North Carolina Newspapers

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 19:j:j Page 2 THE YVAYNESVILLE MOUNl'AIlNEEK U,Uv iflmuttatnrrr Published By THE WAYNESVILLE PRINTING CO. Phone 137 Main Street Waynesvilic, X. C. W. C. KUSS P. I). DEATON Managing Editor General Manaircr 1 .Year o' Monti!. 3 Month: ( .'Wllcl's I'libli.-hed Every Thursday SL BSCRII' I ION UATKS Sub -a iptions payable in a-ivanee S2.0U 1.25 ,.: Enteied a; the K-t ollire at Vayne.vi!k N. '., a.- Second Class Mail Matter, as provided un der the Act of Ma ''eh :;,1,S7'J, November 20, MM. Till RSDAV, FEIJIU'ARY 2, 1::J JUDGE FELIX E. ALLEY Tlit appointment of Hon. Felix K. Alley as judge of the 20th district to .succeed the late Judge Walter E. Moore, did not come as a .sur prise to Mr. Alley's many friends in the state. Although the place on the bench .was unsought, it was the general belief that the appointment which was made would be, tin- choice of (lover-, nor Khringhaiis. For nineteen years Mr. Alley has beeu ac tive in the civic, business and political lilV or ilaywot..! County. lie is an orator of note and a -unlet!; of political affairs beyond measure. Twi. .y.'.-.r- before coming to Haywood County ' i'i'i.'iii -la( ks.iii County he leaped into !,r: tori'ra! pi iminenci 'hen lie noniiiialed Locke ( 'r.-tig Irr,' 'governor. Since t hat time he has always '.. .ken an act ive part in all stale polit ical ail air- us well a.s littiional. He is well fitted for his new- task, and the people of this state rejoice at . the choice of Coventor Khringhaus in selecting "from our midst the man he 'did. ABOLISHING THE TAX COLLECTOR Haywood 'County's two members of the General Assembly, Senator Francis and Rep resentative. Howell, have gotten their bills pass ed by the Assembly that abolishes the office of tax collector in this county and makes the sheriff tax collector. on a commission basis in stead of a salary. This becomes effective at the end of the elective term of the present tax collector, although the $1000 salary reduction became effective last Friday, thus making the salary of the tax collector $;3500 instead of $4500.; The present elective term of the tax col lector does not expire until the fall of 1935, as he was elected last November to collect the 1933 and 19:54 taxes, and the 1934 tax books will not be turned over to him before October 1934. At the end of the present tax collector's term the tax books will be turned over to the sheriff of the county who -v ill be tax collector and Will receive one-half of one percent for the first $100,000 collected; one percent on the second $100,000 and two percent on the balance of the tax that is collected and turned over to the county. Before selling out property for taxes he must also exhaust all personal prop erty. . - - The first $100,000 is usually paid in with out solicitation, .as a number of large taxpay ers take advantage of the discount. The second $100,000 comes in slower and the remainder' comes in small payments. According to the budget passed upon, there was a little over $312,000 to be collected in this county this year, and at the commission basis setforth in the bill it would net the tax collector about $3700 provided he collected all taxes for the year. Under the new order, Haywood County will have one less official on the payroll, but the total cost to the county will remain about the same provided the sheriff-tax collector goes after the taxes, and he will, if he gets anything for himself. "TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS AND A LIFE" One of the most startling bits of news, Bruce Catton said recently, is a little announce ment that came not long ago from the National Educational Association. Someone in the organization did some fig uring, and found out that while it costs $300 a year to keep a man in prison, it costs only $100 a year to keep a child in school. The na tion spends about a billion and a half a year on its 500,000 prisoners ; while it spends only two and a half to educate its 36,000,000 school children. Money invested in educating children will bring returns, while money spent on prisoners usually does little or no good except to keep them out of trouble while confined to prison, and sometimes while there they are making plans and scheming- to do something worse back left and This than before as soon as they are released from prison. This thought brings to mind an article written for a magazine published at N.,C. C. W. at Greensboro recently, which tells the follow ing story: "Two years on the roads!" the judge rap ped out coldly, impersonally. "But, Your Honor," it was a youth of nine teen w ho jerked out his answer in surprise a boy. slim, fair-skinned, blue eyed with long, slender hands. "But, Your Honor, that's too much! I only meant to borrow- that car for a couple of days! Don't you understand? My mother was sick, and I simply had to go to New York to see her." "I .understand that you deliberately town in your employer's delivery truck that you remained awav for five davs. being your first offense, 1 had intended letting you off with a twenty-five dollar fine, but since you're not man enough to raise even that small a sum: " "Your Honor," the boy broke in desperate ly, "I'm practically a stranger here. If you'd give me a little more time, I'm sure I could find somebody to help "You've had two days and nights. That should have given you stiflicient time. But I'm wasting the court's time in this nonsense! Take him away." He turned to address the waiting bailiffs. As the harsh voice ceased, the boy made one last despairing motion of protest; then dropped his hands to his sides. His face as sumed the blankness of a mask. He .stood motionless, not heeding the rough hand thai fell on his shoulder... I'a.-sively he submittee to. be led back to hi.s cell, Dumbly he sat down on flie edge of his cot and stared into nothing ness. His head throbbed; words beat I ofturingly into his consciousness :, 'twenty-live dollars two years- ttt-enty-f-ivc dollars- two years. Six months later, a group of convicts sat. heavily guarded, around an open tire in a prison camp. The leaping', flames played over sixty staring countenances mummy faces, for the most partwhose expressions had been robbed of vitality by weeks of hopeless and unrewarded labor. The white-faced boy alone, sitting on the outskirts of the group, showed any spark of emotion, and this only by the glittering brilliance of his eyes the restless movements of his narrow hands. "What's eatin' you, kid?" the reclining, grey-striped figure at his side inquired, "Nothing," replied the boy wearily, but a tense note of strain underlay his voice. "Nothin"? What'cha working your hands so for, then?" "Just thinking." '"Bout what?" the other persisted lazily. "Oh, leave me alone, can't you!" the youth burst out in sudden fierce passion. "If you want to know, I'm thinking about the thous ands of dirty crooks that buy their way out of jail every day! I'm thinking about a boy who didn't have even twenty-five dollars! I'm think ing about the hell I'm going to let loose when I get out of this one! I'm thinking oh, God, what am I thinking!" His voice ended on a wrenching sob, and he buried his burning face in his thin hands. Ten years from that day a judge in a large city faced a man on trial for his life a man young in years, but old, very old, in countenance. Bitter lines were stretched on a face that must have been once smooth and fair. Long, slim hands pucked at the corners of a hard mouth. "Robert Marshall, you have been found guilty of the murder of one George Whitney, merchant, who discovered you as you attempted to rob his vault, and whom you shot. Have you anything to say for yourself ?" i'lenty. iut it wouldn't . do anv good. What's the sentence?" : "It is this; In accordance with statue 4-3-19 of the laws of this state, you are hereby sentenced, upon the thirty-first of this month of May, to be hanged by the neck until dead. And may God have mercy on your soul!" Silently the prisoner allowed his jailers to lead him away. Back in his cell he lay down calmly on his narrow cot eyes closed, lips closed in a sardonic smile. In his thoughts he saw once more a slim, fair-skinned boy stand ing for the first time before the bar of justice. Justice! The smile on his lips deepened. He saw that same boy seated in the flickering light ." prison camp fire death on his soul and darkness around him. He saw that boy a man now standing over a still form, the glinting steel of a revolver in his hand. And then, the picture of a man receiving a sentence of death he saw, but this only dimly. The picture of the boy stood out distinctly. And curiously, inexplicably, a distant refrain beat into his consciousness twenty-five dol lars two years twenty-five dollars and a life . This paper invites letters from its readers for this column which pret&in to matters of irenerai interest and do not exceed ."JOO words. All letters mu-t bear signature of writer before they will be published. Under no circum stances will thi- paper be responsible for views in' ooinion- of writers of (Ins column. HiAiL iiiisc ':ut: a.wwiioij ta )l.!. KCT()li T't ACCl'.l'T I'AI.'llA I. I'AYMtXTS OX TAXES Editor of The M;untaineei ; - 1 s.ee in tiie papers that Si nator r'r.n-i- ha- introduced a bill in the iV;i.-iatui e empowering and requir ing th.' tax collector in Haywood c Lie,!., i i accept partial payments on :a; - Tiii- i.- a tine move, a most a l,m:..;.'iiuii.-. thing for our peopfj. lir why was it iicces-ary to pass a l-,v to bring this very desirable re suit aoout'.' According to the News and Observer there is at least one tax collector in North Carolina who has been doing this for years. He is Sheriff Meekins of Dare county and he lias a head on him. His county is mostly composed of water. Taxes in Dare have largely to be paid from water products lish and oysters and prices an low and money is hard to get,. But SheriHi Meekins makes the rounds of hi.s county on scehdule either once in two weeks or once a roith. John Smith owes taxes of $20.1)0 and when the sheritf comes he has only 1.00 on hand. This money is received and credited on -the hack of his receipt." On tie1 -herilf's 'next i.-it anothe.' credit H entered. And . I - wil h every vi.- ii of the , '. '.rid' a ml h and behold John Smith', t '( .J i pn sent I v paid and he :ir f A:i- .v. - w! end of tin: Meeki,,- ami ; oil, -II pi ty is SO cents on the one hundred dol 1 lars and 01 cents of this amount goes i to the county government indebted- ness wnereas omy i-j .rio. o"- school indebtedness. Many people in our town and coun ty would have you believe that the schools are costing more than any other part of the county organization whereas a matter of fact the school cost is only 27 percent. Do you think jv is fair for the youth of our county to .-utter any further cuts until those wiio have advanced take a like cut'.' Ii. D. BUNN 'lilt INAK.IKAI. ADDRESS Of GOVERNOR EHKINGH Al S Eiit r of l'he Mountaineer: Have y,.u lead if.' It i- the niort statesmanlike document that I have pet used in a long1 time. Every citizen, eveiy resident, every North Carolinian who'loves his native state ought to read and reread it. It gives reason for believing that North Carolina has another Rr.AL Governor. I wish i hat our home paper would publish it in full since many of its leaders may otherwise not see this great docu ment. It is the most courageous re capitulation of the facts of the finan cial condition of our State, counties and towns, and the squarest facing of them that I have ever seen in my life. Every citizen of Haywood county ought to study it carefully in the light of the financial conditions that pre vail today in Haywood county. Mr. Editor, can you not publish it in full'.' It is not too late. It is a great state paper, and it ought to be widely published, and moie widely read and then put away and kept for future reference. I shall so do with niv c ipy. E. V. OL'DOER 24 Years Agm in HAYWOOD Ed-Xote-- PUII !-llCl.l i last S mida one mtionii II. Howell. Tlie following letter was r the ! reeiisboro News The hiil ill question is ed by Representative '. - ' i - - i lmJ As wa reasonably expected G . ernor Kitchin last week reappoint. Dr. Thomas Stringfield to the posit; of inspector-general of the N.r. -. Carolina National Guard with rank of colonel. This is an h. : well bestowed anil will be won: -. Colonel String-field with becoi.-.'r'j worth. Headline: Shall Waynesvilh , ( Forward It is up to our peep!, ; answer this question. In the M;:, of Fine Scenery and the Most 'ft... lightful Climate in the Appalachi. Y(. are lieing Surpassed by Othei Winter weathei in dead earn, last Saturday, Sunday, and Mono.r was the exclamation ef all. It w tl cold, fieezing cold, the coldest in cral winters, pinching every one wj?. a much more pinching pinch ti.a:. would have been the case had the spring-like weather not prevailed :', a month. - 22 Yh'ARS AGO IX HAYW OOD T. N. Massie's store was broke;: into last Friday night and bewev !?1')0 and $200 worth of merchar.di-'-was stolen. The police are w-orking' on the case hut so far have gotten n7. wul-.- is to wnu uit. guilty parties I are. Miss hoste-s n csihiy '.:-'. it re 1 v M rs Nan Killian was a charming to the members of the Wed. Bridge Club. The prize, done in water color, was v c . . I. inn's F. Carraway. Tk wore: Mrs. Carrawav. Mr. -Iv 0 1 1, bur that .i - in lb.. l w 'o ma! or M.iw'xkI s-iry, iii'i'c': by ill is : ini( n-'-ce-luch ; mint y hoping l lr. conn roil I it be a .'.v. A - ai; al'tert bought, it seems to mi ll in ,y iiieinory r rot a! ."anil . that D. A i! well, the best tax collector the t f W -11 I 1 ioM ii i aj nesvini! nas ever liatl in m -life tinii . u ii'd this scheme some a is .ago in collecting W'aynesville i c . .inn i Know unit, lie more ;i'a;.y collected all the town's taxe tb.iii any i--llee.tor we have ever had. F- V. ( t, IKiEi;. New York City. rit .Note- Carnal payments are ac. c opted by the tax collector at thl time, and we understand that this has been the custom for some vears. We take it that Mr. Gudger thinks that the--tax collector should go see the peopie instead ot tlie people coming to see him. This, we find, is left en tirely to the discretion of the tax collector. DID YOU KNOW? Editor of The Mountaineer: 1. That public education is in ser ious danger in North Carolina and America. 2. That educational costs in North Carolina have received the greatest cuts of any institution during the past four years. Nine million dollars or 22 percent. .'i. That the average daily attendance of pupils has increased H,'i,.'t():; and that 1,220 fewer teachers handled the situation. 4. That North Carolina transports more students than any state in the union at one-half the national cost. And then we say our schools are ex pensive. J. That crowded conditions cause inefficient work and .inefficient work causes more failures. 0; That there is a state central monarchy that refuses to allow the local people to exceed state standards. i. lhat modern educational methods ire necessary to prepare for a modern world. : 8. That to remove the 15 cents land tax would remove 4 million dollars from the general fund ? Unless there can be found other sources of revenue the schools will bear the brunt of the burden. 9. That last year the county school tax decreased vVhile the county expen ses for governmental purposes increas- ea. 10. lhat North Caro ina snends $37.44 annually for the education of each pupil. The United States spends $75.34. How can we have efficient schools and fall any lower down the scale, 11. That in North Carolina the total school cost for education has been reduced 47 cents on the 100 dollars valuation and that other governmen tal cost have increased 48 cents. This is an increase of 1 cent. Had the oth er governmental cost reduced as much as the schools we would be 94 cents lower than we are today. Why is it that the people are allowing the great est public institution we have suffer for the short sightness of our leaders ? 12. That the tkal state indebted ness is 85 8-10 percent and the total school indebtedness is 14 2-10 percent. For Haywood County 13. That the county wide school tax rate has been reduced from 77 cents to 29 cents and that the county gov ernmental rate has been increased from 52 to 96. ; That is, two years ago the schools cost 77 cents and the county government 52. Now the county government costs 96 cents and the schools cost 29. If the county government had taken anything like 1 the cut the schools have taken we would be paying 50 cents county wide tax where as we are paying $1.25, and the schools are getting only 29 cents of this. Please read this again1 and then get the auditors sworn state ments of these facts which were pub- i!HS IS NEW, ALSO It AW Hawood county will !i:i,-,- a law r:; : y e -1 abli-ho-j an I . na ' n ; ,i ei! by ,.ie.Ttl i a i.f one dolla v i-.-d on i - ;, .ie::..:ol, ; . ! ' 'ct i'i ! ill Ik e u rt .- It J i 1 liaywonil coLiiil-e w hi : able u r. -: .-.s.f... 1 iK- st:.! e:ia.t- lias ap- .r"Vi.t.l the law lil,M';. tax b:b. or, i iy tbe senator .from. ia,Vvi..i, are i r -sunied 'hat- tin-- I'OLi.-e Will ac i ecable. .The. process of lease ,-iiig which has di lerlilined that, oll'ei ,iers in Hay Wood county v-'lio are ibie to ineet a bill of costs should be taxeil -for the education of the lawyeis of the tuun ty, is beyond u-. Defendants who aie able to employ lawyers aie supposed to have made their contribution to the lawyer's education and living when they pay the lee exacted. It doesn't seem exactly sporting, to put it mildly, to compel a defendant who has paid for service that didn't save him to contribute further for the -bene-, tit Of. lawyers generally. If the de fendant is without the aid of counsel because he was unable to pay, it is adding something like insult to injury to compel him to pay for that which has contributed nothing to his aid and comfort. . Not only is the dollar for the law library to be taxed in the cost paid by defendants convicted in the 'Su perior courts but the bill provides that the mayor of AVaynesville and the police courts in the other towns of the county Canton and Clyde must exact the dollar for the law library. The chairman of the board of com missioners, the clerk of the Superior. court and the president of the Hay wood County Bar association will be custodians of the library supported and maintained for the use and be-1 half of the Haywood county lawyers at the expense of persons adjudged guilty in Haywood county courts. evymg a special, lax through court costs isn t a new 'proposition." But levying it for the use of a special group of citizens, as in this case, seems to us about as raw a proposit ion as one would meet in a day's jour ney. By no stretch of the imagina tion that can be imagined for the mo ment can this tax for the benefit of Haywood county lawyers be called a tax for legitimate public purposes. since it is impossible to conceive anv obligation Or duty due from luckless defendants in Haywood county courts to members oi the Haywood county bar. . ' If this measure becomes law we i n K'-s. Xvl-Wl Hurt g ..'iia A .v. I Abel v: a live - VI: lilayluck. Mrs. I. M s. Canin M-". Sar.'h St i ingtie'oi, I.illie Sa'.tei thwait. Cole. Cbirinc I ee. .!,.. t a i l ie Sue Adams. -. of ii.or F. iix :. a: the way lie i or.U'r; "" tin. dit.ij.- of his office ::.s ilor. !r. ,v Mis-. J. V. j W.ei'hiesday at'; r I'.'itimore. - -.Mr. dam. s ' Reed aiul Mill; I S-:i i ir uburg Saturdav rir-nt a f.'v. da-s with-. Mr. lie mother. Mi', aiid Mrs. James Killian s-rj e'ji,"(-ti d io return from Stark,' .Flu. ' !ir ! of the week wherL. they hav b en on r.n extended visit. , Mi--'. R. IF Busliiieil entertained : 'n-aialiy .Thursday af temoon at bridue in honor of Mrs. E..M. Bearden of A-heville who is the guest, of Mis. Nan Killian. iii.i A'eu "I once tried to teach a little Ala bama boy to speak pure English," writes Octavus Roy Cohen. "IH never forget the despairing way he said to me at the end of the thirtieth or fortieth lesson: 'Dey aren't no ain't you, is dey? It's aren't vou ain't it?' "Ex.. may hope that some defendant in Haywood courts who finds himself under compulsion to contribute a dol lar to the law library will have the nerve and the money and the latter might be made up by public contri bution 4o ask the courts by what authority the penalty is exacted for private purposes. R. R. CLARK PHONE 366 SERVICE FIRST L. G. Smith & Coro na Typewriter, Inc. 29 Electrical Building Typewriters Sold, P.ented and Repaired Supplies and Repairs for all Makes ASHEVILLE, X. ('. : ... - " . s r ' . y Tnen simplv assist Jfecture in -the TTiavlcxTig The best remedies that .have been prepared to assist man in living his "three score and ten" are first prepared in Nature's laboratory. The drugs sold b.v us are guaranteed as to their purity and our pre scriptions are compounded in a careful expert manner.:" Alexander's Drug Store PHONES 53 54