VOLUME 40
SMITHFIELD, N. C, TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1921
NUMBER 1
PRICE DECLINE
DURING DECEMBER
Most Marked in Agricultur
al Products—Coal Un
affected—Idleness
Washington, Jan. 2.—Further de
cline in prices coupled with increased
unemployment accompanied the coun
try’s continued progress in business
readjustment during December, ac
cording to the monthly review of
general business and financial condi
tions issued to-right by the federal
reserve board.
The price decline during the
month was placed at 8 1-2 per cent by
the board which added the observation
that the decrease in prices was main
ly confined to commodities which had
shown a decline previously rather than
an extension of price cutting to other
industries.
The decline was reported as most
marked in agricultural products, tex
tiles, hides, leather and iron and steel
products, while coal, petroleum, gaso
line, paper, brick and cement remain
ed largely unaffected. Some reduc
tions were reported in the open mar
ket in the latter group of commodi
ties the board said, but contract prices
appeared to be at the same level as in
earlier months.
Reduced business activity, the
board stated, cut operations in many
lines from 40 per cent to 75 per cent
of normal and brought accompanying
unemployment. The shrinkage of de
mand, the board reported, also was
responsible for wage cuts running as
high as 25 per cent in some lines.
Business in wholesale and mtnfi
factuiing lines was reported inrt/i
■•'V- ^j—
lem
rjji
:v|e
at a nlnimuiWp‘j*W«"e
it prevalent, but signWsf im
lent are notod.
of the cotton crop has 'been
V/vested in the Atlanta district,! but
■ / being largely held, while fawners
f generally feel the effect of 16w prices.
Other markets in the district are quiet
and coal production has increased,
and lower prices of pig iron have not
produced any great amount of busi
i ness.
Throughout the cotton belt rains
' have delayed picking to some extent,
"while ir. some sections farmers are re
ported to be abandoning cotton be
cause of the decline in price and the
relative scarcity of pickers, togeii
; er with the high wages demand*!.
There has been considerable deter
i ioration in the quality of tbe lint, due
, to the wet weather, and the bulk of
i the ginning is reported to be grading
below middling.
I A Western Nebraska subscriber,
preferring to an article on burning com
which appeared in Wallaces’ Parmer
of October 22, says that in that coun
try they believe it is cheaper to burn
corn than to bay coal.
We can see that this might be quite
true in a country where freight on
Bdth com and coal is high. As indi
cated in the previous article, how
ever, the only experiments of which
we have any knowledge seem to show
that a ton of coal is worth almost
two tons of com as fuel. These ex
periments were conducted by the Ne
braska experiment station, the me
thod being to bum the coal and eoni
in a boiler and note the amount of
water evaporated by each .
Possibly under farm conditions com
might be relatively more valuable
for fuel. There is no reason why
farmers living in localities where
coal is very high and com very cheap
should not make some experiments
on their own account under farm
conditions, and use com for fuel in
case they find it to be cheaper.—
Wallaces’ Farmer.
Quiet New Year at White House
Because of the President’s illness
there was no White House reception
on New "hear Day. Members of the
cabinet, however, held open house.
Secretary and Mrs. Daniels gave one
of the largest receptions incident*!
to the ush ring in of the New Year
A number f North Carolinians, in
cluding the ons of the Secretary an!
Mrs. Daniels, who are spending tbe
holidays at hov e, were in attendance
Burning Corn
A section of the Marine band play
ed throughout the afternoon.
I. D. PARKER SLATED FOR JOB
Picked to Succeed United States
Marshall George H. Bellamy;
Still Some Doubt
Washington, Jan. 1.—Based upon
information furnished by leading Re
publicans who have been in Washing
ton the past two weeks and others
who have been interviewed in the
State during the holidays, this cor
respondent is enabled to present ex
clusively the following slate of ap
pointees to Federal positions in North
Carolina under the next administra
tion with the assurance that “the
powers that be” have agreed on the
lost except where otherwise stated:
Gilliam Grissom, of Greensboro, sec
retary of the Republican State exe
cutive committee, will be recommend
ed to succeed J. W. Bailey as Collect
or of Internal Revenue.
Irvin B. Tucker, of Whiteville, will
be recommended to succeed E. F. Ayd
lett, of Elizabeth City, as United
States Attorney for the Eastern Dis
trict of North Carolina.
Frank A. Linney, of Boone, will be
recommended to succeed Stonewall
Jackson Durham as United States
Attorney for the Western District of
North Carolina.
J. D. Parker, of Smithfield, will be
recommended for United States Mar
shal, Eastern District to succeed Col.
George H. Bellamy, of Wilmington.
Brownlow Jackson, of Henderson
ville, will be recommended for United
States Marshall, Western District, to
succeed Charles A. Welsh, of Ashe
ville.
R. W. Ward, of Ralegh, will be
named Postmaster for the Capital
City td succeed Bart M. Catling, De
mocratic incumbent.
The Appointment of J. D. Parker,
of Smilin'United J^tes Mar
not been finally-settled up^md the
same thing is true about thefselection
of R. W. Ward, of Raleigh tor the
post office. There are contingencies
and here they are and how they came
about.
Tucker’s
announcement that he
would take the District Attorneyship
in the East eliminated J. D. Parker,
late opponent of Congressman E. w!
Pou, from consideration for this place
and made him a contender with Ward
for the Marshalship. Ward agreed
to step down and out for his friend
Parker provided Mrs. E. Carl Duncan,
of Raleigh, wife of the former Na
tional Committeeman, did not want
the place of postmaster at Raleigh.
It is understood that she dees not
and. if this is true Parker will be
Marshal and Ward postmaster. If
Mrs. Duncan wants the postmaster
ship, Ward and Parker will have to
fight it out with the chances favor
ing Parker.
Barring these eventualities, the
slate stands confirmed as it will '%e
presented to President-elect Harden
soon after he takes office.—R. E. Pi,to1
ell in News and Observer. ^
Mrs. MacSwiney S*U8/for Home
New York, Jan. l.-f-Mrs. Murie
MacSwiney, widow of the late Lore
Mayor of Cork, sailed away fron
America today carrying to Eamonr
de Valera, "president of the Irish re
public,” a message that “all is well’
among the sympathizers with his
cause in this country.
This message to the Sinn Fein
leader was sent by (his secretary,
Harry Boland, who announced yes
terday that his “chief” had landed in
Brin to direct the Irish fight for in
dependence, after spending 15 months
in this country.
Several hundred Irish sympathizers
surrounded Mrs. MacSwiney as she
entered the pier to go on board the
steamship Panhandle State, bearing
aloft the three striped banners of the
Irish “republic.”
New York’s fighting 69th regiment
band serenaded her, and the crowd
sang Irish airs.
California Canning Record
a
San Ftanciseo, California—Wit
production of canned fruit and vege
tables last year valued at $108,096,
675, California’s canning industry
overtops that of any other state in
the Union, and her total pack equals
if not exceeds, the packs of all other
states combined. Only petroleum,
with a p^du -tion of $133,000,000 in
1919, brings more wealth to Califor
nia than the; canning industry.—The,
Christian Science Monitor. ;
MR. W. R. LONG DIES
AFTER DAY’S ILLNESS
Succumbs Sunday Evening
To Heart Trouble—An
Effect of Influenza
The community was inexpressibly
shocked and grieved Sunday night,
when it learned that Mr. W. R. Long,
one of the town’s most prominent
citizens had suddenly expired. For
some months Mr. Liong |iad ibeen
aware that his heart had been left
in a weakened state, by a severe at
tack of Influenza. But he had ap
parently improved considerably, and
arose Sunday morning, feeling well,
and in particularly cheerful spirits.
Attending the the customary duties
about the home, he went into the
kitchen where Mrs. Long was arrang
ing for breakfast and told her that
he felt bad. His condition rapidly
grew worse, and at times during the
day his suffering was intense. Every
means that medical science could sug
gest was used by the attending
physicians to afford relief, and to
prolong his life. But nothing availed.
His hour of release had come, and as
the shadows of night were falling, his
spirit quietly passed away.
William Ransom Long was bom in
this county 59 years ago. His father
was a leading business man of Cas
well county, and his mother was Miss
Laura Sanders, of Johnston.
He was left an orphan in early child
hood, and was reared in the home of
his paternal grandfather in Yancey
ville.
In early nfianhood, Mr. Long cama
ly in farming on the famous White
Oak farm. But about 20 years ago he
moved here, where he has since been
in the mercantile business. He was an
incorporator of the Austin-Stephen
son company, a partner of the
Austin-Long Mule company, and a
business man of the highest integrity.
He was modest and retiring in dispo
sition, gentle, courteous and sympa- j
thetic in all his dealings with his
teilowmen. He was a consistent mem
ber of the Presbyterian church. He
was married to Miss Kittie Sanders,
laughter of the late Mr. Lucien San
ders of this county, in February 1885
and his home life was ideal in its
mutual devotion and happiness.
Besides his wife, Mr. Long is sur
vived by an only sister, Mrs. W. M.
Sanders, of Smithfield.
Tile funeral service will take place
this morning at 11 o’clock at the
residence on Second street, Rev. Mr.
McGeachy, of Oakland Presbyterian
church and Rev. Mr. Tuttle of Cen
tenary Methodist church officiating.
The interment will be in the old
“mithfield cemetery.
Wou*.
Atla
f
ake Liberty
Tender
Bonds Legal
a, Ga., Jan. 1.—Thomas E.
Watson United States senator-elect
from Borgia, announces in a copy
righted statement to be published in
The Atlanta Constitution Sunday,
that a. the extra session of the 67th
CongCfss he will introduce a bill to
make liberty and Victory bonds and
other government war paper legal
tender
^Watson has announced plans
or Producing bills to force the fed
eserve and farm loan banks to
end money directly to individuals
and to require the secretary of the
treasury to issue the greenbacks au
* . rzed by a bill signed by President
. lncoln. The total of these author
!zed but unissued greenbacks, accord
*n^to the senator-elect, is $102,000,
000
—Cliarlotte Observer.
"A
eymoon in Chinese Wilderness
^onstance Cleveland Robertson,
P™fminent New York society girl, who
P? ^February, will become the bride of
”aYward Cutting, of New York, a*ia
*Pr| and war hero, and is planning to
nd her honeymoon in the wilds of
na. She will accompany her hus
nd, who is a member of the explo
sion expedition headed by Roy C.
ndrews, of the Museum of Natural
istory, into the depths of the Man
hurian desert .in search of skulls and
ones of the ever-sought missing link.
The expeditions plans to spend five
r-ears it China.—Greensboro News.
JOHNSTON COTTON
ASSOCIA’N MEETING
The Annual Meeting Will
Be Held Next Saturday
Will Elect Officers
The Johnston County branch of the
American Cotton Association will hold
its annual meeting at the court house
at Smithfield, Saturday, January 8th,
at 12 m.
The object of the meeting is to
elect officers for the year and to elect
delegates to the state convention at
Raleigh, January 13th, at which meet
ing there are important issues to be
voted on by these county delegates.
The things to be eonisdered at the
State Convention are: acreage reduc
tion by signing pledges; an export
corporation to sell cotton direct to
Europe. This work is to be done in
time to sell the remainder of last
year’s crop and to get ready for this
years production.
It is urgent that every cotton asso
ciation member be present, also those
who are interested in this work, at the
county meeting. Now is the time to
act and the farmers themselves are
the ones to do the acting.
S. T. LILES, President.
A. M. JOHNSON, Sec.-treas.
Public Expenditures
Members of congress and of the
\arious state legislatures are in for
an uncomfortable time this winter. On
the one hand there will be the insist
ent demand from the taxpayers that
expenses of government, state and na
tional, must be reduced. On the other
Jjand will come the showing from the
^rious state and national insftitu
ftitrond Tirtrsir Vtr
considerably increased, if these in
stitutions are to be maintained.
So Tar as the national government
is concerned there is plenty of room
for a reduction in expenditures. There
are still in Washington some forty
or fifty thosand clerks and govern
ment employes of one sort and an
other who are hang-overs from war
conditions. A good many millions
of dollars can be saved by sending
these folks back into productive en
terprises. A good many millions can
eb saved by cutting down appropria
tions for government activities which
are no longer needed.
But when we come to consider state
matters there will be a different
story. State expenditures were not
disproportionately increased during
the war. In fact, in the various state
institutions, and especially in our ed
ucational institutions, salaries and
other expenses were kept altogether
too low. Since the war there has been
a great increase in the number of
students at these various institutions
and they have been hard put to it to
know how to take care of them, es
pecially when the faculty was being
depleted, steadily by the1 withdrawal
of highly competent teachers, who
could no longer afford to work for the
salaries paid and were driven to ac
cept attractive offers from commerc
ial concerns, even where they would
much prefer to remain in education
al work.
Members of the various state leg
islatures should not wait until the
sessions open before beginning to in
form themselves as to the condition
of the state finances and the state
needs. They should get in touch with
the proper people and begin to study
this matter at once. They can not
hope to do the right thing by the peo
ple of the state unless they inform
themselves. We have no doubt that a
careful study of the various state
enterprises would disclose the fact
that some of them might very proper
ly be eliminated, but that others must
have considerable additional money
in order to render the service we ex
pect of them. The people of the state
have the right to expect that the men
whom they have honored by election
to the legislature shall put in their
time informing themselves on state
affairs and thus be able to legislate
from actual knowledge.—Wallaces’
Farmer.
“Education begins the gentleman,
but reading, good company, and re
flection must finish him.”—Locke.
“At this day, as much company as
I have kept, and as much as I love
it, I love reading better.”—Pope.
CLAYTON NEWS
Clayton, Jan. 1.—Mr. Irving Gow
er left last night for Charlotte after
spending the holidays here with his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Gower.
Rev. and Mrs. A. O. Moore return
ed yesterday from a visit to Mrs.
Moore’s parents at Scotland Neck.
Mr. and Mrs. M. H. W’ooten, of
Warsaw were the guests of Mr. and
Mrs. Charles Gulley during the holi
days.
Mrs. Lois Bass and Miss LaRue
Williams attended the Fitzgerald
Massey wedding at Princeton Tuesday
of last week.
Mrs. H. P. Yelverton and little
daughter, Jane Hall, of Wilson are
spending some time with Mrs. J. F.
Hall near town.
Prof. J. L. Duncan, of Mebane has
been spending the holidays here.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Turley and
family have been spending the holi
days at Oxford.
Miss Theo Wooten of Richmond is
spending the holidays here with her
sister, Mrs. C. T. Gulley.
Mr. Weisner Farmer, who spent the
holidays here has returned to Dar
lington, S. C. ,to begin work.
Miss Ruth Andrews, of Benson is
the guest of Mrs. Glenn Pope this
week-end.
We are glad to learn that in the
course of a few weeks we will have
another Jewelry Store. Mr. Bryant,
of Apex who has been in the business
for several years has rented the new
store joining the Clayton Banking
Co.
Mrs. Willie Boyett, of Wilson is
visiting Mr. and Mrs. A. Sam White.
Mr. Leamon Jones has accepted a
position with Mr. J. D. Smith for the
coming year.
Mrs. Mozelle Huste has gone t
Rex Hospital to train for a nurse. She
entered upon her new duties today.
‘ —■ ar- , - - A
The New PresideA’s Problems
This situation is not an easy one.
Serious labor troubles have been
breaking out in various parts of
Mexico, -the worst of them in the sea
port towns; and the closing down of
the silver mines, due to the rapid de
cline in the price of the metal, is ad-,
ding to the ranks of the unemploy
ed. It will require Ja strong and
wise man, also, to straighten out the
difficulties as to the ownership and
operation of the oil-fields in such a
manner as to satisfy Mexican nation
alists and at the same time to leave
the United States and Great Britain
content. If President Obregon is
anything like the able and high-mind
ed personality portrayed in recent ar
ticles by Dr. E. J. Dillon, there is a
fair chance that Mexico may emerge
from her troubles. Secretary Colby's
letter to Mr. Pesquiera, made public
in the last week of November, looks
hopeful as to a settlement of the vex
ed question of Article XXVII of the
new Constitution of Mexico, dealing
with nationalization of oil-fields.
This provision had been interpreted
in many quarters as a preparation
for the confiscation of existing hold
ings of citizens of the United States
and of Great Britain. Secretary Col
by expressed himself as satisfied that
there had been misunderstanding and
that nothing in the supposedly omi
nous clause need be interpreted as
providing for ex post facto proceed
ings or* for the violation of any pro
perty rights attaching to citizens of
the United States.—Review of Re
views.
Hospital at Biltmore Burned
Clarence Barker Memorial Hospital
at Biltmore was partially destroyed
by fire Sunday morning. The origin
of the fire is undetermined. The nur
ses worked heroically to save the pa
tients.
The hospital was erected by the
late George W. Vanderbilt as a mem
orial to Clarence Barker. It was recent
ly deeded over to a board of trustees
of which Charles E. Waddel, consult
ing engineer of this city, is president.
Among the group of persons who
watched the central section convert
ed rapidly into ashes were Mas. Van
derbilt and Miss Cornelia Vanderbilt,
widow and daughter of the donor,
visibly affected by the loss of this
gift, in which all Biltmore took keen
pride.
The decline in prices seems to have
hit everything but what a person
really grants to buy.—Richmond
Times-Dispatch.
HEAVY PROGRAM
BEFORE CONGRESS
Tariff Comes Up This Week
—international Disarma
ment—Other Bills
Washington, Jan. 2.—Congress to
morrow will start its New Yeair’s
work with a formidable program for
the 52 working days remaining be
fore sine die adjournment, March 3,
the congestion, as usual, is on the
Senate side, House activity being con
centrated on completion of the an
nual appropriation bills, with the sun
dry civil budget under debate and the
postoffice bill on the waiting list.
Tariff revision is to an important
matter this week before both Senate
and House. Senator Penrose, of
Pennsylvania, chairman of the Sen
ate finance committee, plans to re
turn to the Senate tomorrow, after a
year’s absence, and with members of
his committee, begii consideration of
the emergency tariff bill passed re
cently by the House. Hearings on gen
eral tariff revision planned during the
extra session after March 4 will begin
1 hursday before the House ways and
means committee and continue indefi
nitely.
The Senate foreign relations com
mittee will hold a special session to
morow to consider international dis
armament. It will take up the reso
lution of Senator Borah, Republican,
of Idaho, proposing a request upon
the President to initiate negotiations
with Great Britain and Japan toward
an agreement for a fifty per cent cut
in nay^} buildings for a term of years.
Th$ committee will consider a resolu
tion by Senator Walsh, Democrat, of
Montana, proposing that the Presi
dent be asked to appoint an American
represents with the dis
armament committee of>the League
of Nations. Senator Hitchcock, of Ne
braska ranking Democrat on the com
mittee will ask to have Senator Walsh
appear before the committee. Demo
crats are disposed to favor Senator
Walsh’s plan, but have not indicated
hostility to that of Senator Borah.
Open hearings by the committee are
not contemplated and early action is
expected.
Emergency immigration legislation
is to be taken up tomorrow by the
Senate immigration committee, which
will begin hearings on the House bill
to prohibit virtually all immigration
for ten months. Representative John
son, Republican, Washington, chair
man of the House immigration com
mittee, is expected to be the first wit
ness and Representative Siegel, Re
publican, New York, and other op
ponents of the bill also will be heard
at an early date. The committee has
a long list of witnesses, but plans to
conclude its hearings within a week
or ten days. It has pending several
bills to establish percentage reduc
tion in immigration as a substitute
for complete prohibition.
Final action on the bill to revive
the War Finance Corporation design
ed to aid agricultural interests is ex
pected this week. The bill now is
before President Wilson and if ve
toed an effort is planned to pass the
measure despite executive disapprov
al. Advocates of the bill claim to
have the necessary two-thirds major
ity in both House and Senate.
Big Plans For Lake Junaluska
Bishop James Atkins, Rev. George
R. Stuart, Mr. Stockham and Mr.
Deitrich of Birmingham, J. R. Pepper
of Memphis, Bishop James Cannon of
Richmond with B. J. Sloan of Way
nesville met at Lake Junaluska Tues
day for the purpose of selecting sites
for two new buildings at the Lake to
replace the Administration building
which was recently burned.
Besides these a large Sunday school
building and a large Missionary
building will be erected this coming
spring. About ten cottages are al
ready under construction and before
another summer more than $250,000
will be spent at the Southern Metho
dist Assembly grounds there. A new
concrete bridge is being built now
across the big dam.-rCarolina Moun
taineer and Weynesville Courier.
A Low Trick
Just when we are .beginning to
think we can make bout ends meet
some gtuMaines along *lnd mover'tbe