The Big Stone Gap Post.
VOL. XXVI,
No. 2
Young Men
Without Dependents Must
Do the Fighting
Washington,Jan. .1 ?All moii
for tho wiir armies still to be
raised by the United Stuten will
comu from tho Class One under
tho now selective servico plan.
That means the nation's light?
ing is to bo done by young men
without families dependent
upon their labor for support
nntl unskilled necoessary indus?
trial or agricultural work.
P r o v o a t Marshall General
Crowdor announces tho now
policy in an exhaustive report
upon the operation of the Bo
leotive draft law submitted to?
day to Secretary Maker and
sent to Congress. He says
Class One should provide men
for the all fighting needs of the
country and to accomplish that
object urges amendments of the
draft law so as to provide all
men who have reached their
twonty-tirst birthdays sine e
Juno 5,1917,shall bo required lo
register for classification. Also
in the interest <>f fair distribu?
tion of the military burden, he
proposes that the quotas o f
State or districts bo determined
hereafter on the basis of the
number of me i in Cluss One
nntl not upon population,
Available figures indicate,the
report says, there are 1,000, 10
physically and otherwise quali?
fied men under (ho present reg.
istration who will be found in
cluss one, when questionnaires
have been returned and the
classification period ends Fed
rttary 16,
To this one extension of reg
istration lo men turning 21 since
June 5 of last year and tboro
ufter will add 7t)0,000 effective
men a year.
Community
Meeting
An event of great and vital
interest to all the citizens of
Big Stone Gap will bo the Com?
munity Meeting and public tie
bate on the advisability of es?
tablishing a public school in
the L. & N, section of town, in
tho High School auditorium, at
8 p. m. Friday, January 11.
Tho question in "Resolved, that
a Public School should be es?
tablished next year in the L?. N.
section of Big Stone Gap."
Two teams, each composed
of threo representative citizens
of Rig Stone Gap, will uphold
respectively the affirmative and
negative of this question. Aftel
the set debate the question will
bo thrown open for general
discussion by those present,
and a vote Otl the sentiments of
the gathering will be taken.
At a community meeting it
is in order to bring up any
Bltbject of general interest to
the people of the community.
On Friday night the people of
Rig Stone Gap will have the
first opportunity of hearing our
now farm detnpnstation agent,
Mr. I). D. Sizer, who will speak
briefly on l!ig Stone Gap's pan
in the) government's campaign
for increased food production.
In addition to tho discussions
there will bo a pleasing musi?
cal program.
Mayor William Nickels will
preside at the community meet?
ing. The debaters uro as follows:
Affirmative, Messrs. Geo. L.
Taylor and Hugh Slemp und
Mrs. 1). B. Sayers; Negative,
Mosers. C. 0. Cochran and W.
T. Goodloe and Mrs. R E.
Toggart.
The public is cordually invit?
ed and a large gathering of pill
sens is oxpocted.
Boy Scout
Notes
Curl Knight, Kililor
More is an item for Ihe par
?nts of Scouta and tho parents
f boys who should be Scouts
but arc not. What is the fu?
ture holding iu store for your
boy. As ho sows so shall he
surely reap What scouting
dues for hoys is well set nut in
an article in scouting which io
quoted i u par!:
About one boy in fifty will
remain after the feast ami of
his own accord olfer to help
clear things up or to wash tho
dishes. A number of others
would help if asked. A stone
is on the pavement where trafllc
is passing. Autos may hit it
and skid, or it may be a piece
of glass. One boy in fifty will
Btop and pick it up and put it
oil the road where it will do no
damage where forty.nine hoys
will pass by and never think or
euro about who is damaged by
u.
Tho fiftieth boy is the one wo
want in business, in position of
trust in any occupation where
careful liens is necessary. Hy
this we tlo not wish lo be un?
derstood as saying that only
' lie hoy in fifty will learn to be
e ireful, for a majority of the
t oys in time do learn by exper
i nee to be careful and thought
fill; it sometimes takes ccstly
i xperiuncc to teach them. And
. ? re is where the trouble lies.
Forty-nine boys do not heed
what is told them uhotlt being
thoughtful and careful where
i tie hoy does, and the forty-nine
learn in the costly school of ex?
perience; 1 stiid forty-nine, that
is wrong, for one or two die in
the learning through their own
carelessness.
Scouting makes n fiftieth buy
of inure than hall the hoys who
engage in it. The observance
of the Scollt law makes a boy
careful, thoughtful, reliable
and helpful. In looking for a
chance to do a good turn a
Scout becomes thoughtful of
others. He forgets self and
seeks others'good. Doing good
turns becomes a habit with him.
This makes friends for him,
friends of tho right sort. Quod
turns urn like good seed sown
in good ground ? they bear a
crop and always come back
with inc eaBe to the one who
does them..
The Scouts now in '.he troop
need the co-operation of parents
The troop year begins Fobuury
first. There will be new uctivi
lies and a continuation of the
regular scout work.
Watch the Post for tho Hoy
Scout N'otes during the next
few weeks and fill the ranks of
the Scouts with manly boys.
The Scouts mid winter bike
look place the week before
Christmas. They went down
Powells Hivor about live miles,
where they cooked dinner in
real scout style; tho nieuti was
bacon,potatoes fried and baked,
bonus and sonpc Nature furn?
ished fruit desert in the form
of delicious persimmons. Some
class.
Following Ihe feast there was
a snow ball light of an hour's
duration at Hay Stack Ktmb.
Every scout was wounded and
tho Scout master was literally
shot to piecos, but all were hap
pily and speedily restored by
the first orders.
The President said: "I hoar
criticism and a claimor of the
noisy, thoughtless and trouble?
some." And he could not have
moro fittingly described them
if he had Boar^hedthe dictionary
for adjective-.
War saving stamps makes it
possible for every citizen of
this country, every man,woman
and child within our bordeis,
to do SOMETHING to aid their
government in her great need.
Will you do YOUU share?
Billion Dollars
For Proposed National Mili?
tary Highways
The following from the Man?
ufacturer* Record will bo of
interest to (lie citizoua of South
wesl Virginia:
Charles Hunry l).tvin, presi?
dent of the National Highway
Association, i s organising a
drive to gel .f 1,000,000,000 for
national military highways to
be expended directly after peace
i*. declured, to force bustuoss
prosperity while the big adjust?
ment is taking place.
Tho original route of the
Itoosovell Highway is up the
three southeastern Kentucky
rivers, Cumberland, l?g Sandy
a ti d Kentucky rivers. The
brauch up the Cumberland,
sturts from Louisville and trnu
verses the Cumberland through j
Harlan county to Mig Stone
(Jap, Va. This brunch has llie
buckiug of tlie Louisville Uourd
Of Trade und the steel corpora?
tion interests located in Harlan
county, as well us every coal
interest in Harlan county.
The branch up the Kentucky
River, known an the Lexiiigtou
to Norton Interstate Highway,
hat) been approved by Governor
Stanley of Kentucky, and hut
the backing of the Standard
Oil coal intercut* in Letctier
county us well as Lexington,
aud all '.ho towns front Lexing?
ton to Norton are more or less
organized, ready for tho big
drive.
The brauch up the Hig Suuily
Hiver in to ho known as Ports
mouth to Bristol Highway,with
Henry Kobern, president of
tho Appalachian Highway As?
sociation; back of it. The cities
of Portsmouth, lronton a n d
Huntington httVO pledged their
fullest co-operution,
.Mr. Davis, president of the
National llighwuv Association,
owns 100,000 acres of Harlan'-*
choicest coal lands,and it, count
od on to head the big drive for
the Roosevelt National Military
Highway. Mr. Henry Huberts
of liristol has stated that he
would handle the Hig Sandy
River branch from Portsmouth
to Bristol, by way of Coeburn
and down Clinch River. The
hearty approval this Roosevelt
National Military Highway i*
getting from every quarter in
this immense coal and iron Held
assures its construction at the
very earliest possible moment;
and it is hoped to start tho
movement at a meeting now
being arranged to mobilize the
coal in tores I j in Kentucky. The
War Department will send tin
expert t o Southeastern Ken?
tucky to mobilize the owners of
50,000,000,000 tons of con I to
plan ways and means of in?
creasing the output easily 100
per cent, and Col RoobovoII
will bo invited to attend tlii
meeting.
R. G. Illicit of Charleston, S.
0., president of tho National
Oh timber of Commerce, recog?
nized us one of the biggest
boosters in the United States,
is keenly ulive to the possibili?
ties of Charleston as a tide-'
water outlet for the immense
Kentucky resources, and his
several letters to the recognized
leaders in this field have gone
a long way toward bringing
some very progressive ideas to
a head. Mr. Rhett's intorest in
this project alrottdy manifested
in a Btibfltuutial way, calcula?
ted to give added impetus to
the movement now well under
w ay.
"Ltghtlttss night8"ure plann?
ed by the Fuel Administration
as an additional inoasure for
saving coal.
Great Army
Will be Sent to France as
Rapidly as Possible
Washington, Jan. 2.? An en?
gagement by the United States
to send a great army against
the Germans in time to offset
tho di fection of Russin w;i? dis
ciosed today through the publi?
cation by Secfesary Lansing of
n n view of tlte work of the
American mission which re
cently participated in the inter
allied war conference at Paris.
American lighting men are
to cross tho Atlantic ns rapidly
as tbey can be mustered and
trained. France and Great
Britain on their part undertake
not only to join in providing
ships to carry them, but to see
that any deficiencies in arms
and equipment tire made up on
the other side
This wits one of the great de?
cisions reached at the confer?
ences through which the cobel
lig. rents plann- d tu pool their
fighting resources ami move as
a unit Inward driving the tier
mans and their allies out of
conquered territory and crush
ihg the Teutonic world dominn
ing scheute There is to be
coordinated effort not only in
lighting on I tnd and sea, but in
production at hone and in the
vast shipbuilding projects upon
which depends the vital prob
lem of maintaining uninterrup?
ted transportation in spite of
submarines.
Even before Colonel House
and his associates of the Amer?
ican mission reached home the
machinery to again speed up
war preparations here had been
set in motion. In today's an
nouncenimit is seen the expla?
nation of the reorganization of
War Department control em
braced in the formation of the
new war council of general ofli
cers, of renewed efforts to speed
up the shipping hoard's mer?
chant building program, and
possibly of I he decision of the
administration lo take over all
the nation's railroads without
wailing for action by Congress.
Further indications of new
pressure applied since the House
mission returned are manifest
about tho Navy nntl War de?
partments, but most o f the
things being done cannot bo
discussed publicly for military
reasons. It can he stated au?
thoritatively, however, that
definite steps to make good the
pledges given to the allied lead?
ers by Colonel 1 louse have al?
ready been taken.
The first recommendation of
the mission is for "entire mili
tary, naval a n d economic"
unity of action between the
powers opposed to Germany.
That is regarded as having
been accomplished.
The summary of the military
conferences attended by Gener?
al Bliss shown that an agree?
ment to "pool resources for the
mutual advantages of ull" was
entered into. There follows
this significant statement: |
''The contribution of t lie
United States lo ibis pooling
arrangement was agreed upon.
The contributions iikowiso of
tho countries associated with
the United States were deter
mined. The pooling arrange?
ment guaranteed that full equip?
ment of every kind would bo
available to all American troops
sent to Europe during this year
?H8."
Looking beyond 1913 the
United States will have no need
to seek military equipment of
any kind away from homo. Be
I fore tho prosont year ends its
full war resources will lmvel
been made uvailablo.
Tho third recommendation of j
(ho mission to which tho coun- j
try is now committed is for ex
tension of tho American ship?
ping board program,"systemat?
ic coordination of resources of
men and materials," to produce
the necessary ships ,is urged
upon government and people
alike.
Under a resolution adopted
by the inter allied conference,
a unified use of ship tonnago
was agreed upon which would
permit "tho liberating of the
greatest amount o f tonnage
possible for tho transportation
of American troops." A policy
to govern tho use of neutral ton?
nage was agreed upon. Port
facilities at debarkation points
for American forces were in?
spected and stepstaken to p'-r
mit the return of vessels to their
home ports with the least pos?
sible delay.
? F.ven us the nature of this
agreement which has bound all
the resources of more than half
tho world into one force to do
foat Qertnuuy was being pub?
lished, definite action toward
making it good was in progress
also in Paris. Assistant Se?
cretary Croo-by of the Treusur)
Department, who remained
,ih President of the inter allied
council, officially described as a
priority board, met there tod i)
with the financial represent a
lives of the other powers to dis.
cuss questions of credit and to
which of the allies further
A merest) loans are to ;o
The decision to keep Amort
can troops moving to ifiur?pe in
a Steady stream makes another
advance in tho government's
war plans. Originally it was
proposed to use all availabl
tonhago for the transportation
of supplies and munitions anil
to send no soldiers over until
they had been given a year'
training. This w;ih (banged
when Marshal Jeffre came t
the United Stats with word thill
France wanted at once any
number of Americans who cotllt
come to put (he Slurs and
Stripes on the tiring line, and
hearten t Ii e French soldiers
wearied by their long battle
against tho invaders.
Armenian
Funds
The following are the amounts
Beut to the Armeniam and Sy?
rian Relief since that committee
bus existed:
Juno 20.$60.27
June 28,. 10.101
July 11.35?u|
July 18,. 32
July 2G. 71.
Aug. 1. 18
Aug. 11,. 6.00
Aug. 22,. 18.25
Sept. 5,. 20.10
Sept, 27. 7.00
Oct. 4. 10.60
Nov. 8,. 71.01!
Nov. 12. 09.30
N*ov. 20. 17 15
Dec. 10,.53.10
Total $500 82
Mrs. H. A. W. Skeen,
Local Treas.
I FAVORS EQUALITY IN
TAX LAWS
Prominent Banker Says In
tangible Property Should
Be Taxed at Uniform
Rate
Declaring in favor of uniform j
I tax rates on intangible proper
jty, bniikem of this vicinity are
in hearty accord with the views
recently expressed by Oliver J.
Sands of Richmond. Said Mr.
6. S. Carter, the progressive
President of the Interstate Fi
nance Trust Company of Big
Stone Gap to a representative
of this paper:
'?Bank share liolders want to
be placed in llio same class as
u'.hnr intangible property own
urs." Said Mr- Carter "Banks
have always been recogiiiz"d as
necessary instrumentalities if
ihe Government, created nnd
[.?bartered for the purpose of
aiding the Government, und the
share holders of bank slock
want to be treated just as stock
liolders in any other corporation
It is lo be remembered that
many of our shareholders have
no voice in the Government.
Von should be surprised t o
know the amount of stuck in
our bank held by widows and
orphans, for whom it is our
duly to speak and to ask jus
(ice ai tho hands of the law.
makers."
lie said further, "Uniformity
in the law, and the taxing of
shares of bank Stock nt the
same rate as other intangible
property is a contention thut
the bankers of the slate wit!
make at tho coming session of
tho General Assembly, Oliver
J. Sands, President of t It o
American National Bank, anil
Chairman of the Taxation Com
milteo of ihe Virginia Bankers'
Association, says 'Owners of
ihe bank slock simply want (o
be placed in the same class
with the owners of ether intan?
gible property'.
Discussing ihe ineiju ility of
tho tax rate, Mr. Sands calls
attention lo the fact thai bank
stock is taxed at $1.60 on the
$100.00, while other intangible
property is tuxed al '?:'> cents.
Recently the Governor and Au?
ditor of Public Accounts have
suggested a decrease from the
U? cents to 90 cents on the1100.?
00, Mr. Sands thinks that
holders of hank stock sh mid be
treated with tin-same consider?
ation.
'1 understand',suit! Mr Sands,
'that the Auditor of Public Ac?
counts and the Executive As?
sistant lo the Tux Board are
unequivocally in favor of a law
placing the shares o f hank
stuck on the same footing with
other intangible property*.
Bankers throughout Virginia
are in accord with the views
expressed by Mr. Sands and tho
mutter will bo forcefully placed
before t h o Legislature next
month."
George Hurd.
Commended for Bravery in
France
At a recent meeting of tho
Town Council the following
resolution regarding George
Hurd, of this place, who is now
lighting with General I'ersh
ing's army in Franco, und who
wtis recently commended by
the French Government for
bravery, was unanimously
adopted:
It having come to the know,
ledge of tho Council thatione of
our fellow townsmen, Georg?
Hurd, has distinguished him?
self for bravery on the battle
fields of Franco anil Impelled
by loyalty to our Country, and
a just pride in the vuior of the
mou we have sent forth to rep?
resent us on those bloody fields.
It is unanimously Resolved that
the thanks of the Council, as
representative of the loyal peo?
ple of the town, be extended to
j him, with tho hope that ho and
all others of our brave sons may
return safe to us.
Be it further Resolved that
the Recorder bo instructed to
forward u copy of this rosoiu
jtiontotho suid Georgo Hurd,
land the same be placed upon
I tho records of tho Town,