Warns Against Retrenchment in the Affairs of North Carolina
By the Associated Press
Asheville, July 9—“We must guard against an era of reckless expenditure, extravagance, and waste; and we must avoid the other extreme of miserly, parsimonious, stingy and hard-fisted so-called economy,” H. Galt Braxton told the N.C. Press Association here today.
“I stand for efficiency of administration, and for economy of expenditure, when such frugality does not entail a serious retarding of our worthwhile program,” he continued. He declared in this connection: “I have no faith, my friends, in the proposal to standardize wages and efforts in North Carolina. Theoretically the suggestion may appeal, but analytically and practically it’s fraught with grave danger. I tell you, my friends, men and women of ability and talents who are blazing the way of our progress and material gain will become discouraged and disorganized if our state government undertakes to fix for them a task for the day’s accomplishment and a per diem reward without regard for individual ability and achievement.”
President Braxton’s address, delivered the morning session today, following memorials to deceased members, told of the Association’s activities during the past year. Tributes to deceased members were read as follows: James H. Cowan, Wilmington, by J.A. Sharpe; A.W. Burch, Charlotte, by J.A. Parham; and H.B. Varner, Lexington, by J.B. Sherrill.
Following President Braxton’s address, the Association engaged in shop talk for a while and adjourned for a trip to Brevard.
The Asheville Citizen will tender the members of the North Carolina Press Association a banquet at 7 o’clock tonight. Prof. and Mrs. I.G. Greer of Boone will give a folk-lore program, following which there will be an address by Governor A.W. McLean.
“It is customary for your president message at each annual meeting to bring you a greeting, a report of the year’s activities and such recommendations as he may presume upon your patience and indulgence to make,” said President Braxton, opening his address today. “It is not my purpose to detail the work that I have done as your president for the past year, or to undertake to review the activities of the other officers and members of your executive committee. These reports have already been made to you. In the very outset, I wish to preface what I may say by again expressing my appreciation for the confidence that you have manifested in me. The trust that you placed in my hands at Morehead City last June and the honor that you bestowed upon me have brought responsibilities and cares, and I regret that it is not possible for me to bring a record of achievement for the year’s work of which I could justly feel proud. However, I shall not make any apology to you either for myself or for the members of your executive committee. I sincerely believe we have done the best we could with the material at hand. But I don’t want to leave this phase of my remarks without commending the loyalty and efficient service of our splendid secretary and treasurer, Miss Beatrice Cobb. To her untiring efforts and zeal for the North Carolina Press Association is attributable very largely the accomplishments of the past year. I would not be so unappreciative either as to pass without expressing my feeling of personal obligation to each and every member of our executive committee.” He declared the committee had served most efficiently and had responded to every call made on them during the past year.
President Braxton stated that he felt it his duty to bring before the Association for its consideration matters which, he felt, vitally affected the organization.
From the front page of The Concord Times, Thursday, July 9, 1925
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn91068271/1925-07-09/ed-1/seq-1/
