WALLACE PREDICTS
BETTER TIMES AHEAD
Secretary of Agriculture Is
Hopeful for Future of
American Farmer
Washington, Jan. 1.—The farmer
can inter the new year “in a spirit
of hopefulness and good cheer,” Sec
retary of Agriculture Wallace stated
today in a New Year's message to
Farmers.
nothing which indicates
for the farmers in the
he continued, “but there
o be promise of better
'or the farmer and for
business is largely de
him.”
Jling to make “any hard
f phecies,” the Secretary
re are signs which indi
i le coming year should
1< !■ <■ 1 ne for the farmer and
deal with him than was
t Hi
whr
1!
r th
the
r
u
C!
b
n
rj
tl
Pi
lil
pk
de
inj
far
ho]
is t
liopeful signs enumer
lecretary were the im
conditions through reg
and by special agencies
et the farmers’ needs,
i ering of interest rates;
iu ady made in freight
am products; reduction in
1 22 of producing farm
cobable increase in the
following what seems
decrease in acreage
crops.
ing effect of the sud
:es last year is wear
>e :retary declared, “and
irer the new year more
it dng that the wo st
nr
. IXJiStS ClSSIti
’d that t'nroug1
gan
stat
reduce costs.
icd.
this 'ney
will
deoa
varifl
which
they
sort c
crops
in the , rot
ng help from the
•riculture and the
•icultural colleges
er than before that
i farmer the same
marketing of his
* been giving him
SANFOtD \ M.A <1 IS ROBBED
Placed C'-r y : e Stocking Aft
er \> ' r.g L n House.
Sanforc J n. Mrs. Joe M.
Thomas, ; : 4.', livir. about a mile
east of Sa U. d, was locked uncon
scious and ro (! i - , 200 last night
about 7:30. K . d while com
ing to towi v of the crime
and to secui -la few min
utes after fh r ■ e 5 fired upon,
presumably «1 r, the bullet
passing close . o ■ ■ u\.
Mr. and M cere expect
ing to begir. i heir new
home in San 1 1. morning
and they had n over the
plans estimati. -.st, while the
wife had'spre. - om y out on
the table and t ov , -terWards
placing it in th > - md utting it
inside her stocl.ii in r. to her
leg. She then wer ( t< *\e chick
en house, as was m a each
night before ret o sr if the
chickens were sat
She had visited m h mst ind had
started for anoth ft, .: ( • t . stance
away, when some r. he did
not see struck he. ii he reast,
knocking her down Sh< amed
and knew nothing mot urul she
came to herself in 1 . She
did not know if the o'., was black
or white, and did i >; v if he
struck her with a s < , i v s, of
opinion that he used f t
Mr. Thomas was ti : in the
house reading when 1 ■ ‘t-rd his
wife scream, and rusl t b=-r aid.
He found her on the oun frying
to scream but unable t lake noise
and he picked her up a cair: 1 her
inside the house. Her stockm was
torn and the money go
Dr. Scott was summon i tnd
that Mrs. Thomas was s y
injured but exceedingly r. o.
the fright of her trying 4 er :,
Sheriff Landon Rosser >u n t
job within a few minuft
hounds from Raeford arr t
12 o’clock . But so far 1 i
has not been apprehended.—!^ ~
Observer.
. < •; ••
SIMPLIFY FORMS TO MAKE
RETURNS ON INCOME TAXES
Thirty-Five Freight Cars Will Be
Needed To Send Out New Forms.
Twenty Million Printed.
Washington, Jan. 1.—Drafting of
the new 1921 income tax return form
for incomes of $5,000 or less has been
completed by the tax simplification
board, of which J. H. Beal, of Pitts
burgh, is chairman, it was said to
night at the treasury.
The new forms, which are regarded
as much more simple and less con
fusing than those in use last year,
have gone to the printers and proba
bly will be ready for distribution
about January 15. From fifteen to
20 million copies of the new forms
are being printed and it is estimated
that 35 freight cars will be required
to send them to internal revenue col
lectors throughout the country.
Efforts to simplify form 1040—
which is the form used by the aver
age tax payer has resulted in reduc
ing the number of pages from six to
fo^r and in eliminating the block
system of- return utilized in 1920,
which was said to be confusing to the
great majority of tax payers who had
income from one or two sources. The
internal revenue bureau estimates 70
per cent of the persons using the $5,
000 form have income from only sal
aries and wages and possibly interest
and have few deductions to make
from that income.
The new form will require tax pay
ers to list on the first page the
amounts of income received from a
number of sources and then from the
total of these amounts to deduct the
amounts to which they are legally en
rhp balance beine the taxable
| net income.
Zr.a -BMnuti *<**'«•• At
tain information from persons receiv
ing income from specified sources,
such as - business earned on t." the
tax payer and the third and fourth
pages are devoted to instruction.
By reducing the the form to four
pages the board has eliminated the
duplicate, or “work-sheet” of the
1920 form but, it was explained if
tax payers wish to keep as copy of
their returns sufficient forms will be
available for duplicates to be obtain
ed.
Leprosy in New York.
New York, Dec. 30.—Eighty or 90
cases of leprosy are known to exist
in New York City, Dr. Royal S. Cope
land, city health commissioner, de
clared today when he produced a few
of what he called “practically non
contagious lepers” at a meeting of
physicians in the Health Department
building.
“Leprosy is much more prevalent
than is popularly known,” he said.
“Unfortunately, leprosy, as most >f
us know it, is confounded with the
Bible. Modern leprosy can only be
acquired by taking into your blood the
blood of a leper. So long as tl ere
are no open .gores, lepers are not to
be feared.”
Thirteen cases are kept isolated at
North Brother Island, he said, while
unconfirmed lepers are listed and
visited often enough by inspectors “so
we know society is amply protected.”
Today’s meeting was brought about
to acquaint members of the Health
Department medical staff and other
physicians with the signs and symp
toms of leprosy.—Philadelphia Rec
ord.
Germany and United States
Resume Diplomatic Relations.
Washington, Dec. 31.—Diplomatic
relations between Germany and the
United States were resumed officially
late today when Karl Lang, charge
d’affaires from Berlin government,
presente'd his letters of credence and
was received by Secretary Hughes.
Biddle University Suffers Loss.
Charlotte, N. C., Dec. 31.—A loss of
$100,000 was entailed in the destruc
tion by fire today of the Industrial
Building of Biddle University, main
tained by the Northern Presbyterian
hurch.
In the budding were valuable ma
terials and rt’or^s loss of which a'e
counted irreparable.
HOPE FOR FARP ERS
IS SEEN BY BAILEY
Warehouses and Credit Are
Needed to Bring Pros
perity to the Farmer
Washington, Jan. 1.—“The farmi
ers, interest are coming to the froJ
in North Carolina and in the nation,
said J. W. Bailey, of Raleigh, former
Collector of Internal Revenue for
North Carolina, who left today for
his home after a short visit here.
Asked as to the reasons for this con
clusion Mr. Bailey, who is a c.loa
student of men and affairs, said
things of much interest, along this
line, referring to other matters of
pertinent interest in the Slab and
the nation at this time.
Continuing along the line of his
-datement that farmers’ interests are
to have a premier place Mr. Bailey
sa d: ‘‘Our political questions are
destined to be of an agricultural char
ee'er for some time to come When
some month ago I sounded the alarm
as to the condition of farming, I was
denounced as a pessimist. I observe
now that the President of the United
States has also sounded an alarm on
the same subject, and has called a
National Conference to devise ways
and means of agricultural relief. Thi •
past week the Progressive Farmer of
Raleigh announced a Farmer’s Plat
form of considerable signicance.
Manifestly the farmers are going to
have a stronger and more definite
band in public matters from now on.
The Cooperative Marketing move
ment is a powerful evidence of this
determination to get on a little bet
ter footing. \
“Its success,” continued Mr. Bail*
. 1 on positive • -
rational aid—
I of .s'&nd'credit ‘tV
j :>e the no step. It will ■ c
! littli purpose to get 300/rfA, .
of tobacco or 400,000 bates >f > ton
‘signed up,’ unless warehouses for
storage and money for advances are
available. The present danger is that
our farmers will be persuaded that
cooperative marketing will assure
them good prices and will, therefore,
plant big crops. If so, and we have
favorable seasons, a big yield of cot
ton and tobacco will inevitably bring
the prices down, and next winter we
will be worse off than ever. -The
foundation of the marketing proposi
tion is a supply less than the demand.
Cooperative marketing cannot cure
the evil of over production of money
crops.
‘Very probably our farmers would
realize more money from an 8,000,
000 bale crop of cotton than from a
12 million bale crop. Cooperative
marketing with warehouses and cred
its will help when we have a reas
onably short supply; but over-produc
tion will destroy the movement. The
only way out is more food crops and
less money crops, with a co-operative
marketing system supported by ade
quate warehouses and ready credits.
This is the policy to pursue.
“The farmers were aroused from
their indifference by the revaluation
act,'” said Mr. Bailey. “They will
not go to sleep again—this side of a
general ‘look in’ into our politics.
You will see more farmers in the
next General Assembly than you have
in 20 years.
“President Harding evidently
knows that his party will lose out
in the West unless it shows its ca
pacity to relieve the agricultural de •
pression. This* and not the Wilson
League of Nations, or the Harding
League of Four Nations, is the first
test of his Administration. Just sc
the farmers in North Carolina are
looking to the Democratic party in
North Carolina to do all that can be
done to enable them to farm on a
paying basis.
“It is true,” he went on to say,
“that conditions in central North
Carolina are better than in most any
other part of the United States— or
the world. This, however, does not
mean that the people are prosperous
in central North Carolina—they arc
only relatively better off than others,
due to reasonably fair prices for cot
ton and tobacco, and comparatively
larger crop? cotton crop of some
800 000 ba. , \as nearly normal.
This rela pro icrity starts
out in the New tear mo<« fa.^rai
than a year ago could have been he i
ed.
. a ^——srrssii> .#
]
ORGANIZED A NEW
BANK IN SMITHFIELD
Mr. R. C. Gillett Is Elected
President; R. L. Fitzger
ald Vice-President
When the First National Bank and
The Citizens National Bank consoli
dated not long ago it was predicted
by many that there would soon be an
other bank to*piganize and open up
here. This ismeing done. A canvass
has been made and stock has been
taken for the new bank. Last Friday
an organization was effected. Mr. R.
C. Gillette was elected president
viii Mr. R. L. Fitzgerald as vice
president. The directors are: A. M.
Johnson, J. E. Woodall, John W.
Blackman, James D. Parker and W.
H. Flowers.
A directors meeting will be held
some time soon to elect a cashier and
attend to other business. The bank
has an authorized capital of fifty
thousand dollars. Mr. R. L. Fitzger
ald, who is vice-president of this
bank has had considerable experience
in banking. The name of this new
enterprise is The Farmers Bank and
Trust Company.
India Is Proclaimed Republic.
Washington, Jan. 1—India has been
proclaim'd a republic and the non
violence pol cy of Mahatma Ghandi,
who T as given dictatorial powers
last •vee>. by the all-India national
cor has b,een modified to per
m Violence fob “defense,” according
j 4 ublegram received today by
dra N. Ghose, director of the
* rican commission to promote self
ernment in India. As a further
•iSUrv f V;1 ' ‘ . ' Pi il
meat, ■•*<»» ,pt sa*d, »,-•••
j r-xIsHnif’boycott ha. been ox tended t
| <ndividi|n.is.
I The message to the Am- • :: ■ ont
niiSSfon, as given louigiu us *.j
follows:
“Republir declared. American mes
sage de-ided Armed de-enr-; sanc
tioned. Boycott extended io individ
a’s. Women ,md children sale.’
The “American message” referred
to was said to be that Signed by
Senators Norris, of Nebrasl a, and
Walsh, of Massachusetts, and a num
ber of other prominent publicists and
jurists, pledging American support to
the Indian ‘campaign for independ
ence.”
Industry, Economy and Thrift.
i It’s quite reasonable to suppose
that we can become prosperous if we
will work more and spend less. If
we spend less of what we make we
will have more than we have been
having lately. Industry, economy and
thrift are the true elements in pros
perity for every individual. —Wil
mington Star.
Property Transferred
Mr. E. F. Boyette has sold his resi
dence to Mr. John A. Johnson who ex
pects to move there this week. Mr.
Boyette will move to a place about a
mile and a half north of Smithfield
which was formerly owned and occu
pied by Mr. George Moore.
“The world-wide depression is not
over.*, In November, 1920, they told
us to wait for 1921. In January, 1921
they told us things would be better
in the spring; in the spring they told
us the turn of the tide would come
in August. In August they told us to
wait for the New Year. Now they tell
us that 1923 will see the return >f
prosperity. There was a great liqui
dation in 1921. We are much better
off for that. We have gotten used to
the depression in 1921. We are much
better off for that. We should set
out hopefully in 1922. The time to
take losses, pay debts, and start
afresh under known conditions is at
hand. The first to do this will be
the first to profit by it. We will not
get out of our condition until we quit
all our extravagances, personal and
public. These are the real remedies.
Those who are spending are making
it all the harder for those who would
save. And high taxes are discourag
:rg many from saving. The argu
ent is, if you don’t spend it your
If the government will spend it for
you.”—Edward E. Britton, in News 1
and Observer.
ISSUES STATEMENT ON
FILING OF INCOME TAX
Taxpayers Advised to Lose No Time
In Making Out Their Returns;
March 15, 1922 Last Day.
Internal Revenue Collector Gillani
Grissom, through District Deputy
Fred T. Tucker, of this district, has
issued the following statement on the
filing of income tax returns:
“With the approach of the period
for filing income tax returns—Janu
ary 1 to March 15, 1922,—taxpayers
are advised to lose no time in the
compilation of their accounts for the
year 1921. A new and important pro
vision of the revenue act of 1921 is
that every person whose gross in
come for 1921 wrns $5,000 or over,
shall file a return, regardless of the
amount of net income upon which the
tax is assessed. Returns are requir
ed of every single person whose net
income was .$1,000 or over and every
married person living with husband
or wife whose net income was $2,
000 or over. Widows and widowers
and persons separated or divorced
from husband or wife, are regarded
as single1 persons.
“Net income is gross income, less
certain deductions for business ex
penses, losses, taxes, etc. Gross in
come includes practically all income
received by the taxpayer during the
year; in case of the wage-earner,
salaries, wages, bonuses and commis
sions; in the case of professional men,
all amounts l’eceived for professional
services; in the case of farmers, all
profits from the sale of farm prod
ucts and rental or sale of land.
“In the making of an income tax re
turn for the year 1921, every tax
payer should present himself the
following questions:
“What were your profits from your
business trade, profession or voca
tion ?
j Did you receive any u.u sr a
f tittiitt GtJpuoi'Ji ;
"Have you any property f r* -ni which
i mu Yt/u r t ive any income m
form of dividend or interest from
stocks or bonds?
“Did you receive any bonuses dur
ing the year?
“Did you make any profit on the
sale of stocks, bonds, or other proper
ty, real and personal?
“Did you act as a broker in any
transaction from which you received
commissions ?
“Are you interested in any part
nership or other firm from which you
receive any income?
“Have you any income from royal •
j ties or patents ?
“Have you any minor children who
are working?
“Do you appropriate, or have the
right to appropriate the earnings of
such children? If so, the amount must
be included in the return of income.
“Has your wife any income from
any source whatsoever? If so, it must
be included in your return or report
ed in a separate return of income.
“Did you receive any directors’
fees or trustees’ fees in the course
of the year?
“Did you hold any office in a benefit
society from which you receive in
come?
“Answers to all of these questions
are necessary to determine whether a
person has an income sufficiently
large to require that a return be filed,
and may be the means of avoiding
the heavy penalties imposed for fail
ure to do so within the time prescrib
ed.”—Wilmington Star.
Work of County Commissioners
The County Commissioners met in
regular monthly session yesterday.
Most of their work was to order the
payment of a few small bills. They
had a light day’s work. The follow
ing was passed:
Ordered that he auditor be instruct
ed to reduce the school tax in school
district number 3 in Cleveland town
ship to 12 1-2 cents on the hundred
dollars worth of property and thirty
seven and one-half cents on the poll
and to change the sheriffs receipts to
conform with this order.
Quit Spitting on Sidewalks.
Do you spit on the sidewalk ? Some
hundreds of you do; and it is a filthy
habit. There is a law against it, too;
a town law as well as the law of de
cency. If you are bound to spit, spit
in the gu+ter. Women must walk on
the sidewalks. Keep the sidewalks
clean.—Dunn Dispatch.
HENDERSON SUFFERS
GREAT LOSS BY FIRE
Three Story Prize House Is
Destroyed; Number Of
Buildings Damaged
Henderson, Jan. 1.—The first day
of the New Year in Henderson waB
marked by two disastrous fires, which
caused damage in the neighborhood
of $150,000. Fire early this morn
ing destroyed a garage, a store, and
two dwellings in the North Hender
son section, and tonight a blaze that
for a time threatened the entire city*
burned the three-story prize house of
the J. P. Taylor Tobacco Company,
a half million pounds of leaf tobac
co, four residences and did damage
to the Presbyterian church, the Vance
county court house and several other
residental structures. One fireman
is in a local hospital unconscious as
the result of a fall from a ladder.
Battling against a mass of flames
fanned by a stiff wind which show
ered myriads of sparks over a wide
territory .and started several other
fires, the firemen put up the most
heroic exhibition of fire fighting seer
here in many months, and confine<
the damage to the big prize hous>
and immediate vicinity. The wim •
was sweeping the flames directly to
ward the heart of the business dis
trict, and for a time it looked as i
this section of the city was doomed
The brick high school building ii
the path of the fire helped the fire
men and citizens in controlling th<
blaze.
How the blaze started has not beei
definitely determined, but the opin
ion prevails that a carelessly handler
match or cigarette by some irrespon
sih'f- party or parties in the prize
ho so without ant' -city originates
i. About e it '‘oel. the blaze wai
dis overed m the ?nd of the three*
stca.r 'toaeJ: Btru- mre . facing thi
k high school building. At thi
time the wind w:r blowing briskly
directly toward the high school. Sooi
the wooden building, containing 500,
000 pounds of leaf tobacco, property
of the J. P. Taylor Leaf Tobaccco
Qompany, was enveloped in flames,
made* furious by the driving wind,
which rained sparks over j . ver t
blocks of business and resident ■’
structures.
I he firemen, realizing the futility
of trying to save the prize house
and tobacco and the danger to other
structures from the wind, confined
their efforts chiefly to confining the
blaze to as small an area as possible.
The brick high school in the path of
the blaze acted as an obstruction and
was probably the biggest factor in
enabling the firemen to get the ser
ious situation under conti-ol. The
prize house was soon burned, togeth
er with the large quantity of tobacco,
entailing a loss of $100,000.
All windows of the high school
building facing the prize house were
broken by the heat and the interior
of several rooms were scorched and
damaged by water. Four cottages,
the property of J. W. Beck, just across
the street from the prizery, were
burned to the ground and several oth
er residential structures also caught
fire, but the flames were extinguish
ed before any extensive damaged had
resulted. »
In the meantime the great shower
of sparks was keeping citizens and
firemen busy extinguishing roof fires.
The residence of Dr. R. F. Harris,
the Presbyterian church, the Vance
county court house and one or two
more structures were ignited by
sparks, but the fires were conquer
ed before they had made any head
way. The residence of R. J. Suther
land, register of deeds, also caught
from sparks, and for a time was in
danger of destruction,, damage amount,
ing to about $500.
The damage to the high school
building is estimated at two or three
thousand dollars and the opening of
the school, scheduled for Wednesday,
may be delayed until necessary re
pairs to the interior and exterior can
be made. The total damage from the
big blaze, including the prize house
and tobacco, was roughly estimated
at more than $125,000.—News and
Observer.
It has been discovered that sun
flowers, also, make excellent food for
cattle. Have they tried milk
—Hamlet News-Messenger.