The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-22
HAPPENINGS IN
OLD NORTH STATE
Growing Interest Of Summer Base
ball Situation-President of
League Talks.
CHURCH TAX DECISION
Large Force of Convicts are Put
to Work ON Railway Con-
struction.
CHURCH TAX DECISION


RALEIGH, N. c., Feb. 22.--Many |
people here and at other points In I
Eastern North Carolina are asking |
questions regarding the baseball out |
look. President Joel Whitaker, of the |
Eastern Carolina League, says there !
Is hitch in regard to the number
of games to be played. and that he
will call meeting and settle this
question once for all. While some of
the clubs want a hundred and two
games at each of the points, others
declare they cannot stand for more
than ninety games.
President Whitaker said. with
great positiyeness, that 1t could be
stated that 1t will be a ninety-game
season on none at all. Unquestion-
ably there Is not now, whatever there
may be later. nearly so much In
terest in ball as there was last sea-
son.
No Tax.
Attorney-General Beckett has given
an opinion in a case which comes up
from Craven county. which involves
the liability of church property for
taxation. A clergyman who died some
years ago left real estate to the Pro-
testant Episcopal Diocese OF East
Carolina. and all the rents coming
from this are applied solely to reis-
ious and charitable purposes. under
the direction of Bishop Strange. The
county of Craven sought to tax this
property. Attorney-General Beckett
says 1t is not liable to taxation. This
is along the line of Supreme Court
decisions in matters quite closely re-
lated to this. AS a matter OF fact,
this State has never taxed such prop
erty, and has been very liberal to-
wards it.
Road Work.
The penitentiary authorities will
increase the number of convicts on
what is known as the Wade and Nor
rison contract, 30 as to bring IT up to
200. OF this number seventy-five
have been placed at GarysbaFg, not
far from Weldon, to do very impor-
tant grading for the Atlantic Coast
Line railway. which for many months
will need a considerable force In that
section, since the approaches to the
new bridge are to be constructed
and much double tracking liz to be
done This road intends to do an
unusual amount of building this year
and strike out into new territory.
both in the Raleigh section and in
the Piedmont region. Wade and Nor
rison have long been doing much rail-
| way construction work in the Laarin-
burg section. and the firm will pat
1875 convicts on the branch or extern
sion of the Virginia and Carolina
| Southern railway from st. Paurs to
Elizabethtown. the county seat of
| Bladen. 1t was at one time claimed
| that this branch would not be built,
| but orders have been given to push
| the work and the contract with Wade
| and Morrison has been signed. These
| convicts are very rapid workers, and
| there Is no better force for railway
| construction.
The superintendent of the peniten-
| tiary Is on a visit Of inspection TO
the convict camp near Mecca in Surry
county. where force of seventy-five
| is grading the Elkin and Allegheny
railway. and has finished something
like eighteen miles. from Elkin to the
| very foot of the Blue Ridge.
The heaviest work so far done is
near Elkin. but of course il Will be
| far heavier when the mountain divi-
sion is reached 1t LIS not yet known
whether the road Will 60 by way OF
Stone mountain or whether 1t will
| cross the ridge at point nearer
| Roaring Gap. Several surveys have
been made in that section.
Better Schools.
| This State has for eight years fol-
lowed the plan of making loans &c
counties for the purpose of building
| or improving public schools, the legis-
latdre having set aside 100000 as a
fund. This is constantly coming In
in the shape OF payments by counties
and going out in the same way. This
week 100000 Is to be let, this COINS
to AZ counties. These desired to gel
over SIS. 008. but there were not
enough funds. The counties are re-
CURED to expend twice as much them
| selves. SO the funds viii bring Into
use $4,000 of county funds. The
great development Of rural schoo
houses continues. and every day there
Is at least one new school house
finished.
Tax Tag Sale.
The agricultural departments sales
OF tax tags for fertili13rs is fully VI
TO the mark of last season and every
thing points to large crops. state
ments made by representative men IL
the cotton growing counties show tina
large crop will be planted; yer,
full crop In fact.
Corporation Commissioner Benja
min F. Aycock. whose health has beer
rather a precarious condition FOL
some months, has been taken Il
Indian River, Fla. to remain until
warm weather comes again.
Past Grand Master of Odd Fellow
Charles r. Lumsden is quite sick a
his home here. He had pleurisy ana
now pneumonia has developed. He Il
widely known In North Carolina, being
a member of other orders and alst
State organizer of the Retail Mer
chants Association. He has been sicl
two weeks There has been an un
usual amount of sickness here thi
winter, men with grippe and pneu
monia and many deaths. More promi
nent people have died in Raleigh thi
winter than ever before during tn
same period.