DEVOTED TO THE CIVIC, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ALLEGHANY COUNTY
Volame 10.
SPARTA, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 1935. 6 PAGES Number 26.1
MUCH WORK AHEAD
Congressmen are very muc.i in
terested in adjournment and whil.
the pressure is not the same that
wouiit be felt in an election year,
with members anxious to get back
home tnd work on their fences,
the summer heat in Washington is
km wn far and wide and besides
ihe pment session, in mor; .han
five months, has seen very little
rccmplished compared to the
lengthened “must” list that has
been placed before the legislative
branch of the President.
ADJOURNS NEXT MONTH l
Estimates as to when adjourn
ment will be possible range from
some time in July to the first of
September, with the chances be
ing that the latter date will be
nearer the end if all of the ad
ministration’s measures are acted
upon by the Senate. House rules
and machinery are such that meas
ures can be jammed through but
the debating Senators will take*
more time. Moreover, there is
wide difference of opinion in the
Senate, where individuals have
reputations to maintain along cer
tain lines and this requires
speeches. Last week, however,
the Senate showed signs of speed
ing its work—an indication of
adjournment fever.
FOLLOWS COURT OPINION
With the NRA extension out
of the way Congress faces new
tasks in the comprehensive trans
portation control bill, the Wag
ner labor-disputes bill and the
Guffey measure to control soft
coal production—which were add
ed to the “must” list when NRA|
blew up—and measures hereto
fore mentioned in these columns i
as urgently insisted upon besides
a number of others, somewhat
routine but necessary all the
same, along the line of taxes and
government contracts.
Meanwhile the President is ap
parently intent upon steering the
New Deal along the lines marked.
out by the epochal decision of the
Supreme Court, with some inter
esting speculation resulting. His
mild NRA measures fail to please ;
Labor leaders and there are those
who hint that the Chief Executive |
is willing to see the country havei
a back-set in order to show the
necessity of Federal control, de-1
nied by the Court. Some critics]
taunt him with backing down af
ter declaring that bis earlier an
nouncement that the Court's de- j
cision lad created an issue which'
the people must decide was sub-j
versive of orderly government. I
Friends of the President, how-,
ever, insist that he strongly feels
that his first duty is to seek re
covery regardless of political ef
fects.
ROOSEVELT’S POSITION
In fact, it seems that Mr. Roose
velt is striving to work within the
limits of the Court decision, while
at the same time convinced that
wider powers must be secured for
the Federal government if social
and economic problems of the
present day are to be solved. He
does not, of course, see anything;
to the “save the Constitution” cry
of his opponents, believing that
amendments to the instrument are
necessary and inevitable as the
nation moves into its future, and
that the surest way to preserve
American government and the
Constitution itself is to make both
answer what he considers a de
mand from the average citizen for
a bigger share of the nation’s re
sources to support a better stand
• ard of iving.
CRl'iiCS ASSAIL STAND
Critics of the administration,
however, were sure last week that
the people would respond to a de
mand that the Constitution be
preserved and that no amendment
be passed that will broaden the
scope of Federal power or nullify
the decision of the Court. Former
President Hoover - reiterated his
charge that an effort was being
made to build up an European
government and the conference of
Republicans at Springfield heard
the suggestion that the party name
be changed to “Constitutional” in
order to emphasize adherence to
the document. Plainly, the line
up last week indicated that the
battle ery of 1986, on the Re
publican side, will center about
the Constitution, with the asser
tion that it must be preserved
Against the Roosevelt attack.
AT THE “GRASS ROOTS”
Members of the Republican par
ty from the Midwest States, met
last week in Sprinfteld, 111., to
catch the Lincoln spirit and to
give utterance to a fiery denunci
ation of the Roosevelt administra
tion, the reaffirmation of party
prii^cibles of the past and to make
plain that they want no alliance
with disgruntled Democrats or
Dcughton Sees
No Cigarette
Tax Change Yet
In View Of Statement
Made By Doughton Sat.,
The Issue Is A Dead
One Until Next Session
AAA IS CONSIDERED
Alleghany Member
Does Not Think House
Will Be In Session
Long Enough To Act
Washington, June 18.—Chair
man Doughton of the House ways
and means committee Saturday
expressed the opinion that there
would be no revision of the cig
arette tax at this session of Con
gress.
“If this session stayed here long
enough we might make some gen
eral revision of the revenue laws
and, of course, the cigarette tax
would be included,” the North
Carolina solon said. “I do not
think, however, that Congress
will be in session long enough
to consider such a controversial
subject. But the time is not far
away when there must be a re
vision.”
The ten-cent brand manufac
turers as well as the higher price
brands have been busy lobbying
on Capitol Hill. A certain fac
tion of the labor organization
lias been active in seeking to se
cure a reduction of tax for the
ten-cent brand manufacturers
alone. This activity has extended
to the Massachusetts legislature
which has memorialized Congress
for differential tax in favor of
the ten-cent brand manufacturers.
The fifteen-cent brand manu
facturers favor a reduction in
taxes but they are insisting that
it Be horizontal with no prefer
ence.
When the hearings were held
at the last session by the ways
and means committee on tobacco
taxes there were some farmers
who asked for a differential in
favor of the ten-cent brand manu
facturers but the over-whelming
sentiment of the witnesses was
for a horizontal reduction which
the committee approved.
In view of Doughton’s state
ment today the issue is a dead
one, until next session.
At a conference between Secre
tary of Agriculture Wallace and
Chairman Smith, of the Senate
agriculture committee today, it
was agreed to attach the Kerr
Smith tobacco production control
bill extension to the AA amend
ments when they reach the Sen
ate from the House. The Bank
head bill also will be attached.
Smith is confident the Senate
will pass the AAA amendments
along with the provisions for ex
tending the tobacco and cotton
production control acts through
1986.
The House is expected to pass
the AAA amendments next week.1
A. A. Woodruff
Lose* Another
Barn By Fire
—
A very large bam, belonging
to A. A. Woodruff, who lives
near New River, was destroyed
by fire last Thursday night. This
was the second bam belonging
to Mr. Woodruff to burn within
a period of six months, as a
bam was destroyed last February
in which fire a number of head
of live stock perished.
The last fire, which, as the first
was of undoubtedly incendiary
origin, was discovered about 9:00
o’clock but had gained such head
way that it was beyond control.
Only the combined and strenuous
efforts of the neighbors who
gathered to assist in fighting the
fire, prevented the loss of the
granary also.
Besides the large amount of
feed stored in the bam. a great
number of farming implements
were housed in the building. All
of these were burned, with the
exception of a wagon.
The sheriff was summoned and
bloodhounds were brought from
Hillsville, Va. The hounds im
mediately found a trail was
obliterated by the rain which fell
, before a destination was reached.
The bam was insured but not
(for a sufficient amount to cover
the loss of the Implements and
the huge ftructure.
Sparta P. O.
Moved Into New
Location Monday
The Sparta post office was mov
ed Monday into its new quar
ters in the building owned by R.
Clinton Halsey, and formerly oc
cupied by the Variety store.
New and much more adequate
equipment is being used and this,
together with the greater floor
space, makes the new location ex
ceedingly satisfactory to the pub
lic and will provide for greater
comfort and efficiency for Post
master G. G. Nichols and his
assistants.
Many expressions of appreci
ation for the efforts Mr- Nichols
has made to give Sparta a more
adequate postal service have been
heard from the twonspeople.
Delp Granted
Writ Of Error
By High Court
Execution Set For
June 28 Automatically
Stayed. No Deciaion In
Bausell Cases Announced
A writ of error was granted
Howard Delp, condemned to die
for the murder of the late Chief
of Police Posey Martin, Galax,
Thursday morning at Wytheville,
by the state Supreme Court of
Appeals. The case will be trans
ferred to Staunton and is ex
pected to be heard there at the
fall term of the supreme court in
September.
Delp is alleged to have fatally
stabbed Chief of Police Martin,
and wounded Sergeant Frank Dot
son while escaping from the Galax
jail on Thursday night, Feb
ruary 21.
He was convicted in the Gray
son county circuit court early in
April and sentenced to die in the
electric chair on Friday, June
28. The granting of a writ of
error, and the transferring of the
case to Staunton to be heard in
September will automatically stay
the execution until the high
court acts.
Delp was confined in the Roa
noke city jail from Thursday,
April 4, the day after his con
viction in the Grayson court, un
til a short time ago, when he was
taken to Richmond, and placed
in the death cell in the state
penitentiary.
Stuart B. Campbell, Wythe
ville, is Delp’s attorney, and
Commonwealth’s Attorney H. P.
Burnett, of Grayson county, was
assisted in the prosecution by S.
Floyd Landreth and Town Attor
ney Jack Matthews, of Galax.
No indication has been given
as to when action may be, taken
by the supreme court in the
oases of Henry F. Bausell and
son, Bernace, who are convicted
of the murder of the late T.
Eugene Cornett, in the latter’s
home near Rural Retreat, in
Wythe county, on January 13,
1934. Writs of error were grant
ed in their cases, and arguments
were heard at .the term of the
supreme court held in Richmond
in March. A decision is expect
ed during the present term of the
court at Wytheville.
Galax Firemen’s
Celebration Is
Drawing Near
As, Monday,'July 1* the time
for the, opening of the Galax Fire
men’s annual Independence Day
celebration draws nearer, interest
and enthusiasm increases.
One of the most outstanding
features of the celebration is ex
pected to be the torchlight par
ade along Main street to Felts
park on Tuesday night, July 3
This is expecte<L.to be much big
ger and better than the one held
last year, because of the fact
that huge torches will be used
this year* which make a bright
red and yellow flame, instead of
sparklers, as were used last year.
On the afternoon of Thursday,
the Fourth, a water battle is to
be put on in Felts park, in ad
dition to a big parade from
town to the carnival grounds at
10 o’clock that morning.
On Friday night, the firemen,
dressed in their brand new equip
ment, just received recently, will
parade their entire equipment.
Bunts Greater shows will fur
nish carnival attractions through
out the entire week.
Alcohol Control
Measure Offered
By Rep. Doughton
Washington, June 18.—The
hottest day of the year (the mer
cury stood at 94) found the
House and its committees boiling
with activity today, seeking to
pass five of Speaker Joseph W.
Byms’ ten “must” bills this week
and clear the way for July 15
adjournment.
Two of the bills already are,
out of the way—a $500,000,000
“nuisance” tax measure passed
yesterday, and the AAA amend
ments, .passed today. Tomorrow,
under a rule limiting debate to
three hours and permitting
unrestricted amendments, the
House will take up the Wagner
Connery labor disputes bill, which
has passed the Senate.
Thursday, if all goes well, the.
House will pass a $200,000,000
deficiency bill, providing money
for miscellaneous purposes not
taken care of in the regular (ap
propriation bills. Friday or Sat
urday it is planned to have the
House pass a federal alcohol con
trol bill introduced today with
President Roosevelt’s support by
Chairman Robert L. Doughton of
the ways and means committee.
The FACA bill would set up a
control administration in the
Treasury Department, supplanting
the present independent FACA.
It would control ffce liquor busi
ness through a system of permits
and levy taxes on importers, dis
tillers, rectifiers and wholesalers.
Labeling and advertising would
be restricted to prevent mislead
ing buyers.
If the House actually rushes
action on all these bills—and some
observers doubted that it could
show such sustained effort—only
five bills will be left on the
"must” program. These are the
utility holding company bill, the
TVA amendments, ship subsidy
bill, transportation regulation,
and Guffey coal bill.
The prospect of real progress
became more hopeful, however,
when the deadlock over the TVA
amendments was broken. A House
military affairs subcommittee pre
pared a compromise measure on
which Chairman John J. McSwain
expects a favorable vote Thurs
day. The compromise differs in
five particulars from the original
bill seeking to extend the powers
of the TVA:
(continued on back page)
Hoover Criticises
“New Deal” In
College Address
Palo Alto, Cal., June 18.—
Herbert Hoover, commencement
speaker at Stanford university
here, Sunday delivered one of 'Ms
severest criticisms of the “New
Deal.”
Mr. Hoover never once men
tioned the National administra
tion or any member of it directly,
and avoided a political appeal.
He listed nine essentials through
which, he said, the nation could
attain “another era of advance
ment as great as the hundred
years following the Napoleonic
wars.” The nine points were
these:
1. Freedom—“Freedom of men
to worship, to think, to speak,
to direct their energies, to de
velop their own talents, and to
be rewarded for their effort.”
2. Capacity—“Capacity to pro
duce a plenty of goods and serv
ices with which to give economic
security to the whole of us.”
3. Self-Government —“The safe
guard of freedom.”
4. Level-headnedness—“F r o m
the right come the abuses of
monopoly, economic tyranny, the
exploitation of labor, of consum
ers, of investors. From the left
come power-seeking job-holding
bureaucracies, which bleed our
productive strength with taxes
and destroy confidence and en
terprise.”
5. Stabilization — “Depression
other than from war origins are
capable of great mitigation by
wiser conduct of our credit ma
chinery.”
6. Individual security — “The
foundations of individual security
must in the end be strengthened
beyond relief work.”
7. Distribution — “Our job is
not to pull down the great ma
jority, but to build up those who
lag.”
8. Spread of property owner
ship—“Here lies a sense of free
dom from fear, a sense of in
dependence.”
9. Protection of the family
and the home—“With the inde
pendence and the security of the
family have come the spiritual
blessings of the nation.”
In his “obestvations” on the
accomplishments of America’s
aims, Mr. Hoover warned:
“Universal social security
cannot be had by sudden inspir
(continued on back page)
Through State Capital Keyholes
By Bin Hinton Sihror
SPOTTED — The gubernatorial j
race (chiefly between Clyde R.
Hoey and A. H* Graham) is a bit
spotted from the standpoint of
public interest throughout the
State. You can talk to travelers
and one will tell you that Hoey
is running wild while another will
avow that Graham is far in the
lead. Most of the distinteredested
lads getting about over the state
will' tell you, however, that the
campaign has not progressed far
enough to raise many bets. The
political gamblers want to see the
horses warm u'p before they lay
the long green on the mahogany.
STIRRING—When Thad Eure,
principal clerk of' the House of
Representatives for several terms,
announced that he would be a
candidate for Secretary of State
next spring, he didn’t stop there.
No sir, Mr. BJura is determined
to unhorse Stacey Wade, incum
bent, and while this is written
the contender is up and doing in
the little game of vote-getting.
On tiie other hand. Mr. Wade
is no slouch at snagging the bal
lots and a merry race may be ex
pected by one and all.
IRKED — Governor Ehringhaus
is a mild-mannered man but once
you get his ire to the boiling
point watch for the steam to pop
off. Down at the Governor’s
conference at Biloxi, Mississippi,
a representative of Harry L. Hop
kins, head man of the federal re
lief program, said the money is
not being spent politically. North
Carolina’s own Chief Executive
replied that such was rapidly be
coming the case, or words to that
effect Of course, Mr. Hopkins
nor his representative liked that
not, but they picked the right
man to get them told if they do
start in to playing human miser
ies for votes in 1936.
....SPEAKER — Representative W.
L. Lumpkin, of Franklin, is doing
a bit of letter-writing these days
in the hope of lining things up
for his campaign for Lieutenant
Governor. Meantime, Representat
tive R. Gregg Cherry, of Gaston,
chairman of the 1933 House Fi
nance Committee, is sitting back
in his law office in Gastonia
awaiting the reception of his un
official announcement for the
speakership. Major Cherry says
he doesn’t intend to plow up the
State Capitol in an effort to be
made Speaker but if you want
a fight on your handB just tackle
one of those Cherry boys. It
looks interesting from this dis
tance.
RELIEF—The State system of
textbooks rentals authorized by
the recent Legislature is about to
become a reality. The Commis
sion named has been sworn in
and plans are being made to make
books available by the time the
first country schools open in July.
The task is no child’s play and
setting up of any decent system
will require time. Nevertheless,
when parents learn they have to
“put out" less for school books
next year than formerly, maybe
they can spare a kind word or
two for the boys who stayed two
months or more in Raleigh, at
their own expense, trying to make
such things possible.
HOPEFUL—Dr. Ralph McDon
ald, who represented Forsyth
county in the 1933 General As
sembly as an anti-sales taxer,
(continued on page 4)
Long’s 4'Share
The Wealth”
Program Beaten
Washington, June 17,—Senator
Huey Long’s “Share the Wealth”
program was drowned under a
chorus of “noes” in the senate
today after the Louisianan—ap
parently seeking the foundation
for a presidential bid—had offer
ed it as a substitute for the
Roosevelt social security plan.
Point by point, Long, sought
to match his proposal against that
of the administration. More than
one of his colleagues asserted pri
vately that the southerner was
looking toward 1936 in so doing.
Long was dressed in his usual
flamboyant manner, with a sand
colored suit and pink shirt, but
he dropped most of his acrobatics
and back-woods mannerisms to
deliver ,as serious a speech as the
senate has heard him make.
Roosevelt Signs
NRA Extension
Resolution FrL
NRA Is Entirely A
Different Organization
From The One It Was
A Year Ago
Washington, June 18.—Presi
dent Roosevelt signed the NRA
resolution Friday night, ending the
bitter argument that has raged
for weeks, and extending the
agency until April 1, 1936.
The President scratched his
name at the bottom of the reso
lution after the House, earlier in
the day, had concurred with Sen
ate amendments that action by
the House was the final move in
Congress.
Mr. Roosevelt appeared anxious
to sign the measure. At his press
conference he told newspapermen
that he was not going to wait
four minutes after the conference
was over to put his signature on
the resolution.
By that action NRA, crippled
by the Supreme Court’s decision
in the Schechter poultry case,
escaped death by one. day.
If Congress had not finished
with the NRA resolution before
midnight tomorrow, the recovery
agency would have expired be
cause Congress’ original grant of
authority extended only until June
16, 1935.
Tonight NRA is a different
organization entirely from the
one it was a year ago when the
blue eagle was in thousands of
shop windows and the first ad
ministrator of the agency—Gen.
Hugh S. Johnson—was swinging
across the country preaching the
gospel of government regulation.
This is what NRA is now:
1. A skeleton organization, em
ploying only about 1,500 persons
instead of 5,400.
2. An agency that has no power
to enforce a code. It can, how
ever, receive voluntary codes from
business men, including agree
ments on wages, hours, working
conditions and fair trade prac
tices.
Man Is Injured
While Working
With Hay Tedder
Rufus Richardson, who lives
near Sparta, was seriously in
jured Monday while operating a
hay tedder. The neck-yoke came
loose from the horses, throwing
Mr. Richardson from the machine.
A rotating part of the machine
struck him in the back of the
head, fracturing the skull.
Richardson was immediately
carried to the Ellyn hospital, in
an unconscious state, where his
condition Wes'pronounced serious.
He was operated on at once and
a portion of the bone was re
moved at the base of the skull.
N. B. SMITHEY STARTS
NEW BUILDING IN SPARTA
Ground was broken Saturday
by contractors for N. B. Smithey,
who is grading for the erection
of a store building on the lot
next to the new Alleghany Motor
sales building.
It is understood that ' Mr.
Smithey plans to erect a large
stone building, with a full size
basement, and an adequate build
'ing for tiie Urge amount of pro
duce which his store handles.
i* - .. 1. ■r- ... -
State Will Get
About 50 Million
From Works Fund
■fa
Huge Plan To Get
Under Way By July
1. To Transfer Men
From Relief To Work
COAN IN CAPITAL
Apparently, The New
Works Program Is To
Be A Glorified CWA
With Few Big Projects
Washington, June 18.—North
Carolina is slated to get around
$50,000,000 as its share of the
four-billion-dollar work-relief pro
gram the Roosevelt administra
tion plans to get under way by
July 1.
This money will be used to
take the 50,000 able-bodied men
now on relief and put. them to
work on useful projects from
which the public will benefit.
Ne definite amount is to be
allocated to a state and at this
time no exact estimate can be
made of just how money will be
i spent in North Carolina. But
: those in authority feel certain
the sum will be close to $50,000,
000. It may be a few million
more or a few million less.
George W. Coan, Jr., works
progress director for North Caro
lina, and who will supervise the
new work relief program in
North Carolina, is still
in Washington receiving final
instructions along with the other
state directors. He plans to re
main here until tomorrow night
or Thursday.
Questioned further as to his
plans for setting up his state
organization, Coan said it was
his plan to use competent person
nel now connected with the re
lief administration in North Caro,
lina. It appears to be a fixed
national policy to shift as many
persons from the relief adminis
tration to the works-progress ad
ministration as possible.
Because of this, Coan stated
today, “It would be unwise and
unfortunate foi the works-pro
gress administration to select key
men or district managers until it
has been definitely ascertained
how many paces will be open."
(continued on back page)
Methodist W. M. S;
Meets At Home Of
Mrs. Warren Fri.
The Women’s Missionary society
of the Methodist church met Fri
day afternoon, June ’4, at the
home of Mrs. Dalton Warren,
with an exceptionally large at
tendance. Mrs. L. K. Halsey was
leader of the program, which was
highly interesting.
It was decided by the members
to hold a called meeting Thurs
day afternoon, June 20 to ar
range for a picnic to be held
soon for the members of the
society and their husbands.
The hostess served delicious
refreshments to ' about twenty
four members and guests.
At the next meeting Mrs.
Marvin Doughton and Mrs. C. R.
Roe will be hostesses and Mrs.
Dalton Warren will have charge
of the program.
1U€WHC
-
Great wor^s are performed not by
strength but by perseverance.**
JUNE _ U
It—Theodor* Rooeevelt'tt
turn* from African trip,
isio.
It—Firtt recorded com* *i
beeebtU it played, IMd.
witches. Hartford, Con*.
21—Firat United States troop*
land in Cuba, IN*.
patents tht first i
tweeper, Ills. 1
rain making il!
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