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Year, In Advance. ( " FOR GOO, FOK COUNTRY AND FOR TRUTH. M Cpy 8 Cec.
VOL. XXI. PLYMOUTH, N, C. FRIDAY APRIL 21, 1911 NO. 44.
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TAX ASSESSORS
60 TO WORK HAT 1
AN INCREASE OF $100,000,000 OF
PROPERTY VALUES IS
ANTICIPATED.
EFFORT TO EQUALIZE TAXES
The Present Property Assessments In
North Carolina Aggregate Upwards
of $613,000,000 State Tax Commis
sion Instructing County Assessors.
Raleigh. Numbers of the county
tax assessors recently appointed by
the corporation commission as state
tax commission under the new ma
chinery act are coming to Raleigh
from day to day for conferences with
the commission as to their duties
which begin May 1. The commis
sioners are going over with . the as
sessors the features of their
duties, which include the supervision
of the assessments by the assistant
township assessors, Sitting with the
county commissioners and a county
board of equalization and represent
ing the state tax commission in as
sessment matters generally.
The present property assessments
in North Carolina aggregate upwards
of $613,000,000 and the leaders in
the legislature, in basing the reve
nue legislation, figured at least an
increase of $100,000,000 of property
values. Many in close touch with
the approaching work of the" tax as
sessing officials believe the totals will
run considerably more than the hundred-million
increase.
, The state tax commission will
coon isBue a general, letter of instruc
: ttons for the county assessors and
there will be special instructions as to
conditions in specific counties. The
effort is to secure a more thorough
equalization of standards of value in
the several counties as they relate to
standards in o,ther sections of the
state and avoid complaints that .figur
ed so ' prominently during the, legis
lature', as to inequalities.
Second Detail Officers to Texas.
' There came from the - war depart
ment the official call for five more of
ficers of the North Carolina National
guard to report at the San Antonio,
Texas, Mexican border camp for field
training, this being the second dele
gation called. They are to report at
camp April 25. Adjutant General
Leinster announces the following ap
pointments, which had to be select
ed with regard for the ranks of of
ficers called for by the war depart
ment: Maj. T. S. Pace, second, in
fantry, Wilson; .Capt. S. C. Chambers,,
third infantry, Durham; Capt. W. A.
Jackson, first infantry, Mount Airy;
Capt. E. L. Black, regimental com
missary, second infantry, Charlotte;
Capt. Dcn' E. Scott, regimental adju
tant, third infantry, Graham.
Rich Chinaman in Trouble.
. The state authorities are being ask
ed by friends in Wilmington to In
tercede with the department of labor
and commerce at Washington for xa
Chinese laundryman" of Wilmington,
who accumulated a considerable for
tune in Wilmington, went to his na
tive land to carry the body of a dead
brother, and on his return to this
country was refused the right to
hind, under the Chinese exclusion act,
on account of some oath he signed to
be allowed to return to China on his
sad mission. Through intercession of
Wilmington friends, he was permitted
to go to Wilmington until May 1, and
now the effort is to completely re
move the disabilities. He has quite
a good deal of property there and
also stock in banks and other enter
prises. Scientists Will Meet in Raleigh.
April 28 and 29, there will be held
out at the A. & M. college the tenth
annual meeting of the North Carolina
Academy of science that has for tb
principal feature of its sessions, the
presentation of scientific papers bear
ing on investigations of its members
during the ' year. The titles of 17
have already been registered by mem
bers.' There is also an annual ban
quet in connection with the meeting.
March Fire Losses in This State.
' 'Commissioner of Insurance James
R. Young, is calling the attention of
the people of North Carolina to the
fact that the fire losses in this state
for the month of March, according to
the showing the New York Journal of
Commerce amounted to $518,700 con
siderably more trfsm should have been
with proper attention to the elimina
tion of fore waste and precaution as
to condition of buildings in the towna.
The loss Tor the United States and.
Canada ' 1120,000,000 more than ?
March, .,'
FREIGHT RATE REDUCTION
Long ' Haul Discriminations to be
Abolished May 15 Railroads
Are Denied Rehearing.
Raleigh. There was received from
the interstate commerce commission
by the North Carolina corporation
commission official notification that
the interstate commission decides not
to grant the petition of the Norfolk
& Western, Southern and Seaboard
Air Line railroad companies for re
hearing in the case of Corporation
Commission vs. Norfolk & Western
for a reduction of freight rates to
Winston-Salem and Durham from
Cincinnati from Lynchburg to Dur
ham and from Roanoke to Winston
Salem, thus leaving intact the order
of the interstate commission for re
duced rates to go in effect May 15.
The original order was effective Oc
tober 1 and there ' have been three
postponements of effectiveness, pend
ing effort on the part of the railroad
j companies for a rehearing.
This is a phase of the fight in
North Carolina against alleged -long-haul
discriminations in rates to Vir
ginia "gateway cities and North Car
olina shipping points," the fight be
ing that rates from Cincinnati to Winston-Salem
and Durham, Roanoke to
Winston-Salem and Lynchburg to
Durham were excessive, constituting
discriminations against the North
Carolina towns.
The reduction involved from Cin
cinnati runs from nine cents down to
two cents in the schedules 1 to 6 of
the freight classifications. Reduction
for classification 1 is nine cents; 2,
eight cents; 3, seven cents; 4, five
cents; 5, three cents, and 6, two cents
on the hundred pounds. Then there
are corresponding cuts in the local
rates from Roanoke to Winston-Salem
and Lynchburg to Durham, the
schedule being 1 to 6 and A to P.
The corporation commission is ho'p
ing that Ihis reduction will be the
opening wedge for ultimate develop
ments that will largely relieve North
Carolina points of the discriminations
that have hampered the shipping in
terests of the state for so long and
have been unsuccessfully fought, the
new Durham and Winston-Salem
rates possibly forcing readjustment
concessions by all main lines of roads
having Northern and Western con
nections. Raleigh Gets Teachers' Assembly.
Raleigh" will be the place and No
vember 30th to December 2nd, the
time for tho next annual session of
North Carolina teacher's assembly.
President . C. L. Coon, of Wilson;
Vice President E. C. Brooks, of Trin
ity college, and Secretary R. p. W.
Connor, of Raleigh, to whom the ex
ecutive committee has 'delegated the
power, ratified this action.
Greensboro was bidding by offering
to guarantee membership fees of
$500.00, however Raleigh went them
one better by offering $500 cash..,
Primary Wanted for ail Officers.
; A number of state officers are out
spoken in their view that if there
is 1 to he Democratic primary next
fall for. the.., settlement of the Sim-mons-KItchih
contest for the United
States senate for . the seat now, filled
by Senator Simmons, then there
ought to also be" party primaries for
the selection" of the Democratic can
didates for the state officers.
' "i
Gold Medal for Best Drilled Men.
North Carolhia national guardsmen
the state over are enthusiastic in
praise for the spirit manifested by
Brigadier General B. S. Royster of
Oxford in offering a gold, medal to
the individual in the North Carolina
brigade who makes the highest mark
in the approaching rifle-range con
tests of company teams to be. held
by regiments at Raleigh, Goldsboro
and Gastonia within the next few
weeks.
This Law Protects the People.
Commissioner Young says it would
be well to look out for -parties who
are attempting to sell stock in this
state. This stock cannot be sold in
this state by any agent unless he and
the company he represents are licens
ed by the insurance commissioner.
This law isfor the protection of the
people, and no one should buy stock
until they are certain that the seller
has the necessary license.
Chapel Hill. President Arthur
Hadley, of Yale, will deliver the Mc
Nair lectures for 1912.
Teaching North Carolina History.
A recognized factor in the further
ance cf the interest in North Carolina
history is The Booklet, published by
the ladies of the North Carolina So
ciety Daughters cf the Revolution
with Mis3 Mary Milliard Hinton as re
gent of the state society and as editor
of The Booklet. The revenue from
the letter, by the way, is devoted by
tho society to patriotic work such as
ttio. erection of the memorial to -the
Ution Tea.Pp.rty now in the state
in the hous
FIGHT IS PLANNED
ON FREE LIST BILL
REPUBLICAN MINORITY N HOUSE
WILL TRY TO BLOCK DEM
OCRATIC PLANS. .
WOOL SCHEDULE OPPOSED
It Is Said Senator Bailey Will Aid the
Republicans in Their
Fight.
Washington. Following the consid
eration of the Canadian reciprocity
bill, the . way3 and means committee
will report other tariff legislation.
The next bill will provide for radi
cal - reduction in the wool schedule,
admitted to be the most indefensible
schedule in the whole list. Even in
his Winona speech praising . the
Payne-Aldrich tariff, President Taft
admitted that some of- its schedules
might be a trifle high, particularly in
the wool schedule.
Not only will the duty on woolen
manufactures be greatly reduced, but
it is proposed to put raw wool on the
free list. This latter step is a radi
cal departure, and it is expected to
stir up the farmers of the middle and
far west, Texas and Wyoming.
Free raw wool will be bitterly op
posed by a faction in the Democratic
party headed by Senator Bailey of
Texas and by the Republican Insurg
ent, led by Senator Warren of Wyo
ming, who is himself the owner of
hundreds of thousands cf sheep. The
annual 'wool clip from the ranches of
Senator Warren probably equals that
of any other wool grower in the Unit
ed States. Free raw wool can only be
secured after a bitter ght, if at all.
A lively fight will, be made on this
provision, nominally in the name of
the fanner.
Democratic leaders refer with pride
to the achievement of passing the bill
for pcirular election of United States
senators and the campaign publicity
bill in two legislative days, and to
bringing before the house the Cana
dian reciprocity agreement with assur
ances of its ratification by an over
whelming majority by the middle of
this week! To all these features of
the 'legislative program, however, lit
tle opposition has developed. The
wonder of it to the experienced ob
server was the demonstration of the
smoothly running Democratic ma
chine. ENGLISHMEN MOB MORMONS
John Bull Won't Stand for the "Lat
ter Day Saints."
Eirkenhoad, England. The anti
Mormon campaign led to serious dis
orders' here. An organized demon
stration against Mormonism was car
ried out and an ultimatum was issued
requiring the Mormon missionaries to
quit the town within eight days. La
ter a great crowd attacked the Mor
mon meeting house and stoned and
smashed windofPST The police had
great difficulty . in restoring order.
Two persons were injured and five
were arrested. .
In January W. P. Monson, chief of
the Mormon missionaries in England,
addressed a letter to the home sec
retary, Winston Spencer Churchill,
seconding the request of certain Eng
lish clergy that the homo office in
vestigate. ' Mormonism in England.
Monscn declared ' that the Mormons
were being persecuted. An anti-Mormon
campaign was organized at Liv
erpool by the bishop of Liverpool and
other prominent churchmen. The ob
ject was the expulsion from England
of the Mormon missionaries, who
were charged with sending many re
cruits, chiefly girls, to the United
States. The movement was taken up
by the clergy of other cities.
Life Sentence for Doctor Pearce.
Anniston, Ala. Dr. John E. Pearce,
who has been on trial here for several
days on the charge of killing Shell
Kennedy in this county on January 14,
was convicted and sentenced to life
imprisonment. Pearce's plea was one
of self-defense. Cross Pearce, who is
alleged to have killed Sarge Kenne
dy, a son of Shell Kennedy, and Wil
liam and Ada Kennedy, father and
sister, respectively, of Shell Kennedy,
and also alleged participants in the
conspiracy, will be tried in May.
Forty Rebels Killed.
Chihuahua, Mexico. Forty or more
insurrectos were killed and over one
hundred were wounded In a battle
fought between Sauz and Santa Clara
canyon, about fifty miles north or
here. Couriers brought orders to have
hospital cots ready for the Federal
wounded. The Federals report five
killed, but later developments may
change the figures. A number of wom
en and children are believed to be
among "the killed. . Coming across
freni Ca'sas Grar.des, with prisoiieri,
the Federals were atatcked.
33Bg&JUSU
(Copyright, 1911
RECIPROCITY BILL ADOPTED
MAJORITY MEMBERS OF HOUSE
MEET IN CAUCUS AND DE
CIDE ON MEASURES.
Measures Adopted by the House Dem
ocrats May Fail in the
Senate. . 1
Washington. The Democrats of
the house in caucus agreed upon the
initial steps in tariff revision. By a
vote of 128 to 29 it. was decided to
pass the Canadian reciprocity within
the next week without amendment.
. The following articles are to be
put upon the free list as a sop to the
farmers along the Canadian border
who will be adversely affected by the
reciprocity agreement, though the ef
fect of the action will be widespread.
Agricultural Implements, including
plows, harrows, reapers, binders,
mowevers, boots and shoes, harness
and saddlery, barbed-wire and other
fencing, cotton bagging and ties,
coarse sacks, burlaps, our, dressed
meats and meat products, salt, sewing
machines, seedard and hardwood. An
other caucus will probably be held
within the next two weeks to decide
what shall be done to the woolen and
cotton schedules.
The biggest single item for the
Southern farmer is free bagging and
ties, which, it is estimated, will save
him $1,000,000 annually.
President W. B. Thompson of the
New Orleans cotton exchange figured
that at the present duty of .027 cents
per bale for steel ties, the total cost
of a 12,000,000-bale crop would be
?324,000. The present duty on jute
bagging amounts to .04 1-4 cents a
bale, or $630,000 on the whole crop,
making $954,000 annually the farmers
are required to pay.
The revenue from imported bagging
and ties is now only $100,000.
There is no doubt that the house
tariff program makes the American
farmer a separate class and legislates
in his favor to an extent not known
or practiced in years. Practically
everything he buys for his farm, his
house and his table is put on the free
list. The only schedules that affect
him which were not touched are the
woolen, cotton and the steel schedule
under which 13 listed cutlery.
PROBE FOR WICKERSHAM.
Department of Justice Will Be
Investigated.
. Washington. Trouble is brewing
for George W. Wickersham, attorney
general in President Taft's cabinet
All Washington is agog over a leso-
lution introduced in the house by Rep
resentative Rainey of-Illinois, which
is aimed directly at the attorney gen
eral. Mr. Rainey's resolution calls
for an investigation concerning the
proceedings instituted under the Sher
man anti-trust law and subsequently
dropped and as to whether Attorney
General Wickersham has "outside
employment," which would disqualify
him for his position in President
Taft's cabinet.
Florida Vvants Income Tax.
Tallahassee. Fla. The income tax
amendment to the Federal Constitu
tion wa3 made the special order for
consideration in the house of repre
sentatives. Favorable action upon
the amendment was recommended by
the judiciiary committee. A bill call
ing a state constitutional convention
was favorably reported to the state
senate. Among the bills introduced
was a measure in td senate design
ed to regulate the fl:V insurance busi
ng" i'lid th.i ' v:h 'm; cf
I
BUBBLES CggPg
SUGGESTION OF LIVERPOOL
Bankers and Railroad Men Accept
Plan of English Cotton
Men.
New York. The establishment of a
"central office" or clearing house in
this city is the latest plan evolved as
a means of settling the long-existing
differences over bills of lading be
tween American shippers and Euro
pean buyers of raw cotton.
Representatives of the sub-committees
of the bills of lading committee
of the American Bankers' Association
held a protracted meeting here with
traffic agents of the southeastern and
southwestern railroads and with Euro
pean interests, as represented by a
member of the Liverpool bills of lad
ing cotton conference.
The plan adopted was proposed, ac
cording to report, by the Liverpool
cotton buyers. Local bankers are of
the opinion that its acceptance will
point out a definite way out of exist
ing difficulties and obviate the "bank
guarantee" originally demanded by
London and continental bankers after
the issuance of last year of a num
ber of forged bills of lading by the
Southern cotton brokers.
The meeting was deemed expedi
ent in order to formulate plans
which "would make it possible to han
dle the coming cotton crop without
friction," and a committee was ap
pointed to outline a system under
which the proposed "central office",
may be established, giving all factions
representation.
Among the railroads represented
were the Rock Island, Illinois Central,
Louisville and Nashville, Atlantic
Coast Line, Seaboard Air Line, the
Southern railway and Missouri, Kan
sas and Texas.
TORNADO SWEEPS 3 STATES
Cyclone Traveita uver Kansas, Okla
homa and Missouri.
Kansas City, Mo. Twenty-three
persons are reported dead, at least
a hundred injured, two towns practi
cally swept away, scores of buildings
demolished and thousands of dollars'
worth of property damaged as the ie-
suit cf a tornado that raged' in Kan
sas, Oklahoma and Missouri.
The tornado . was accompanied by
rain, hail and lightning. Many build
ings, were struck' by lightning and
burned. Western Missouri was visited
by a rain and hail storm, but this sec
tion was not in the main path of the
tornado.
Telesraph and telephone wires were
rendered useless in the worst stricken
sections, and it is probable that the
complete report of .the death toll and
the property damage will prove mucu
greater than they now appear.
The tornado levied its greatest toll
cf dead at Big Heart, Okla., where
eight persons were killed, ten injured
and almost every building in the town
wrecked.
At Powhattan. Kansas, a woman and
child were killed. A high school build-
ne was wrecked at Eskridge, Kansas,
a number of houses damaged and froi
fifteen to twenty persons injured.
At Hiawatha. Kansas, a schoolhouse
was blown down, an S-year-old boy
named Pelton was killed and s everal
buildings .were struck by lightning.
Several persons are known to have
been hurt at Netawka, Kansas. A
boy was killed at Manville, Kansas.
Iowa Eects Senator.
DesMoines, Iowa. Judge William
S. Kenyon (Rep.) was elected United
States senator to succeed the late
Senator Jonathan P. Dolliver, on the
sixty-seventh ballot in the Iowa leg
islature. ,He received 78 votes, just
enough to elect, against 26 for Su
prmee Court Justice Horace E. Dco
mer, his ' Republican opponent. The
deadlock has" existed since January
17, v.SiMhe first ballot vis taken:
Juug-sVshniicn was orn l:i Elj-iia.
Oilir - 10, lSC9,.and V. ..
UNITED STATES TO CM K
PCO TOECQIOT
FOR DEATH AND INJURY Of
AMERICANS CAUSED BY
- , STRAY BULLETS.
,
REBELS SHOW SHREWDNESS
Protracted v Conference Held at
Washington By President and
Members of the Cabinet. .
Yashington.The Mexican govern
ment, according to the view at tha
state department, will be held ac-.
countable-for the loss of life and in
jury to Americans of Douglas, Ariz,
during the fighting between federals
and insurrectos at Agua Prieta. i
No matter whether the fixe of the
federals or that of the insurrectos
inflicted the injury it will be the fed
eral government to which the United
States will look for reparation.
As soon as official reports upon the
fighting and the casualties sustainned
by Americans shall have been re
ceived, representations will be made
to the Mexican government, it is said,
and in due course the claims of those
injured will be presented. It Is
pointed out, however, that in some
cases Mexico will have a counter
claim of contributory negligence on
the part of Injured Americans.
As a' renewal of fighting at Agua
Prieta Is looked for, it is expected
that formal notice will be served upon
both federals and insurrectos that
American lives and American prop
erty on this side of the border must
not be endangered.
Insurrecto shrewdness is recogniz
ed in the fact that they attacked from
the north of Agua Prieta, so as to
force Its defenders to fire toward Dou
glas. The apparent ruse has aroused
comment here. The rebels are be
lieved to have scented the possibility
that such a movement might result in
complications and the entanglement
of the Mexican government with that
of the United States. '
Secretary of State Knox was at
the White House consulting with the
president about the situation arising
out of the battle of Agua Prieta. The
conference was a protracted one.
At the meeaing of the cabinet the
situation may be discussed by the
president with all of his advisors. .
' "-
PUBLICITY BILL PASSES.
Fight Over Extent to Which Campaign
Publicity Should Be Applied.
Washington. The passage of th
campaign publicity bill by the house
today by the overwhelming vote ol
203 to 0 makes the second important
measure passed in two days.
The party, however, met its first se
rious trouble in the house. At the
close of a session marked by insurg
ency in the Democratic ranks, by rea
son of which the Republicans narrow
ly missed scoring a triumph, the
house passed the Rucker bill.
The fight arose over the extent to
which publicity should be applied.
But for the vigorous use of the
Democratic party whip an important
Republican amendment extending pub
licity to the individual receipts . and
expenses of candidates for congress
would have been retained in the bill
when it finally passed.
As it was, the amendment was
adopted over the protest of the Demo
cratic leaders by the support of fifty
two of the Democrats, who voted with
the solid Republican strength. Re
sort to a parliamentary move enabled
the Democrats later to get rid of the
amendment, but twenty-eight of their
number refused to change their atti
tude and stuck with the Republicans
in cpposlnn the Democratic majority.
Aero Club Vvants "Joy Ride" Law.
New York Profiting by the expert-
enoe of the public with automobile
joy riders, the Aero club of America,
is considering the framing of a bill
makine it a misdemeanor for any per
son to use an aeroplane net owned
by himself without the consent of the
owner. The matter is in the hands
of tho law committee of the club,
which will draft a bill similar to the
automobile laws recently passed in
several states covering similar condi
tions with the automobile.
Imprisoned For Conduct in Election.
New Orleans, La. Paul Felix, for
mer mayor of Kenner, La., and W.
W. Stiles, deputy sheriff, both from
Jefferson- parish, were sentenced to
pay $1,000 fines, Stiles to a!s0 serve
eleven months and Felix six months
in the parish jail at Convent, . La.,
when the United States circuit court
fvf appeals refused a rehearing on the
charges cf interfering witlr a federal
Action, On election day ia Norem
. IPOS, the defendants, ,'aecording to
( U:mcnv, assaulted Cel. E'o A- O'SyJ
; ;:Vn, clipping tho latter ' - ,' ,