Max Diana-Ehe Dracon
VOL. 35
y
W
Immean N. o., WHAT ums-unsre 14, 1923.
NO. 17
C00UD6E WANTS
TAX SEDUCTION
PRESIDENT EXPRESSES HIS
VIEWS AGAINST SOLDIERS
BONUS.
KILL EXTRAVAGANT PLANS
Declares That Nothing Will Give Pub
lic More Confidence Than an In
come Tax Slash.
/
Washington. — President Coolidge
specifically recommended to Congress
a reduction of more than $300,000,000
the national tax bill and at the
ime presented views in opposi
ng 4K> a soldiers’ bonus.
Tk0r executive, in a message trans
mitting the annual budget, said frank
ly that “any program of new expen
diture on a large scale would make
tax reduction impossible for years
to come.” He added that tax reduc
tion "would certainly tend to align
the whole people in support of econo
mical administration of government^
which he declared is becoming “every
day more and more necessary.”
“I recommend a revision of tax
laws,” Mr. Coolidge said, “along lines
which will effect a reduction of in
come taxes by taxing earned income
more lightly than income from busi
ness or from investment; by reducing
the percentages of the normal tax, and
by reducing the surtax rates, with
commencement of their application
$10,000 instead of $6,000. I also recom
mend repeal of the tax on telegrams,
telephones, and leased wires, and of
the tax on admissions, and revision of.
the miscellaneous taxes which are a
source of inconvenience to taxpayers,
and difficult to collect. On the other
hand, amendments which would cause
some increase of revenue should also
be njpde to existing income laws rela
tive *o deductions of capital losses;
delations from gross income for in
terest paid and non-business losses
sustained, wherein income from tax
exempt securities is involved; and the
manner of taxing community incomes.
These changes would reduce taxe3 by
more than $300,000,000, which is safely
within the probable surplus.
\ “I know of nothing which will give
I the people of this nation greater as
surance that we are unalterably com
ihitted to a campaign of economy in
public expenditure than a reduction
of our present taxation. It will take
from the realm of debate plans which
contemplate extravagant expenditures,
or expansions of the business of gov
ernment beyond those necessary to
keep pace with a growing nation and
fixes the measure of our requirements
an amount which will represent what
is actually necessary to carry on effi
ciently the proper business and func
tions of government and meet our "r
ed debt charges payable out of current
revenue. It would certainly tend to
align the whole people‘in support of
economical administration of govern
ment, and I frankly state that such an
alignment is becoming every day more
and more necessary.
j[stery Surrounds Slaying of Guard.
heffield, Ala.—Mystery still sur
“ ds the slaying of Harry S. White,
38, a government guard at United
States nitrate plant. No. 1, here. He
was shot while riding his horse on
his beat, his body dragged 50 feet
and thrown into an unused cistern
where it was found in twcy feet of
water. Officials so far have been un
able to establish a motive for the
crime. White had no known enemies.
I Salesman Drown3 on Fishing Trip.
5 Tampa, Fla—Harry Thomas, 28,
'i salesman, well known throughout
{ Florida, was drowned In Lake Wor
* rell near New Port Richey, where
with two companions he had gone on
a week-end fishing and hunting trip.
The boat in which lie and one of his
friends were fishing capsized when
Thomas tried to take a fish off a hook.
His companion swam ashore to divest
himself of his clothing and return for
Thomas but when he started hack,
both Thomas and the boat had disap
peared. The body was recovered.
Reject Demand Made By Italy.
Paris.—The rejection of Italy's de
mand for representation in the con
ference regarding Tangier, which had
been known for .voeks unofficially,
was announoed officially in a careful
ly worded note.
“It has not appeared possible,” says
|^he note, “to comply with the request,
the French government has just
I^Btifled the Italian government in a
friend^ spirit to that effect, Italy’s
demand having only reached Paris
when the conference already had com
menced work.”
SLAYER OF TWO MEN
DIES FROM WOUNDS.
Chicago.—John Sheehy, who shot
and killed two employes of the
Rendezvous Cafe because of “rot
ten service’’ and wounded a police
man and was himself shot in a
pistol duel, which followed, died in
a hospital her,e.
“Well, if I die, just ^ell them I
was drunk and didn’t know w'hat I
was doing,” Sheehy told physicians
a few minutes before he died.
Sergeant Williams O’Mally, the
policeman who was wounded in the
battle in the cafe after Sheehy had
shot two waiters, will recover.
IN PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
TO CONGRESS TOUCHES NUMER
OUS QUESTIONS LIKELY TO
BE ISSUES.
Gives “Unqualified Approval” to Mel
lon Tax Program; Declares Against
Soldier’s Bonus.
Washington. — President Coolidge
frankly informed the Congress and
the country of his position on all of
the major problems confronting the
nation.
For more than an hour calmly and
in terse phrases, the executive ad
dressed a joint session of the house
and senate, thus breaking the silence
on public questions so studiously
maintained since he entered the white
house four months ago.
Many of the score and more of
subjects upon which the President
touched seem destined to play their
part in the-coming national political
campaigns and this accounted in some
measure for the more than usual im
portance that was attached to this,
his first annual message.
Outstanding points in the address
were: an “unqualified approval” of
the Mellon tax reduction program; a
declaration against the soldiers’ bon
us; endorsement of American adher
ence to the world court with res'efva
tions; immediate reorganization of the
railroad freight rate structure; gov
ernment assistance in the disposition
of exportable wheat, the declarations
against price fixing, the excess profits
tax, repeal of the rate section of the
transportation act and revision of the
tariff.
Mr .Coolidge spoke in the house
chamber where the smoke of battel
over the speakership precipitated by
•insurgents within his own party had
scarcely cleared' away. A number of
the recommendations he presented
run counter to the legislation program
announced by th,e insurgents and,
since the hold the balance of power
in both houses, there was general
doubt at the capitol that Congress
would be able to translate into law
even a substantial portion of the por
posals of the chief executive.
The President presented some of his
recommendations Without argument,
but others were discussed and at some
length. He did not mince words on
the subject of tax reduction. Telling
Congress it could render no higher
service to the country than to cut
the tax bill, he declared that- “to
neglect it, to postpone it, to obstruct
it by unsound proposals, is to become
unworthy of public confidence and un
true to public trust.”
New Cable Line complete.
New York.—The largest and fast
est trans-oceanic cable ever manufac
tured has Just been put into service
between New York and Paris by the
Postal Telegraph Commercial Cables
system. It is being operated between
the system’s New York office at 20
Broad street and its Paris office, at 24
Boulevard Des Capucine. According
to Clarence H. Maekay, president of
the system, this will insure vitrually
instantenous communication between
the two continents.
The first messages to be transfer
red over the new cable were exchang
ed between Mr. Maekay and M. Mil
lerand, president of France.
Bandits Rob Express Car.
Norfolk, Va.—A safe containing
$30,000 in currency was stole from
the express car of the Norfolk and
Western “cannon ball’’ between Wav
erly, Va., and Petersburg, according
to an announcement here by the
American Railway Express company.
Tfie bandit is supposed to have
boarded the train at Waverly about
6 o’clock. Upon the train’s arrival
in Petersburg, the express messen
ger, J. H. Stevens, of Richmond, was
found in the car, gagged and blind
folded. The safe, containing a ship
ment of currency from Norfolk, was
mWslng. ___
NINE KILLED IN
IMAJOLUM
SEVEN OTHER PEOPLE ARE IN
JURED, TWO PROBABLY
FATALLY.
BILL DONOVAN IS A VICTIM
Third Section Telescopes Second
Which Had Stopped on Account
Auto on Track.
Forsythe, N. Y.—Two sections of
the Twentieth Century Limited, the
pride of the New York Central rail
road, crashed in the fog and rain here
with the loss of nine lives. The loco
motive of one se.ction ploughed
through an observation car on the
rear of the other, which had stopped
because of the wreckage of an auto
mobile by the foremost seotion of the
train which was running in three
parts.
All of the dead and injured were
in the observation car, which was rip
ped open by the impact. The dead in
clude W. B. (Wild, Bill) bonovan
manager of the New Sffcaven club of the
Eastern league, who vf'ith other base
ball magnates was on his way to
Chicago to attend the baseball con
clave. The automobile which was the
indirect cause of the wreck became
stalled on a railroad crossing, and
three occupants of the machine jump
ed as they saw the express train
thundering dowjt- upon them. They
escaped injury and were eye witnesses
of the wreck which followed a few
minutes later.
The second section of the limited
had passed the first when the latter
developed engine trouble near Almany'
and it was this section which hit the
automobile. After determining that
no one was injured, the train pro
ceeded. The first section, following
a few minutes later, stopped to in
vestigate when the blazing automo
bile ^as sighted, and was standing
stilUfltHeji, Ute third section' crashed*,
into if.
President John A. Heydlef, of the
National League, and other baseball
men were among the first to reach
the wrecked car and helped in re
moving the dead and injured.
Charles J. Patterson, of Cleveland,
engineer of the third section, declared
at the seen that he had seen the
warning block signal and red flare to
stoy the train. He declared he had
applied his brakes when he first saw
the signal, but that because of the
fog he was upon the other section
before he could stop.
The list of dead announced offi
cially by New York Central head
quarters here follows:
Mr. and Mrs. Otto Sweet, Los Ange
les, Calif.
Mr. and Mrs. K. Ernest Sturman,
Springfield, 111.
W. B. Donovan, manager New Hav
en, Conn., Eastern League baseball
club.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Sullivan, of
Springflield, 111.
Mrs. Carl D. Kinsey, Chicago.
R. Pannell, Pullman porter, New
York city.
Message of Cooiidge Well Received.
New York.—Interest in financial and
business circles during the past week
naturally centered in President Cool
idge’s message, jand, judging by the
behavior of the securities markets,
the document was well received. Busi
ness men were reassured by the defi-'
nite stand taken in favor of tax reduc
tion and most observers were pleased
with the position taken in regard to
railroads.
Final returns on wiw uei wiumgo
of class one railroads In October
showed a total of 1102,700,000 or 4.78
per cent of the Interstate commerce
commission’s valuation as compared
with $98,20(1,000 or 4.46 per cent in
September. Car loadings continued to
hold up well, the total for the week
ended November 24 being 990,000 a
figure larger than ever was reached In
any preceding November.
Sign Trade Pact With the Germans.
Washington.—The United States
Government is gradually extending
its commercial treaties and trade
agreements to cover all the wartime
nations of the world, securing In every
instance the “most favorable national
clause” which ensures for American
commerce at least an equality of op
portunities and conditions In the fight
for world trade.
A new treaty of this character was
signed at the State Deaprtment be
tween the United States and Germany,
one of the few formal conventions that
have been consummated between the
two Governments since the signing
of th separate treaty dt peace in 1922.
REINFORCEMENTS FAIL TO
STOP REBELS—300 KILLED.
Mexico City.:—Although stub
bornly contesting attacks by su
peridr rebel forces of General
Guadalupe Sanchez, Jalapa, capital
of the state of Vera Cruz^-General
Frederico Berlanga, with a' portion
of the 25th cavalry, which refused
to join the De la Huerta revolt and
hundreds of partially equipped and
unorganized agrarian civilians,
were captured, according to advices
received from Vera Cruz.
The arrival of 1,000 federal rein
forcements under General Fausto
Topete failed to stem the onrush
of the rebel forces.
There were more than 300 deaths
on both sides during three strong
attacks, according to advices from
the, war department.
Three thousand agrarians in the
vicinity of Maltrata have petitioned
for and been given arms for the
purposes of opposing the advance
of toe De la Huertistas.
N. CAROLINA CROP DELAYED
TRUCK CROPS AND WINTER ’CE
REALS BENEFITED BY HEAVY
RAINFALL.
Wet Soil in Texas Prevented Field
Work; Heavy Snow Damaged Cot-'
ton In Northwest.
Washington.—Southern crop condb
tlons for the week were reviewed by
the department of agriculture as fol
lows:
Rainfall was heavy in the gulf
states except in Florida, where tem
peratures during the week were con
siderably higher than the past week,
and moderate to rather heavy precip
itation was reported from the cen
tral Mississippi vjtlley.
There was some itnerriyjtion to
farm work by frequent rains in the
eentral gulf states and in the south
ern grdat plhinsj, but elibwhere season
al farin.^'Vgauons made satisfactroy
proEsriplckedk rule. The raiRfegvii*
jHlf jBUt I’pets w|» favorable fbr
wirojiajK shq^end for truck, although
it re^g|!p>jprfnuch too dry in Florida,
wher^P^trops need rain badly. The
mild, moist weather was likewise fav
orable for winter crops in the south
Atlantic states.
Cotton picking was delayed in most
sections of Oklahoma by frequent
rains and wet fields, while the week
was rather unfavorable for field work
in Texas where snowfall in the north
western portion was damaging to un
gathered cotton. There was also some
delay in picking by wet weather in
the more northwestern portion of the
belt while freezing weather in the
Rio Grarlde valley of New Mexico kill
ed some plants and undeveloped bolls.
Frost in Arizona favored the open
ing of bolls, however, while cooler
weather in the imperial valley of Cali
fornia favorably affected the cotton
crop.
The review by states:
North Carolina: Gathering cotton
delayed two days by rain.
Texas: Wet soil prevented field
work in most sections, and heavy
snow dMnaged cotton in northwest.
Oklahoma: Picking cotton delayed
most sections by rain and wet fields.
Arkansas: Unfavorable for out
door work. But little cotton in fields.
New Mexico: Freeze on the 30
killed some undeveloped cotton bolls
and paints in the Rio Grande valley,
where picking practically completed
Arizona: Heavy frost on the 20
causing late cotton to open nicely.
California. Cooler weather in Im
perial Valley was beneficial for cot
ton.
Will Attempt Altitude Record.
Washington.—Lieutenant John A.
MacReady, of the Army Air Service,
will attempt on the first day practi
cable, it was announced at the War
Department to establish a new alti
tude record by use of an improved
super-charger which will permit the
engine of his plane to function ef
ficiently at extreme heights.
The new mechanism was invented
by Dr. S. A. Moss, and is an improve
ment on the equipment used by Mac
Ready in 1921, when he established a
world's record for altitude of 34,509.5
feet, which stood until October of this
year when Sadi Laconie, a French
flyer, reached 36,564 feet.
Seven Killed in German Clash.
Berlin.—Seven persons were killed
and 30 wounded in a clash between un
employed and the police at Wanne,
Westphalia.
The unemployed, discontented over
the amount paid the mas unemploy
ment doles, tried to storm the town
hall. They attacked the police with
stones and revolvers, whereupon the
police returned their fire. French
trooos finally restored order.
NEW
ILL HEALTH AND FEAR IS CAUSE
OF SEVERAL OF THE
TRAGIDIES.
JUMPS FROM TWELFTH STORY
Five Victims End Life By Inhaling
Gas, One By Hanging, One Drowns;
Terrible Day*
New York.—Ten suicides were re
corded in one day in the metropolitan
district. A man believed to be M. Kr
Ketchem, of Babylon, N. Y., jumped
from the twelfth story of a downtown
Broadway office building.
A man of middle age plunged t'
his death in the Harlem river from a
bridge while passengers in a passing
trolley car looked on, horrified.
The body of a poorly dressed man
was cut down from the limb of a
tree in Central park. Police express
ed the belief he had been out of work
and despondent.
Business difficulties was said by
friends to have caused Alexander
Meyer to shoot and kil himself.
Ill-health was believed tp have
caused Charles G. Schwartz drown
himself in a lake at Newark, N. J.
Paul Alexander Tipler, of Youngs
town, Ohio, a student at Columbia
university and a war veteran, commit
ted suicide by turning on the gas in
his room.
Michael Dillon held his head over
the outlet cone of a gas meter until
he died of asphyxiation. He had been
ill.
Frederick Bernhardt inhaled gas
through a tube. He left a note saying
he was tormented by fear that gun
men were seeking him.
Andrew Maloen, an elevator opera
tor, who had been ill for some time,
killed himself by gas in the basement
of the Riverside Drive apartment
thottse where he had beep employed.
Joseph.Frtfstl,. pinned himself be
tweeTr-the.-will and a bedstead in his
boa: ding house room, turned on ths
gas, and waited for the end. -
Growth Shown By Wilmington Harbor.
Wilmington.—That the number of
ships making the port of Wilmington
i-i steadily increasing is indicated by
the customs house records. During the
past month the tonnage of the ships
cr tering and clearing from Wilming
ton totaled 76,647, as agairst 58,730
for November, 1922, a gain of 19,917
tons in favor of the past month over
(he same month last year.
The tonnage of the vessels enter
ing last month from foreign and do
mestic amounted to $34,546; the ton
nage of those clearing for foreign
and domestic ports was 42,191. In No
vember, 1922, the figures ware: Ves
sels clearing for foreign and domes
tic ports, 28,274; vessels arriving from
foreign and domestic ports, 30,456.
A most substantial gain was shown
in the tonnage of vessels clearing
foreign this year over those of Novem
ber, 1922. Last month the tonnage of
the foreign clearances were 42,191 as
against but 28,274 for the same month
last year. The net gain was 13,917
tons.
Urges Consolidation of Railroads.
Washington, D. C.—Consolidation of
railroads, as proposed by present stat
utes, but with measures to expedite
the process which do not exist at‘
preserft, is urged in the forthcoming
annual report of Secretary Hoover.
Extracts from the document, made
public declare that commercial ad in
dustrial developments of the past two
years, “point to imminent desirabil
ity of early progress” in the matter.
The issue was raised by the require
ment of the transportation act of 1920
that the Interstate Commerce commis
sion proceed to lay out a plan for
merging existing railroad systems into
19 or 20 great corporations.
One Killed and Two Wounded.
Charleston, S. C.—At Ladson, 18
miles from here, John M. Heape, 79,
former magistrate, was instantly kill
ed, his son, John Heaue, was serious
ly wounded and his granddaughter,
Elizabeth Heape, was perhaps fatally
shot. Harold All was held by the
coroner's jury investigating the kill
ing.
Seaboard Gets War Guarantee.
Washington.—A payment of $650,188
to the Seaboard Air Line was author
ized here by the Interstate Commerce
Commission, completing a total of
$747,188 which the road was entitled
to receive from the government in
payment of the guarantee of easnings
during the first six months after ter
mination of wfcr time federal control.
SHIP HOLLY FROM SOUTHPORT
New Industry For Brunswick County
May Become Profiltable to Help
Out Farmers.
Southport.—The shipment of holly
to the north in practically over for
this year, in this county, as the time
is not long enough to reach the mar
kets where the holly is retailed. The
shipments are comparaitavlye small,
some five or six cars, though this is,
compared with no shipments last year,
as there were no berries then, the
amount of berries adding to the holly
value. While the holly itself grows
back quickly after being cut out for
the holiday trade, annually, the fruit
age is not regular^ so that there may
be only one year in three when the
trees are filled with the berry, and so
become a fine marketable and profit
able product, to help out the farmer.
The fish oil shipments from here
by rail this sea^yn, are estimated at
about two-thirds in number of gallon^,
as compared with last year for the
same period. Shipments of oil from
here a're convenient for both the up
river factories, and these below this
city, and also from the factory at
Shallotte, twenty miles down the
coast. From the factory barge into
the car on track the oil transfer is
easily made. From estimates now pn
hand there will be 400,000 gallons of
this fish oil shipped to northern
points.
I* the matter of furnishing fuel
oil for oil-burning steamers, the W.
B. and S. railroad is prepared to do
so, provided that notfee is given in
advance. The railroad does not run
a supply station, but it is equipped
to enter into contracts. It supplies
the government oil-burning dredge
Cemstock, with its fuel oil, the Com
stock operating in dredging mostly
on the Cape Fear bar.
Word from Columbus county tells
the interesting stopy. that the boll
•weevil has been found in the cockle
bur, evidently taking his winter quar
ters in this apparently safe retreat,
, so as to be early' on hand for the
cotton of the next crop.
* H
Heavy Tobacco Sales in Wilson.
Wilson.—*The official figures of sales
on the Wilsoji tobacco market appear
ing tin the report for the week ending
Decern he** 6, made by- H. B. JohttBon,
supervisor of sales, are as follows:
Sales this week, 2,439,602 pounds.
Amount sold for $726,929.26. Average,
$22.41.
Sales last week, 3.154,934 pounds.
Amout sold for $726,929.26. Average,
$23.04. >
Decrease, 715,332 pounds. Decrease,
$180,073.48. Decrease, .63.
Sales to date, 54,234,778 pcfinds.
Amount sold for $12,404,829.03.
TWo School Buildings For Pender.
Wilmington.—Walter Clark, local
contractor, has been awarded the con
tract to erect in Pender county two
modern school buildings which will
cost when completed approximately
$100,000. Work on the structures is
to begin immediately after the first ot
the new year, it was announced by
Mr. Clark.
One building is to be located at
Long Creek and the other at Atkinson.
They are to be of the same general
type of construction.
Mah Shot and Robbed.
Elizabeth City.—O. C. Bray, 44 years
old, a local insurance man, is in the
Community Hospital and is not exr
pected to live as a result of a bullet
wound in hip and abdomen received
as Mr. Bray turned to run when a
negro believed to be Leroy White,
attempted to hold up the white man
in the factory district of this city.
The negro fired as his victim turn
ed in flight and while the white man’s
body was bent forward. The bullet
entered the right hip but was deflect
ed upward into the abdomen, where
it punctured the small intestines in
four places.
Hunting Good in Catawba.
Hickory.—While rabbit hunters re- .
port a plentiful crop of cotton tails,
and duck shooters have no complaint
over the scarcity of waterfowl, bird
hunters report the supply of quail
short in this section this year. In the
late summer good reports were re
ceived, due to a favorable hatching
and raising season, but the opening
of the hunting season found a greater
scarcity of quail than in many years.
Birds are to be found in comparative
ly few places, k is said, and many
hunters have put up gun and given up.
Probably the largest kill of ducks
reported in this section in two days
was scored by James C. Shuford and
Dan Chatham, two local shots, who
spent two days at Bridgewater the
latter part of November. They
brought back 48 wild ducks, and dis
tributed them among a number of
friends. Mr. Shuford uses wild ducks,
now domesticated, as decoys. Several
years ago he ordered a pair from the
northwest, and has raised from them.