The independent. [volume], March 14, 1919, Image 1

About The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936

Image provided by: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Library, Chapel Hill, NC

                
II JnlJtSi
VOL. XI
ELIZABETH CITY, N. C, FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 1919
A GOOD ROADS PROGRAM
Welcome and Thank You!
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 0'
1919 MADE GOOD RECORD
If
1
THAT SPELLS PROSPERITY
Pasquotank Will Not Be Content With One Inter
1 53
state Highway Transportation Problems
Demand Dismal Swamp Route Too
Northeastern North Carolina
now is practically assured of the
construction of a permanent
hard surfaced highway beteween
the Albemarle Sound and the
Virginia line, connecting the
county seats of Chowan, Perqui
mans, Pasquotank, Camden and
Currituck. It is absolutely cer
tain that Pasquotank county
will spend a half million dollars
within the next twelve months
i -A the construction of hard sur
faced roads in this county. But
we must not permit our enthus
iasm to abate; we have only be
gun the great work of knitting
together the peoples of north
eastern North Carolina and tide
water Virginia with a system of
good and durable highways. It
is not enough that we should
have a modern highway into and
out of Norfolk, Va.; we should
tap Norfolk county from another
direction, have a highway into
the city of Portsmouth by way of
the Dismal Swamp Canal and
unite the county of Gates to the
county of Pasquotank .by build
ing from this highway into
Gates.
The foregoing: is in part the message
delivered by Mr. Saunders to an au
dience at. the Alkrama Theatre Wed
nesday ngiht. Mr. Saunders delivered
something of the same message to the
City Council of the City of Portsmouth,
Va. Tuesday night. Mr. Saunders told
the Couneilmen of Portsmouth that
Pasquotank would build a hard surfaced
road from Elizabeth City to the Camden
county line at a point near South MiUs;
that South Mills township, to be bond
ed for $50,000, will continue that high
way from Pasquotank along the Dismal
Swamp Cai-tor;to
From there on the Jtask of completing
the highway into the city of Portsmouth
is the task of the city of Portsmouth
and the County of Norfolk. The coun
ty of Norfolk is interested; an appro
vriation of $20,000 from the city of
Portsmouth will clinch the matter. TV.
L. Cohoon, of Elizabeteh . City, and "W.
I. Halstead, of South Mills, followed
Mr. Sounders in addressing the Ports
mouth Couneilmen. The Council will
pass upon the question of an appropria
tion as soon they get an opinion from
their attorney assuring them of the
legality of such an act.
Every progressive man, woman and
child in Pasquotank, Camden and every
other northeastern North Carolina
county should get behind this Dismal
Swamp Highway project. It means a
shorter route to Norfolk from Elizabeth
City, by ten miles. It means a route
that does not cross a rail road track
tin's side of the Virginia line.
And a shorter distance route to Nor
folk means much more to Elizabeth
City than a road that will enable peo
ple to gret to Norfolk; it means greater
transportation facilities for northeastern
North Carolina. It will ever affect the
prosperity and general welfare of the
people of the lower sounds. Did you
know that it is with the greatest diffi
culty that the fishermen of Dare county;
who ship their fish to market thru
this city, get their fish from Eliza
hKh City to the rail road and steam
ship terminals of Norfolk. Right now
we are running a special train thrice
week from Elizabeth City to Norfolk
to haii.iie these fish. That train may
'. i.iken off any -day and. rail road
( -heiiules can not be easily arranged to
: i onnection with the north bound
U;.h:s ;inl steamers from Norfolk. The
! -'Herman has got to get his fish to
ia -trket the clay after they are caught
i" iy means bad fish and a loss ol
UiouhhikLs of dollars.
Hut .suppose we had, say, cement
10 ids between Elizabeth City and Nor
t"ik. Instead of special trains secured
with great difficulty for the transporta
tion of perishable food stuff, we would
l ive fast motor trucks to handle this
business. Trains are cumbersome and
offer vexing problems of loading, un
loading and transferring. The big
motor truck, even a 20 ton truck, is an
independent, flexible unit that wastes
no time. A special train does well to
make one trip of 40 miles in a day; a
motor truck can make the trip several
t imes over.
The motor truck will solve the tran
sportation problems of northeastern
North Carolina when we get roads on
which motor trucks can travel with
"ifety and speed. The motor truck
will carry the produce of these counties
to market and bring back much of the
perishable and semi-perishable food
stuff which we buy from the outside
market.
We are at the beginning of a great
t-ru of industrial; agricultural and com
mercial development in northeastern
North Carolina; a development that
' arries with it better schools, better
social conditions and more of the life
worth livine:. Elizabeth Citv should
eel proud of the part it is playing in!
i his develonment and Elizabeth
City
will reap many rewards for her
sressive efforts.
pro
SOMEDISTRICT
HIGHWAY FACTS
An Analysis of Senator Fere-
bee's District High
way Act
Total length of road, from the Albe
marle Sound at Edenton to the Vir
ginia State line at a point near
Moyock, 49 miles.
Total cost of cost of road, including
free public bridge over Pasquotank
river at or near Elizabeth City, $1,
000,000. Amount of cost to be borne by the state
and national governments, $500,000.
Amount of cost to be borne by property
owners along the right of way of
road, $250,000.
Amount of cost to be borne by a bond
issue upon the district, $250,000, with
25 years in which to pay it.
Total amount of bond issue to be borne
by the county of Pasquotank will be
about $110,000. .
Pasquotank, while bearing the greater
part of the burden of taxation, is real
ly not burdened at all. Because under
this Federal aid project it helps its
neighbors, gets six miles of road from
Little River to Eilzabeth City and
gets a free bridge across Pasquotank
river.
If Pasquotank did not come in on this
scheme it would have to build a road
from Little River to Elizabeth City
anyway; and if it built the kind of
road contemplated under this district
plan, it would cost the county $120,
000, and it would still pay tolls over
a privately owned bridge across Pas
quotank river.
Persons in the upper and lower ends
of Pasquotank county who think they
will be unjustly taxed to pay for a
road running thru the center of the
'county, have simply overlooked the
fact they would have to pay for this
road anvwav. '
extra tax burden on Pasqquotank
county. We simply take the money
; we would put into one stretch of road
anyway, and put it into a Federal aid
project which gets the -egad and a
long list of other benefits.
The proposed northeastern North Caro
lina district has the approval of the
State Highway Commission. In fact
the idea came from the State High
way Commission and Senator Fere
bee's bill was drawn along lines sug
guested by tha body.
The first counties to get state and fed
eral aid under the new state road law
which passed the General Assembly
this week, will be the counties em
braced in this district, these being the
first counties to launch a project with
the approval of the State Highway
Commission.
The road it is proposed to build will
be of government standard cement
construction and the road will be 20
feet wide. If it is decided to build
a narrower road the cost will be ma
terially reduced. Should the commis
sion decide to build a 16 foot road
the project will cost much less than
$1,000,000.
With all of these facts in evidence, can
any one offer intelligent opposition
to the project? Pasquotank has
reached out and literally cemented
her neighboring counties to her in a
project which lifts the whole district
out of the mud, enhances the value
of every foot of real estate in five
counties and puts northeast-srn North
Carolina on the good roads map of
America.
BIG STOCK OF PIANOS
FOR A SPECIAL SALE
Duff Piano Co. Assembles Largest Ex
hibit of Pianos Ever Seen in
This Section
Postively the largest stock of pianos
eever displayed in this section has been
gotten together by the Duff Piano Co.
of this city for a special sale which that
firm will conduct on Monday, March 17.
It is stated that the stock is larger than
all the stocks ever assembled by all the
dealers in this territory at any one time.
And if price is a consideration, the
prices announced for this sale are way
below the usual offerings. The sale
even includes phonograph records and
needles, all priced at less than whole
sale prices. Piano manufacturers and
dealers,, for patriotic reasons, did not
push the sale of their goods during the
war. Now that the war is over they.
seem inclined to want to make up for
lost time. The Duff Piano Co. sale
should prove a stimulant to the business
in this section and put pianos in scores
of homes that are now without them
The sale starts Monday and will end
when the last piano is sold, be it on that
day or some day next week. adv.
Mrs. M. Bell Blount, Principal, Miss
Mary Sitterson, Assistant. This school
erave this week to the little starving
children across the sea, the sum of
$12.25 and their best wishes go with the
amount given.
POTATi) CROP IS
COMING UP SHORT
High Seed, High Fertilizer,
Shortage of Labor and
Uncertain Future
N. Howard Smith, manager of the
Carolina Potato Exchange, who is one
of the best informed men on the po
tato situation in eastern North Caro
lina, predicts that the early Irish po
tato crop in northeastern North Caro
lina this summer will be equivalent to
sixty per cent of last year's crop. Mr.
Smith is in close touch with the grow
ers, especially in the counties of Pas
quotank, Camden and Currituck and
his predictions usually are safe.
Early in the season it was predicted
that the potato- crop in this section
would be fully 75 per cent, of last
year. Seed potatoes at $6 a bag, ferti
izer at $70 a ton, farm labor at $2.50 a
day and no labor in sight at that, had
a deferent effect upon the potato grow
er. Then too the drop in the price of
peanuts and cotton and pork may have
foreshadowed a drop in the price of
other farm produce. The growers have
moved cautiously, hesitating to put in
any considerable acreage. Some of the
larger growers refused to plant at all;
others have increased their acreage
upon the strength of the assured de
crease in the acreage of their neigh
bors. It is hard to forecast the prospects
for a sweet potato crop. Xiast year the
sweet potato growers couldn't get slips
for planting and there was a shortage
of labor such as this country has never
seen. But this yeear the growers in
Camden and Cvirrituck have an abund
ance of slips and have enough bedded
to make a crop twice as large as last
year's. The sweet potato crop is now
waiting on the labor question. If the
growers can force an adequate labor
supply, even at prevailing wages,
northeastern North Carolina will mark
et a bumper crop of sweets this sum
mer. But the North Carolina growers are
in a ticklish situation. They have put
in and will put in their 1919 crops on a
war-time basis. Every item entering
into the cost of production has been
purchased at top prices. To make any
thing at all on their crops the growers
must get high prices. Any successful
bear movement would play havoc with
the growers. All of this means that
the growers in this section need or
ganization a never before. Without or
ganization they can not protect them
selves in normal times; these abnorm
al times certainly demand advanced or
ganization directed by the best brains
in the country.
PRIZE PORKERS
J. H. Aydlett killed two porkers on
his farm near Weeksville, "Wednesday,
and the two dressed weighed 1.300
pounds. The largest, weighing 750 lbs.,
was a big bone Poland China. The next
largest, a Duroc Jersey, weighed 550..
Mr. Aydlett is acquiring some fame
as a farmer and stock grower. He has
just given the double vaccine treat
ment to 120 thorobred pigs on his farm.
"Want ads on page 8 this week.
SAUNDERS RETURNS FROM THE GENERAL
SHAD MAY BE SHORT
JBUT PRICES ARENT
North Carolina Shad Fishermen Get
ting Good Returns For
Their (mduet .
North Carolina shad have sold for 28
cents to 40 cents a pound on the east
ern markets this week, tjie lower price
being for bucks, the fancy price for
roes. The fishermen are not making
big catches peculiar to former years:
but the fancy prices obtainable may
offset this effect. There is no let up
in the demand for North Carolina shad
and many Pulton St. New York, and
Dock St. Philadelphia, market mer
chants have their solicitors in the field.
Most of the shad caught in these waters
are sold or consigned to dealers whose
ads are found in this newspaper.
A special train, secured largely thru
the efforts of the Atlantic Coast Fish
eries Co. and "Wallace & Keeney Co., of
New York, takes fish from Elizabeth
City thrice a week, making connection
with "Washington, Baltimore and New
York steamers at Norfolk. Shad taken
from these waters early yesterday
morning, for instance, are on the New
York market this afternoon and on sale
at 2 o'clock to-morrow morning.
TWO BIGAMISTS FACE
JURY HERE NEXT WEEK
Henry Lefferts Eischter, a young sol
dier who was married here in Novem
ber, was committed to the county jail
this week in default of $1,000 bond, on
a charge of bigamy. This gives the
i Superior Court two bigamy cases to
try when it convenes here next Monday,
March 17. Romaine Brace, a comely
young naval officer, has been in jail
here for several months, awaiting trial
on a similar charge. Both of these
young men, having been taken away
from civil life and home environments
to serve the colors, found it rather con
venient to take on new wives. North
Carolina's lax marriage laws and the
proximity of Elizabeth City to the Nor
folk naval base gave them the oppor
tunity to get into trouble.
C. P. HARRIS ACQUIRES AN
INTEREST IN McCABE & GRICE
An announcement of interest in local
mercantile circles this week concerns
the purchase of a ninth interest by
C. P. Harris, in the firm of McCabe &
Grice. McCabe & Grice is one of the
oldest and most successful wholesale
and retail dry goods houses in Elizabeth
City and eastern North Carolina. Mr.
Harris has been connected with the
business since 1908, having charge of
the books end office work. He has been
a faithful and efficient employe and his
acquisition of a financial interest in
the business is what often happens
when a thrifty and conservative em
ploye shows his capacity to carry a
good part of the burdens of his em
ployers. GOV. BICKETT COMING
Governor T. "W. Bickett will address
the Negroes of Elizabeth City and vic
inity on April 7, 1919, the occasion being
the 300th. anniversary of the trans
planting of the Negro race from Africa
to America, The event will be cele
brated on an elaborate scale by the
colored people of northeastern North
Carolina. , - .
ASSEMBLY
EAGER TO START
BUILDING ROADS
Pasquotank Comm i s s i o n
Thinks There Should Be
No Delays
It is the intention of the Pas
quotank Highway Commission
to lose no time in getting under
way with the project of issuing
bondsvand spending $500,000 in
the construction of roads in
Pasquotank county.
The commission held its first meeting
Monday afternoon and elected "W. J.
Woodley chairman. The other members
of the commission are O. P. Gilbert,
J. J. Morris, A. B. Houtz and J. "W. Fore
man. Before attempting to do anything,
the commission will get a conference
with engineers of the State Highway
Commission and get all road building
information and suggestions available
from that source. In meantime the
commission will make careful study of
different types of road paving material
and will consider the employment af
a capable engineer to superintend the
building of permanent roads.
It is altogether too early to talk
about where the roads will be built,
but it is pretty certain that the com
mission will first take up the proposi
tion of building a road from "Weeks
ville to Hinton's Corner via Elizabeth
City, giving the coiyity a main high
way connecting the upper and lower
parts of the county. The commission
will not concern itself with the Desert
road, which is the road connecting
Elizabeth City with Perquimans Coun
ty, because that road will be taken care
of in the district highway project.
This leaves more money for road build
ing in other parts of Pasquotank.
EAGER FOR BONDS
Pasquotank will have no trouble in
disposhg of its proposed $500,000 issue
of road bonds. Bond buyers all over
the country are besieging the Highway
Commissioners of Pasquotank for in
formation as to terms and date of sale.
First Citizens National Bank state
ment on page 12.
AN UNUSUAL SERVICE
The country is full of good
eve snecialists and there are
hundreds of good eye glass man
ufacturers, but it is worth some
thing to Elizabeth City and vi-
ninitv to know that both can De
found in this town. Dr. Hatha
way is not only a reputable and
skillful optometrist, out ne
grinds and 'fits glasses on his
remises. This unusual service
is seldom found except in much
larger cities.
DR. I. D. HATHAWAY
OPTOMETRIST
Over McCabe & Grice
Elizabeth City, N. C.
Not as Progressive as Was Desired, But it Moved
The State Forward on Health, Education,
Roads And Taxation Problems
A fairly comprehensive review of the
work of the General Assembly of 1919,
which concluded its session this week,
is given by John A. Livingston in the
ruueign mews & voserver.. it tollows:
Measured by magnitude of results ac-
complished. the most imnortant spssinn i i
of the General Assembly in a decade
has virtually passed into history. Legis
lation furnishing machinery for revalu
ation of all taxable property was its
most' noteworthy achievement; provi
sion for a six months school term in
every community in North Carolina its
most praiseworthy act.
Submission to the people of the in
come tax amendment to the State con
stitution opens the way to a new era In
the economic history of the common-
weaitn wmie tne inauguration of a
State-wide system of highways is the
outstanding feature of the session from
a material standpoint. Strengthening
of thS public health laws comes as a
direct result of lessons .learned in a
of the public health laws comes as a
world war.
It Kept the Faith
The General Assembly didn't do all
that was expected of it nor did it go
further than to reflect, perhaps im
perfectly at times, the wishes and de
sires of enlightener public opinion
Thanks to the efforts 'of wise and con
servative leaders, it kept the faith and
rendered service that merits the ap
proval of the people of the State.
The legislators go home with the con
sciousness of having set in motion new
forces for the development of the Tar
Heel State, which if intelligently dir
ected will make for great progress and
development.
Not Ready to Pioneer.
"While the General Assembly was too
firmly wedded to ancient ideas to rag-
spond to the demand for equal suffrage
its passage in the Senate and the close
ness of the vote in the House showed
that even here a distinct advance had
been made in progressive thought, as
compared with the session of two. years
ago. Had the supporters of suffrage
started early in the session with consis
tent purpose, it is entirely possible that
equal municipal 1 suffrage - would have
session in falling to pass its measure
missed its greatest opportunity to show
its progressiveness and this in the fu
ture will be charged against it as an
unwarranted ultra-conservatism.
Again the General Assembly was too
firmly committed to conservative
thought to call a constitutional conven
tion. It wasv realized that the present
document is out of date and should be
superseded by a more workable one.
but the legislators as a whole didn t
want to disturb things too much. The
Senate passed this bill but it died in.
the House.
The House never gave the Senate an
opportunity to act on any of the pro
posed safeguards for the better enforce
ment of prohibition- laws Practically
all of these measures were defeated and
here again the Legislature was derelict
to its trust.
The Most Forward Step.
The revaluation program was worked
out under the direction of Representa
tive Rufus A. Doughton, chairman of
the House Finance committee, and
Senator James A- Gray, chairman of
the Senate Finance committee. They
had the help and co-operation of Cor
poration Commissioner A. J. Maxwell
and so completely and so thoroughly
was their work done that the bill was
passed exactly as reported by the com
mittee and without discussion on the
floor of either house. Never before
perhaps has such an epochal bill been
?nacted into law by unanimous co.isrnt
in this State unless in times of war or
of dire necessity. Speaker Brummitt
did his best day's work when he named
Govern6r Doughton to head this com
mittee and Senator Gray, able young
banker, proved to be a running mate
worthy of his veteran colleague.
-New Educational Program.
In the educational program aimed
specifically to secure a six months
school term a wide divergence of opin
ion existed at the beginning of the ses
sion as to the methods to follow. It
was no easy task that faced Represen
tative Victor S. Bryant and Senator F.
C. Harding, chairmen of the respective
Education committees, but with won
derful tact they reconciled conflicting
opinions and brought the warring ele
ments together. In forming this pro
gram the guiding hands of J. Y. Joy
ner, retiring State Superintendent, of
Public Instruction, and of Dr. E. C.
Brooks, the present superintendent, ren
dered great service.
The income tax amendment directly
jibes with the provisions for revaluing
taxable property and in fact is con
sidered an indispensible feature of the
new program of taxation in North Caro
lina, It was brought into the House by
Governor Doughton, who has justly
earned the title of "the grand old man
of the General Assembly". He cham
pioned the measure and left nothing in
the way to hinder its thorough con
sideration by the people.
Roads Bothered Much.
The General Assembly had most trou
ble in getting a State road law into
shape and while the law finally enacted
for the present does not seem to meet
the wishes of anybody in many particu
lars, it is predicted , that it will eventu-
to a large part of the people. It was "'.
upon this measure that the General '
Assembly devoted most discusion and "
gave "the most time. Senators Scales-;
&nd Stevens were the pioneer champions
of a State system when it was consid
ered doubtful if the General Assembly,
Would try a hand at it, and a host of
legislators have worked at it since. The
Senate stood for a State-wide svstem
while the House was committed to a
county system with State and Federal
aid. The result is a compromise in
which the State system is retained with
optional county aid. "While not au
thorizing a bond issue it is provided
that money may be borrowed. The law
as finally passed represents the best
efforts of a conference committee. It
was Governor Doughton that put it
across 4n the House when it looked like
no bill could get through that the
Senate would endorse.
The health legislation, approved by
the State Health Board and the "War
Department provides - for radical'
changes in the control of venereal dis
eases and for inspection. Senator
Senator Joseph A. Brown and Repre
sentative Stanley "Winborne headed the
respective Health .committees and en
countered ,little opposition in putting
these measures through. However, had
there been a fight made, they , would
have proven worthy opponents. - :
Able Presiding Officers.
Speaker Dennis G. Brummitt was
happy in the selection of his com
mittees in the House and they worked
in hearty accord to putthrought a pro
gressive program of legislation. Scarce
ly any friction was encountered and this
is., a most excellent record when the :
magnitude of legislation passed is con- ;
sidered. Practically every chairman
was the right man for the right place.
Speaker Brummitt was actuated in his
appointments by a desire to organize
a working body that would serye the '
State. Speaker Brummitt proved him
self to be a presiding officer of ex
ceptional ability. His decisions were
rendered with impartiality and fairness '.
to all concerned . while - his conduct of
members. . ' . '- . ....'
Lieut. Gov. O. Max. Gardner was
equally happy in the organization of
the Senate and never at any time was
there friction of any consequence.
Never once during the session did any
one question the justness of his de
cisions while acting as presiding officer
He had the advantage of being well ac
quainted with public affairs and with
the personnel of the Senate. His com
mittee assignments were thoroughly
considered by him with a view to secur
ing a maximum of service by putting
the proper man in the right place, and
the Senate's record shows he exercised
excellent judgment.
Their Thankless Task
Chairmanship of an Appropriations
committee is ordinarily a thankless job
because it is never possible to please
everybody but Senator George Holder
ness and Representative R. S. McCoin,
who headed the respective committees
of the Senate and House, are exceptions
to the rule. They had the task of
properly distributing more than five
million dollars among the various State,
insititutions and this required careful .
thought and study. Both were well
fitted for the place, Senator Holderness
being an banker and farmer while Re
presentative McCoin is a lawyer and
business man. -Increased
Pensions.
It fell to th lot of the Appropriations
committee to find a way to increase
the pensions of the Confederate veter
ans of the State. They couldn't see
the way clear to make it a million a
year, but they brought it up to nearly
$700,000, as compared with $525,000,
which was paid out last year.
In connection with the road legisla
tion it is interesting to note the esti-
imate that between 60 and 70 million
I dollars . were authorized in bonds for ,
public roads in the various counties of
the state during the next two years.
The road committees, headed by Sena
tor Ferebee and by Col. Bennehan Cam
eron, rendered faithful service.
Little Partisanship.
A notable feature of the General As
sembly was the lack of partisanship .
exhibited in the discussions. Not once
during the Senate sessions were parti
sanship fights encountered and only
once in the House. The utmost good
feeling existed between Democrats and
(Concluded on Page 12)
TIME FOR INCOME TAX
RETURNS ABOUT UP
To-day is practically the last day
in which to get in your income tax re
turns. Tour statement and a check
for at least one fourth of the amount of
tax you must pay must be in the hands
of the Collector of Internal Revenue,
in Raleigh, tomorrow, Saturday night.
Failure to get your returns in the
Raleigh office by that time means trou
ble for you. ,
"When you buy a shotgun to get that
chicken hawk, make sure it's a Rem
ington, adv. M14-2t
Norfolk markets on Page 12.
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