Henderson daily dispatch., 1939-02-01
Anti-Diversionists Are
Vigorous Arguments
CONTINUED from Page One.)


atlve Claude Alternately, an orator of
unparalleled lung power, in the ad-
Joining appropriations committee
room. Nobody could tell Just what
Claude was saying, but nobody could
escape knowledge that he was saying
it vigorously.
The only difference in his and the
anti-diversion speeches, however, Law
in the little matter of volume. as the
latter were just as vigorous but in
a slightly lower key
Technically, they were speaking
for" the good roads bill, a measure
which would assert the policy of
North Carolina to able to spend all
gasoline tax money on it's roads. Ac-
tually the talks were all against
and they did mean against with a
capital IA" and an exclamation point
diversion. 'tr .~r.s
mere were so many angles to the
opposition that to give any the lead
would be to ignore others of equal
news and interest value. Diversion
was charged with being everything ex-
cept Cd Communist or Hitler-inspired
white slave act. Practically every 9TH
er fault under the sun was laid to its
'loor.
Among the dozen or so speakers
only one represented the petroleum
interests" to which the anti diver
sion campaign has been laid. ONLY
one other speaker, j. M. Broughton
representing the Associated General
Contractors, could by any stretch of
imagination be called a tool of spe-
cial interests"
In chronological order here's how
the oratorical team lined up: Mr..
Waynick, Charles C. Lee of Ashe-
vile, attorney for the Travellers Pro-
tective Association; U. L. Spence, of
Moore county, chairman of the Senate
Roads Committee in 1885; E. B. JEFF
fress, former chairman of the High
way Commission; H. B. Caldwell,
State master of the Grange; John D.
Gold, editor of the Wilson Daily
Times; H. Men. Johnson, of Willard,
president of the Rural Letter Carriers
Association; w. F. Horner, hotel OPP
orator from Henderson; ]. T. Maloney
Of Fayetteville; S. Gilmer Sparger
chairman of the North Carolina Fe-
troleum Industries Committee; and
Mr.. Broughton.
At the conclusion of the regular
presentation of speakers, Charles
Ross, consul for the highway depart
ment, posed the question of the diver
sions effect on North Cardinals fed
eral raid aid funds.
Here are just few Of the keenest
thrusts of the ants:
Mr. Waynick: cts a question
whether there is real surplus which
1929, 100000 in our highway system
and it would be the grossest of blund-
ers to permit this investment to 60
to wreck and ruin. I have no senti-
ment about sacred fund. It's a SIM
pie business issue. There is already
a hidden diversion of $2,60O,OO0 an
nually, $1,500,C0O for prison mainten-
ance in excess of items properly
chargeable to the highways, 5000
for the parole set-up, $4,000 for the
probation commissions, 100000 collect
ed in inspection fees and turned into
the general fund. 1t would be utter
business folly which would cause a
complete breakdown of North Caro-
lina's financial policy"
Mr.. Lee: Every one of the 10000
T. P. AS I have talked to is op-
posed to this diversion"
Former Senator Spence: "It is sug-
gested by gossip that you plan to
divert this 100000 and then issue
$5,000,00O bonds for road use. Why
these bonds for the purposes for which
you propose to spend them? We
should be loyal to the memory of
Frank Page and true to his great
work"
Mr.. CALDWELL: ''It is false economy
to increase the operating cost OF
schools by robbing the road funds
The farmer still hopes to get out of
living in the mud and we believe that
all money collected for roads should