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Established 1844. THE PRESS AND BANNER ABBEVILLE, S. C. 1'be Press and Banner Company Published Tri-Weekly Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Telephone No. 10. Entered as second-^iass matter ai post office in Aoheville, S. C. Ten hi of Subscription: One Year Six months _ Three months $2.00! $1.00 .50 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1920 GO TO WORK. The Press and Banner has had something to say with regard to the duty of people in dealing with the debtor classes of our people, and es pecially with regard to the negroes. We are unwilling that people here should suffer, and there are many people, both white and colored, who are going to suffer unless the people are mindful of them and helpful to wards them. We have said this before and we now repeat it. But this does not mean that peo ple who are able to do something to help are going to help people who do not help themselves. There has been a disposition on the part of some "Mole to sit down through the win ter months and live on what has been made and gathered in the fall, or to look to the landlord, or the merchant, or the bank for the capital stock for this idleness. That day has passed. No man will be helped through this winter who does not go to work. And a man who does not go to work is go ing hungry. The country has been stripped of the crops which have been grown and they have either been sold, or they are in the Warehouses pledg ed for the payment of .debts which they will not pay in full. The landlord cannot pay to keep people up in idle ; ness, the merchants cannot and neith er can the banks. None of them should do so. ' We suggested this to some indus-1 >._ ? 0 farv and I mvu) uc^iuta ( *vn ?w ~0 it did not seem to appeal to them. . Neither does the warning that the ' days of high wages and indifferent service are over appeal to them. But they must come to their senses. Peo ple cannot pay the wages which have been paid in the past; people will not be satisfied with the service which has been rendered in the past, and the man who works for his bread must find it out. The Sooner he finds x 4. u uui une ueiLci. They say that this is deflation, and ; that it is so gradual that there is no evidence of a panic. If that be true, j let us pray that next time they will' send us a panic, and that the panic ^ will come "so gradual" that there j will be no evidence of deflation. The truth is that the country is in worse fix than we have ever known it. There is no more security now than in times of other depressions. The security for debts will bring no more in dollars and cents on the mar ket. But the amount of debts is sev eral times larger than ever before when we had hard times. For - that reason there are more peopl^in want than at any other time.,in AUf.recoJJ^c tion, and their distress is^ore vated. At other times of deDresson the stocks of the merchants, while they remained on the shelves, were' worth on the market what they had cost. But now a stock of goods which cost fifty thousand dollars in Septem ber is not worth thirty thousand dol lars. Hence the merchants who have at other times been able to help can- i not now do so. The banks have bor- j rowed so largely to help the farmers' ' and they are collecting so little that j no money can be loaned. In times of | -4.1 j :- i 1 x otaer uepresbiuns we nave neara tne j bankers in Abbeville ask men to bor-1 row money and buy cotton to keep it from being sacrificed. But that can not be done today. The country is tied I hand and foot, and the amount of j help which can be offered is not much. ( . And as indicated in the beginning there is no way to get out of the fix in which we find ourselves except to] work out. Every man must go to work : Every man must do his own work. He j must earn his own bread. Nobody j can sit down and expect to be fed. We advise the white people and ' the colored people to seek employ ment and to accept the wages offer ed, at least until times are somewhat improved. Nothing will be gained by i idleness. FIRE LOSSES REACH ' $2,000,000 PER DAY j I The loss from fire on buildings j insured and uninsured, with the, maintenance of the Fire Depart ment and Water Supply Service, costs the Vnited States more than $2,000,000 a day. Last year 15,219 persons were burned to death and 17,641 were seriously injured. Eigh ty-two per cent of the dead and in jured were mothers and children un der school age, and 92 per cent of the fires were caused by careless- j ness or neglect. These figures wee given by T. Alfred Fleming, Supervisor Con servation . Department National Board of. Fire Marshals' Convention V * ' L which ended its convention at the Hotel Astor in New York last Sat urday. Delegates from twenty-eight States ahd from Canada attenoea the sessions nd discussed ways and mens of reducing the fifc-e hazard. | "Only as we are able to secure correct statistics on the causes of fires," said Mr. Fleming, "are we able to adequately cope with condi tions that exist and bring to.,the at-j tention of the peopleJX.the.-,jieed of their co-operation. is, ^accom plished by a most accurate ^system of accounting . established < ,J>y the Aetarial Bureau, fro^ which any fire marshal may now secure com plete tabulations of all classes in their respective states- , "The United States has over 25, 000,000 people today housed in tem porary quarters and without ade quate home provisions. If 5,000,000 homes were built in the United States next week, it would not care for adequately those who are at present in temporary quarters. At the same time, the United States is burning 889 homes for every work ing day, causing a loss in dwellings alone of $283,000. Sixty-five per cent of the number of fires in the United States take place in dwell ings, and most of these originate from trivial and nrevental cause. Schools Inadequately Protected "By a careful survey of the con dition of school buildings through the country, it is found that the les sons learned in the CollinWood School fire has already been forgot ten. Boards of Education are elect ed to take care of, and are made re sponsible for, the education system of the country and the welfare of 'the pupils. Over 90 per cent of the school houses in the United States are nothing but veritable firetraps. No member of the Board of Educa tion has done his duty until he has given every possible protection jto the children entrusted to his care. v "In the last five years $29,271, 000 in value in dwelling houses has been consumed from one cause? sparks lighting on shingle roofs. The average business men with $20,000 will not be satisfied until he has it! safely within the vaults of the strongest bank, while the same man will house his wife and family in a wooden timber box of a home with a shingle roof, awaitng the vagrant spark from a passing engine or burning chimney. "The hazard of electricity has been very much underestimated. In 1919 $15,444,653 in value was de stroyed from electric causes. Forty six per cent of this amount is'l f$}f>ed to the elctric iron. . r v'At the present time there is a movement on foot to interest and C9*operate the forces available throughout the entire United States for the education of the chil dren in the schools, women in the homes and men in the factories, go that all may be able together to eli minate much of the careless waste. , "During the present period of price fluctuations and changing val ues the economic loss to the country as a result of fire reaches a stupen dous total. Productioh is hampered, contracts are cancelled, selling for ces are laid off, thousands of labor ers are thrown out of employment and are required to change their residences in many places in order to secure* employment in the busi ness of their choice while to a great degree the commerce of the coun try on which it depends for future development is treated to a con stant upheaval." ROBERT L. CHEATHAM ILL The friends of Robert L. Cheatham, the right hand man in the Link Em porium, on Press and Banner Block, is confined to his room with an attack of "flu." His friends hope that he may soon be out. MONDELL URGES RIGID ECONOMY IN APPROPRIATIONS Thinks Democrats too Lavish in Esti mates?Republican Leader Speaks Cutting Appropriation Bil lion and Half Dollars Washington, Dec. 16.?Declaration in the house today by Representative Mondell of Wyoming, the Republican leader, that congress should cut de partmental appropriation estimates, especially those from the war and navy departments, by nearly a bil lion and a half dollars, started a round of political debate that occu pied most of the session. Representative Mondell's criticisms of army and navy estimates, made ill the course of a prepared speech on government finances, brought de fense from Representative Hardy and Connolly, Democrats, of Texas, for Secretary Baker of the war de partment and Daniels' of the navy department. This led to charges by Representative Mondell, Representa tive Blanton, Democrat, Texas, and others that the war department head "was spending money not authorized by congress" and that the navy de partment chief had presented esti mates "so extravagant that they can not be aescriDea. Rigid economy in appropriations to lighten- the tax burden was urged by the Republican leader, who said that the total submitted estimates of $4,653,800,000 should be sealed down by $1,400,000,000. Army and navy estimates were criticised as five and a half time the highest peace time appropriation of 1916. The estimates Mr. Mondell said, also might bo fur ther swollen indefinitely by deficicn | cies resulting, he said, from what he ! described as the war department's policy of recruiting the army , up to full strength contrary to the .,.r,.der standing that it should not oe in creased above the total of 176,000 men contemplated by the appropria tions made at the last session. Representative Connolly, replying to Mr. Mondell, cited the Republican leader's vote $pr the army reorgan ization bill under which the sf cre A. J *-U ? orniu tn a ot.rpncth tary ItClUUCU HiC aim; ?W 0 exceeding the possible under t'ae ap propriated funds. Representative Hardy accused the /majority leader of voting for the measure, requiring funds and then making it impossible for the war secretary to obey the law by refusing to give him the necessary funds. When they concluded Representa tive Mondell renewed his attack, de claring Secretary Baker's attitude was "so utterly at variance and so contemptuous of congress" that all rules had been disregarded. "From no won," Mr. Mondell said "so long a se deal with officials of this administration it will be neces sary to add to all bills passed a warn I ing not to act contrary 10 ine views of congress." FURNITURE PEOPLE SEE BETTER TURN ON JAN. 1. High Point, N. C., Dec. 16.?Ex pressions of optimism concerning the outlook for industrial conditions characterized the special meeting of .the Southern Furniture Manufactur ers' 'Association here today, which, "was-marked by discussion of business conditions generally. C. F. Tomlinson of High Point pre sident of the organization, presided anH momhprq of the association from the Carolinas .and Virginia were present. While a number of factories in this section have been closed because of industrial conditions, the furniture men gathered here expressed the be lie* that there would be a change for i the better early in the new year. TRAVELING SALESMAN OF SPARTANBURG SHOT AND KILLED BY HIS SON Spartanburg, Dec. 16.?J> Munro Inman, well known traveling sales man of this city, was shot and killed ( this morning at his home by his son, Manning Inman, aged 21, following a family difficulty in which several members of the family were engaged. Attorneys for the young man state that the father had attacked the son with a knife and that the latter shot in self-defense. The young man went j to a nearby residence and telephoned ' to the sheriff's office and surrendered. Legal Blanks lor Sale Here.? The Press and Banner Company. LITTLE GIRL IMPROVES. Little Miss Mary Bishop, 10 years old, of Calhoun Falls, S. C., is recup erating at the County Hospital and will spend her Christmas there. Miss Mary struck her leg against a desk in school at Calhoun Falls sometime ago. Inflamation resulted, and an operation was decided on. When the bone was exposed it was found dis eased to such an extent that it was necessary to take out four inches of it.. This was done by Dr. Rakestraw. I The leg is so set that the bone will replace itself, but this will take time. Miss Mary occupies herself at read ing childish stories, and the children i- i. l__ t /~iv _i_ auuui iuwil may nia?.e ner unrisunas happy by sending her books to read, suitable for a girl of her age. POLICE HAD TO KEEP ORDfeR AMONG JOBLESS Philadelphia, Pa., Dec. 16.?A con tracting firm advertised for twenty five men today and such a large crowd responded that a detail of police had to be summoned to maintain order. Applicants for work were asked to call at 7:30 a. m., but they'beran to gather at 4 o'clock. Those chosen were sent to Lake Hurst, N. J., where a hangar for the navy is being con structed. SPARTANBURG MERCHANT KILLED IN HIS STORE Spartanburg, Dec. 16.?W. D. Mitchell, white, aged 68, was found aeaa cms morning in a small store near this city of which he was mana ger with a gunshot wound in his breast. A pocketbook which he was known to carry was missing but it could not be determined whether the store had been robbed. NO CHRISTMAS CHEER j 1 West Orange, N. J., Dec. 16.? + U! ? ..... !. L _ - .'...I... vmiauuias hiis y col ue <& festival for three West Orange boys of ten to 12 years who today were sentenced by City Recorder John R. Lander to receive no holiday presents I r. year within reach c For The L Toilet Set Manicure Perfume ? Thermos I Pniintnin Stationery Candies You may purchas they ' McMurr take no part in any Christmas festiv ities and go to bed at 6:30 o'clock every evening for a month, including Christmas eve. The youngsters who appeared in court accompanied by their parents,! You Know Edison spent This Instrument. You Cs and BETTER because it brings j or for Christmas. BETTER because.it find* your enjoyment expenditu BETTER because it syst i buying. BETTER because it work i avoids a lump su mpayme ; easy. Phonogr< 20 N. MAIN ST. IFandS (IlE# Pf=? 0ur sele HMy -? .r ! |p- girts ma* to select tastefu priate presents v ay of money, vv allv fine selectioi and we believe >f every one. ,adies Foi s Fc Sets M Jets Pi Bottles Ci Pens Sa Sh Ci e your gifts here with 1 will be timely appreci ay Drug C were convicted of breaking into a school and stealing pencils and mon ey from the teacher's desk, and on another occasion tieing up the auto mobile of a local minister so he could not go home after a church service. $3,000,000 Perfecting in Possess One at $95.00 up. Investigate Our ii Bunget Plan ...The better way f } of buying your \ \ 3or Christmas ? : r i your New Edison now,? 5 the purchase money in re. ematizes and simplifies ;s on thrift principles, and nt. It makes possession iphs Co. ABBEVILLE, S. C. ction of Xmas I :es it possible 1 and appro vithout a large re have an- es i of gifts this that they are The Men rantain Pens ilitary Brushes pes garettes itety Kazors laving Sets indies the assurance that ated. ompany i