North Carolina Newspapers

r (1 ' WEATHER, LOCAL COTTON. l5'4 to 16 Cents. North Carolina, fair and colder tonight" and. Wtdnee- MEMBER 07 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Oastonia Daily Gazette VOJXLI. no. 299 Republican senator ADVOCATE) TAKING OVER COAL MINES i Chairman Calder of Senate .Committee on Re construction, Though Opposed to Government Ownership As a Principle, Believes Only Way For; Public to Get Relief is to Take Mines 4 Away From Private Interests - Committee Al so Considers Housing Problem and Other Kin dred Matters. WASHINGTON, Dec. 14. Sharp crit icism of the national' coal industry, with ! implied threat of drastic legislation by j ongres to meet alleged evils of profiteer- j ing and speculation, accompanied the j partial report of the senate committee on i mrnduction and reconstruction, submitted I to the senate today. In general, the report, which asked power to allow the committee to continue its investigation, suggested government activities to bring About eo-operation under regulation in building construction, but its three repub lican members, Senators Calder, of New York, Edge, of New Jersey, and Kenyon, ' Iowa, supplemented their findings with additional statements, all of which agreed In asking special legislative attention to nreeent methods of producing and dis tributing eoaL These, Chairman Calder said, "must be corrected," while Senator Kenyon de clared that "if the matter is to go on, I, for one, harsh as the remedy may be, chall favor taking over the mines." Sen ator Edge ejipressed as his conclusion that "the coal industry cannot bring or der ont of the prevailing chaos, and give ven reasonable relief to the suffering people, to I am ready to modify some what, in this case, my opposition to gov ernment intrusion into private business, and to advocate legitimate scrutiny." "Coal profiteering, especially as it 1ms followed the priority orders of the inter etate commerce commission, has contin ued unchecked by the department of jus tice, and is a national disgrace," the ommittee said in its joint report. Coal speculation has been permitted to mo nopolize the trnasportation facilities of the country, retarding necessary construc tion and increasing the basic cost of manufacture arid distribution of com modities in general. It has bled the borne owners, public utilities, and indus tries ' ' flovernment administration of the pro duction and distribution of coal, the eoniimttee said, "should be a last re port," but for the present it was recom mended that operators, wholesalers, job bers and retailers in the industry bo re quired to file full and frequent reports with a federal agency. Those reports should show, the committee concluded, "total tonnage produced or handled, size and quality therenf. amount of tonnage contracted for, sold on contract and at pofc sale." 'i '" The report should be sufficient " to de-1 tennine costs and profits, and the corpo rate interrelations or the communities of internet, if any, between companies pro ducing and distributing coal." In the other field, the committee said. -there exists a serious shortage of hous ing, not only in the great cities but in the smaller cities, as well, even in the far west, and south," which it held to nave deleterious effect upon public tiealth, morals and industrial growth. Labor conditions also were discussed by the committee. "The mis-direction and exploitation of soroe groups of organized labor, through grafting leadership, has been revealed in New York city, and baa been reported in om other larger cities, ' ' the report said. "This has spread to combinations of em ' foyers,' who working together 'with such grafting labor leaders, have combined to force nnduly high prices. The depart nent of justice is urged to prosecute the1 wrong-doers whenever they are found to kave violated the federal statutes." Establishment of more trade schools by cities and states to train apprentices for the building trades, was recommend ed, as was the creation of a federal bu reau to assist in framing building codes which would secure public interests and at the same time lower costs. Popular saving and thrift, it was con cluded, . would be aided by consolidating under the post office department all fed eral thrift activities, and by amending the postal savings law "to provide ade quate interest for depositors." MAY ACT ON FARM RELIEF MEASURE BEFORE HOLIDAYS. " 'By the Associated Press.) WASHINGTON, Dee. 14. Plans for eerrring action by the house before the holiday recess-on legislation reviving the . war finance corporation were laid today ' by proponents of the farmer relief meas- srre following its passage in the senate. v The bouse committee oa agriculture, to '.- which, it was expected the measure would be referred today planned to report it TRYING TO DETERMINE -WHO-STARTED FIRES IN CORK SATURDAY Military Commission Making Investigation May Report Today Each Side Blames Other Telephone Com munication Re-established. (By The Associated Press.) LONDON, Dec. 14. Investigation by a military commission of the fires which swept the city of Cork on Saturday night and Sunday was expected to be completed there today. Major General Strickland, commander of military forces in Ireland, is the head of the commission and the taking of evidence began yesterday. The mayor of Cork and two Sum Fein members' of parliament have been called to explain allegations they have made in a dispatch sent to various foreign ambas sadors bero relative to outrages which they -declare to have been perpetcated in l urk during the past week. Announcement of the commission's findings was awaited with keen interest ' us the question of who waSyresponsible for t)n fires in Cork has Assumed great importance since the conflagration. In the absence of clear evidence, rival ele ments have been doing their utmost to fix the blame on the auxiliary police or the Irish extremists, respectively. Sir Hamar Greenwood, chief secretary for Ireland, speaking in the house of commons last night, asserted his belief that the auxiliary police did not start the fires, and pointed out they were not equipped with incendiary bombs, which, news dispatches asserted, were used to spread flames in Cork. Prospects of a truce in Ireland appear to have been blasted by the most recent events in that Island, declared Sir llama r. Telephone service between England and Dublin, which was interrupted last night, was resumed this morning. The break in communication gave rise to much speculation and some anxiety here. Dublin passed a quiet 'night, said a message to the Exchange Telegraph Com pany from that city this morning. CANADIAN MILLIONAIRE MEETS MYSTERIOUS DEATH John Hammill Had Been Miss ing From Ottawa Since No 'veirsber 1 Inquest to Be Held. (By The Associated Press. GALVESTON, Tex Dec. 14. The body of a man found yesterday near the property of the Mexican Petroleum Com-' pany in this city was identified late last night as that of John Hammill, million aire, president of the Murphy-Gamble Limited, of, Ottawa, Ont., who disap peared from his home, on November 1. V Identification was made through a poster photograph of Mr. Hammill at police headquarters and through a police telegram from Fort Worth. When found today the man was in a dying condition and death resulted while he was being taken to a hospital. There were no marks of violence on the body. An inquest will be held tomorrow. Earlier in the night press dispatches from Fort Worth had stated that the police there had ascertained Mr. Hammill had been in Fort Worth from November 27 to December 1, and that they were in receipt of word from Ottawa that the wife of the missing man was en route there and would arriv Wednesday. OHIO STATE SQUAD LEAVES FOR PASADENA (By The Associated Press.) COLUMBUS, O., Dee. 14. Twenty, three members of the Ohio State football squad will leave Columbus December 17 for Pasadena. Calif., where they will meet the University of California tean on New Year 's day. Accompanying them will be Athletic Director L. W. 8t John, Coach "Jack" Wilee. and Assistant Coaches Grant Ward and "Chie" Bar tey, former all American half back. On the special train which baa been arranged for, will also be 80 er more Ohio State rooters. Athletic authorities announced, that reservations bad already 'been made. GASTONIA, N. C, TUESDAY AFTERNOON, DECEMBER 14, 1920. COMMISSIONERS HEAR REQUESTS FROM CITIZENS FOR RURAL POLICEMEN Good Representation of Citi zens From County Appear Before Commissioners Will Appoint Policemen If Way Is Clear Without Additional Tax, It Is Thought Many Startling Revelations Made in Speeches. Those who attended the county com missioners ' meeting at the courthouse Tsesday morning when the question of rural policemen was brought up for dis cussion had their eyes opened as to con ditions that prevail in Gaston county. It was a regular clearance house, and the good name of Gaston county had no addi tional lustre attached thereto. Commenting upon the need of rural policemen and the general necessity of cleaning up in the county, one mau on the floor of the meeting remarked that in certain sections of Gaston county, moonshining and whiskey trafficking was just as common as it was 25 years ago. It was also remarked that in one section of the ceunty, not within the corporate limits of any city, there was a joint operated by a notorious character, who had. been on the chaingang, where 10 or 12 girls from Gaston iu were brought for immoral purposes every week. It was furthermore stated by a promi nent Gastonia business man that there were numbers of young men in Gastonia who made a living gambling, that they moved in the best society, wore gilded clothes and were considered'outwardly as among the best citizens of the city. "But," wi id he, "they are gamblers, and you preachers have a job to save these boys from hell." Another Gastonia man, 'Squire B. G. Bradley, wondered at the justice of the law thai convicted the man who was un lucky Enough to be caught playing a game with 25-eent stakes, but let go the big man who gambled for a living with $100 stakes. He was strongly in favor of a law with teeth that would send every gambler and moonshiner to the roads. "Do not give them the alternative of u fine." lie said. "That's the trouble now. They get off with a small fine of $5 or $10 Hud costs, and all it amount' to is a sort of legalized license.' Send them to the roads for not less than two years. ' ' ' Jolfci J. George, of Cherry ville, also ad vocated such legislation. Mr. George spoke right out in meeting and called the names of lawbreakers and whiskey traffickers in his section. "But," said he, "when they are sent to the courts, some of these lawyers get up and plead for them and they are let off with a rep rimand and a fine. What inspiration is it. he asked, to catch a moonshiner and bring him to court, only to see him re turned to bin haunts'' I'tterances similar to the above in many instances were made by other speakers at the meeting, which appar ently resolved itself into -an experience mivting before which the evils and wick edness of the county were paraded. The meeting was called by the county commissioners to hear expressions of opinion regardiug the appointment of I he rural policemen. They heard it. To ;i man every one who spoke was in favor of some sort of police system for the county. The big question that bothered was as to the manner of financing the proposition. 8upt. F. P. Hall offered the easiest way out of the difficulty by suggesting that the county board of edu cation could probably help pay Jor the rural policemen out qf the fines and for ftitures that would accumulate from the convictions from arrests made by rural police. He made the point that this was only an individual suggestion and would have to be acted upon by the board of education, and that furthermore, the le gality of the step must 1 investigated. Mr. Hall's plan met with instant favor, as being the only practicable, way of financing the proposition without levying jr direct tax, which step was considered Inadvisable, air. Hall also opposed the levying of any tax on automobiles, which, he said, were used for good and lawful purposes, and ought not to be taxed. Among those speaking were Messrs. W. T. Love. A. C. Jones, John J. George, Rev. Messrs. Moser and Putnam, of Cherryville, and Hamlter, of Dallas, B. C. Kennedy, of 'Bessemer City, S. N. McKnight, of South Point, Marshall Dil ling. B. G. Bradley, J. H. Separk. A. Q, Kale and D. W. Springs. The sentiment of the meeting as re flected in the speeches of all the above was strongly in favor of the appointment of rural policemen. Nearly every one of the above named cited some instance of immorality or lawlessness that had come to their knowledge and which could be broken op by a set of rural policemen, competent and trustworthy. It was the universal opinion, aso, that these officers should be picked men, men not hand in glove with moonshiners and libertines, men who would do their duty, regardless, of who was hit, high or low. Mr. A. Q. Kale said that be would be one of 100 or 200 men in the county to help finance the proposition for 90 days in order that it might be given a trial Others discussing the' matter were 'op posed to any measure that would increase taxes. Several prominent farmers ex pressed their : sympathy for the more meat, but were opposed to h. if it made SHEPARD CASE BEGINS TODAY AT MACON, G.i State Will Mate Strenuous Ef forts to Prevent Release of Four Persons Charged With Murder of Fred D. Shepard From Getting Freedom on Bail. (By The Associated Press.) MACON, GA., Dec. 14. Interest in the preliminary hearing in the Shepard case, opening today, centered in how much evidence the state would disclose in its efforts to prevent Judge' H. A. Matthews in Bibb 8Uerior court here from discharging or granting bail to the four defendants held iu connection with the alleged poisoning of Fred D. Shep ard. wealthy Houston county peach grower. The hearing also was expected to determine whether jurisdiction lay with the Bibi circuit court or superior court here or the middle Georgia circuit court at Abbeville. Investigations that followed the death in a hospital here last summer of Shep ard resulted in the arrests of his wife, now Mrs. Pauline Elmer; her son by a previous marriage, Ernest Hopson; her sister, Mrs. lone Henry, and Mrs. An nie Cutts. of Fitzgerald . Solicitor General Charles H. Garrett eharged they conspired to remove Shep ard in order to get possession of his fortune, which was said to consist of per sonal property valued at around $300, 000, and a third share in his father's es tate, worth between $2,000,000 and $3, 000,000. Their joint demands followed for a hearing and be faced by their accusers . ' ' We have volumes of evi dence, and there is more coming," said Solicitor Garrett, but indicated he would show only what he thought sufficient to hold the four for the grand jury. While asserting the innocence of their eleients, attorneys for the defense de clined to say in advance of the state's presentation how much evidence they would bring forward in defense. Organization of a jury in another branch of the court and a misunderstand ing about the time of starting which the judge announced had delayed the arrival of Mrs. Henry and Hopson, from Perry, prevented the Shepard case from getting under way on time. Judge- Matthews announced he would wait on the two defendants from Perry. Crowds thronged around the courthouse but were excluded from the court room. Mrs. Elmer and Mrs. Cutts appeared heavily veiled. Dr. K. F. Elmer, of Jacksonville, met his wife iu the court room, greeting her affectionately. Mrs. Henry and Hopson finally were brought in shortly before 11 o'clock. COTTON CROP ESTIMATE IS 12,987,000 BALES ' (By The Associated Press.) WASHINGTON. Dec. l.'f. Cotton pro.iiii (ion tliii year will amount to i, 2Ki,2f"2. nun pounds, equivalent to 12.9S7, mm bales, i if .mi pounds gross weight, exdush of lintcrs, Ihe department of agriculture announced today in its tinal estimate of the season. Production last year was 1 1 ,420,71).'! bales of "00 pounds gross weight. In 191S it was 12,040,.r;i2 bales and in 1!M7 it was 1 1 ,:iu2,;i7." bales. In computing gross weight bales allowance is made for 7X.'.i pounds of lint and 21.7 pounds of bagging and ties. The average weight per running bale this year is estimated at 506.9 pounds, compared with .104.2 pounds last year. The price of lint cotton paid to pro ducers on December 1 was 14.0 eents, per pound, compared with 35.6 cents a year ago. KING CONSTANTINE LEAVES FOR GREECE (By. The Associated Press.) LUCERNE, Dec. 14. Former King Constantino of Greece, recalled to that eountry by the government established after the fall of the Venlzelos regime, rofto this morning prepared to leave for Veniccy a private car to be attached to a regular southbound train awaited him at the station. He will h t at Venice tomorrow by a Greek warship and will eirrbark for Phaleron, the port of Athens. Members of his suite, with their fam ilies, had made arrangements to go to Brindisi, Italy, where late this week they will go on board a merchant ship and sail for Greece.. All luggage owned by the king and his followers had been sent away. It is expected Constantine will reach Phaleron on Sunday, having picked up Prince George his eldest son, and the (Jreek council of ministers off the island of Melos. Plans for a triumphal prog ress from Phaleron to Athens have been made by the Greek government. any increase in taxes. Said one, "Lay off some of these officials we've got around here now and take some of that money to pay these f olice with. ' If it means more taxes, we farmers are op posed to it." On motion of Mr. P. W. Garland the meeting almost unanimously went on record as being in favor of the proposed measure, provided that it could be prop erly, financed. S -' It is likely that the commissioners will bold a consultation with the county board of education in regard to the plan as outlined by 8upt Hall. DISARMAMENT PROGRAM NOW BEFORE ASSEMBLY Expected That Project Will Be Accepted With out Modification But Will Call For Extended Series of Addresses-While Slavery and Opi um Trade Also Under Consideration. ARGENTINA WILL GIVE NO NOTIFICATION OF WITHDRAWAL FROM LEAGUE (By The Associated Press.) BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Dec. 14. The Argentine government will not give any notification of withdrawal from the league of nations in accordance with article one of the pact, because it does nut consider that Argentina has ever been a member of the league, The Associated Press was informed by the foreign office today. This statement was made to clarify what is held to be a misapprehension con cerning Argentina's position iu with drawing her delegates from the assembly of the league which had arisen on ac count of Geneva dispatches indicating that notification of withdrawal from the league was expected from Argentina as the next diplomatic step, and that it was considered she must continue to be a member of the league for two years after such notification was given, in accordance with the terms of the pact. The foreign office points to a series of diplomatic documents published last week regarding the relations of Argentina to the leaguo which are held to show that she only accepted the formation of the league "in principle. " Her adhesion, it is declared, was "adhesion in general." The documents are adduced to show it was clearly stated that Argentina sent delegates for the purpose of assisting in the organization of the league after hav ing set forth iu diplomatic, communica tions that it favored the establishment of a leaguo in which all nations would par ticipate without distinction. The government's adhesion,' therefore, was conditional, it is further explained, and its delegates went to Geneva to dis cuss the conditions of the league .estab lishment. This was the reason, the ex planation sets forth, why the question of adhesion was never submitted to the con gress of Argentina for ratification, since the government had not entered into any ratified. Had the league been formed in a way acceptable to the Argentinian govern ment, then the question of ratification of Argentina s participation in it would have been submitted to the congress. I'iie Argentine government's view, it was declared, is that since the (Iriieva assembly did not permit discussion of the Argentinian conditions, the withdrawal of A re.M' iea 's delegation cm Is the mat ter f r her as the present league is con cerned. BRITISH DELEGATES TO CONFERENCE LEAVE ( By The Associated Pres WASHINGTON. Dec. H. The. Brit ish delegates to the international com munications conference have left for home. Their departure is expected to result in an indefinite recess by the dele gates representing the United States, Japan, France and Italy. The British delegates left late last night after the close of the plenary ses sion. The reason assigned by them for their departure was understood to have been a desire to return home to spend the Christmas holidays together with the expression of the conviction that a settle ment of the difficulties which have arisen over the disposition of the former Ger man cables was impossible without the return of the delegates of France and Japan to Paris and Tokio, respectively, to consult personally with their foreign offices. PENNSYLVANIA GOVERNOR FAILS TO REACH MARION. MARION, O., Dec. 14. Governor William O . Sproul, of Pennsylvania, who was to be one of President-elect Hard ing's conferees today, wired that he would be unable to come to Marion to day. He was detained, he said, by ex ecutive matters. A later date will arranged . W. W. Atterbury, vice-president of the Pennsylvania Railroad, - who was to come with Governor Sproul, also sent word of his inability to come today. Mr. Harding spent a comparatively quiet day. engaging only in. short con ferences . CHINESE SAILORS TRY TO GAIN AMERICAN SOIL. NEW YORK,' Dee. 14. Thirty five Chinese - sailors 4rom the steamship Washington Mara, jumped from the ship at bet pier in Staten Island last night, and, armed with clubs and other weap ons, attempted te gain the freedom ef American soil. Police reserves, summon ed by riot calls, rounded up the sailors after a chase and returned them to the vessel .--,v-- SINGLE COPY 5 CENTS (By The Associated Press.) GENEVA, Dec. 14. Consideration -of the disarmament program of tke league of nations as settled upon by eom inittce, began in the assembly of the league today. It was expected the pro ject would be accepted without niodiaea tiou, but, like the plan for an interna tional court, which was discussed yes terday, it was expected to furnish ee caaion for another series of addresses. The principal feature of the program is an appeal to the powers to agree not to increase appropriations for tnu ments during the next two years. From' this beginning it is hoped t develop a gradual reduction, finally reaching a point where a general limitation, based upon previous appropriations, may be gin. Other important matters on today's agenda were reports on the ' ' white slave' trade and opium traffic, which were to be taken up following the debate on dis armament. Two sessions of the assembly win be held daily, beginning today and ending on Friday, this provisional agenda being adopted for the purpose of finishing the meeting of the assembly before Satur day. It is realized, however, that if any one subject brings on a long debate the meeting will last until Saturday, and most of the delegates, counting on a fall weeks work, have reserved berths en trains leaving for Paris Saturday night. Mccormick thinks league will prove a failure. (By The Associated Press.) -PARIS, Dee. 14. Doubt relative te the future of the league of nations has been expressed by Ufiitexl States Senator Medill McCormick, says a Geneva die patch to the Echo de Paris. Senator McCormick, the dispatch asserts, baa de clared that he has an impression that the "league will be smothered by the eloquence of the members, and that a. great deal too much time is lost in less verbiage. ' ' GERMAN MILLS UNABLE TO USE MUCH G0TT0:i Even With American Credits, They Could Not Take More Than 700,000 Bales. WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 The Ger man cotton industry, even if aided by American credits, could consume not more than 700,000 bales of American cot ton during the present cotton year, ae-.Y cording to an estimate made after an inquiry through confidential channels by the department of agriculture's bureaa of markets. Numerous requests from cotton producers and others for informa tion as to the possibility of increasing (ierman takings of cotton, which, prior to the war, was an important foreign out let for low grade cotton, caused the in quiry to be made. It was found that approximately 4, 000,000 German spindles are now idle, but not entirely because of lack of raw cotton. Investigation as to whether nuDn could be started if raw cotton were avafl able, if they could purchase on credit aad whether they would be willing to glee first lien on mills and on one half of all manufactured goods to guarantee pay ment of bills at maturity, disclosed than first lien upon mills was impracticable because most mills are already mortgaged and the trade says collateral requested by equities in plants must be used to ob tain local working capital. The investigation disclosed that the banks are obliged to take the risk of en change on long term credits. The ques tion of a German government guarantee as i.ditional collateral, through deposit of bonds or otherwise, giving preferred payments for cotton, was answered that general feeling in the textile industry was absolutely against any governmental guaranty which would enable the German government to obtain or exercise any sort of control over the industry. It was found that the mills are willing to make deferred payments in American currency. The report said it was too early in the cotton year to obtain any authoritative estimate of this year's raw cotton con sumption in Germany. Last year's con sumption was about 550,000 bales. : This year between 600,000 and 700,000 bales, held last year as army stocks of yam, hare been exhausted. . THREE KILLED IN EXPLOSION. (By The Associated Preaa.) i DOVES, N. J., Dee. 13.-. Three persons were reported killed and a num ber injured today in an explosion walsh oecurred in the plant of the Atlas Pow der Company at Lake Hopateeng. t