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HENDERSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINJ FRIDAY, OCT. 17, 1919,
FIVE CENTS COPY
3
I
VCLUME XXXIV. ' NUMBER 40"" 1
Extravagance
It is well known that this country,
is suffering horribly from ah orgy of
. waste and extravagance which it ap
pears the government makes little or
no effort to stop or limit, and which
has spread from government work in-
to every, other department of human
endeavor. Striking illustrations of
this wild orgy of extravagance are
beginning to come to light.-These are
Cjnazing even to those who have been
L position to familiarize themselves
somewhat with the situation.
A short time ago President Fergu
son of the Newport News Shipbuild
ing Company made the astounding
statement before the Richmond Cham
ber of Commerce that riveters, black
and white, were being paid $29 per
day for work in his shipyard on gov
ernment contracts, the wages, it
should be understood, being fixed by
the government. '
Astounded at such waste and ex
travagance in the expenditure of the
people's money, L. M. Williams of
the old banking firm of John L. Wil
liams & Sons, of Richmond, wrote to
Secretary Daniels to know if what
Mr. Ferguson had said was true, and
if so, to protest against it.
Mr. Williams emphasized his op
position as an American citizen to
the wild scandalous extravagance on
the part of the government in paying
$29 per day to common laborers when
millions of soldier boys had been
called to the colors and shipped over
seas to risk their lives on the field
of , battle at a rate of pay less than
$2Jer day.
This is but typical illustration of
the waste and extravagance which has
been going on since this country en
tered the war, largely through fear
on the part of the administration, of
the American Federation of Labor,
vuhih haa BAHmail A hava mnro in.
Washington, especially where labor ot this great country is that any day
was concerned, than the government laborer 18 JP2d, A29 ner day ort at
itself. It is out of this condition that . the rate, of $9100 per annum, when
the troubles from which this nation .you send a soldier to the front at the
is now suffering as she has never suf, 'risk of his life and sacrifice of all
fered before, have largely arisen. Theirs family ties, at the rate of less
government is responsible for having .than $2 per day. Such, a system of
encouraged and developed in every
way possible this spirit of profiteer
ing, and now the nation is face to
face with tremendous and difficult
problems because it encouraged this
orgy of profiteering under the direct
work, of certain labor leaders whom
the administration feared, and who
seem to have dominated the whole
situation at Washington.
The correspondence between Mr.
Williams and Secretary Daniels is
printed herewith in full as follows:
JOHN L. WILLIAMS & SONS
Bankers
Richmond, Va., July 9, 1919.
Hon. Josephus Daniels,
Secretary of Navy,
Washington, D. C.
Dear Mr. Daniels: Mr. Homer Fer
guson, president of the Newport
News Shipbuilding Company, made a
statement to the Richmond Chamber
of Commerce in Richmond, on Wed
nesday, June 18, that negro riveters
are today drawing $175 per week for
working at the Newport News Ship
building Company.
This appears to me and many others
as scandalous waste of government
money, especially as such conditions
exist six months after the armistice.
I understand that this wage scale that
permits these colored men making
$175 p"er week, or about $9100 per
annum, is the result of orders issuea
by some official of the Navy Depart
ment. I hope, therefore, in the interest
of fair dealing to American citizens,
that you will immediately issue such
an order that will hold down the
maximum wage to steel riveters to
something like a fair price for colored!
and white manual labor.
You can get this work done for not
exceeding $10 per day, and if intel
ligently and aggressively handled you
could get the work done at $5 D6T
j
The government in paying colored
and white labor $175 per-week is
doing the grossest injustice to other
employers of labor and is upsetting
our economic conditions by increasing
the price of food and clothing enor-
mously. As you well know, if these
colored people get these enormous
, sums of money they spend it quickly
and carelessly in paying any price for
what they see, and the merchants, of
r courseware quick to increawi what
they have for sale to these laborers
from 50 per cent to 150 per cent or
moI?' . . .
For the sake of every American cit-
jzen and a fair and square deal, I
begof you to stop this scandalous
waste of government money, which
is provided by extortionate taxation,
Deiore you go on your excursion to
- the Pacific Ocean.
From my viewpoint, a large num
ber of the present United States offi
cial administration, especially the rail
i Toad administration and the War De
apartment, appear to have penalized
industry and made thrift a crime. ' A
- v Yours very truly,
(Signed) Langbourne M. Williams.
DEPARTMENT
Washington. D. C, July 15, 1919.
Dear Sir: Referring to your letter
i of-July 9, relative to -the pay; of
riveters at Newport News, Va., rivet
ers are paid for piecework and the
nrices were fixed by the Macy' Board
of United States Shipbuilding Labor
Adjustment Board. - The fact that
negro riveters get excessive wages at
Newport News is due to the fact that
no distinction of color is made in the
rates, which is the same for all yards
ort the Atlantic , Coast and Great
Lakes. Negroes are not permitted
by the unions to work in the North
ern yards, and are at Newport news,
and naturally congregate there.
The per diem rate paid for rivet
ers at the Norfolk Navy Yard for
day work, which obtains in the yard,
is "$6.50 per diem, but on contract
work for ship piece-work is provided
for and naturally a person engaged
upon piece-work bends his utmost ef
forts to produce as much in a given
time as is physically possible in order
to increase his earnings. The gov
ernment, of course, receives the ben-
efit thereof in increased production
ana in me speeuy cumpieuuii ui me
work.
Very respectfully,
(Signed) Josephus Daniels.
Secretary of the Navy.
Mr. Langbourne M. Williams.
Eighth and Main Sts. Richmond, Va
Negro and White Riveter on Govern,
ment Work Getting $175 a Week
While Soldiers Got Less Than
$2 a Day
July 19, 1919.
Hon. Josephus Daniels,
Secretary of Navy,
Washington, D. C.
Dear Mr. Daniels: Your esteemed
favor of the 15th received this morn
ing, in which you appear to think
that my cause of complaint is that
negro riveters are getting $175 per
lWeeK.
My complaint as a sovereign citizen
payment, whether made by the Macy
Board or the United States Ship
building Labor Adjustment Board, is
the grossest injustice, and, in my
opinion, piracy of government funds
which can only result in extortionate
taxation and a disruption of all ordi
nary economic conditions.
The government certainly does not
receive the proportionate benefit in
paying a day laborer $29 per day as
compared with a possible wage of
$0.40 per day, and if the citizens of
the United States at large knew that
such a gross misappropriation of gov
ernment money is going on six
months after the war, you would see
a tremendous clamor from the Atlan
tic to the Pacific and from Canada
to the Gulf for the resignation of
every government official responsi
ble for such wastefulness.
The thinking, intelligent farmer,
and average city layman, have not the
remotest idea that the government is
paying anything like $29 per day for
riveters on ships, and I believe it the
duty of every government official to
immediately put forth every effort to
stop such scandalous payments. The
supply of riveters is certainly ample
to meet the demand at $6.40 per day
or less, and there is certainly not the
urgent demand for speedy competi
tion mentioned in your letter as to
justify $9100 per annum for a day
laborer who does nothing but rivet
ships.
I hope you can see your way clear
to bring this matter before .the Macy
Board or the United States' Shipbuild
ing Labor Adjustment Board at
once, and have this great wrong to
American citizens righted
With kind regards, I am, most respect-
1 ""y yours.
(Signed) L. M. Williams.
P. S. Will you kindly advise me
by return mail the names of the mem-
! Kara rtf f Via f onir Rnowl on1 a1a nvaa.
I va. vtiv huu hiov fta,o'
ent directors of the United States
Shipbuilding Labor Adjustment
Board?
This is a serious matter, and one of
y0Ur best friends in this country tells
me that it was hard for him to believe
that these riveters are getting the pay
named by Mr. Homer Ferguson of
the Newport News Shipbuilding Com-
pany and confirmed in your letter of
the 15th instant addressed to me.
j i love my C0Untry, and I hate to
8ee it robbed by labor unions, pirates
or any0ne else and I am in accord
with Patrick Henry in his celebrated
'statement: "Millions for defense and
not one cent for tribute," whether
the collection is attempted by Kaiser
William of Germany or Czar SanY
Gompers of America,
The Hand of the American Federa-
tion of Labor Helped to Set the.
Labor Wage ,
NAVY DEPARTMENT
Washington, D. C, July 28, 1919.
-.Dear Sir: Referring to your letter
of July 18, the members of the Macy
Board or Shipbuilding Labor Adjust
ment Board were V. Everit Macy,
tehairman; L. C. Marshall and A. J,
iJ Berres. Mr. Macy having been ap-
Pointed bv the President of the Uni-
ted States, Mr. Marshall by the Navy
' - "
(Continued on page 10.)
HHRSOiJVlLLE
CITY SCHOOLS
The Hendersonvile city schools
have completed the first month of the
session. The enrolment has been the
largest in the history of the schools,
and the inconvenience and conges
tion, due to inadequate accommoda
tions, have been very acute. But, in
spite of these handicaps and the in
evitable loss of time in organization,
the month's work has been very satis
factory. The grammar primary grades are
using every room in the building (in
cluding the basement) with the ex
ception of two. These two rooms are
being used for some of the 10th and
Uth grade classes in the morning.
The remainder of the 10th and 11th
grade classes and all of the 8th and
9th grade cjasses meet in the after
noon. This arrangement works a
handicap on teachers and students;
but is the best that can be done until
the Noterman place is ready for use.
The work of remodeling the Noter
man place is being pushed forward
as rapidly as possible, and the expec
tation is that the property will be
ready for use by about November 15.
The grammar grade teachers have
not announced any honor roll for the
first month. In the high school the
honor roll is smaller than usual, ow
ing to the confusion incident to the
work of organization. No names ap
pear from the 10th and 11th grades
and four each from the 8th and 9th.
The list is as follows:
High School Honor Roll
Eighth grade Winnie Hogsett,
Frank Reed, Katharine W. Valen
tine, Alliene Wilkins.
Ninth grade Myrtice Brooks,
Helen Drafts, Hazel Grant, Lillie
Summey.
WILL SEND EXHIBIT
TO STATE FAIR
The Board of Trade of Henderson
ville, at its meeting Tuesday night
voted to send a large agricultural
exhibit to the state fair at Raleigh,
which will be held October 2 0-2 5th
inclusive.
All persons wishing to send any
exhibits to the fair are requested to
bring them to the city hall not later
than Friday night, October 17.
Victor J. Garvin will have charge
of this county's exhibits at the state
fair.
LIFE SKETCH
JEROME
The death of Hon. Jerome B. Free
man occurred at his home at Chimney
Rock, Sunday, October 5, 1919, and
funeral services were held at the
church at Fruitland the following day,
and interment was made in the Free
man cemetery nearby. Dr. W. F.
Powell, pastor of the First Baptist
Church of Asheville, and Rev. A. I.
Justice, pastor of the Baptist church
af Marshall, conducted the funeral
sermon.
Mr. Freeman was 70 years 7 months
and 20 days old at the time of his
death. He had been in failing health
for quite a long time, and while his
death was not unexpected, the news
of his departure was distressingly re
ceived by his relatives and many
friends throughout this section of the
state where he had been well and
favorably known for many years,
The deceased was a son of the late
Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Freeman, and
was born in Henderson county and
raised on a farm. 'He attended the
public schools of the community in
which his parents resided, for a while
each year during his boyhood days,
and there learned to read and write
and ciper fairly well. Most of his
education, however, wa3 obtained by
reading books and newspapers.
Early in life Mr. Freeman. formed
the habit of reading history and
studying public questions that arose
from time to time. He was recog
nized by those who knew him best,
as one of the best historians of this
section of the country. He made a
close study qf all current events and
political issues of the times. . He also
delighted in debate, even the kind of
debate which was indulged in by the
boys of the country school back in
the old days. As stated above, Mr.
Freeman always kept himself well
posted on current events and politi
cal issues that arose from time to
time. He' was a lif e-long Republi
can, and always a strong advocate of
the' principles of his party and the
things for which it stood. He was an
able speaker and always took an act
ive part in all political campaigns and
other work where the interests qf his
party were involved. v.-. .
rV'7---y.;V.fW?'-!.ii- "Tfisjv" I -
S. I HODGES
CONTRIBUTES
Sanjp T. Hodges, the well-known
travelng salesman of this city, is the
largesf Henderson county contribu
tor touhe Roosevelt Memorial fund,
up to his time. Quite a number of
citizen t have made contributions to
this find, but that of Mr. Hodges is
t . 'il ii. & , 1 if -
larger vgnan xne coninDunon oi any
enderson county citizen.
odges never agreed with Jol-
It politically, but stated, when
to make his contribution, that
. . At '
no pontics in mis proposi
is simply a matter of the
people'rontributing money enough to
erect spitable monuments to one of
the greatest men the country ever
produced. He further stated that he
felt quite sure the Democrats of Hen
dersoBSfcounty would look at the
proposition as he did, and that they
would contribute their pro rata share
of the Amount this county is expected
to raisi to aid in the erection of
suitable monuments to the memory of
Col. Roosevelt.
Mr. Hodges is correct. There is no
political side to the proposition. As
Re says, it is simply a matter of each
person,; no matter with what party
affiliated, contributing a small sum for
the purpose mentioned.
A committee has been appointed in
every precinct in the county to call
the attention of the people to the
matter, nd to assist the central com
mittee ( in soliciting contributions.
The committee in charge of the
Roosevelt Memorial organization
work iri, this county tell us that Hen
derson county's pro rata share of this
fund must be raised before the 27th
of this month, that being the birth
day of the man to whose memory the
people are contributing money to
erect suitable memorials.
A. O; Jones, is treasurer of the
committee for this county, and con
tributions can be made to him at any
time, or they' can be made to the
members of any precinct committee.
! A lisf of the names of all con
tributors will be printed in this pa
i per next week, and we are asked to
state that the committee is especially
desirous i that one or more members
of everyj family in the county make
a contribution to this memorial fund.
We are lalso asked to state that all
contributors should give to the per
son to Whom they make their con
tribution, their full name and post
office address.
Persons desiring to make contribu
tions to l this memorial fund should
do -'So'ifwice; in order that this coun
ty s pro rata share may be raised be
fore the 27th instant.
OF HON.
B. FREEMAN
Ih 1886, while he was living in
Buncombe county, Mr. Freeman .Ve-.s
the candidate of his party for Rep
resentative in the Legislature from
that county, against Hon. Richmond
Pearson, the Democratic nominee;
and while he was not elected he suc
ceeded in reducing the Democratic
majority from 1200 to 226. He spoke
during the campaign of that year in
every township, and in nearly every
precinct in the county, and always
spoke of his campaign against Mr.
Pearson as the hottest he ever took
part in.
A short while after he removed
from Buncombe to Henderson county
to live, Mr. Freeman was elected on
the Republican ticket to represent the
county i the Legislature: And while
serving in the capacity of Represen
tative of this county he was chosen
by his party colleagues to make the
nominating speech placing the name
of Hon. J. C. Pritchard before the
Legislature as the Republican candi
date for the United States Senate.
His speech placing Mr. Pritchard in
I nomination before the Legislature
j was spoken of in the highest of terms
i by his colleagues and a number of
. newspapers of the state.- And be
lieving that it would not be amiss to
quote a few sentences from his speech
in this connection, we print same as
follows:
"Mr. Speaker, I hope the gentle
man from Rowan will not persist in
his motion to have no nominating
speeches today, as it will not be fair
for the Republicans to be placed un
der that ban."
The ' Speaker "The gentleman
from Henderson has the floor."
Mr. Freeman then said: "This is
a happy day of my life, happy for
the privilege that it offers to present
the name of one of the noblest and
best men of the state to this assembly
as our candidate for senator a
typical southern man, a man of most
noble virtues, a man whom the peo
ple delight to honor, a man in whom
the people have great confidence,, a
man from, the people and of the peo
ple. This gentleman whom it is my
other M
Mr. il
Roosev
he wens
mere jp
, tion k
(Continued on page four.)
INSPECTORS
ARE SELECTED
- - It is stated that last Saturday James
The state board of health, bureau Gianakos, a Greek who runs a public
of sanitary engineering and inspec- service automobile here, went out in
tion, announces the selection of nine tne Crab Creek section of the county
men as sanitary inspectors, for the and procured a gallon of whiskey,
purpose of administering the state which local officials state was unques
sanitary law which went into effect ' tionably of the blockade sort. Satur
on October 1. The men appointed
are as follows: - .
,L. A. Allen, High Point: H. M.
Fowlkes, Rockingham;' Claud Hussey,
High Ppint; H. G. Blackwell, Wake
Forest; T. G. Moseiey, Raleigh; W.
J. Steele, Salisbury; A. M. Surratt,
Denton; L. G. Whitley, Elm City; G.
E. Hapgood, Fall River, Mass.
The state has been districted and
one of the above men will be placed
in charge of each district of approx
imately ten counties each. One dis
trict yet remains to be supplied with
an inspector.
The above list is made up of un
usually high-class men, who represent
the choice of the state board of health
from nearly one hundred applicants.
Most of these men have had con
siderable experience in the line of
work upon which they are entering,
but, in order that all may be thoro
ughly equipped to go out and meet
with any problem that may arise,
they were called to an intensive con
ference during last week with the
state board of health. It is believed
that as a result of this conference
these men will be able to render enor
mous service to every towh and vil
lage coming under the law, through
advice, instruction, and guiadance,
which will enable each community to
get started off on the right track.
FABULOUS REPORTS GOING THE
ROUNDS
(The Hendersonville News.)
There's an absurd rumor going the
rounds in Hendersonville having to do
with alleged profiteering on the part
of merchants here. The rumor takes
many different forms, and grows as it
is repeated. One story is, to the ef
fect that a Hendersonville merchant
had been arrested and taken to Ashe
ville on a charge of selling shoes for
$20. Sometimes the story is that the
shoes were sold for $23, or $25, or
whatever figure happened to suit the
fancy of the person retailing the yarn
at that time.
As a matter of fact there have been
no arrests for alleged profiteering in
the city not one. There has been no
investigation on the part of the autho
ri:i '3 of any alleged profiteering, so
far as The News can learn. There
has been no threat of any such inves
tigation, for the simple reason there
is no grounds for any such action.
There is not a pair of shoes in Hen
dersonville that retails for $20, nor
anything like $20, so merchants say.
So the next time you hear this kind
of stuff ask the "retailer" of the ru
mor for specific information. He will
be unable to give it to you.
HUNTING LAW
The closed season for fur-bearing
animals in Henderson county is from
January 1, to October 15. The law
makes it a violation to hunt deer with
dogs, or to kill any fawn or doe at
any time. The open season for deer
is November 1, to December 15, each
year, and the killing is limited to two
deer each season. The closed sea
son for quail, pheasant, and wild
turkey is from January 15 to Novem
ber 15, and sale of game birds is
prohibited. All non-resident hunters
are required to pay a license tax of
$10.
WELFARE OFFICER APPOINTED
G. J. Lambeth has been appointed
county welfare officer, at a salary of
$100 per month with nothing allowed
him for expenses.
The understanding between Mr.
Lambeth and the appointing board is
that the appointment is for two
monhs, and is for the purpose of
ascertaining whether or not such offi
cer, is actually needed in this county
to assist the county superintendent of
education, whose duty, under the law,
is to perform the work of the office
in counties of less than 24,00 popula
tion. ,
Mr. Lambeth is well known in the
county and will doubtless fill the office
in a generally satisfactory manner.
PROF. VALENTINE GETTING
ALONG WELL
The friends of Prof. T- W. Valen
tine, former editor of The Times, who
now holds a position as instructor of
History and Latin in the high school
here, will be glad to know he is find
ing his work very pleasant and get
ting along nicely with the teaching
piofeision for which he is so well
qualified. " Editor.
BLOCKADERS
LOSE LIQUOR
day night shortly after midnight
Walter Cagle, constable of this town
ship, accompanied by James Gianakos,
or Gianakos accompanied by Cagle,
went, so the story goes, out on the
Crab Creek road to a point beyond
Pleasant Hill where, according to in
formation which the officers have, it
was arranged for the men from whom
Gianakos procured the gallon of
spirits the day previous, to have more
liquor to deliver to Gianakos. Be
fore the men arrived with the liquor
it appears that Cagle got out of
Gianako's machine, and stationed him
self nearby and in sight of Gianakos
and the machine, and in these posi
tions the two men awaited the arrival
of the liquor. In a short while, so
the story runs, the men with five gal
lons of liquor arrived on the scene,
and just as they were placing the last
gallon in Gianakos' machine Cagle
jumped out of the bushes into the
road and shouted: "Halt, halt," in a
loud tone of voice, and at the same
time fired his pistol a number of
times. Whereupon Gianakos, it is
stated jumped into his automobile
and left the spot without taking time
to pay for the five gallons of liquor.
The men who delivered the liquor to
Gianakos also left the place, sadder
and wiser, of course than they were
when they first came upon the scene.
Cagle shortly afterwards, came up
with Gianakos somewhere, and the
liquor was brought to town in
Gianakos' machine and two gallons
thereof, it is said, were left at the
place of a. Mrs. McCarson on South
Main street, and the remaining three
gallons were carried to the home of
Mr.Cagle.
A little later on the sheriff and
chief of police heard some rumors,
and commenced making some in
quiries, with the result that the two
gallons of whiskey left at the Mc
Carson woman's house Sunda;; night,
were removed to the home of Con
stable Cagle. The police officers
think the removal of the two gallons
from Mrs. McCarson's to Cagle's was
to shield Gianakos and keep him out
of . trouble if possible. Cagle states.
f9$ it i-Md, that such was not the ?
purpose oi the move at . all, but that !
the two1 gallons of spirits were left at
Mrs. McCarson's on Saturday night
because Gianakos kept his automobile
there, and that he (Cagle) could not
carry all the liquor to his home.
The sheriff and chief of police have
their ears to the ground and further
developments in the matter are ex
pected. The sheriff and chief of police
say they have learned the names of
the men who brought the liquor to
Gianakos on the Crab Creek road, and
that they will be produced at the
proper time and place to relate their
side of the affair. It is rumored that
the men are hot in the collar because
of what they think was a deliberate
frame up on the part of Gianakos
with Cagle to rob them of their
liquor.
If there was a frame up, local offi
cials think Gianakos furnished the
brains that planned and executed it.
No arrests have as yet been made
in connection with the affair.
LIEUT. THOMAS HYDER
HOME FROM FRANCE
Lieut. Thomas Hyder, who recently
arrived from overseas is visiting home
folks at this place.
On last Friday night Mr. and Mrs.
H. D. Hyder and family gave Tom a
"welcome-home party." Many family
relatives, friends and neighbors
gathered at the home for this
occasion.
An excellent address of welcome
was delivered by Lawrence J. Pace.
Lieut. Hyder responded, relating
some of his war experiences.
Music and refreshments followed,
after which the guests bade the host,
hostess and family good night, de
claring the "welcome-home party" a
very enjoyable affair.
M. GLAZENER'S
CONDITION NOT IMPROVED
As was announced in this paper last
week G. M. Glazener was confined to
his room at the Kentucky Home suf
fering from a malignant carbuncle
on the back of his neck. It was
decided several days ago to carry
him to the Patton Memorial hospi
tal where an operation was perform
ed in order to remove the pus from
the carbuncle. The operation was a
very serious one and while Mr. Glaz
ener is still a very sick man his phy
sicians and friends hope the worst is
passed and that he will soon be on
the road to recovery.
Later Just as we go to press it
is reported that Mr. Glazener's con
dition is more serious than it has
been at any time 'since the operation
was performed and his recovery is
considered doubtful.
v rnTiTnS TrTXTrTn