That Pennsylvania justice of the peace who horsewhipped a man
because he had badly beaten his wife may not have acted strictly within his
official powers, but he followed a precedent in the way of punishment that has
been used for long ages. The wife beater is about the most contemptible of human
creatures.
Conservative estimates place the number of rabbits killed during
the present season at more than a million, several thousand more than ever
killed during any previous season. With the mountains covered with a blanket of
snow several feet deep, the big and little game have suffered much and had a
hard fight for food.
Last Saturday, Carr Brannon sold to Fred Whiting a heifer calf
for $100. It is the first ever sold for that price in Gilmer County. It was a
thoroughbred Hereford, and its mother was purchased by Brannon from A. Hardman &
Son of Calhoun. Brannon invites all his friends to view his herd.
Hardman and Gainer, who have started their broom factory in
operation, estimate that they have enough corn on hand to make ten thousand
brooms. Veteran broom maker J.G. West of Nobe will be head workman.
The Charleston Gazette-Mail took considerable space on Sun-day
in a lead editorial to pro-pose that, in the interest of economy and a more
equitable distribution of legislative representation, there should be some
consolidation of counties.
It pointed out that it might come to pass that Wirt, Calhoun and
Gilmer be made one county, with a single school superintendent and a single
group of county officials, thus effecting a savings of tax money. We did not
take the editorial seriously, but do feel compelled to make a few comments
thereon.
Such an arrangement would not effect much of a saving. One
sheriff could not handle the work of three counties, so he’d have to have more
deputies; the same would apply for school superintendents, county and circuit
clerks, etc. Total payroll would wind up about the same.
If we are trying to find jobs for people, we can’t do it by more
centralization of work, combining the duties of three counties under one roof.
Any move such as the Charleston newspaper proposes to be made
would have to have a vote of the people, and we are inclined to think that
voters in Wirt, Calhoun and Gilmer would go straight down the line against any
such consolidation.
If we could save taxpayers money, we might propose that Kanawha
County be operated similar to Washington, D.C., wherein it would be managed by a
committee of the Legislature, thus saving the expense of county officials, or
Kanawha and Cabell combine their offices and really have a nice set-up.
Things will move right on and our guess is that 50 years from
now Wirt, Calhoun and Gilmer will each be a separate unity, in so far as
government functions are concerned.
Editors of daily papers do get off the beam, like the rest of
us, and propose some funny things every now and then.