURIER LEADS
THE COURIER
THE COURIER AND
ASHEBORO MARCH
IN STEP—AHEAD
BOTH ARE LEADERS
| tRI-WEEKLY
/olum'k lx
Est. As The Regulator
February 2. 1876
Oldest Paper Published In Randolph County
PRINCIPLES, NOT MEN
ASHEB0R07n. ~cT, THURSDAY, DEC. 24, 1936
Changed To The Courier
September 13, 1879
$2.00 A YEA'
PUBLISHED TUESDAY, THURSDAY AND SUNDAY
I
N ADVANCE
1 NUMBElHfe
State Lapitol Encircled
With Vepdors Of Greens
< >
During Christmas Week
Friendly Feeling i
Among Vendors]
Little Cut-Throat Competition
Exists With An Unwrit
. ten “Understanding”
Lack Of Berries
Source Of Worry
Merchants And Customers
Disturbed Alike Over Ab
sence Of Holly Berries
The state capitol in Raleigh is
encircled this week with a galaxy
0f vendors selling Christmas
greens. Raleigh folk observed that
the vendors moved in as soon as
the members of the state legisla
ture left town after the salesmen
moved in.
The stands, of necessity, are op
erated on a 24-hour day basis, or
otherwise, were they to move, their
places would be taken by others.
For location of the business means,
as much to the tree salesmen as a
preferred site does to the down
town merchant. And his sales sea
son is not only short but, like
Christmas, comes only once a year.
Shrubbery from the forests of
surrounding counties is bringing
better prices this year than last,
even though this is one of those |
“every other” years in which holly
is noticeably lacking in berries,
the vendors said.
On the other hand, cedar and
other natural and decorative ma
terial is heavier, firmer and far
prettier this season. It is command
ing somewhat higher prices.
The business itself might be
compared with the New York Curb.
There is a premium on locations—
one might get a choice one at a
good price—and there is very little
cut-throat competition. There is
no agreement ariiong the 861161“?.
but there is an “understanding.”
The matter that concerns all of
them most is the fact that there
are no berries on the holly and
this distresses customers also,
who repeat the question with al
most every purchase.
Christmas Meet i
Of Kiwanis Club j
A novel Christmas word contest'
conducted by Rufus Routh was the
entertainment feature of the 1
Kiwanis meeting Tuesday evening, j
The members were presented
with twenty groups of jumbled
letters, each group when properly
untangled forming some common
word pertaining to the Christmas
season. Ten minutes were allowed
for unraveling the letters and mak
ing the correct combinations. Dr.
Harvey Griflin and Larry Ham
mond were tied for first place with
an 8f> percent score, each getting
17 of the 20 wonts.
It was called to the attention of
■ the club that the next Ladies Night
will be Tuesday, January 4. At this
meeting the officers for 1937 will
be installed.
Rufus Routh, outgoing president,
Made a few- remarks expressing his
appreciation of the support and
cooperation accorded him by the
club during the year. Mr. Routh
said that he had enjoyed serving
as president and considered it a
privilege to have headed the club.
NO ROTARY CLUB
MEETING THIS WEEK
The Rotary club will not meet
this week since their regular meet
ing day, Friday, coincides with1
Christmas. It was decided to have
no meeting at all rather than try
to assemble on another day this,
week.
Last Minute License Plate
Kush Expected In Asheboro
Although sales of 1937 automo
bile licenses are ahead of those at
this point last year, Asheboro car
owners who have not yet bought
their plates will be caught in a
rush at least as bad as in 1935.
Mrs. Ervin Frye, who is directing
sales here, said Wednesday that
comparatively few Asheboro resi
dents have obtained their tags, the
bulk of the sales having been made
to people from out in the county.
Mrs. Frye had sold approximate
ly 1150 automobile, truck, and
trailer plates Wednesday com
pared to less than a thousand at
this date last December. Only
®ome l5o city tags have been pur
chased, however, and since prac
tically everyone in town who has
-bought state plates has also bought
17 Wet Counties
Would Hold Tax
Serve Notice On State They
, Will Protest Taking Away
Their Revenue
Meet In Raleigh
Resolution Is Passed By Rep
resentatives From Each
Of 17 Counties
ino slate ot North Carolina was
left in no doubt as to the senti
ment of the 17 “wet” counties that
have had liquor stores during the
past year. They served formal
notice that they would fight any
movement to take their revenue
derived from alcoholic beverages
from them.
Opposing state control of liquo.'
sales, representatives of the coun
ties, meeting in Raleigh passed a
resolution asserting “management
of * * * stores and law enforce
ment myst remain local.”
No direct reference was made to
a bill drawn up by the majority of
the state liquor-study commission,
which recommended state supervi
sion of county stores and a divi
sion of profits, with the stpte tak
ing one-fifth and the counties four
fifths.
The bill, which will be submitted
at the next session of the general
assembly, would allow each of the
state’s 100 counties to hold
separate elections on the liquor
question.
The text of the resolution fo'
lows:
“Whereas 17 of the counties cf
North Carolina have pioneered in
the matter of legal control and
sale of alcoholic beverages, and
“Whereas the cause of temper
ance has been promoted, bootleg
ging and illegal consumption of
alcoholic beverages materially re
duced, and
“Whereas management of local
control stores and law enforcement
must remain local, and
“Whereas the state is, through
the sales tax, collecting from 12 to
15 per cent of the net profit from
the control stores, and
“Whereas county revenues will
he materially reduced by classifica
tion of property and exemption of
homesteads from taxation, and
“Whereas there is at present a
volunteer association composed of
all members of the local control
boards who are working toward co
ordinating prices and putting into
effect uniformity of regulations.
“Therefore, be it resolved, that
the advisory board of 17 legal con
trol counties go on record as fol
lows:
“1. We oppose the creation of
any additional offices to be paid for
by the state or any political sub
division of the state, to perform
a duty that is already being, and
can best be performed, by agencies
already existing.
| “2. Wc concur in the resolution
adopted by the state association of
county commissioners at its con
vention at Wrightsville in li)35 and
at Asheville in 1936 as follows:
“ ‘That any revenues derived or
to be derived from the legal sale
of alcoholic beverages shall remain
within the counties where they
originate.’
| “3. That revenues accruing to
the state from sale of alcoholic
beverages be confined solely to the
sales tax on alcoholic beverages.”
J. B. I’UGH IS
HOME FOR HOLIDAYS
J. B. Pugh, student of the Bowl
ing Green Business University,
Bowling Green, Ky., has returned
home to spend Christmas holidays
with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.
F. Pugh of Asheboro, route .!.
city plates it is evident that an
overwhelming percentage of Ashe
boro’s automobilists are still hold
ing back.
After today there will be only
five more days in which to buy
1937 plates before the first of the
year. After January 1 no one can
drive with 1936 plates without
running the risk of arrest. -
Since so many people have fa.l
ed to realize how little time is left
in which to buy tags, or have
neglected repeated warnings about
buying early, a last minute stam
pede is virtually assured. The long
er prospective license plate pur
chasers wait, the more time will be
' spent waiting in line and the mors
inconvenience will they experience.
Federal Treasury
May Need Billion
U. S. Treasury’s New Balance
Wheel Plan May Involve
A Vast Sum
Oppose Inflation
Absorb Foreign Inflow And
Keep Excess Reserves From
Speculation Use
| Reports from Washington in
dicate that the U. S. treasury’s
new “balance wheel” pl&n for
curbing credit inflation may in
volve $1,000,000,000 borrowing
I during the coming year. If, how
ever, gold continues to flow' into
the country at the rate of a bil
lion dollars annually, the treasury
would take a billion dollars out of
| the money market.
This would be done to offset ef
fects of the gold influx on dom/^rtie
credit. The borrowing would have
no effect on regular government
finances. It would be accomplished
through the sale of Treasury bills,
on which interest might total
around $1,000,000 annually.
The new program, announced
last night by Secretary Morgen
thau and Chairman Marriner S.
Eccles of the Federal Reserve
board, is designed to eliminate the
present threat of credit inflation,
arising from gold imports.
Launching the government on a
new course of credit control, the
program aims to make automatic
adjustments in the supply of lenda
ble funds to prevent foreign acpital
from bolstering them to the
“danger point.”
(The nation’s credit reservoir is
the sum of idle funds which banks
hold over and above those required
as reserves behind deposits. These
“excess reserves” now aggregate
$2,500,000,000. They are expected
to rise about $300,000,000 when
money now in circulation flows
back to the banks after the holiday
season).
Because reserves are far in ex
cess of the credit needs of busi
ness, the administration has been
concerned lest the idle money
might go into speculation.
This would artificially elevate se
curity prices and might speed up
the domestic economic machine too
rapidly, entailing the danger of a
crash. Excess reserves have been
forced constantly higher in recent
months by foreign capital inflows.
These inflows are reflected large
ly in gold imports, and under its
plan to “sterilize” incoming gold
the treasury will prevent it from
shaping domestic credit conditions.
Under the old system, gold im
ports were financed by treasury
certificates. The government is
(Continued from page 2)
Christmas Greetings Old
And New Bring Joy To All
—
I With the actual approach of |
i Christmas eve upon our very !
i doorsteps, the town is dressed in i
! gala attire for the occasion and j
i everyone greeting friends with j
j Christmas wishes. Some of the |
! wishes are old, some new, some I
from the heart, some superficial, j
but wishes withal. There have j
been some lovely sentiments !
written, spoken, sung and
demonstrated, but none have
surpassed the Christmas Wish
written by Henry Van Dyke
years ago.
“I am thinking of .you today I
because it is Christmas, and I i
wish you happiness, and tomor- !
row, because it will be the day j
after Christmas, I shall still wish j
you happiness; and so on clear i
Seizes Nineteen
Hold-Up Men Alone
| One-Armed Man Has Caught
19 Bandits, Killed Another.
In 17 Years
j A record of having captured 1:1
• hold-up men and killed one other
in seven years is boasted by Matt
Gardner, one armed gasoline sta
tion proprietor of Elyria, Ohio.
53 years old and gray haired,
Gardner has a first rate knowledge
of firearms, learned in Texas in
his youth, which has stood hint in
good stead. In all his exploits he
has worked singlehanded.
“Fortunately,” said Gardner.
“I’m a pretty fair shot with this
old-fashioned six-shooter. More
than once my life depended on my
aim.”
Gardner’s latest “round-up" net
ted four Cleveland youths, one of
whom was found to have four bul
lets from the mild-mannered man's
revolver in his body.
Awakened by a homemade bur
l glar alarm early December 13, j
Gardner slipped barefooted toward |
the nearby station, his six-shooter j
in a bathrobe pocket. j
“I saw some one with a flash
light in the station and a man in
a car outside,” he said. “I fired
four times at the figure inside.
The car sped away.”
Gardner waited in hiding. Two
men emerged from the station car
rying a third. The proprietor
covered the three.
“An automobile drove up,” Gard
ner said. “The driver asked to
take the wounded man to a hospi
tal. I lined him up, too.”
The four were charged with bur
glary.
Gardner was reared in Colorado,
where his father was a physician
(Continued from page 2)
through the year. I may not be
able to tell you about it every
day, because I may be far away;
or because both of us may be
very' busy; or perhaps I may not
be able to pay the postage on so
many letters or find time to
write them. But that makes no
difference. The thought and the
wish will be .here just the same.
In my work and in the business
of life I mean to. try not to be
unfair to you or to injure you in
any way. In. my pleasure, if we
can be together, I would like to
share the fun with you. What
ever joy .or success comes to you
will make me glad. Without
pretense and in plain words,
good-will to you is what I mean,
in the Spirit, of Christmas.”
Mayor Of Raleigh
Plans Conference
Completes Arrangements For
Gathering Of Heads Of N.
C. Municipalities
Raleigh, Dec. 23.—Plans for the
second of its biennial legislative
conferences are rapidly being com
pleted by the North Carolina Lea
gue of Municipalities, Mayor
George Iseley of Raleigh, president
of the League, announced today.
With members of the 1937 Gen
eral Assembly as their guests at a
banquet that evening, members of
the League will gather in Raleigh
January IS for an all-day confer
ence to discuss legislative matters
of prime interest to municipalities.
Final approval will be given thj
legislative program adopted by the
League at its annual convention in
Wilmington last July.
Topping the day’s events.jiill be
a banquet in Hotel Sir Walter with
members of the General Assembly
as honored guests. Governor-elect
Clyde R. Hoey has tentatively ac
cepted an invitation to serve as
toastmaster. Mayor Iseley will pre
side over the executive discussions
during the day and open the ban
quet program that evening.
Principal speaker will be Dr. T.
V. Smith, member of the Illinois
State Senate from Chicago and
Professor Philosophy in the Uni
versity of Chicago. His topic at the
banquet will be ‘‘A Philosophy of
Skill in Politics”, a subject for
which Dr. Smith is particularly
well-fitted because of his admirable
experience as a politician and
philosopher and his stellar qualities
as. an orator.
Last , year’s banquet meeting of
municipal officials and legislators,
inaugurated by the North Carolina
(Continued from page 2)
[North Carolina
| Death Toll High
i Highway Accidents, Deaths
And Injuries Decidedly
Up In November
101 Are Dead
Makes Death Toll 904 For The
Year Against 980 During
Last Year
Deaths from highway accidents
took 101 lives and injured 702 more
I persons during the month o'
1 November, according to reports
from records from headquarters in
Raleigh Tuesday. It was estimated
that 606 auto mishaps figured in
these accidents in the state.
The highway patrol’s monthly
report, just out, pushed to 904 the
accident deaths this year, through
November, compared with 980 in
the similar period of 1935.
There were 92 killed and 710 in
jured in 551 accidents listed in No
! vember, 1935, and 114 killed and
747 hurt in 679 October crashes.
Speeding caused 36 fatal and 105
non-fatal accidents last month.
There were 31 pedestrians killed
during the month and 93 injured,
eight of those killed being children)
playing in the street and nine per-]
sons walking along roads.
Seven drivers involved in fatal
accidents were listed as intoxicat
ed, as were 65 drivers in non-fatal
wrecks.
The hour between 6 and 7 o’clock
at night was the most dangerous,
with 14 killed and 60 injured dur
ing that period, and Saturdays
were the most dangerous days,
with 23 killed and 122 injured that
day of the week.
Thirteen fatal and 108 non-fatal
accidents were caused by reckless
driving.
CHI A N(J’S WIFE SEEKS
TO GAIN HIS FREEDOM
Shanghai.—Visiting the captur
er of her husband in his own
stronghold, Meiling Soong is try
ing to obtain the freedom of
China’s greatest leader, Generalis
simo Chiang Kai-Shek, from the
bandit general, Chang Hsueh
Liang, who seized him two weeks
ago. With the peace of China
hanging on the outcome of efforts
to ransom Chiang, the greatest
obstacle to his safe release is the
fact that a large part of Chang’s
troops are so undisciplined that
they may not obey a decision which
does not satisfy them.
Crippled Children’s Clinic
One of the regular Crippled
Children’s Clinics will be held at
the Randolph hospital Thursday,
December 31.
Asheboro To Bemmong
First To Receiv^Funds
For Proposed Projects
_____-—4
Hopkins Plans To j
Ask For Increase
Is Seeking A $750,000,000 Ap- j
propriation For Present j
Relief Program
For Unemployment I
Counter-Forces Are Now Said
To Be Working Within ,
The Administration
Authoratative reports from Har
ry L. Hopkins indicate that he is
seeking an appropriation of $750,
000,000 to carry on the relief work
program for the remainder of the
fiscal year, which ends in June.
This demand is 50 per cent more
than the sum twice suggested by
President Roosevelt and which
suggestion is said to have caused
considerable stir between factions
within the administration. In Sep
tember, the president is said to
have set $500,000,000 as the sum
needed to carry on the program
and he repeated that figure last
week.
But with last year’s $1,425,000,
000 fund aproaching exhaustion,
Hopkins was said to be insisting'
upon at least $750,000,000 for un
employment relief exclusive of
what may be needed to aid drought
victims.
Seemingly authentic reports
were that the Works Progress ad
ministrator had said he would re
sign unless his demands were met,
contending $500,000,000 would be
insufficient to care for existing
needs through the last five months
of the year.
President Roosevelt has given
no indication he will raise his
quota. There were forecasts the
chief executive would recommend
$500,000,000 and let congress de
cide whether it should be raised.
In view of recent moves by city
mayors and relief workers to pre
vent cuts in WPA rolls, Hopkins
undoubtedly would draw strong
support in congress for his pro
gram.
On the other hand strong forces
■were understood to be working
within the administration to cut
down relief expenditures and head
toward a balanced budget. This
move also had substantial support
on capitol hill.
Mrs. Humble Has
Recital By Class
Mrs. Ralph Humble presented
her pupils in a piano recital Satur
day afternoon at the home of Mrs.
Dempsey Barnes. Several invited
guests were present, including the
parents of the pupils. An interest
ing program was presented and the
class showed unusual ability.
Those taking part in the pro
gram were Betsy Garner, Eliza
beth Tysor, McDermott Barnes,
Gwendolyn Lambert, Wanda Trog
don, Nina Trogdon, Rachel I’res
nell, Iris Lee Cox, Annie Ruth
Martin, Maxine York, Lucy Leigh
Lowdermilk, Mary Neely, and Faye
Carol Allred.
Saturday evening Mrs. Humble
entertained at a party for her
students. Games were played, after
which each pupil was presented
with a gift.
LEON TROTZKY ON
1 WAY TO MEXICO
Oslo, Norway.—Leon Trotzky,
exiled Bolshevist leader, left Nor
way Tuesday for Vera Cruz, Mexi
co. Norway, which has harbored
him since the summer, determined
to free the country of his presence,
and sent along an armed guard to
make sure that he actually went
to Mexico.
M. E. Young People’s Choir
To Present Christmas Music
The young people’s choir of the
First Methodist Episcopal church
will continue that church’s series
of Christmas services by present
ing a program of Christmas music
at 7:30 Sunday evening.
The program includes “The
Nativity of Christ in Scripture and
Song,” in which the story of the
birth of Christ is told by songs
among which are interspersed
readings from the scriptures. Rev.
Howard P. Powell will be the nar
rator and Miss Ethel Johnson will
be at the organ.
The musical numbers are:
Choir, “0 Come All Ye Faithful,-’
Elliott.
Trio, “O Little Town of Bethle
hem,” Redner, Fleta Faye Bonke
meyer, Nannie Mae Bonkemeyer,
Vivian Wrenn.
Choir (Sotto Voce), “Silent
iPWA Authorities
Given Approval
Mayor Bunch And Treasurer
Yow Of City Confer With
State PWA Director
! Appropriation Is
Made By Congress
! Favorable Decision To Re
quest For Proposed Com
munity Building Combine
PWA authorities have given the
stamp of their approval to both of
the proposed projects for the city
of Asheboro and have put these
projects among the first to receive
funds when the next PWA ap
propriation is made by congress,
Mayor Walter Bunch stated
Wednesday. Mayor Bunch and City
Treasurer Walter Yow were in
formed to this effect by State
PWA Director Stanley II. Wright
in Chapel Hill Tuesday.
This is still not absolute con
firmation that Asheboro will get
PWA aid for the desired improve
ments since congress might refuse
to authorize any more expenditures
for PWA work, but in view of
President Roosevelt’s strong sup
port of this New Deal agency an
j appropriation is expected soon
after congress meets in January.
| The city officials, after discussing
the possibilities in the situation
with Director,-Wright, are planning
to go ahead with the many details
which need to be straightened out
before the projects can be begun.
A decision favorable to Asheboro
was obtained in the request to
change the community building
project into a combined city hall
and community center. Permission
to change the plans jyas given and
this will be done in the next few
days, Mayor Bunch said,
While awaiting allocation of
PWA funds Asheboro officials will
work on the plans and specifica
tions for the water and sewer im
provements and the city hall. Ar
rangements must also be made for
the election by which the people of
Asheboro must approve the $100,
000 bond issue authorized by the
city commissioners for the city’s
share of the projects.
Mr. Bunch and Mr. Yow also
conferred with William M. Piatt,
consulting sanitary engineer, in
Durham Tuesday about Asheboro’s
sewer survey. Mr. Bunch said he
expected definite arrangements for
the survey to be made early next
' week.
i
FOUND INNOCENT AFTEK
SERVING ON ROADS
Raleigh.—After serving 59 days
of a five year sentence for rob
bery, Harrison Starnes, 21 year old
Union county man, was declared
innocent and released Tuesday
afternoon when another man con
fessed committing the crime.
Working on the state’s highways
in the morning, Starnes was free
in the afternoon to return to his
bride of a few months for Christ
mas.
CURA PREPARES TO
IMPEACH PRESIDENT
Havana.—For opposing the
army school system favored by
Cuba's “strong man’’, Colonel Ful
gencio Batista and for vetoing a
sugar tax measure to provide
funds for these schools, President
Miguel Gomez is being tried on im
peachment charges. There seems
but little doubt that Gomez will be
convicted and ousted by the
Batista-controlled Senate which is
sitting as a court of justice.
Night,” Gruber, solo, Catherine
Kearns.
Soprano solo, “Cantique de
Noel”, Adams, Myrtle Lea.
Tenor solo, “Cradle Song,”
Luther, William Rush.
Solo, “While Shepherds Watch*
ed,” Handel, Gerald K. Ford.
Quartet, “Angels from the
Realms of Glory,” Smart, Mary
Brown, Fleta Faye Bonkemeyer,
Nannie Mae Bonkemeyer, Vivian
Wrenn.
Choir, “Hark, the Herald Angels
Sing,” Bartholdy.
Trio, “We Three King,” Hopkins.
Choir, “Joy to the World,”
Handel.
The meeting will be concluded by
the benediction; response, “Into
My Heart”, Clarke; and an organ
postlude by Miss Ethel Johnson.
I