1
VOLUME 38.
THE SMITHFIELD HERALD, TUESDAY. FEB. 11, 1919
Number 12.
STATE BUDGET
SYSTEM VOTED
Gray Measure is Ordered Enrolled for
Ratification—Senator Connor In
troduces Education Bill—Governor
and the Legislature Einance Com
mittees’ Chairmen to Direct State’s
Budgeting.
Raleigh, Feb. 8.—The House passed
without a dissenting vote the Gray
bill, from the Senate, for applying
the budget system to the finances of
the State through the newly-created
budget commission to consist of the
Governor and the chairmen of the
finance and appropriation committees
of the Senate and House.
The bill was explained by Repre
sentative Grier at the request of Mi
nority Leader Williams, of Cabarrus,
as being most necessary, since no
other business could be run as that of
the State has without becoming bank
rupt and only unlimited taxing power
saved the State. He said no State
that has tried the budget system had
abandoned it, and that North Carolina
was very much behind in not having
adopted it earlier. Williams approved
the bill, and it went through its read
ings without a dissenting vote and
was ordered enrolled for ratification.
A bill was passed to regulate the
sale of marl and lime in North Caro
lina.
A bill, agreed upon by the legisla
tive committee of the State Associa
tion of Building and Loan Associa
tions and the State Insurance Com
missioner, to amend the law as to cu(
pervision and regulation of building
and loan associations, was introduced
in the Senate today by Senator
Thompson. It fixes a $25 annual
license fee jn lieu of all other li
cense fees now paid, which would be
used by the insurance commissioner to
defray the expense of supervision.
The measure prohibits the 'paying off
of any series of stock until fully ma
tured. It is specified that dividends
on paid-iup 'guaranteed stock shall
be less than the association is earn
ing, and it may have the right to
share in the dividends between the
guaranteed and the earned percentum
and empowe rthe commissioner to per
and empowe rthe commissioner to per
mit special investments when he
Senator Connor introduced a new
Statewide educational bill, emanating
from Supt. C. L. Coon, of the Wilson
schools and certain other city super
intendents opposed to the regular de
partment bills for six months” schools,
the budget system and minimum sal
ary of teachers. This new bill would
require any county receiving State
aid to levy a special 30-cent tax and
equalize its tax values in relation to
valuation in other standard counties,
before any State aid for six months’
schools would be available.—W. J.
Martin, Charlotte Observer.
Pay of Judges.
The Roanoke-Chowan Times is a
trifle weary of the binnial demand
from Superior Court judges for an in
crease in salary. It is a fact that the
salary is not sufficient to command
the services of first-grade men if they
consider the position from the stand
point of salary; and the first-grade
men who do go on the Superior Court
bench in this State take the job for
the honor or because they prefer the
work rather than the pay, for they
could make much more practicing law.
But The Landmark is in sympathy
with the statement cf the Times that
the present salary of these judges,
compared with the work done—time
actually put in the public service—is
at the rate of about $25,000 a year for
full service. That statement may be
a little strong, but The Landmark be
lieves it to be a fact, which it would
undertake to prove if authorized to
send for persons and papers, that the
average Superior Court judge doesn’t
work over 50 per cent of his time; so
that the judges are really getting
double the present list price on a full
time basis, as they collect full time
pay for half time work. In oth’r
words, if the judges had to punch the
time closk and were docked for time
lost, some of them wouldn’t begin to
earn the pay they are getting now;
and if they put in full time and were
given double the present salary, the
number of judges could be reduced
about half and the work done at the
same cost.—Statesville Landmark.
Fine Hogs in Bentonsville.
Mr. S. M. Cole, of Bentonsvill°
township, was in town Friday and re
oorted that his neighbor, Mr. M. C.
Barfield, killed a fine hog on Thurs
day that weighed 740 pounds. This
pig was a Duroc Jersey aged 26
months and one week. Mr. Barfield
is a successful hog raiser, having al
ready killed about 4,000 pounds of
pork this season.
Mr. ^ormar, Langston, another
Bentonsville farmer, killed a pig last
week which weighed 560 pounds.
House Votes to Abolish Central Prison
at Raleigh.
(Tom Dost in Raleigh Times.)
North Carolina’s Central Prison
building, the million and a half dollar
white elephant, was unanimously
; abolished as a penal institution Fri
day morning by the House and the
prisoners in this city sent to the Cale
donia Farm in Halifax.
The House passed the McCoin
bill substitute with delay longer than
the. few minutes of e^quent speaking
necessitated. Bryant, of Durham,
made the most effective speech of the
session, though he was addressing a
jury with mind entirely made up. Ho
did not seem to think so; he expected
opposition. But when he ca’led upox
his own party to understand that th
peonle back home would hold the m a -
jority to strict accounting. Republi
cans and Democrats applauded him
and he saw' for the first time that the
House was predisposed to his appeal.
The act carries no appropriation,
but it will take several hundred thou
sand dollars .to put the great brick
building in shape. The only conditions
to the change of prison places is that
the criminal insane now confined in
the Ra^igh institution shall be sent
to another hospital of similar char
acter. From 1.000 to 1 200 of the in
sane may be cared for in this building
and substantially all the imrhediate
needs met.
Governors Bickett, Craig and Kitch
in have recommended removal of the
nrisoners held here to the farms in
Halifax and Northampton, or such
other localities as State prisoners are
w'orked. Two years ago the Legisla
ture w'as ready to make the change,
but. the bill carried an appropriation.
The money is now in hand for the con
struction required and with the excep
tion of the electric apparatus there is
very little building necessary at the
farm. It is quite impossible to abol
ish the chair and to restore the great
public institution, hanging in the
county capital, but seme way will be
found for continuation of legalized
barbarism.
The Marshalship Bill Defeated.
—
The defeat of the prohibition mar
shalship bill o nits second reading in
the House is a result which libera’
opinion should1 heartily approve. We
know of nothing better calculated to
make the prohibition law odious than
to single it out for exceptional treat
ment. Once the State should adopt
tho policy of special prohibition con
stabulary the prohibition law is there
by constituted a thing apart from the
body of the criminal law, with the re
sult that the spirit of faction is kept
alive, the prohibition officers are
forced to extremes, and that very
fact has a strong tendency to array
conservative opinion in opposition to
the law. Men begin by opposing the
radical methods of the special officers
and wind up by condoning violations
of the law.
The best way to secure the enforce
ment of the prohibition law is by fos
tering and strengthening the spirit of
law enforcement generally. The pol
icy should be to assimilate liquor sell
ing to other crime both in its essence
and its prosecution. If the laws
against homicide and larceny and pis
tol-toting are well enforced, there
need be no fear for the enforcement
of the prohibition law.
On the other hand, if the commu
nity is set by the ears through sep
arate, extreme measures with refer
ence to a particular class of offenses,
all crime is likely to profit by the re
sulting confusion.—-Carter’s Weekly.
Monarchism Not Ended.
Not all the kings of the earth are
to go.
Albert of Belgium is already vener
ated as the great national hero. His
people worship him almost as thev
worship their God.
Victor Emmanuel of Italy, has
fought with his people, suffered with
his people and wept with his people
He is secure in their hearts.
George of Great Britain has shown
himself a patriot and an Englishman,
and his crown is secure.
The Queen of Hcvlland, the kings of
Denmark, Norway and Sweden' seem
untouched by the anti-monarchical up
her.val.
Alfonso of Spain, appears as secure
on his tipsy throne as he ever was.
The Mikado is still the Son of Heav
en, though shining in decreased bril
liancy.
But all these rulers are either the
true servants of their people or they
arc fast learning the lesson that in
order to retain a crown in these da /s
one must be a democrat. Imperial
ism is at an end, but the institution
of kingship will probably continue for
a while wherever there are monarchs
who have the love and respect of cit
izen peoples.—Detroit Free Press.
Billy Sunday has an appointment to
speak in Greensboro next Monday
night.
EMPLOYING MORE
LABOR INTHE SOUTH
Slight Shortages Still Reported in
Carolinas and Tennessee, but Sup
ply is Growing Larger.
Washington, Feb. 8.—The South
still stands first in the employment of
labor. There has been a slowing
down in the South but there is still de
mand for labor. By March the de
mand will increase. A report on con
ditions by the department of labor to
day said “slight shortages are st’il
reported in North Carolina, South
Carolina and Tennessee.” Norfolk,
Va., reports a shortage of about 1,500.
Baltimore, which last week reported
a shortage of 2,(100 now reports
a shortage of 700. Four weeks ago
Baltimore reported a shortage of 48,
000. Louisville, Ky., reports a short
age of 500, with the supply of labor
approximately equaling the demand
throughout the State. In Florida
there is a shortage in agricultural
workers, lumbermen and negro labor
ers for the lumber camps. There is a
surplus of carpenters throughout the
State amounting to about 1,000 men.
The shipyards in Florida have all the
labor which they need. Georgia re
ports a slight shortage of common
labor and heavier shortages in farm
labor. The State also reports that
there are many unskilled men who are
seeking general office, clerical or
salesman work.
In Delaware there is a slight sur
plus of common labor. The situation
in the District of Columbia is satis
factory with a scarcity of unskilled la
bor, and some indication of a surplus
of clerical workers.—H. E. V. Bryant
in Charlotte Observer.
CERTAIN EX-CZAR IS ALIVE.
Dowager Empress Clings to Belief in
Son’s Safety.
Paris, Feb. 3.—Dowager Empress
Marie Feodorovna of Russia has clung
so firmly to her belief that her sons,
the former Russian Emperor and
Grand Duke Michael, are not dead
that many of her friends have been
won over to that view and minors in
the European press concerning Nich
olas Romanoff’s alleged whereabouts
are attracting much attention.
The aged empress refused to leave
Russia until she learns of the fate of
her son. She continues to live simply
at Yalta, Crimea, declining invitations
to visit the King and Queen of Rou
mania and even her sister, Queer,
Mhotre Alexandra of Great Britain.
Lieut-Col. J. W. Boyle, formerly of
the Canadian militia, who was com
missioned by King Ferdinand of Rou
mania to visit Yalta with a ship to
induce the Dowager Empress to seek
safety in Roumania, recently arrived
in Paris and told the Associated Press
that the Dowager Empress’ declina
tion was most affecting. In spite of
the gratitude she felt for King Fer
dinand’s interest she said her duty to
he" family and to Russia prevented
her leaving as she and her daughters
had decided to remain until the fate
of Nicholas and Michael was cleared
up.
Lieutenot-Colonel Boyle says that
a report of an investigation made by
Czech officers on the murder of the
former Emperor’s family, which is the
only reliable source of information,
established that buttons and jewels
belonging to tho former Emperor’s
daughters were found in the ashes
where the bodies of the entire Roma
noff family were supposed to have
been burned. This is not conclusive
evidence in Lieutenant-Colonel Boyle's
opinion.
POMONA NEWS.
Pomona basket ball team played
Princeton Wednesday afternoon. The
score was 15 to 11 in favor of Pomona
Also played Wilson’s Mills at Pomona
the score being 50 to 2 in favor of
Pomona. The junior team played
Smithfield juniors at Pomona. Score
22 to 5 in favor of Pomona.
Wednesday afternoon at 4 o’clock
Pomona will play Selma at their
ground.
The basket ball team and faculty ol
Pomona school motored to Princetoa
Wednesday night for the “Hoover
Wedding.” REPORTER.
Greek Meets Greek.
“What’s coming off out in front
there?” asked the proprietor of the
Tote Fair store in Tumlinville, Ark.
“A couple of fellers from Straddle
Ridge swapped mules,” ^jgjrtied the
clerk, “and each is accusing Tne other
of skinning him.”
“Well, then, why don’t they trade
back?”
“I reckon they are both afraid of
getting skinned again.” — Kansas
City Star.
MORE SOLDIERS
COMING HOME
Homeward-Bound Forces Include 42d
and 63d Coast Artillery Regiments
to Reach Ports 15th and 18th.
Departure from Franco of more
than 13 000 officers and enlisted men
of the American expeditionary forces,
including the 42d and 63d coast artil
lery regiments, was announced Satur
day by the war department.
The troops are aboard the battle
ship Kansas and the transports Har
risburg. Louisville, Krconland, Polar
Bear, Maiden, Pocahontas and Cas
erta. All are due to reach American
ports between February 15 and 18.
The Pocahontas is due at New
York February 18 with the 62d reg;
ment, coast artillery complete; con
valescent detachments Nos. 69 and
70; casual companies of western
troops; one quartermaster csteual
company of Virginia men; the medi
cal detachment, third battalion, de
tachment of battery Eyand the ord
nance detachment of the 61st regi
ment coast arillcry.
The Casern is scheduled at New
York about February 18, with prac
tically all of the 63d regiment, coast
artillery and 65 casual officers.
THE MOMENTUM OF THRIFT.
Picture a powerful ship—as large as
your imagination can conceive without
stretching it out of proportion—a
ship stalwart, massive, majestic. In
your mind watch this ship from the
days of first construction the laying
of the keel, the lowering of the enor
mous beams and plates, the rattle of a
thousand riveters, swarms of artists,
artisans and mechanics climbing over
it like bees over a giant honeycomb,
until in your mind’s eye you can see
the great task completed; a flag bear
ing the word “Security” in golden
letters floating at the bow and an
other emblazoned “Thrift” at the
masthead.
You see this ship at the dock in a
great harbor with a towering sky
line as a background; a powerful crea
tion of man built to withstand the
shocks of all ages. The thundering
bass of her ■whistle sends vibrations,
through you as the roaring of' a vol
cano and as the huge hulk moves
away, slowly, almost imperceptibly,
you, as a small speck on its wide deck,
feel it increasing in motion until it
clears into deep water and forces
ahead at top speed.
Top speed!
Imagine the momentum!
There are approximately 30,000,000
bondholders in the United States
Government. For a large part they
are investors who have not been ac
customed to saving. The bonds they^
now hold have been acquired by
steady, systematic, conscientious
thrift. They have got the habit. They
now have something they never had
before. They have a stake. In time
of sudden stress they have a tangible
source of revenue. They have learn
ed how to save and in saving have
driven a rivet in that wonderful, mas
sive ship which is now forging ahead
at top speed.
Imagine the momentum of this
habit of systematic, saving!
Think what it will mean to the na
tion in a few years. It will have a di
rect bearing on every activity. It wiM
become ingrained as an American
principle and it will acquire such
headway that you will be unable to
get into extravagant, wasteful habits
even if you wanted to. The result will
be a nation of savers, not only of
money but of the things that mean
money, and before long we will have
erected a monument to thrift that
Benjamin Franklin in his most opti
mistic dreams, never conceived.
In order to make war taught thrift
ar.d the practice of saving a perma
nent and cherful habit in America, the
government is promoting a campaign
to encourage wise spending, intelli
gent saving and safe investment. The
powerful force o fthe 30,000,000 bond
holders of the country is behind this
movement. The object of this move
ment is to encourage the public to
continue to buy war savings stamps
and Liberty Bonds to help the govern
ment meet its war expenses and at the
same time encourage the establish
ment of a sound economic program ».*
thrift among the people in order to
mal e the most of the era of pros
perity that will follow permanent
peace. When thrift is popularized and
becomes a happy, every-day national
habit, we will have established a na
tional family stability that will enable
us to cope with emergencies or to
take advantage of opportunity when
it knocks at our door.
Visualize the momentum of this
great thrift ship!
What can stop the economic power
,of a nation ot savers 30,000,0o0
strong ?
If you are an investor in this great
craft you have an interest in the
greatest economic organization the
world has ever known.—Selected.
Mysterious Disappearance of Jonas
Reeves.
Mr. J. G. Turlington, of Benson, and
three sons of Mr. Jonas Reeves, who
disappeared from Wilson Tuesday a
week ago when he came to Wilson in
answer to a letter from a young lady
regarding a matrimonial venture are
here today endeavoring to secure in
formation looking to his recovery. If
you have seen anything of him or
have heard anything of his where
abouts, please let his family know, for
they are greatly distressed about him
The last time heard from he wa,.
seen by one of the boys to get on a
car with a party whom the young men
did not know7 and stated that he wao
going in the country. That was on
the Tuesday mentioned about 4:20 in
the afternoon. The party-Avas told to
be certain to bring him back in time
since they intended to take him back
home on the train. Me has not been
seen and the party who took him to
the country has not been located.
The family and friends cf the old
man who has grown children and is
64 years old were searching the reg
isters of hotels and making a com
plete search of the city today in order
to secure if possible some clue as to
the whereabouts of the missing man.
The names of the young men are
Messrs. W. I*. Reeves, L. D. Reeves,
and W. J. Reeves.—Wilson Times,
Feb. (5.
Y. YV. C. A. Campaign On.
The Blue Triangle investment cam
paign Vor one million dollars for the
permanent, or peace time work of the
Young Woman’s Christian Associa
ting was launched on February 6 vnd
will continue through February 17.
Encouraging reports are already be
ginning to come in to Miss Elizabeth
Thompson, of Raleigh, State directo.1.
Having contributed so generously to
war work funds. North Carolina can
not afford to do less for the perma
nent, constructive work of the days
of peace. The State has not failed
yet and Y. W. C. A. workers expect to
see tHe small quota of $14,751 over
subscribed. From headquarters of the
South Atlantic field in Richmond
come reports of the good start made
by the other States.
In reconstruction days after the
Civil Wan, four hundred girls, it is
said, were lost in the city of Washing
ton and never heard from again. To
day in this reconstruction period that
is just dawning in America after the
world war two Y. W. C. A. secretaries
with an emergency fund of $10,000
have already rushed to the aid of the
girls in Washington who, with the end
of war work are, many of them, being
caught in the swirl of the unemployed.
From North Carolina 537 girls have
gone to Washington to engage in war
work. Some of these girls are finding
themselves at the end of their jobs
or with salaries greatly reduced. It is
the ¥oung Woman’s Christian Asso
ciate n which is stepping in to assist
them in this critical time.
This is onHy one of the girl prob
lems which is calling for the increas
ed work of the Young Woman’s Chris
tian Association making necessary
the Blue Triangle Investment Cam
paign for one million dollars from
America.—News and Observer.
SOME OLD-TIME BIG CATTLE.
One English Ox Weighed 3,700
Pounds, Another 3,340 Pounds.
With all the modern improvement
in breeds of live stock it may be
doubted whether there is living to
day a steer or ox equal in size to
some of the fat cattle of olden times.
In 1845 there was disposed of by
raffle at Pratt’s Old London Inn, in
Taunton, England, a giant ox of the
Devon breed, that Stood 19 hands
high and weighed 3,700 pounds. But
this one was not in it with the Durham
ox which earned a modest fortune for
its owner, John Day, and brought the
now famous shorthorn cattle into hign
repute a little more than a centurv
ago. A writer in the Mark Lane Ex
press described this extraordinary ani
mal as having weighed, when two
years old, 3,520 pounds, and when
slaughtered at 8 years old, his carcass
dressed 2,478 pounds, while his live
weight at that time was stated to have
been 4,340 pounds. He girthed 11
“feet 1 inch just behind the shoulders
His owner Exhibited him six years
through England and Scotland, havin.;
a van for his conveyance about the
country. It was in 1807 that Day’s ox
dislocated his hip and had to be killed.
Favorite, the sire of this bovine
wonder, was made famous by the pro
digious size and remarkable fine form
of the steer. When Charles Colling,
of Darlington, who is regarded as the
Shorthorn breed, sold all his cattle at
auction, 1810, Comet a 6-year-old bull
by Favorite, brought $5,000, and six
cows by him, some of them 11 years
old, made an average of $720, which
was unheard of in those days and for
manv years afterward.—Philadelphia
Public Ledger.
CONFEREES SUBMIT
WAR REVENUE'' BILL
Lonjt Delayed Measure Carrying Six
Billion Dollars for Year 1919—Prin
cipal Features of Important Meas
ure—Feeling of Assurance in Con
gressional Circles That It Will Be
Passed.
Washington, Feb. 6.—With the sub
misison to Congress today of the con
free’s agreement on the long-delayed
war revenue bill, the American people
were presented with their prospective
federal tax budget for 1919, and en
suing years—something over $6,000,
000,000 this year and $4,000,000,000
thereafter, the subject to the revision
of future rates expected to be under
taken by the next Congress.
The conference report, presented to
the House by Majority Deader Kitch
in. is regarded as assured of adoption
by bo*h House and Senate and of ap
proval by tlie President. It thus
promises the future American tax
levy which now is about $4,370,000,
000. Besides this year’s tax levy of
about $6,000,000,000 further treasury
needs, to be raised by bonds arid other
■ means, are estimated by the treasury
at about $12,000,000,000.
The completed measure will not be
sent to France unless the President’ •,
departure for home is delayed well
beyond the late now set for his sailing.
The President is expected to sign the
bill soon after his arrival here.
Except for slightly increased war
excess profits rates for 1919 and cor
porate r.s’ income tax rates for 1920.
virtually all the rates as revised in
the bill passed by the Senate are ap
proved by the conferees and remain ia
the final conference draft. Like the
original House bill and the Senate’s
revision, the bulk of the taxes are
levied upon war excess profits of
corporations and on incomes, individ
ual and corporate. Rates of the Sen
ate an transportation, beverages
cigars and tobacco, amusement admis
sions, club dues, luxuries and semi
luxuries, stamp and special fax s, ail
substantially were adopted by th“
conferees, while the House rates on
estates and insurance were reinstated.
Corporation Increase Tax Raised
The principal rate increases agree *
to jn conference were to raise the cor
poration income rate for 1920 from 8
per cent, as proposed by the Senate,
to 10 per cent, and an increase from
60 to 65 per cent in the second “brack
et” of sliding rate or corporations’ ex
cess profits for this year. The 80 per
cent war profits tax for this year was
adopted, and, upon insistence by
Conferees, extended to 1920, but made
applicable next year only upon such
profits from government war con
tracts. The excess profits “bracket”
rates of 20 to 40 per cent for 1920 also
were approved.
The 12 per cent normal rates on in
dividual incomes earned last year and
the eight per cent payable in 1920, are
retained with individual exceptions of
$1,000 for single and $2,000 for mar
ried persons and additional exemp
tion of $200 for each dependent minor.
Also adopted are provisions that in
dividuals shall pay only six per cent
this year and four per* cent thereaf
ter on the first $4,000 subject to tax
above exemptions. The Senate indi
vidual surtaxes, ranging from one per
cent on incomes between $5,000 and
$6,000 to 65 per cent on more than
$1,000,000 also were approved.
Restoration of pre-war postage
rates were approved.
Automobile Ran Into Truck.
At the street crossing near the
Myatt House last Saturday a man or.
his way to Sanford drove a Chevrolet
car against Mr. W. S. Ragsdale’s large
lumber truck. The automobile sus
tained considerable damage to its
front fenders and to the hood and to
the radiator.
What to Read.
What should one read in order to
get the most out of his reading? This
discriminating advice was given by
expert some years ago: For clearness,
read Macaulay. For logic, read Burke
and Bacon. For action, read Homer
and Scott. For conciseness, read Ba
con and Pope. For sublimity of con
ception, read Milton. For vivacity,
read Stevenson and Kipling. For
imagination, read Shakespeare and
Job. For common sense, read Benja
knin Franklin. For elegance, read
Virgil, Milton and Arnold. For sim
plicity, read Burns, W’hittier and
Bunyan. For smoothness, read Addi
son and Hawthorne. For interest in
things real, re>id Jane Austen. For
lofty, ennobling sentiment, for sym
pathy, candor and honesty, for com
fort and consolation in affliction and
for the promise of the life that now is
and of the life which is to come, read
* the Bible.—Kind Words.
r»