North Carolina Newspapers

Volume LI. H. M'GEE OX COUNTY FINANCES Delighted To See Increasing Interest Shown By Citizens % In Public Affairs—Compares Stokes With Forsyth. ! v Germanton, Aug. 11. . Editor Reporter : 1 observe that the citizen* and tax ' pavers of Stokes county held a mass meeting in the court house at Han bury on the iirst Monday in July, : which was full to overflow of both interest and business. Chief among A')thee things done by this meeting w..\ the appointment of a vigilance *ormiittce, composed ot two citizens ' front each township in the county, whose duty it shall he to ascertain the rights, at law, of the citizens j and tax-pavers, employ counsel if necessary, and see that each of the ( County boards and county officials function strictly within their rights' and duties made and prescribed by j lav. Following this meeting the Repor-1 ' ter carried an interesting article purporting to be signed by W. \V. 1 Sanderford, from some point in (ia., i and he wrote, of course, as if he were j on the grounds, and discu.-sed at ! considerable length the citizens' j meeting, the county commissioners, ji!id between the lines wrapped or- j tain individuals, and infact it ap peared l>e a well prepared buries-j cue on •!'.■• whole situation. After i -ading Mr. Sanderford's ar-; i.. Mr. Williamson, chairman of the boat i f county commissioners. io,:.i to "he liatt, acce;it> the ciml- I :-e hand' u the b -an! of comm's -II . :.- a.-M - r!i iinancial - .>:.- n i f : ij" count;., dt clares the tax |-.>crs ■; :iH«.t -land al.y in-tease i!' t.,\e . a.. 1 opposes anj additional ir. . I>t• ill.of anj kind for the ■ lusty at present. aiui very plainly ■ narks o. his future course a . '.airman ■ f the board and indicates he \\ !l pur-lie no other. 'i l.e board of county commission ers. the iioard of education and the lvghway board are each composed of Demot vatic majorities. hence we see this is a Democratic parade, in tcresting to review, but maybe far reaching in its effect. Personally 1 have no inclination to become asso ciated with the affair in any way, yet I am very much interested in the welfare of my county, hence I am submitting a few thoughts on the county's financial condition, and other kindred matters. , The division seems to be over the county's high tax rate, and the re quest of the board of education, in the annual school budget, for around $100,000.01) with which to put on a syrhool building program iu the county. It leaked out that the hoard of county commissioners had j .. approved the school budget and the j felks at home began to kick like bay steers and were almost up in arms, hence the citizens and tax-payers j meeting in the court house, the ap- j pointment of the vigilance commit-; tee, and the \ county commissioners 1 reyr.king thai part of the school ' iui' of about $100,1100.00. which j|' am- :uted the school building pro-: gram. Tin- present financial condition of the county demands our best thought « ami judgment. I!ut few people, if . i-.ny in the county, know our financial londition. 1 understand that our to-' tal indebtedness is about one million , dollars. Some claim more and some j ■ less. 1 doubt whether any one can | fiVl in fifty thousand dollars of the J e-.i'.ct amount. I am sure the amount J we owe is alarming. Think of a mil- I lion dollars, and this drawing sixty- K thousand dollars interest annually, K and both the principal and interest D to be dug out of-the ground. Our II .1;i24 county tax rate was $1.07 oil ■ the $lOO and many sections of the R county i have a special tax of some ji kind. I do not know at this time j whether the 1925 tax rate will be m higher than the IP2-I or not, but will venture this assertion: It will be higher or money will be borrowed to meet the deficiency caused by reas on of insufficient taxes. Our inter est must be paid annually, our schools must be maintained six months in the year, our road pro gram must be financed, our bridges in repair, our county home fi nanced and many other items must be looked after not mentioned here in. For several years we have been REVIVALS IN STOKES CHURCHES Thirty Or More Additions To Church As Result Ot Meet ings Held By Pastor A. J. Howling, Of Danburv. j " , Pastor A. J. Howling, of the M. K. j church here, has been conducting a 'number or religious revivals at sev eral churches of the county this j summer and has been very successful 'in all of them. In the meetings he has heid. with no assistance from other ministers, there were more than forty professions and thirty or more additions to the church. A meeting was closed at Bethesda church last Sunday night. There were seven professions and the tit tendance was large, at many servi ices the church being unable to ac [ comodate the congregation. At Pine Hall a meeting was closed 1 on the second Sunday of this month. I lb-re there were is professions, and I large attendance. | At Davis Chapel a meeting held last nn nth resulted in 1 ■"> professions 'and intense interest was shown. Sometime next month Mr. Bowl ling will begin a meeting at Forest 'Chanel, between Walnut Cove and Pine Hall, and he hopes to have a large attendance. Tobacco Warehouses To Open October 1 i Ai.v.ounreiwnt i> p.iaur tnu. '• :«>i ft i» waivhniiM's r. \\ .:;M »:. . v ;•:• 1,.1 V. vi I I.; .11fi r the -al. 1' I • this sea-oil oil the I.:-' ;■ "f Iu r. inert-.. • ur tax-.-, loth in v.t'ru tioii Ol' propi fly ai I tax rate. C'lir !aa«i vai'iatioi:•> have been increas a I'l •; ; aies - in. i re-vnluation ami 11a>: rate almost multiplied by three. William .le.-iah Bailey, in his cam- I'.-iign for the Democratic noiiiin;.- ti111; for (iovernor, saiii the land lav es in the State had been raised i to i! times. I am informed that the At lantic A* Yadkin railroad through Stokes county has be. n reduced in valuation for taxation from .52.V000 to $12,~>00 per mile. If corporate valuations are reduced and farm lands increased as above hi wn, this suggests that the burdens of taxation are being transferred from the rich individuals and strong cor porations to the farm lands and the poor laborers. In the expenditure of money for roads, schools, bridges and all other internal improvements, due conside ration should be given to a fair and equitable distribution of the same. All sections of Stokes county should have a square deal. Favoritism j should not be known. We are all j fond of good roads, good schools. I good homes, good farm-, and infact the best of everything, but we are ; not all agreed as to where the divi- I ding line comes. Personal circum stances many times require that we take such homes, farms, etc.. as our linancial surroundings will justify. • and the same rule will apply to the i county. I We have one school of thought which claims to be progressive, and never find a suitable time to quit 1 providing and spending public mon ey, and we have another school of ! thought which claims to be careful 'and conservative in obtaining and j spending public moneys, and cxpeit |itir public servants to exercise the same .iu Igment and caul ion in the c ointy'.- management they would in their own personal business. I lie individual's ability to do is based on his resources and so is a county. In dividuals are not uniform in resour ces. neither ate counties. Stokes county has a property val uation of less than $12,000,000 and her adjoining county of !• orsyth has a property .valuation of f'l i.1,000,000. It is not necessary to say I'orsyth county can finance propositions that Stokes county cannot entertain. In all matters of public indebtedness, and taxation the rights of the folks should be properly safeguarded. It is fitting to illustrate an ine quality that so forcibly exists in maintaining the public schools, and - at the same time see with what force the strong counties impose upon the weak. The constitution of the State provides for a f> months' i public free school and compulsory at- Danbury, N. C, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 1925 ILEAF PLANTS ARE ENLARGING i Imperial Tobuci-> Co. At Wins-' i . i ton-Salem Adds ."V lll Km-' ployes—Other Leaf Houses j Getting Ready For Fall. Win.-; A ;g. IT.—Pur chasi s made by representatives of | Wir.-ton.Salem firms on the (ieorgiai marker ar ■ being shipped h-iv now, ! and to care for these shipments for ces will l:o increased, and general activity started. Approximately ."00 employes will :be added to the forces of the Im- ; j perial Tobacco Company here the j i first of the coining week, for opera- j I ting the stemming and drying plant! of the companv. i | Large purchases have been made on the Georgia market by the Im-i I perial Company and this tobacco j will soon be arriving in large quanti- j ties. The plant has not been in \ i.ix-ration for the past few month*. ' since the close of the markets, and the re-opening at this time is t.i pre | pare tobacco for shipment to the fac-i tories of the company in Hngland.. | None of the weed handled by the Im perial Co. here is for domestic use. i ! The Export Co. here state that they are not making any purchases of Georgia tobacco and their plant wi'l not begin operation until 1 11, lo al war-, hoes-* ipi-n in the fall :■; Mi sal- 1-f leaf. J With the opening of the Winston-1 , j day of Oct her all the redrying j | v 11 i : e.. u; in full bL-t. | j j- i.i:an e of all -I ill. I i-hil ; r, n le- | jrv. *n the auc- . f s jj y-ars.. land there is no other reasonable" (conclusion than the cost would be! the -ame in eveiy .e'iiity in North | I Carolina. However, we doubt sel'i- ; ously whether any two counties in ! the Sta" ■ have the same rate of tar:-. W's to maintain the schools. Forsyth. !., ■ 1 j one ot the stronger counties, pays 27c. oil the Sluo to maintain her i schools and Stokes pays S!c. oil the $lOO to maintain hers, just three' I times as much as Forsyth. Who : makes and provides this condition j j The Legislature of North Carolina. Why mi have a straight flat State irc'.e to maintain the schools and i I thereby promote right and justice? j Without any calculation. 1 assume I that a straight State rate of :>r> to; Inc. >n the $lOO would maintain the • i I j schools of the State and thereby re-j | duce the school tax of the weak j counties by half. The weak coun | tii-s of the State are in majority and ' 'jwll.v not correct this matter when the I Legislature convenes? ' It would be difficult to find one i who would take the position that j such discrimination was just and fair, yet it is the policy of the cen tralized powers that be, anil not the majority. It is a right the public has to point out discriminations and ine qualities. to the end that they may be corrected. All public indebted ness of every kind should be pub j lished, so that the tax payers might know the financial standing of the county. [• Personally. lam fond of good i schools, good roads, and all kinds of II recesdary internal improvements. . However, i am mindful of the f.-ut . j that our propetfy valuation in the , county is not large enough to ni.i'"- ! tain the school system and the , 1 road system we may desire without , making our tax rate biird-nsome. \Vc should consider these matfeis .'from a broad standpoint. We dt ; sire advancement as we are prosper ed. We should build school houses I and roads as our financial eovdiii ois . will justify, but be careful not to bite off more than we can chew. All 1 debts contracted will have to be j paid. Our population is not increas , ing. Our financial growth is main ly inflation. We have but lut'.e cx ' ecpt the farm from which to obtain taxes. I am delighted to see the general interest in the county's fi n nancial condition increasing. Whin I the people rule, the country is sale, t 1 hope to see the general public's L . interest increase in the public's af f fairs, and let us remember "the price ,• of liberty is eternal vigilance." H. McGEE. ANOTHER HOTEL FOR WALNUT COVE I ;W. H. Sanders Will Create Summer Ilesurt At Mineral Spring Near Town—Height Of Dam To Be Raised. I j Walnut Cove, Aug. lft.—W. H. j Sanders, who recently remove i I ack jhere from Asheville, will construct, la nice h tel and swimming pool and dance hall. Aceor iing to the plans that have been drawn the pool will jhe ">0 feet wide by 100 feet long and , i will have a concrete base. The (hotel will be located at the artesian! i well, which is located about one ! quarter of a mile from the Southern' | depot, along the national highway. I The well furnishes some of the finest ! sulphur water in the State. It comes j from a depth of about 700 feet un i dor the ground. The well was drill-, ied some years ago by the State in ! i search for oil. Several wells similar j t> this one are located close by. It is understood that Mr. Sanders will j build a modern structure. This will I be the third summer resort located !in the mountains of Stokes county, j The contract was started Monday j to place four feet addition to the , dam at the Walnut Cove hydro-i electric plant. The plant lias been j in operation only a few months and j the demand for the power - has in creased so that i r wa- lie essaiy to add an addit'oii : .i.--. This j will also 1 • ;■ in. i* . ' i. dromhs. :!:ivi the i rie v !;i. ir o. > - \ tt-.i this -inn- ' jVc ' anil a '.is .■ •. i! ■ - b.s-. The coitra.t was i t .'•beoiay to [the Martin Construction Company |. f Salisbury, t complete the streets | : n town. This work will be started i af ollee and is sui nosed to be riilll i , i . . ; ~ , I plot oil ill the no;,-! r.o working days. This will miik" Walnut Cove's main .••feet abi lit is feet wide.' The Martin Construction Co. have ; crossed the bridge here and have ; onlv about 700 feet more concrete to. : '.- , • . ■our before completing tile Mate | iiigh v, y. A new jail is being built h -re. It | will be used only as a stil -station i ] from which jirisonors will be trans-j ■ ferred to the county jail at Danbury.! The building is being constructed of I j sheet iron and will undoubtedly! |be a warm place during the summer months. It has only one window and this faces the cemetery. C. W. Crutchfield, who has been in j | the ice cream business here for the | ' past two years, is making plans to j . open a similar business in Kerners | ville. | A large number of the people of this community attended the dance 'at Moore's Springs Saturday night. 'Among the number were: Mr. and | Mrs. I'aul Davis, Dan Heath, J. W. I Bowles, Ed Kay and Dr. H. E. Black burn. Several heavy rains have recently ! visited this section. The one Friday evening apparently covered almost j 'the entire county. Tobacco crops J shows wonderful improvement. A | good number of farmers in this sec jtion have made cures and report the result very satisfactory. WHEAT DROPS IN PRICE Government Report Shows Pro duction Much Larger Than j Had l»e* n 'Forecasted—Corn Prices Unchanged. . I - ( i! : .go, Aug. 1"'. P..ugh tumh | ling down of wheat pric-s this week 'has i one about largely through sim-; I ultaneous government crop reports in i ..'laila and the I'nitid States. Each if the two reports look the wlie. if trade by surprise and both in lilical d that unofficial estimates of ' j r.iu'.'i production had been millions of ' I bu*■hi Is below the probable harvest 1 ! yield. Compared with a week ago, wheat this morning was ."1-1 t> .">:>-l its. a bushel lower; corn was unchanged to half a cent off; oats I 7-S down; 1 and provisions varying from ">0 cts. deiline to 25 cents advance. 1 ti. W. Smith, who was here from • the King section today, stated that : farmers would produce two-thirds • of a crop of tobacco in his secy n. • The quality will bo only fair taken ns a whole. The corn trop will be tut short half, he said. ■NO INCREASE IN STOKES TAX KATE i Tax For Interest On Iloau and! Bridge Bond* Slijrhtiy Ir-j creased and Tax For Jl j i Maintenance Lowered. At the hi:-; -cling >f the lizard! of t'ountv '>iiin:i>-!"!icrs th« tax ! . , i j rutf m i.i ■it t!'.■ i ".nun.:; year j was *".>:• i. an-i is now thi' s.iir.e as ] last y mi. namely, il.iiT on the bun-! dred ii liar.- valuation of property. 1 , Owing lo additional road bonds hav-j ing been issued since last year, it , ' was r. • c.ssary to increase siightly | th«' levy t> take iinv of this, 1 howcwr, the board took enough from the levy for maintainanee to | balance the two, so that the rate for all county taxes as a whole remains J the same as last year, i Th • levy for each of the different : purposes was as follows : i Maintenance of schools, ."1 cents on th,- 1 o«> valuation of property. ! School building fund, 28 cents. ' School bonds. 7 cents. General county tax, 1"> cents. 1 Koad and bridge bonds, ."is t -rts. j Road maintenance, .'!o cents, i This levy does not include special j taxes levied in certain special school | districts of the county, j The !MI : of commission,-! - - i. e.. given coi,- : -ruble time an i ti. ' t P the t'ixit'.U' f tile tax i hav- do:: - 'll to h -1-1 the ra • > to la-' .. .-r's figure- in -«• • ' e»ei -ii: i . g exM-t. ■ -s. Ti: «f -; fairs county v .!! be con lit -ted ml .1 i.'iv possible in .ti. • t stay v tiv limits fix 'i. .'v in-.iii.-- t:- tax rate .i:.- ; ..t had been generally predicted. CROPS ARE GOOD SAYS MR. PRICE Head >!' JeftVrsoii Standard In-j suranee Company Has lie- j I turned From A Long Trip | Through Western States. | (Jreettsboro, Aug. i'. Julian i Price, president of the Jefferson.' ; Standard Life Insurance >>mpan\. ' I who has just return-d from a trip which took him to every office ef h;s j company west of the Mississippi ' i river, reports that taken as a whole j the crops in the southern states in-! | dicate a period of great prosperity 'for this fall. Mr. Price covered approximately seven thousand miles on this trip and had tin exceptional opportunitj ' to get first hand information on tit. general conditions throughout the. j South and West, his trip carrying j him as far in the latter direction as 'Denver, Colorado. j "There is an optimistic spirit j j everywhere," Mr. Price said. "ever, i in regions where the crops had been j damaged somewhat by dry weather, i Texas will produce about To per : c--nt of a normal crop this year and conditions in the panhandle and cat t!- country are good. "Arkansas and Missouri peo>>l • ! i iii'• that they had the best cro; in il-e history of those states. OUa h m:I ha- suffered some r MI dry v • r in isolated comn.. ~ie> but «- tl. • v.: -1 • the state is in g- • i ;.|-.a-'i . j ■ I'i IT (ieorgia the ai i ' the cent rid and n- ri ;ei": ear to be having 11 11-le. • w. Eastern South » ar j lina ■ they are in N« i: i; Car •' ; "A- 1 n in the places v iv-e !they ha i having dry v..- ilur the peo.'li :n V."l tit-pressed. Art til. i San Antoi;-'. which is having ir.oiv trouble than ai.y other section ef Texas, I fan: i tli.it they have thou sands of ti.mi.:ii farmers who are methodical, cor- native and careful, ,and will have a fair crop in spite of the dry weath.-r antl being very thrifty people will manage to keep a little money in ;!• bank. "Taking into t on«ideration tin crops of Eastern Carolina I woultl say that the south i- put in good .shape and the indications are that we will have verv prosperous times this fall." ' John T. Scopes says the Tennessee evolution row all started in a tirug-, store discussion. Surely not without a prescription!— New York Herald Tribune. j No. 2.784 ROY WILLARD IX TROUBLE j Loiijrei. ! St>k.*.« .Jail This | We*-'k U!1 C!:aiV" )i Bigamy —Has IJ i! i- Wife Ir. Stokes j ami Another In Richmond. Roy W-llard. a native S.:rry coun* Jty man, charged wit; - , bigamy, v.us I placed in the to-anty jail here yes• I terday. Shei -tV J. Frank In.-.lap j went to Richmond, Va., after Wil'.urd j early this week. j Tin- following aiiount of Willard ami his troubles wa- sen: out from 1 Richmond to the papers : Richmond, Va.. Aug. I*.—Sheriff Frank Dunlap, of Stokes county, N. struck a snag here today when lie arrived to get Roy Willard, a young man originally from Surry county, wanted for bigamy ir: Stokes county. He had been advised thai Willard was in the city jail waiting t > be turned over to him. Upon his arrival, he learned that there was a 1 liarge against Willard in Juvenile j..nd !• me.-tic Relations court pro by wife number one and that tin Rev. .J. •!. Scherer. Lutheran jir-acher, wh*« is assistant judge of ■..- . >urt. was unwilling to f'ru the prisoner over to him, in tl ab • 'll. o ~f Judge Hoke Slicks, who was :■ >f town, and was not e\ t ted back until tomorrow. Sheriff Dunlap •i • to \\.tit ..ver ' wild; Judge !'. Wis v-r the phone a - ' : ;l »;ts ••igleed t" tlli ' of .A a conseipii l ■-. :■ sher - i i ■.'.■ led t" lei.', i- i t - •!. i:is ietui; t w' ; tile Willard was charged in the court with deserlil.g an 1 failing to i .-tip port wife numb r on.. a former j "whatan county girl, •vh.-m It.- is I alleged t- havi marr! .i oral | years ago. He Wiis ordered to pay j-upport money to her. When he j failed to do so he was committed to jail. That happened a month or so ago. And IK- has since been langui j »hing in jail. j Willard's wife number two was : formerly Miss Trudie Alpha Sisk, ;i Stokes county girl, daughter of J. M. Sisk, well known farmer of that county. Willard is alleged to ha\e married her about u year ag.>, after deserting the tirst wife ie:v. i Wife number two, who is now with 'her parents in Stokes county, lirsf learned that he had another wife, •tc . cording to Sheriff Dunlap, when he disappeared from that county •nd was arrested on the non-.-upport ami desertion charge. Stokes Schools Open Sept. 14 and Oct. 5 The high schools of Stok.v will | ■ •!■ .-n Sept. 11th and the short term i 'tiMi!> Oct. ">th. according to an- I iioiini-i-ment recently made by the ■ ■oiu.ty board of educiftion. Lite board i f education anticipa te- thi I--- • year in the history of the seh".-l.». as improvements are . o:istantl> being made and atten ean.-e is growing ev; r> year. The s !ioi 1 ;t l>anhury is adiied to the lis: of districts having new buil dings and the attendant at this school will increase largely. Maps Of Stokes Have Arrived T'-" !t.:. ■ .f Stoke-- county, pre •>:'.:-i i ' ; the county j.nd State • ■it, ly . 1 . iv.. airived an-: :r.;«y be had 'at tin l: '.'Nter of !> ■ '.is .-ili ■ at tl:e court htiuse at sl.o'* p,.»* tony. Thc.-e maps are well g.-tu-n up and furnish i onsitlerable ir. formation about the count}. Gasoline Dealers May Get Lower Prices Raleigh, Aug. 10.— Dealers of bulk gasoline in North Carolina me here yesterday in joint session with rep resentative* of several large refining , companies to discuss freight rates on gasoline. The dealers voted to join hands with the refiners in wag j ing a light for more equitable rates lon gasoline from the mid-continent al oil fieltls to the southeastern , states and the raising of a fund of SI.">,OIU) for carrying the light before the Interstate Commerce Conunis jsion was suggested.