THE ZEBULON RECORD, ZEBULON, NORTH CAROLINA, FRIDAY, DECEMBER TENTH,I937. 7HE ZEBULON RECORD MBJMBHR NORTH CAROLINA PRRSB ASSOCIATION Published Every Friday Ry THE RECORD PUBLISH IN H rOMPANT Zeknlon, North Carolina TIIEO. B. DAVIS. Editor Entered as second class mail matter June 26, 1925, at th* Postoffice at Zebulon, 'na. Subscription Rates: 1 Year SI.OO 6 Months 60c, 3 Months 40c. All subscriptions due and payable in advance Advertising Rates On Request Death notices as news. First publication free. Obituaries tributes, cards of thanks, published at a minimum charge of 13c per column inch. PECULIAR POLITICAL PROFITEERING 0 About a year ago we were in the office of one of the State’s departmental heads in Raleigh Every thing was excitement. We learned that some one with more zeal than sense had led a campaign and raised funds from employees in that department to purchase a fine automobile for the retiring head. Clerks and stenographers, the lowest paid employees, had been asked to contribute $7.50 each towards the cost of the new car. This same gentleman, and a gentleman he is, has just resigned his position. And again another intensive drive is on to buy Mr. So-and so a nice present to show everybody’s apprecia tion of his services. Our own opinion is that this gentleman should stop such a movement at once; that prob ably it would be more fitting for him to give his office help a tangible expression of apprecia tion if such a thing was expedient. The State has compensated him for his services probably more than it has those employed under him. We hearti ly agree with many who believe it is both foolish and improper to solicit funds for such an object. WAR AND CHRISTMAS o The Jap army marches unhindered across China. They are at the gates of Nanking, the capital. The rest of the nations sit and wait Probably when Japan has accomplished her pur pose, they will cry “stop” and make a great pre tence of promoting peace and justice among the little yellow men. The world’s sense of right seems to be impotent in the face of its selfish interests. It would be far more in keeping with the times to celebrate the coming of Beelzebub into the world than that of the Prince of Peace at this Christmas tide. CHRISTMAS AND FIREWORKS o I yet remember as a 12 year-old boy the package of Chinese firecrackers bought for a dime at Christmas time. It was the last package I ever bought as a boy. The other children had already “shot” theirs and 1 was saying mine till I could make the whole show. In a make-believe act of firing them all at once, I lighted the main fuse, aiming to smother the spark out. But it would not smother and soon it seemed my whole body was a sparkling, exploding thing. When the noise and darkness came, all that I had to show for 144 good Chinese firecrackers were two badly blistered hands. From that day to this, I have been afraid of even the little two inch roll of red paper. Zebulon has an ordinance against fireworks being exploded in the corporate limits. We un derstand that little effort in the past has been made to enforce the law. Like the “likker” law, we say it can’t be done. Perhaps not. 1 am not sure it would be best. It would rob an age long custom among boys and even men of a pleasure not to be easily denied. However, I believe the shooting of fireworks should be confined to va cant lots in town and to other days than Sunday. By segregating the sport to definite bounds pos sible danger from fire would be lessened. By permitting it on other days, those participating would be less disposed to disturb the quiet of Sunday with exploding noises. We hope the town authorities will let the boys and men, too, who wish, have their fun with firecrackers under reasonable restrictions. But when Chistmas day comes, let’s occupy the time with something making less noise and more pleasing to others. WORSE THAN BLOOD MONEY o When an appeal was being made to the Wake County Commissioners a few days ago for help for the poor, the ABC Commissioners handed them a check for $15,000 as the county’s profits so far from the sale of intoxicating drinks by the county to its citizens. What a boon! Money needed to relieve the distressed families of Wake 515,000 of it, and like the answer to a prayer, here it comes. Fifteen thousand dollars, repre senting countless tears, heart aches, suffering bodies and bruised souls. The dregs of dollars wasted by men, women and youths for drink. Then out of the generosity of its soulless heart and its heartless hand, the grand old coun ty of Wake gave the poverty stricken wives and children of those people who spent many more thousands to produce this magnificent sum of $15,000, yes, Wake gave $5,000 of it back to sweet charity. Talk about blood money! If our county would by one quick thrust, speed the spirit of life on its way, it would not be so bad. But when it robs whole families of bread money, and breaks innocent hearts and by a devilish process destroys body and soul, it is worse than blood money. And in spite of their will there are many citizens of Wake county who are a party to this dastardly, deadly and damning busi ness. At this time good citizens need to pray to be delivered from “the powers that be”, for sure ly the selling of drink to its citizens by Wake county and other counties is not “ordained of God.” oOo ECONOMIC HIGHLIGHTS oOo When President Roosevelt called the spe cial session of Congress the country was virtu ally in a boom stage, as compared with today’s conditions. Stocks were at high levels. Re-em ployment was going ahead on a comfortable scale. Though unfavorable signs existed, they were few and apparently insignificant, and al most everything pointed to a highly prosperous winter season. Now, in two months, the picture has changed completely. Stocks, in spite of occasional flur ries, are holding stubbornly at levels close to the October lows. With few exceptions indus trial production continues to sag. Unemploy ment is increasing alarmingly. And it is very likely that this winter’s relief problem will be as grave as in any year since 1929. One result of this is a complete change in the attitude of Congress—and, to a lesser de gree, a change in the attitude of the Administra tion. The special session was primarily called for three purposes—the wage and hours law, the farm relief proposal, and the bill to create seven new regional electric authorities similar in nature to the TVA. It was assumed that these matters would absorb the undivided atten tiin of the session, and that nothing else of mo ment would be brought up on the floor or in committee. The farm bill is in a similar predicament — it seems almost impossible that a law satisfac tory to the various opposed factions in House and Senate can be prepared for months. The seven regional authorities bill is, ac cording to last reports, completely moribund. Congress is almost wholly occupied with the business recession, and with proposals designed to prevent it from becoming another major, long-lasting depression. Tax reform seems nearer to achievement than at any time in the last four years. There is definite sentiment in favor of a more conciliatory general policy to ward industry. There is a growing feeling that ■ we have gone too far with regulation, especially as it affects the security markets and exchanges. There is a movement on foot to encourage bus iness to spend on a big scale—of which the most significant development is the President's announced policy of a more friendly attitude to ward the electric utilities, and his recent talks with utility executives. fetter BINGO ’ A friend asked what I thought of Bingo as a means of raising money. I rather hated to appear so inno cent, but had to tell her that I was like the woman who was asked if she liked novels. Her reply was, “I don’t know. I never ate any.” I have not eaten any Bingo! But in the Christian Century for Decem ber 1, I find this paragraph: “The Roman Catholic Archbish op of Milwaukee did the right thing when, a few days ago, he forbade the use of games of chance in money-raising entertainments in the churches of his diocese. The particular game at which his order was directed was bingo, which is rdescribed as ‘a hilarious type of gambling game that has recently grown so in popularity that it was used to add to the finances of many of the church societies.’ It was no ticed that the church’s employment of this gambling device had become one of the stock defenses adduced by slot machine and pin ball ators when haled into court f®||§| olation of the anti-gambling HHr Apart from such consideratiaßßi the moral effect of such gairfllS parishioners who are participation in them for theHBE of God, surely the church is BHm erly protecting its own good HHB when it refuses to allow its prHEB to furnish a front behind whi