North Carolina Newspapers

4; ci"Culat;c:i VednesJay 1,835 Copies r.I-t' warraer to- Fresh and strong r.V-t VOL. XIII. FINAL" EDITION ELIZABETH CITY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY EVENING, JANUARY 18, 1923 FOUR PAGES NO. 1 ' :,p M T V i ,. i CI c.Jt: Y t t 1 Frl- mm mm RUER COAL OHDSR Only Coal Mined And Above Ground Ream siticned Influenced . By Public Opinion Essen, Jan. 18 (By The Associ ated Tress) Ruhr coal operators who thought the French were to take over the mines found ' themselves Mill In possession of their proper ties today and learned that only the coal mined and above the ground came under the revised requisition ing orders of the French. The magnates a too learned that they faced court martial instead of actual arrest for refusal to deliver coal to France. Public opinion in the United States and England . is said to have Influenced the ( French to revise the order. Essen, Jan. 18 (By The Associated Press) The French military offi cials today Instituted courtmartial proceedings against six Ruhr coal magnates on charges of "refusing to obey orders of the military authori ties in territory under a state of seige." The names of those against whom action was instituted were -withheld. LEGISLATORS WARRING AGAINST BAD CHECKS Ralsigh, Jan. 18 (By The Associ ated Press) Legislation to discour age the issuing of "bad checks" will ' be urged for passage In the General Assembly, supported by the organiz ed merchants of the State with the probable indorsement of the North Carolina Bankers Association, it was learned from authoritative sources 3iere today. - Two bills directed against Uie practice of" giving worthless checks Already have been introduced in the Assembly, one by Senator W. A. ; Graham, Lincoln County, and the other by Representative W. R."Mat- thews, of Mecklenberg. The former measure is general in Jta terms, making the issuance of a check known to be an overdraft a 'misdemeanor; while the Matthews bill would set limit of seven days 3n which a -worthless check could be wade good to avoid penalty. Whether a third bill embodying ideas of the agencies which will urge the legislation will be Introduced, or their advocacy placed behind one those already on the calendars will be determined at an early confer ence ot those Interested In the sug ' jested changes. ' At present the law prohibits the issuances of a. worthless check to: se cure merchandise, but t is claimed by those favoring more rigid regula tion that conviction under this stat ute against fraud Is difficult, and laey wish the law to go further to provide a measure ot relief from -what they term a great volume of overdrafts. . The carelessness of the man who overdraws, it 4s contended, would be discouraged along with wilful vio lations. RETURN FROM TUXERAL Mrs. W. H. Cropsey and son, F. D. Cropsey, and Mrs. Will Brooks re ' turned Wednesday night from Nor folk, where they had been to at tend the funeral of Mr. and Mrs. F. T). Cropsey's little daughter, Adele. The little girl died at a Charlottes ville hospital Sunday morning after a long illness. She was seven years old. The funeral was conducted Monday at the home in Norfolk by Br. Franklin of Colonial Avenue X hodist church, and interment was made in Riverside Cemetery. . TO ORGANIZE WORKERS ' Boston, Jan. 18 (By The Associ ated Press) United Textile Work ers of America have announced their plan to organize workers in the Southern mills. RUSSIA TO HELP GERMANY ' London, Jan. 18 (By The Associ ated Press) It is reported that Rus sia Is to assist Germany against France in the event of armed resist ance to occupation. , KIVANIANS HAVE MANY HATTERS TO .TAKE UP The IClwanis Club hag a number of important matters to take up M Its meeting Friday evening at :30 tit the Southern Hotel, among them 1 the nisht of meeting, the flat " ' rate, and the club magazine. :h f 1 tt Coin jock was In Southern Trust Company To Sell More Stock Authority was given at the annuai meeting of the stockholders of the Southern Trust Company Wednesday to dispose of 105 shares of stock held in the treasury. This will give the Southern Trust Company a cap ital stock of $75,000. The company's stock is already selling at a consid erable premium. Though organized less than a year ago the Southern, Trust Company declared a six per cent dividend for 1922, and the stockholders felt that they had every reason for gratifica tion at the record made and for the utmost optimism as to this new fin ancial Institution's future. At the annual meeting Wednesday the following officers were re-elect- od: W. G. Gaither, president; W. T. Old, vice-president; Dr. I. Fearing, vice-president; L. E. Old, secretary and manager of insurance depart ment; C. F. Garrett, treasurer. The following were re-elected members of the board of directors: L. S. Blades, C. P. Brown, L. R. Foreman, J. G. Gregory, M. H. Jones, Chas. H. Robinson, Dr. I. Fearing, L. W. Norman, W. A. Pin ner, G. F. Seyffert, W. A. Worth, J. C. B. Ehringhaus, M. P. Gallop, W. G. Gaither, F. M. Grlce, O. F. Gilbert, W. T. Old, C. O. Robinson, W. H. Jennette, D. E. Williams, S. M. Brothers, Sr. Daughters Prepare Patrictic Program Rev. H. E. Myers will deliver the address at the celebration ot the birthdays of Lee and Jackson at the high school auditorium Friday after noon at 3:30. The program has been prepared by the D. H. Hill Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confeder acy, of which Mrs. C. D. Bell is president, and all members of the chapter will meet at the office of Superintendent S. L. Sheep and go in a body into th? auditorium. After the singing of Dixie by the audience and the invocation by Rev. H. E. Myers there will be a vocal solo by Mrs. J. P. Greenleaf. The singing of Old Elack Joe will pre cede Mr. Myers address and the singing of The Bonnie Blue Flag will follow, the program closing with the benediction. The Daughters very cordially In vited the public, and especially the young people, to attend the exer cises whjch are held annually to commemorate the lives ot these great Southerners. JUDGE THINKS BOYS NEED MILITARY SCHOOL Goldsboro, January 18 (By The Associated Press) Every sixty days for a period of two years, five Mt. Olive boys, ranging in age .from 17 to 19, must appear before' Judge D. H. Bland, ot Recorder's court, with a letter from the mayor of their home town stating whether their conduct has been good or bad. Raymond Flowers, Claud Flowers, Edward Hall, William Hall and Rob ert Holmes are the boys" who ap peared befsre the Judge on charges of disorderly conduct, assault on an officer and contempt of court. The charges developed from their alleged misconduct on the streets of Mt. Olive recently. Each of them was placed In bond of $100 'on the disorderly conduct charges. "It I had the power I would sen tence these boys to a military school for two years each," said the Judge. "I think it would be good for them." Relative to their alleged miscon duct In the mayor's court at Mt. Olive, which resulted in the con tempt charges, Judge Bland held he could not pass on this phase ot the cases. "I can't rule on the contempt .... limi it .1 . I case, 'he asserted. niais uie ai- falr" of the mayor's court at Mt. Olive, but If I could I would give these young men a Jail sentence Just to teach them respect for the laws and courts." Several Mt. Olive citizens appeared in court and testified the defend ants were of good character. Foreign Exch:n:r London, Jan. 18 (By The Asso ciated Tress) The" Foreign Ex change market today is utterly de moralized with operations practical ly at a eland Still. Berlin, Jan. 18 (By The Aseoclat ed Tress) The Reichstag Bank dla count rate was raised to twelve per "!-1 tmt.iy. ITALY ACTS AS MEDIATOR Washington, Jan. 18 (By The As sociated Press) Italy has taken definite steps to impress the Brit ish and French that she regards the present situation in Ruhr as fraught with great danger and although not taking the position of actual media tor she has earnestly suggested that any further forcible steps toward collection of reparations should be taken only after the most mature consideration. Is Appreciative Of Hospitality Secretary R. C. Job 'has Just re ceived a letter from Col. J. F. Ho well of the Coast Artillery Corps at Fort Monroe, expressing apprecia tion of all courtesies shown the de tachment of soldiers who recently visited Elizabeth City. The text of the letter follows: "I am informed by Lieutenant Harrlman's report of the hospitality shown by your citizens during the recent visit of a detachment of the 61st Artillery Batallion (antl-air-eraft) to your city. I am taking this opportunity to express my apprecia tion for the many courtesies extend ed by your citizens to the officers and men of this detachment, and I wish to thank you personally for your Interest and efforts in making the trip a success. Both officers and men of the detachment have been generous in their praise ot Elizabeth City and I am sure will speak well of it whenever the opportunity af fords." GAP BETWEEN PAVING NARROWING EVERY DAY .Day by day the gap in the paving on the 6,200 foot stretch beyond Glover's Cut grows shorter and Shorter. A rough guess Thursday afternoon shortly before three o'clock was that the stretch of earth between the two segments of paving already laid on this stretch measured about 900 feet. It measured 2,200 feet when work on the lap now under construction was begun a little more than a week ago. If as good progress can be made for the next week as has been made for the last, the 2.200 feet lap will be completed .before the end ot next weelj. This will give a straight stretch of more than a mile of paving on the other side of Glov er's Cut. There is as yet no sign of a start toward driving of piling for the bridge at Glover's Cut. Recital Friday Night At State Normal School A recital featuring Creole talk songs will be given at the State Normal School Friday night at 7:30. The musicians, Maud Cuney Hare and William II. Richardson, have been heard from coast to coast, and the program is one ot educational value, while at the same time af fording unusual enjoyment. The ad mission is only 25 cents and seats will (be reserved for white friends. Will Have To Import Weevil Ammunition Washington, Jan. 18 (By The As sociated Tress) Imports will be necessary in order to furnish South ern cotton planters with sufficient supplies of calcium arsenate to be used in fighting the boll weevil, said a Joint report of the Agriculture and Interior Departments to the Senate today, in response to the Dial reso lution. . BRITISH EMBASSY WILL CARRY ON NEGOTIATIONS Washington, Jan. 18 (By The As sociated Tress) Negotiations be tween the American and British re garding debt refunding will be car ried forward through the British embassy after the return to London ot the commission. orrosEs highway iioxds Nashville, Jan. 18 (By The Asso ciated Tress) Governor Teay's first message to the Legislature opposes the seventy-five million bond Issue; for highways. COXFKSSE8 TO KILLING Asbevllle, Jan. 18 (By The Asso ciated Tress) Mary Colling con fewies to killing Uray 8mlth last fall and claims it was la self defense. Held Ilc:ri:.3 On Shipping Prcpcsal Raleigh, Jan. 18 (By The Assocl: ated Press) Troposals for the State to provide a ship and port commis sion and to build a railroad into counties of Western North Carolina held chief Interest among legislators today. The commission is author ized to inquire into the railroad proposal was ready to report and the commerce committee held hearings on theship and port proposal. A bill was Introduced In the Sen ate today to abolish solicitors' fees throughout the State and substitute a salary of $3,600 annually with necessary expenses in addition. The Senate received on the third reading a bill to remove criminally insane from the State prison. The House passed a number of lo cal bills and there was a warm po litical tilt between Republicans and Democrats over the proposal to abolish the office of the county audi tor of Davidson County and the treasurer of Randolph County, to which Republicans were elected at the last election.. While the Repub licans contended that such an act would ibe "brutally unkind" after the Democrats had swept almost the entire State, proponents of the pro posals retorted that the candidates made the race with the knowledge that the offices would be abolished by the Legislature If the Democrats carried these two counties. The two bills passed the third reading to a chorus of loud ayes. VIRGINIA COMMISSIONER OF HIGHWAYS RESIGNS Richmond, Jan. 18 (By The Asso ciated Tress) George T. Coleman today resigned as state highway commissioner in-order, he said in a letter, that "I may be free to do things I think necessary for proper advancement ot highway interests which mean so much to the develop ment of Virginia." Tells How Anson Women Marketed Home Products Raleigh, Jan. 18 (By The Associ ated Tress) A story of how the wo men of Anson County, organized Into home demonstration clubs, are mak ing rapid strides in earning money through the sale of home products was disclosed at the capltol by Mrs. Cornelia C. Morris, district agent for the Home Demonstration Division of the Agricultural Extension Service. "The work is under the direction of Mrs. Rosalind A. Redfearn," she said, "and the women are making money despite the ravages of the boll weevil in the cotton fields. "As an example, in December a home products sale was promoted for three days at the cqurthouse in Wadesboro. Hand bills were scat tered over the town and county ad vertising all kinds of home products as eggs, butter, bens, turkeys, saus age, liver pudding, pickles, pre serves, Jellies, cakes, rag rugs, brooms and fancy work. "December 14-15-16 were the dates selected, Just the time for the housewife to purchase her Christ mas supplies for the table and fancy work for gifts. The sale amounted to $447.79, with additional orders, which were filled the following week, amounting to $211.40, making to tal of $658.97 'for the sale. A check from Raleigh for $615.40 for tur keys and hens and another from Greensboro lor $102 for other home grown products, brought the total amount for December to $1376.37. "Three shipments of turkeys to a wholesale house in Washington, D. C, were not Included In the above figures as the amount received from them was not known at the time the report was ntade. During the win ter months, a barrel of dressed poul try is shipped to the North Carolina State College at Raleigh ench week," she said. NEGRO HU'KKVIHORS HOME ECONOMICS MEET Raleigh, January 18 (By The As sociated Tress) A conference of n! gro supervisors and teachers of home economics In North Carolina to meet In Raleigh February 1-3 has been called by Miss Katherine i.Moran, acting bead of the home economics department, It was announced to night. The work for the year will be out- lined at the meeting TODAY'S COTTOX MARKET New York, Jan. 18. The closing hid on middling today was 28.15. Futures, January 27.90, March 28.06, May 28.28, July 28.01, Oc tober 26.C4. Such A System Would Pay Says Lewis If It Existed Testifying For The City In Regard To Utility Company Claims, Former Superintendent Fcr Utilities Gives His Own Estimate Of Sewer System's Cost And Value That with such a sewer system as witnesses for the utility companies claim that the Elizabeth City Sew erage Company is operating, the company would be able at the pres ent rate to earn six per cent on Its investment and pay a handsome pro fit besides was the contention of R. E. Lewis, witness for the city author ities, in the flnial session, Wednesday night, of the hearing before the Cor poration Commission, beginning Wednesday morning, on the petition of the sewer company for permission to discontinue service. Mr. Lewis was so far from believ ing, however, that the system de scribed by the witnesses for the util ities companies is the system that actually exists that he gave it as hisiton s r ,u ,, ,m w , i. . .1. i .a ix - L- 14 ws said to be almost opinion that with the exteting eys- ,mpo88ible ,.r the crew t0 na?e tem an even break on the cost of caped dltrln the h eg operating, allowing for depredation and interest on investment, would be ' OWSI.FV Tf'if minri'ii the best that could be expected from the present sewerage rate. The present rate is treble the original i Associated Tress) Alvln Owsley rate of the sewerage company anddenles charges that the American was granted by the Corporation Commission less than a year ago. It is regarded as excessive by the city authorities, who have ap pealed to the courts from the deci sion of the Corporation Commission granting it. The rate granted is still less than that asked for by the company when it took its petition for a higher rate to the Corporation Commission. Some time must elapse before the decision of the Corporation Commis sion on the petition of the sewer company to surrender its franchise, discontinue oneration and abandon service canbe announced. The com- I0Urflh( fthe ;wer con'Pany's stock panyhas already served notice on tt,l.W.elnt-t0Mr',H"1, a 'T t0 HoW customers that service will be aban doned after January 31, but that Is hardly contemplated now. State ments made at the conclusion of the hearing by counsel for the utilities intimated that operation of the sewer system would be continued un til the Corporation Commission had passed on the petition. The Corporation Commission now has the petition under consideration. but full consideration can not be j another paPt t0 c, w, Grce and one given It until the Commission hasi, t0 the wltneM himself. Mr. time to review the record, for which' Lewta dld ot pay anythng for his they, must wait for the transcrlp-1 gt()ck and never heard of any of the tlon of the stenographer's notes and.otnerg havlng pald anythng for for the copying of the voluminous 1 theirs. papers filed by the sewer company. The'r alg0 evideMe from M, Monday, February 5, has been set as the day when both sides will pre sent their briefs and make final ar gument in the matter at Raleigh. Whether or not the Corporation Com mission will at that time announce its decision does not yet appear. Mr. Lewis was formerly superin- tendent of the Elizabeth City utill- deem this point exceedingly Import tlee and later general manager and,ant because, they contend, on.tho secretary-treasurer. He was the only showings ot this test period officials witness put on by counsel tor tne0( the sewer company base not only city, but his testimony was decidedly the most sensational introduced. Mr. Lewis testified that when the present management acquired the utilities here it found Itself at sea as to the separate costs of the sewer and water plants. Ineffectual efforts, he asserted, were made to ascertain the cost by audit of the books ofitimore engineer, Howard E. Crook, Daniel B. Banks, engineer, under! John T. Hill, and R. T. Whltehurst, whose supervision all three plants j now treasurer and auditor of the were constructed. Finally Mr. Lewis utilities. Counsel for the utilities himself was asked to estimate the j also presented figures showing on V cost of the sewer system, which he , their face (hat the sewer company did, on the basis of the cost of ma terials and labor at the time, finding it to be a sum slightly in excess of $27,500. Into the construction of the three utility properties up to this time had gone something like $157,000 derived from the sale of a $200,000 bond issue of the electric light company, and certain addi tional sums, relatively not large, supposed to have been put Into t,he plants by Mr. Banks, the engineer, and a Ir. Evans. Two or three years ago the books kept by Mr. dwlared, to the best of their knowl-. Banks, engineer and contractor, dls-' ,,, gnd belief, represented the ac appeared, Mr. Lewis testified. j tuai cost of construction. Both Subsequent to Mr. Lewis's ap-j these" utility officials denied any pralsal of the cost of the sewerage knowledge of the offer of the sewer system, 'Mr. Banks snd H. Clay;gJPgtem to the city at an alleged cost Tunis, then general manager of the .prce 0( $54,000. They admitted utilities, appeared before the uoara of Aldermen with a proposition to sell the sewer system to the city at $54,000, which, Mr. Lewis testified, was represented as a cost price. Mr. Lewis also testified that he could not, In view of his own estimate of the cost of the sewer system, regard the figures of $38,000, represented by the utilities as the book'value of the ENTIRE CREW LOST LIVES Norfolk, Jan. 18 (By The Asso ciated Tress) The entire crew of eleven men of the schooner Helvetia are believed by Coast Guard officials here to have lost their lives when the vessel capsized off the Virginia coast during a heavy storm in De cember. It was stated today upon completion of the investigation which started Monday when a dero lict was sighted off the coast. And found to be the Helvetia, which left New Ynrlr FWoni her 1 fn rkn.u. - - v iiniiAi Anderson, 111.,, Jan. 18 (By The Legion is in politics. sewer company's stock, as anything but excessive. Mr. Lewis also testified further that so far as he knew no stockholder had ever paid anything for his stock In the Elizabeth City Sewerage Com--pany. He said that at one time a third of it was made out to Mr. Banks; a third of it to J. T. Hill, now vice president of the utilities: and a third of It to some one else whose name he could not recall. this stock was cancelled and a ard E. Crook, now president of all three utilities, a fourth to Mr. Banks and a fourth to a person whose name he could not remember. The stock In each Instance was kept In the book and not put In the hands of th in dividual stockholders. Later, again the stock Issued was cancelled and the stock divided into five parts of four shares each, one part going to Mr. Crook, another part to Mr. Hill, another Dart to R. T. Whltehurat. Lewfl tendllng to ehow that( durlng the test period when the present management metered the water flow ing through the sewers and kept an account of the current used at the pumping stations of the system, the sewers were operated extravagantly and wastefully. Counsel for the city their claim that they are now op erating at a loss but also their claim of a $34,000 deficit in the opera tion ot the plant from its begin ning. Witnesses put on the stand by counsel for the utilities Wednesday afternoon were: E. II. Burrell, Bal- has been operating at a, loss under the increased rate granted it by the Corporation Commission last spring. Mr. Burrell corroborated and strengthened the testimony of G. J. Requardt, who testified Wednesday morning that the sewer plant here is In good condition and that its replacement cost would be approxi mately $75,000. Mr. Crook and Mr. Hill testified the book value of the sewer com pany to re fss.uuu ana miH, mey that the three utilities here are un- der Identical management, though claiming that each is a separa entity. Mr. Whltehurst merely testified that the books and records kept at the office of the utility companlei bore out the assertions as to the books and records testified to by Mr. Crook and (Mr. IIUl.