LATE *
NEWS
and
BRIEF N t n
DEBT MAY I
CHECK NAZIS
Berlin, April 4—An official
reminder that Germany's in
debtedness stood at 28,109,800,-
000 marks ($11,243,920,000) on
January SI WM given today
while many Germans watched
Polish-British negotiations in
London to try to set some ink
[ ling- of what the future may
bring.
The controlled press bitterly
attacked Great Britain, but
there were growing indications
that the average German does
not want war. Some observ
er:- believed that months of
peace seemed assured unless
Polish Foreign Minister Joseph
Beck definitely signs up with
Great Britain in a manner
that places Poland In a dis
tinct anti-German camp.
NOMINATION IS
BY SENATE
F Wifhlnston, April 4 The
nomination of William O.
Douglas, 40-year-old chairman
of the securities commission,
to be a Supreme court justice
was confirmed by the senate
today, 62 to 4.
Before the vote, the senate
heard a lengthy criticism of
Douglas by Senator Frailer,
Republican, North Dakota, and
answering speeches by Senator
O'Mahoney, Democrat, Wyom
ing, and others.
Four Republicans—Senators
Frazier and Nye, of North Da
kota, Lodge, of Massachusetts,
. and Reed, of Kansas, voted
I against confirmation.
POUR DIE IN
PLANE CRASH
Qulncy, Mass., Apru 4 A
collision In flight of two naval
planes sent four reservists
plunging to death today dur
ing the launching of the giant
aircraft carrier Wasp, newest
addition to the nation's sea
power. •
Few who watched the Wasp
glide majestically down the
ways «*n aware of the trag
edy. which (track almost at
the moment Mrs. Charles Ed
ison, wife of the asristsnt navy
secretary, broke • traditional
bottle of champagne against
the warship's knife-like bow.
FRENCH PROTEST
TO JAPAN
Paris, April 4—The French
government today dispatched
a formal protest to Japan
against her sssssuitim of con
trol «nr the Bpratly Islands in
the Bouth China sea, an
nounced In Tokio last Friday.
The protest was decided
upon by the cabinet and sent
to the Japanese government
through the Tokio embassy.
The Spratly islands, seven
coral reefs Important princi
pally as a possible base for
seaplanes, submarines and
small naval craft, had been
claimed by France in 1953.
TAX LISTING
IS UNDERWAY
J. L. Hall Named As Assist
ant to W. J. Snovy in
Elkin Township\
OFFICE ON WEST Mil IN
J. L. Hall has been named as
assistant list taker for Elkfii
township by B. P. Folger, Surry
county tax supervisor. Mr. Hall Is
aiding W. J. Snow at his office on
West Main street.
Tax listing is now under way,
*■ having started Tuesday. Every
male person between 21 and 50
must list for poll tax, and all pro
perty on hand April 1, either real
or personal, is subject to taxation
and must also be listed.
In addition, lists must include
all real estate, buildings and Im
provements, machinery, fixtures,
merchandise and goods in process
of manufacture. Other items to
be included are farm machinery,
y household furniture, office furni
ture, Jewelry, automobiles and
livestock. Dogs must also be listed.
Everyone is urged to list their
taxes early and avoid the last
minute rush.
TOWN COMMISSIONERS
HOLD MEETING MOt®AY
The JClkin board of nonunls
sloners met Monday evening a>t
the city tax office. Only business
of a routine nature was transact
ed. it was said.
.. ■. .• J . , ' \ I * * ' ■/1'
VOL. No. XXVm.No. 21
PRESENT MAYOR
AND BOARD ARE
RE - NOMINATED
Mass Meeting Held Last
Thursday
NO OPPOSITION NOTED
Resolution Is Passed Request
ing: That Town Tax Rate
Be Reduced to $1.40
DR. E. G. CLICK PRESIDES
Elkin citizens, meeting at the
elementary school auditorium last
Thursday evening, nominated J.
R. Polndexter to succeed himself
as mayor, and placed the present
board of town commissioners on
the ticket to succeed themselves in
office.
Dr. E. G. Click acted as chair
man of the meeting with J. L.
Lillard serving as secretary.
Mr. Polndexter was nominated
by H. P. Graham and the nomina
tion WF,S carried by acclamation.
R. G. Smith made the motion that
the present board be nominated to
succeed themselves in office. The
vote was also by acclamation. No
other nominations were made.
Members of the board are C. C.
Polndexter. C. C. Myers. C. C.
Fulp, H. P. Grahpra and "Rr C."
Freeman. .
V
. Harry H. Barker introduced a
resolution requesting that the
mayor and board pledge them
selves to lower the Elkin tax rate
by 15 cents on the hundred dollar
valuation. This resolution was
passed after it had been amended
to ask a 10 cent reduction.
WM. V. AYERS
DIES TUESDAY
Aged Elkin Man Had Suffer
ed Paralytic Stroke Short
Time Before Death
RITES THIS MORNING
William V. Ayers, 77, died
about noon Tuesday at the home
of his daughter, Mrs. Harvey
Wray, on Elk . Spur street. Mr,
Ayers suffered a paralytic stroke
only a short time before his
passing, from which he never re
gained consciousness.
The deceased was a native of
Wilkes county and a member of
the East Elkin Baptist church.
His wife. Mrs. Sallie Bradley
Ayers. preceded him in death sev
eral years ago.
The survivors include one
daughter, Mrs. Wray, with whom
he made his home; four grand
children; eight great-grandchil
dren and one sister, Mrs. Daniel
Hamby, of Ronda.
Funeral services will be held
this morning at 11 o'clock from
Bethel Baptist church. The ser
vice will be in charge of Rev. M.
R. Richard and Rev. L. J. Par
due. Burial will follow in the
Bethel cemetery.
Pleasant
Baptists Seeking
Funds for Church
A group of 30 workers at Pleas
ant Hill Baptist church has been
squalty divided and designated as
the" ''reds" and "blues." The two
sections will canvass for funds to
complete the church, which is
under construction-, at Pleasant
Hill. The "reds" are under the
leadership of Arthur Collins and
Joseph Darnell will direct the af
fairs of the "blues." !
At the ciose of lihe contest,
which will continue for five
weeks, the team that leads in
collections will be fated by the
losing side.
The brick walls ol the building
ire completed but tfhe funds are
\oo low to begin the roof and the
irive is for the roofing fund. The
jhurch, when completed, will
'nave a main auditorium and 20
3unday school roonxs.
Pleasant Hill has the largest
nembershlp, both hp church and
3unaay school, of. any rural
.hurch In this sectipn.
Misa Barbara Weir, p. member
of the Wadesboro faculty,
will arrive today to- spend the
Easter holiday with 1 ber mother,
Mra. Luia Weir, at her home on
Surry avenue.
v • ■
/IC XJU AD TUDF ATFAIQ On a lonely field outside the Hungarian city of Szeged, the territories of Hun
fitJ ff /l A. I lllXLj/H H/IVO gary, Rumania and Yugoslavia meet as shown in the picture at left below.
Before the World War all this territory was part of Hungary. Now the left part is Hungary, the right Rumania and
the foreground section Yugoslavia, while over all hovers the sinister shadow of Adolf Hitler. Meanwhile, in the U. S.,
a squadron of the 17th Attack Group execute an echelon formation of elements during a 350-mile combat training
flight, a part of the rigid training the Army Air Corps pilots are now receiving as tne nation plans for a much
larger air defense. ,
; .n v r'j. _
COMER AGAIN
NAMED SUPT.
Succeeds Self as Head of
County School System;
Has Done Good Job
COMMITTEEMEN NAMED
1 - MeekillS *at 'boWO#
members of the Surry county
board elected John W. Comer to
succeed himself as county sup
erintendent of education, a post he
has held for the past six years.
Mr. 'Comer, who has served the
county well during his term in of
fice, was elected for two additional
years. No other name for the
job was submitted.
Appointmciib of lorftl school
boards or committeemen were al
so named.
Committeemen named, the ma
jority to succeed themselves, were
as follows: Dobson district, R. L.
Folger. chairman; .R. A. Freeman,
R. R. Folger. F. F. Riggs, W. L.
Taylor.
... Little Richmond, Manim Whit
aker, Gilmer Corder, successor to
Barker.
Zephyr, Emmett Smith. Joe
Cockerham, successor to Gilmer
Dobbins; Harold Parks:
Elkin, J. G. Abernethy, C. A.
McNeill. F. M. Notman, J. D. Bren
dle, W. C. Cox.
North Elkin, Patterson Nixon, C.
S. Foster. A. F. Yarborough.
Mountain Park. Kyle Thompson.
P. D. Wood, Ford Cockerham.
Lowgap. W. L. Jackson, W. L.
Schuyler, D. C. Lowe.
McMickie, Floyd Mayes, C. R.
Blevins, William Mayes.
Beulah, Walter C. Sparger,
Goldle Payne, Sam Cooke to suc
ceed Rufus Vernon.
Franklin. Robert Jones, E. L.
Patterson. Guy Sparger.
Green Hill, Arthur Jones, L. T.
Rhodaker, Harris Brown.
White Plains, C. G. Robertson,
E. M. Stone, Elmer Key.
Flat Rock, R. L. Reeves, J. A.
Sparger, R. B. Midkiff, also Bill
Baugnn who was added because
of the illness in a hospital of R.
B. Midkiff.
Holly Springs, J. M. Hunter. D.
C. Haymore, Sam Joyce as succes
sor to Phil Banner.
Sheltontown, Powell Snoddy.
Ashby Hlatt, Ramey Shelton.
Westfield, P. H. Jessup, Glenn
Payne, Vance Dearman.
Cooke, Arthur Cooke, J. A. Til
ley, Palmer Fllppln.
Pilot Mountain, W. R. Badgett.
Dr. S. R. Tillotson, Oscar Johnson,
Christopher Henly, S. F. Fulk.
Shoals, O. F. Hauser, Sherman
Mann as successor of J. L. Whit
aker, O. T. Brown as successor to
Charlie Bottoms.
Copeland, F. E. Layne, J. G.
Wood, Sam Banner.
Rockfcrd, R. S. Burrus, R. G.
Holyfield, James Coe.
Biloam, Hugh Atkinson, Thax
ton Taylor, A. C. Snow.
. Eldora, Robert Tucker to suc
ceed W. A. Key, Hobart Simpson
to succeed Eugene Simmons. M.
E. Shackleford.
School committees were also
named for the colored school dis
tricts.
Faculties for the 1939-40 public
school terms have been elected in
part. A number of the schools,
however, have deferred this phase
of work until a later date. The list
will be announced within a short
time, it is understood.
ROARING GAP SCHOOL
■ SPONSORING BIG SHOW
Charlie Monroe anl his Big
Radio Show will appeer in person
at the Roart&fc C.=p school Satur
day night, April 18. The enter
tainment is sponsored by the
sctiool. A nominal admission will
be charged.
ELKIN, N. THURSDAY. APRIL 6, 1939
British Leader Says Guns Ready
As Pact With Polan
School Children
Are to Present
Easter Operetta
An operetta, "The Fiffit Easter
Eggs," will be presented \by a
cast of approximately 125 chlK
dren of the primary grades of the
elementary school here this ev
ening (Thursday) at 8:00 o'clock
in the school auditorium. 4 The
operetta will be staged in a wood
land setting and the children will
represent animals of the forest.
Queen of the spring is Barbara
Ann Benson; Elfin, Nathaniel
Lovelace; Violet, Alice Blake Dob
son; Old Hen. Josephine Laffoon;
White Rabbit. A. L. Brown II;
Robins, Margaret Ann Click,
Oene Nicks; Red Fox. Ray Free
man; Bears, Charles Brewer and
Jimmy Harris; Libby Royali will
lead the toy orchestra and others
in the cast are elves, flower
fairies and white rabbits.
A small admission fee will be
charged. "The public is cordially
invited to attend.
SOn BALL IS
DOGGY AFFAIR
T.C.U. Club Sponsors Tourn
ament Between Teams of
Various Departments
BULL, CUR DOGS WIN
The soft ball tournament be
tween teams made up from the
various shifts of the Chatham
Manufacturing Co., and sponsored
by the recently organized T. C. U.
Club", got under way at Chatham
athletic field Tuesday afternoon
with doggy contests between the
Lap Dogs and the Bull Dogs,
which the Bull Dogs won 13-8,
and the Cur Dogs and the Hot
Dogs, which was won by the Curs
26 to 14. A third game scheduled
in the Cat league between the
Tom Cats and the Bob Cats, was
not played.
Ten teams have been organized,
the Dog league being made up of
six teams from A and C shifts.
The Cat league features four
teams from B shift.
Names of the various teams in
the Dog league, and the depart
ments they represent, are: Bull
Dogs, office and card room: Hound
Dogs, Spinning; Hot Dogs, weave
room: Lap Dogs, shop, warp and
burling; Bird Dogs, Old Mill; Cur
Dogs, wool room, picker and dye
house.
The Cat league teams represent
the following: Tom Cats, card
room; Alley Cats, spinning and
shop; Bob Cats, weave, warp and
deadhead; Wild Cats, wool picker
and dye house.
Games have been scheduled
throughout April and through
May 5 /us the first half of the
tournament schedule.
COMMISSIONERS OKEY
SCHOOL APPROPRIATION
An appropriation for an addi
tion to Franklin school, a WPA
project, was approved and
changes were made in a proposed
appropriation for the Beulah
school project, at the meeting of
the surry county board of com*
missioners at Dobson Monday.
The commissioners spent a
busy day with other matters of
routine nature.
Stores Here to
Take Holiday
Easter Monday
All local stores, with the ex
ception of hardware stores and
drug stores, will remain closed
Easter Monday, it has been
announced by Mrs. Franklin
fairer, secretary of the Elkin
Me&hants association. Barber
shops will remain open Mon
day mofttipr hut will close at
noon, Mrs\Fo»rer said. Cafes
will remain M usual.
COMMENCEMENT
IS UNDER WAV
Honda Exercises Start with
Junior-Senior Banquet
Wednesday Evening
OPERETTA ON APRIL 13
Commencement festivities at
the Ron da school began on Wed
nesday with the junior-senior
banquet. The elementary school
will present an operetta on the
evening of April 13. The com
mencement proper will begin on
April 16. with the baccalaureate
sermon at the Ronda Baptist
church on Sunday afternoon at
2:45 by Rev. Eugene Oliver, pas
tor of the North Wilkesboro Bap
tist church.
On April 18 a play, "Let's All
Get Rich," will be given and the
seventh grade diplomas will be
awarded all schools in the dis
trict at a program at the gym
nasium on the evening of April 20
at 8 o'clock.
The graduating exercises will
be held April 21, with the address
to the graduates by Dr. Chapel
Wilson of Appalachian State
Teachers College, Boone.
The public is extended a cor
dial invitation to attend. \
Elkin Negatives
Win, Affirmatives
Lose in Debate
In the triangular debate Friday
afternoon between the high
schools of Elkin, Mt. Airy and
Wilkesboro, Wilkesboro emerged
victorious. Elkin's negative, de
bating with Mt. Alry's affirma
tive, won by a two to > one decision
at North Wilkesboro. Miss Louise
Laffoon and Roy Jolmson com
posed the winning half of Elkin's
team. Miss Edith Fox and Sam
Oamblll, Elkin's affirmative team,
lost to North Wilkesboro at Mt.
Airy.
The winning quartette from
Wilkesboro. J. B. Brookshire,
Baxter Davis. Joel Bentley and
Flake Steelman, will compete
with other winning schools of the
state at Chapel Hill on April 21
and 22 for the Aycock Memorial
Cup.
Monday morning the Elkin
group sent the following telegram
of congratulation to the Wilkes
boro victors: "Let 'us propose a
toast to Wilkesboro debaters; may
they win the Aycock. Cup.''
This is the seventh consecutive
year Elkin haa entered in the de
bate and each tlzae they have
won high praise for their work.
England Is Awaiting Next
Move of Adolf Hitler;
First Report Denied
EXCITEMENT CREATED
The British fleet is ready for
any emergency, it was learned
Wednesday afternoon via radio
press dispatches, as England
awaits the next move in Eu
rope by Adolf Hitler.
It was also announced that
the pact with Poland, which
makes strong military pledges,
had been cemented with the
Polish Foreign Minister Joseph
Betek. v
The first announcement con
cerning the readiness for "any
thing that might happen" on
the part of the navy wu de
nied by Prime Minister Chun
itorlaln. However, the second
substantiated
thi
v.
London. April 4-/\ flurr y was
created in London tonfg! u *>y a
speech the first lord of tfts, ad
miralty, Earl Stanhope, made** o
Portsmouth saying that
aircraft guns of the British fleet
were being manned "so as to be
ready for anything that might
happen."
This was met immediately by
a statement from No. 10 Down
ing street—the official residence
of Prime Minister Chamberlain—
that Stanhope's words were not
correct.
Reliable sources said, however,
that Great Britain appreciated
the far-reaching potentialities of
her pledge last Friday to back
Polish independence with armed
might and had "her eyes open"
when she made the commitment.
Lord Stanhope, speaking in
the hangar on the aircraft car
rier Ark Royal, explained the
absence of some officers from a
naval function as due to the fact
they had been called to anti
aircraft duty.
An admiralty spokesman in
London, however, declared the
absences were because half the
fleet's personnel was on Easter
leave. The spokesman said "the
fleet Is always ready and no extra
precautions have been taken."
"Shortly before I left the ad
miralty. it became nec&ssary to
give orders to man the anti-air
craft guns of the fleet so as to be
ready for anything that might
happen," Stanhope declared.
News of Lord Stanhope's speech
reached London shortly before 10
p.m., between the normal edition
times of London newspapers. Of
three midnight editions, one pub
lished the speech accompanied by
the statement from the prime
minister's residence and the ad
miralty spokesman's words.
WORK ON NEW BUILDING
HERE GETS UNDER WAY
Construction of a large store
building on East Main street just
east of the Hugh Chatham bridge
has begun here with the wrecking
of the small filling station which
recently housed the office of H.
p. Graham, local distributor of
Sinclair products.
Although facts are not availa
ble, it is said the building, which
will be erected by N. B. Smlthey,
of North WUkesboro. to house ft
Smlthey store, will be 100 by 80
feet, and will be of modem con
struction. ; "A
were ao named be
cause their leaves resemble hu
man hands
14 PAGES
TWO SECTIONS
PUBLISHED WEEKLY
HALT CALLED TO
NEW EXPANSION
BY LEGISLATURE
Body Adjourns 2:30 O'clock
Tuesday A. M.
MAY BE CLOSE OF ERA
Further Goverr mental Cen
tralization Frowned Upon
by General Assembly
CONTINUAL TAX HUNT
Raleigh, April 4—The gavels Of
oresidintr officers thumped simul
taneously in the legislative halls
today, sounding the sine die ad
journment of the 1939 general
assembly, and perhaps, the close
of an era of state governmental
expansion in North Carolina.
Adjournment came at 2:30
o'clock this morning, ending a
90-day session.
0
The last decade. In many re
spects, has been one of the most
significant in the state's political
history. It has seen the functions
of government double and triple,
with the centralization of powers
in Raleigh.
The 1939 general assembly, in
effect, said: The state has as
sumed enough obligations for the
time being. We must consolidate
our gains.
Since 1929, the state has taken
over the operation of schools and
prisons, and the maintenance of
highways. It has provided free
textbooks for elementary public
schools. It has taken part In vir
tually every phase of the federal
social security program.
Budget figures give a vivid pic
ture of state expansion. General
fund expenses for the 1927-29 bi
ennlum were approximately $30.-
000,000. General fund expenses
for the 1939-41 blennlum are es
timated at $84,000,000, and the
Mntire v two-vear spending pro
gram including highway and
agriculture a^lotmente—are esti
mated ftt more Jhan $155,000,000.
Because the state !ss& —G*PF
new responsibilities nearly every
blennlum, a continual tax hunt
was under way during the dec
ade, and an entirely new revenue
bill was drafted arid passed every
two years.
\ Among the new taxes were a
tfrree per cent, levy on almost all.
retail sales; wine, beer and liquor
taxeSi enacted as soon as those
beverage were legalized; new
taxes orT estates gifts; a state
intangible tax with counties
sharing in i& e receipts; and in
creases in income tax rates under
a constitutional amendment rais
ing the top limit from six to ten
per cent. One cenK wa ® added to
the gasoline levy ralalPK *t to six
cents, in 1931, when 's*e state
took over county roads afid pris
ons.
The 1939 assembly balked at
any new major taxes or sub&taß
tial tax boosts. Various allot-,
ments were raised, but not a '
single major undertaking was au
thorized.
FINAL MEETING
OF CLUB HELD
Sta ce y Weaver Addresses
Yadkin County School
Masters' Group
IS HELD AT BOONVILLE
Boonville, March 30—The Yad
kin School Master's Club, com
posed of all men teachers of the
county, held their final meeting
of the year here last night in the
home economics department of
the school. The meeting con
vened at 6:30 pjn. at which time
a banquet supper was served by
the home economics classes of
the Boonville school with Mrs.
Anita ReeCe, instructor, in
charge.
After the dinner the speaker of
the evening. Prof. Stacey Weaver,
was introduced by the chairman
of the program committee, Rufus
Crater. Prof. Weaver made a
very appropriate talk for the oc
casion on "Some Habits of Char
acter."
Mr. Weaver, who for many
years has been close to the school
child from the standpoint of high
school and college teacher, made
hi« talk purely the observa
tions that he has been able to
gather while dealing with chil
dren of vArtous age classes, For
(Continued on Laot Page. Sec. 1>