TODAY’S THOUGHT
When a man finds not
repose in himself, it is
in vain for him to seek
it elsewhere.—From the
French.
nr 1 111 nn •
1 he Alleghany I imes
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Something ?
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DEVOTED TO THE CIVIC, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT O F ALLEGHANY COUNTY
Vol. 13
GALAX, VA. (Published for Sparta, N. C.) THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 1938.
Number 36
by Hugo Sims,
Washington Correspondent
DEFICITS SINCE 1934
The President’s efforts to bal
ance the national budget will meet
with considerable opposition from
congressmen who are reluctant to
see the flow of dollars cut off
from their constituents. Review
ings the fiscal history of the past
few- years, we find that Mr.
* Roosevelt began hfe - administra
tion with deliberate pump-priming
which resulted in a deficit of $3,
<929,000,000 for the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1934. The deficits
have been reduced each year
since that high figure, if we omit
from consideration the payment of
the Veterans’ bonus, in the fiscal
years 1936 and 1937. In 1935,
$2,687,000,000; in 1937, $2,
144,000,100; and in the fiscal
year to end June 30, 1938, the
estimated deficit is $1,088,000,
000.
Next year, the President hopes
to reduce the deficit below the
billion dollar mark. This is pre
dicted upon sharp reductions in
expenditures for highway con
struction, the CCC, and in limit
ing the agricultural program to
around $500,000,000. The plan is
threatened by opposition to all of
these retrenchments, and by the
threat of more unemployment and
consequent necessity of spending
more than the billion dollars now
allocated for relief. Moreover, the
preparedness program will likely
include materially enlarged sums
for the navy.
ECONOMY AND INCOME
Expenditures of the Federal
Government, according to Mr.
Roosevelt. are not likely to fall
much below seven billion dollars
a year, which is about twice the
pre-depression level. The reduc
tion in deficits has been brought
about by a steadily rising income
since the 1932 fiscal year when
the Government collected barely
$2,000,000,000. For the present
year, estimated receipts are fix
and a quarter billions, a new'
record for the nation. However, j
this is a billion dollars below what
the President anticipated last
January—the decrease being at
tributed to the business reces
sion. Plainly, the balanced bud
get depends upon increased tax
collections., which, in turn, are
tied up with the national income.
The President sets a goal of be
tween ninety to one hundred bil
lion dollars for the national in
come and expects that this will
produce sufficient taxes to bal
ance the national budget.
INDUSTRIALISTS CONFER
These figures explain the efforts
of the President tp bring about
a more sustained economic recov
ery through cooperation between
Government and industry. Before
the holidays, the Chief Executive
held a series of conferences with
prominent utility leaders. Last
week he talked with key indus
trialists. including some who have
been pronounced adversaries of
the Administration policies. While
no public announcement was made
as to the discussions, the indus
trialists reported “an interesting
and instructive talk’’ with the
President and that “all of us
agree that we have a better un
derstanding of each other’s prob
lems out of which we are sure
will come closer cooperation in
meeting the difficulties, of the
moment.”
The five major leaders of busi
ness included: Alfred P. Sloan,
Jr., chairman of the board of
General Motors; Ernest T, Weir,
of the National Stee] Corpora
tion; Lewis H. Brown of the
Johns-Mansville Corporation; M.
W. Clement, president of the
Pennsylvania Railroad, and Colby
M. Chester, president of General
Foods Corporation and chairman
of the board of the National
Association of Manufacturers.
Three of these men were active
members of the American Liberty
League which. for a time, was
a vigorous critic of New Deal
policies.
In addition to these industrial
ists, the President continued to
see public utility executives. The
utility men were interested in
issues involving old WPA grants
and the question of whether exist
ing facilities should be duplicated.
The President termed them ques
tions of “local nature” and said
that the Government could not
occupy a position more participa
tory than that of amicus curiae,
as the municipalities had the last
word as to the use of Federal
grants. He expressed the hope,
however, that there would be no
duplication of existing facilities.
FIGHT AGAINST REFORM
In connection with the Presi
dent’s effort to secure the coop
eration of the industrialists, it
should be remembered that when
(Continued on page eight)
The student body
of Sparta H. S.
was entertained
—ion Thursday morning,
January 13., by the Seventh
grade, which presented a
very interesting program.
Seven musical numbers, which
have since been referred to as
having been very good, were in
cluded in the program, as were
also a beautiful flag drill that was
seemingly the result of intensive
training, a pantomime, in seven
acts, and a reading by Garnett
Cecil Sexton, a small child1.
The program was brought to
a close with the singing of the
song, “North Carolina Hill.”
On Friday, the 14th, a meet
ing of the Young Tar Heel Fann
ers was held and the following
program was rendered: Talk, Earl
Richardson, president; “Livestock
Farming in New England,” Har
old Joines; School News, Bobby
Crouse; “Parliamentary Proced
ure,” Claude Andrews, and “Table
Manners,” Mrs. Halsey.
This program was the first of
a series to be presented On Fri
day mornings of each week by
the local Y. T. H. F. chapter.
The U. S. plans
no change in its
Sino-Jap attitude
—aa a result of Japan’s
withdrawal of its ambassa
dor to China, it was indi
cated yesterday (Tuesday)
by President Roosevelt. The chief
executive, reiterated at his press
conference, however, that this
government’s policy was on a
24-hour basis.
In response to questions about
Japan’s action, Mr. Roosevelt said
the State Department had advised
him it did not constitute a sever
ance of diplomatic relations. He
has refrained from invoking the
neutrality act against China and
Japan in the past on the grounds
they had not declared war nor
broken relations.
He also minimized the sig
nificance of a visit by Paul V.
McNutt, Philippine high commis
sioner, to Shanghai.
Asked about published reports
that McNutt was making a survey
of Far Eastern affairs for the
White House, Mr. Roosevelt said
McNutt had expected to confer at
Manila with Admiral Harry E.
Yarnell, Asiatic fleet commander.1
When Yarnell was unable to go
to Manila, he said, McNutt decid
ed to go to Shanghai.
The Japanese ambassador to
China was called home Tuesday
as indications increased that Ja
pan would eventually recognize
the new Peiping regime as the
government of China.
The recall of Ambassador Shi
geru Kowagoe from Shanghai set
the seal on the repudiation of the
Chinese government of Generalis
simo Chiang Kai-Shek made in
the Japanese government’s state
ment last Sunday.
The chief secretary of the Jap
anese cabinet, Akira Kazami, as
serted that this repudiation was
stronger than a declaration of
war. He said Japan considered
Chiang’s government only a local
regime and did not intend to
recognize it as the government
of China by a declaration of war.
Judge Donald Phillips
signed an order
dismissing a motion
—for a new trial brought by
counsel for Tom (“Buffalo”)
Linney (colored), condemned as
the slayer of a Winston-Salem in
surance agent last spring. Judge
Phillips took this action Tuesday.
Counsel for Linney last week
brought the new trial motion on
grounds of “newly -discovered evi
dence.”
Coincidentally, Governor Clyde
R. Hoey at Raleigh Tuesday
granted the Negroes a reprieve.
They were scheduled to die in
the gas chamber Friday of this
week. The reprieve sets the date
of their execution back to Febru
ary 11.
Governor Hoey, at the same
time,, refused a stay of execu
tion for James Sermons, Wins
ton-Salem Negro “one-man crime
wave,” convicted of criminal as
sault. Sermons is scheduled to
die Friday.
Named New Judge
—Photo courtesy Roanoke Times
John S. Draper (above), of
Pulaski, Va,, who was elected Fri
day by the Virginia General As
sembly judge of the 21st judicial
circuit of Virginia, to succeed
Judge Horace Sutherland, Galax.
He will assume his new duties
February 1. The 21st circuit com-'
prises Grayson, Carroll, Wythe
and Pulaski counties.
Stanley Reed was
named Saturday ;
by the president |
—to the United States Su-;
preme oourt to succeed
Justice George Sutherland,
whose retirement, announc
ed several days ago, became :
effective Tuesday. President
Roosevelt’s choice of Reed,
who is at present Solicitor
General of the United States, |
drew expressions of approval!
from many senators of both ma
jor parties Saturday. Demo-j
cratic Leader Barkley, of Ken
tucky, said the, nomination was:
“a fitting climax to a distinguish-1
ed career.”' He added that Reed,
would bring to the court “aj
sympathetic understanding of thef
problems of modern society.’’
Republican Leader McNary, of
Oregon, asserted that Reed “is
qualified, and his nomination is [
satisfactory to the Senate.
, Senator Capper (R.,-Kans), ob
served that . President Roosevelt!
“could not have found a better!
man for the place.”
From Senator Vandenberg
(R.,-Mich.), came the comment!
that the nomination was excellent!
“in view of the circumstances.”;
Vandenberg declined to elaborate
on the word “circumstances.”
Another Republican, Senator
Townsend, of Delaware, said it
was a “good nomination.”
Senator Bridges (R.,-N. H.),I
said he was “pleased from a per
sonal point of view,” but that he
would not commit his vote “until
after full public hearings have
been held.”
Senator Copeland (D., N. Y.),
often a bitter administration
critic, called it “a good nomina
tion” and predicted that there
“will be less objection to it than
to any of the other 49 men who
have been mentioned.”
Senator Minton (D., Tnd.), said
Reed “is an excellent lawyer and j
will make a good judge.”
Born in Mason county, Ken
tucky, a few hours before the j
neighbors in Maysville were ring-,
ing out the old year of 1884,
Reed attended public schools. His
father, a country doctor, was well
fixed and the son received a fine
education. After graduating from
Kentucky Wesleyan College,
young Reed took special law
oourses at Yale, Virginia and
Columbia. Later he studied at
the Sorbonne in Paris.
CHARLES W. MYERS IS
ASSISTANT CASHIER
—in the Sparta branch of the
Northwestern Bank, instead of
G. P. Hagaman, as was stated in
last week’s issue of The Times,
in the news story concerning the
> recent meeting of the stockhold
ers of the Northwestern Bank, in
North Wilkesboro.
A LOAD OF WOOD WAS
RECENTLY DONATED
—to the Sparta Public Library
by Dan Thompson, son of Mr,
and Mrs. Robert Thompson. Mr.
Thompson is said to be one of the
most interested patrons of the
library^
Roosevelt said
Tuesday he was
making progress |
—in his series of confer- j
ences with groups of promi
nent business men concern
ing the economic slump;
and other business problems. He
made the statement at his semi
weekly press conference, and de
clined to amplify it.
At a meeting Wednesday with
the administration’s business ad
visory council, he said, anything
the members of that group wish
ed to bring* up would be discuss
ed, and the same held true for a
meeting Friday with official- of
the automobile industry.
The business advisory council,
which has a membership of 50,
including many top-ranking in
dustrial leaders will be the larg
est such group to meet with the
president during the present ser
ies. .of discussions. It is expected
generally that the discussions will
cover recovery measures and the
long-time stabilization of employ
ment and production.
The Child m j
the Community” j
will be the topic
—for the 1938 convention
of the North Carolina Con
gress of Parents and Teach
ers, which is scheduled to
open on Wednesday morning,
April 20, and. continue through
Thursday with a banquet Thurs
day night. The. convention is
scheduled to adjourn on Friday,
the 22nd. Contention headquart
ers will be at the Robert E. Lee
hotel.
Several aspects of the main
theme, such "affpresent-day edu
cation, , parents’ responsibility, I
health and character-building!
agencies, cultural opportunities
and leisure time, will be consid
ered.
The executive committee of the J
state board met in Greensboro t
January 6 and 7 in the new 1
alumnae building at the Woman’s'
College; 20 of the 23 officers j
and directors were present, with
Mrs. J. Buren Sidbury, of Wil
mington, state president, presiding
over all sessions. The purpose
of the executive meeting was, to
choose a convention theme, ar
range details of the convention [
program and consider policies of J
the state association.
Official convention hostess is
Mrs. Melville Prongay, of Wins
ton-Salem, president of the P.-T.
A. council. Mrs. N. L. Walker,
of Raleigh, first vice president,
was chosen general convention
chairman, and Mrs. James N.
Plaster, of Winston-Stlem, cor
responding secretary, was chosen
associate chairman. Other chair
men were named to various posts.
The legislative committee, of
which Mrs. W. B. Aycoek, of
Raleigh, is chairman, will, meet in
January to draw up the legisla
tive program to submit to the1
state convention. This will con-1
tain not only legislation endorsed
by the national association, but
measures to be put before the
N. C. General Assembly of 1939, j
concerning matters pertaining to
the schools and children. Another j
January meeting, scheduled to be
held in Chapel Hill, will be de
voted to plans for the 1938 par
ent-Teacher Institute to be held
in connection with the extension
division of the University of
North Carolina in August. R. M.
Grumman, of Chapel Hill, is j
chairman of the institute.
An intoxicated man
in the gallery of
the Senate created
—a flurry of excitement Tues-1
day in Washington when he call
ed out in a high voice while
Senator Bridges (R.), of New
Hampshire, was speaking.
Capitol police hurried the man,
and a woman who was accom
panying him, from the building,
releasing them outside. No charges
were made.
Officers said they failed to
learn the man’s name, but were
informed that he was laid off
from work by a government
agency last week.
Retiring Justice
V.
Associate Justice Geoiga Suth
erland (above), of the U. S.
Supreme Court, whose resignation,
announced recently, became ef
fective Tuesday. His place will be
filled by Solicitor General Stan
ley H. Reed, of Kentucky.
A test of the
determination of
the U. S. Senate
—to pass the anti-lynching
bill was expected to develop
during this week when
Senator Carter Glass, of
Virginia, in his capacity of chair
man of the appropriations com
mittee> was to move to lay aside
the legislation and take up the
independent offices supply bill.
Senate leaders have been thy- j
ing to get the southern group to I
agree to an unanimous consent j
decree which would displace the. i
Wagner-Van Nuys bill during
consideration of the supply bill j
but after its passage the anti-j
lynching legislation would again j
become the unfinished business. . j
Apparently the southern sena- j
tors have decided to make the
fight to lay aside the anti-lynch
ing legislation bill without reser
vation. Senator Glass had a
speech in his system which he
was expected to deliver when he
offered the motion to displace, the
Wagner-Van Nuys measure and [
it was understood that Senator j
George Norris, Nebraska Inde-l
pendent, would speak in support j
of the Glass motion and against i
i federal anti-lynching bill.
Certainly, the time, has about
arrived when a showdown will
take place. If the Senate lead
ers are determined to put over
the anti-lynching bill, they will
have to lay everything else aside
and begin long day and night ses
sion*. This will force the south
erners to dig in for the winter and
spring and conduct a real filibus
ter if they hope to defeat the
bill.
Tenant farmers who
live in other than
designated counties
—need not apply at present for j
loans with which to buy farms j
under the tenant act, according j
to a recent statement issued by,
W. Bryan Oliver, West Jefferson,
county supervisor of the Farm ;
Security administration. How
ever, money for regular rehabili
tation loans to buy items other j
than land is still available to i
farmers and farm tenants, Mr.
Oliver said.
The first allotment of money j
to buy and improve farms was
sufficient to start the program j
in only a few counties in each
state, Mr. Oliver said, and Alle
ghany county was not included
in the first list. However, the
Bankhead-Jones Act authorized
to be appropriated two and one
half times as much money for
the second fiscal year, beginning j
July 1, and five times as much]
for years thereafter. If congress
makes these additional funds a
vailable, other counties may be
taken into the program. Counties
were chosen by the Secretary of
Agriculture on advice of the
state farm tenant advisory com
mittee on the basis of number
of tenants as compared with num
ber af farmers. The availability
of good farm land was also a
factor, it was stated.
THE WAYS AND MEANS
GROUP OF THE HOUSE
—heard Frank Gannett, Roches
ter N. Y., publisher, recommend
special tax reductions to cor
porations sharing profits with em
ployees, Tuesday.
Japan severed
her diplomatic
relations
—with China a few days ago,
according to an announcement
made yesterday by the Japanese j
government. The statement said !
that Japan would no Longer recog- j
nize the anti-Japanese China gov- [
am men t, the Hankow regime of
Generalissimo Chiang Kai-Shek—!
and that it will encourage the!
Japanese-dominated regime at|
Peiping.
The announcement revealed the]
decision taken by the imperial|
conference held last Monday in
the presence of Emperor Hiro
hito the. fifth such conference - in
Japan’? modern history, as the
result of China’s failure to re
spond to peace proposals.
No reference was made to a
formal declaration of war and
the announcement declared that
Japan intends to protect the
rights and interests of foreigners
in China.
Japan will continue to prose
cute to the utmost her campaign
in China, the statement of the
imperial conference said. '
More than 1,000
Baptists are
expected to attend
—a state-wide meeting of
Baptists in High Point
Thursday and Friday, Feb
ruary 3 and 4, for the pur
pose of training a corps of volun
teer Sunday school worker's in
each of- the 72 Baptist associ
ations in this state. Baptists are
expected from throughout North
Carolina,
Fifteen representatives from
each of the associations are ex
pected at the two-day convention,
according to Rev. Perry W.
Crouch, secretary of Christian j
Education, and L. L. Morgan, i
Sunday school secretary, for Bap- j
list work in the state.
Included among the conference;
leaders will be Dr. T. L. Hol
comb, executive secretary, and |
Dr. J. O. Williams, business man- j
ager, of the Baptist Sunday j
school board, of Nashville, Tenn.;
M. A. Huggins, executive »e.cre
tary of the state board of mis
sions of North Carolina; Dr. J. B. •
Lawrence executive secretary of |
the Home Mission Board, of At-!
lanta. Ga., and Dr. J. E. Dillard, |
promotional secretary of the I
Southern Baptist convention, with!
headquarters at Nashville.
Farida Zulficar j
will become the
bride of the king
—.of Egypt today (Thurs
day) in a brilliant wedding
in Cairo. This event, which
has set Cairo aflutter, will
be Egypt’s first royal wedding!
since the days of the Pharaohs,'
for King Faud already had been
married to Queen Nazli when
he ascended the throne.
The slender, dark-eyed girl,
who will become Egypt’s second
queen since Cleopatra, completed
her pre-nuptial arrangements
Tuesday with sphinx-like calm.
The 16-year-old bride-to-be
placidly had her 45-gown trouss
eau packed and sent to Koubbeh
Palace where she and young King
Farouk will live after their mar
riage.
Farida planned to go to Koub
beh Palac yesterday to look at
scores of rich gifts from all parts
of the kingdom and from abroad.
Meanwhile, 17-year-old Farouk
received foreign diplomats bear
ing presents. Among diplomats
paying their respects was Sir
Miles Lampson. British ambassa
dor, who took a letter of con
gratulations from King George.
A MEETING WAS HELD LAST
FRIDAY BY THE BIBLE CLASS
—of the Glade Valley Presby
terian church, at 7:30 p. m., in
the home of Rev. and Mrs. Wayne
Thompson, with approximately 30
persons present.
Officers and teachers of the
Sunday school were present, also.
After the business session, a
social hour was enjoyed, during
which time various kinds of
games were played. Appetizing
refreshments were served.
Mrs. Kern Wagoner
died Saturday in
North Wilkesboro
—in Wilkes hospital after
having been ill for only a
short time wit'll pneumonia.
Mrs. Wagoner, who was,
before her marriage, Miss Beulah
Phillips^ was manager of the local
Smithey’s store for several years,
having been succeeded a few
months ago by her husband.
Surviving are the husband and
one daughter, Mrs.. Roy Reins.
North Wilke.-boro; the mother,
Mrs. W. K. Blackburn of Jef
ferson, and six sisters and a
brother, a.- follows: Mrs. P. L.’
Shore, Trinity; Mrs. Fred Rav,
Mrs. L. P. Colvard, Mrs. Joe
Worth, Mis. J. C. Saunders and
V, G. Phillips, ' of Jefferson, and
Mrs. Florence Davidson, Bristol,
V-a.-Tehn.
Funeral services were conduct
ed Sunday afternoon in th.e Jef
ferson Methodist church,,, in the
presence of a large assemblage
which had gathered to pay a last
tribute of respect to the memory
of the deceased woman, who was
widely known in Alleghany and
Ashe counties, as well as else
where.
Interment was in the family
cemetery at Jefferson.
A fire that swept
a Canadian coflege
was fatal to 17
—persons, and 27 were
listed as missing following
the blaze that raged Tues
day night at the College of
the Sacred Heart for Boys at
St. Hyacinthe, Quebec. Two
faculty members from the United
States were among the teaching
brothers and students missing as
a result of the flatties that flared
in the night. Four others from
New England were among 21 vic
tims in hospitals with serious in
juries or burns.
The teaching brothers from the
United States who were missing
were Brothers Joseph, 75, and
Xavier, whose name in civilian
life was Letourneau. Both were
of Woonsocket. R. I.
Provincial police said they fear
ed a majority of those missing
perished in the flames which de
stroyed the 37-year-old, four-story
brick building.
Many of those in the hospital
were injured in jumping from the
top floor dormitory quarters where
the flames trapped students and
brothers. Some suffered from ex
posure in the below-zero weather.
Rubber-coated firemen their
caps coated with frozen spray,
poured tons of water into the
flaming ruins, throughout the day.
The tire was believed to have
had at least a half-hour start
when it was discovered about
2 a. m. by a passer-by. The
flames ate rapidly through the.
wooden interior of the building
before all the SO boarding stu
dents and 31 . teaching brothers
could be aroused.
The- Brother- of the Sacred
Heart operated the school on the
outskirts of this community of
14,000 population, 35 miles east
of Montreal.;
School and tire authorities said
they were unable to determine
the origin of the fire.
James H. Price
was inaugurated
governor of Virginia
—yesterday (Wednesday) in Rich
mond, succeeding Governor George
C, Peery, who, with Mrs. Peery,
returned to their home in Taze
well, in Southwestern Virginia,
folowing the inauguration. Gov
ernor Price, who crossed the
border from West Virginia to
rise to the highest office in the
Old Dominion, took office in
ceremonies unparalled in color
and traditional pomp on any oth
er Virginia state occasion.
Governor Homer A. Holt, of
West Virginia, who, like Price,
is a native of Greenbriar coun
ty, W. Va., and Secretary Henry
A. Wallace, of the United States
Department of Agriculture, were
among the visiting notables join
ing official Virginia for the pro
gram.