mm*
^ North Carcuno
>PR£SS IASS0C1AT
By mail, per year (in advar_?»)__$2.Ci
By carrier, per year (in advance) $3 <H
The Charter of the Town ox
Shelby is perhaps the most unique
in the South. It was drawn up in
pt57, when things were considei
ablv different—even town prob
lems—and it is still in force. A
nuiy '>■, or alderman, cannot resign
or be fired. Did you know that
* * *
• Cleveland county parents will not
have to buy so many new school J
hoiks next year despite the fact
that it is the year for changing J
books. Read what Superintendent!
(ji iKK says in The Star today.
* * t
Shelby is scheduled for the first
game in the state title series with
Tail ton here tomorrow. Prospects
are cited in this issue.
* * *
More than 100 new voters have
■already registered for the coming j
city election. The total registration
Vitl likely be around 1,700—old and
tVew—The Star says.
♦ * *
for a big part of Cleveland coun
ty this is “commencement week’’
more-than 50 per cent of the coun
ty schools closing this week. Many
will also close next week.
* * *
One alderman has retired from
>the race, according to an announ
cement in this issue.
* » *
The Shelby high school band and
pice club intends to enter, the state
contest at Greensboro next Week
and needing the money to defray
their expenses they plan a big lo- j
c,d concert Tuesday night.
Group Championship Will Be Be- I
tween Cleveland and Ruth- i
erford Teams. All Strong.
The Shelby-Fallston game in
the state race scheduled for
this afternoon has been post- !
ported until tomorrow, Satur
(l'> afternron at 3:30 o’clock
■owing to weather conditions. A
large crowd is expected to wit
ness the big Saturday after
noon tilt.
n Those hopeful of seeing Shelby
win another state high school base
ball championship figure that the
local Highs are in » group made up
several of the best baseball teams
in the state. Forest City, Henrietta :
and Kings Mountain are among the
strongest contenders in the state j
and the entire trio will have to be
eliminated if either Shelby or Falls J
ton moves on up in the race.
First Game Today.
The first local game of the state
race is on tap this afternoon at the '
city ball park with the Shelby !
Highs meeting Falltson. Henrietta
:‘and Forest City meet at Spindale,
while Kings Mountain is idle.
The winner of the game here to
day will play Kings Mountain on
Friday, the place not being decided i
as yet. Then on the following Tues
day, it is thought, the winner of the
second game in this county—either
Kings Mountain, Fallston, or Shel
by—will take on the Rutherford
county winner, cither Forest City
or Henrietta.
A comparative strength of the
Fallston team playing here today
is not to be had, but reports are
that it is a heavy hitting oufit with
wore than fair pitching. The
strength of Kings Mountain and
Forest City is known hereabouts.
Morris’ boys have split two games
with Kings Mountain, and have
turned in two victories over Forest
City, but the sport fan will recall
that both victories over Forest City
were by one run only. Forest City
has one of the strongest teams in
the section in the opinion of Coach
Casey Morris. From Rutherford
county eomes the word that Hen
fietta is as good if not better than
Forest City. So the tilt at Spin
dale this afternoon appears to be
a toss-up with a hard opponent for
the Cleveland county champs no
matter which Rutherford team
wins.
County Native
Dies In Oklahoma
Mrs. L. S. Self, a native of Clev
eland county passed away on April
•'!l,l at her home in Wynnwood, Ok
lahoni at the age of 69 years, one
month and 24 days. She was a
daughter the late J. R. Willis and
leaves to mourn her departure a
husband who is a brother of WT. F.
iseli of this county, five sons and
one daughter and 11 grandchildren,
also two sisters, Mrs. Chauncey
Turner and Mrs. Martha Jarrett
811,1 a number of other relatives.
She joined the Methodist church
"hen a small girl and lived a cor
s>stent Christian life to the day
of her death. Her remains were laid
away in Oaklawn cemetery on
Monday April 4th, funeral being
’Conducted by Revs. J. C. Morris and
F. Hardin.
More Than 100 New Voters
Register For Coming Race
So far as the now registra
tion books reveal the sixcan
didates for mayor of Shelby
will have their fate decided by
around 1,600 voters. However,
indications are that several
hundred new voters will be
added to that list by the time
the registration books close
tomorrow week.
A survey of the city regis
tration book yesterday' reveal
ed that up until noon 105 new
voters had registered. This
means 105 more voters than
cast ballots in the 1925 muni
cipal election. About 10 voters
have been registering daily for
the past several days and as the
city election comes nearer the
number is expected to increase.
So far, it is said, candidates
have not shown any great ac
tivity in bringing in new voters
and therefore it is expected
that several score new ones will
be headed to the registration
books next week. With six can
didates to divide the total it is
a foregone conclusion that ev
ery vote will help.
Registrar T. C. Eskridge
says that the H’s, Mc’s and
P’s are leading the list of new
voters in alphabetical order.
There were 1,505 votes cast
In the last city ballot-battle
and with the 105 new ones
added the estimated total now
should be about 1,600. Politi
cal observers look for this to
tal to reach a mark between 1 ,
700 and 2,000 before the regis
tration books close.
Young GirPs Skull Fractured By Auto;
Has Likely Chance To Recover, Said
Eight-year-old Geraldine Norman,
Daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
John Norm. 1 Injured.
Geraldine Norman, eight-year-o) 1
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Ne -
man, lying in the Shelby hospital
with a fracture at the base of the
skull, gave the parents and the.
medical attendants more hope of her
recovery this morning when she
looked up into their faces and smil
ed a smile of recognition. On Wed
nesday afternoon she was struck by
a truck driven by Mr. Quince Whis
nant of the Pokville section as no
was driving out West Graham
street and the child was hurled to
the pavement. The base of the skull
was factored, the child was uncon
scious and bleeding at the ear*.
Physicians felt at the time that
the injury would prove fatal, but
gradually signs of improvement are
developing and now it is thought
that she will recover.
Geraldine in the second grade,
had run across the street from her
home to the Ideal ice plant. Stand
ing behind an ice truck parked at
the C4U'b_ti.e was -exercising caution ;
against passing cars. A touring car
was coming in one direction and
with her attention centered on it,
she darted across the street when
the touring car passed. But the
truck driven by Mr. Whisnant and
carrying 18 bags of fertilizer ap
proached from the other direction
and struck her. Mr. Whisnant did
not see the child before she darted
as she was standing behind a
parked truck. Parents of the child
do not hold Mr. Whisnant to blame
for the affair, it is understood
The truck did not pass over her
body, but she was struck by the
front of the truck and knocked t >
the sidewalk.
LEAD II INCOME
TAX OVER 1328
Raleigh, —(INS.)—Income tax
collections in North Carolina for
the present fiscal year may exceed
last year’s figures just released by
the state department of revenue
indicate.
Collections to date for 1927 to
tal $6,094,000, compared with $6.
083,000 last year. The present fiscal
year has two months and 10 days
to run.
It was certain that this year’s
figures would represent a big in
crease over last year’s when all -
.collections are made. I
Ledford Posts Up
Attendance Record
A large board containing the
names of the 57 Kiwanis members
and their attendance record since
the 1st of January, featured the K>
wanis club Thursday night with J.
F. Ledford in charge. Mr. Ledford
always thorough and painstaking
when placed in charge of a Ki
wanis program, gave vivid evidence
of the regularity or irregularity
with which members are attending.
One hundred per cent attendance
was marked by a large nail for ev-1
ery meeting. As the attendance of
members fell off, smaller nails were
used, with crepe hanging on those
who fell below 50 percent. Shelby
and Lincolnton clubs are in an at
tendance contest which closes the
first week in may. The losing club
must entertain the winner at a
luncheon and it looks as if Shelby
will have to furnish the feed.
A local negro quartet was then
brought in to “revive the spirits”
of the low per centage members and
the negroes delighted the club with
old time favorites such as “I Shell
Not be Moved”. “God’s Going to
Move This Wicked Race”, “Swing
Low, Sweet Chariot,’ “Good News,
Chariot’s’ Coming,” etc.
Student Concert To
Earn Trip To Big
Greensboro Meeting
(ilce Club And Band To “Strut
Stuff” Before Home Folks.
Enter State Contest.
Next Tuesday evening if you have
nothing particular on—other than
your ordinary habiliments—take a
jaunt over to the Central school au
ditorium for a real musical conceit
band, glee club, solos and so on. The
performers will be Shelby school
boys and girls and they plan to
give the home folks some real en
tertainment.
There are several worthwhile rea
sons behind the concert.
Next Thursday the Shelby high
school band, believed hereabouts t.<
be the equal of Sousa’s aggrega
tion of tooters, and the high school
glee club together with other
school musicians will leave for
Greensboro to take part in the state
wide glee club and musical contests
This is the first time Shelby will b.j
fully represented at the meeting
and about the school there is con
siderable elation over the fact.
But—
There is no department of the
school treasury that has an appro
priation to pay the expenses of such
a trip and therein came a stumbling
block. And while stumbling over it
an idea developed. That’s the con
cert Tuesday night.
“We can give anybody a quar
ter’s worth of real music” the high
school pupils say, “and enough
quarters will take us all to Greens
boro. We are going to go, and we
are going to earn our own way.”
So, briefly, that is the appeal of
the youthful musicians to their par
ents and friends. They are not go
ing to beg any one for expenses for
their trip to Greensboro, but to en
able them to go they are going to
give a concert and defray their own
exnenses.
Those who have heard the band
and glee club perform realize that
a full concert for the familiar ‘two
bit piece” will be cheap entertain
ent. In addition to selections by the
band and glee club there will be
vocal and instrumental solos, duets,
quartets and so on.
And although they are out with
the first big reason to make
enough money to secure the Greens
boro trip the members of the musi
cal aggregation want it understood
that they intend to show the home
folks that they are likely to cop
some of the prizes at Greensboro.
There you are. The contest is
rrxt Tuesday evening. If you feel
like missing it after considering
what it means to the youngsters,
go to it.
Casar School To
Close Next Week
Casar will close its most success
ful school year next week. The com
mencement sermon will be preach
ed Sunday afternoon April 24th
at 3 o’clock, by Rev. D. G. Wash
burn of this county. The remainder
of the program which will come in
the latter part of the week is to
be featured by an operetta which
promises to be unique. Then society
night which offers a variety of in
formation and fun; followed by
“The Hoodooed Coon” the last night
which will keep you roaring from
start to finish. Following is a com
plete program.
Wednesday 8 p. m.—Operetta
and May pole dance by primary
grades.
Thursday 3 p. ni. Recitation con
test. 8 p . m. debate, followed by a
palv ‘Out in the Street.”
Friday 2:30 p. m.—Declamation
contest. Followed by awarding of
medals and prizes.
Friday 8 p. m.—Play “The Hoo
dooed Coon.”
TEXT BOOK SCARE
KOI SO BAD SAYS
SCHOOL OFFICIAL
Parents Will Not Bo Worried Over;
Wh<' sale School Book
Changes This Year.
J. II. Grigg, county Bupcrinten-1
dent of schools, has an interesting!
little item about school books. 11 j
will be of more than usual interest!
to school patrons and parents who
five years ago were forced to buy aj
new set of books for nearly all
their children in school.
Such will not be the case next
year despite the fact that this
is the year for the chance in text!
books, Grigg states.
A state ruling is that changes ir i
text books in North Carolina J
schools be made every five years.
A text book commission is appoint- j
ed to approve books and five years j
ago parents “went up in the air.’j
so to speak, because of the expense |
of the many changes to them. In ]
other words the changes were so j
that Bobby’s books couldn’t be |
handed down to Freddy, and Mabel |
couldn’t carry Ophelia’s old books j
to school. No one needs to remind j
the public that many things were
1 said about those responsible for
the changes then.
That s why the statement by the
i Cleveland county superintendent is
of general interest.
Two years ago the legislature put
a crimp in the wholesale plan of
| changing books by ordering that
i Only one subject in the elementary
i schools could be changed each year,
i In other words if th%$ex|book com
mission decides to malce # change
in readers this spring that will be
the only new books parents will
have to buy. The other old ones will
.be in use. And then there is thch
probability that She book beinjBf
i used will be on the approved lisfcj
| with no changes at all.
High Schools Too.
i The change in high school books
j is not so strictly prohibited, bh%
i will likely be very little changes in'
j books for the higher students.
! Grigg adds. If the present list of
books now in use in Cleveland coun
ty high schools are approved the
changes will be very few indeed.
Which, as was said before, is a
right interesting matter to parents
I who had to dig down in the family
| funds and buy so many new books
j five years ago.
—
0000 SPOUT FOR
HUE MISSION IT
PRESBYTERY MEET
With receipts of $11,710.97 and
disbursements of $10,932.46 the
Home Mission committee of the
Kings Mounntain Presbyterian
churches in Rutherford, Polk, Clev
eland, Lincoln and Gaston counties,
with headquarters at Forest City, '
presented a splendid report to the
spring meeting of the presbytery
held at Shelby for the past fiscal
year.
All home mission churches have'
been regularly supplied with preach
ers, all have Sunday schools and all ■
| but two have fully organized young
‘ people’s work. Evangelistic meet
ings were conducted in all church- ;
es and all but two, officially re
leased, paid the home.mission ap-1
portionments in full, and all giv
ing to benevolences. Fifteen weeks ,
of Daily vacation Bible schools !
were held in these churches under1
the leadership of Mrs. A T. Banks, |
a trained worker from the geneialj
assembly’s training school at Rich- j
mond, Va.
Two new churches were organ- .
ized, one at Spindnle and one at
I Chimney Rock. Two new' church
buildings w'ere completed, one cost
ing $12,000 at Tryon and one cost- i
ing $6,000 at North Belmont. |
The superintendent traveled 12.-!
680 miles on home mission woikj
and personally conducted e vangel is
tic meetings in the majority of the j
home mission field.
Dover To Speak
At Memorial Dayi
J. R. Dover, textile manufacturer
who is also gifted in eloquence, will
be the speaker at the memorial day
services at Pleasant Hill Baptist
church Sunday May 1st, according
to Mr. L. I. Kendrick. Mr. Dover
will speak in the forenoon and will i
be followed at 11 o’clock by the
pastor, Rev. W. E. Lowe. Picnic
dinner will be served at the noon
hour and after the decoration of
the graces, there will be a song
service m the aftcruooi..
Helps on Dam
mamm
Dr William C. Durand, professor
emeritus of mechanical engineer
ing at Stanfori^VJnlverslty. is one
of five men named by Secretary
Work to survey the Colorado river
and choose a government dam sit*.'
possibly Boulder Dam, In Arizona.
Cotton Crop
Cut Ten Per
Cent, Report
Farmers in Cleveland County Are
Diversifying, Hardin Says.
35,000 Hales Next Year.
-
According to a vtatcment by
Alvin Hardin, county agricul
tural agent to The Star Thurs
, day, cotton acreage in Cleve
land county has been cut this
• current season ten per cent.
Hardin has kept in close touch
with the subject of crop acreage in
[e connty, and is tflie be»$ author- j
puki there-1
lesson
the kafton'df the
las borhe-tinat in
Farmer* hav* been told, retold
more to cut the
ion mm^jRlot^vPbsify—to cease
narrowing their dependence upon
cotton.
Hardin says they have done this
—cut cotton lands 10 per cent and
doubled the grain planting.
He estimates the cotton yield—all
things being equal—this coming fall
at 35,000 to 38,000 bales. This cur
tailment will be due, according to
the county agent, not alone to de
creased acreage, but he says much
less fertilizer is being used.
Hardin is looking forward with
confidence to the immediate future
in the county. He says conditions
are entirely healthy, and that slow
ly but surely the farmers are’ adapt
ing themselves to the changing con
ditions, and will keep abreast of the
needs of the new day in agriculture.
Handicapped Youths
Are Being Trained
H. C. Corpening, of the state re
habilitation department, was here
today with J. B. Smith, county wel
fare officer, in conference with dis
abled citizens of the county who
desire vocational training:. About
six cases were investigated and it
was decided to give training to
four. Three of these are young Bod
ing Springs students. Two will be
trained for office work and one as
a teacher.
The department is anxious to
get in touch with other crippels or
disabled person in the county and
assist the worthy ones in securing
training so that they may make
their own way in life. Mr. Corpeo
ing is particularly anxious to get in
touch with any d'sabled high school
graduates this year who desire to
better train themselves for their
work in life.
Two people are now receiving
training, one being in the business
school here, while another is study
ing poultry work. Several others
have completed training and are
now earning their livelihood al
though handicapped before being
trained.
Thomason Withdraws
From Ward 2 Race
J. Lon Thomasson who recently
announced that he would be a can
didate for alderman in Ward 2,
asked The Star this morning to
state that since his friend Roche I
L. Hendrick has announced, that he
(Thomasson) would withdraw. Mr.
Thomasson says he was not anxious
for the position on the board but
consented to run when no one else
had announced, but now that Mr.
Hendrick and the present alderman
Mr. M. D. Hopper are both avowed
candidates, Mr. Thomasson will get
out of the running and let one of
I he two now in the race, represent
that ward on the city council.
Shelby’s 1857 Charter Unique —Mayor
Cannot Resign From Office Or “Fired”;
Can Force Aldermen To Serve On Board
TERMS THIS WEEK
Fifty To Sixty Percent (’lose !
School Year. All Others Close '
Next Week.
j!
Fifty to fiO percent of th
schools in Clevelai d county cln r
their terms this week, according to
Superintendent J. H. Grigg.
Several of the larger schools of,
the county have already closed,
and the majority of the others will
close next week, it is said.
Generally speaking school offi
cials term it one of the best years!
in the history of the county with
all schools doing good work, there j
being much advancement and pro- j
gress recorded in the various J
schools.
Among the schools closing to- |
day are Grover, Fail-view, Boiling;
Springs, Earl, Moriah, Beaver |
Dam, New House Beam’s Mill
Philbeck’s, White’s and others.
The term at Union ended Thurs
day, and Waco closed Tuesday of,
this week.
Make Effort* For
Mail Extension
A concerted effort is being made
to get the postoffice department
at Washington to send an inspector
to Shelby get an extension of the
mail service here by the addition of
one or more postal carriers. Last
night at the Kiwanis club Secre
tary J. C. Newton of the chamber
of commerce offered a resolution
which was unanimously adopted ask
ing for this mail extension and to
day Mayor Weathers is sending n
letter to the department telling of
the street and sidewalk extensions
and asking that additional citizens
be served with delivery. Postmaster
J. H. Quinn is also writing, in
forming the department that all
boxes are rented at the office and
additional patrons cannot be served
from boxes unless tie delivery serv
ice is extended so that box patrons
can relinquish their boxes to those
wanting to rent.
John Toms Declines
To Make Race Again
There has been much speculation
as to whether Mr. John P. Toms,;
alderman in Ward 1 w’ould make the I
race to succeed himself. Mr. Toms
stated to The Star this week that
he would not be a candidate because
of the press of his other duties as
superintendent of the Eastside mill.
He will have served efficiently with
the present administrntion for two
years, one term, next month when
the new city officials take up their
duties. Recently Mr. J. F. Ledford
announced for this position and it
is understood that Mr. Toms told
Mr. Ledford some time ago that if
he (Ledford) would run, he (Toms)
would not be a candidate as he was
serving more as a patriotic duty
than as a voluntary office nokltr.
Eskridge Takes On
New Refrigerator
Charles L. Eskridge has taken
the distribution of the Copeland
electric refrigerator and will have
a stock on his floor at the Ford
garage shortly for demonstration
and sale. Electric refrigerators
seem to be coming into popularity
just as the radio, electric cook
stoves and many other late inven
tions and after three years of inves
tigation Mr. Eskrige has selected
the Copeland. The cabinets are all
porcelain and made by Seager, one
of the oldest and most successful
manufacturers of refrigerator cab
inets in America. Mr. Eskridge says
he will have factory trained men al
ways here to give Copeland users
Taxes Coining In
Good Sheriff Says
Taxes have been coming in good
in recent weeks, according to
Sheriff Hugh Logan, who esti
mates that about $440,000 of the
$551,000 on the books has been
paid. This loaves around $75,000 to
come in.
After May 1, which is only a
week off, property is advertised
for taxes unpaid, the nearing of
this date has helped along in the
collections. The sheriff is expecting
a considerable amount of taxes to
be paid in tomorrow and next week.
Wears A Suit
For 18 Years !
Charlie Dnybcrry, colored 1 !
truckman ut the Seaboard de- ! |
pot, read in The Star that a |
Statesville man is wearing |
u suit of clothes he bought 20 I
years ago and a Charlotte I
man wears a 20 year old bat 1
and these facts niadc Charlie J
recall that the suit he is wear Jij
ing was bought 18 years ago. | j
Charlie was “sparking" about I :
then and blew himself for a
tailor-made garments which 1
cost him the princely sum of J
C28.50. For years Charlie |
kept it for his Sunday best
hut for the past two years |
has called the suit in for I
daily service and except for 1
the lining which is shredded J
in places, one of the local
! cleaning and pressing clubs |
) could give the suit a treat- I
intent that would make it look I
as good as new. Charlie’s I
j suit record i.i not the best, j
j but good enough to command ^
j public notice. f ,
B. SFlLSRl
MUHM
Alumni Meeting Saturday of Next
Week. Dr. Hudson Preaches
Sunday Sermon.
Boiling Springs High school fi
nals hegin Saturday of next week
and continue through Wednesday
May 4th, according to the hand
somely engraved program and invi
tations which have just been isautd
by the schooHrf which Prof. J. D.
Huggins is principal. Dr. E. V. Hud- I
son, former student of the school
now of Cramerton, will deliver the
annual sermon Sunday May 1st,
while Max Gardner of Shelby will
deliver the literary address Wed
nesday May 4th.
The following is the program and
list of graduates:
Saturday, April 30th, 7;30 p. m.
—Alumni meeting.
Sunday, May 1, 11 a. m.—Annu
al sermon by Dr. E. V. Hudson,
Cramerton.
Monday, May 2, 10 a. m.—De
claimed contest. 11 a. m.—Art ex
hibit. 2:30 p. m.—Readers contest.
8:30 p. m.—Concert by Glee club.
Tuesday, May 3. 10 a. m.—Class
day exercises. 2 p. m.—Orators con
test. 8 p. m.—Play by the literary
societies, entitled "preen Stock
ings.”
Wednesday, May 4, 11 a. m.—Lit
erary address by Hon. O. Max
Gardner. 2 p. m.—Graduating exer
cises.
Marshalls—Athenean and Rham
saeur: Taft Putnam, chief, Brough
ton Thompson. Leland Royster, An
nie Gettys, Etha Putnam.
Kalliergeonian and Kalagathian,
Ruth Irvin, chief. Louise Elliott,
Lucile Packard, Roy Hammett, John
Hamrick.
Senior Class.
I oiiege preparatory: Vevette Ju
lius Elliott, Ralph L. Falls, William
Elzie Ford. Paul Gibbs, Johnnie
Susan Gibbs, Wilma, Greene, Ma
rie Elizabeth Hamrick. Eunice
Gladys Jones, Arthur Guy Lonon,
William Guy Lonon, Annie Jane
Lancaster, Annie Louise Matheney,
James William Padgett, Elizabeth
Thompson, Travis Durham White.
English scientific: Roy Arnette,
Anna Lula Wall Arnett, Catherine
Louise Allen, Alma Francis
Belle, Clarence E. Baker. Lowell
Barnette, Grady Rowen, Hugh O.
Britain. Polly Lovelle Beason, Lois.
Marie Cooley. Baggie Cole. Eugene
Mauris DePriest, T. B. DeBriest,
Annie B. DePriest. Nan Ellis.
Mary Oaxie Edwards, Claud
Woody Harrill, James L. Hamrick,
Gatherine Louise Horton, Maude
Virginia Huggins, Mary Nancy
Lattimore, Barney McIntyre, Ruth
McKinney, Grace McBrayer. Chiv
-nts Padgett, Margie Mead Peoples.
Harvey Sparks, Catherine Connell
Scruggs, Annie Turner, Ruth Vi
vian Webster.
Governor Coming Back
Raleigh.—(INS)—Governor Mc
Lean, who is now taking a two
weeks’ rest in his camp in the
Wisconsin lake region, is expect
ed hack to the capital late this
week.
The Governor went to his camp
For a short, rest following an at
:ack of influenza. ?
Antique Charter
Of Old Days Still
Applies To Town
Here is a brief but very en
lightening narrative concern
ing the charter of the city of
Shelby. Ordinarily speaking
stories about city charters are
dull reading, but this will
prove different.
If you live in this burg, especially
if you have what is called a politi
cal mind, and get no kick out of the
facts to be recited, you are, as Da
mon Runyan says about Judd Gray,
numb all over. v
We got the facts from a city al
derman—a very well known aider
man, by the way. He is so well
known that he is running for pro
motion. Perhaps we hnd about as
well mention his name, because
there are not more than half a
dozen aldermen running for mayor.
But we may have promised hint
not to mention his name; we don't
exactly remember. The facts are
these:
If you are an alderman in thi
city of Shelby, having been duly
elected, your position is this: You
can’t resign, and you can’t be fired,
and if you don't want to serve, get
your back up and grouch on for any
cause, your comrades in misery can
invoke the police power to make
you act:—
Which is to say they can send
Chief Hamrick. Moore, Poston or
Jim Hester to your house, haul you
out and bring: you to city hall and
duly seat you in your aidermanic
chair, and tell you to go ahead and
vote, or words to that effect.
You can’t resign, and you can't
be impeached. If you pull one of
those little stunts that men are
sometimes driven to, nnd make a
haul on Mrs. Suttle’s cash box, and
Logan pays you a call and you
transfer your home to the classic
brick pile on East Warren street,
you are out of the running as an
alderman, but your place is lelt
vacant.
If an uncle suddenly dies and
leaves you some money, and you
pay Mrs. Suttle back, back in city
hall you go, and take up the grind
again.
And again:
And some folks in Shelby should
take very special heed of this: If
you are the mayor of the town you
are in the same boat. You can’t re
sign, can’t quit, can’t be fired ar.d
you can’t be impeached.
It’s your job, and it’s yours for
keeps for better or for worse, na
they say at the altar, until the next
election gives you a divorce and
sets you free.
Five Men Can Elect.
And now listen to this: Suppose
no one ran for office—suppose l&
one sought the job of alderman or
mayor. As conditions now exist that
seems unthinkable, but just suppose
no one “offered” himself. Then five
men could get together, five ene
mies of a poor bloke could assem
ble, sign up a petition, wish the
nomination on him ud if he is el
ected he can be made to serve.
That same awful police power
can be invoked to make him come
to city hall to perform that duty
that was wished upon him.
So much for the city charter you
are living under in this good year
1927, a charter adopted in the pro
gressive year of 1875, some sixty
years ago, if our mathematics are
right.
An OW Chao-ter.
The framera of the charter nev
er dreamed that men would scram
ble like lads for pennies for the
job of running the town. Back those
day they thought towns could run
themselves and there wasn’t much
social or political prestige in hold
ing the reins. But it’s different now.
But remember—you gents who
are so eager to break into city hall,
remember what you’re up against.
Remember that Hamrick, Hester,
Poston or or Moore can be put on. -
your trail any day you fail to rto
your duty. If we remember aright,
they can actually arrest you and
fetch you to city hall.
Spring activity in clothing in
dustry and manufacturing in gen
eral is bringing about a slow but
steady improvement in employ
ment conditions, according to the
superintendent of the Rochester
office of the State Employment
bureau. By mid-summer employ
ment will have taken strides thakf'l
will bring it to normal, he declar