PAGE TWO
uty? £ntprprisp
Published Every Tuesday and Friday by The
ENTERPRISE PUBLISHING CO.
WILLIAMSTON. NORTH CAROLINA.
W. C. Manning - «— v ■ Editor
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
(Strictly Cash in Advance)
IN MARTIN COUNTY
One year —„_. J. H-50
Six months
OUTSIDE MARTIN COUNTY
One year —~~ IJ-J*
Si* months w '•[*'
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Advertising Rate Card Furnished Upon Request
' »
Entered at the post office in Williamston, N. C.,
a* second-class matter under the act of Congress
of MarcliM, 1879.
Address »II communications to The Enterprise
and not to the individual members of the firm.
Friday, November 28, 1930.
Steadily Mounting School Costs
+. ,
-People generally, and taxpayers in particular, un
derstood why the cost of the public schoo's «>f the
State nw from $4,215.178.28 in 1015 to $9,568,74.* 10
in 1920, a five-year period. Everything else went up,
and naturally the cost of schools went up—not as
much, however, as other things, did during the war
period. Hut wh" can understand what caused the
cost of schools to increase from $9,508,743.10 in 1920
to $27,961,531.85 in 1929. In the war period of five*
year- ihc cost doubled, while in the peace period of
in w.r- following the war, when the price of every
thing else was tumbling and. falling, the cost of the
schools increased three-fold
It is reasonable to admit that we have some im
provements in our schools, including a slight increase
in length of term and a" higher standard of teacher edu
cation Net in the final results shown in the finished
product that is, the boy and girl who goes through
the schools today—there is only a little improvement
over thiix' who went through the schools 15 years ago.
We mu-t nmember, too, that the percentage of
children en roiled in average daily attendance is not
so much higher now that ji was 15 years ago.
Wt challenge the educ ition,il system to justify the
va-t increase in cost by the results produced. Of
course, the people, in their goodness, overlook the
period from 1915 to 1925, because of the wartime up
heaval, but they do not understand why the rapid in
creases should keep piling up oil them; with a much
larger increase last year than for the year before, in
both total expenditure and in |>er capita cost |>er child.
We hardly think this rapid increase in school costs
can be charged to the teacher, Ijecause salaries gen
erally are only about twice as high as they were 15
year:- ago.-while the total cost runs up more than six
times as high.
It is to be hoped that thi> process of increase will
not go on until the people rise up in their wrath and
kill the goose that lays the golden eggs—by destroy
ing the schools.
What |»eople want is good schools economically ad
ministered. I'nless something happens, the folks are
go.ng tu demand ail accounting. The taxpayers are
not willing to hear economy talked and see their land
sold fur taxes at the same-time. They can't under
stand why it costs four and two-thirds times as much
to send a child to school a day now as it did 15 years
ago.
We .ice not criticizing our educational system with
a view of destroying it, but in order that we may save
it. We do not like to see a good thing destroy itself.
1 he schools are ttying to progress according to cer
tain ideals that are not proving practical in propor
tion to their cost. 1 hey, like the home, have fallen
down in the handling of youth. The home accuses
the school, and the school throws it back on the
home. The fact remains that the youth is largely
out of the hands of both. The school will have to
make the first move to bring things back. The home
will not be able.
I he school should take the leadT in both sanity and
economy, which are so essential in the life of a nation.
*. Gold Scarcity
William Jennings Bryan said in 1896 that the
gret trouble then was the shortage of gold, and he
declared we needed a larger base for a standard of
wealth, and he advocated slver or bimetalism.
A group of great international bankers including
J. P. Morgan, Owen D. Young and other notables
from this country in a group meeting with other in-'
ternational bankers in London recently said that gold
scarcity is the cause of "hard times." Their asser
tion is exactly the same as the one made by Bryan
35 years ago. He was right then and they are right
now. There is hardly an item in the world today
that is worth more than one-third as much as it was
worth eleven years ago, with the exception of gold
and it is worth now three times as much as it was
eleven years ago.
The few folks holding the gold in 1896 said Bryan
was all wrong, that what we needed was stable
money, and the people followed the gold hoarder*
only to live to see them force all other values to dust
and the gold holders collar the wealth of the earth
again. The French and American gold-hoarders are,
according to these bankers, doing the choking act.
It is true that we have Federal reserve banks, sup
posedly created to relieve enyrgendet, but they are
«f no we when the land and commodities of the pub-
PUauBMID ' «vo»>
ru—D*v »»o vnio*v
lie are so reduced in value that they are worthless as
security or collateral to produce loans. Nothing can
be worse fot the public than for any one item of
great 'importance to fall into a few greedy hands. The
bankers say that is the case with the gold which is
the base of values according to our adopted
monetary standard. ,
Free silver would cripple the hands of the money
gods and give the people relief if we only had the
double standard.
Commissioners Face Huge Task
j The new board of county commissioners will
j face a great task on the day they qualify for office
the first .Monday in December when they shall take
steps t« reassess all real estate for the next four
years. They will have to name supervisors at that
time who will liegin their work of assessing property
about January 1.
Surely, the commissioners will deserve sympathy;
but the as essing supervisors will deserve more. They
will deserve real pity, because they are going to be
met with more complaints than they have ever heard
before in all their lives. They are going to hear more
; real kicking than has been heard before, and the worst
of it all, they'll hardly be able to know what to do
j themselves.
The law generally operates on the theory that any
piece of property should be based on its sale value,
which should he determined on its income capacity.
I In this case, the ;rssessors will have neither sale nor
income as a base of values, because real estate has
furnished mither a sale nor an income for several
years. And of course a large majority of real estate
owners both in town and country will want the low
est taxable value |x>«sible. Often the same man will
i declare his land almost worthless when he meets the
j tax assessor jind when he sues for damages, he will
! go to the extreme on the other side.
Taxation lias never raised a more perplexing ques
tion than at this time and even the wisets and best
men are at a loss to know what to do.
If the same base of valuations is used this time as
j -the- tmr- tnrrf-m- former years, mtl estatc~tn The»
parts will drop from 30 to 40 per cent in value on the
tax books. I hen with taxes largely at a fixed figure,
the rate naturally will go up or some out-side money
will have to lie found.
It will be up to the legislature to-find the new taxes
because land values are certain to go down in taxable
value.
Pertinent Farm Questions
If the acreage used in growing tobacco and cotton
on Martin County farms this year had been planted
to corn, oats, and hay or if it had been left idle al
together, would the county be poorer or richer? A
timely question it is when a large majority of the
farmers of this county say they have lost money on
tobacco and cotton this year. They spent money to
produce the crops, and failed to get a sufficient re
turn to offset what they actually spent in raising
the two crops..
Ihe outcome causes one to wonder what effect
the exjH*rience gained this year will have on the
farming program in 1931, Will farmers put all of
their labor, all of their land, all of their money and
all they can borrow in an attempt to raise another
big money crop? The present outlook is not at all
encourgaging for the money crop raiser next year,
and he who attempts one is very likely to wear a
sad lot k on his face next fall. We need to be care
ful and not spend big money to produce anything
that stands two chances to sell low and only one to
sell high.
lhe farmer who gets the ditch banks carried to
the middle of the field, plans his drainage and buys
less fertilizer will stand a better chance to make good
next fall than the one ignoring these details.
"Hard Times" Talk
Were it nut for the hard times, things would really
be dull, from a conversational standpoint. We have
hardly had enough weather during the summer to talk
about—just one steady stream of dry weather.
The little ice and few frosts recently did not change
things, because we still hear the "hard times tune."
Nearly anybody can converse fluently now. Just
say the word ' times," and everybody is in on the
subject. There are a few folks who are not getting
ertough to eat. Some are ragged and cold. This is
bad, but, after all, the worst thing about this panic
is the flw)d of talk we hear about it. It will certainly
be a happy day when we meet friends Kvho will look
bright aixl s|*ak with some degree of appreciation
for the many good things we do have.
Lamont on the Tariff
Thomas W. Lamont of the great J. P. Morgan and
company, recently had the following to say about the
latest tariff nieaures in the United States:
Incidentally, we have complicated thit business
situation ,uf our# —though no one can as yet de
termine whether seriously or not—by hanging the_,
load of a new tariff act around our own necks.
The increased rates have certainly led to a certain
feeling of dismay and ill will abroad and to some
retalitory tariffs. They have probably caused also
some .both to home trade and to our inter
national,commerce, because of the uncertainties and
dislocation# which they have created.
It would be easy to magnify the ill results of the
new American tariff. We cannot class them as
controlling (actors in our present depression. Bat
there can be little dispute that we chose a most
inopportune time for this particular enactment
With both domestic and foreign trade beginning to
show signs of a decline, as they did in the early
summer of 1929, it surely was not the time to build
up new harriers against world trade. Certainly,
too, we did not take a happy method of encourag
ing our foreign customers to buy more of our
goods. Nor did we make it any easier for them to
pay their governmental debts to Washington.
rH E ENTERPRISE
THE LETTER-BOX
Solicitation of Funds
As a citizen of this community, I
feel the time has come when some
thing should be said about the indis
criminate solicitation of funds on our
streets by outside organizations or in
dividuals.
For I know not how many years,
the representatives of certain organi
zations have been plying in and out
of our town, soliciting funds both up
on the streets, the places of business
and in our private homes. They are
still doing it. And they will still go
on doing it unless we raise the ques
tion publicly.
Let it be said that we assume these
organizations are "on the square."
Whether or not it is the Salvation
Army or the American Rescue Work
eis, we take it for granted that their
cause is a good one, and that they are
carrying on a good work.
However, there are many good
causes and much good work here at
home which needs a generous portion
■of our benevolent expenditures that
are of a charitable nature. This is not
charging that those who solict funds
upon our street are unworthy, but it
is saying that we know little about
them. They give no account to us of
themselves or of the funds which they
gather and carry out so quickly.
At home here our churches Keep
books and give an account to their
congregations about the expenditures.
Our secret orders do the same thing.
;So does the city government. And
Iso do the business houses. Yet, these!
solicitors who are unknown to us, are 1
allowed to come in any day they like,
collect money ali over th#m, go on'
their several ways and render no ac- j
count of any penny of it to any of
u* here, whatsoever.
Futhennore, every penny of this
I money goes out of the town and so
far as I know entirely out of the
county. It is presumed that it is well
spent for" charitable purposes some
where. Though we know nothing of it
nor are ever informed. All we know is
that they gather a good deal of money
here, render no accounting of it to
anyone and spend every cent of it else
where.
This year, particularly this winter,
there is going to he a good deal of
distress in Williamston and in Martin
County. It is going to take a good
deal of money for us all to do what
we shall need to do. We cannot, and
we shall not, sit supinely by while
some of our unfortunate and under
priviledged classes suffer. Therefore,
we shall have to, and we want to, go
into our pockets and do something
about this humanitarian need.
And as a citizen of the town and
county, I want to say that for the
most part, we shall do better to
spend our charitable money where we
know it is needed and where we may
have an accounting rendered if we
want.
This is not meant selfishly. All good
humanitarian impulses and all good
religious impulses bid us to relieve hu
man suffering wherever it is found—
whether in Williamston or in Pegin;
whether in Martin County or Africa.
And we all want to,do that as we have
opportunity. But those who belong to,
or are affiliated with any of the
churches or denominations, have a
superb opportunity there of minister
ing to the whole world through these
legally constituted religious bodies.
And if any man wants to contribute to
the Salvation army or any other ins
titution, that is his business.
1 am simply saying, personally, that
I do not think it good judgment to
contribute indiscriminately to outside
prganizations of which we know noth
ing, to the expense of our own needy
people. When we want to send money
out of town there are the regular
channels, such as the Red Cross and
the church which carry on their busi
ness, for the most part, in a way that
is above reproach. But I stand against
public solicitation of our people upon
WOOD FOR SALE
Hard wood. Well
seasoned and very
cheap. See
FRANK
CARSTARPHEN
Town Taxes Are Now Due
PAY NOW AND GET THE DISCOUNT
" . v . ■ - • •'»
You will find it easier to pay in the fall than in the spring.
If you with, you may pay in small installments.
W. B. DANIEL, Tax Collector
WILLIAMSTON
the streets of our town by any and
every outside organization which give*
no report and brings no credential*.
| Have you seen the containers sit
ting about in our drug store? They
ask for contributSonsrfor "the relief of
our needy people." And when our
own people are facing a winter when
many of them shall be short on bread,
clothing and fuel, let us think twice
before we encourage promiscuous so
licitation of funds, one penny of which
will never be spent in our town in our
county, and no penny of which will
ever be accounted for here.
C. H. DICKEY.
NOTICK OF SALE
North Carolina, In Superior Court,
Martin County.
D. G. Mathews
vs
H. M. Burras and wife,
Mrs. Ora Burras.
Under and by virtue »f a judmgent
of the Superior Court in an action en
titled as above, the undersigned Com
missioner, will on the 24 day of Nov
ember, 1930, at 12 o'clock, Noon, in
I front of the Courthouse door in Wil-
I liamston, «*N, C., offer for sale to thej
to the highest bidder, for cash, the fol
lowing described real estate:
A house and lot in the Town of Wil-I
liamston, N. C., located on Main Street, ,
, and adjoining the Eli Gurganus pro-
| perty on two sides and the Williams
house and lot on the other, and being
tlie same land lister by defendants, and
described in tax certificate of sale dated ;
June 6, 1927, and being the same pro
mises now occupied by the above
named defendants.
This 24 day of October, 1930.
B. A. CRITCHER,
028-2tw . Commissioner.
NOTICE OP SALE
Under and by virtue of the power of
sale contained in that certain Deed of
Trust, executed to the undersigned
Trustee, dated 25th day of June, 1927,
and recorded in Book Y-Z, page 268, |
and the stipulations not having been
complied with, and at the request of
the holder of said bond, the under
signed Trustee will, on the 15th day
of December, 1930, at 12 o'clock,
NOON, in front of the Courthouss
d>or of Martin County, offer for sale,
to the highest bidder, for cash, the
After Thanksgiving Sale
Now Going
WITH EVERY ITEM OF SEASONABLE MERCHANDISE
BEING SOLD BELOW COST. YOU WILL FIND EVERY
TYPE OF MERCHANDISE LOWER THAN IT HAS BEEN
IN YEARS.
A. \ v
Buy Now ■ Can't Get Lower
SILKS AND WOOLENS LADIES; HATS
On* lot fait color Washable Printed Rayon AQC *°t °* Felt jfcl QO
Crepe*, 36 inches wide, special yard 1* Hat> - *
One lot of faat color Washable Printed Crepe*. a wonderful selection in the newer AC
EU3L- KM $2 - 95
Now, yard J* —————_____
fall patterns and colors. Wonderful'* jrc LADIES' HOSIERY
values at, yard •
■ i i. I ■ i One lot ladies' and children's cotton hose. |QC
All sixes and colors, pair .. *•»
LADIES' SILK
UNDERWEAR 69 c
Qi °" SUk BloOm * r * $1.95 one "lot l*tos' Full Fashioned Silk Hoe. i« all
the fall colors and black. Satisfactory ftpC
Combination suits of Glove Silk, in flesh A-j QC service assured. Pair _ 3*o
color. AU sixes, special V*-W 4
**-r - $1.95 °SJ? SSK2S WTLSLIU#
One lot Ladies' Cotton One lot OoM Stripe Hose, regular price *1 in
Pajamas 91.95. While they last, peir
Blount - Harvey Co.
GREENVILLE, N. C.
following described land:
One (1) tract of land lying and be-'
ing in the town of Hamilton, N. C./
beginning at the southeast corner of
Light Front Street, of the Town of!
Hamilton, N. C., running down said
street 127 feet to H. S. Clark's line;
thence along Clark's line to the old 1
Methodist E. Church, by Jas. T. Wal l
do on the 15th day of June, 1884;'
thence including said church lot,
along said Light Street to the begin-
Lumber Prices
t
Have Come
W DOWN
Paints •
Door*
Windows
Door Frames Now is the time to make
Window Frames
Brick construction repairs at lowest
cost. You will save the most
money on labor and materials
Hinges, Etc. Etc. nOW.
Lumber of
Every Kind.
Murray and McCabe Co.
WILLIAMSTON, — NORTH CAROLINA
Friday, November 28, 1930.
j ning. Containing 5-8 of an acre, more
or less, and being the same premises
1 as described in the deed from W. A. #
1 Haislip to Augustus Floyd, which is
,of record in the Public Registry of
' Martin County in Book AAA, at page
421, to which referrence is made for
1 further information.
This the 13th day of November,
1 1930.
B. A. CRITCHER,
N-14-4t Trustee,