The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1902-01-16
OUR RALEIGH LETTER
NEWS OF THE STATE AS REPORTED BY
OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.
The Purchase Tax a Very Unpopular
and Burdensome Law Mckinley
Statue at Trinity Coilege-Public
School Terms Increased The Small
Pox Scare-Various Other natters
Of State Interest
From Our Regular Correspondent.

Boards of Commissioners (the Registers
of Deeds of their respective counties. in
order to avoid the penalty prescribed.
However, as a large percentage of them
have failed to do SO, and as there is no
disposition on the part of officials to
make the new law more stringent and
burdensome than is necessary, additional
time will be extended those who will at
once manifest a disposition to comply
with it, and send in their returns without
further delay.
UNPOPULAR AND BURDENsOME LAW.
This course on the part OF our mer-
chants is the best they can pursue at
present. The new law is burdensome,
not to say oppressive, it is true, and that
it is unpOpularis apparent to all. But it
is the law, nevertheless, and therefore
must be complied with. When the next
Legislature meets, one year hence, more
satisfactory act may be secured.
Up to the assembling of the Legislature
of 1899 the purchase tax levied upon the
merchants for number of years past
was considered Onerous, and SO the Cen
eral Assembly of 1899 reached a compro-
mise and the purchase and privilege tax
act was passed Chap. II, Acts 1889,
based on amount invested in business
the privilege tax to be in addition to the
aG valorem tax on all the property of
the merchant-and this law was regarded
as settling long vexed controversy.
But only two years later the Legisla-
ture of 1901 came along, and not only
did away with that very satisfactory
act, but went a bow-shot further than
tho old purchase tax law, and put into
the Revenue Act the present section which
is so much complained Of already.
This new law not only levies an ad
valorem tax on all property OF the mer-
chant, but also levies a tax on every
dealer (regardless of the amount of stock
| he carries or the extent of his business) of
| 81 for the State and 81 for the county;
| and on top OF this levies a tax on all the
sales a merchant makes-thus requiring
| him to pay tax on his supposed profits.
| He may never collect some of his debts,
but under this law he is actually made to
pay a tax on the amounts be loses by his
creditors.
M'KINLEY STATUE AT TRINITY COLLEGE.
! 1t begins to look now that the South
will, after all, be the first to erect a mon
ument to the late President Mckinley and
| that the Southern State in which it will
be raised will be North Carolina, and the
! Southron to erect it be North CarOlin.
ian, viz: Mr.. J. B. Duke. OF New York.
formerly of Durham. He is said to have
| already given the order to an Italian firm
of sculptors in Rome, and desires it (heroi(
bronze statue) to be placed in Trinity
Park, fronting the college the Dukes have
done SO much for in the past AS Pres
dent Mckinley was an active and devoted
Methodist, the site selected seems partic
ularly appropriate.
PUBLIC SCHOOL TERMS INCREASED.
The compilation of reports from The
various counties, and the towns having
graded schools, just made by the State
Superintendent of Instruction, is some
what encouraging, though not so mucl
as desired. 1t shows that the averag'
length of terms are-for the white chill
dren, 15k weeks; for the negro children
14h weeks. In 1900 the average wa
14A weeks and ID weeks respectively
The increase in terms of negro schools has
therefore, been greater than in the whit
schools.
During the last year there were B.
counties that operated schools for white
four months or more and 30 in which tn
negro schools We're open four months o
longer. The counties having the larges
school terms are Buncombe (31 weeks
Durham (29D. Edgecombe, (2SH), New
Hanover (2S1D, Pitt (24), Alamance CD
Surry COY, Halifax (26), Cumberland
Granville, Chowan, CASTOR, Swain
Northampton, Warren leach II and
fraction), Forsyth Q9hD. Guilford. Hert
ford. Johnston, Martin. Rockingham
Rowan, Vance, Warren, Wilson Us an,
a fraction), Mecklenburg QV, Wax
| 1SL, and so on down,
The graded school terms last year were
Asheville (36 weeks), Concord (36), Mul
ply (36), Shelby (32), New Bern (36)
Fayetteville 1927, Tarboro (36), Durham
(3S). Winston (36), Greensboro (40)
Waynesville (36), Statesville (3O). Xii
| ston (32), Charlotte {36), Reidsviile (32,
Salisbury 1867. Albemarle (32), Raleig
(34.2), Henderson (32), Goldsboro (36
Wilson 1857.
VARIOUS MATTERS OF INTEREST.
The small pox scare is very properl
causing the authorities in some of til
towns of the East to take prompt pre-
cautions against the further spread {
, that loathsome disease. Our people cal
,, not be too careful along this line. Som
40 cases are already reported at Wilson
: Raleigh is, SO far, free of the plague thi
! winter-a fact largely due to the precal
, tons and judicious work. past and pre-!
, ent, OF our excellent sanitary officer, d.
:, | L. p Sale
: The directors OF the North CAROLYN
! Railroad met here last week and declare
, a dividend OF per cent. the first time
per cent. dividend (Which is guarantee
I, by the Southern Railway, lessee, fo
80 years. has been declared since the leas
was made, some years ago. The stock i
the North Carolina Railroad is no,
quoted at 173, and holders are nc
anxious to part with it at these figures
free of debt as the property now is.
The disappointment OF District Attorne
Holton. United States Marshals Decker
and Milliken and Collector Duncan doe
! not necessarily imply that Bernard wi
be re-appointed District Attorney. o
o the contrary it is stated positively O
good authority that Senator Pritchar
: and President Roosevelt and Attorne,
!. General Knox are agreed that he mus
E go. Even if Col. Harry Skinner is nc
. appointed-and it looks now as if he wi
. be-anotber than Bernard will be selec
: ed. ". W. Clark, of New Bern. a "Clev
land gold Democrat" and a particular
i fine lawyer, has been mentioned lately 6
. ''possibilty.''
Tonight the penitentiary authOriti,
t will send 100 additional convicts to Nj
: chell county to work on the Ohio Riv.
r & Charleston Railroad, making a total
p 400 convicts employed in the constru
. ton of that road. This will leave le,
!, than $50 in the State prison here, mos
y OF whom are desperate characters
: physically untitled for hard work
S Ex-Recorder OF Deeds at Washington
Henry P. Cheatham (colored). writes ,
a friend here stating that the report thu
he will be a candidate for Congress aga
in the Second District is without found
J. ton, and adding that he docs not inter
, to haveanything to do with politics her
s. after" Plummer. Cheatham has lor
: been classed, and very properly so. as OIL
= OF the best of the betterc class of negroes
3 entirely unlike George White. forinstanc
/" who is in Washington this week essavir