North Carolina Newspapers

VOLUME 41 SMITHFIELD, N. C., FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1922 NUMBER 12 W. H. AUSTIN HEAD , COTTON FARMERS Directors Take Steps Trans fer the Organization to Permanent Officers W. H. Austin, of Smithfield, is 1 president, and B. 0. Townsend, of Dunn, is secretary-treasurer of the | North Carolina Cotton Growers’ Co operative Association. The election of officers took place at the first meet- ; ing of directors which was held here : yesterday in the offices of the Depart- j ment of Agriculture. Aaron Sapiro, of California, who was advising with the directors in the various steps for the transfer of the temporary organization over to the permanent officers explained in detail the various features of the articles of incorporation and the by laws. Several minor changes were found to be necessary because of lo cal conditions. The matter of financing the asso ciation on probably a ten million dol lar basis will be left with the ex ecutive committee, together with the employment of assistants. After a session continuing from 10:30 yester day morning until 5:30 in the after noon, the directors adjourned. The members of the executive committee however were in session last night. In addition to W. H. Austin, presi dent, and B. 0. Townsend, secretary treasurer, the directors elected R. W. Christian, of Manchester, vice president and Dr. G. M. Pate, Ray ham, member of the executive com mittee, other members of which are the officers. The directors attending the meet yesterday were: First district, W. H. Joyner, Garys burg; Second district, W. W. Eagles, Tarboro; Third district, H. B. Staton, Bethel; Fourth district, not pre sented; Fifth district, W. II. Austin, Smithfield; Sixth district, B. O. Townsend, Dunn; Seventh district, R. W. Christian, Manchester; Eighth district, Dr. G. M. Pate, Rayham; Ninth district, A. A. McEachern, Red Springs; Tenth district, L. D. Rob erts, Wadesboro. At the meeting of the organiza tion committee of the cotton asso ciation last night, D. W. Patrick, of Greene county, Snow Hill, was ad judged director from the Fourth dis trict. The action of the committee settled a contest over the election between Mr. Patrick and H. E. Mose ley, both of whom are prominent farmers and business men of the district.-—News and Observer. TREASURY SCENE OF SPECTACULAR BLAZE Washington, Feb. 8.—Blazing scaf folding and repair materials, accom panied by the explosion of a barrel of kerosene, on the roof of the treas ury building threatened the structure for half an hour late today until the fire was brought under control with nearly every engine company in the down town section in action. A blue print laboratory and a small con tractor’ shack on the roof were de stroyed. Treasury officials estimated that damage was slight, but no figure on the loss from fire and water was available tonight. Thousands of afternoon shoppers were attracted by dense clouds of smoke pierced by high flames thrown up when blaze reached a supply of tar and tar paper. The millions of dollars of nation’s treasure stored in the building were • guarded by a cordon of United States marines and secret service men. GOVERNOR HAS BIG JOB TO'SIGN BONDS RALEIGH, Feb. 7.—Forty-five hundred bonds of $1,000 denomina tion each will await the signature of Governor Morrison when he returns to Raleigh tomor-row from Washing ton. These bonds are of the last series sold by the state, and the gov ernor must sign each one separately. It is a job requiring several days. The last bonds were signed in New York andthe governor used a ma chine which enabled him to sign his name eight times at one stroke. The state lacks such a machine, how ever so the executive must make his signature on each bond before they can be sold to the buyers in Ne-.v York.—Brock Barkley in Charlotte Observer. RAIFORD R. WHITLEY IS MADE DIRECTOR ASSOCIATION Wendell Man Unanimously Chosen Ninth District Tobacco Director. At a convention held in the city | court room yesterday by six del-3- j grates from Johnston county and 14 j from Wake, Mr. R. B. Whitley, of J Wendell, was unanimously elected di rector to represent these two coun ties on the board of directors of t he North Carolina Tobacco Growers’ Co operative Association. A caucus of the Wake county dele gates was held before the convention and the names of several candidates were considered, and it ,was decided j to support Mr. Whitley. The Johns- j ton county delegates were for him to | a man. Mr. E. B. Crow, of the Com- i mercial National Bank, said of Mr. Whitley: “In the selection of Mr. Whitley the tobacco growers of this district have in my opinion, added more strength to the movement for co operative marketing than any one single move they could have made. He is a man who is conservative, care ful and yet progressive. The very fact that he has consented to accept the position shows his confidence in, the movement, and will cause many who have so far not signed the con tract to come in.” Dr. J. Y. Joyner said when told of Mr. Whitley’s election: “I have known Mr. Whitley for years, and know him to be a sound, conservative busi ness man. I am heartily glad he was elected.” Dr. Clarence Poe, A. W. Swain, and Dr. B. W .Kilgore, all the mem bers of the organization committee who were in the city yesterday en dorsed the action of t he conven tion. It was the consensus of opinion of practically everyone who express ed an opinion that if the board of directors measured up to the stand ard of the director from the 9th dis trict, the success of the movement was assured.—News and Observer, of February 8th. FLAGMAN SHOWS COOLNESS Ties Bed Clothes Together and Climbs Out of Hotel Window To Safety Richmond, Va., Feb. 7.—J. E. Scott, flagman on the Atlantic Coast Line Railway, whose home is at Rocky Mount, N. C., kept a cool head when he found himself trapped in the Lex ington Hotel when it caught fire ear ly today. While other guests were screaming for help and jumping from windows, he calmly tied bedclothes together and let himself down to safety from the third floor without mishap. He was awakened soon aft er 4 a. m. when flames were bursting through the door of his room. MRS. MARY HANCOCK DEAD Passed Away Wednesday Morning at the Home of Her Daughter, Mrs. T. S. Ragsdale. A sad death occurred in our city Wednesday morning when Mrs. Mary J. Hancock passed away at the home of her daughter, Mrs. T. S. Ragsdale. For more than a year she had been in feeble health and for several weeks past she was confined to her bed. She died at 6 o’clock a. m. Just with the awakening life of a new day, she went to sleep like a tired child. She was conscious until the end came and talk ed with her daughters who were with : her. The deceased is survived by five daughters and 1 son, Mrs. Ragsdale of this city, Mrs. E. C. McCarty, of At lanta, Ga., Mrs. H. C. Pittman, of Snow Hill, Mrs. O. O. Jackson, of Plymouth, Mrs. W. F. Dunn, of New Bern and Hugh Hancock, of Washing ton. All of her daughters were here when she died. The remains were carried to New Bern where Mrs. Hancock lived until about three months ago. The funer al was held yesterday afternoon at 3 o’clock from Centenary Methodist church, of which church she was a member. The service was conducted by Rev. W. V. McRae, pastor of the church. The deceased was in her 59th year. She was preceded to the grave a few years ago by her husband, W. H. i Hancock. The sorrowing ones have the sympathy of the community in j their bereavement. SIX PERSONS DEAD j IN RICHMOND FIREj — Flames Cut off AH Avenues of Escape for Frenzied Guests; 13 Missing Richmond, Va., Feb. 7.—Six known J dead, 33 reported missing, or unac- j counted for and 28 known injured, 14 of whom are believed to be fatally hurt, is the toll of the fire which swept over an area of half a city block here early this morning, des troying the Lexington hotel and sev eral other buildings and entailing a loss variously estimated at from $250,000 to $500,000. The fire was discovered at 4:10 o’ clock this morning in the hotel and rapidly spread to adjoining estab lishments. Other buildings destroyed or gutted were the Pearl Laundry, the plant of Clyde W. Saunders, printers, the Savings Bank of Rich mond, Branch, Cabell and Company, and E. R. Lafferty and Company, and the Co-operative Producers’ Ex change. Twenty-two patients are at one hospital, the Virginia, three are at the Memorial, two at the Johnston Willis, and one at the Grace hos pitai. Seventy-two guests were registered at the hotel. Smoke from the stairs of the basement gave the first warn ing of th fire to T. D. Frey, night clerk, who sounded an alarm. Sum moning the fire apparatus, he return ed to the hotel and aroused many guests. Improvements were being made in the building. The telephone switch board had been disconnected to per mit new installations and the ele vator had not been operated in sev eral weeks. There was no opportun ity to warn those occupying the rooms on the upper floors. Fanned by a draught in the tempo rarily abandoned elevator shaft, the fire leaped toward the roof. In a moment the five avenues of escape— a front, center and rear staircase and two fire escapes at front and rear—were cut off. Guests rushed from their rooms to find the dimly lighted hallways and corridors filled with smoke. The stairs were pits of flame, roaring upward through the •i mi-darkness. A few found time to seize blankets and other wraps, but the majority were clad only in their night cloth ing. The windows of the hotel were filled with frenzied guests climbing outward on the sills to escape the creep of the flames and crying for help. Richmond, Va., Feb. 8.—The scratching of their pet Maltese cat on the bath room door doubtless saved the lives of Mrs. Laura Green Dan iels and her daughter, Miss Drusilla Daniels, both hailing from Raleigh, N. C., when they were trapped on the fourth floor of the Lexington Hotel in the fire which gutted that estab lishment early yesterday. But for the timely warning which enabled them to make their exit without serious mishap they were of the opinion to day that they would have been burn ed to death. E. M. Carter, of Raleigh reported as among the missing turned up safe today, the police reported. Police said tonight that tfhe number of persons unaccounted for had been reduced to thirteen. It was said at Memorial Hospital tonight that Jos. Overton, of Nash ville, N. C., reported to be suffering ! from a probable fracture of both ■ legs, had in reality only a fracture ! of one knee cap. Both knees, how i ever, were severely bruised and lac erated. J. B. Rogerson, of Vaughn, i N. C., received emergency treatment * at Virginia Hospital for a slight in i jury to his hip. Charles Goodman, j formerly of Greensboro, suffered a laceration of one hand in going ! down a rope from a window. He was also treated at Virginia Hospital. Last Lyceum Attraction. Next Wednesday evening at eight o’clock at the opera house, the last Lyceum attraction of the season, will be presented by “The Artists Trio.” ; Three young ladies will give the en ! tertainment which will consists of ■ music, vocal and instrumental, read ings and other features calculated to make the time pass swiftly and pleasantly. FARM BLOC WINS OUT IN SENATE! House Cooperative Market ing Bill Passes by a Vote Of 58 to 1 Washington, Feb. 8.—The House co-operative marketing bill,a meas- I ure designed to aid the agricultural | interests and pressed by the farm j bloc, was passed by the Senate late ; totday. Only one vote, that of Sen ator Gerry, Democrat, of Rhode Is land, was cast against the measure. Two other Senators, Brandegee, Rep., of Connecticut, and King, Dem ocrat, of Utah, were paired against the measure and withheld their votes. The vote was 58 to one and the Sen ate’s action was regarded by some as the most sweeping of the victories yet attained bythe farm bloc, since in accepting the House bill, the Sen ate overrode its own judiciary com mittee which had reported a substi tute measure. The substitute was defeated 56 to four. The bill now' goes to conference for adjustment of differences with the House. As passed by the Senate, the bill retains the provisions, which relievo the co-operative associations from the application of laws prohibiting trusts or unfair business practices, placing the authority to determine when such acts have been committed with the Secretary of Agriculture. The Senate substitute would have made the associations amenable to the present laws and it was around this point that de.bate revolved in the week the subject was before the Senate. During the closing hours of de bate today, reference was made to the bloc’s power. This brought from Senator Norris, Republican, of Ne braska, the statement that he had Kurd the bill had administration support. ' “It is the first time in many months that the majority has come over to my side,’' he added. “It happens so almight seldom that I feel I must make note of it. Maybe the administration is behind this bill. If that is so, then I am glad they have come over into the same wagon with me. Whether they come because of me or in spite of me, I do not know, but I welcome them here ” The most important of the amend ments accepted by the Senate was one providing “that the associations shall not deal in products of non members to an amount greater in value than such as are handled by it for members.” This, it was explained, makes it impossible for co-operative associa tion to be “stolen” by a group of in dividuals who merely by declining to admit new members resolve them selves into a closed corporation. Without the amendment, the group would be able, according to Senators, to engage in competitive trade, buy ing other farmers’ products to an unlimited extent. The amendment limits any association in the handl ing of the commodities of non-mem bers so that what was described as a throttle of local business could not be obtained. Other important provisions of the bill prescribe that no member of an association may have more than one vote in directing its activities re gal dless of the amount of stock he holds, nor can any association pay dividends on stock or membership capital in excess of 8 per cent a year. With respect to the authority granted the Secretary of Agriculture j to control attemps to monopolize | or retrain trade, the bill provides ' that notice of charges of alleged violations must be served on the of j fending association and it must be I given an opportunity to defend itself. If found guilty of the charges, the Secretary of Agriculture may order ; the association to “cease and desist” j and in event of its failure to do so, | the case then may be referred to the ; Federal Courts for enforcement of the ; order and the filing of such decrees ‘ as the courts deem equitable.—News and Observer. Presbyterian Church. There will be regular preaching services at 11 a. m. and 7 p. m. Sun ! day school will be held at 10 a.m . The j public is cordially invited to all ol i these services. SMITH FI ELD WINS THREE BASKETBALL GAMES WED. Defeat Clayton Highs and Clayton ! Scrubs 45-13 and 39-20 Score: Girls Defeat Brogden. — Wednesday was Basketball Day in I Smithfield. In the afternoon the : Girls team of the Smithfield High j School defeated the Brogden team by j a 22-16 score. This is the first time Brogden has been defeated this year. The victory was caused by the good goal shooting of Sarah Patterson and the good gurading of Leone Sanders. A double -header was staged Wed nesday night. The Smithveld Highs smothered the Clayton highs by a 45-13 score. The game was slow and uninteresting on account of the Clay ton team being outclassed. Elling ton, E. Caudill, Stephenson and God win all scored over ten points each. The Scrubs defeated the Clayton scrubs by a 39-20 score. The star of the game was C. Stephenson who scored 16 points. On account of lack of space a full er account of the games cannot be given. Watch THE HERALD for fu ture games. SUPT. HIPPS ATTENDS SU PERINTEN DENT’S M EET1N G Supt. W. H. Hipps has been called by t,he State Superintendent, Dr. E. C. Brooks, to go to Greensboro on Friday of this week to serve with a committee composed of six city sup eri. icndents and six county superin tendents in formulating rules for gov ering the charging of tuition of chil dren living near the city schools of the State and who can more conven iently attend the city schools than the rural schools. The committee will report the result of their delib erations to the State Board of Edu cation immediately after the confer ence ends, and the rules adopted by the State Board will have the force of law for all the city schools of the State. Supt. Hipps, Supt. T. R. Foust of Guilford County and Supt. Frank A. Edmundson, of Avery county acted in a similar capacity for the State Board of Education last year. Two Stills From Near County Home. On Monday afternoon February (5, Messrs J. J. Batten, of Smitlffield an l R. L. Flowers, of Benson captured two whiskey stills near the county home, a few miles west of here. One of them was found north of the Hun ter road and the other was south of it. They were 60 and 66-gallon ca pacity. Three hundred gallons of beer or about enough for two charg es for each still was destroyed. Ore of the stills was set up ready to run and the other had been torn down ready to move to another place. MORRISON IN SOCIAL LIFE IN WASHINGTON WASHNGTON, Feb. 7.—Governor Morrison is in the big social swim here, and has become a favorite. He was at the southern ball at the New Willard last night, and will attend the White House reception Thursday evening. The Angus Wilton McLeans are introducing him.—H. E. C. Bryant in Charlotte Observer. Recorders Court. The docket of the Recorders Court this week was small. The cases men tioned below were tried on Tuesday: State against T. C. King, charged with violation of the automobile law Plead guilty and the case was con tinued for judgment to March 21st. State against William E. Stanley ! Jesse Perry and Cleveland Perry j larceny of an automobile. Nol pros j as to William E. Stanley. Elias war rant for Cleveland Perry. Jesse Per ry probably guilty and, bound over tc Superior court to be tried in March. A True Saying. A community is not rich becaus< it contains a few rich men, it is nol healthful because it contains a fev strong men, it is not intelligent be cause it contains a few men of learn ing, nor is it of good morals be cause it contains good women—if the rest of the population also be nol ■ well-to-do or healthful, or intelligent 1 or of good morals.—Walter H Page. NORTH CAROLINA IS FORTY-SECOND Scotland is Richest and the Most Illiterate County In the State Edgecombe and Scotland, the lat ter the richest in per capita wealth, are the most illiterate counties in North Carolina, according to the cen sus figures on illiteracy made public here yesterday. Wilson is the most illiterate city of 10,000 population or over in the State, and Greensboro is the best educated, accorling to the report. To the question Can you read and write?” propounded to every man, woman and child above the age of 10 years in the State, 241,603 answerer “No” to the census taker last year. The percentage of illiteracy for the entire State black and white, is 13.1 per cent as against 18.5 per cent in 1910. Of the illiterates 204,492 are of voting age. From county to county the figures fluctuate compared with the figures of a decade ago. In Dare county the percentage of illiterates has increas ed. In many other counties the num ber has declined sharply. Buncombe has the smallest percentage in the State, and the county of Tyrrell the fewest people who can neither read nor write. The figures ought to be multiplied by three, according to Miss Elizabeth Kelly, State Director of Schools for Adult Illiterates. When subjected to the test for actual knowledge of reading and writing, three quarters of a million men, women and children above the ages of 10 years would be unable to meet the requirements, she i declares. North Carolina, despite its strides j in education during the past 10 year0 remains 42nd State in the Union n point of illiteracy. Since Governi * Aycock used to thank heaven foi South Carolina, the State has pulled itself up from 48th place in the ros ter, and now the States of Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, Louisiana, New Mexico and Arizona stand between it and the bottom. Re duction in the percentages of all States have been on about an even average for ten years. Iowa leads the column with 1.1 per cent of its 2,404,000 population illiterate. The number of illiterates above the age of ten years in the State’s towns above 10,000 population fol lows: Asheville, 1,285; Charlotte, 3, 172; Wilmington, 2,374; Winston Salem, 4,308; Durham, 2,104; Gas tonia, 1,271; Goldsboro, 878; Greens boro, 731; High Point, 611; New Bern, 1,274; Raleigh, 1,785; Rocky Mount, 1,017; Salisbury, 854,; Wil son, 1,241.—News and Observer. HOPEWELL VOTES SPECIAL TAX TO ENLARGE SCHOOL The Hopewell school district in Smithfield Township voted last Tues day February 7th, a special school tax of 80 cents on the one hundred dollars worth of property. There were 78 registered voters, 43 votes were cast for the special tax and 27 against it. W. E. Parker served as registrar. J. O. Stephenson and j Herman Johnston served as poll hold ers. There are 175 children in this dis trict, with an average daily attend i ance of approximately 125. It is pur j posed to add two additional rooms to | the school building. There are three j teachers at present teaching in this ! school. This school district is situa | ted in one of the most prosperous j communities of the county, and it is believed that better school facilities I will be provided on account of the ' people voting an additional tax. Japan Gave Up Much. — We doubt if any nation, not de ! feated in war, has ever made such a | renunciation of its national ambitions as Japan has made in Washington. And having made up its mind to do | it, Japan has done it with as much i cheerfulness as though it were actual j ly scoring successes. The only thing remotely comparable with the course of Japan would be our abandonment i of the Monroe Doc-trine in order to improve our relations with Europe. , I and that would be less of a sacrifice 1 than Japan feels that it is making.— Philadelphia Record.