VOLUME-XIX
BREVARD. NORTH CAROLINA, FRIDAY, .I \NU-w y 9 1914.
NUMBER- 2'
UR6ER mis
THAN EVER BEFORE
1913 EXCEEDED BEST EFFORTS
OF THE PRECEDING
•^ARS.
FOREIGN COMMERCE GROWS
1913 Imports Show Decrease, Due to
Big Reductions in the Cost of
Certain Articles. .
Washington.—The foreign com
merce of the United States in the
calendar year 1913 approximated one
and three-quarter billion dollars of
imports and two and a half billion
o£ exports. Tlie imports of the eleven
months ended with November were
^il,C0i»,000,000; should the December
imports equal those of November the
total for the full year would be $1,-
7f>t!,000,000. The exports of the eleven
months ended with November were
$i:,251,000,000; should the December
exports equal those of November the
total would be 12,497,000,000. This
estimate would make the excess of
exports over imports approximately
$740,000,000.
The figures of exports and of excess
of exports over imports will exceed
those of any earlier year. The largest
export in any preceding calendar year
was that of 1912, which showed a to
tal of $2,399,217,993; and as the eleven
months ended with November are
$101’,000,000 in excess of the corre-
{iponding period of the preceding year
the estimate of approximately two
and a half billion for 1913 seems to
be justified. The excess of exports
over imports in the eleven months
ended with November was $642,000,-
000, and for the single months of
November $97,000,000, thus apparently
justifying the estimate of $740,000,-
000 excess of exports for the full
year.
lu imports the total for 1913 will
be less than that of 1912, but larger
than that of any year preceding 1912.
This decline in imports in 1913 is due
in part to reduction in prices of cer
tain articles imported. While the
quantity of sugar imported in the ten
months ended with October exceeded
that of the corresponding period of
1912 by 368,000,000 pounds, the value
of this larger quantity imported dur
ing the 1913 period was $22,000,000
less than that of the corresponding
period of 1912.
BUILDING IN 1314
CHARLOTTE CONSTRUCTION FOR
YEAR THE GREAtEST EVER :
KNOWN IN HISTORY.
WILL BE RECORD SMASHER
PLAN TO DROP CORPORATIONS
Men of Affairs Decided to Line Up
With Spirit of Times.
New York.—The withdrawal of J.
P. Morgan & Co. from more than a
score of great corporations and the
statement shortly afterwards by
George F. Baker, ^ almost equally
dominant figure in American finance,
that he soon would take similar ac
tion, gave Wall street generally a
thrill that almost brought trading on
the stock exchange to a halt.
While it probably is true that many
prominent bankers had information
fore.shadowing this momentous move
toward ending interlocking directo
rates, the public and brokers had no
advance knowledge of what was tak
ing place in the inner councis of the
greatest of all American houses of
finance. Wherever telephone and tick
er flashed the news about the street,
groups of men gathered to discuss
what was the all-absorbing topic.
Mr. Morgan, departing from his
firm’s traditional policy of silence,
made a public statement announcing
the withdrawal of five members of
J. P. Morgan & Co. from the drector-
ships in twenty-seven corporations
and the intention ta withdraw from
Qore.
Nearly Two Million Dollars Contem
plated For Commercial Purposes to
Say Nothing of Suburbs, Resi
dences and Small Buildings.
Charlotte.—That the coming year
1914, will be the best in the history
of the city, in all lines and with all
interests, is he sum-total of estimates
on the part of a score of business
men, merchants, niauutacturers, job
bers, builders and others recently in
terviewed.
In building operations, 1914 prom
ises to be a record breaker, for al
ready morethan a million and a half
dollars worth of work is under way
and that too in strictly commercial
lines, without any es'winnte as to the
vast volume of residential and su
burban construction, which doubtless
will swell the grand total to at least
$2,000,000.
This, according to those best post
ed on the situation and those who
make it a business to keep close in
touch with all affairs of this charac
ter,'is the greatest outlay that Char
lotte has ever known and one that
will doubtless stand as the high water
mark for several years to come.
If the amount of building con
struction is any estimate of the year’s
activity, then Charlotte .should make
greater strides in 1914 than in any
previous year in its history. Of
course this does not include what is
in contemplation, but only that for
which estimates have been submitted
and in many instances for which con
tracts have actually been given.
There are many big jobs that have
not yet been announced, but which
will be made known with the oprn-
ing up of the spring season, when
building activity will be greatly aug
mented.
A little resume of what is actually
in view now may be of interest and
the figures are herewith reproduced:
Queen’s College, six buildings, $160,-
000; Horner Military Institute, three
buildings, $75,000; Masonic Temple,
$80,000; Morehead Apartments, $100,-
000; Hutchison building for J. B. Ivey
Co., $90,0000; Latta Development,
$75,000; Duls Apartment, $50,000;
East Trade construction, $100,000;
Carr Apartments, $50,000; Norfolk-
Southern terminals, $60,000; S. A. L.
improvements, $25,000; Standard Oil
Company, $35,000; NDrth Tryon con
struction, $50,000; West Trade con
struction, $50,000; Mercantile Devel
opment Co., 12 stores, $300,000.
There is no estimate included for
the new postoffice building to be
erected by the government for the
reason that no agreement has been
reached as to the plans but this
should doubtless be included in the
year's summary for the reason that
operations will doubtless be started
during the year.
Exports to South Africa.
Washington. — Success tliat has
marked the efforts of American manu
facturers to establish markets for
their exports in the union of South
Africa,' long considered to be exclu
sive province for foreign traders, re
futes any assertion that competition
is driving Americans from the field of
trade, according to a statement made
public by the department of com
merce.
Lower Express Next Month.
Washington.—Lower express rates
throughout the country will become
effective one month from now by the
terms of the recent interstate com
merce commiBsion order. Not only
will the rlites be reduced materially,
but the companies wiil comply with
regulations for improved methods of
service. Bijj^rts estimate the aver
age reduction In charges will approx
imate 17 p^r cent. One official of a
large expr<^s6 company said that the
business for 1913 was 25 per cent,
less than vl was in 1912.
Craig Says State is Prosperous.
Raleigh.—Speakin.c, of the passing
of the old year and the coming of the
new, Governor Craig said that the
achievements in freight rate adjust
ment, progress in the construction of
good highways and the further awak
ening^ of interest in the value of really
good roads and general advancement
in rsral life conditions and improved
methods of farming are shining fea
tures of the advance made in this
state during the past year. He be
lieves, too, that the progress of the
past year is but the beginning of a
great advance that will gain wonder
fully in volume during the year on
which the state is just entering so
auspicuously.
The advent of 1914 finds North Car
olina with 413 state banks, with a
combined capital of $11,018,000 com
pared with 375 banks last year with
$9,984,000 capital, a gain of 40 per
cent. The banking resources now
amount to $91,000,000, compared with
$83,500,000 last year.
i»ecome cf the nl<j-fashloned
-0(1 to biLcli v.i’ 1:1", tror-
Spencer Sells $45,000 Bonds.
Spencer.—^The town of Spencer has
closed a deal for sale of $45,000 bonds.
This amount has been placed to the
credit of the town in the Bank of
Spencer. Mayor C. G. Theiling, who
has given much attention to the sale
of the bonds, states that approximate
ly $30,000 of the money will be used
in securing a water plant for the
town, and that $10,000 will be used in
enlarging the school building.
The town has been badly in need
■ef more water for two years and also
needs a larger school Mtilding.
Time to Go.
If a man you call on squirms ana
•vlggles and looks troubled he’s busy
MISS MAUDE 0. MINAHAN
NO Wlir OF ESCAPE
FROM INCOME TAX
REGULATIONS SAY EVERY CITI-
ZEN OF NATION MUST MAKE
RETURNS.
REFUSAL MEANS A
Miss Maude Olive Minahan of New
York City, who has been voted by the
students at Wellesiey college, Massa
chusetts, to be the most beautiful girl
at the college.
GREAT CH PAST YEAR
POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND FI
NANCIAL LEGISLATION DUR
ING 1913 IMPORTANT.
New Era in Relations of Government
and Big Corporations—Foreign
Relations Eventful.
Washiiigtoa.-r-TM'elve months of
1913 wrought changes in the Ameri
can government—political, economic
and financial—probably more far-
reaching than any other year of me
last quarter century—this year was
apparent in a backward glance over
memorable events of the past year
in all branches of governmental ac
tivity.
A Democratic administration in na
tional affairs came to power in this
twelve months with a Democratic
president and a Democratic congress
at his back for the first time since
Grover Cleveland occupied the white
house.
The first constitutional amendments
since 1870 were perfected, providing
two radical changes In the funda
mentals of government—an income
tax and the direct election of United
States senators.
Salt Germs.
Salt, of all things, we deem germ-
proof; but, as a matter of fact, salt
is one of the most germ-ridden foods
we eat.”
The speaker, a physiologist, sighed
and resumed:
"You know gray salt, the ‘gros sel’
that gourmands eat with boiled beef?
Well, that salt is made gray by the
addition of mud, plain mud. Hence
it always contains from 6,000 to 75,000
bacterial colonies per gram.
"Refined salt, white salt, is almost
as bad. It lies, you know in the re
finery under a blanket of clay, and its
refining consists of a sea-water bath,
after which it is dried and heated to
the point of crystalization. All this
fails, of course, to remove from it its
2,000 or 3,000 bacterial colonies per
gramme that it imbibed from its clay
blanket.
"The pure-food people should look
to our salt. The white, clean stuff
is alive with germs. Yet it would be
easy to refine it so as to make it
germ-free.” ,
Her Anniversary Gift.
“When I make gifts to people,” said
the girl, “I always try to find some
thing appropriate, or something for
which I've heard them express a lik
ing. But not long ago my little sys
tem went wrong. The parents of a
dear friend were about to start for
California on the anniversary of their
wedding. Remembering their fondness
for Stevenson, I bought a copy of
"Travels with a Donkey,” and had It
sent out to th.e girl’s mother. It
•wasn’t until they were well on their
journey that I realized what I had
done.
"Fortunately they both have a sense
of humor and I had a breezy little
note of acknowledgment from the
father, in which he said he was glad
to know that I was sustaining my
reputation for appropriate gifts. 1
never expect to hi-ar the last of that
itchison Globe. c:h
BANKS ACCEPTING SYSTEM
In One Wiek 767 Banks Apply for
Admission.
Washington.—Seven hundred and
sixty-seven banking institutions, scat
tered over forty-five states and having
an aggregate capital, exclusive of sur
plus, of approximately $300,000,000^
have informed the federal authorities
of their intention to enter the new cur
rency system. This was announced
by the treasury department a week
after the currency reform law was
enacted.
The department’s statement said:
“Six hundred and ninety-five appli
cations have been received from na
tional banks with an aggregate capital
of about $250,000,000 ,so that up to this
time national banks representing ap
proximately one-fourth of the total
national banking capital of the coun
try already have signified their in
tention to enter the system.
“Of the national banks 69 have a
capital of $1,000,000 or more; 142
have a capital of from $250,000 to $1,-
000,000; 270 have a capital of from
$100,000 to $250,000 and 214 hare
a capital of less than $100,000.
$250,000 Ransom Will Be Paid.
Chihuahua.—Two hundred and fifty
thousand dollars in gold has been
agreed upon by General Villa, rebel
military chief, as the ransom he will
accept for the release of Luis Terra
zas, son of the wealthy Mexican land
owner. Terrazas has been imprison
ed here for five weeks on the charge
that he had supported the federal ad
ministration. The money is to be paid
by Luis Terarzas, Sr., who has been
negotiating from El Paso for his son's
release. The prisoner is to be brought
to the border under safa ccr-iuct.
$129,000,000 TAKEN FROM THE
PUBLIC BY MAIL
FRAUDS.
IS
%
JRD OF TWO YCARS
I Forms to Be Used By individuals Sent
Out by the Treasury Department.—
March First Date Set.—Sickness or
Absence Excuses.
Washington.—The form to be used
xnd regulations to be followed by in
dividuals in making returns of income
subject to the new Federal income tax
were sent out by the Treasury De
partment. Every citizen of the United
States whether residing at home or
abroad, every person residing in the
United States and every non-resident
alien who has income from United
States investments of $3,000 or more,
must make return.
For the past year, 1913, specific ex
emptions will be $2,500, or $3,333.33
in the case of a married person, and
in future years $3,000 and $4,000.
Where the tax has been witheld on
part of t!’e income at the source, or
where pan of the income comes as
dividends iipon stock of a corporation,
taxable imder the corporation tax sec
tion of the law ,the regulations set
forth tliat such income shall be de-
ducteid from the individual’s total net
income when computing the amount
of v.iiich he is taxai)Ie.
The law imposes a tax of 1 per cent
and provides that individuals who
have an income between $20,000 and
$50,000 shall pay an additional tax
fo 1 per cent on such amount; on
all between $50,000 and $75,000, two
per cent; $75,000 to $100,000, three
per cent; $100,000 to $250,000 four
per cent; $2C0,000 to $500,000. five
per cent, and all over $500,000, six
per cent. Returns must be in the
hands of the collector of interna! reve
nue in district where the payee lives
or district where he has his principal
place of business not later than March
1, failure to observe this limit to be
punishofl with fines ranging from $20
to $1,000.
Refusal or neglect to file returns,
except in case of sickness or abseace
will result in an addition of 50 per
cent to the tax assessed. In the case
of false or fraudulent erturn 100 per
cent will be added to the tax assessed
and any person required to make, ren
der, sign or verify such return, who
makes a false or fraudulent state
ment, with intent to defeat or evade
the tax, will be guilty o fa misde
meanor and subject to a fine of not
more than $2,000 or Imprisonment for
one year, or both.
Keep Up the Fight and Win.
Most failures are due to lack of will
power. Lost the grip upon yourself,
and you are either a fanatic or a cow
ard. It takes a level head to keep sen
sibly cool, and stay on the job In the
face of obstacles. Here is where will
will-power comes in. It /.ees no de
feat. It knows no master.—Exchange.
Many Sch-mes to Defraud the Public
J Are (Operated Through the
r '
Mails. 1
Washington.—I^osa of $129,000,000
in two years by the un«i’specting pub
lic through swindling oi,^ation car
ried on by use of the Ui.i^ States
mails has stirred the postal ?»*thori-
ties to a drastic campaign against
fraudulent schemers. Wliolesale uss^
of government’s right to deny the
mailing privilege to persons or firms
whose operations may be tainted with
“get rich quick” and other false
promises is the weapon to be em
ployed.
An effort to stop this swindling by
reliance upon criminal courts has
proved ineffective, according to W. H.
Lamar, assistant attorney general for
the postoffice department, whose an
nual report was made public on the
first.
"Criminal proceedings are necessa
rily slow,” says the report, “and by
means of appeals and other‘methods,
the execution of sentence are deferred
for long periods, during which the
concerns and individuals engaged in
such fraudulent business continue to
reap a harvest through their fraudu
lent enterprise. In some instances,
the penalty being merely a fine, there
was nothing to prevent the parties
from continuing tUoir schemes ex
cept fear of subsequent fines. These
they could easily afford to pay in
view of the large revenue derived
from the business.”
Mr. Lamar points out that a fraud
order immediately cuts off the source
of supply of funds upon which the
scheme largely depends for its contin
uance and puts many prospective vic
tims on their guard.
Postmaster throughout the country,
the report says, daily ask rulings on
varictis lottery schemes which cause
the department no end of woTry. Nu
merous concerns located abroad con
tinue to mail their a/lvertisements of
foreign lotteries into the United
States. Fraud orders were issued
against 74 such firms during the
year.
Thirty Perish With Steamer.
New York.—The -anK steamer in
trouble off Sandy Hook w'as the Okla
homa and twenty-two of her crew
appear to have perished. Eight were
saved. This was the substance of
wireless messages received here.
Although several vessels were
standing by the distressed tank liner,
the Hamburg-American line freighter
Bavaria, bound from Philadelphia to
Baston, was the only one able to ren
der assistance. She reported by wire
less shortly after 9 o'clock in the
morning that she had been able to
take off Captain Alfred Gunter, Chief
Mate Bertiverson, Second Mate Kn'ute
Dahle, Third Mate Carl Ekluiide,
Operator W’illiam Davis, Boatman
Christian Rasmussen, Quartermaste
Hamilton Powell and Herman Erick-
Ben, the ship’s carpenter. No mention
was made of the remainder of the
crew, thirty in number.
The Oklahoma was owned by the
J. M, Guffey Petroleum Company,
was 2,795 tons net and 419 feet long.
Rev. Billy Sunday Vs. Bar Tenders.
Pittsburgh, Pa.—When Rev. Billy
Sunday came here recently to “clean
up Pittsburgh,” the Bar Tenders’
Union grew excited and offered $5,000
for the privilege of having its busi
ness secretary debate with the evan
gelist on the question: “Who is get
ting the coin—Billy Sunday or us?”
Mr. Sunday declined the challenge.
Attempt to Settle Strike.
Calumet, Mich.—Interest in the
copper miners’ strike in northern
Michigan centered around Governor
Woodbridge N. Perris, who is coming
here to endeavor to bring about a set
tlement of the prolonged strike called
by the Western Federation of Miners.
The governor arrived in the stirke
zone but a few hours after the depart
ure of John B. Densmore, S0licit0|
the department of labor, whq_
ed to Washington after
bring together the opi
of the strike.
Etody^
New Yorl
sie E. M(
worker
and wl
Conej
of
ease