ABANDONS HOUSING CASE
The Administration has aban
doned its appeal to the Supreme
Court in the Louisville housing
case and apparently accepts the
decision of an Appellate Court
holding that the Federal Govern
ment has no power to condemn
pro pertly for low-cost housing
purposes. The action of the Gov
ernment resulted in considerable
speculation, some contending that
it was to avoid an adverse decis
ion and others maintaining that
no such power is now desired by
the Administration, which plans
to abandon direct Federal con
struction' and leave the job to
local authorities, financed through
Federal loans and grants.
While twenty States have pass
ed enabling acts, permitting coun
ties and municipalities to set up
housing authorities, only twenty
three communities have done so.
The Department of Justice said
the action was taken because, the
cases *%ad become moot” since
no funds were available for the
Louisville and Detroit project un
der fire. However, this is no ex
planation why, only two weeks
before, the Government filed its
brief and that more than a dozen
State and local authorities had
appeared as "friends of the
Court” in the two cases.
SEIZING TELEGRAMS
Quite a stir has been raised by
the discovery that the Black-Lob
bying "Committee had secured
from the telegraph companies cop
ies of “lobbying” telegrams and
that in many cases the senders
of the messages were unaware of
the step taken by the Committee.
The issue- was raised by Silas H.
Strown, Chicago lawyer and form
er President of the American Bar
Association, and of the Chamber
of Commerce of the United States,
who secured a restraining order
to prevent the telegraph compan
ies from delivering to the Com
mittee copies of the messages to
and fronr his law firm.
The right of the citizen to be
free from unwarranted searci and
seizures is asserted by the conten
tion that no government official
should be permitted to p on a
“fishiP* expedition.1* Thfe admis
sion is readily made that the gov
ernmental nfi"1** have the right
to seize specified messages arid
correspondence, but this, sa» the
objectors, does not include any
general examination of documents
in order to ascertain whether or
not valuable information is to be
found in thtem.
BLACK DEFENDS COUR-.
Senator Black, of Alarar »,
head of the Lobby Investigating
Committee^and defending the ac
tion taken, points to. the revelation
that many companies which op
posed the Holding Company Bill,
burned all telegrams and letters
dealing with their campaign. In
such oases, - information as to
messages sent and received can
only be obtained from the tele
graph companies’ files. Moreover,
the Alabamian insists that it is
riot possible for an investigating
committee, seeking evidenc e of
activity, to give accurate informa
tion as to .telegrams which have
been exchanged but destroye< and
denied by those concerned.
BUSINESS MEN GATHER
Around a thousand *>w iness
men recently ., gathered in Wash
ington to influence Congrefcg to
take favoraMe action on the so
called «an*i-cheiii"~v***»ure,
known sp-khe Robinson-E»man
Hll As precedents they had the
“fanners' march” last year to
support the amendments to the
AAA, and;, the “business men’s
march” for..a revival of the NKA.
The. meaepre concerned is presum
ed to benefit and protect «n®ll
retailers, but is also being backed
by wholesalers who think it will
help them to regain business »st
to the chaira and to buying pools
which semtre quantity discounts
and lower; prices through mass
buying. Tito bill applies to a huge
range of commodities, including
groceries sipd drugs, and w®"'®
apparently —revive some of the
price controls of NRA.
Impetus to such legislation hss
been given by revelations that
certain chain store organisations
have been receiving spjfial p£c«i,
discounts, allowances and adver
tising funds from manufact »rers
who make no such concoesio:» to
small, purchasers. In som< in
stances, the amounts were suf
ficient to eanble them to und trsrtl
independent stores by an api srect
able margin. While there Is con
siderable sentiment in favor of
the proposed legislation, oppoi *tj°a
arises from the fact that w»e
trade, experts insist that
tion of the special -
lowed for buying, in
(continued
TODAY’S THOUGHT
"Civilisation^ is the his
tory of surmounted dif
ficulties.”—Hoover.
The Alleghany Times
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$1*.
year
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DEVOTED TO THE CIVIC, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ALLEGHANY COUNTY
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Volume 11.
GALAX, VA. (Published /or Sparta, N. ft.) THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 1936.
EIGHT PAGES
Number 44.
Tax Bill Shatters
Plans Of Congress
To Adjourn May 1
Speaker Byrns Trying
To Spur Up Legislators.
June 1 Seen By Several
As Date For Ending Work
HEARINGS TO BE HELD
Roosevelt Preparing
Relief Recommendations
Before Departing For
South To Fish
Washington, Mar. 17.—Hopes
for adjournment of Congress by
May 1 have been virtually scut
tled by the knotty problem of
writing a $792,000,000 tax bill
for President Roosevelt.
Word to this effect circulated
On Capitol Hill today even as the
administration’s relief program
for the next fiscal year—another
potential source of delay—began
to take form with the. president
preparing his recommendations
for submission to Congress before
heading for Southern fishing
grounds Thursday.
Even speaker Byrns conceded
today that adjournment by May
1 looked less promising than it
did before a House ways and
means sub-committee ran into
difficulties over the tax program.
But he added that he was not
yet realy to revise the goal fixed
earlier.
“I’m trying to spur them on,”
he said.
June 1 was the date which
Representative Morton, of Massa
chusetts, assistant House minority
leader, considered likely for wind
ing up congressional business.
Both Democrats and Republi
cans on the ways and means com
mittee privately expressed the
thought that he might be right.
“The bill will probably
require another ten days in sub
committee.’1 remarked Represen
tative Knutson (R.) Minn., “and
open hearings by the full com
mittee will take at least two
weeks. Then it will take some
time to draft a bill in final form
and probably four days will be
needed or the House floor. The
Senate probably will want to take
its t<me on taxes.
“So I can’t see any adjourn
ment. before June 1. There are
absolutely no grounds for saying
we will get out of here by
May 1.”
Another committeeman, Repre
sentative Thompson (D.), 111.,
addtu
“It looks to me like late in
May at the earliest.”
Methodist Missionary
Society Meets Fri. At
The Doughton Home
The Women’s Missionary soci
ety of the Methodist church held
a meeting on Friday, March 13,
at the home of Mrs. Marvin
Doughton, with Mrs. J. M. Cheek,
as leader.
Mrs. A. B. Bruton conducted
the devotionals, after which a
very interesting program was
rendered with Mrs. T. J. Carson,
Mis. R. E. Black, Mrs. T. J.
Inskeep, Mrs. Rex Mitchell and
Mrs. Bruton taking part.
Three new members were added
to the organisation.
At the close of the meeting,
delicious refreshments were served
by the hostess.
The next meeting is to be held
at the home of Mrs. Worth
Smith, with Mrs. Roscoe Smith
as joint hostess and Mrs. A. B.
Bruton as leader.
Dr. G. A. Martin
To Leave Work In
Alleghany County
Dr. G. A. Martin, pastor of the
Sparta Baptist church, plans to
close his ministerial work in Al
leghany soon to accept work in
another section of the state.
Dr. Martin will be at Laurel
Springs next Sunday morning at
eleven o’clock, and at Scottsville
in the afternoon of the same day
at two-thirty o’clock, for his last
services at these places. His
final service at the Sparta church
is to be held on Sunday morning,
March 29, at eleven o’clock.
This service is to be in the
form of a “farewell” service, to
he participated in by some of
Dr. Martin’s friends.
Hale and Hearty at 90
WORTHVILLE, Ky. . . . All
the discussion about "the most
severe winter we ever had”,
rather amuses Dr. N. G. Perry
(above), who has just celebrated
his 90th birthday. Dr. Perry has
an overcoat which he bought some
forty years ago but has worn the
garment less than a half-dozen
times. Dr. Perry attributes his
good health to regular habits,
plenty of fresh air and exercise.
“Jafsie” Returns
To New York But
Nobody Wants Him
Bruno Hauptmann .Seems
Certain To Die In The
Electric Chair During
Week Of March 30
New York, Mar, 17.—After
coming home today, Dr. John F.
(“Jafsie”) Condon discovered that
nobody wanted him at all.
It was a changed man who
walked down the gangplank of
the liner Santa Inez—a strangely
silent Jafsie, who was surrounded
by a protective circle of friends
and relatives.
“No comment,’ was his answer
to all questions concerning the
impending execution of Bruno
Richard Hauptmann for the mur
der of the Lindbergh baby.
There were no New Jersey
state troopers waiting to haul him
to Trenton to be questioned by
Gov. Harold G. Hoffman; no men
waiting with summonses to serve
in behalf of Hauptmann’s counsel.
But Jafsie didn’t know that
and he was suspicious of every
body, including the customs officer
on the dock.
“Let’s see your badge,” de
manded Condon when the officer
halted him to examine clearance
papers.
All the furore about Jafsie
simmered down to the fact that
Condon is not going to New Jer
sey, and Hoffman is not coming
to the Bronx to see him. It means
that Hauptmann seems certain to
go to the electric chair in the
week of March 30—probably two
weeks from tonight.
lightning Does
Damage In Sparta
Monday Night
During the unusually severe
electric storm Monday night, the
home of Rev. C. W. Ervin was
slightly damaged by fire when
lightning burned the insulation
off the wires to a double socket
and to the radio, setting fire to
the curtains.
On the same night lightning
ran in on an electric line to the
building of the Castevens Motor
company and burned out the
motors to the water pump and
air pressure pump, considerably
damaging the wiring.
Tuesday morning when Mr.
Castevens went to work, he found
smoke boiling from the basement,
all connections burned in two, and
wires burned.
Senior Class Of
Sparta “Hi” To Be
Honored By Juniors
The Junior class of Sparta
high school will hold a reception
Friday night in the gymnasium
in honor of the Senior class.
C. : ■
Worst Blizzard In Years Hits
Western Part of State; Sparta
And Alleghany Under Snow
Storm In Asheville Is Considered By Older
Residents As The Most Severe In Their Memory
FLOODS CAUSE HEAVY DAMAGE IN NORTH
High Winds Tuesday Add To Discomfort Of Cold
And Snow As They Pile Up Tremendous Drifts
Sparta and all of Alleghany
county, as well as the entire
mountain sections of North Caro
lina and Virginia, are buried ui
der the heaviest snowfall of the
year and traffic, has been badly j
hampered. Preceded by one of
the heaviest rainfalls, of the year,
the snow, which began to fall
early Tuesday njorningt had pil
ed up the record fall by night
although snow continued to fall
intermittently during Wednesday.
Press dispatches from various
parts of Western North Caro
lina indicated th.'t what was re
garded as the worst storm in
years had swept the entire wes
tern part of the state. Show
drifts eight to ten feet in depth
were reported from many sec
tions, train and bus schedules were
disrupted, buses in many cases
cancelling trips entirely.
Temperatures which had been
above normal, and which were
moderate during tie rainfall, took
nose dives Tuesday, thirty-degree
drops being noted in a few hours.
Thunder and lightning accompan
ied the heavy rain storm in
many parts late Monday night.
High winds added to the dis
comfort of the cold and the snow
on Tuesday and drifted the snow
so that highways were impassable.
Reports from Asheville, indicated
that the storm there was the
worst blizzard in the memory of
older residents. Streams went
over their banW In many parts
cf the state.
Flood waters caused millions
of dollars of damage in Mary
land. Pennsylvania and other
Northern states and some loss of
life. Johnstown, Pa., known as
‘the flood city” because of the
terribie flood which visited the
city in 1889, when a dam on
the Conemaugh river burst, caus
ing the loss of more than 2,300
lives, was again the victim of
rag-ng waters, the business sec
tion and low parts of the resi
dential part of the city being
under from 8 to 18 feet of water.
Business people and shoppers
were marooned on upper floors of
buildings. One four-story depart
ment store was reported to have
water above the second floor and
sales persons had to take refuge
on the upper floors.
Other parts of the state were
feeling the terrible onslaught of
the waters from swollen streams.
In Cumberland, Williamsport
and Hagerstown, Maryland, the
waters of the Potomac and small
er streams were causing untold
damage, small houses were re
ported to have been seen floating
down the streams, and in one case
it was reported that the cries of
the occupants of a house which
was going down stream Were
heard.
Cumberland was probably the
worst sufferer, the water in the
streets of its business section and
other low parts of the city being
.reported as from 6 to 15 feet in
depth. The state armory was
thrown open to those who were
forced to flee from their homes.
Swirling waters were carrying
with them through the business
section, it was reported, merchan
di-e of every description as Well
as store counters and other store
fixtures. Plate-glass wT i n d o w s
weie being wrecked by this float
ing debris, .adding more and more
to the floating debris. Hundreds
of persons marooned on upper
floors of business blocks and hous
es were without heat and food.
Rescues were attempted, and in
many cases made, by the use of
rowboats.
Various parts of the state of
Maine were visited by floods, also,
the ice in the rivers breaking up
and causing them to overflow
their banks.
Telegraph and tejephone com
munication to the stricken areas
has been so badly damaged or
crippled that complete reports are
impossible to obtain. The loss of
life is believed to be small in
most of the communities affected
but the monetary loss will run
into a figure that will be almost
beyond comprehension. And on
account of the flooded highways
adjacent to many of the affected
cities use of automobiles to get
into them is out of the ques
tion. It will probably be several
days before the complete stories
of the loss of life and property
damage can be told.
Drivers’ License
Check-Up Hampered
By Bad Weather
Raleigh, Mar. 17.—Rain hamp
ered the state highway patrol on
the second day of its campaign
to force all automobile drivers
to secure licenses to operate ma
chines, but applications continued
to flood the patrol offices here
and throughout the state.
While more than 500 requests
for driver’s licenses were receiv
ed by the highway safety division
today, the licenses of 26 drivers
were revoked. All were charged
with drunken driving.
Since November 1. revocations
have totalled 1,905, and Arthur
Fulk, director of the safety di
vision, predicted 6,000 permits
would be taken up to the first
year of the license law. To date
i the division has issued 663,557
licenses.
Waymon Combs Is
Wounded In Fight
Near Laurel Springs
Waymon Combs was taken to
Wilkes hospital to be treated for
wounds received in a free-for-all
fight which occuared Saturday
night at the home of Glenn Os
borne, near Laurel Springs.
It seems that a group of per
sons apparently in an intoxicated
condition went to the home of
Mr. Osborne and, upon being
ordered to leave, started an argu
ment, which resulted in the stab
bing of Combs.
According to the latest report,
Combs is responding sktisfactorly
to treatment.
Lester Billings
Killed in Grayson
By H. O. Phipps
Lester Billings, about 35 years
of age, was fatally wounded late
Saturday afternoon at the home
of H. 0. Phipps, 40, near Bay
wood, Va., a neighbor of Billings,
and Phipps was taken to Galax
to await a preliminary hearing in
connection with the case, which
is to be held there Saturday.
Dr. Z. G, Phipps, of Galax, Va.,
Grayson county coroner, decided
that Billings died from two bullet
wounds in the chest, near the
heart, but did not fix responsibil
ity. Phipps was taken to Galax
about nine o’clock Saturday night
by Deputy Sheriff K. P. Roberts,
of Baywood.
Ohio Expected To
Furnish Voting Test
Columbus, Ohio, Mar. 17.—In
dustrial and agricultural Ohio,
presenting a balanced cross-section
of urban and rural voters, will
supply the, nation through its
May 12 primary with both a test
of new deal popularity and a
victorious contest between Repub
lican liberals and party regulars.
Oyster And Chicken
Supper To Be Served
Here Saturday Night
An oyster and chicken supper
sponsored by the Women’s Mia
sionary society, of the Methodist
church, will be given Saturday
night, at 6:30 o’clock, at the
home of Edd Williams.
10,000 Gallstones
FHlLAJJKL.I'mA . . . Mrs.
Dora Kurtzman (above), is feel
ing quite all right, now that a
hospital operation here, removing
over 10,000 gallstones, has proved
successful. A report is to be made
to medical associations.
Roosevelt To Ask
Billion Dollars
For Work Relief
Discusses Message In
White House Conference
Tuesday That Lasted
More Than An Hour
Washington, Mar. 17.—Presi
dent Roosevelt told congressional
leaders tonight that he would re
quest more than a billion dollars
to continue the work relief pro
gram for a full year beyond next
July. In a White House confer
ence that lasted more than an
hour, the president discussed the
message he hopes to send to Con
gress by tomorrow.
It was indicated he would ask
for a lump sum appropriation
with few strings attached as to
how it should be spent.
As the conferees emerged, Sena
tor Robinson, of Arkansas^ 'the
majority leader, said:
“We discussed the President’s
prospective relief message to Con-,
gress. It probably will be sent
to the Senate and House tomor
row. The program covers a full
year.”
While hone would say definite
ly what the exact sum would be,
it was learned that it would be
more than a million, but consider
ably less than two billions.
Earlier the President disclosed
at his press conference that the
relief recommendations would be
on a national scale, and would
not specify individual projects for
the care of the nation’s needy.
This was taken as an obvious
indication that Mr. Roosevelt
would request a lump sum with
the same broad powers that he
was given last year when the
current $3,880,000,000 appropri
ation was voted.
Earlier forecasts on how much
would be asked had ranged from
(continued on page 4)
Electrification
Of Rural Areas
Is Discussed Here
D. E. Jones, Extension Special
ist in Rural Electrification, was
in Alleghany county on Wednes
day of last week to explain the
REA.
According to Mr. Jones, loans
may be obtained from the govern
ment to extend lines in ruarl
communities, but will not be
made for less than 25 miles oi
line.
Since there is not more than
ten to fifteen miles of prospective
line extension in the. county, the
hope of getting Rural Electrifica
tion was given up.
Mr. Robbins, of the Northwesl
ing held; here and stated that his
ing held here and stated hat his
company expects to make one 01
two extensions from Sparta.
The Piney Creek community ii
working on a plan to get powei
from Fields Manufacturing com
pany, at Mouth of Wilson, Va
At present, the only hope for rur
al Alleghany to get power is foi
the farmers of the various parti
of the county to organize an<
generate their own power fron
some of our small streams, ac
cording to R. E. Black, count;
agricultural agent.
Holt Seeks Probe
Of Alleged WPA
Political Playmg
Youthful West Virginia j
Senator Returns From An
Investigation In His Own
State. Nation Needs One
REPORT NOT SATISFYING
Dissatisfied < Solon
Says He Has Received
Complaints From Many
States. To Oppose Neely
Washington', Mar. 17.—Senator
Rush D. Holt (D), W. Va., upon
returning from a new investiga
tion in his own state, announced
[last night that he would demand
a nation-wide, senatorial inquiry
j into charges that politics has en
tered into the running of the
WPA in many states.
At the same time, Senator
Davis (R), Pa., predicted that his
resolution calling for “full and
complete” investigation of WPA
would be approved by the Senate
committee on expenditures in
executive departments this week, j
Holt said he would make his
demand for a nation-wide inves
tigation in .a Senate floor speech
tomorrow in which he planned to
renew his attacks on Harry L.
Hopkins, WPA chief, and the
West Virginia WPA set-up, which
he charges is ridden with politics.
“If Hopkins is honest,” Holt
told reporters,” he will want an
investigation.”
Since he began his senes ot
Senate speeches, the West Vir
ginia senator said he had received
complaints of politics in relief
from New York, Pennsylvania,
Illinois, Texas and Arkansas.
“Some of these complaints,’• he
said, "come from WPA officials
themselves, but 70 per cent, are
from professional men. doctors,
and lawyers, artd the like, who
are fn a position to see how
politics have crept in.”
After Holt made his first at
tack on the West Virginia situ
ation, Hopkins sent a force of in
vestigators there to make a sur
vey. Their report said not “»
single” West Virginia relief
worker had been chosen through
politics.
The youthful senator charac
terized the report as a “white
wash” and said today the “white
wash” had made the people of
the state “furious.” He also an
nounced he would not support
his colleague, Senator Neely, for
re-election. _ ,j
The breach between the two
senators was a result of differ
ences over WPA in their homo
state. Nee,ly supported F. Wit
cher McCullough, state adminis
trator. • i
Speaker Byms Uses
Shillalleh In House
stick by Representative
(R., N. J.). He said the
the shillalleh came from
Washington,
lalleh replaced
giavel today to Keep t
order on St. Patrick’s
The speaker, himself
symphony-in-green before
ternoon progressed very far,
presented the green ribbon-df
ipresentative Har
said the-woo
Ireland.
!