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VOL. XIII.
FINAL" EDITION
ELIZABETH CITY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY EVENING, JANUARY 18, 1923
FOUR PAGES
NO. 1
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V i ,. i
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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.