The Enterprise
Publuhed Every Tuesday and Friday by the
ENTERPRISE PUBLISHING CO.
WILLIAMS TON, NORTH CAROLINA
W. c. MANNING
Cditor ? 19M-1M8
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
(Strictly Cash in Advance)
IN MARTIN COUNTY
One year $1.75
Su months \ - '
OUTSIDE MARTIN COUNTY
One year $225
Six months 1.25
No Subscription Received Under 8 Months
Advertising Rate Card Furnished Upon Request
Entered at the post office in Williamston, N
C , as second-class matter under the act of Con
gress of March S. 1879
Address all communications to The Enterprise
and not individual members of the firm
Tue?da\. October I. 1940.
< ominf !Stiirrr llomr
That the war and its costly effect are being
brought nearer home for us is becoming more
evident with each new day. And as surely as
night follows day we are going to bo called upon
to pay the price of our follw
In our habitual effort to satisfy our greed
for money, we combed the junk heaps and
snatched the plow shares from the fields to
support an extensive scrap iron export. The pit
iful cries of the almost helpless Chinese as
those down-cast humans stopped the bullets
and shell fragments failed to register in our
ears, and with rto conscience to trouble us we
continued the export of the death-dealing ma
terial
The government recently placed an embar
go on the war material, but Japan has an ade
quate supplv for continuing its savage attack
on China and for a crack at us. A few weak
voices called out for an embargo many months
ago, but we would have threatened our own
government had an embargo been ordered be
fore now. Our" craving for money would not
permit us to see the pitiful plight of the Chinese .
before the Japanese war machine, and neither
eould we see the danger for us in such a das
tard v business.
Today, the humble Chinese are puzzled to
understand why we would sell their common
enemy war materials and then turn around
and try to save them with our missionaries and
our Red Cross.
The criminal sooner or later falls victim of
his own acts. It would appear that the United
States is about to be called upon to pay the
price of its folly. Actual warfare may not come
just no but n is certainly on its way and un
less some unforseen events transpire in the
course of a very few months we can well antici
pate the shock of war itself The economic ef
fects are alre ady pinching our way of life, and
for many the death knot is being tied slowly
but surely.
China, beaten to its knees and its purchas
ing power reduced to a point bordering on star
vation, is not in position to buy our tobacco
and other commodities Trade with Japan is
dwindling rapidly, piling ever higher the huge
cotmn Mil plus III tins intry We snn-i'nHor
ed principle back yonder, destroyed the con
fidence others once had and now in the world's
greatest crisis. Japan turns to a barbarian and
forms a partnership.
We well knew back yonder that we were ig
noring principle when countless thousands of
tons of scrap iron were being mentioned in
our export trade as a great factor in our eco
nomic prosperity. Possibly an embargo on
scrap iron at that time would have pinched
our economic foot, but the cost to us then will
not compare with the price we are now about
to be called upon to pay.
But pay it we must, and by the token of bil
lions and possibly numbers of human lives we
will.
/V. Bob In B athington
Bob Reynolds, they say, is in line for mayor
of Washington. Already he is said to be making
plans for returning horse racing and gambling
to the Nation's capital. That's typical of the fel
low a lot of North Carolina people were fooled
into voting for twice in a row.
After our dear Bob has made one big ass of
himself in Washington we sometimes wonder
if many of those who ran up and down the
street behind him as a little dog does his mas
ter aren't ready to turn and kick themselves
in the pants for ever supporting his candidacy.
But the playboy could at least ease the pain by
showing a little good, common sense once in a
while. It is outright embarrassing to his con
stituency when our Bob goes off to inspect mil
itary bases after going to Europe and learning
that there wasn't going to be any war. Bob Rey
nolds couldn't tell twenty minutes before it
happened that war was going to break out in
Europe, and judging by his keen observation
over the way it is doubtful if he can apply any
to an inspection of American defense
in the Caribbean. To those who know
him best. Bob Reynolds is just on another gala
vanting trip at the expense of the taxpayers.
l.ffitimale Robbery in Bu*ine??
Our Senator Bailey boastfully points out. "A
New Deal debt of >75,000,000,000 is a national
calamity, exceeded only by a military invasion
by Germany."
It is to be admitted that debt has wrecked
and ruined its victims, but given a full oppor
tunity and due credit for their labors the peo
ple of this nation can pay off a seventy-five
billion dollar debt or a debt twice that size
and never miss a meal. The learned Senator is
wrong when he says that the danger of debt is
exceeded only by a military invasion by Ger
many. The latter possibility is packed with dan
ger, to be sure, but there is a greater danger
lacing the future of this country and that is
the legitimate robbery in business.
Assured of a fair deal, the people of this
country will sacrifice their all to maintain the
basic principles of American life, but when they
are trapped and bled to death by merciless bus
iness tactics they are certain to revolt, sooner
or later.
Just a short time ago an orphan died in a
strange town. The colored undertaker jumped
on the body and embalmed it. Relatives, hard
pressed to maintain their own economic exist
ence, made arrangements to have the body re
turn home that it might rest beside those of
his parents The undertaker, catching the dead
boy's relatives at a disadvantage .refused to
surrender the body until a $35 embalming fee
was paid There is possibly some justification
in the action of the undertaker or in the action
of others in refusing to forfeit about their only
means of collecting an account, but when a
bill is increased in the face of those whose fi
nances are already in a strain, the creditor is
destroying the foundation to the American
way of life.
This is only one little incident, but there are
millions of similar ones that are gnawing at
the American system of life. Countless thous
ands have been driven from their homes and
forced to surrender property worth many times
the amount of the debt against it But the fail
ure to meet one payment was sufficient excuse
for the creditor to act. It is a common practice
for one to charge a premium for his wares,
services and goods when the purchaser could
not offer ready cash, the premium taking care
of carrying charges, risks and trouble in addi
tion to a little extra profit that has been known
to figure as high as 100 per cent. The unfortun
ate in this land must have a full opportunity to
earn a living and then he assured that they will
not be robbed by ruthless business.
If Senator Bailey can solve this problem he
will have accomplished much in reducing the
alleged danger of a big national debt.
4n Old Word Willi a !Smu> Meaning
Elkin Tribune.
President William P. Few, of Duke Univer
sity, in an address before the student body of
that institution, said the people of this coun
try must learn to speak some old words with a
new accent, and one of these words is "work".
And further' ?
"We must try to build again a nation of work
ers It will not be safe to commit the destinies
of a great country into idle hands; but the des
tiny of any nation is safe in the keeping of
people who think straight and who work, eith
er with their hands or 111 other creative ways."
Every athlete knows that he cannot long
play the game without peeping in physical trim;
that he must exercise his muscles judiciously
and continuously if they are to make him ef
ficient And that goes for the body politic,
too.
CiOl many is strong because men have not
been afraid to work, even wnen made to. And
the German economy is strong far beyond the
conception of outsiders, simply because her
men at work were content with meager pay.
If Germans can be content to toil for such an
unworthy objective as has been theirs for the
past five years?the building of a great war ma
chine to destroy other people, how much great
er is the incentive for Americans to knuckle
down to a productivity that will serve a holier
cause.
There are too many parasites in this nation?
too many who live and have their being at the
expense of others, and we are breeding more of
them every day. One generataion plants and
grows the tree in the shade of which their
children sit in comfort. Some of them even
destroy the limbs that shade them.
No matter how rich the parent, the boy or
girl is being tragically neglected if he or she
is not taught to work, either with their hands
or mind?to contribute something to the socie
ty that has made their path rosier than that
of some of their fellows.
Right now it is related that in a national em
ergency there is a dearth of skilled workers.
That we can't get going in our defense pro
gram until workers arc trained for their jobs.
That is because of our preference for white col
lars. Bricklayers are among the highest paid
workers, yet you seldom see even a high school
graduate willing to take up such a trade as this.
The result is that bricklayers are scarce in
the presence of plenty of soda-jerkers. Yet the
one can earn more in a day than the other can
earn in a week. Dr. Few has something on the
ball, no mistake about that.
Th*y Do
Another reason why the professional poli
tician gets more than the people do is because
he knows what he wants. ? San Francisco
Chronicle.
Pre'Winter SPECIALS
At BELK-TYLER"S?WilliamSton
MEN'S
SUITS
Hard finished worsteds in both
single and double breasted. Blues,
grays, greens and browns in the
latest styles. Select your suit from
HKLK-TYl.KK'S complete stock
TODAY!
$9.95-$ 12.95
and $14.75
Ltidieif Cotton
Stockings!
10c
RAYON
Panties
25c
KITCHEN
Towels
Fine Quality
5c
iMrge Size
BATH
T owels
5c
LADIES' NEVt
Fall and Winter
HATS
98c
HEAVY LL
Sheeting
Fine (Quality?On Sale
5c
SINGLE
Blankets
.4 Fine Value
48c
PRODUCT
PILLOW
CASES
10c
Ladies9 Quality
SWEATERS
79c
BUDGET
HOSE
48c
Fine Quality
BEDSPREADS
48c
WASH BOARDS
Special Tor
27c
MEN'S
WORK SHOES
$1.48-$ 1.98
SCHOOL
OXFORDS
$1.48-$ 1.^8
MEN'S
DRESS SHOES
Be?t Quality
$1.98-$2.9S|
LADIES'
DRESS SHOES
$1.98-$2.95
Fast Color
PRINTS
10c
Heavyweight
OUTING
10c
Rayon Satin
SLIPS
48c
Ladies' Silk
Panties
10c
LADIES'
DRESSES
[julien' new full dresM'K in all
the latent styles anil materials. A
heautiful array of colors to select
from. All sizes in stock. /
$1.98
$2.98
Men'* Dretg rv m
SHIFTS 51?C
Boy*' Dreti y| Q
SHIRTS TTOC
MEN'S and BOYS'
SWEATERS
98c
Roy?' Work
SHIRTS f55/C
Work J Q
SHIRTS 4oC
Fine Quality
SHIRTS
and
SHORTS
For MEN an<l BOYS
15c
Men'i Dreti
SOCKS
5c
Men'$ Work
PANTS . y?C
BOYS'
BLOODHOUND
OVERALLS
59c
MEN'S Bloodhound
SANFORIZED
OVERALLS
89c
Warm Wooly
BLANKETS
98c -$1.98
CANNON
TOWELS
10c
LADIES'
COATS
Mannish tailored, swag
per, and all the latest cuts
in a large selection of
ladies' coats. New mater
ials and colors for you
to choose front.
PLAYCLOTH
Special For
5c
$7.95
$9.95
Belk-Tylei Company-Williamston