Thoughts From a Flu Bed in Hickory, March 30, 1920

From the Hickory Daily Record, Monday evening, March 30, 1920

Thoughts From a Flu Bed

Had you ever noticed, when you are recovering from the influenza, how easily you can see the spider webs in the covers, slight irregularities in the shades and a thousand little details that never occurred to you before? As a time for reflection, it is better than the first of January.

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Four years ago when the flood had destroyed four large bridges and a large number of small ones, many thought that the resultant taxes would almost ruin them. The bridges have all been rebuilt and we doubt if a single individual has noticed the increase in taxes. Taxes are often very much like the “boogerman” of childhood. The danger is more imaginary than real.

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We have never seen it, but have been informed that there is a law requiring that sig boards be placed at all important cross-roads and junctions. On the road to Lenoir there is the best place for one we know of and the stranger is likely to take the right hand and presently find himself returning to Hickory by the steel bridge road. On the road to Rhodhiss there is also an excellent opportunity to get lost. The road goes straight forward, but the wayfaring man will soon find himself in the cemetery of Friendship church, while Rhodhiss is far to the right. These remarks are respectfully referred to the commissioners of Catawba and Burke counties.

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“Mr. Blank,” said the old employe, entering the manager’s office, “I like to work for you and find the work and conditions pleasant, but I simply must have more money.

“Well, Bob,” he replied: “I greatly appreciate your services and would like to double your salary, but the simple truth is that I haven’t the money. Last month I had to borrow to pay you and it looks like my expenses this year are going to be heavier than ever before.”

This is very much like the bonus to ex-soldiers looks to us. The government ought to pay them something, but does not have the money.

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Last week a stranger entered the office of the Ivey Manufacturing Company and said he manufactured maps and was informed that he could get the handles there. He was told by the manager that the only place he knew in North Carolina where these were made was at the Colored A. & E. College at Greensboro. The stranger said his factory was at Greensboro and that he had made a special trip to Hickory to get these handles.

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It is said that there are 30,000 employees in the war risk insurance department. The New York Life does not have two million policy holders, but it will guarantee that the proportion of employers to the ensured is not one-fifth as great. We have only one employee in our office and it some times amazes us when we think of the amount of work he can do.

The word “government” has almost become synonymous with “waste.” The abandonment of Camp Greene before the war was over was waste. The building of Camp Bragg after the war was waste. The retention of thousands of clerks in Washington is Waste, and “Jones, he pays the freight.”

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We do not think the highway commission has given Catawba county a fair deal but it did promise very generous help toward building a hard surface road to the Burke county line and we have taken no advantage of it. We feel safe in saying that more people enter Hickory over this road than over any other two and are also safe in saying that in bad weather it is worse than any other two. Half a loaf is better than no bread and let us fix up this road if we can do no better.

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There are about half a dozen insurance companies doing business in North Carolina known as The Lumber Mutuals, which make a specialty of insuring woodworking plants who manage to do it at less than half the rate charged by the stock companies. These companies will not write a very large policy on any one risk and as a consequence the demand for this class of insurance exceeds the supply. There is a movement on foot to organize such a company in Hickory and with the hundreds of furniture and other factories in this and adjoining states, its success is assured. There is no such company in North Carolina, nor, so far as we know, in the south.