Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1936-04-25


Carolina to enact compact bill un-
der which North and South Carolina
and Virginia could have cooperated
without Georgia for 1896. They also
believe he could have secured modi-
fications in the Virginia act if he had
taken an aggressive stand in favor
Of tobacco compact legislation when
he Virginia Legislature was still iii
session.. Even now good many Oh
servers believe there is still time to
secure revision OF tn eSouth Carolir,
compact bill if North Carolina wou't
fall into line. Accordingly, there is
widespread agreement here that the
governors speech not only irritate'
most of the 5000 farmers who atter'..-
ed the mass meeting here, but tho a.
sands of other farmers, merchants
and business men whose livings are
dependent upon tobacco and contin:.
ed good prices for it.
:. ~ Sales Tax. Big Issue
But. it is the sales tax, more than
The governors refusal to call special
session, which is the open boil OH the
back of the public in almost every
section of the State, and which is
keeping the public dissatisfied with
the present administration even adj
supporters and advocates
of, the sales tax now privately agree
This conviction is borne out by the
enthusiasm with which Dr. Nc
Donald's attacks on the sales tax are
received, especially his trusts at DR..
M. c. S. Noble, Jr., assistant commits
sioner of revenue. Mcdonald says
that as far as he has been able to
learn, Mobiles only qualification for
this post is that. he has curly hair.
II. is no secret that the merchants of
the State probably love Noble less
than any other State official and that
the maner in which he has admin
istered the sales tax law in some sec
tions has not added any incense to
the aroma surrounding the present
administration.
Budget Didn't Need Money
Figures available in the Depart
ment of Revenue, based on revenue
collections so far this year, indicate
that the budget could have been bal
enced in 1895 without removing the
exemptions from the sales tax and
applying this tax to necessary foods,
especially if a Statewide liquor law
had been enacted, many now agree.
They also agree that these exemp-
tjOns could now be removed from the
sales tax by a special session of the
General Assembly and still leave the
State enough revenue to balance it's
budget the rest of this fiscal year and
the next, A great many also agree
that it has been the application of
the sales tax to the most essential
foods-the fat back, flour and sugar
of the podr-that has caused the
greater amount of the resentment
against the sales tax. For even in
1885, the public had become pretty
well accustomed to the sales tax or
other articles.
Could Regain Favor
If Governor Ehringhaus would now
call a. special session of the General
Assembly not only for the enactment
of tobacco compact act-even though
it would not have any other than psy-
Geological effect-and also ask the
to restore the exemptions
TO the sales tax and take it off the
essential foods, he could not only re-
gain most of the popularity and good
he has lost in the past year or so,
but could also cut most of DR.. Nc
Donald's platform out from under him
many maintain. An diff he should re-
the enactment of old age
benefits and Statewide liquor law to
pay for the pensions plan, he could
also chop away most of Graham's
platform from under him and thus
assure the nomination OF
Mr.. Hoev, coed many observers are
Will Remain Adamant 81 .
But no one, not even any of his
close friends, expects Governor En-
ringhaus to do any of these things.
Instead, it is expected that he will
become more and more adamant--