/
MOORE COUNTY’S
leading news
weekly
A Paper Devoted to the Upbuilding
VOL. 11, NO. 30.
Police Chief,
Town Clerk
Resign Posts
Resignations of Harrington and
Gunter Follow Big Slash in
Salaries
LAKEVIEW
MANL.EV
PIL
A
A' o
FIRST IN '’I
NEWS AND
ADVERTISING
of the Sandhill Territory of North Carolina
Aberdeen, North Carolina
Friday, June 26,1931.
FIVE CENTS
Dr. Bowman Heads New Summer
Golf Cl ubFormed at Pinehurst
Weekly Tournaments to Be Held
by Organization Created To
Promote Sport
DEATON, HUNTLEY NAMED
Alter eight years of efficient ser
vice to the Town of Aberdeen as chief
f police and collector o'f taxes and
water rents, J. T. Harrington has
tendered his resignation to take effect
next Wednesday, July 1st.
At the same time, the resignation
: Hardin Gunter as town clerk of
Aberdeen has been handed in to th .
Board of Commissioners.
At a recent meeting of the town
hoard, the salary of Chief Harrington
was reduced from $125 a month to
.t75. The salary of ^ Hardin Gunter
was 1 educed from $65 a month to $30
: month. The salary of Night Patrol-
ac»^nuii uuim^ Liic a.uinmci acasuii.
man Dees was reduced from $100 a
month to $75 a month. In ot ei p^j-chase suitable prizes for the Win
Words, Harringtons salary for act- tournaments which will
as chief of police, for supeivising | weekly. It is expected that a
ihe town’s water system and streets ] number of men who are inter-
and for the collection of taxes and gQjf wish to become mem-
water rents was reduced to the same j club, in order to take part
ligure as the night patrolman s. And j these weekly events and compete
the salary of the town clerk, who prizes.
handles upwards of $30,000 a year president has appointed the
Golf, king of winter sports in the
Sandhills, refuses to be downed by
the coming of hot weather, and so
great has become the interest in the
game among the year ^round members
of the colony hereabouts a new golf
ing organization has just been form
ed It is-to be known as The Summer
Golf Club.
At a meeting of the organization
held Wednesday at Pinehurst, the fol
lowing men were chosen to guide the
destinies of the club for the present
season: President, Dr. H. E. Bowman,
Aberdeen; Vice-President, F. L. Du
pont and A. P .Thompson, Pinehurst;
Secretary and Treasurer, Herbert D.
Vail, Pinehurst; Captain, D .A. Cur
rie, Pinehurst.
In addition to the officers Frank
Maples of Knollwood, I. C. Sledge of
Pinehurst and G. W. Scott, of Star
were elected as governors.
The purpose of the organization is
to promote golf in Pinehurst and the
section during the summer season.
Competition
Vass Would Challenge Supre
macy of Cameron as World’s
Leading Dewberry Market
A forward step toward making
Vass a dewberry market rather
than just a shipping point was
made last week, and is being
watched with considerable interest.
A Mr. Marvel established head
quarters in what was formerly the
Beasley Motor Company building
but which is now used by W .B.
Graham as a feed sales place, and
he has bought large quantities of
berries which have been hauled in
by growers from throughout the
community. Mr. Marvel buys the
berries and ships them north, some
by truck and some in carload lots,
or if the grower prefers, he will
consign them. The market has
proved quite successful, and the
location is ideal. It is in a central
point, is conveniently near the sta
tion and there is plenty of storage
space and parking space for the
trucks.
J. W. McLAUCHUN
LEADING CITIZEN
OF HOKE CO., DIE^
Well Known Here, He Was Civil
War Veteran and Former
State Senator
CLASSMATE OF WILSON
for the Town of Aberdeen, was more
than cut in two, being placed at $360
a year.
W. T. Huntley has been named to
following committees: Membership-
J. F. Taylor, Pinehurst; H. F. Seaw-
ell, Jr., Carthage and E. B. Bowman,
Aberdeen. Handicap and Tournament
succeed Gunter at the new salary. | Committee—Frank Maples, Knoll-
Gunter will turn over the town’s af-j wood; C. B. Hudson and D. A. Curry,
fairs to his successor shortly after | Pinehurst.
July 1st. K. G. Deaton will succeed
Harrington as chief of police, and pos- ^ - 13 4- T?
sibly later as collector of taxes. An j X OH 111 x UtS OH XvOQCO
effort is being made now to have i JWild West Style
Harrington remain in office as tax col-
lectoi until after the advertised sale qij on Bethesda Road
-d property for delinquent taxes, i Scene of Contests in Horse-
--V:-duled for Monday, July Cth., manship
Xi'zht Patrolman Dees is expected^to j
•’rntmue on his job at the new salary.
TOBACCO MARKET
TO OPEN HERE ON
SEPTEMBER 22ND.
Opening Date is Day Earlier
Than Last Year in New
Bright Belt
LOW PRICES ANTICIPATED
Legion Elects New
Officers on July 14
O’Callaghan, Backer and Denny
Selected as Delegates to
State Convention
It looked like the wild west
sure at the old Blue Farm on Bethes
da Road last Saturday afternoon. A
rodeo was in progress, with horses,
ponies, mules and goats ridden by
some two dozen young boys and girls
of the section for prizes offered by
J. Talbot Johnson who recently remod
eled the Bhie farmhouse and added
stables and other farm buildnigs.
There were all kinds of equestrian
stunts known to the roughest cowboy
on the program, and the contestants
did themselves proud. Red bandanas
gave color to the scene and all that
was lacking to make it look like the
real west were Struthers Burt and a
couple of live Indians. There were
two teams engaged in the competi
tion, one headed by “Sir Boss,” Jerry
McKeithen, assisted by Herman Mc-
Crimmon, and the other headed by “Sir
Boss’ Carl Buchan, aided by Wood-
young
L. V. O’Callaghan and Max Backer of
Southern Pines and Robert G. Denny
of Pinehurst were chosen as dele
gates from the Sandhills Post ,Amer-
■ ar. Legion, to the State convention
held July 26th to 28th at More-
head City. The alternates elected at
^he meeting of the post held in the
-nc Club, Southern Pines, Tuesday
r.ight of this week, were L. L. W ool-
y, Tom Black and J. C. Clark,
was decided at this meeting to
■ ’id the annual election of post offi-
V on Tuesday evening, July 14th. I row McDonald. Among the
’’p'ler the new state constitution, post | ladies taking part were Lida Duke
*ff-cers must be elected before the an- | Blue, Betsy Johnson, Kate and Lena
d convention. Two nominations will | Stewart, Mabel Bethune, Elizabeth
‘6 made for each office and ballots
inaih^d to the members of the Sand-
Post, to be returned by mail
prior to the meeting or taken person-
allv to the meeting. The ballot will
provide blank spaces for writing in
o^he]‘ names for the various officers
if the nominees are not satisfactory to
•'* member.
-andhills Post has had a highly
ucf'e«sful year. Large numbers have
funded the meeting, and several so
cial functions which have been^ held
have been most successful. The post
^ V has 95 members from various
to’vr.s in the Sandhills section.
‘ AK HITS LIGHTING CO.
POLE IN SOUTHERN PINES
^Vhile driving his c^ar south on
■ he street in Southern Pines about
o’clock Wednesday afternoon,
niiam Huntley of Aberdeen crash
ed into a transformer pole of the
Carolina Power & Light Company in
f^'ont of the Case apartments. The
car was badly damaged and towed to
Beck’s Garage, but Huntley was only
braised. He was driving at a moderate
speed, but the car swerved from the
street when he reached for something
in the back seat.
Hamton, David Wimberly, Jesse Car
ter, June Campbell, Henry Lewis
Johnson, young Jack Johnson and
three Sellers boys, one of whom, Ern
est, proved to be the star cowboy of
the- outfit. He copped most of the
prizes. The Rev. E. L. Barber, who
the folks say doesn’t know any more
about horsemanship than a horso
knows about the Presbyterian church,
acted as judge.
After the rodeo the party repaired
to the Johnson lake where aquatic
sports supplanted the equestrian and
where a fish fry appeased some
pretty ravenous appetites. Mrs. Rob
ert Stewart assisted the genial host
and hostess, Mr. and Mrs J. Talbot
Johnson, on this end of the program.
It must have been a good party all
around. All the cowboys and cowgirls
are still talking about it.
The tobacco market in the New
Bright Belt, which includes Aberdeen
and Carthage, will open September
22d, one day earlier than a year ago.
The o-pening dates were set at the con
ference of tobacco men held last
week at Asheville. W. W. Maurer, of
the Sandhills Tobacco Warehouse here,
for I attended the meeting.
The market opens in Georgia July
28th, in South Carolina a week la
ter. The Eastern Carolina mrakets
open September 1st and the Old
Bright Belt September 28th.
The prospects are for a large crop,
with resultant low prices. However, as
much of North Carolina’s bright leaf
is sold for export. President Hoover’s
plan for a year’s moratorium on in
ternational loans may prove benefi
cial, as it is expected to stimulate for
eign trade.
No lease has as yet been signed by
Eldwards, Lewis & Williams for the
Aberdeen Warehouse this season,
though it is confidently expected lo
cally that these Mullins, S. C., tobacco
men will be back here by the time th3
market opens. They have had the
warehouse for the past two seasons,
and last year their sales showed a
great increase over those of the year
before.
B. B. Saunders is enlarging the
warehouse at Fuquay Springs which
he will operate this season.
Carthage, which ranked high in the
New Bright Belt in average price last
year, is anticipating another good
season.
The wholesale price of Camel cig
arettes went up early this week.
John W. McLauchlin, Hoke county’s
foremost citizen and prominent
throughout this section of the state,
succumbing to an attack of typhoid
fever of several week’s duration.
The news of his death spread over
Hoke and adjoining counties as only
the death of a mafi who held a great
place in every heart could spread. So
great had been his influence, so wide
his interests, so many and construc
tive his services, so broad his friend
ship that there were few hearts in the
neighborhood unaffected by the loss
of this great man. The minds of those
acquainted with the activities of his
life reverted to his work in opening
up the territory which is now Hoke
county, his scholarship, his legisla
tive achievements, the minds of those
who only knew him when they saw
him turned to memories of his sim
ple friendliness. Every mind knew that
there had passed from our midst a
man who was outstanding in mind and
character.
Fought For South
Mr. McLauchlin was born on Ap
ril 16, 1846, at the family home near
the present site of Raeford. His
youth, before the Civil war was spent
there in work and study. At the be
ginning of the war he was too young
to join the forces of the Confederacy
I but before the struggle had drawn
j to its close he joined the army and
i fought with the thinning grey lines
which sought^ to stop Sherman’s in
vaders. At the close of the war he
returned to his home and put all the
strength of rebuilding his section of
the south.
Some years later Mr. McLauchlin
entered Davidson College and contin
ued the education which had been in
terrupted by the war. While at Dav
idson he was a classmate of Woodrow
Wilson and was often glad to answer
the questions which his friends would
ask him concerning the undergrad
uate days of his classmate who later
became a world leader. After his
graduation Mr. McLauchlin worked
as school teacher^ farmer, lumberman
and merchant, establishing himself
Move on Foot to Elect a
Successor to J. D. McLean
1
as County Tax Collector
Not Likely to Get Far Against His Record of Low Cost for Col
lections, Moore Ranking Second Among
100 Counties in State
COST HERE IS LESS THAN ONE PER CENT
By Bion H. Butler
It is intimated that on the first Monday of July a move
ment will be made before the county commissioners to elect
a successor to J. D. McLean as tax collector of Moore county.
How much strength a thing of this sort may develop is con
jectural, but probably it will not get very far. Last fall this
thing was something of a factor in the campaign, but it seem
ed to strike the voters as if the collection of taxes had been
done in economical manner, for the Democratic party, which
had appointed McLean, was given a vote of appreciation, in
which the handling of the tax collector’s office presumably
was given some consideration.
(Please turn to page 5)
Daughter of Late
Dr. Arnette Bride
DAILY VACATION BIBLE
SCHOOL OPENS MONDAY
AT THE MOVIES
Thursday, Friday and Saturday,
June 25, 26, 227—Janet Gaynor and
Warner Baxter in “Daddy Long Legs.”
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday,
June 29, 30, July 1—“Young Dona-
van’s Kid” with Richard Dix and
Jackie Cooper.
The Daily Vacation Bible School
will begin its fifth session Monday,
June 29th, at nine 'o’clock in the
Church of Wide Fellowship, Southern
Pines. Last year the enrollment was
one hundred and one. Fifty-one cer
tificates were issued. This year the
school will be strictly departmental
ized. Mrs. Rosalie Tyndle will be sup
erintendent of the Beginners: Mrs.
Maxwell Grey, assisted by Mrs. Rank,
will have charge of the Primary De
partment: Miss Mabel Coghill will
direct the Juniors and Miss Barbara
Chase, the Intermediate. Mrs. Ber
nard Leavitt will be the Physical
Training instructor and Charles Aus
tin, the Manual Training teacher.
The Rev. Ruth Sergeant will act as
Principal of the school and will also
be the Bible instructor.
Miss Odessa Arnette, Pinehurst
Teacher, Weds Duncan T.
Memory at Laurinburg
Miss Odessa Arnette, daughter of
Mrs. John Madison Arnette and the
late Dr. J. M. Arnette and Mr. Duncan
T. Memory, formerly of Whiteville,
were married Monday afternoon at 2
' o’clock in a beautiful wedding cere
mony at the First Baptist church,
Laurinburg, the pastor, Rev. W.
Emory Trainham, officiating.
The bride, who entered with her
mother, wore a gown of French blue
Alencon lace and a large blue hat
trimmed in pastel shades. Miss Lois
Arnette was maid of honor.
The flower girls were Ella McNeill
Jenkins ard Annie Mary Matthews.
McNeill Watkins was ring bearer.
Jasper L. Memory, Jr., of Wake
Forest, was best man for" his brother.
John Charles Memory, Whiteville,
Johnson Matthews and McNeill Wat
son, Riverton, and Dr. T. P. William
son, Charlotte, served as ushers.
Mr. Memory is a nephew of the
late John Charles McNeill, poet laur
eate of North Carolina, and the late
Livingston Johnson. He was educated
at N. C. State College and the Uni
versity of Cincinnati and, at present,
is resident engineer in the construc
tion of the new Cincinnati union rail
way terminal.
The bride is a daughter of the
late Dr. John Madison Arnette, a na
tive of the Eureka section of Moore
county. She was graduated from Mer
edith College in 1927 and last year
Was a member of the Pinehurst High
School faculty.
The argument against McLean is
this his salary of $2,400 a year is
bigger than what would satisfy oth
ers who might be appointed to the
office.The argument in behalf of re
taining McLean is that he has been
one of the most remarkable tax col
lectors North Carolina has ever seen.
In a comparison last fall as to the ef
ficiency of the tax collectors of the
various counties and the cost of col
lecting taxes in every county in the
state it was found by inquiry in all
counties that only one other county
secured its collections for so law cost
as Moore does.
The official figures showed that
Moore county’s taxes are collected at
a cost of slightly less than a cent on
e,ach dollar collected. Only one other
county in the state keeps its cost of
collection below a cent o nthe dol
lar, while other counties run up much
above that figure. In Jones county
the report showed that it cost $9.61
to collect a hundred dollars; in Mont
gomery, our neighbor to the west,
$6.17;in Alamance, to the north, $3.92;
in Wake, the county containing the
capital of the state, a big city, $4.03;
in Cumberland, $3.89; in Yancey,
$7.62. But Moore county gets through
for less than a dollar on the hundred.
Risky Economy
Only two out of the hundred coun
ties have this low rate of less than
one per cent for the cost of collect
ing taxes, which may be interpreted
as indicating that only one other per
son out of a hundred who are collect
ing taxes, has been able to keep down
the cost of collections as low as Mc
Lean has. It is worth figuring a lit
tle to see how much effect would
come from reducing the salary paid |
this man. Suppose his wages should
would not offset the loss of a num
ber of thousands of dollars in the to
tal of collections. It is not what the
salary costs, but what the man who
receives the salary returns in the
total of collections.
Cheap People Expensive
McLean has just the one aim before
him. That is to produce the money.
He has so far accomplished that. That
some one else msy prove to be as
good a collector is possible, but it is
highly probable that out of fifty
other persons who might undertake to
collect taxes in the county not one
would prove as efficient as McLean.
At least that is the ratio of capable
collectors in the state. And suppose
the new collector should prove in the
class with the Jones county collector,
costing $9.61 for every hundred dol
lars collected. That would cost this
county about $40,000 as the salary of
the collector instead of $2,4(10. A new
collector at a salary of $1,400 a year,
which is $1,000 less than McLean’s
salary, would save the county a
thousand dollars. But in doing it
might cost the county ten to twepty
thousand in failure to collect the
money. And to collect the money is
what is w’anted. There are places
where cheap people are the most ex
pensive tliat can be obtained.
The figures presented in the cam
paign last fail leave no doubt that
J. D .McLean is one man who has re
turned a complete value for the sal
ary that has been paid him. The claim
made then still persists. A new col
lector must collect the money for
still less than McLean’s less than one
per cent, must collect it more prompt
ly that it may be available as needed,
i and must collect it more completely.
From what The Pilot ^n guess the
commissioners will take no such risky
be cut, say a thousand dollars which . • .t
, ’ , , J „ change by sw'appmg horses m the
IS what has been suggested as a fig- ! e &
ure that would secure another colltect-
or. Suppose that new collector should
not be as efficient as McLean and col
lect a thousand dollars less in taxes
than McLean has collected. The re*
suit would be the same, for the
amount saved on the salary would be
offset by the smaller collection. Or
suppose the new collector should col
lect five per cent less of taxeq than
McLean <3ollects, which it is easy to
anticipate, for a new hand is not as
efficient as an old one familiar with
all the phases of the work. In that
case the county would be loser ten or
twelve thousand dollars by the change
middle of the creek. The man who can
do these things better has not been
named. , ^ *
Econoonical Efficiency
Last fall during the campaign a
document was issued refeiring to the
importance of the office of tax col
lector. It said:
“The tax collector’s office is the vi
tal heart of the whole county gov
ernment. His books must be ready in
the fall to collect the taxes. They
must be absolutely accurate, they must
cover ail the field that contributes to
the revenues of the county, and they
must be ready again when settlement
J. D. McLean is a hard-boiled busi- i time comes in the summer and his
ness man who has but one aim in his 1 balance is called for. At all times his
I work, and that is to gather in every j books must be in balance, his accounts
dollar of taxes honestly due the must square, his funds must be de-
1 county. He is not moved by any bun- livered to the bank which is the ac-
combe, nor flimflammed by any pre- j credited treasurer of the county, and
text. He goes after the money and ! he must be a man of method, of sys^
gets it and he gets it in time to ap- ! tem, of business faculties, for on his
ply on the county’s obligations when , shoulders rests the production of
due. He is always on the heels of the I nearly half a million dollars of reve-
evader, and the amount of taxes he j nue, and to fail by one half of one
has discovered and brought in from I per centto make hfs returns a perfect
sources overlooked until he came into
office pays a considerable proportion
of his salary. He is familiar with the
county, familiar with his work, fa
miliar with the people and he does his
work.
Suppose another collector be ap
pointed, and that the amount of taxes
collected should fall materially below
what McLean has been producing at
the settlement of each year’s ac
counts. A few thousand dollars of a
shortage in the total amount collect
ed would put a new collector in a
very embairassing position, for the
saving of a few hundred in salary
balance would mean more than his
entire salary. Probably no other bus
iness in the state gets so muchMn the
way of business efficiency for so lit
tle money as the tax collection of
Moore county.”
DR. MILLIKEN LEASES
SOUTHERN PINES HOUSE
Through the Bamum agency the
Gregory house, New Hampshire ave
nue and Ashe street, Southern Pines,
has been leased to Dr. James Milli-
ken who, with his family, will take
possession September 1.