VOLUME 41
SM1THFIELD, N. C., TUESDAY, MAY 9, 1922
NUMBER 36
SCHOOL AT MICRO
CLOSED FRIDAY
Prof. J. E. Sawyer of Ayden
Made Address; Other
Exercises Carried Out
The school at Micro closed a suc
cessful session Friday with exercises
appropriate to the occasion. In view
of the fact that an adequate audi
torium was not available at the
school, the Exercises were conducted
in a vacant garage building. How
ever, we understand that before an
other school closes, a new school
building will have been erected that
will fill all the needs of that com
munity.
The commencement exercises Fri
day consisted of a Declamation and
Recitation Contest, an address by
Prof. J. E. Sawyer, of Ayden, and a
play in the evening. The address by
Prof. Sawyer was a part of the
morning program. He used as his
subject, “North Carolina’s Greatest
Asset,” and delivered an original and
forceful speech.
In the declamation contest, nine
boys took part, and 12 girls competed
for the reciter’s medal. The de
claimer’s medal was won by James
Fitzgerald, whose piece was entitled
“The Roman Sentinel.” Miss Lila
Goodwin was awarded the rebiter’s
medal, her recitation being “The
“Sweet Girl Graduates.’” The judges
in the contest were Rev. J. E. Holden,
of Kenly, Mr. H. V. Rose, of this city,
Miss Mamie Moore of Wilson’s Mills,
and Miss Minnie Lee Garrison, of
this place.
An important feature of the occa
sion was the presentation of seventh
grade certifiicates to nine pupils who
completed that grade. Fifteen certifi
cates were presented to students who.
had been neither absent nor tardy
during the year.
The school has had at its head the
past year, Prof. G. M. Moser and he
has been assisted by Misses Edira
McGuire, Leta Williams, Kathleen
Rogers, Clara Eason and Dora Faulk
ner.
America’s Thrift
Treasury Department records indi
cate that thrift has found a firm fort
hold in America. Figures made pub
lic by the Savings Division show that,
despite the economic depression and
unemployment, the savings of small
investors throughout the United
States total approximately $27,000,
000,000, or taking the population at
108,000,000, a per capita savings of
about $250 for each man, woman and
child in the nation.
Of this vast sum of working dollars
$21,000,000,000 is invested in Govern
ment securities, while the other $6,
000,000,000 is represented by deposits
in more than 30,000 savings banks.
To the holders of Third Liberty Loan
Bonds, included in the investments re
ferred to, the Government is today
paying semi-annual coupon interest
amounting to more than $7,000,000.
At the same time the holders of these
securities are being invited by the
Savings Division to reinvest their in
terest money in Thrift Stamps and
War Savings Stamps, with the view
of keeping as much as possible of this
money at work.
Government war issues are held
mainly by persons of small means,
according to Treasury officials. No
lesson which came out of the war was
more thoroughly learned than that
which inculcated in the wage-earner
and the child the habit of systematic
saving. The seeds planted during the
great national emergency are now,
during the post-war period of read
justment, beginning to bear fruit.
Reports of the Controller of the
Currency show that savings banks
deposits total approximately $6,000,
000,000. Deposits during the period
of depression have exceeded the large
withdrawals. The savings have prov
ed the salvation of thousands of fam
ilies where the breadwinners have
been thrown out of employment be
cause of the general curtailment of
production.—Commercial & Financial
World.
.Mrs. Woodard Improving.
The friends and neighbors of Mrs.
Robert F. Woodard are glad to learn
that she is improving fast after be
ing confined to her room for eight
weeks. She is able to be out.
FORTY-THREE PERCENT N. C.
FARMS ARE TENANT FARMS
(By Frank Parker, State Statistician)
The publicity given to 'the census
report showing the large percentage
of cowless, hogless, henless, etc.,
farmls -in North CJarolina, did not
call attention to the fact 'that of the
270,000 farm in this state, over 4
per cent or 117,459 were tenant farms.
A tenant farm does not mean an
entire farm but only that part of
land worked by him. We realize
only too well that the average tenant
is a frequent almost annual mover,
and does not own much property.
The landlord has often found it un
profitable and unwise to furnisn
breeding stock to his tenants. The
trouble is that a tenant seldom gives
the needed attention to the econom
ic breeding and developing even of
chickens.
It is unfortunately true that the
average tenant thinks of a land
lord as “well-to-do” and overlooks
small leaks. Just because the owner
lives in the “Grove” or in town and
has his own stock, is no excuse for
the tenant to become careless with
his reponsibilities. Personal exper
iences have indicated that the only
way to get results from livestock is
for the care taker to have an inter
est, a money interest too, in them.
Very rarely does a tenant leave a
farm with a surplus stock over that
which was furnished him. This is
to argue that it is full time to advo
cate ownership interest to tenants.
Below is a new table on the subject.
Suppose we argue that every owner
operating his own farm has all kinds
of live stock and grows every im
portant crop, as well as a home gar
den, and let’s put all the shortage
on the tenants, not that they belong
there, but to study the reasonable
proportions.
Considering all pigless, etc., farms
in North Carolina, the percentage as
applied to tenants only would be as
shown. From this it will be observed
that only the hayless and sweet po
tatoless farms approach the number
of tenants.
If farmers, and particularly if ten
ants, would utilize their most idle
periods in repairing and painting
tools, houses, etc., instead of letting
them rust, rot and fall to pieces,
enough would be saved in spring in
conveniences and expenses, to permit
of more attention to these lacking
features during the rush spring and
summer seasons. Late summer and
early fall plowing is better than win
ter or spring work, yet most of us
let up after “Laying by” time and
put each task off until the last min
ute, claiming lack of time as an ex
cuse.
This is not meant to excuse the
many farm owning operators for fail
ing to have these things, any more
than the tenants.
Public Debt Piling Up
Washington, D. C., May 3.—An in
crease of $45,584,863 in the public
debt during April was announced to
day by the Treasury. On April 30
the total debt stood at 23,190,201,356,
as compared with $23,144,616,493 on
March 31.
The increase during the month was
explained by Treasury officials as
mainly due to the sale of about $150,
000,000 in Treasury certificates, as
compared with maturities during the
month aggregating about $50,000,000
and other debt retirements to about
$50,000,000.
Ordinary receipts of the Govern
ment during April aggregated $197,
919,000, compared with $296,170,000
during April last year, while ordinary
expenditures totaled $242,560,000, a
gainst $494,000,000 in April last year.
Public debt receipts for the month
aggregated $176,857,000 against $208,
340,000 a year ago, while public debt
expenditures aggregated $131,273,000,
against $192,880,000 in April a year
ago.
Automobile Burns Up.
Last week Mr. J. H. Sanderson had
the misfortune to have his Maxwell
automobile burned up. Mr. Sander
son had Started toward Princeton,
and after getting some little distance
beyond the railroad, discovered sud
denly flames coming up from under
his car. He jumped from the car
to save himself, and was not able
to put out the fire. The loss is part
ly covered by insurance.
2 RADIO OUTFITS
INSTALLED HERE
One in Austin Department
Store; the Other In the
Victory Theatre
Smithfield is falling in line with
other towns as to radio telephony,
two outfits having been installed here
yesterday. The Austin-Stephenson
Company and the Victory Theatre
have the distinction of being the
first in our city to make use of this
popular method of communication.
The apparatus is arranged on the
tops of these buildings, which catch
the sound waves in distant cities and
enable one to hear the human voice
even as far away as New York City.
The instrument in the room where
the hearers assemble is so made that
radio connection can be made with
stations of varying distances. The
outfit installed by the Austin-Steph
enson Co., is said to be one of the
best made. It has a horn attachment
similar to old-time phonograph horn
that permits a'1 in the office where
it is installed to hear. In addition
there is a head piece which if worn
by a person, emphasizes the sounds
and makes them more distinct. The
Carolina Radio Company, of Rocky
Mount did the work of putting the
outfits in.
The radio telephone has made won
derful strides and it has been pre
dicted that the invention will be as
popular as the Ford automobile.
TO CONDUCT EXPERIMENTS ON
HARDENING PEANUT-FEI) HOGS
Cooperative soft-pork experiments
conducted by the U. S. Dept, of Ag
riculture and the State experiment
stations of Georgia, Mississippi,
North and South Carolina during
the last 3 years have shown con
clusively that when hogs, starting at
a weight of approximately 100 lbs.,
are fed on peanuts in the dry lot or
grazed in thp field for a period of 60
days or more, a soft carcass is pro
duced, and that it is impossible to
produce a hard carcass by feeding
corn and tankage or corn and cotton
seed meal to these soft hogs for a
subsequent period of 60 days or less.
The above statement, unanimously
approved by representatives of the
Bureau of Animal Industry and of the
various experiment stations at a
meeting held at Chattanooga April
19 and 20, is not meant to discourage
in any way the feeding of peanuts to
hogs in those sections of the South
that are well adapted to the produc
tion of this crop. The experimental
data compiled by the southern sta
tions indicate very clearly that pea
nuts are one of the most economical
feeds known for hogs, and that they
can be fed with profit in many parts
of the South, even tho soft hogs are
discriminated against on the market.
Many farmers in the South have
the idea that soft hogs can be hard
ened by 30 days of feeding on corn
and tankage. But, according to the
department, it has not been shown
that this can be done in twice that
time. Next autumn the department
will start feeding tests to last 90 and
even 120 days in an effort to determ
ine just how long it takes to firm a
soft hog carcass. It is an important
problem as the firmness of the carcass
has a very noticeable effect on the
price paid by packers.—U. S. Dept.
Agriculture.
5,085 Tons of Foodstuff Sent
to Russia Daily in March
LONDON, May 3.—Walter Lymr .
Brown, director for Europe of the
American Relief Administration, ha?
announced that between March 1 and
March 26 the distribution of Ameri
can foodstuffs from Russian ports
amounted to 132,320 tons. This
brought the grand total arrived in or
moving toward the Volga Valley up
to 168,273 tons. The average for the
26 days of March was 5,085 tons daily.
Binks (to shopkeeper)—“Have you
got any eggs that you can guarantee
there are no chickens in?”
Grocer (pausing for a moment)—
“Ve^, sjr—ducks’ eggs.”—Pearson’s
Weekly.
WOULD ELIMINATE
GRADE CROSSINGS
Southern Railway Working
to That End; Not Money
To Eliminate All Now
If the Southern Railway had $16,
006,000 to spare and the 13 states
through which it runs had a like
amount ,every grade crossing on its
entire 7,000 miles of track would be
eliminated within the year, and every
railroad in the United States would
follow suit in the opinion of South
urn officials who have been in con
ference with the State Highway
Commission here.
Pending negotiations between the
railways and the Highway Commis
sion over immediate elimination
brought the railway officials to
Raleigh on Friday to discuss the
matter with Frank Page, chairman
of the Commission. In the present
state of railroad finances each pro
posal has to be threshed out on such
terms as can be made, and no gen
eral policy of elimination adopted.
New highways located by Commis
sion sticks to one side of the rail
road where ever it is possible, in order
to avoid the necessity for grade
crossings, or for under or over-head
bridges, but in a number of places
throughout the State crossings are
necessary. The Commission has not
been able to lay down a hard and
fast rule, but the number of grade
crossings to be built has been re
duced to a minimum.
In building a grade crossing, the
State assumes no responsibility for
accidents that are in all likelihood
to ensue. That rests upon the rail
road, and they are more anxious
than the State to eliminate them. In
the present state of their finances,
the most that they can do is to take
a chance and trust to providence
that there will be no accident that
will cost more than the cost of an
underpass would have been.
Among the projects taken up by
the conference was the proposal to
build an underpass at Cary, and en
gineers of the Commission, the Sea
board and the Southern rdtflways
will meet at Cary next Wednesday
week to make a final survey. An
underpass will be built there, and
very probably a few hundred yards
east ofthe railroad station, Cary
has advocated a crossing west of
the station.
The Commission is insisting upon
the interpretation of the law given
by the Supreme Court requiring the
railroads to pay half the cost of
eliminating grade crossings, and this
basis for negotiation will be main
taned. The whole issue of a final
policy of elimination of every grade,
crossing in the State will have to
await the day when the railroads
have the money to build them.—News
& Observer.
Revival at Baptist Church Closes.
The revival which has been pro
gress at the Baptist church for the
past two weeks closed Sunday eve
ning. All the services were well at
tended, the other churches of the town
cooperating in all the services. Rev.
J. L. Jenkins, who conducted the
meeting was a faithful worker and
preached strong sermons. His ser
mons were not sensational, but ap
pealed to the heart and reason.
Mr. A. R. Simm, the singer, added
much to the interest of the meeting.
He organized a junior choir and the
boys and girls did their best to make
the singing a success. To show his
appreciation of their faithfulness,
Mr. Simms presented at the close of
the meeting, to each of the captains
a box of candy.
Only two united with the church
but while there were not many ad
ded to the membership of the
church, it is believed that lasting
good will be the result’of the revival.
A Reasonable Conclusion.
A lady reports that her colored
laundress said to her: “Somehow Ah
nevah keered much fer books, but
(after a thoughtful pause) Ah kain’t
read, an’ mebbe that has sumpin’ to
do wit’ it.”—Boston Transcript.
It costs !f 16,000,000 a year to clean
the streets cf New. York City.—
D.-a torn Independent.
NEGRO IN HAMILTON CASE
LOCATED, SAYS SOLICITOR
Solicitor Herbert E. Norris an
nounced Saturday that he has located
John Richmond, Wake County negro
bootlegger, who is charged with re
sponsibility for the mysterious shoot
ing of R. H. Hamilton, Seaboard Air
Line section foreman on the night of
December 26. Mr. Norris is confident
that Richmond will be apprehended in
\ime to be placed on trial at the May
criminal term of Wake County Su
perior Court, which will convene to
morrow.
The Hamilton killing was one of
the most baffling in the history of the
county and the only solution reached
was furnished about ten weeks after
the occurrence by a confession of Hen
ry Bryant, a negro now serving an
eight months’ sentence on the roads
for illicit manufacture of whiskey,
who admitted being an accomplice to
the shooting, but chargtd Richmond
with the actual deed.
Bryant’s confession was seriously
questioned both by the grand jury and
outsiders but it has neither been veri
fied or repudiated and after some de
lay the grand jury returned true bills
against both negroes at the March
term of court. Solicitor Norris ex
pects that with the arrest of Rich
mond the whole matter will come to
light.
Hamilton’s body was found in a
Ford toui’ing car on the Milburnie
road about five miles from Raleigh,
the only other occupant of the car be
ing Miss Irene Guess, fiancee of the
dead man.—News and Observer.
CANADA FACES WAR
WITH SIX NATIONS
Hamilton, Ont.. May 5—Canada has
been brought face to face with the
possibility of warfare against the Six
Nations Indians by a squabble over an
alleged “squatter,” George Vise, on
the Tuscarora Reservation. An ulti
matum threatening invasion by Gov
ernment troops has been sent by the
Canadian Department of Indian Af
fairs to Chief Deskaheh of the Six
Nations tribe.
The presnece of Vise on the reserve,
according to Federal officials, has
caused an “incipient rebellion,” hing
ing upon the contention of the Six
Nations tribe that they are allies of
Great Britain and not subjects of
Canada.
The land now held by Vise near Os
weken, the capital of the Six Nations,
originally had been taken up by a re
turned soldier, an Indian, under pro
visions of the Soldiers Settlement act.
Failing to keep up his payments, he
was evicted and Vise moved onto the
property.
Chief Deskahell says: “Vise is go
ing to stay on his homestead. We
located him there and we alone have
authority to remove him.”
To which the Department of Indian
Affairs replied:
“We take it that all parties must
admit the sovereignty of the Canadi
an Government over the Indians of
the Tuscarora reserve and the Cana
dian Government intends to maintain
that position if necessary by force of
arms.”— N. Y. Herald.
France’s Even Trade Balance
France is showing her ability to
keep her exports and imports at an
almost exact money balance. In Feb
ruary her purchases abroad very
largely overmeasured in bulk her sales
abroad, the imports being 4,127,000
metric tons and the exports only 1,
519,880 metric tons. But expressed
in money the exports for the same
month showed 1,853,312,000 francs
and the imports 1,847,026,000 francs.
In March the preliminary figures
record 4,400,000 tons of imports a
gainst 1,600,000 tons of exports. But
again the values of the imports and
the exports were virtually equal, each
standing in round numbers at 1,900,
000,000 francs.
The precision of the French in the
details of their private business is
proverbial. If they can as successful
ly govern the international trade of
their country down almost to the point
of a sou, the foreign exchange prob
lem will not long vex this remarkable
people.—N. Y. Herald.
W1 er. i man wants something for
nothing he is usually buying exper
ieiff dearly.
TRAGEDY OCCURS
S. C. UNIVERSITY
Member of Faculty Shot and
Killed by Assailant Who
Killed Himself
COLUMBIA, S. C. May 6.—Prof.
M. Goode Homes, head of the de
partment of engineering of University
of South Carolina, was shot and
killed by Benjamin Haile, Superin
tendent of grounds of the University,
who a few minutes later killed him
self by firing a shot into his brain.
The double tragedy occurred in the
treasurer’s office of the university
shortly after 10 o’clock this morning.
There were no eye witnesses, but
Dr. Wm. S. 'Currell, president, and
Dr. Leonard Baker, dean, saw the
superintendent brandishing a revol
ver and both were ordered from the
office by Haile, a shot being fired
over the head of Dean Baker and
the weapon being pointed at Presi
dent Currell, although he was not
fired upon. The action against the
two officers of the university was
taken after Prof. Homes had been
slain, and it is believed, Haile kill
ed himself a few minutes after warn
ing Currell not to enter the room.
Prof. Homes was in the treasurer’s
office when Marshal Haile entered the
room to get a payroll check. He sent
the young woman bookkeeper, the
only occupant of the room with Prof.
Homes, to the president’s office, tell
ing her that Dr. Currell wished to
see her.
Dean Baker, who was in a class
room on another floor of the build
ing1, heard shots, and started to enter
the treasurer’s office to investigate.
He was warned by Haile to keep out,
the superintendent firing a shot over
his head. The dean did not see
Prof. Homes, believed now to have
already been slain in an adjoining
room to the main office of the treas
urer.
Dean Baker withdrew and as-he
did so President Currell came from
his office to investigate. Dean Baker
warned the president not to enter the
room, telling him that Haile was in
there in a crazed condition, and fir
ing a pistol. Dr. Currell, however,
entered the room to be met with a
warning from Haile to keep out,
the superintendent pointing his re
volver at the president with tho
statement: “You are responsible for
this.” The president left the room.
In the meantime police had been
summoned and investigation revealed
the bodies of Homes in one room and
that of Haile in the other.
Homes was shot 5 times, one bul
let penetrating the heart, while Haile
was shot only once, the bullet enter
ing the brain and causing instant
death.
An official statement issued by
President Currell says that there had
been bitter feeling between the two
men for some time, growing out of a
conflict of duties at the university.
This feeling has existed for a year.
Professor Homes was born in 1883
in Boydton, Va., and was educated at
the University of Virginia and the
U. S. Military academy at West
Point. He has held many important
engineering assignments and stood
high in his profession. He is sur
vived by his widow' and four small
children. Prof. Homes has been a
member of the faculty since 1909.
Supt. Haile came to the university
in 1912 from Camden, where he was
chief of police. He was first mar
shal and then superintendent of
grounds. He was about 44 years of
age and is survived by his wife, a
son and daughter.—Greensboro News.
Parents Meeting at M. E. Church.
The Parents meeting at the Metho
dist church Sunday w'as considered
quite a success. A good crowd was
present to hear the talks made by Miss
Mary E. Wells, Mrs. L. T. Royall and
Rev. D. H. Tuttle. Mr. H. P. Stevens
presided over the meeting, and an
infirmal discussion of the needs of
The Sunday School took place after
the addresses. A committee was ap
pointed to submit resolutions in re
gard to Sunday School. The resolu
tions were adopted and will be pub
lished at an early date.
Master George Weeks, of Rocky
Mount, spent the week end in the
city with his cousin, Master Raymond
Woodall.