RALEIGH, K. C.
Rep. Bob Lassiter of Mecklen
burg, a reported candidate for
speakership of the House in 19S3,
didn’t win any friends among the
farm folks with his outburst at a
Joint Finance Commitee meeting
the other day.
They were arguing over a rev
enue bill amendment that would
have put farm machinery in the
same tax bracket as mill machin
ery. This would have taken farm
machinery out of the sales tax
section and put it under the
wholesale tax—cutting taxes from
three per cent to one-twentieth
of one per cent.
Rep. Alonzo Edwards of Greene,
Farm Bureau leader, termed the
change a fair one to the taxpay
ers of the State and made a mo
tion for a favorable report.
Then Yale-educated, wealthy
Attorney Lassister Mopped to his
feet.
“This will foul up the revenue
schedule,” he said. (It would cut
about $1,700,000 off State income
for the next two years).
“The farmers pay practically no
tax but the sales tax,” the Char
lotte lawyer charged, and added
vehemently: “The cry of tax dis
crimination against the farmers Is
beginning to nauseate me— we
are fair to the farmers!”
This blast brought immediate
and heated response. Republican
Rep. B. C. Brock of Davie made
his first speech of the session.
“The land tax paid by the
farmer almost runs the State,”
he said. “Fanners cannot pass
taxes on as others do, they are
forced to absorb them.”
Senator Charles Gold of Ruth
erford said farm machinery
should be exempt from the sales
-• i4w. ~ Seaata* . JL %wgwjm
of Northampton, Rep. Wayland
Floyd of Robeson both reported
the problems of border county
farm machinery dealers with the
' sales tax. "Our dealers have to
absorb the tax in order to sell,”
they said.
But the “hold-the-liners” „ won
out again. Only 30 committeemen
voted in favor of taking farm ma
chinery out from under the sales
tax. House Finance Chairman
Eugene Bost of Cabarrus an
nounced that “either 41 or 44 or
somewhere between” voted
against the change. It seems
they had a little bit of trouble
getting an accurate count.
Lassiter showed a bit of incon
sistency in his attitude. Although
he was against this amendment
because it would “exempt farm
ers from taxes,” he also voted
against an amendment—backed
by the Farm Bureau and the
State Grange—to do away with
all sale4 tax exemptions, thereby
adding to the taxes farmers would
p*y.
But, being a hold-the-une ex
ponent, it probably was to bo ex
pected. However, their attitude
toward taxes seems to be less cf
p •‘hold-the-line” affair than it is
one of a “do-nothing” category.
They have turned down all at
tempts to either raise, lower or
equalise. They just don't “do
nothin’” about taxes.
These do-nothing boys are get
ting a little frustrated. They’ve
been admittedly trying to get the
revenue bill out on the floor be
fore the appropriations sub-com
mittee reports back on the spend
ing bill. But Rep. John Umstead
of Orange and others have been
delaying them time and again.
Now it looks as though it will be
late this week or longer before
they can wind up action on the
revenue bill. They are afraid
appropriation * recommendations
will be so high that some of the
boys will flght for more taxes In
order to leave with a budget that
Is at least something like bal
anced. J.
Since they haven’t been able to
get the tight-fisted budget rec
ommended by the Advisory Budg
et Commission through, the “hold
the-liners” apparently have adopt
ed a new tactic.
They want to put the budget
so high—while keeping taxes as
they are—that income trill.’ not
be enough to balance off. The
idea being that it will put Kerr
Scott on the >pot about a year
hence if there isn’t enough money
to go around.
They seem to think they can
scare him out of calling a special
session by threatening him with
everything from impeachment on
down if he calls them back. They
seem to think that he then will
be forced as director of the budg
et to cut salaries and expendi
tures, as he can by law, and thus
make him one of the most unpop
ular men in North Carolina his
tory.
They’re underestimating their
man. You can bet that—if the
budget is out of balance about a
1 year from now—Kerr Scott will
call a special session. His record
on added expenses is clear. He
repeatedly has claimed that new
spending calls for new revenue.
Ana ne aoesn x scare easy.
It .wouldn’t be at all surprising
—if the budget starts running
deficit-wise—to see the governor
1 call a special session right in the
big fat middle of the spring
campaigning, saying:
“You messed it up—now you
straighten it out.”
After all, even if a bitter anti
Scott Legislature were to im
peach him, Scott has a right fair
dairy farm down Alamance way.
He floesn’t have to be governor to
make a living.
Reg Harris of Roxboro—former
lieutenant-governor, ex-speaker of
the House and ex-senator who
was edged out by B. I. "Sitfterfield
last year in his attempt to suc
ceed himself as Person county’s
I representative—has Senate friends
j who are carrying on his local
fight for him.
It is customary that local nills
1 are passed by both houses. Tha
I idea is that, if the folks back
1 home don’t like it, they’ll do
something about it at' the next
election.
Well, Satterfield introduced a
| bill calling for election of the
j judge and solicitor of Person
County Court, instead of beJng
; appointed by the county commis
sioners.
The bill passed the House with
out comment or negative vote.
Then the Senate Courts and Ju
dicial Districts Committee listened
to Harris instead of the man Per
son County elected as representa
tive. The committee then killed
the bill by a 4- vote.
Seems to me that even a for
mer lieutenant-governor ought to
have to fight his own local pol’t
' ieal fight at home. It’s not up
to a Senate committee to tell Per
son County folks who should rep
recent them.
inciuemany, n arris reporceaiy
is planning to run again for lieu
tenant-governor in an attempt to
recapture the prestige that hf
seems to feel he lost in being
bested by Satterfield.
It’s a little ironical that the
bill introductd by Satterfield—a
Scott supporter—should have been
defeated by three anti-administra
tion senators (Irving Carlyle of
Forsyth, Rivers Johnson of Dup
lin and Luther Barahardt of Ca
barrus, along with a Republican,
H. P. Eller of Wilkes.
Legislative brass believes in
reciprocity. Finance committee
chairmen are members of the ap
propriations commitees, and vice
versa. Not long ago, appropria
tions committee leaders were
afraid the Powell bill would hit a
snag. Finance committee heads
came over and cast the deciding
votes that kept it from going to
' a sub-committee for some much
needed study. Last week the fl
nance commitee leaders were a
shade doubtful about killing a
revenue amendment. You guessed
it — appropriations committee
heads came over to lend a vote,
even if it wasn’t needed.
That $500-worth of foam rub
ber cushions, bought to ease the
pain of hard-bottomed chairs for
finance-appropriations committee
men, won’t do jealous state em
ploye any good. Many had been
watting for the legislators to get
Taft Unmasked
By Pearson
Senator Robert A. Taft re
vealed his true feelings about
workers, fanners and veterans
in a recent conference which he
obviously thought was “off-the
| record.”
Taft’s comments as reported by
i Colmunist Drew Peason, came t at
a secret session of the Joint Com
mittee on the Economic Report.
Here are Taft’s views:
1 — Workers overtime pay
should be taken away in taxes.
(He evidently never breathed a
word about taking away Big Bus
iness profits by increasing their
taxes.)
2— Farmers’ prices should be
lowered. (He evidently never
breathed a word about tremen
dous profits being gathered in
, by processors and meat packers,
who have been raising prices al
most: daily.)
3— Veterans should not receive
another GI insurance dividend.
(He evidently never breathed a
word about trimming dividends to
stockholders.)
Taft’s comments, which reflect
completely different views than
those he spouted during the last
campaign, came during a discus
sion of the dangers, of inflation.
To the committee, Taft advo
cated that workers, forced to la-j
bor overtime because of the pro
duction needs of a defense econ-,
omy, be taxed for all of their,
overtime earnings.
He also told the committee,
“Under present prices, farmers j
are certainly prosperous. I have
been through every rural county,
in Ohio this year. They are well
off.”
(Continued on Page 4)
cftt of town, hoping that maybe
then they, too. could sit a little
easier. But those cushions are
to be reserved for legislative pos
teriors. At the close of the ses
sion they will be locked away ana
brought out again only when the
General Assembly comes back to
town.
Two staunch Senate drys still
have red faces.
They noticed the other day
that, as usual, practically no one
was sounding off on the votes forj
local bills.
“Let’s yell out on the next
bill,” said one. The other agreed.
The reading clerk mumbled the
title of the bill. Lt.-Gov. Pat
Taylor called for the “ayes.*
"Aye,” hollered the two drys.
Surprised looks greeted their
votes—because they had inadvert
ently voted FOR k local liquor
bill.
Red-faced, they asked the press
to note that they already had
been recorded as voting against
the likker measure, and had toad*
mit that they hadn’t known what
bill they were voting on.
The State war veteran’s bonus
bill predicted by Capital Report
er last August was introduced in
the House last week by Alamance
County’s Rep. George Long. It
calls Tor added taxes on bier,
wine and liquor and would pay
from $600 to $1,000 to each vet-'
eran over a period of years. The
added taxes would rasie some
$$,000,000 extra a year, and the
total bonus would cost upwards of
$200,000,000—the same as our ru
ral road program. But, with li
quor and beer lobbyists having
the power they do this session,
the bill most likely Mil die In
committee.
Personally, and as an ex-com
bat Marine, I find myself siding
with the lobbyists for a change—
but I am not against the bill for
the same reason they are. I don’t
care how much tax they add to
liquor, wine and beer. But, al- j
though I could use the money, I;
resent anyone trying to put a
price tag on patriotism. I think
it’s a pretty poor North Carolin
ian who wouldn’t fight for his j
State and country, even if he
didn’t gat a dime.
Notes from the trip to Cherry
Point:
The tragic plane crash and
death of a jet pilot hit everyone
hard. And it brought home forc
ibly the fact that we are at war,
. (Continued On Pago I) *
Housewife Knows Wilsc
Gives Six Answers To Untruthful
Statement Of Mobilization Czar
WASHINGTON.—The government has failed utterly in
the fight against inflation. The failure is obvious. Every
housewife knows it. Prices are still going up and up and up.
Thus A FI. President William Green, speaking as co-chair
man of the United Labor Policy Committee representing 15
million Americans, answered Defense Mobilization Czar
Charles E. Wilson’s untruthful “damned if I know what”
labor wants.
Mr. Wilson made the remark
upon returning to Washington
from Key West. Fla., where he
had issued an earlier untruthful
statement that United Labor had
demanded the power to determine
the allocation of manpower to the
armed forces.
Leaving President Truman’j
vacation headquarters at Key
West, Mr. Wilson said also that
he and the President ape “con
scious of the hue and cry.”
“I think as a matter of fact
that neither one of us under
stands what all the excitement
and the shooting is about,” Mr.'
Wilson said. Mr. Truman made
no comment but White House
Secretary Joseph H. Short said
the matter is being studied in
daily conferences.
Mr. Green’s radio speech was
one of a series being made on all
four networks and television de
tailing the United Labor Policy
Committee’s reasons for with
drawal of the representatives from
the Wage Stabilization Board and
Defense Mobilization Office.
The AFL, CIO, Machinists and
railroad brotherhoods making up
the committee, have called the
heads of state and city regional
organizations to Washington
March 20 and 21 to report direct
ly on the situation and attempt
to arouse grass-roots awareness
of the price-wage hoax.
Thousands of letters have al
ready deluged Mr. Wilson from
workers, consumers and their or
ganizations protesting his fail
ures. President Truman and
Congress are also hearing from
the folks back home.
They should hear more.
Price Stabilization Director Mi
rhrel V. PfSalle granted auto re
tailers permission to mark up the
actual dollars and cents increases
to them of the 3 1-2 per cent
nrice rise granted manufacturers
a few daya earlier.
A oriee stabilization official in
Tor *ni*elos said that Mr. DiSalle
would shortly take the entire food
industry out from under the gen
eral price freeze and put them
nnd°r the “legalized robbery” or
der guaranteeing >• profit • markin
mark-ups.
The National Production Au
thority—in Mr. Wilson’s office
also—expanded its list of items
for which it will deny steel, rang
ing from automobiles to pocket
knives, including hundreds of ar
ticles. This means unemployment
for workers In those plants which
don’t have ow'tan’t get defense
orders. And there'* been no word
from Mr. Wilson that he has
thought of that angle at all.
New Bern An d Raleigh Have *
Been Capitals Of North Carolina
Appearing above is a picture of
North Carolina’s Capitol building.
The original Capitol of North
Carolina was destroyed by fire on
June 21, 1831.
At the session of November,'
1832, the Assembly resolved to re
build on the old site, and $50,000
was appropriated for the purpose.
Commissioners were appointed to
have the work done. The rubbish
was cleared away, the excavations
made and the foundation was laid.
On July 4, 1833, the cornerstone
was set in place.
After the foundations were laid
the work progressed more slowly,
and it wa» So expensive that the
appropriation was exhausted. The
Legislature at its next session ap
propriated $76,000 mere. To do the
stone and finer work many skilled
artisans had been brought from
Scotland and other countries. The
Building Commissioners contracted
with David Pa ton to come to
Raleigh and superintend the work.
Ur. Paton was an architect who
had come from Scotland the year
before. He was the builder, the
architect, and designer.
The stone with which the build
ing was erected was the property
of the State. Had the State been
compelled to purchase this mater
ial the coat of the Capitol would
have been considerably increased.
In the summer of 1840 the work
was finished. At last, after more
than seven years, the sum of $531,
674.46 was expended. As large as
the sum was for the time, when the
State was so poor and when the
entire taxes for all State purposes
reached leas than $100,000, yet the
people were satisfied. The building
had been erected with rigorous
economy, and it was an object of
great pride to the people. Indeed,
never was money better expended
than in the erection of this noble
Capitol.
The first Capitol of North
Carolina was in New Bern, but
later it was removed to Raleigh.
North Carolina, often called the
•*‘Tar Heel’* state, wa# the scene of
the first, attempt at colonisation in
America by English-speaking peo
ple. Under a charter granted to
Sir Walter Raleigh by Queen Elis
abeth, a colony was begun on Roan
oke Island. This settlement how
ever, was unsuccessful and later
became known as *Tfte Lost Col
ony.”
North Carolina; on April 12,
1776, authorised her delegates in
the Continental Congress to vote
for independence, and on Decem
ber 18, 1776, adopted a constitu
tion. Biohard Caswell became the
first governor under this constitu
tion. On November 21, 1789, the
state adopted the United States
Constitution, being the twelfth
state to enter the federal tfoion.
North Carolina, In 1788, had re
jected the Constitution on the,
grounds that certain amendments
were vital and necessary to a free
people.
A new state constitution was
adopted in 1868 and since that date
the governor has been elected by
the people for four-year terms and
he cannot succeed himself. There
since 1868, but numerous amend
ments have been added to it.
North Carolina has been demo
cratic since 1900, during which
progress.
period it has made its greatest
permanent capitols—New Bern and
North Carolina has had two
Raleigh — and there have been
three capitol buildings. t Tryon’s
Palace in New Bern was construct
ed in the period, 1767-70, and the
main building was destroyed by
fire February 27, 1898. The first
capitol in Raleigh was completed in
1794 and was destroyed by fire on
June 21, 1831. The present capitol
was completed in 1840.
North Carolina supports a nine
n’s Failure, Green Says
I V * ; l - - ...
Meany Says All Nation Is Concerned,
Not Just Organized Labor Alone
WASHINGTON.—AFL Secretary-Treasurer George Mea
ny said “everybody in the country is concerned” about the
S failures of Defense Mobilization Czar Charles E. Wilson and
I the Administration to develop a stabilization program that
; will halt the rising cost of living.
The failure to control renta and
price*, to propose an equitable
tax program for the low-income
worker, and deal effectively with
! small business and manpower
! problems “is not just an organic-,
1 ed labor problem,” he said on
| "Reporters’ Roundup” over Mu-:
| tual Broadcasting System. “It’c
1 a problem affecting all the Amer
| ican people.
In reply to questions from top
Washington newsmen, Mr. Meany
, made these other points:
The United Labor Policy Com
| mittee, which withdrew union rep
j resentatives from the Wage Sta
bilization Board and Defense Mo- j
bilization setup, talked to Mr.]
Wilson only about civilian man
j power for defense industries.
Mr. Wilson arbitrarily took
I over control of civilian manpower
from the Labor Department. “Hej
not only shut out labors but he
shut out managemenV’ Mr. Mea
ny said.
“Our objections are not to Mr. ,
Wilson just because he is a big
business man but to his thinking
only of big business. The job re
quires some' one who will think
shout big business, small business,
labor and all the people.
“We get along better with Eric
Johnson (economic stabilisation
[ administrator) because there is a
difference in personality, approach
and thinking.
United Labor withdrew from
the wage board because the pub.
lie members did not represent the
public. H»ey took their orders
from Mr. Wilson and sold his ides
to the industry members. It was
not a tripartite board, labor mem* •
bers were never consulted. They
were only asked to vote onorders
already drawn by public and In
dustry members.
United labor will return to a
tripartite board reorganised along
the lines of the old War Libor
Board where industry and labor
take an equal pledge to submit
disputes without lockouts or
strikes to the board for the du
ration of the emergency.
Organized labor is ready to
give a no-strike pledge any tims
the President of the United States
feels the welfare of the nktion
demands it.
Labor made protests to Mr.
Truman in statement*, beginning
as long ago as the APL Execu
tive Council statement ita August
1950, letters and by committees
on the shortcomings of the De
fense Production Act and admin
istration of the mobilization pro
gram.
“My branch of organized labor
is not in the Democratic Party,
never has been; it is not in the
Republican party,” Mr. Meany
said.
“We are going to the people we
represent on this issue.”
Wanted: The Guts
Of Thomas Paine
“If you’re scared now . , .
think back to the days of *76.
"Our cause- seemed lost . . .
dispirited Americans were freez
ing , . . starving . . without
ammunition. At that desperate
moment, Thomas Paine huddled
over a drumhead, In a raging
blizzard, produced the stirring
words of “The Crisis,” and their
impact was felt throughout the
land! Once again American cour
age flamed . . . once again the
light of liberty burned in the
eye* of men whose feet left
bloodstains in the enow.
“And today — once again —
America needs that kind of cour
age. We’ve got it on the battle
front, where our outnumbered, i
outgunned soldiers face Oomrau- j
nist barbarians that blacken the,
horizon.
“But where is this courage on
months school for every child of
school age and maintains a fleet
of' 4,800 buses by which it trans
ports 848,000 children to school
each school day in the year. During
a nine months term these 4,800
buses travel approximately 31,000,
000 miles.
the home front? Where is the
leadership that inspires us to su
perhuman efforts ... to sacri
ficial heights? Where is til*
courage of our leaders when they
become lily-livered before U. N.
liars? Even blackguard Russia's
delegates walk out at the slight
est innuendo. But when our
leaders are insulted, they just
sit there and childishly answer
ha?*: ‘I did not—you did!’ *1
did not—you did!'
“No wonder the Reds think
they have us nailed to the bant
door!
“Personally, the situation nau
seates us . . . and we want to
DO SOMETHING about it. We
in newspaper, magazine, radio
and television have the tools that
can arouse people in a great
nation-wide crusade to restore
GUTS AND DETERMINATION
to the home front.
“We can start a new chapter
of American courage. But wa
must act fast and act decisively.
Double-talk about not wanting
war is nonsense. War is here!
We’re in it up to the HILT! And
if we don't shake our prepared
(Continued On Page 4)
STATE CAPITOL BUILDING. RALEIGH. N. C.