Mount Airy News. Ml Airy, N.t.. May IS, 1*31 i. sTJOHNSON XsON~ PubllalMn subscription "TutmT •m ymr .. t |1M Six month* J Tl Entered u Mcond-rlaM matter •( Mm poatofflre *t Mount Airy, N. C. ander the act of Congraaa of Mircl I, 1*71. THE FIGHT FOR BETTER SCHOOLS The registration book* are nun open for the registration of thoae who wiah to take part In the election In June that would authorize the i**u ance of forty thousand dollars worth of bond* for school purposes tn thii elty. So far there ha* not been much ■aid either pro or con about this elec tion, but the people of thi* town who favor thi* bond issue must wake up •lae there la danger of It* failing to carry. The election la held against the regi*tration, that la, all who do not vote are counted aa against the issue, and It la an exceedingly ea*y matter for (hone who are airalnat thi* bond to register and then stay away from the polla and thus contribute to It* defeat. There are those who do not believe any opposition may develop that will he worth noticing hut it will be well for the advocates to organize their forces and prepare for any turn that the opposition might take. The oppo sition, as it appears is composed of two classes, namely: those who are opposed to anything that will make taxes higher, and those who have a grievance against some part of the management of the school and would thus use their vote in the coming election to voice their disapproval of what they have heretofore failed to get a hearing in. Some years ago, and all of us still remember it clearly, a portion of the citizenship of our town was opposed to a policy that our school hoard wui carrying out. These citizens presented their position in regard to the mattei before the board, with the result that figuratively speaking, these citizen! were knocked down dragged out th« back door and dumped in the gulley In a few months this same board call ed upon these same citizens to appro priate more money for school put poses. This time it was the school board that was knocked down and dragged out for at the polls thes« citizens voiced their protest against what had happened and refused Ui allow any additional money to bespenl by a board who would so ruthlessly as they thought, trample over theii wishes. Something of this same nature again occurred a few months ago, and now the school hoard is calling upon these citizens along wlfh the others of the town to appropriate money for school purposes. This second clnss who oppose the school bonds do not deny but that the money is needed, yet they feel that they have been trampled unmercifully by the hearing received and now are declar ing that the only recount* they have to be heard in the matter is at the polls. And so those who do not wish to see our schools hampered by the lack of more money must not think that this opposition will die down end not amount to very much, for the issue at stake is too great to take chances. There should be a mass meeting of our citizens before the registration book* close and some noted spea'erienre with Yadkin offirera when tot ie daya ago they called upon him for payment of thla tax for thla year >ind alao for laat year amounting to IfiR.OO. Uncle Buck haula hia gaanllne and oil all over Yadkin county and it waa an eye-opened to him when he wna railed upon to pay thla tax, he waa furniahing the people of that county a product that they very much wanted and which they could get only hy track*. Perhapa the Yadkin officiate have overlooked the fact that the Surry , commietiioner* might alao become pro k'rea*ive to the extent that Yadkin haa I become and proceed to levy a truck tax on all tracka coming Into Surry ' county. To do thla would require all thoae trurka hauling lumber, produce, ! etc., to the railroad atatioha on the Surry aide to pay a like tax and, would no doubt bring considerable revenue into the coffer* of thi* county. If, aa the Attorney General says, there i* no law that juntifle* the artion of Yadkin offlciala then It seem* that some of our couMy official* Rhould look Into the matter and *ee what can be done to relieve our people of thia tax. Poaaib'v there la aome mi*tin der*tanding .f a law aome where that might be found and the confusion remedied. R. D. Clarke Putei Richard D. Clarke died at hiii home on Franklin street last Thursday morning aff«r an illness «' »ev< ral month*. The funeral wai held Friday afternoon at Central Methodist church | by Rev. W. B. West, assisted by Rev. i Mallett of the Episcopal church. After the service at the church the Masonic order assumed charge and conveyed the body of their departed member to Oakdale cemetery where the last sad rites of the order he so much loved were carried out. The deceased was I buried in the uniform of a Knight Templar with the scabbard and sword of his order by his side. Six Knight Templars dressed in full uniform acted as pall bearers. Mr. Clarke came t-> this town many years ago and for some time was con nected with the management of the quarry business. lie afterwards en eaged in the stone contracting busi ness and many beautiful granite structures in our northern cities, for which he superintended the cutting of the stone, stand today as monuments to his work on this earth. For the past four or five years Mr. Clarke was owner and proprietor of The Motor Co., of this citv, which business he had ' active management of until the time of his sickness. Mr. Clarke was beat known In Masonic circles for it was in the halls of Masonic orders that he appeared most at home. He was one of the highest degree Masois of this seet'on, having reached the 32nd degree in the Scottish Rite and also having received all the degrees at the hand of York Masonry. A^l during his sickness he ] expressed the desire that the "hovs," as he railed them, should see that he received a Masonic burial. In both puhlic life and in the halls of hi* order he will be missed for there is no n*e • who will be able to supply the wit and humor and (rood cheer that accom panied the appearance of Mr. Clarke on any occasion. He was alilo a faith ful member of Central Methodist church. The deceased la survived by three daughters and hia wife, who was formerly Mm. Gates, of The Hollow, |V"' —————— In The Recorder* Court Next week promise* to be a busy one with thoae connected with the Recflrder* court. There are several liquir case* to be heard, and a jury > has been called for to pa** upon them. The following men of Mount Airy | township have been summoned a* i juror* to try any case that may come • before the court ne*t week: 8. W. Hutchens. i. W. All/ed, G. T. A. K*y, I Cleve McKinney. H. J. Mo*1*y, E. C. , F»y, Sr.. B. W. Linebaek, C. A. Peete, , J. R Gwyn. 8. W. Atitin*. W. C. Hiatt, R. J. Moody. Surry Superior oourt tdJouriMd at Do boon laat Saturday >(Ur • two mk'i torn apant In trying criminal oaaaa. Civil eun usually coma up tha second waak but tha criminal docket waa ao heavy that vary faw othara war* reached There war* a number of conviction* and auhmiaaiona to charge* of violate ing tha liquor law* and In all thaaa raaea tha man wara required to pay a Ana and give a bond for thair good hahavtor. 81* wera (art to tha roada or panitantlary. Kvaratt Marion entered a plea of guilty to tha charge of araon in try ing to burn Prathar Martin's bourn' in tha Round Peak section Mima waak* ago. Ma «a* givan Ave yaar* *1 hard labor in tha panitantlary. Will Cowan, tha nagro road hand who killed a nagro rook at tha ramp whan ha and anothar nagm wan- quar reling, plaad guilty to second degree murder and waa »ant to tha panitan tlary for flva yaar*. Baa* Cwyn, a notad colored rnarar tar of Mount Airy, wa* aant to tha mad* for two yaara for waylaying and attempting to rob Nation* on tha public highway naar thla town *ima month* ago. Hugh Bowman wa* called to rareive hi* aantance for tha a**ault ha made upon a negro hoy naar tha quarry laat winter and failed to answer {low man waa under a hond of 11000 and unla** ha I* found the *chool fund will ha tncrea*ed thi* amount. Ernest Allan, mlored. wa* *ant to the road* for eight month* for deal ing in liquor Erneat wa* caught dur ing court week, the officer* finding tha liquor buried in hi* garden. Tom Benton, the colored porter at the Blue Ridge hotel, this city, wa* aant to tha road* aix montha for shooting the hotel'a negro rook. Tom wa* on a spree at the time hia trouble commenced and aimlessly emptied hn pistol In the backyard of the hotel, one ball striking ii hotel cook In the hip which put him out of busineaa for several weeks. The court aentenced Barney Key to the roada for two- year* for perjury. Key plead guilty to the charge and implicated J. S. Campbell, claiming that Campbell paid him a sum of money to swear fal«ely In order that Campbell might seeure a divorce. I» whi mostly on Key'* testimony that Campbell was also convicted. The court took into consideration the re commendation for mercy that the jury asked in regard to Campbell by requiring him to pay a 1100 fine and the cost, and to pay his wife $1000, and to pay into the Clerk'a office $600 for the benefit of Key's wife and children while he is serving his time on the roada. Several liquor violations, convic tions of which were s ecu rev 1 under a Mount Airy town ordinance in the Recorder's court, were sustained by the Judge. Attorneys for the defense in these cases contended that the ordinance was unconstitutional, but the Court did not so hold, and an ap peal to the Supreme Court was an nounced. Base- Ball The Surry Sludger* will open the 1921 season Saturday May 14th with the fast Liberty Piedmont Institute as the visitors, playing at Community Park. Arrangements were completed Sat urday whereby O'Quinn comes to Mt. Airy from Greensboro. This pitcher comes highly recommended, ard will share the pitching with Pettitt of Pinnacle. The team has been complet ed and looks as if it should be one of •he fastest amateur teams in the state. It is the intention of the manage ment to play two games each week during the season taking on all "Branch Line and Main Line" teams that wish to come. With the completion of the new nark we have one of the best fields in the atate. I.et every fan lend his or her sup port to a championship team by their presence at the opening game. y Beamer-Lovill A very quiet marriage took place last Thursday at 2 P. M. at the home of Dr. and Mrs. H. B. Rowe when Miss Ada Beamer of route S became the hride of WiUiam Lovilt a brother of Mr*. Rowe. The ceremony vu per formed by Rev. D. Vance Price and was witnessed only by a few relatives of the contracting parties. The happy couple will reside at the tavill farm on route 8. Number* Of Tar Heels Classed A* Deserters Washington, May 2.—More than 4.000 North Carolln|pns are listed aa deserters by the war department and within a few days their names will be made public.. In a final appeal to-day the secre tary of war asked all who have any reason to believe that they were put down aa in that category by mistaks to report to they will escape the dis grace of being published with the real article. Within a *ltort tin* tka cIUmm of i>ur town will ho called upon to vote bond* for achool purpoaaa. Tka raffia tration book* aaa now opan ami all paraona muat register In ord»r to vote •n the a'oetlon. Thla will ba a vota against the registered voter* and that means that a pernoi muat not only register hut mt»* voir in the election or the vota will ba rountad against tha bond :aaua Thla election ia vital to the Intaraat of our toarn. We are fortunate in hav Ing perhapa more children In our town lhan In any town of equal alae In North Carolina and tha day haa paaa ••d when the education of tha children i« debatable. I know that wa have ■tome people who think more of Ihe dollar in taxea than the youth of tha land but happily they are In tha minority. We muat take care of the child In order to hava rood cltlren* In1 the future. I do not mean that an uneducated peraon ia not a (food citl xen but I do mean to say that an edu cited peraon la a better citizen by reaaon of hla or her education. No town can expact to rank with 'he other town* of North Carolina unleaa the citizenship la willing to pay for the privileges of belnir the beat. We can exist on a low tax rata but w» can not expect progress. Ouri schools are rot in keeping with other town* unless *$e have the money to equip them. We need buildings, we need the heat trained teachera—and it takes rc!<«» to pet buildings and teachera. The Stat# haa recognlued the fact that teachera were underpaid and haa accordingly made a fair salary schedule. Our building need repairs and the new building muat be completed. This is no time for ua to quibble over the personnel of the teaching force. Thia ia a matter to he left en tirely lb the good judgement of the men on the school board. I believe we have an excellent board and that this hoard ha* the interest of the school at heart. We have had a good m h mi! for several year* and with a more sympathetic interest on th« part of | citizen* the »chool can be made better 1 A »mnll amount of unjuat criticiam will cause drmage Uial cannot he overcome in *»veral year*. I appeal to the n«en and women of the town who only have an oppor tunity of educating their, children in , the public ichool* to rally to this bond i*sue, register and vote for the bond*, j If you have been hlea*ed with prop erty the matter of the small amount of increase In taxes will not affect you; If you have hut a *ma11 amount of property then it ia to your intere*t to iret thin bond isaue because it will cost you according to your worth— about four cents on the one hundred ■iollar valuation—and yet your chil dren will share the benefits of a splen did school. Just a*k the man who come* to you to influence you to register and vote ftirain*t the bonds what intere*t he ha* in having you vote against pro-1 ■rrosa and civilixation; doe* he propose to tell you that hi* dollar i* worth more than the education of your child? E. C. Riven*. ti-service rvien. Meeting of Ex-St-rvlcf men in City Hall Tuesday night May 17th at 7:30. for the purpose of organizing a pout ot the American Legion at Mount Airy. R. E. Denny, Rth District Committee man of the American legion of North Carolina will be there to assist in the organization. Tell your comrades about the meeting and bring them with ' you. Friends and relatlvea of Ex-Service men read the preamble to the consti tution of the American legion and if vou like its principle* boost the meet ! ing to be held in the City Hall Tues day nisht at 7:.1