ooooooooooooooooooo o o o THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, o o o ooooooooooooooooooo For the next sixty days the eyes of the State will be turned toward Raleigh where our law-makers have gathered to make and unmake the laws we are to live under for the next two years. Some wise things and some foolish things will be done. Some laws will be passed that will not be worth the paper they were written on. Some others will be passed that will be of great help to the counties and the State. The first work af importance of the present General Assembly has been the selection oi the presiding officer of the House. For weeks prior to the sitting of the Legislature there is more or less interest in who is to be chosen to be Speaker of the House. It is a position of no little honor and there is generally a friendly fight among the aspirants for the position. Prior to Tuesday of this week there were three candidates tiir the place, Gallatin Roberts, of Buncombe, Wal ter Murphy, of Rowan, and Henry F. Page, of Moore. When they got to Raleigh and counted noses the claims of the friends and supporters of two of these men, Roberts and Page, saw that the Murphy folks were in the lead and both candidates were with drawn from the race, and Mr. Mur phy was unanimously chosen as the Democratic nominee at the caucus held Tuesday night. On Wednesday when the House assembled at noon Mr. Murphy was chosen Speaker and began at once his arduous duties. The twenty-three Republican mem bers of the House also got together and caucused as to who should be their leader in the House. They se lected John Ray McRnry, of Davidson, to be their nominee for Speaker. Mr. McRary was a member of the Fusion Legislature of 1897. Mr. Murphy, who will preside over the destinies of the House, is a sea soned legislator, having served in the House in the Legislatures of 1897, 1899, 1903, 1907, 1913, and was Speak er of the extra session of 1914. The other officers chosen for the House are as follows: Otis P. Shell, of Dunn, Engrossing Clerk. D. P. Dellingor, Cherryville, Read ing Clerk. Alex Lassitcr, of Bertie, Principal Clerk. J. H. Moring, of Wake, Sergeant at Arms. E. J. Jenkins, of Granville, assist ant. Both the sergennt-at-arms and his assistant arc Civil War veterans. The Senate Democrats also held a caucus Tuesday night and chose offi cers as follows: President pro tern, Senator F. C. Harding, of Pitt. Principal Clerk, R. O. Self, of Jack son County. Sergeant-at-arms, W. D. Caster, of Cumberland. Assistant, J. W. Alexander, of Clay. Reading Clerk, C. C. Broughton, of Montgomery. O. Max Gardner, of Shelby, who was President pro tem of the Senate two yeara ago, having been chosen Lieutenant-Governor at the recent election, will preside over the Senate this session. There are 41 Democrats and nine Republicans in the Senate. Gary's Recipes for Success. Judge Gary gives his rccipo for suc cess. He says about a young man: "1. He should be honest, truthful, sincere and serious. "2. He should believe in and preach and practice the Golden Rule. "3. He should be strong and healthy, physically and morally. "4. His habits and mode of living should be temperate and clean and his companions selected with regard to their character and reputation. "5. He should possess good natural ability and a determination constant ly to improve his mind and memory. "6. He should possess a good edu cation, including particularly the fun damentals, such as mathematics, grammar, spelling, writing, geogra phy and history; and also a technical education concerning the lines he proposes to follow. "7. He should be studious and thoughtful keeping his mind upon a subject until it is mastered. "8. He should be conscientious, modest but courageous, energetic, persistent, even-tempered, economi cal, faithful and loyal to his friends and the interests he represents." ? American Magazine. Editor Bernard Is Eighty. Editor William H. Bernard, of Wilmington, the founder of the Wil mington Star, the State's oldest daily newspaper, celebrated his eightieth birthday Monday. For many years Maj. Bernard was a great power in North Carolina journalism. He has a host of friends over the State who are glad to hear of his passing his eightieth milestone hale and hearty. NEW HOPE NOTES. Mr. Samuel B. Lee, after spending the holidays with his mother, Mrs. W. F. Lee, has returned to Chapel Hill to resume his studies at the Uni versity. Mr. K. T. Massenglll left Monday for Gillums, after spending the holi days at home. He was accompanied by his brother, Mr. Nathan Massen gill, who will also enter school at that place. Misses Inez Sanders and Jessie Ea son left Tuesday for Louisburjj to resume their sudies in Louisburg Fe male College. Mr. Sam Stafford and daughters, of I Durham County, spent last week in this section with relatives. Miss Lola Snead left Saturday for her home in Florida, after spending several days with relatives in this section. Miss Lizzie Sanders spent last week in this section. Several from this section attend ed the Vocal Union at St. John Sun day. Mr. Harry Lee returned to Falcon Saturday, after spending a few days with relatives in this section. Mr. Elmer Stanley, of Atlanta, Ga., spent Sunday night in this section. Mr. Matthew Raynor and family spent Sunday in this section. Sorry to note that Miss Swannie Johnson is confined to her room with measles. Mr. Walter Strickland spent a few days in this section last week. Mr. Ransom Allen and wife, of Mississippi, spent Christmas with his father, Mr. T. B. Allen. SAMBO. January 1, 1917. l.t'SH For Hum per Crops. That the farmer receives less money for his bumper crops than he pets for his lean ones, although the handling of the one involves infinite ly more labor than the gathering and marketing of the other, is a statement made by Wm. J. Showalter, a Wash ington economist, in a paper brought to the attention of the House of Rep resentatives, by Representative Flood of Va., in connection with the high cost of living issue. He shows how the farmers of the world received a billion dollars less for their bumper grain crop in 1912 than they got for the lean one of 1911, how those of the United States received $172,000,000 less for their bumper corn crop of 1912 than for their lean one of 1911, and how the wheat growers got $(54, 000,000 less for their bumper wheat crop of 1900 than they did for their lean one of 1907. "While Congress is considering the high cost of living from the stand point of the city consumer," says Mr. ShowaHer, "it might also consider the high cost of universal bumper crops to the farmers who produce them. A study of the statistics of the Depart ment of Agriculture will show that bumper crops, with all the extra la bor they involve, bring the farmers shorter returns than the lean ones. "All the world understands, of course, the law of supply and demand, and knows that big crops mean lower per bushel prices. But to take both world-wide, all-crop statistics and na tional single-crop statistics to to find that without exception the bump er crops bring less money in the ag gregate to the farmer than the very lean one is to disclose a condition in the economics of food production that is at once surprising and impor tant." ? Indiana Farmer. FOUR OAKS, ROUTE NO. 3. Miss Randall, of Asheville, arrived Sunday to take charge of the primary department of Parker school. She takes the place formerly held by Miss Grumpier, who resigned on account of ill health. Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Hall, of Benson, spent Sunday with Mr. Hall's son, Mr. C. F. Hall. Worth, the tive-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Johnson, was attacked and bitten seriously by a mad dog which passed through this section Friday. The child was taken to Raleigh for treatment Friday af ternoon. Mr. John Austin and sister, Miss Nola, of Hopewell, were visitors at the home of Mr. John Wallace Sun day. Mr. Edward Allen spent the week end with his parents in Lower John ston. Mr. George H. Dunn went to Smith field on business Thursday. Will our esteemed friend, Sheriff C. S. Powell write for publication mere often? W. & D. Two Fine Pigs. On last Monday, Mr. W. H, Cole, of Clayton township, killed two pigs which weighed 480 and 523 pounds, mnking a total of 1,003 pounds of nice pork. If more such pigs as these were killed each winter, Johnston County would not have to spend so much money for western meat as it does now. A GOOD TIME AT SCHOOL. Report of liox Party at Creech School, District No. 8, Smithfield Township. On Friday night, December 22, at 7:30 o'clock, a large crowd gathered i for the box party at Creech's. The j school gave a program consisting of songs and recitations relating to Christmas, which were much enjoyed ,by all. Then began the sale of the boxes with Mr. John Barnes as auctioneer. A goodly number very beautifully prepared, had been collected. The bidding was very spirited, as the boxes sold well. This pleased the young ladies who had so generously prepared them, immensely. After the boxes had all been sold and their contents enjoyed by the lucky ones who bought them, and the young ladies, we had a voting con test. The young lady who received the greatest number of beauty votes re ceived as prize a nice cake, which had been prepared by Miss Omega Creech. Miss Flora Starling was voted to be the prettiest girl and was presented with this prize. About $25.00 was realized which was placed in the hands of the com mittee who will use it for the benefit of the school. We wish to thank all present for their interest, help and splendid order during the party. P. J. KORNEGAY, MISS EFFIE HAMILTON, Teachers. December 30, 1910. Str?*H Deaths Increase In New York. Figures prepared by the Bureau of Records of the Health Department show that during the first eleven months of 1916 there were 139 more fatal street accidents than in the cor responding period of 1915. The fol lowing table shows the increase: Mode of Death. No. of Deaths. 1916 1915 Street vehicles 529 453 Surface cars 96 77 Falls on streets and sidewalks 81 50 Falls from wagons, cars, ctc 59 46 Total 765 626 Police Department figures show that a big increase in street car ac cidents foHowed the inception of the street railway strike last summer and that the number of such accidents is still greater than it was before. ? New York World. Anchor Your Farm. The United States Geological Sur- J vey has issued a statement to the ef fect that an average of 95 tons of soil anil loose rock arc washed into the ocean every year from every square mile of territory in the United States. The stupendous amount of land wash ed away may be realized when it is taken into consideration that there are over 3,000,000 square miles of land in this country. This loss to the Amer ican farmer is gigantic, as it is ob vious that the soil carried away is top soil ? the richest in plant food and humus. Is the best part of your farm being gradually washed away year by year? Do you allow the washes to develop into gullies to further facilitate the robbing of your soil? Have you failed to realize that the muddy creek flow ing through your section is carrying part of yours and your neighbor's farm away? ? Indiana Farmer. GREAT AMERICAN INDUSTRY. Almost a Quarter of Our Population Is Enrolled in the Schools. They are striking figures, that the bureau of education gives in its re port on the schooling of the Ameri can people. They show that 24 per cent of the population ? a trifle less than one-fourth of the American peo ple ? are in school, either as pupils or as teachers. Schooling, it thus appears, is our greatest national industry. And the proportion of brains, hearts and souls that this industry absorbs, in com parison with the three other leading countries in the world, is an inspir ing revelation of America's thirst for knowledge. In Germany, the country that ranks next to the United States in the scope of its educational equip ment, 20 per cent of the population are in school; in Great Britain, 19 per cent; in France, 17 per cent. In the United States there are 23, 500,000 persons enrolled in various educational institutions. What an ar my of hope that is ? the army that will create and guard America's future! ? New York Mail. Organize to Hold Cotton. One hundred business men of the South met in Selma, Ala., and organ ized for the purpose of urging cotton growers to hold their cotton for twen ty cents a pound. I'or Merchants Having decided to discontinue handling Shoes? as every Store R in town is a Shoe Store? have decided to increase my Furniture p Line and Cut Out Shoes. Therefore I am offering my entire stock ? of the Well Known Brands? Roberts, Johnson and Rand Work Shoes and W. H. Miles Fine Shoes At First Cost! And every pair in my house is new and up-to-date as I have only been handling Shoes Three Years . Needless to say that every pair in my hands is worth 50 cents to $1.50 more than they were six months ago, as you know condition of the Shoe Market. Floyd C. Price PINE LEVEL, N. C. Special Sale on Field FENCING ? Beginning January 1st, 1917 And Closing January 31st We are going to sell two carloads heavy weight field fencing at a sacrifice in order to move it. If you need any wire fencing now is the time to buy, for we are going to sell it cheaper than this fence can be bought for at Factory to-day. These are some of the heights and prices: . ?28-inch 6-inch Mesh $7.10 34-inch 9-inch Mesh $7.25 34-inch 6-inch Mesh, $7.90 40-inch 6-inch Mesh, $8.15 46-inch 6-inch Mesh $9.00 We are going to give one roll free (110 yards). Every roll you buy give# you one chance at the free roll. This to be given away when fence is sol4L m Somebody is Going to Get a Roll Free! It May Be YOU! i Johnston County Farmers Union Company Selma, N. C.