PAST YEAR GOOD
FOR BUSINESS
America Produced More, Spent
More, And Saved More
Than In 1922
Washington, Dec. 30.—The Ameri
can people produced more, spent more
and saved more in 1923 than in 1922,
the federal reserve board said to
night in its annual review of econo
mic conditions for the year.
As a whole, the review said, the
year was characterized by a large in
dustrial output, practically full em
ployment, a sustained customers’ de
mand for goods, and a level of prices
more stable than in any year «ince
1915.
Tracing the course of business de
velopment, the board frund that the
peak of the output was reached in
May. There followed a recession in
industrial activity duB0f» the sum
mer months which, iheijoard said,
arose more from “a hesitant?^ of busi
ness concerns in placing isrward
orders than from a ltssened demand
on the part of ultimate consumers.”
The price dfcclines wtich accompani
ed the condition were, therefore,
chiefly in materials used in industry
rather than in customers’ goods.
13 Percnt More Wages
“A national income larger than in
1922 arising both out of increased
earning of factory workers, and
larger proceeds from the sale of farm
products,” the review continued,
“furnished the buying power to ab
sorb the year’s increased output of
goods. The income of industrial work
ers, as the result of a volume of em
ployment approximately 13 per cent
larger than in 1922 and of wage
advances, greatly exceeded that of
the previous year.
“The total value of agricultural
production was about $900,000,000
greater than in 1922. This increase
in income was not accompanied by a
corresponding rise in the cost of liv
ing and the large growth in savings
deposits indicates there was a con
siderable margin of income above
expenditures . The increased buying
during the year is reflected in the
volume of retail trade, which was
larger for every month of 1923 than
of 1922 so far as monthly figures are
niw available, and the total of de
partment store sales for the ten
months exceeding those for the cor
responding months of last year by 13
per cent. The distribution and mar
keting of goods was faciliated by the
improvement of transportation facili
ties and the volume of railroad traf
fic was the largest on record.”
Farm Products Higher
“In agriculture the final estimates
for tne year indicates a physical
volume of production larger than the
year before and at the prevailing
level of farm prices the total value
of the years crops is about 12 per
cent above that of 1922. Furthermore
a large proportion of farm income
was available for current expendi
ture since less of the income than
in the preceding years was used in
the payment of loans.
“Sales of mail order houses, rep
resenting chiefly purchases in rural
communities, increased by 31 per cent
in 1923.
“The recovery of agriculture, how
ever, is still incomplete, particularly
in the wheat and live stock industries
and the unusual business growth of
the year has been chiefly in the in
dustrial sections. It is the demand
on the part of industrial workers
which, even with the decreased for
eign demands, has resulted in a bet
ter market for agricultural products.
“In addition to the large purchases
of goods for immediate consumption
there was also an exceptionally
heavy demand for houses and auto
mobiles as indicated by the growth in
the construction of buildings and the
manufacture of motor cars. The au
tomobile output of the year will to
tal nearly 4,000,100, an increase of
more than 50 per cent over 1922.
The building activity which had
been at a high level during 1922,
reached a maximum in the spring of
1923 and then slackened somewhat
owing to the rapid advance in wages
and in prices of materials. With the
subsequent declines in the construe-!
10 SCHOOLS IN CO.
GRANTED LOANS
Organizing Schools On County
Wide Basis Makes Possible
These Loans
The State Board of Education at a
meeting held on Friday, December
21st, approved loans to ten school
districts of Johnston County totaling
$170,000.00. The amounts loaned 77
counties ranged from $2000.00 to
Dare County up to $170,000 00 to
| Johnston County. Guilford County
| getting $110,000-00 and Craven get
ting $105,000.00 with the next high
est in amounts to Johnston County.
These loans are made by the State
from the proceeds of a $5,000,000.00
Bond issue provided by the 1922 legis
lature. The State sells its bonds so
that it can loan the money to the
several school districts at a very low
rate of interest; whereas, if the dis
trict had to sell its own bonds to get
jts myugf' the rate of interest would
be about 2 per cent higher. The to
tal amount loaned at the recent meet
ing of the State Board of Education
is $3,700,000.00.
No assistance is given from this
fund to any county in the construc
tion of its school houses unless the
proposed buildings are in line with
plans to reorganize the county school
system on the county wide basis.
The following are the amounts re
ceived by the school districts of
Johnston County: Kenly, $10,000.00;
Princeton, $40,000.00; Glendale, $30,
000.00; Archer Lodge, $10,000.00;
Brodgen, $10,000.00; Corinth-Hold-1
ers, $7,000-00; Four Oaks, $10,000.00; j
CorbelA-Ha^"'-. o/); j
$33,000.00; Wilson’s Mills, $15,000.00. ;
The only application for a loan
from Johnston County not granted
was from the Pine Level school for
$30,000.00. This school being so
close to a standard high school, it is !
hard for the state to see its way clear
to grant a loan to this school until
all other schools not so near a stand
ard high school have first been pro
vided for. It is understood from the
superintendent’s office that other
plans are being made whereby Pine
Level may get an additional building.
NEW SERVICE STATION
OPENS TODAY
One of the new year firms which
open for business today is the Jones
Service Station located on the corner
of Market nad Fourth streets. Mr.
Simon Jones is the proprietor and
needs no introduction t*> the people
of Smithfield or Johnston County.
Mr. Chas. B. Springs who was form
erly with the Sanders Motor Co. will
be with Mr. Jones, anc they propose
to do an up-to-date business. The
best mechanics available are employ
ed. The new concern opens up in a
brand new brick building just com
pleted by Mr. Jones.
Services At Pisgah
There will be services at Pisgah
Baptist church next Saturday after- ;
noon, Jan. 5th, at 3 o’clock, and on
Sunday, the 6th, at 11 o’clock a. m.
The members are urged to be present.
Mrs- Tom Coats, who has been with
The Davis Department Stores for.
sometime, has resigned and will take I
in sewing at her heme on Second |
street.
Miss F.orence Boyett, of N. C. C- ;
W., Greensboro, spent several days
here last veek the guest of relatives
and friends.
tion costs, activity was renewed and
for the 11 months ending in Novem-,
ber contract* awarded totalled more j
than for the corresponding months
of 1922.
Notwithstanding the business ex-1
pansion of 1922 and early 1923, the |
amount of credit used by the coun
try, as indicated by the demand on
the federal reserve banks, remained
practically constant. The range of
amounts borrowed through the re- j
serve system was from SI,000,000,- |
000 to about $1,200,000,000, the i
board’s records showed. —Associated
I'ress.
1
Ten Year Old BoyShot
and Killed Yesterday
Julius Green, the ten year old son
of Dude Green, who lives on the
road between Smithfield and Clay
ton, was accidentally shot by Roland
Howell young son of George Howell
yesterday morning about 8:30 o'clock
and died about an hour later. The
little fellow was rushed to the hos
pital here, but his condition was be
yond medical aid. *
According to report, the little boy
was helping his father do some work
near the house- Two neighbor boys
came u pto play with him. Soon after
their arrival the dog discovered a
rabbit and one of the boys suggested
that Junius go in the house after the
gun to shoot the rabbit. Against the
protest of the boy’s father, he slip
ped in the house and got the gun, and
one of his companions while fooling
with it, accidentally fired the fatal
shot. It is a sad occurrence, and the
bereaved family have the sympathy
of the community.
WILSON OBSERVES
BIRTHDAY QUIETLY
Washington, Dec. 28—Woodrow
Wilson is 67 years old today, but
there were no celebrations or demon
strations to break the quiet routine
of his home.
The former President spent the day
much in the m .i.ner that he has pass
ed his time in recent months. He
continues his program of rest varied
with frequent automobile rides into
the country.
FIRST AWARD WILL BE
MADE ON NEXT BIRTHDAY
New York, Dec- 28.—On the sixty
eighth anniversary of the birth of
Woodrow Wilson, one year from to
day, the first $25,000 prize of the
Woodrow Wilson Foundation for out
standing public service will be
awarded, trustees of the foundation
announced today at a luncheon
celebrating the former President’s
67th birthday anniversary.
tv- also announced that
nominations of the first annual
award could be submitted from to
day until June 1, 1924. A jury of
nine headed by President Emeritus
Eliot of Harvard, will select the win
Award Prizes
The annual prize will remain at
$25,000 for the first three years, and
thereafter probably will be the in
come collected from the fund, which
now is over $800,000 and has an in
come of almost $27,000 a year. The
trustees said the foundation fund
probably would total $1,000,000 be
fore subscription books were closed.
The prize will go to the “living
individual who has rendered within
a specifed period unselfish public
service of enduring virtue." It also
was announced that works of writer
candidates must have appeared in
print and must have been written in
English; nominations also must be
in writing, with two seconders.
A congratulatory birthday tele
gram was sent Mr. Wilson by the
trustees.
New Business To Open Up
The new year always brings chang
es, and among those this year, we
note with interest the establishment
in this city of The Buick Sales Co.
Mr. L. D. Debnam of Selma, manager
of this concern, has leased the build
ing of Mr. J. H. Kirkman, and will
open up here about Jan. 15th. An
up-to-date Buick service station will
be operated.
Mr. Kirkman, who has conducted a
battery and tire business here for
the past fourteen years, has secured
the place next door to The Herald
office, and will continue to run a
battery and tire station.
THANKSGIVING SUNDAY
SCHOOL TO GIVE PLAY
The play, “Dust of the Earth”
will be presented Saturday night, De
cember 29th at 7:00 at Corbett
Hatcher school house; and it will be
presented the following Monday night
at Archer school house at the same
hour.
This play is being presented by
members of the Thnaksgiving Sun
day school and the proceeds will go
to the Sunday school.
Circle No- 4 To Meet
Circle No Four of the Methodist
Misiionary Society will meet Wednes
day afternoon at three o’clock with
Mr$ N. B. Grantham. Important
J
JOHNSON AND WALLACE
IN MILKING TOURNAMENT
* ' - *
Washington, Dec. 29.—Mangus
Johnson, the dirt farmer senator from
Minnesota, and Secretary Wallace of
the department of agriculture, at
tempted today to settle their feud
with a milking contest. But the re
sult was so inconclusive that Senator
Johnson challenged Secretary Wal
lace to a further contest with a buck
saw. ,
Two of the heaviest milking aris
tocrats of the celebrated Soldiers
home herd were selected for the con
test. Secretary Wallace took Concor
dia de Kol and Cenator Johnson took
Cora Johanna Ferenesta de Kol. Both
are celebrated advanced registry ma
trons of the Holstein-Friesian family.
Antikickers and tailholders were bar
red and the rules called for dry hand
milking, two quarts at a time, three
gallon pails between the knees.
Maj. Gen. Tasker H. Bliss, retired
commandant of the Soldiers’s home,
held the watch, and when he said
“Go.” the senator and the secretary
put the tops of their heads into the
cow’s flanks and went to work in the
old-fashioned way which became ex
tinct with the advent of the modem
farm hand the milking machine. For
five minutes there was no sound ex
cept that of the steady streams of
milk pouring into the buckets. When
both cows were reported clean the
time was given as five minutes and
when it was measured it was announc
ed that Secretary Wallace had won by
a half pint.
Senator Johnson protested that his
cow, which was on test with four
daily milkings, evidently had been
milked just before the contest; that
his hand was ^ little off since coming
to the senate and that anyway his
wife and children were the real milk
ing experts on his Minnesota farm.
Secretary Wallace heard the pro
test without emotion but at is con
clusion remarked with a specially se
lected emphasis:
“Huh! Us dirt farmers.”
Senator Johnson replied with his
proposal of a return match with
bucksaws and a wood-pile.
Secretary Wallace took it under
advisement.
Diligent inquiry at the Soldiers’
home barns failed to disclose any
body who would take the responsi
bility for stating how much milk
Senator Johnson or Secretary Wal
lace actually got in the five minutes
of effort.
One herdsman, bolder than the rest,
said he thought it was about a quart.
MR. AND MRS. GAYLOR
EXPRESS GRATITUDE
Mr. and Mrs. Louis Gaylor wish to
express their heartfelt thanks to
those people who so kindly remem
bered them on Christmas day. Had j
it not been for those kind expres
sions of friendship Christmas D
might have be... just “Tuesday.” As
it was, the spirit of Chrstmas filed
our heats and homes and made our
troubles seem lighter and our lives
seem brighter, for the spirit of Christ
prevailed.
Again, we wish to thank each one
of you and to express our sincere ap
preciation.—Kenly, Dec. 28.
The Friday afternoon union pray
er meeting will meet next Friday
afternoon with Mrs. Lizie Johnson
at 3 o’clock.
business will be transacted at this
meeting . All members are asked to
carry their birthday money.
I
JOHNSTON CO.
BOY IS KILLED
r
OWen Stevens And Mrs. Gat
ling, Victims Of Double
Tragedy In Raleigh
Raleigh, Dec. 30.—Efforts of Ral
eigh police and county authorities to
apprehend Lawrence Gatling, who, ac
cording to the police, shot and killed
Owen Stevens when he found Stevens
in the company of his wife last night,
and then fired on Mrs. Gatling and
killed her, had been without avail
late tonight. One of the developments
today were the statements of two
eyewitnesses to the slayings who
said that after killing his wife, the
second victim of his shootings, Gat
ling did not take fight in an auto
mobile as reported yesterday, but
walked away.
Corner J. E. Owens began an in
vestigation this morning, but an
nounced he did not think an inquest
necessary.
The police and country authorities
made an intensive search, they re
ported, but it resulted in establishing
no clues of the whereabouts of Gat
ling, who is the son of former Post
master Bart M. Gatling.
Owen Stevens, the first of Gatling’s
victims, was buried this afternoon at
Shiloh church in Johnston county,
and the body of Mrs. Gatling tonight
was in a local undertaking establish
ment awaiting burial here tomorrow
afternoon.
Stevens was unmarried. Mrs. Gat
ling leaves a son by a former mar
riage, Carlton Tippet. According to
the death certificates Stevens was
22 years old and Mrs. Gatling 25.
Mrs. Stevens Fesperman, who with
a son was boarding with Mrs. Gat
ling and her sister, Miss Janie Grif
fin, at the house in a Raleigh sub
urb where the slayings took place, to
day gave an account of the affair.
“I was standing at the back of the
house in the kitchen," she said, "when
Gatling came in through the back
door. Stevens had just come into the
house and was standing at the door
of Mrs. Floyd’s (Miss Janie Griffin)
room, talking to Mrs. Gatling and her
sister. Gatling stuck a big blue steel
pistol into my stomach and told me
to get out of the way. He had not
been drinking, but he looked mean
and mad. I called my little boy and
Mrs. Gatling’s little son and started
out of the back door of the house. I
heard Mrs. Gatling say 'Behave your
self Lawrence. Don’t do that Lawr
ence.’ Then Stevens cried out, ‘Don’t
hurt me; dotj’t hurt me.’ Gatling
cursed and then I heard the shots
quick and close to each other; then
a pause as he loaded his gun, and
then another succession of shots as
he poured another pistol full of bul
lets into the man. He was killed in
stantly, but Gatling filled him full
of bullets after he was dead.
"Miss Janie ran out of the front
of the house when Lawrence Gatling
killed Stevens, and Helen (Mrs. Gat
ling) followed her. Helen cried, 'I
can’t stand it,’ and also ran across
the street.
Gatling loaded his gun again and
ran to the porch and shot her down
as she ran along the other side of
the street with a bullet through her
back. She ran a little further and
then fell, face upon the sidewalk. Gat
ling went to where she lay and em
ptied his revolver into her body. Then
he reloaded his gun and fired the
whole charge into her breast. Then he
went off do wnthe road to the east.
He didn’t have any car.”
A story told by a newsboy who said
he witnessed the shooting of Mrs.
Gatling corroborated in that part of
the story told by Mrs. Fesperman.
(Note). Stevens was a son of Mrs
Thad Stevens, who lived in the Shi
loh section until a few years ago
when she moved to Raleigh. Other
news dispatches state that Gatling
and Stevens had been partners en
gaged in bootlegging and had had a
quarrel several days ago.
Mr. Leslie Humphrey who has
been spending several days in the
city the guest of relatives returned
yesterday to his home in Zebulon.
VOCAL UNION
DRAWS BIG CROWD
| Five Choirs Of The Lower
Johnston County Vocal Un
ion Meet Here
The Lower Johnston Vocal Union
j held here Sunday in the Court house,
! was attended by the usual large crowd
| which the singing of these choirs
always attracts. The auditorium of
the court house was packed to its
capacity throughout the day many
of the people of this city being pres
ent, besides those from the communi
ties represented by choirs.
The Methodists gave way their
morning service and Rev. D. H. Tut
tle, pastor of the Methodist church,
addresssed the assemblage in the
court house.
Mr. J. B. Beasley president of the
Union, was master of ceremonies,
calling out the various choirs. The
following choirs were present: John
son Union, Duke, Tee’s Chapel, and
Yelvington Grove.
In Memory Of Della Dunn
—
It is with a sad and broken heart
I attempt to write the death of my
1 dear friend and cousin, Della Dunn,
who departed this life November 13,
1923.
Della was sick several weeks with
typhoid fever and her death was not
unexpected. However, it was a shock
i to her relatives and friends.
She was the oldest child of Mr.
and Mrs. Erastus Dunn. She was
about sixteen years of age and was
loved by everybody. It was hard to
part with such a friend as Della
■ but, God knew best.
| She lived a good and upright life
and was kind to everybody. She nev
er went on without speaking to peo
ple whom she knew but was faithful
and true to all. She had a good
character everywhere she went which
can never be forgotten. If every
young lady had a character like hers
they would live a life worth while.
We cannot understand why Della
was taken from us. But He who gave
her life knew best when to take it
back. He took her home where sor
row and trouble never come. And
may we prepare to meet her some day
where we will shed no more tears
and where good-byes are o’er and
troubles never come.
Oh! Della how we miss you. We
see your sweet face no more. But
we hope to meet on the evergreen
shore.
Della leaves a heartbroken father,
mother, two sisters, one brother and
a host of relatives and friends to
mourn their loss. But we hope our
loss is her eternal gain.
She was laid to rest in the family
burying ground near her grand
father’s Mr. D. B. Adams, November
14, 1923, amid a large crowd of sor
rowing friends and relatives. The
floral offerings were many and beau
tiful.
She is sleeping sweetly sleeping
In a new made grave today
We are weeping sadly weeping
For our Della gone away.
Written by a heart-broken friend..
TOBACCO CO-OP ASS’N.
REPORTS RECEIPTS
The Tobacco Gowers Cooperative
Association will start the new year
with receipts to date of over 125,000
pounds of the 1923 crop when its
warehouses open on January 2 in the
dark and sun-cured belts of Virginia
and on January 8, at all its eceiving
porints in the old belt and Eastern
North Carolina.
A land slide of tobacco and new
members to the marketing associa
tion took place during the last de
livery days of 1923, Virginia and
Carolina coops delivering 12,800,000
pounds of the weed in one week and
bringing tobacco to the association
floors at the rate of two and a half
million pounds a day during the last
delivery days of 1923. Receipts in
the South Carolina belt have gone
fourteen million pounds beyond those
of the association* last year. In
Eastern Carolina, last years total re
ceipts by the marketing association
were passed in December.