North Carolina Newspapers

VOLUME 38. THE SMITHFIELD HERALD, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1919. Number 13. PROSPECTS GOOD FOR PUBLIC BUILDING In a Letter to Judge Brooks Congress man I’ou Says He Will Do All He Can to Get an Appropriation for Post Office Building for Smithfield. Judge Brooks and the Chamber of Commerce Sclidly Behind the Move ment. Judge F. H. Brooks, Acting Secre tary Smithfield Chamber of Com merce, has been quietly working foi the proposed public building or post office building, for Smithfield since the first announcement in the.papers that Congressman Edward W. Pou had asked for an appropriation to pur chase a site and erect a postoffice— and, in fact, for quite a while before. At the meeting of the citizens De cember 19, Judge Brooks suggested the feasibility of procuring such a building. Since his telegram to Con gressman Pou, as printed in these col umns several days ago, Judge Brooks wrote Congressman Pou urging him to exert every possible effort to gel the appropriation made at this time. Judge Brooks is in receipt of a let ter from Congressman Pou in which he says: “The people of our splendid little town may rest assured I will do all in my power to get an appro priation for a 'nice building. Sooner or later the bill will go through, but our people must not get impatient, and I believe they will not. The most I can hope for during this session, during the closing days, is to get a favorable report from the Commit tee on Public Buildings and Grounds giving us an appropriation to buy a site. I feel reasonably sure of this much. You can see at once the im portance of this. It commits the gov ernment, in a measure, to the project; that is, as far it rests in the power of a committee of Congress to commit the government. I think it entirely possible I will be able to get the ap propriation during the next Congress, which will, I think, undoubtedly be called in extra session during the summer. “I have served the people of the Fourth district a long time. No man can get anywhere in politics unless he has the support of his home people. This has always been given to me without stint. I appreciate that sup port more than anything on earth. I feel a pride in getting this building, which I hope to leave as a sort of monument to my service in behalf of our people. “I have often said, and I mean it, I believe we have as good a town as there is of the same size in the United States. We have all the comforts of the city, and yet are relieved of a good many of the disadvantages of the city, The spirit of our people is very fine. You may rest assured I will do my best to get a building of which we will all feel proud.” As stated in Judge Brooks’ tele gram to Congressman Pou, this build ing would be a deserving monument to the faithful and efficient services of Mr. Pou to his country for nearly a quarter of a century, and a fitting recognition of the progressive spirit of the new Smithfield. In view of the showing made by the Smithfield post office last year, and the letter from Mr. Pou above quoted, the prospect for a postoffice buildiag at Smithfield in the near future appear bright. A Narrow Escape. The Government is forced to put up $1,000,000,000 to make good its guar antee of wheat prices for the crops of 1918 and 1919. Just what might have happened had the Government under taken to guarantee a price on cotton —say, of 30 cents—may be left to the imagination. The Southern farmer stands to lose because of successful opposition to the proposition to fix a price on cotton, but, after all, it is probably to his advantage, because if a price had been fixed on the staple, and the government were forced to make good its guarantee oh the same that has been necesistated in the case of wheat, all the profits he might have made on price-fixed cotton would have been taken away from him in the im position of make-good taxes. It wa3 a narrow escape for both the farmer and the nation.—Charlotte Observer. Casualties on Archangel Front. Washington, Feb. 12.—A cablegram today from the headquarters of the American Expeditionary forces in Russia give the total casualties among the Americans in Russia to February 9 as 10 officers and 314 men kilied, died of wounds and dis ease, and wounded and missing in ac tion. The total list is as follows: Killed in action, two officers and sixty men. Died of wounds, ten officers and fourteen men. Died of accident, five men. Wounded severely, two officers and sixty-seven men. THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS PLAN - I Draft Will Be Considered by Plenary Session This Week—Wilson to In vite Nations to Join. ] Paris, Feb. 10.—Committee report | clarifying: certain passages in ambig uous language in the plan for the so ciety of nations were presented to the special commission on the formation of the society at today’s meeting. The reports enabled the commission vir tually to complete the plan. This as sures consideration of the plan at a plenary session of the Peace Confer ence this week before President Wil son’s departure. Wilson to Issue Call. The plan is understood to leave the formation of the permanent interna tional court of justice to the society after its organization. The constitu tion of the society itself will be writ ten by the representatives of the greater powers now here. Credit fo the plan of the organization will be given to the United States. President Wilson has been accord ed the honor of being designated as the one who shall issue the formal call to the nations of the world to jo; a the society of nations after its ma chinery has been set up by the Peace Conference, it was stated today. The commission now working on the draft of the constitution of the so ciety is understood to have approved the plan which provided that the President of the United States per form this function, it being consid. ered that the distinction was his due. ASK FOR $348,000 FOR NORMAL Budget for Two Years Presented by Commitee to General Assembly. Appropriation of $348,000 for main tenance and support of the State Nor mal and Industrial College during the next two years was yesterday re quested of the State by a committee of the trustees of the college who ap peared J^efore the joint appropriation committee of the General Assembly. The committee was favorably im pressed with the report submitted by the trustees. In presenting figures upon which the needs of the institution are based, the board allows a ten per cent increase in teachers’ salaries of 1920. The ap propriation needed for 1919 is $168, 000 and for 1920, 180,000. The report presented to the committee, however, calls attention to the fact that a note of $10,000 must be paid in 1919 and one for $5,000 in 1920, the money be ing required to help pay for 10 acres of vacant land purchased by the Alumnae Association in order to pro tect the regular college property.— News and Observer, 13th. SOLIDIERS RETURN FROM FRANCE IN STEADY FLOW. Since Signing of the Armistice 287, 332 Have Embarked for America. Over Million Mustered Out. Washington, Feb. 12.—From the signing of the armistice to February 8, 287,332 American troops in France and Great Britain had embarked for the United States, while up to Feb ruary 10 67,454 officers and 1,069,116 men had been demobilized in this country. Total arrivals of overseas troops up to February 7, were 215,749. These figures were made public to day by Secretary Baker together with others relating to the number of sick and wounded now in France and the number returned home. Men in France being treated for disease on February 1, totalled 62,561 and those suffering from wounds were 24,484. The aggregate of 87,045 was 4,688 less than in the preceding week and 106403 les sthan the number in hos pitals overseas on November 14. Since the end of hostilities 53,042 sick and wounded haVe arrived in this country, bringing the total since the beginning of the war to 63,160. On February 1, the occupied beds in hos pitals in the United States numbered 60,777, while there \yere 47,048 vacant beds available for returning cases.— Greensboro News. Fourth Trial in Senate. The Senate first voted1 on the Susan B. Anthony amendment in 1887, 1 ' Senators being: recorded for it and 34 against it. The next vote was in 1914, Senators dividing: 35 for and 34 against. On October 1, 1918, the vote was 54 to 30, or two less than th? necessary majority. The one vote gained Monday was that of Senator Pollock, of South Car olina, Democrat, who spoke in vigor ous support of the measure. Senator Pollock succeeded former Senator Bennett, who voted last October in opposition, and will himself retire next month. HIGH WHEAT PRICES HAVE ILL EFFECT There is a His (ilut in Wheat Markets | of the World—Great Surplus or , Hand and the Great Coming Crop j Can’t Be Consumed—Low Price; Help Credit. Paris, Feb. 11.—The American treasury department favors the re- j lease of the government control of wheat so that the price may reach a j normal supply and demand basis. •This would entail a big drop in the j price and a great government loss be - j cause of the $2.26 a bushel price guar anteeds by the government to farmers for the crops of 1918 and 1919. That policy is f a vored generally by j American economic representative; here, who desire to see the normal I reached in every way possible. But since this measure is interna tional in effect and since England and j Canada also have guaranteed priceo and England has subsidized the bak ers in order to reduce the cost ofj bread to its public, it is likely the su preme. economic council will have to pass on the whole question before the policy of the American government is finally decided. There are many arguments for the treasury department plan. As the re sult of the artificial stimulation of wheat production, there is a big glut in the markets of the world, and the sooner consumption is stimulated by low prices the less wheat will have to be destroyed or fed cattle in 1919. Unless the present surplus is dis posed of, facilities will be lacking to store and handle the market crop of 1919. Consequently, the Americans, who thought the guaranteed wheat price was necessary to farmers under war conditions now fear a large loss in any event. The great surplus on hand and the great coming crop cannot be con sumed at the artificial price now pre vailing. It ‘must be destroyed or wasted or carried over into the peri od when the guarantee of price ends, and in any case a huge loss is certain It is considered better to face the loss now and give the world the cheap food it needs. Another argument for letting the price drop is that prices must be gen erally be got down before a healthy credit situation can be restored. Not only is credit scarce, but credit does not go far with prices inflated, iften artificially, as the wheat price is. The price of wheat has a large sympathetic effect, especially on all food prices. For example one difficulty in feed ing central Europe is the credit ques Uon. If the wheat price falls half way, only one-half of the credit now nec essary for feeding central Europe would be need. An immense market exists in Ger many and Russia for wheat. An American army surgeon returning from the occupied areas says that the bread eaten in Germany is so full of coarse substances as to cause ehron'c dysentery and permanently to impair the health of the population. Figures show the glut wheat cron of America for 1918 to be the second largest in our history, 971,000,000 bushels. The 971,000,000 gave an ex portable surplus of 400,000,000, enough to feed 60,000,000. Of this surplus only 40,000,000 was exported up to January. The crop next year will be much greater be cause American winter wheat is 16 per cent greater than last year and it is estimated .that the spring crop will be 1,100,000,000 bushels, giving a sur plus of 500,000,000. Before the war the United States never furnished more than 63,000,000 bushels a year to Europe. Australia also now has 200,000,000 bushels surplus and Argentina 60, 000,000 bushels. This low priced sup ply is entering the European market. —Clinton W. Gilbert in Greensboro News. JUDGE M. H. JUSTICE DEAD. An Acute Attack of Indigestion at Asheville Court Takes Him Aw3y. Seventy-five Years Old. Asheville, N. C., Feb. 12.—Follow ing an acute attack of indigestion Judge M. H. Justice, aged 75 years, for sixteen years a leading member of the Superior Court bench in North Carolina, died suddenly in this city this morning at 8:45 in a local hotel. He came here this week from his home in Rutherfordton and held court up until last night. Preaching at Fair View. Rev. C. E. Clark will preach at Fair View, near Mr. J. W. Bailey's Sunday, the 16th, at 3:30 o’clock. The public is invited to come and bring others. STACY’S ROAD BILL PASSED BY SENATE — Senate Turns Down Stevens-Scales Mill—Connor Introduces Woman Suffrage Mill in the Senate—State Wide Stock Mill Introduced. (News and Observer, 13th.) By a vote of 30 to 18 the Stacy sub stitute bill for the Stacy-Scalcs road measure was passed on its first reading by the Senate last night fol lowing a debate lasting for six hours. The essential changes in the Stacy substitute are the adoption of the present State automobile license tax, an increase on the tax on trucks, per misison to the State to issue bonds not exceeding four and a half million dol lars during the next two years to meet the Federal road allotment and the reduction of the State Highway Commission to three members follow ing the expiration of the terms of those now in office in April. The Stacy substitute following its completion of readings in the Senate today and tomorrow will go to the House of Representatives. * * * * * * * Senator Connor put in another suf frage bill in the Senate yesterday, this being a proposal to amend the constitution to give the women the same rights to vote that men now have. He would submit the question to the people at the next general elec tion. Senator Ferobee introduced a State wide stock law, which would allow, however, any county to vote itself out of the purisdiction of the act at the next election. In other words, it puts the shoe on the other foot or changes the presumption as William Jennings Bryan would say, so that a county must show cause why it desires to re main without the stock law. Senator Brown introduced two health measures, one being to increase the amount of money to be used in rural sanitation work to $36,000 a year and the other providing for the physical examination of children. Tne latter provides that children shall be given a physical examination at least once in every three years and the re sults recorded on blanks to be fur nished by the State Board of Health, and the parents are to be notified of any defects found. Senator Scales put in a bill to require the licensing of chiropractors. Head .Man in All Affairs. Again the Allied Nations have giv en token of more confidence in Presi dent Wilson than some of the bloom ing statesmen in his own country. They have decided that it shall be President Wilson who is to make for mal call upon the nations of the world to join the Society of Nations after the machinery is set tip by the Peace Conference. The responsible parties to the forming of the Society are of opinion that this distinction is due the President of the United States, and insist that he accept it as such. If there has been any possible chance lost of impressing upon President Wilson and the world the fact that his is the guiding hand in all details working up to the establishment cf peace, the fact appears to have been overlooked by the news agents.— Charlotte Observer. Postmaster for Half Century. Washington, N. C., Feb. 10.—Cap tain E. I). Springer last week celebra ted his fiftieth anniversary as post master of South Creek. In completing this long term of service Captain Springer has established a record which probably cannot be duplicated by any other man in the country. Captain Springer is 81 years old and is in good heaJIth. He was one of the first settlers in the South Creek section and helped to build it up. At the time when he moved to that part, of the county there were only one or two houses within a radius of thirty miles. He was appointed the first postmaster of that section and he has held the office ever since, both Repub lican and Democratic Congressmen having appointed him. Captain Springer is a Republican in politics.— News and Observer. Death of Rev. Sam Hanff. Many people in Smithfield and vi cinity will learn with regret of the death of Rev. Sam Hanff, which oc curred in Statesville Wednesday morn ing, following an operation for ap pendicitis. He was buried yesterday afternoon in Raleigh. He was 38 years old and had been a minister of the Episcopal church for about fifteen years. He was rector at one time of St. Paul’s Episcopal church at Smith field. He is survived by a young wid ow and three small children, also his parents, Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Hanff, of Raleigh. EBERT PRESIDENT OF GERMANY Of the .')!)7 \ otes C ast, He is Given 277—Accepts the Election—Second Reading of the Provisional Consti tution Brings Out First Division. Basle, Feb. 11.—The German na tional assembly today elected Fried- j rich Ebert president of the German | state by a vote of 277 out of 379 votes —a majority of 102. Herr Ebert ac cepted the election. Count von Pos adowski-Wehner received 49 votes. Wiemar, Feb. 11.—The sesison of the national assembly today was a tedious one except that it brought out the first exhibition of a difference i»f opinion. The second reading of th » provisional constitution came up for debate and it was the only business of the day. For the first hour and a half the members debated, champion ing the measure of offering minor ob jections. Herr Labe, majority socialist; Herr von Prager, democrat; Herr Del brueck, conservative; Herr Heim, centrist, and others spoke in favor of the constitution. The independents at first raised objection only to the fre quent use of the word “empire” in the document and requested the substitu tion of “republic” throughout the draft offered for acceptance. Much time was wasted in this procedure. The first prolonged fight was against secret agreement clauses, but this was mild compared to the storm that cam. later. Centrist and conservative speakers declared the provisional con stitution was open to various objec tions more or less technical, but that they were willing to accept it,as Herr Delbrueck said, for the sake of unity and the urgent need of getting an es tablished government in working shape for its effect on Germany’s ene mies. It was Herr Cann, who acted as spokesman for the independents in demanding that “republic” be substi tuted for “empire.” He spoke so long the house began to waver in its atten tion until with waving arms he launched a veiled threat against the entire right of the house as follows. “If the government does not in its provisional constitution make a clear break with the old order of things, lohody in Germany or outside wi i believe the revolution has accomplish ed anything.” Herr Cahn concluded with an ap peal for the construction of the con stitution in such a manner of wording as to leave no possible doubt in any minds that the monarchy was banish ed forever. Unless this were done, he added, “revolution, which is nourished by lack of raw materials, will live again." The speaker concluded by warning his hearers to “remember the past and make a new government and do not make the mistakes of the old.” —Associated Press. FEDERAL BUILDINGS FOR THREE TOWNS ASKED. Godwin Introduces Bills for Lumber ton, Dunn, and Southport—Webb Wants German Gannon. Washington, Feb. 11.—Representa tive Godwin is making a strong pull for public buildings at Lumberten, Dunn and Southport. He introduced bills today for $10,000 for r. building at Lumberton, which had $18,209 post al receipts last year, and $115,000 for site and building at Dunn, which had postal receipts amounting to $12,609 last year. Lumberton has a site and Southport would erect its building at Fort Johnson. John A. Currie has been recom mended for postmaster at Lumber Bridge. Representative Godwin has two vs cancies at Annapolis and examina tior.s will be held in April. He has first and second alternate place to James C. McDnirmid, Jr., of Fayette ville. An examination will be held March 18. Representative Webb introduced bills today for captured German can non for Shelby, Lincolnton, Davidson College, the Deaf and Dumb school at Mo’-ganton and Gaston county.—H. E. C. Bryant in Charlotte Observer. $30,000 for Atlantic Christian College By the terms cf the will cf the late Mr. Charles N. Nurney the Atlantic Christian College of this city is the beneficiary of $30,000 subject; to an annual annuity of $600, payable $50 per month, to Mr. Numey’s sister, Mrs. Stephenson, of Norfolk. At her death the entire sum reverts to the college. In addition to this becjucs* he leaves $2,500 each to Misses Mar tha and Sudie Hackney. The Chris tian church receives $11,000 and Mr Dougins Hackney is named as admin istrator.—Wilson Times. STRICTLY BONE DRY POOLE SUGGESTS State-W ide Prohibition Measure of Superintendent Davis Starts in the House — Doughton Presents tha . Revenue Hill—Secretary Daniels \\ ill Speak to Joint Session Thurs day at Noon. (News and Observer, 12th.) Ethyl alcohol for medicinal use, wine for sacramental purposes and | cider for conversion into vinegu would be the only things of spiritu ous, fermented or intoxicating nature any person may have in North Caro olina if the strictly bone dry bill drawn by Superintendent R. L. Davis, of the Anti-Saloon League, becomes a law. The measure was introduced in the lower branch of the General Assembly yesterday by Represent.! Poole, of Montgomery. '1 he revenue bill was also intro duced yesterday by Governor Dough ton after it had been approved by the Finance Committee in a special meet ing at noon. Meeting at 2 o’clock with prayer by Rev. I). N. Caviness, the House worked for exactly an hour anl then adjourned out of sympathy f ir cotton conference which reconvened at three. Announcement was made by Mr. Mull, of the House Invitation Com mittee, that Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels would speak to a joint session ;f the General Assembly in the House Thursday at noon. At the instance of S -nator W. B. Coope\ of New Hanover, the House and Sen ate also passed yesterday a resolu tion inviting W. I*. G. Harding, gov ernor of the federal reserve system, to speak to a joint session of the Gen eral Assembly Friday. Thirty-two new bills were introduced in the lower branch yesterday including one by Representative l’harr to make the carnal knowledge of a married wo. man, knowing her to be such, a mis demeanor. House Accepts Amendment. On motion of Representative ‘1 - Coin, author of the bill, the House yes terday concurred in the Senate amend - ment to the legal advertising bill striking from the measure the pro vision that every publisher should file with the clerk of the court a sworn statement of his current commercial rate. Practically everything else passed yesterday either amended or repealed road laws in different coun ties and provided new means for highway maintenance—all of them local. As introduced by Governor Dough ton, after the approval of the com mittee, there are many changes in the revenue bill looking to raising more funds to operate the State govern ment on. Considerable alteration has been made in the inheritance tax reg ulations and in some instances privi lege taxes have been raised. The levy for State purposes will ha 11 2-3 cents and for the schools, con forming with the Bryant educational bill to provide a six months school term in every county, thirty-two cents with four cents for pensions. The equalization and building funds of the educational department are cared for in the thirty-two cent levy and the net increase for school pur poses is a fraction over three cents, or, in round numbers, about $325,000. More From Inheritance Taxes. Among the changes in the provi sions of the bill relating to the inher itance tax, the committee has adde<J one that will make stock owned by a resident of another State in a foreign corporation owning property in this State subject to the tax where the holding of the corporation here is in excess of fifty per cent of its total property. The Corporation Commis sion is given the right to employ spe cial agents or examiners to investi gate estates behind the reporting of executors and administrators and for the purpose three per cent of the in heritance tax is set aside. Provision is also made in the bill to allow clerks of the court, even where they are on a salary basis, to receive graduated j fees for collection of inheritance taxes. Exemption of $1 000 for unmarried and $1,500 for married persons is made in the income tax clause, the last apply ing to widows or widowers with child or children. The Gentleman. If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen t/f the world, and that his heart is no /island cut off from other lands, but a continent that joins to them. If he easily pardons and remits offences, it shows that his mind is planted above injuries, so that he can not be shot. If he be thankful fo” small benefits, it shows that he weighs men’s minds, and not their trash.— Bacon.