a Daily Qazette
GASTONIA
LAST
EDITION
- COTTON
38 CENTS TODAY
XIMBE2 Or THE ASSOCIATED PKXSS
GASTONIA, N. &, THURSDAY AFTERNOON, FEB. 12. 1920
VOL.XLL : NO. 37.
SINGLE COPY 3 CENTS
DISPOSITION OF WAGE DEMANDS IS
OASTONI
IN HANDS Or PRESIDENT WILSON
fDML PLANS FOR STRIKE
A1ADE AND HEADQUARTERS
OPENED IN 15 CITIES
. -- , -
Director General Hines Fails to Reach Agree
ment With Railroad Employes and Put Mat
ter Up to Wilson - Must Settle Matter Before
; Saturday Night If Strike Called For February
ft 17 Is to Be Averted.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 President Wilson will hve a personal conference
tomorrow with three representatives of the railroad brotherhoods to discuss the
-wage demands of the 2,000,000 railroad employes which are to be referred to him
today by Director General Hines.
Ia making the announcement Secretary Tumulty said it had not been decided
-which of the brotherhood representatives would bejnvited to the white house.
This, be added, will be left to Mr. Hines. "
The union leaders will see the President on the south lawn at the white house,
where Mr. Wilson spends a portion of each morning. Before'meeting the brother
hoot officials, the President will study in detail the report on the wage negotia
tions which Mr. Hines will submit through Secretary Tumulty.
The director general was in conference with Mr. Tumulty this morning and
!IBea returned to his office to complete his memorandum for the president, who will
be asked to make the final decision on the demands presented by the rialroad
workers nearly a year ago.
SQUARELY UP TO WILSON.
WASHINGTON, Feb. i2. Disposr
tion of the wage demands of more than
2,000,000 railroad employes today was in
the hands of President Wilson. Decision
to lay (he matter before the President
was made 'after Director General Hines
And representatives of the employees had
failed to reach an agreement
Statements setting forth the views of
both sides in the controversy one
giving the reasons why the unions de
mand an immediate increase in wages
and- the other explaining why Director
Oeneral Hines could not agree to such
increase on the eve of the turning back
of the railroads to private ownership
were in course of preparation this
morning and will be presented to Mr.
Vitoon today.
Just how much time the Predcnt will
require for considering the statements is
problematical, but it was believed it
would be short. Whether he upholds the
views of Director General Hines or de
cides that the demands of the employes
are just and should be granted, the
opinion was expressed that a settlement
Anally will be made' through the machin
ery to be set up by legislation now pend
ing which will govern the return of the
rail properties to their former owners.
As prepared for presentation to the
white house the statements did not in
clude the separate grievances of the
brotherhood of railroad trainmen and Mr.
Hines arranged to confer farther today
with W. G. Lee, president of that or
.gaaiiation. Likewise, Mr. Hines win
-oonfer with a committee representing the
maintenance of way employes, whose of
ficers have called a strike to become er--ferthre
February 17.
The action of the maintenance of way
men ia calling a strike has not been un
derstood by railroad administration of
CFERATIVES AT SPENCER
WENT OUT
Jtunvors were rife on the street this
sneraing to the effect that serious trouble
bad taken place or was anticipated at
Baalo, just eastof thecity,:1 where are
located the Ranlo, Bex and 8 my re Mills,
go far the rumors are unfounded as to
actual trouble. Shortly before noon a
-Gasette reporter waa on the ground and
' there were no visible signs of approach
ing trouble. About 11:30 a force from
the sheriff 's office went to Ranlo to keep
'. the peace should any disorder arise.
' . 1st rumors that came to Gastonla
arly ia he forenoon probably gjew out
of the fact that a "hundred or more
strikers from the 8pencer Mountain
' Mil), two. miles east of Ranlo, who went
ut this morning,, had congregated at the
P. A N.' station at Ranlo and made a
fight demonstration, waving flags and
' cheering. There waa no evidence of dis
order ia the crowd, however. Shortly af
ter the 11 o'clock ear passed Ranlo the
crowd dispersed, some of them at least
gsiag back to Spencer Mountain.
For the past several weeks most of the
operatives of the Ranlo Mill have been
at en strike, though the mill has been
perating a portion of its plant. The
strike -resulted from tbe management's
efasal to recognize the textile union.
. Xjeetiment suits were brought against the
strikers and last Sunday was the final
4mj for the filing of cash bonds by the
defendants .ia these, suits. The bonds as
fixed by Magistrate Adams totalled, it is
said, around $40,000. The bonds were not
and final notice waa served yester
ficials and the conference today was ex
pected to clear up the confusion.
Just what bearing on this phase of the
wage controversy, if and, tn
meeting yesterday between Mr. Hines and
Attorney General Palmer had, had ' not
been disclosed today. Neither Director
Hines nor the attorney general would dis
cuss the possibility of meeting t'.ie pro
poned strike through injunction proceed
ings similar to those employed in the re
cent coal miners' tsrike.
The break in the wage negotiotions,
which began here February 3, came yes
terday after Director General Hines had
reiterated his views that no wage in
crease should be made by the govern-
( merit now just as its control of the roads
j is about io end. The employes' repre
I sent a fives took the position that the wage
j demands had been heid In abeyance since
I July because of the promise of the gov-
eminent that a reduction in the cost of
i living would be forced and that as living
costs mounted instead of decreasing they
now were justified in pressing tlieir de
mands. STRIKE HEADQUARTERS
OPENED IN 15 CITIES.
DETROIT, MICH., Feb. 12. Strike
headquarters were opened in 15 cities to
day by divisional officers of the Brother-
(hood of Maintenance of Way Employes
and Railway Shop Laborers, from whlulu
the nation-wide strike called for Feb
ruary 17 will be directed.
Final plans for the strike have been
made, union officials here declared, and
only an agreement .between representa
tives of the men in Washington and Presi
dent Wilson, they said, will avert tbe
walkout. If such agreement is reached,
it was said, it must come before Satur
day night or the strike order cannot be
rescinded before it becomes effective.
MOUNTAIN
ON STRIKE THIS MORNING
day on them that they must either make
bond or return to work this morning. Of
the forty houses involved it is understood
that the occupants of 25 promised to
return, to work this morning. As a mat
ter -of faction account of some sort s of
conference held" last night and called by
one' of the agitators from Charlotte, these
resolutions by the operatives were set at
naught, and only one man went to work.
Deputy Sheriff Kendrick had been prom
ised that if he would withhold the eject
ment proceedings until this morning, they
would go back to work or get out of the
houses. There was some fear that
when' these former strikers left the mill
at the noon hour there might be some
trouble between them and those strikers
who were still but and the Spencer Moan
tain strikers. However, the anticipated
trouble did not occur.
A refusal of the management to recog
nise the union and to grant a ten per
cent increase in wages was the cause of
the walkout at Spencer Mountain this
morning. The weaving department was
tbe one affected. The spinning depart
ment is running today almost to capacity.
It was stated at the mill office that about
fifty per cent of the operatives were out.
There "had been no disorder there and
none was anticipated.
' When advised of the probability of
trouble over the phone this morning Got
ernor Bickett, it is understood, requested
that the execution of the ejection war-
(Continued on page S,)
ROTARIAHS FAVOR PARKS
AND PLAYGROUND SYSTEM
Appoint Committee to Co-operate
With Chamber of Com
merce and Woman's Club In
Important Matter Also
Want New City Hall In
teresting Meeting Held Yes
terday. Among other things considered by the
Gastonia Rotary Club at Its regular
meeting atthe Armington Hotel yester
day was the city's need of parks and
playgrounds and of a new city hall.
City Manager W. J. Alexander wus a
guest of the club and spoke on these
needs, emphasising especially the fact
that Gastonia hns long ago outgrown its
city hall, built more than twenty years
ago. He called attention to the fact
that the building was not only aiitiqimt
ed but that it was entirely too small to
accomodate the city's business. Many
ladies, said Mr. Alexander, go to the 'city
hall to pay their water aud light bills
but the conditions and accomodations ex
isting there are such as to make t very
unpleasant and disagreeable to them. He
urged the club to bear this need in mind
and to help in fostering a public opin
ion favorable to the securing of a new
and up-to-date city hall.
In his talk Mr. Alexander also stress
ed the great need of parks and play
grounds. Following his address it was
moved and carried that the club's pres
ident be authorized to appoint a com
mittee of three on parks and playgrounds
to cooperate with similar committees
from the Chamber of Commerce and the
Woman's Club. President Myers ap
pointed on this committee W. P. Grier,
chairman, S. A. Robinson and W. J.
Clifford.
Fred M. Allen had charge of the pro
gram for the day and it proved most en
tertaining and instructive. In addi
tion to the serious matters considered
there were sewral humorous stunts which
were enjoyed by the members.
W. A. Underwood, traveling represen
tative of the United Drug Company was
the guest of Rotarian J. II. Kennedy.
He spoke very highly of Gastonia refer
ring to it as one of the best towns he
knew of anywhere.
MARRIED SOLDIERS ARE
ORDERED TO GOME HOME
Contended That Married Men
Do Not Make Good Soldiers
- 250 Soldiers in Germany
Have Married European
Girls.
(By The Associated Press.)
AMERICAN HEADQUARTERS, Co
blez, February 1 Two hundred and fifty
soldiers of the American forees in Ger
many who have married European girls
have been instructed to start soon for
America with their wives in accordance
with a recent order of Major General
Henry T. Allen in command.
In connection with this order it was
also announced that army authorities
would not consent in future to marri
ages of American soldiers on duty in oc
cupied areas, officers contending that
men without wives in Germany are better
soldiers under the present circumstances.
About 200 soldiers have married Ger
man girls since the American forces
reached the Rhine, the others included in
the order having married principally
French girls or young women from Bel
gium or Luxemboug .
NO PREFERENTIAL PRIMARY
IN FLORIDA.
"TAMPA, FLA., Feb. 12: w. There will
be no presidential preference primary in
Florida this4 year, the democratic state
commission having made no provision
for it and the republicans having al
ready named delegates to the Chicago
convention. The republicans are not in
structed. PETITIONS IN FAVOR
OF JOHNSON.
BISMARCK, N. p., Feb. 12. Peti
tions nominating Hiram Johnson, United
States senator of California, for prefer
ment for the republican presidential nom
ination to be voted on in the North Da
kota primaries of March 16, were placed
in circulation' today.
Petitions recently were circulated at
Devil's Lake aad elsewhere for Major
General Leonard Wood, but they have not
been filed. -
TO STANDARDIZE CO-OPERATIVE
METHODS IN TRADE.
, CHICAGO, Feb.-12. Aa AH-Amerl-can
Farmer Labor Co-operative Congress
opened here today for the announced
purpose of "standardizing . co-operative
methods and promoting direct trade and
eo-operative banking and credits." Ap
proximately 100 delegates were in atten
dance. The Congress will last three days.
MR. R.N. AYCOCK ELECTED
ACTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT
Raleigh Banker Elected to Po
sition In First National Bank
Will Assume New Duties
March 1 Growing Busi
ness of Bank Necessitates
More Executives.
Effective March 1, Mr. R. M. Aycock,
of Raleigh, -for the past two years Na
tional Bank Examiner in North Carolina,
and a banker of wide experience, comes
to Gastonia as an active vice-president
of the First National Bank. Mr. Ay
cock was elected to this position at a
meeting of the directors of the bank
Tuesday afternoon. This step Is taaen
to meet the growing demands made by
the increasing business of this Institu
tion. Mr. Aycock is a native of Smithfield,
Johnston county and has had banking
experience in Wilmington, New , Bern
and Raleigh. He was formerly cashier
of the First National Bank, of Smithfield.
That he is generally recognized as a suc
cessful banker is evident from the fact
that he was tendered the position of bank
examiner without any solicitation . or
knowledge of sr.ch a step on his part.
Mr. and Mil. Aycock and child will ar
rive in (iastoniu within the next two
w eeks.
OIL PRODUCTION SHOWS
DIG INCREASE
(By The Associated Press.)
OIL CITY, PA., Feb. 12. Oil pro
duction in the United States during 1919
was 366,255,611 barrels, an increase of
more than 24,000,000 barrels over the pre
vious year, according to the annual re
view of the Oil City Derrick, made pub
lic today. The figures are based on pipe
line receipts reported monthly, estimaten
of pipe lines not reported, and estimates
of tank car shipments from fields where
no regular pipe line service existed.
The 1919 report is a new high record
in the annual petroleum output of the
United States, according to the review.
Fields which showed gains were North
Carolina, Texas, North Louisiana, Gulf
const, Kentucky, Wyoming and the Lima
districts. Losses were recorded for Kan
sas, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and
southeastern Ohio.
PREDICT CONFERENCE
REPORT WILL BE ADOPTED
(By The Associated Press)
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 While
some opposition to the railroad bill as
finally agreed upon in conference has de
veloped, senate and house leaders pre
dicted today that the conference report
on the measure would be promptly'adopt
ed so that the legislation would be on
the statute books before the roads are re
turned to private control March 1.
The final draft of the conference is
now being made and it will be presented
to the senate Saturday or Monday. The
house expects to take the report up
Monday or Tuesday at the latest and
leaders said today it would be dispos
ed of in tw days.
Chairman Each, of the house interstate
commerce committee, one of the authors
of the railroad bill, and- other leaders ex
pressed confidence that opposition by
house democrats would not delay passage
of the measure.
They based their prediction on the
fact that the bill, as re-written in confer
ence, is substantially the same as the
Each bill recently passed by the house.
Senate provisions to which' there was ob
jection, including the anti-strike section,
ereation of a transportation board and
compulsory consolidations were stricken
out in conference. The essential ad
dition to the house bill was the fixing of
a guaranteed return of 5 1-2 per cent.
"With the time already fixed by Pres
ident Wilson for return of the roads and
widespread demand from the people that
they be handed back," Chairman Each
said today, "failure to enact necessary
legislation before March 1 would be dis
astrous. I am satisfied, however, that
the house will adopt the conference re
port without delay."
RUSSIAN LINER
v WAS TOTAL LOSS
CONSTANTINOPLE, Feb. 11 .Wed
nesday A telegram received from Varna
today says that the Russian liner Emper
or Peter the Great, whkh struck a mine
and was lost recently, bad 700 Russian
refugees on board from Odessa and Be-bastopol,-but
that It is believed most
of them were saved.
Fifteen divisional points have been
selected and executive officers named to
take charge. of them, including J. C.
Smock, Atlanta. . ' .-
SEPARK-GRAY CHAIN HAS
ME THAN 100,000 SPINDLES
IN ACTIVE OPERATION
Present Capital Is $3,650,000 With Changes
Contemplated That Will Total Four and a
Half Millions Mills Generally Recognized as
Among Most Successful In the South - Mr.
Separk a Fine Executive.
As a monument to the industry and
far-seeing vision of tbe late Geo. A.
Gray, 'generally recognized as the found
er of the cotton mill industry in Gaston
county, there are in active operation to
day humming and spinning their song
of industry and, contentment, 104,082
spindles in six cotton mills, the Gray,
Arrow, Parkdale, Myrtle, Arlington aud
Flint. These mills represent at present
an authorized capital of $3,650,000. Con
templated changes will increase this to
$4,400,000. At a meeting of the stock
holders of all the mills named above, ex
cept the Flint, held here Tuesday after
noon, resolutions were passed asking for
amendments to the charters, authorizing
the ijfuain'e of additional capital stock.
Within u short time it is expected that
the above mills will announce an in
crease in their capital stock.
The history of the Separk-Gray in
terests has been one of continual
growth and expansion. Theirs has
been olicy of safe, sae build
ing under ' favorable conditions and
wise investments in holdings, already
under construction. As illustrative of
this last policy, two years ago, the Ar
lington and the Flint, two of the best
mills in the South, were taken over by
tho Separk-Gray interests. Controlling
interest in these mills was purchased
from L. L. Jenkins and L. F. Groves.
The Gray manufacturing Company was
organized in 1905 with Geo. A. Gray,
president and treasurer, L. L. Jenkins,
vice-president, J. II . Separk, secretary
and J. L. Gray, superintendent. In
1916, the Parkdale Mills, Inc., one of
the best nii.ll properties of this section
was organized with J . Lee Robinson,
president, J. L. Gray, vice-president and
J. H. Separk, secretary and treasurer.
The Arrow Mills, Inc. were organized in
January, 1918. with J. Lee Robinson,
president, J. L. Gray, vice- president
and J. II. Separk, secretary and treas
urer. The Myrtle Mills was organized in
December, 1918, with J. L. Gray, presi
dent and J. Iec Robinson, vice-president
and J. H. Separk, secretary and
treasurer.
One of the outstanding policies of the
Separk-Oray mills is the welfare work
for the employes of the mills. This work
has been devclojied to a high state of per
fection. This policy was fully vindi
cated during the recent epidemic of flu
when the two community workers, Mis
ses Pickens and Potts, were on duty and
succeeded in alleviating and checking the
ravages of the disease. Miss Potts,
the head of this work, is a graduate
nurse and has had a rich and varied
experience, having served with the Amer
JOHN SKELTON WILLIAMS ISSUES WARNING
AGAINST ARTIFICIAL BANKING FIGURES
(By The Associated Press.)
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 Warning
that the prosperity and activity indicated
by banking figures are artificial and de
ceptive was given today by Jbon Skeleton
Williams in bis annual reports as comp
troller of the currency.
Remarking that in 1919 there was not
a national' bank failure involving loss
to depositors and that the banking power
of tbe country has increased 900 per cent
in the last thirty years, Mr. Williams
added:
"A large volume of money cannot
mean increase of real wealth while there
is decrease of production and tbe accum
ulation "and movement of securities and
currency represent abnormally inflated
values put on diminished supplies of es
sentials. "It is clear that no country can be
enriched by merely increasing prices of
products produced and consumed by its
own people. We might prosper for the
moment, If we eould sell our products
abroad at the higher prices and take pay
ment in gold or in goods at normal prices
but we gain nothMg when we sell and
buy at corresponding prices.
. All the gold in the world, aside from
$3,135,000,000 held by this country, was
estimated by the comptroller at $6,000,
000,000 or only about 40 per cent of the
credit balance of this eountry in the last
six years. For that reason, he urged that
ican Expeditionary Forces as a member
of the Army Nurse Corps.
One notable feature of Separk-Gray
mills is that every one of the 104,082
spindles is in active operation.. Nona
of these are on paper. They are pro
ducing. A list of the Separk-Gray
chain of mills is as follows:'
Arrow Hills.
Officers: J. Lee Robinson, Pres., J. 1. "
Gray, Vice-Pres., J. H. Separk, See. and
Trens.
Directors: J. L. Gray, J. Lee Robin-
son, J. H. Separk, T. L. Craig, & N.V
Boyce, F. D. Barkley, L. L. Jenkins.
Spindles, 12,090.
Capital stock, $150,000.
Flint Manufacturing Company. ,
Officers: L. L. Jenkins, Pres., 8. ft. ,
Boyce, Vice-Pres., J. L. Gray, Gen. Supt.,
J. H. Separk, Sec. and Treas. ' '
Directors: L. L. Jenkins, S. N. Boyce,
H. M. Cleveland, D. R. LaFar, J. L.
Gray, J. H. Separk, J Lee Robinson.'
Spindles, 23,040. .
Capital stock, $720,000, , :
The Arlington Cotton Mills. ' " - '
Officers: J. Lee Robinson, Pres., ft. N.
Boyce, Vice-Pres., J. L. Gray, Gen. 8npt-,
J. H. Separk, Sec. and Treas. ,
Directors: J. Lee Robinson, B.H.
Boyce, J. L. Gray, D. B. LaFar, J. H.
Separk, C. E. Adams, F. D., Barkley. .
Spindles, 25,352. C -
Capital stock, $350,000. . , : '
Parkdale Hills, Inc. ?
Officers : J. Lee Robinson, Pres., J. I. '
Gray, Vice-Pres.', J. H. Separk, See. and
Treas. ' - v
Directors: J. Lee Robinson, The. L '
Craig, J. L. Gray, L. L. Jenkins, F. P. j
Barkley. C. D. Gray, J. n. Separk.
Spindles, 15,360. ,
Capital stock, $500,000.
Myrtle Hills
J. L. Gray, Pres., J. Lee Robinson,
Vice-Pres., J. H. Separk,' Sec and Treas.
Directors: J. L. Gray, J. Lee Robin
son, T. L. Craig, 8. N. Boyce, J. H.
Sopark, F. D. Barkley, P. H. Efird.
Spindles, 10,240.
Capital stock, $300,000. - ,
Gray Manufacturing Co, r .
Officers: L. L. Jenkins, Pres., Taos.
L. Craig, Vice-Pres., J. H. Separk, See.
and Treas., J. L. Gray, Superintendent. .
Directors: L. L. Jenkins, J. H. Separk, :
J. L. Gray, Thos. L. Craig, F. D. Bark
ley, Geo. A. Gray, J. Lee Robinson.
Spindles, 18,000.
Capital stock, $350,000.
this country should adopt a policy of -reasonable
help and encouragement to
ward debtor countries, with no assets
immediately available, 'but having fair
prospects of being able to pay out if
given time. ,
Praise for the part played by the'na- '
tional banks in financing the world dur
ing a time of stress was given unstinted
ly by the comptroller. He expiesaed
hope that the conservative influence of
the banks would lead manufacturers aad
business men to accept for the present
smaller profits with a view to building :
up general prosperity and the habit of
thrift and economy among the masses of
the people.
PLANNING STJPER-DIRIGIBLXS.
(By The Associated Press.)
WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 Two super
dirigibles, the largest ia the world, are
planned by the navy, and one of them
now being built in England, will attempt "
a trans-Atlantic flight next fall, Captain
Craven, director of naval aviation, today
told the house naval committee. Ameri
can naval officers and' enlisted men who
will fly the British-built ship to Aaeri
ea are in England training for the flight.
In asking $2,700,000 for the construc
tion of a second super-dirigible Captain
Craven said this vessel would be fifty
feet longer than the British builf sraft, .
which is 644 feet in length: i