*TSS"
DISPATCHES
VOLUME XXVII
usm
OK BILLS RELATING
TO CO JNTf FINANCES
Bills for County Govern
ment Reform Will Be In
troduced Latter Part of
This Week or Next.
SPONSOREDBY
ADMINISTRATION
Counties May Choose the
Form of Government.—
Other Bill Will Limit the
Amount of Indebtedness.
Tribune Bureau
Sir Walter Hotel
Raleigh, Feb. 1. —Fininshing touches
are utiw being put on the bills relating
to county government reform, which
are expected to be formally introduced
in the general assembly either the lat
ter part of this week or the first of
next week. These bills are sponsored
by the North Carolina Association of
County Commissioners and by the ad
ministration, and are the result of
the investigational work done by the
County Government Commission, ap
pointed by Governor 'McLean, and of
which Dr. JJ. C. Brooks, president off
State College is the head.
There will be two bills, or rather,,
two groups of bills. The first bill
or bills will set out several forms of
comity government—the commission,
the managerial, or some other form
of county government, and any county,
upon its own volition, may hold an
election and adopt any of these forms
it desires. But this action is not
obligatory, and if it prefers, it may
r continue to hold to tis present form
of county government. Thus the coun
ties are given full and complete auto
nomy as to the form of county gov
ernment it desires to have.
The second group of bills, however,
which will be designed to regulate
the fiscal affairs of the counties, will
be mandatory aud compulsory upon
all the conuties, regardless of what
form of county government they may
have or may choose later, aud are ap
plicable to any of these forms.
1. Will limit the amount of indebt
edness a county may incur through
the issuance of bonds.
2. Will provide that no bonds may
he issued /by counties, eve* for neces
- WUP tilajfetemcnL., anti! Hie taxpay
ers have been given at leat 30 days
notice of the intention to issue the
bonds, and an opportunity to be
heard. And then a referendum vote
may be demanded by ten per cent of
the taxpayers. Where the improve
ments ar enot essntially necessary, a
referendum will be required without
petition.
3. Will provide for the budgetary
system of accounting, so that a record
of ail fiscal transactions will be kept
at all times.
4. Will prohibit the issuance of short
time notes for current expenses and
the governing board of the county will
/ be required to make out a budget es
/V timate for the needs of the county for
each fiscal year, and then levy a tax
rate that will yield the revenue the
budget calls for.
5. Will set a limit to the tax rates
that may be levied for various pur
poses, on both real and intangible
property.
While these fiscal acts will at first
be purely legislative, a provision will
be included to have them submitted as
constitutional amendments at the next
general election, when, if approved,
they will become constitutional instead
of statutory. No attempt will be made
to make the variousf orms of county
government constitutional, however.
While not much has been heard of
the county government reform mea
sures as some of the others, a number
ar inclined to regard these bills as
among the most Important, if not the
most important, that will come before
this session of the general assembly.
First, these acts would install a uni
form methods of- accounting, in all
the counties of the state, much in the
same manner as all the various state
departments and institutions have been
co-ordinated under the state budget,
with a uniform fiscal and accounting
system. In other words, these acts
are designated to accomplish for the
various counties what the budget sys
tem has accomplished for the state,
sh And, what are these results?
Iv First, expenditures would be limited
I' to actual needs, and the tax rate de
termined by these needs, with'suffici
ent taxes levied each yeqr to take cat*
0 of these needs, without piling up a
Second, a check would be placed
upon the promiscuous issuance of
bonds by counties, cities and towns,
prohibiting the issuance of bonds even
for necessary improvements without
giving the taxpayers an opportunity
to demand a referendum, and pro
hibiting the issuance of any bonds for
unnecessary purposes without a vote
of the people.
Third, through the uniform system
of accounting that would be installed,
a constant check on the financial con
dition of the county could be kept
In other words, the counties would
all be placed on a “pay as you go"
plan, which would mean an eventual
saving of millions of dollars to the
taxpayers.
(H course, those counties which have
nlreudy voted large bond issues would
. have to continue to levy a ta’x rate
that would take care of both the bonds
and the current expenses of the coun
ty, but these acts would regulate the
issuance of any more bonds, and this
would tend to curtail the local tax
burdens, which in most counties, is
increasing yearly.
Whether or hot these bill* wll past
The Concord Daily Tribune
North Carolina’s Leading Small City Daily
LfUUETMf
DEBITED ATTENTION
I TO MINOR MATTERS
• Solons for the Most Part
■ Worked on Routine Mat
s ters. Two Important
Bills Given Thought.
NATIONALPARK
f QUESTION AGAIN
» Brief Sessions Held so Ad
dresses by Park Propon-
J ents Could Be Heard
During Day.
State Capitol, Raleigh, Feb. I.
The (general Aw»emb!y ground nway
i at routine today and acted upon two
■ bills of outstanding importance.
. One of these was the Whitemire
measure, designed to unite the hands
of the state’s delegates at the Demo
cratic National Convention and re
lieve them of the necessity of sup
porting a man aimply because he filed
his nomination Iff the state primary.
The bill passed, and was sent to the
house.
In the House. To be Connor’s bill
regulating the reward paid for stills
to S2O and that only when an operator
was convicted with the still, was pass
• ed with an amendment making it ap
plicable to nearly-half the counties in
the state.
Both houses adjourned until 11
o’clock tomorrow jn order to clear the
slate for the joint session at noon to
hear speakers on the proposed estab
lishment of a national park in tbe
Great Smoky Mountains.
The joint committee on courts and
judicial districts, meeting today, did
not adopt the report of the subcom
mittee providing for redistricting the
state, but had so many other sug
gestions and discussions that ad
journment was taken before final ac
tion was reached. The sub-commit
tee proposed to re-district the state,
making three general divisions of nine
districts eaeh.
Representative McLean suggested a
constitutional amendment which would
permit the creation of new districts
without solicitors If this were neees
safj, but this suggestion did not have
many followers. •
with six emergency judges instead of
four. The committee will work out
the plans at some future meeting.
After much discusion and a motion
to report the Smith bill favorably by
Representative Gold of Guilford, the
joint committee og, roads today voted
unanimously to appoint a sub-commit
tee to see if it would be possible to
iron out the differences existing in
the legislature about granting the
Highway Commission authority in tbe
location of roads.
This action was taken on motion of
Senator Salmon of Harnett and after
a very spirited support of the suggest
ion by Representative Connor, of Wil
son. one of the authors of the original
highway bill.
The bouse commission on public wel
fare reported unfavorably Miss Mc-
Lean's bill to allow private employ
ment agencies to charge a registration
fee of $1 and to increase the commis
sion on the first month’s income from
16 per cent, to 25 per cent.
The Mecklenburg representative, orp
!y lady legislator of the session, pre
viously had her bill finally passed in
behalf of the Charlotte Woman’s
Club, exempting it from taxes.
The bill of Representative Gold to
establish a farm colony for women at
a cost of SIOO,OOO was reported favor
ably and THrected sent to the house
appropriations committee.
LEXIGNTON LIKELY
TO SEEK COLLEGE
Chamber of Commerce Committee to
Interview Rutherford Head.
Lexington, Feb. I.—Lexington may
stage a campaign to move Rutherford
College to this city, according to Chain
, bar of Commerce officials. Secretary
C. W. Sturkey reports that a commit
tee has been appointed to receive Pres
ident M. F. Starnes of the college
upon his visit here and to work out
a proposition to be submitted to the
full board of directors for their ac
tion.
President Btarnes had expected to
come here last Saturday but weather
conditions .forced him to postpone the
A baa been learned here that the
I board of trustees of Rutherford will
hold a meeting on February 10th, at
which time propositions for the re
moval of the college are expected to
be received and discussed. Destruc
tion of one of the principal buildings
recently necessitates a new building
' program, it is stated.
i aa now drawn of course cannot be
, accurately foretold, and it is likely
- some amendments will be added either
In committee or when they reach the
I floor of the general assembly. But
' judging from tbe trend of legislation
I already introduced, much of which has
! been to regulate tbe Issuance of bonds
by counties, indications are that the
> majority if not all of these bills should
I be assured of quick and easy passage.
> It is generally adinittod that the
■ two greatest evils in keeping thecoun
- ty tax rates at a high level are poor
! fiscal systems, with faulty accounting,
■ and the tendency to issue bonds for
c this, that and any cause—end these
i two evils, ss well as many lesser ones,
• would bs materially remedied by the
I county government reform acts.
COMHOVER
I UPKEEPOF BRIDGE
I ENDED IT NETTING
t Officials Representing City
and Southern Railway
t Settle Differences at a !
Conference Monday.
BOTH SIDES ARE
WELL PLEASED
• Southern Will Build Abut
ments Over the Trestle
| to Prevent Sloughing at,
Bridge in Future.
An agreement has been reached in
. the controversy between the City of
i Concord and the Southern Railway
Company in regard to tbe repairing
j and maintenance of tbs concrete ov
i erhead bridge, the approach to the
. bridge and the wooden trestle, it was
. said today.
The agreement was reached at a
call meeting of the board of aldermen
of Concord held Monday night at
. which meeting representatives of the
railway company met with the aider
men. Both Che city and the railway
, company agreed to do certain things
that they had not agreed on in the
proposals of a settlement that had
been made by both sides up to this
Time. The board of aldermen in
structed Mayor C. H. Barrier and B.
E. Harris, clerk and treasurer, to sign
the agreement in tbe name of the City.
The city agreed:
1. To maintain the approadi lead
ing on the west abutment of the con
crete bridge, other than said creosoted
/bridge over the railway's side track.
2. To provide or have provided by
the State highway department neces
sary guards or guard rails, as it may
deem best, on the extension of West
Depot street, leading from its connec
tion with West Corbin street and run
ning northwestwardly from Irish Buf
falo Creek, thence to the west abut
ment of Che concrete bridge over the
Southern Railway’s right of way.
3. To keep in repair and do ordi
nary maintenance required to tbe sur
face of the roading constituting the
street to the west end of the concrete
bridge, across tbe same to the east
end thereof, as it would keep qp the
surface of its other streets of Cuu
* .-■/.»-/ -,m* C.,; varncr-alis.„ ,
Tbe Southern: Railway Company
agreed: 1
1. To pay, on presentation there
of, bill of city for half of the cost
of paving placed upon the surface of
the concrete bridge over and across
it.
2. To maintain the concrete struc
ture and pay half of the cost of re
pairing the surface of the street.
3. To construct and maintain the
necessary concrete abutments at the
east- end and the west end of the creo
soted timber bridge over the side
track.
4. To maintain and rebuild when
necessary in the future the sub-struc
ture including the floor system of the
said creosoted timber bridge.
5. To pay half cost of surfacing
over the creosoted timber bridge when
it should be repaved.
6. To reimburse the city for the
amount expended for temporary re
pairs made by the city in December,
1926, in the surface of the street ap
proach on the west side of the said
bridge, due to the sloughing off of the
fill for lack of abutments at either
end of the creosoted timber bridge. .
The agreement was signed by May
or Barrier and B. E. Harris for the
City of Concord and by H. W. Miller,
vice president of the Southern Rail
way Company, and W. S. Camp, as
sistant secretary and treasurer of the
Southern Railway Company, for the
railroad.
SENT RIGHT CARD
TO WRONG SPOUSE
Congratulations on Birth of a Child
landed Him in Court.
Philadelphia, Feb. I.—A card cori
gratulating the wrong wife on the
birth of a child led to the arrest, of
Edward J. Ireland, 27, of Chester, 1
Pa., and his arraignment in court to
day. He was faced by both wives,
and was held under 2,600 bail for fur
ther hearing.
Mrs. Ireland who discovered her
husband’s dual family life, said she
was Miss Willi* Abernathy before
she was married to Ireland in Green
- ville, N. C., June 8, 1925-.
Mrs. Ireland No. 2, to whom tbe
baby was born, said she was Miss Su
: sie Gay before she and Ireland were
: wed at Roanoke Rapjds, N. C., Sep
tember 19, 1025.
> Ireland maintained homes for both
- wives in this city. Both women said
i he told them he was an insurance
; agent and had to leave on long trips.
He divided the week eually between
, both households, they said. Mrs.
' Ireland No. 2 with her baby left the
i courtroom on the arm of Mrs. Ireland
- No. 1.
Coffey Will Plead Guilty.
Lancaster, Wie„ Feb. 1. —Wil-
i Ham N. Coffey, confessed slayer of his
i second wife, Mrs. Hattie Hales,
i waived preliminary hearing when ar
f raigned today on a charge of murder.
I He stated his willingness to plead
. guilty.
) A special session of circuit court is
- to be held Thursday afternoon at which
‘ Coffey ia expected to plead guilty and
i accept sentence.
r
s Porter Richards, of Caldwell;
, Kas., was elected constable on hi*
s 21st birthday, when he cast his first
nU. . .--
concord, n. c., Tuesday, February i, 1927
Says Reduction Bi Cotton Acreage
Will Not Exceed Ten Per Cent
The Tribune Bureau
Sir Waller Hotel
Raleigh, I.—The reduction in
the cotton acreage in 1927 will not
' be more than 10 per cent., and the
j economic outlook for the South- as
a result is not encouraging, at least
for those sections that continue to be
largely dependent upon cotton. These
figures have just been arrived at from
a survey of farm conditions made in
Washington and were made public to-
J day by. Dr. G. W. Forster, agricultur
al economist of State College here,
just back from Washington where he
assisted the government statisticians
in making the survey.
While the acreage in North Caro
lina and some of the eastern cotton
states will probably be reduced more
than 10 per cent.—and wifi have toi
be if the farmers expect to make any
thing at all—these reductions will
.more than be offset by the. Iprge in
. crease in acreage that will be planted
in Texas and Oklahoma where the
cost of producing cottoft is far Below
what it is in North Carolina, where
it is not necessary to use fertiliser
and where through the use of the
“sledding" method of picking cotton
ami the use of cotton picking ma
chines, it is possible for one man to
take care of from 150 to 200 acres
of cotton. Thus cotton can be raised
at a profit even if it sells for only
12 or 15 cents a pound.
All of this in the face pf the {act
that there will be a world carry-oyer
of approximately 9,000,000 bales of
cotton in 1927 does not present a
very optimistic outlook, according' to
Dr. Forster. But facts are facta
and they must be faced—and better
now than late*, he says.
The cotton crop of 1926 amounted
to 18,000,000 bales, according to the
last government crop estimate—the
largest crop on record. The carry
over on August 1, 1926, was 5,760,-
000 bales and the consumption of
American cotton in 1927 cannot ex
ceed 15,000,000 bales, according to She
most reliable estimates. Thus the
carry-over of American cotton alone
will be at least 9,000,000 bales, the
largest on record.
With but a 10 per cent, reduction
FULL AGREEMENT ON
DISARMAMENT QUESTION
Negotiations Between Allies and Ger
mans Ends in Full Agreement Pud
icy.
Paris, Feb. I.—CP)—Full agreement
on the disarmament question
which has been the subject of protract
ed negotiations between the alUefe
and Germany, was reached today”'*
The. JtJHe/1 Coanell of Arabessa/kffv
is working out a few remaining de- j
tails, bpt all pending differences over:
the military control of Germany have 1
been settled, and there are no prob-'
lems to be turned over to the league
of nations.
The inter-allied military control
commission now ceases to function,
the league taking over the work of
seeing that Germany complies with
the disarmament provisions of the
Versailles treaty.
In broad lines the agreement calls
for the destruction of fortifications at
Kuestrin and Glogau, in Prussia, and
22 fortified works in the vicinity of
Koenigsberg. The German govern
ment solemnly affirms that no other
fortifications exist except those ex
pressly recognized by the allies, and
engages not to construct others.
THE COTTON MARKET
Opened Steady at Unchanged Prices
to Advance of 2 Points.—May Goes
Up to 13 46.
New York, Feb. I.—CP)—The cot
ton maritet opened steady today at
unchanged prices to an advance of
2 points. Trading was quiet. Prices
fluctuated within a range of 3 or 4
points during the first hour. May con
tracts ruling around 13.46 aud October
13.88, or within a point of yesterday's
closing quotation.
Private cables reported continental
and Bombay buying, with Hedging
light in the Liverpool market.
Steadines of the English market was
one of the sustaining factors locally,
but failed to stimulate much buying
as traders appeared to be waiting for
developments in tbe southern spot
markets, or more definite news of com
ing crop prospects.
Cotton futures opened steady:
March 13.25; May 13.46; July 13.68;
October 13.91; December 14.04.
To Ring Curfew, on Flying Heels at
Stroke of 13-
High Point, Jan. 31.—A1l public
dances in High Point will stop at
midnight in the future, according to
Mayor H. A. Moffit. The announce
ment followed the last of a series of
four torpaiuhorean events staged in
connection with the futtoltdre exposi
tion.
The mayor made aq. exception of
the four exposition dances in order
that the visiting furniture men
might be entertained more elaborate
ly.
The ruling by tbe mayor was
made in the form of a new year's
resolution in which he declared that
prohibition of the post-midnight
dances would benefit the young peo
ple of the city.
The Naur Goodyear Tire Triumphs.
You can now buy a balloon tire with
a tread that la safe, sure-footed and
skidless under all conditions. It is
the new Goodyear balloon tire with
the new-type all-weather tread.
This tire has majiy big advantages
which are enumerated in a page ad.
In this paper today. In ,thU tire
the Goodytar, people advance the tire
best suited to the needs and conditions
of motoring. Head the ad. and find
out aU about it.
A San Francisco man seeking a di
vorce claims that his wife gossiped
him out •( fIT« homos is tight months.
in the cotton acreage in 1927, accord
ing to Dr. Forster, the 1927 crop will
i then amonnt to not less than 14,000,-
; *K)O bales. This amount, plus the
' 0.000.000 bales carried over from
l 1926, will give a total visible cotton
• supply of 23,000,000 bales in 1927.
: Added to this is tfhe fact that the
’ world's consumption of cotton will
i likely be less in 1927 t'.ian it was in
i 1926, with a corresponding decline in
• the demand for cotton. Dr. Fonder
f /ays. Further glooin is cast over
- the situation by the prediction that
I no appreciable increase in the pur
i chasing power of either the United
States or the lending European na
: tjons is expected during 1927. *
"Thus the outlook for cotton in
/ the *mtire eolith is most discourag
jj iug," says Dr. Forster. ‘’Therefore
•• we must urge that each individual
: North Carolina farmer consider the
■ facts that have been presented to us
by present conditions. The outlook
1 for southern agriculture in 1927 and
, the years immediately ahead is not
bright. The fact seems to be that
the Smith is on the verge of an im
' pending agricultural revolution, the
i effects of which on our social and
economic conditions may be far-reaeh
-1 ing.
“Farmers have not yet generally
learned to use the available informa
tion on the supply and demand for
the various crops they are producing
and they act independently in ad
justing their production to market de
mands," Dr, Forster said, in giving
an explanation of some of the reasons
for present conditions. There is still
: a feeling, too, that if another large
crop is produce/I, Congress will step
in and furnish relief through legisla
tion, Dr. Forster says.
When told of Dr. Forster’s state
ments and estimates. Frank Parker,
of the erop reporting service of the
State department of agriculture and
of the United States department of
agriculture, declared that the federal
survey along the same lines had not
yet been completed and that hence he
could not speak for the federal de
triment. However, he said that
there was already much in support of
Dr. Forster's findings.
27 REBELS IN MEXICO
11 EXECUTED FOR MASSACRE
• Paid With Lives For Slaying Small
Federal Column on January 12th. \
j Mexico City, Feb. I.—CO—Twenty
t seven rebels have been executed by the
l military authorities in Oaxaca City
rin reprisal for the massacre of a
i small federal column which was anni
j Uilated by rebels in San ‘Miguel el
rWanSe dn -Jhmfary I2fh. + . - -
j- The inhabitants of San Miguel re
' veiled and prepared to defend the
| town against the federals, who were
sent from Oaxaca. When the feder
als rushed the rebels’ barricade, how
ever, the rebel leaders hoisted a
white flag, declaring there had been a
mistake, and that they were fervent
supporters of the government.
The unsuspecting soldiers later were
attacked while at rest in their bar
racks, forty men being mercilessly
butchered, and only one escaping. The
lone survivor succeeded in communi
cating with Caraca, and a strong mili
tary column was sent to San Miguel.
Thirty-two ring leaders were taken
to Oaxaca and summarily court mnr
tialed. All were executed but five
who were spared because of their
ages, four being sixty and one under
20.
PRESIDENT SUPPORTED
BY HOUSE COMMITTEE
Foreign Relations Committee Approves
His Nicaraguan-Mexiean Policy.
Washington, Feb. I.—(A>)—By a
vote of 0 to 5, the house foreign af
fairs committee voted today to report
the Fairchild resolution affirming the
position taken by President Coolidge
in the Xiearagua-Mexican situation.
The vote was on party lines except
that Representative Connolly, demo
crat, Texas, joined with eight repub
licans in the affirmative. He said
i he was opposed to the resolution and
voted as lie did because it would enable
him to move to reconsider. He then
made a motion that the vote be re
considered, an? the committee became
involved in a discussion over the rules.
The Fairchild resolution would
place the house on record as express
ing “its full concurrence” with the
President’s position.
With Oar Advertisers.
Read the new ad. today of the E.
L. Morrison Lumber Co.
All kinds of insurance handled by
the Fetzer & Yorke Insurance Agen
cy. Cabarrus Savings Bank building.
Spring modes newly arrived at Rob
inson's. The smartest styles in dress
es and millinery.
Nothing is left undone to make the
service of the Wilkinson Funeral
Home perfect.
W. A. Overcash has the new spring
Knppenheimer suits for your inspec
tion.
You can get $lO mattresses for on
■ ly $6.90 at the Concord Furniture
Co. Two for $13.00. See ad.
You will find the first spring styles
at Fisher’s. Smartest mid-season
hats are specially priced. Frocks and
coats too, from $0.75 to $40.50.
Extra values in ladles’, men's, boys’
1 and children’s shoes at Efird’s.
1 Nickels, dimes and quarters soon
1 grow to large amounts if put in the
1 savings department of the Citizens
Bank and Trust Company. /
i -
Myers -Sentenced to Prison.
Tampa, Fla., Feb. I.—<A>)—Harvey
‘ Myers, of Covington, Ky., president,
’ of the defunct West Coast Jockey
1 Club, was sentenced to one year in
jail by Judge W. Raleigh Pettaway
of the criminal court of Hillsborough
■ County today, following his convic
-1 tlon on charges of conspiracy to vio
- late the state gambling lavra.
BUDGET AND REVENUE
; BILLS TO COME OUT
; ALMOSTUNSCATHED
! The Two Bills Will Be Sent
Back to the Legislature
Almost Like They Were
When Introduced.
1 ONLY MINORS
CHANGES MADE
i
I The Twin Bills Seem to
Have Been Balanced as
They Were Introduced in
General Assembly.
BY HENRY LESESNE
International News Service Staff
Correspondent.
Raleigh, Feb: I.—The administra
tion’s budget appropriations and rev
enue bills will find their way out com
mittee rooms late this week—unsca
thed.
The two bills will be sent back to
the Legislature looking very much
like they did when they were intro
duced a few weeks ago. After being
subjected to weeks of microscoptic
serunity, it is believed that only minor
changes, if any at all, will be evident
when they are turned back to the
General Assembly.
At a time when the balls have been
before the finanoe and appropriations
committees for four weeks, the com
mitties have indicated no inclination
to seriously alter the original drafts
prepared by Governor Angus W. Mc-
Lean and his Advisory Budget Com
mission.
The maintenance measure, trans
mitted in the Governor's message, has
been torn down and pieced together
again by the appropriations commit
tee, with no noticeable changes, while
the reveuue bill has undergone the
exacting study of the finance com
mittee.
A multiplicity of state department
and institution heads, together with
other interested parties, has appeared
before the committees, clamoring for
allowances above those recommended
by the Governor and the Budget Com
mission.
To all of which, the committees
have not turned a deaf ear, but all
the time, ostensibly, marveled at the
liberality of the Chief Executive's
recommendations. A
One reason why the cothniittees are
apparently thinking twice before slash
ing or increasing any of the recom
mended appropriations is because of
the fact that the twin bills are balanc
ed so prettily as they stand.
To alter one of the bils would upset
the balance which the Governor and
the Budget Commission took enreful
pains, and also considerable time, to
make it tally exactly.
To boost appropriations would, nec
essarily, mean an increase somewhere
in one of the tax tables. If, however,
the appropriations committee would
make some slashes instead of increases,
the excess reveuue would go into the
“Surplus.’
However, it has been pointed out,
the appeals' of the numerous depart
ment and institution heads is not so
glooomy, after all. It would be pos
sible to reduce certain appropriations
and increase others without seriously
disturbing the balance, and arousing
the disfavor of Governor McLean.
But, even though the twin bills get
to the floor of the General Assembly
practically intact, they will have a
stormy route to travel before they are
enacted, it is regarded as practically
certain.
Hints of a combat over the equal
izing fund already are prevalent. These
“Insurgents” would advocate a bigger
equalizing fund than the Governor
and the Budget Commission have re
commended.
The amount recommended is ex
actly $2,(500,000. The divided report
of the Governor’s Education Commis
sion pointed out the necessity of a
$4,000,000 fund.
The 1927 General Assembly now
is in its fifth week, with no state-wide
bill ready for ratification.
However, introductions of bills dur
ing the first four weeks of the ses
sion have been heavy. In the House,
116 bills have been dropped in the
hopper, while the Senate has produced
only 43.
The House has passed 55 -bills, and
the Senate 50.
Oarlotte Contractor Ends His Owe,
Life in Florida.
Fort Meyers, Fla., -lan. 31.—E. O.
Little, of Charlotte, N- C., general
■ Contractor, committed suicide today
at Naples, by shooting himself with
a revolver. A coroner’s jury ueld
: that he "took his own life while
. temporarily insan.”
, Little had been building stations
for the Atlantic Coast line at Naples
- and other towns along its new ex
tensions from Fort Meyers, Rela
i tlves here could ascribe no motive
i for the act, but business associates
[ said it was reported that Little had
been in financial difficulties for
- some time.
, Soya Stole Has 20.000 Mental De
fectives.
» Kinston, Jan. 31.—There are 20,-
000 mental defectives in North Caro
lina, Dr. Harvey Dixon, superintend
ent of the Caswell Training School,
r estimates. The percentage is not
t greater than in other states. “Tlious
r ands of these arp on the border line
i of feeb’.e-mindedness,” according to
t the eugenist. “Many have families,
i They are npt troublesome cases as a
- rule. There are more mental de
- factives among farm tenants than
any other class, I believe.” ’
CANTONESE DECLINE
TO SIGN AGREEMENT
WITH THE ©g
Negotiations Halted Be-’
cause British Are Now
Concentrating Troops at
Shanghai.
iWANT THE TROOPS
MOVEMENT HALTED
Eugene Chen, Cantonese
Foreign Minister, Op
posed to Coming of More
British Troops.
Hankow, China, Feb. I.—Negotia
tions between the Cantonese and Brit
ish here for a new agreement to take)
the place of the treaties now in effect
between China and Great Britain were
broken off today by Eugene Chen, Can
tonese foreign minister.
Chen, who had been negotiating
with the British charge d'affaires
O’Malley, refused to sign the agree
ment proposed by the British as long
as armed forces of England are con
centrating at Shanghai.
CALLES ORDERS PRIEST&
MASSED IN MEXICO CITY
All Catholic Clerics in Rebel Area of
Ten States Must Report in Capital
in 30 Days, Thereafter to Be Kept
Watch of Dally. v
Mexico City, Feb. I.—On pain of
being classed as rebels, all Catholic
priests in the ten' states which com
prise the revolutionary area in Mex
ico must report in person within thirty
days to the authorities in Mexico City.
Thereafter a daily record of their pres
ence will be kept by the government.
The Calles government justifies this
-unprecedented action by chargiug the
priests are involved in Rene Capistran
Garza's Catholic rebellion and are in
citing their flocks to revolt. Pjiests
have been found among the dead after
battles with insurgents, the war of
fice reports, and the government fee's
it must keep all priests under sur
veillance.
The Catholic Episcopate denies the
charges and retorts that the new order
is another instance of government per
secution. There now are in Mexico
several hundred priests who have heen
called here by the Episcopate to pro
tect them from molestation. Most of
the bishops long since have come to
the capital.
BROWNING DENIES ALL
CHARGES BY “PEACHES”
Says He Did Not Strike Her or Do
Things to Make Life “Unbearable
for Her.”
White Plains, N. Y„ Feb. I.—(A s )
Flat denials of his wife's charges of
cruelty with embroiderings of his kind
ness, affection and prodigal generosity
toward her featured the appearance
today on the witness stand of Ed
ward W. Browning, the New York
realtor, in his separation suit against
the former Frances “Peaches” Heen
an.
*T certainly did not strike Peaches
at any time, or at any place,” he de
clared.
“I bought her everything she want
ed." he said.
At no time, he declared, d'd ho ever
“jump about the floor ike a monkey” !
or make strange noises, s . off alarm
clocks at his wife's bedside o in other
ways make life “unbear: b e for her.”
SULLIVAN CLAIMS HE
HAS CONQUERED CHANNEL
Says He Swam From Santa Catalina
Islands to Long Beach, California.
Long Beach, Calif., Feb. I.—C4 5 ) —
the municipal observer on Pine Ave
nue Pier, here stated that Henry F.
Sullivan, of Lowell, Mass., landed
on the pier here about 8 o'clock this
morning, declaring that he had swam
the San Pedro channel from Santa
Catalina Island in 22 hours and 45
minutes. Sullivan disappeared in the
direction of his hotel after climbing
onto the pier.
Sullivan, who .conquered the Eng
lish Channel several years ago, but
failed in the recent island- marathon
race, won by George Young, of To
ronto, had been quietly training here
for the last fortnight in preparation
for another attempt at the Channel
. crossing.
Duke University Honors Joseph G.
Brown.
Durham, Jan. 31. —With the cam
pus flag floating at half mast, and
with the community saddened by a
loss which seems in many ways a
very personal one, Duke university
today paid silent tribute to the mem
ory of Joseph G. Brown, president of
the Duke board of trustees, who died
at his home in Raleigh yesterday.
President Few with other officials
and many members of the faculty
and student body, attended the fun
eral this afternoon, and many floral
tributes were sent from the univer
sity.
Mr. Brown entered Trinity college
in 1871, became a member of the
board of trustees in 1903, and lmd
served as president of the board
since 1917.
Marlborough Joins Catholic Chareh.
London, Feb. 1.-— VP) —The Duke
-of Marlborough, whose marriage to
> the former Oonsueio Vanderbilt was
. recently annulled by the Pope, was
i received into the Catholic Church to
■ day. Tfye ceremony was held in the
i Chapel of the Archbishop’s house at
Westminster.
THE TRIBUNE
PRINTS 1
TODAY’S NEWS TODAW
NO. 21
AMERICANS FLEEINf
FROM DANGER ZONES
INTERIOR CHINA
! Many Missionaries Are Jitr
•I eluded in the Scores if
1 Americans Seeking Out
Places of Safety.
NAVAL FORCES ARB.
MOVING NEARER
i American Forces After F<%
sitions That Will Maks
Them Effective in Ren
dering Assistance.
Washington, Feb. I.—(/P)—Ajneri
. can refugees including many mission
) aries are fleeing in increasing uqm
bers from the danger zones of interW
China to the seacoast cities, and Dilip
ed States naval forces are moving
er to the theatre of war to ajford
them any protection that might be
Admiral. C. W. Williams, oommajUfr
er of the Asiatic fleet, has reported: m
the navy department that many Aqntjp’
iean citizens acting on t'ae advice
American Minister MacMprray ft
Peking have begun an evacuation of
interior Chinese provinces because of
movements of Cantonese forces, while
Shanghai dispatches report a general
missionary exodus from almost evefy
province under nationalist control, dhe
to anti-foreign agitation and hostile
student mobs and soldiery.
Meanwhile two American destroy
ers are en route to Shanghai for nag;
sible emergency use. t
The fourth regiment of marine* ft
full war strength also is preparing |§|
what appeal's to be an early departure
from San Diego for a Far Easidm
destination. It will be under JM"'
command of Col. Charles E. HHL-Ju
Some of the Chinese cities
which Americans are hurrying
places of safety are Chung Kfang,
Chang Sha, Szechwan and FoocMSR .
At Hankow and Nanking, American
consuls have warned Americans to
leave. Those in Amoy, Swatow and
Canton have been concentrated at
places which could be evacuated on a
moment's notice.
The United States ship Monocacy
which is standing by at Szechwan dur
ing that city's evacuation, has report
ed that 104 Americans and 165 Ilrit
i fidi are unaccounted for by American
consular and nnval authorities seeking
to send them out of the interior of
China.
Fifty-one Americans and thirty-four
British have left Szechwau while forty
Americans and 170 British are expect
ed to arrive at Chungkiiang, another ■
evacuation center, within ten days. ,
DETAILS OF WILD RIDE
COME TO THE LIQRf
Exciting Pursuit of Supposed Rum
Runners Described; Car Wrecked.
Charlotte, Jan. 31. —Details of a
wild ride through the hills al'ohg the
North Carolina-Virginia border, in
cluding the deliberate Nvreeking of. one
automobile by an alleged rum-runner,
abandonment of another while running
at high speed when a prohibition of
ficer leaped onto the running board
were disclosed here today with 'issu
ance of a seizure warrant for the two
automobiles.
The cars '-.ere seized January 22,
when Fred Breen of Greensboro was
arrested in the hills north of Leaks
ville and released under S3OO bond.
John S. Funk prohibition agent,
and two assistants lay in wait on tfee
Martinsville, Va., road near the State
line. Two cars came aloug. The dff
agents gave chase. They overtook tlia
second car and Funk leaped to thp
running board, according to the stalky
told here. The man in the car leaped
out leaving it to run wild. Funk matt
aged to stop the car and then BOVS
chase with his own machine to the
other.
As the dry agent was about to over
take the second car the driver 1b al
leged to have deliberately run it oy»
an 80 foot embankment and wreeggg
it. Breen was arrested soon af]s)»
ward.
William P. Parsons Dead. ,
Wadesboi-o, Jan. 31.—Williams P.
Parsons. Mayor of Wadesboro und
president of the First National bank
of IVadosboro, died Monday morning
about 3:30 o’clock. Mr. Parsons, suf
fered a serious heart attack last
summer and was critically ill. Ho r&
covered sufficiently to attend to bis
affairs but his. health remained
precarious, and about 10 days ago ha
I was again stricken.
‘ Pl«h Colored Hose With Wort Socks,
Asheville, Feb. I— (lNS) — L est
they be forgotten while girl students
, of the school are attracting no much
I attention by the donning of
colored hose with wool socks on top,
, the Hall Fletcher High School boys
. have adopted a fad too. Swathing,
every boy’s neck or dangling from hi* ■’
I high pocket Is, to be seen a gay' Sfegii
. danna handkerchief, displaying to tty*
fullest effect its brilliant red or blm(
, background with figures in yellow lift;
i “As long as the girls wsar Solti-
I we are going to wear
the boys declared with no uncertain
inephasis.
» WEATHER FORECAST. •
s Increasing cloudiness, probably
I- lowed by occasional rain in
e t : on tonight and Wednesday ;, HIE
temperature. Variable winds beeoife
ing moderate south. '3M