followed
ice between
rand Secretary
'ponents of the
nned to continue
presented a let
iident soon after
ied? The letter
irpposal. was in -
of what the
of the govern
ty doing to help
nation. H v said,
? wanted to help
hands of the d fht
>n% which now
~ime for payment
debts. The presv
ly exactly what he
tor Lodge said the
iim he was opposed
Ice.llation.
^GEN'S
REPORT
itendent of Edu
imits Review" of
'Stem of Stai^
>ec." 28.?'"in'^spiteJ
the work of -thl?
iot be^abri dged or Cur
tfsdom or safety. Pub- j
in all its forms is to
featest need of South
fur common "schools,;
and colleges are full,
-iris are our greatest
[reatest asset.
can:
of
?rin
>rt
iter..
of.;
of
the'
lost
5H
ie'
Jris
is a
are
>nsul
is
and
Mon
dis
it was
>e of-!
tistant j
time
>f his {
of
ted at i
10W
ish Free
(present*!
ession of
here af
he night
debate.
Lday.
the year,
Runted to $10,-]
enditures amount- j
?T6S.21. The aggregate'
rs' ? salaries [_ was ?8,402,
"the, highest on recrod,"
report says. This increase was
^lue to an enlarged: teaching corps
rather than to higher pas: for the
individual teacher, the report says.
The total enrollment in the
white schools was 235.535 and the
total 'negro enrollment 243.774.
"The enrollment of white pupils," ;
the report says, "was the largest
on record." The percentage of
pupils in regular attendance was'
also the highest on record, 72.92.
In discussing the teaching situa-v
tion, the report says that the teach
ing load can not be considered
heavy. For each teacher there was
an average enrollment of 33 with j
an average attendance of 24. "Cer-.j
tainly the teaching load can not be !
considered heavy," the report says.
There are. about 20,000 vajid
teachers' certificates outstanding.
"This means at least two certifi
cated teachers for each classroom."
according to- the report.
The volume contains the reports
on rural schools, vocational edu
cation, high school?, negro schools,
school improvement associations,
mill schools, adult and night
schools and a list of text books
adopted and numerous tables of'
statistics.
JOINS STATE WARE
HOUSE SYSTEM
Columbia, Dec. 28.?The ware
house of the Farmers' Storage
company of Darlington will be re
ceived into the state' warehouse j
system Friday, December 29, under j
arrangements made by the owners
with J. Clifton Rivers, state ware-j
house commissioner.' This ware
house is bonded and has a capae-r]
ity Of 4,000 bales- cf ctoton.
vestiga- i
the Mer i
murder-i
state -will j
through eye
of several of
the masked mob
kidnapped five
whose bodies were
> lake last week. It
e . identification will be
. the open hearings ordered
?>yernor Parker to slart on
ary ?th, by a farmer, who,
said told them, he saw the men
__ucted-and recognized some of
[the .kidnappers when they lifted
! their hoods to take a drink of wa
ter. The investigators ^declined to
disclose the whereabouts of the
farmer, but intimated he was some
"where in Mississippi under govern
ment protection and will be pro
duced when wanted. Verification
of the report that another farmer,
giving his name as Berry Whelt
stone, who. had : a brush with the
mob, was being hidden in Baton
Rogue, failed today. Anpther wit
ness is reported to have been re
moved to Texas, pending the. hear
ing.
? ?.? ? ? ,?
THE MER ROUGE
Factions in Morehouse Parish]
Put Up Money to Carry on
Legal Battle.
Bastrop, La., Dec. ?27.?Civil and
military authorities today followed
through thet red low hills and
(swamps of Morehouse Parish the]
[ trail they believe was . taken by !
j the masked and robed men on the
I afternoon jmd. night of August 24
! when five men were kidnaped and
j-t.wo murdered.
!. The: trail covered a distance of
about twenty-five miles from a
point . on .' the Batsrop-Mer Rouge
[highway where the men were kid
jturri here. His friends in More
I La* Fourche near where the bodies |
[of the two were found last week..
The reconnoiterers were seeking
additional , evidence implicating!
those,- responsible for the/ mysteri
ous dynamiting that released the
hj>dies from the bottom of the lake!
where they had been weighted
^owh four months.
The duy was devoid of local de
velopments. All, eyes were turned
toward Baltimore where Dr. B. M.
McKoin, former Mer Rouge mayor'
was battling against extradition to
[.Louisiana where he is to. face a
charge of murder in connection':
with the case.
. ..,That. the legal fight to bring him j
?back may develop another historic
incident similar to the efforts to \
get former Governor- Taylor, of j
Kentucky out of Indiana, to stand |
4rial for the murder of Governor
G,oebel of the ..Blue Grass state in
^Frankfort, Ky:t two decades or
ore "ago, is the, belief expressed;
ay by friends of the former
ayor. ......
Jt developed during the day there
be unlimited funds available
countless friends to assist thej
jciah who does not want to re-!
rmitted is generally conceded j
e and adjoining parishes were ]
g up in his behalf. Many mes-j
les of reassurance were sent his
ily at Monroe, where his wife,:
children and parents reside,
at bond in six figures would
vaiiable in the event bail would
permitted is generaly conceded
A sum of $350,000 was. said
t^Jhave been available for the re
lease of T. J. Burnett, former dep
uty sheriff, the first arrest in the
case. A fee of $25,000 was reported
to have been offered to a certain
firm of lawyers to lead in his de
fense. Sin*e the incarceration of
Burnett, various strangers have
reached the town held brief con
versations with the prisoner and
then departed on the next train, it
is known. V j
Governor Parker at Baton Rouge j
today conferred with Special Pros-.;
ecu tor St. Clair Ada ms, one . of the
state's leading criminal lawyers,,
regarding the course to be followed'!
in the McKoin extradition. Bequi
sition papers on the governor of I
Maryland are being prepared.
Attorney General Coco and his
assistant reached New-*Orleans to
day to outline the plans for the
January open hearing and discus?
the investigation program. The at
torney general declared evidence
would show Daniels and Richards
had been tortured before being put
I to death.
The events of each succeeding
I day are more sharply dividing the
people of the Mer Rouge com
munity. The town and the outlying
[sections are regarded as armed
camps. State troops are stationed
i here to prevent an outbreak.
McKOIN HABEAS
CORPUS HEARING!
? Ealtimore, Dec. 28.?Three judges
presided in the city court here to
i day in the habeas corpus proceed
I ings brought by Dr. B. M. McKoin,
j former mayor of Mer Rouge, La.,
; who is fighting his return to that
state on the murder charge pre
j ferred by Governor Parker, Dr.
McKoin's attorney announced that
he will fight extradition to the
I last ditch.
The judges refused to order
Dr. McKoin's release on bond.
They remaWed him to await the
Louisiana -officials.
Palter of Interest' in
* Mer Rouge C a s e
Shifted to Official
Conference in New
Orleans
Bastrop, La.; Dec. 28.?Chief in-!
terest in the Morehouse kidnaping
ease today shifted to New Orleans, |
where Governor Parker, Attorney
General. Coco and Special Prose
cutor Adams are scheduled to con
fer regarding/policies to. he follow
ed in the open hearings starting
January 5th. A warrant for the
[arrest of Dr. McKoin, former may
or of Mer Rouge was issued yes
terday. This was believed would
j make it unnecessary for the state
to show its evidence in the effort
to have the physician brought here'.
The masked mob that kidnaped
j Watt Daniels and Thomas Rich
} ards, who were found dead in the
I lake, consisted of seventy-five men,
I according to the investigators.
They claim 'that practically every
member of the mob is known.
HOWFAsi
CAN WE GO?
State Can Not Move Out of Ail
Difficulties^ on Good Roads
jCCharleston Evening Post).
As to the proposed - state bond
issue of $25,000,000 or $50,000,000
for the building of cement roads
criss-cross of South Carolina there
is much to be said. Nothing would
go farther toward developing the
resources of the state than easy
communication between its several
parts. Nothing would do so much
' to bring other people into its bor
iders who might stay and help to
Imake the country. And, besides,
the .people who wheel about in mo
tors want the roads andUhey are j
I going to have them Somehow. Per- !
jhap*> that is the. last and the only j
word on the whole subject that j
amounts to. anything.
. The -.Columbia State, however,
I ventures another. ?"To what
amount," it asks, "shlall the state
.mortgage the future for hard
roads?" and, while hot attempting
to say. it does say "that not good
roads alone will save the state." In
every part of South Carolina, it is
pointed out, school houses .and
equipment are deeded, a round,
million being required alone in Co
lumbia. Every state college, it is
noted, except one, is overcrowded.
The State.favorsrgood roads as ev
erybody else, does but it does "not
forget? that the state's powers are j
limited and that a people can not !
motor at 30' -miles per hour over
'asphalt out of all difficulties and
'vexations." What, then? Why,
?says our Columbia contemporary,
let us sit down, and figure, out
what We need to make South Car
olina better and more useful and
greater in every way; let us then:
figure how. much money we can
raise toward accomplishing these
objects and . toward meeting the
needs that^are most obvious; let us
remember that what we raise must
be by. taxation and that^we can not
raise by taxation more than our re
sources justify, that is, more than
the people can pay out of their
earnings, in industry and agricul- j
ture and investment. Will this be'
enough, to return, the interest on]
and retire the sums suggested asj
principal for investment; in the'
?building of a. system of hard sur- i
faced roads up and down, back and j
forth of the state? If so, then let ]
us mortgage the future and go j
about - getting the great desidera
tum. But, -if not it might be well, \
it will be necessary, to consider j
somewhat more upon the question]
of rpad building in one great sweep ;
than is possible in a one day or j
.even a two* day conference of en-!
thusiastic advocates, of good motor I
highways. How fast can we travel j
; and how far can we go on the
taxes we have at our command I
amust be_the determining factor ki |
this problem.
, ? ? ?
Fire At Manning Causes Heavy Loss '
Manning; Dec. 20?A disastrous j
Sunday midnight fire ushered in
the Christmas anniversary in a most j
spectacular manner. The Thomas
Liverj' Stables, located in \fie rearj
of one of the most prominent busi-j
ness blocks of Manning, and with'
I the stables crowded with horses and
; mules, was completely destroyed by
j fire: also the office of W. G. King,
cotton buyer and a negro drug
store.
The Western Union Telegraph:
office, the Bank of Manning, the
Manning Times office building and ?
T. M. Nimmers'- colonial residence
were in close proximity to the fire. A
total destruction of the block
seemed inevitable, but by the
splendid activity of the fire depart
ment and with only a light breeze
the flames were held in sway to
the protection of the front build
ing.
There were , about twenty-five
horses and mules locked up in the
stalls, approximately forty hogs to
gether with tons of foodstuffs and!
forage. The doors of the stables
were broken down ?nd with poles j
and sticks men rushed in to drive
out the animals but no sooner were
they driven out than they made a
dash back into the burning build-'
ing. Two fine veteran horses be- j
longing to the town were among'
the horses that made a leap back
into the stalls and were burned j
to a char.
The estimated loss from the fire
is $40.00 .with an insurance of about
$?.000.
. . i ? ? ?
I These days nobody seems to
j dance without a struggle. ?
[ANARCHIST
PLOT IN
% rmuMBUS
pftice Claim to Have
f. Discovered Plan to
Blow Up Number of
Buildings
Columbus Ga.; Dec. 27.-?This
city was stirred as it had not been
:in years when announcement by!
officials was made late today of
the discovery of an alleged plot to
blow up the homes of all five of
the city commissioners, an apart
ment house, and a factory. The
/authorities have taken precations
/to prevent the carrying out of the
schedule of murder, and destruc
tion.
The county grand jury will meet
tomorrow morning to make a full
?investigation of the affair, it was
/announced tonight. The names of
.several persons believed to have in
/ifcrmatioh regarding the plot were
placed into .the hands of the fore
man of the jury by the city commis
sion and, it is expected they will be
subpoenaed to appear before the
body. ,
/The active plotters, according to
the. police, are about a dozen
men, criminals, anarchists and
persons, who are believed to be en
raged over the strict enforcement
;/0f the'prohibition law here. They
have in their possession 100 pounds
of-TNT enough to wreak whole
sale destruction, according to in
formation in the hands of the city
authorities. \
Tonight the homes of the five
city commissioners, the Dimon
court apartments, the largest build
ing of its kind in xthe city, and the .
factory of the'National Show Case
company, of which Mayor J. Homer
rDimon is president, are all under
[guard, while the city is at high
tension.
"Wliile these precautions have
been taken, officials do not believe
any attempt will be made tonight
to carry out the plans of the al
leged bomb plotters because of the
publicity given to their scheme.
Police officials, say the plotters
met last night in a local cemetery]
and mapped out the plans for thej
[attack. They charge that among |
[12 men "attending the meeting were/
members of the police, malcontents,
! criminals and one or two persons
[from the Alabama cities across the
Chattahoochee river.
Discovery - of the plot was an
nounced at . a citizens' meeting at a
I localv hotel this afternoon, follow
ing a session of .the city commis
jsioners, at which time JudgevGeo.
I P. Munro and Foreman Frank G.
Lumpkin of the- grand jury were j
j called in.to conference. ,|
j * A verbal resolution was adopted j
[at the meeting.requesting the city'
commissioners, as the constituted
authorities to meet and recommend
any steps they might deem neces
sary' to. forestall violence. The aid
of those present was pledged to the
commission in the fight against the |
lawless element. , i
COLUMBUS GRAND
JURY CONVENES
Columbus, ;Ga., Dec. 28.?Musco
gee county grand jury convened in
special session today to investigate
the^ alleged bomb plot that was
unearthed late yesterday. It was
reported that. an effort would be
made to blow up the homes of the |
five city commissioners, an apart
ment house, and a large factory.
The police guarded the buildings
last night. The police claim to
know ail the plotters.
OPPOSED TO j
BOND ISSUE
Senator Johnson, of AUendale,
Raises Point of Heavy
Interest Charge
AUendale,. Dec. 24.?Opposition
to a bond issue for the construction
j of highways in the state' was ex- j
[pressed here today by J. Hen,ry
[ Johnson, state senator for Allen- I
[dale county. He favors the build
ing of highways of the state through
[the gasoline and automoblie taxes
together with a small property tax.
[ The interest on $50,000,000 worth
of .bonds, which he says he believes
r would be the smallest sum feasible,
would amount to two million^ dol-1
lars a year aad this sum could as I
?well be spent on the roads. He was
discussing the plan broached at a
recent meeting of citizens at Co
lumbia which is now in the hands
of a comittee- of seven for formal
preparation of a plan to be laid
before the legislature after another
mass meeting.
Declaring he was against the
proposed bond issue the senator
continued:
'?I do favor a state system of.
highways, however, but believe
that South Carolina can construct
and maintain same without a bond
issue. In my opinion, it would
be necessary to issue bonds in the
sum of $50,000,000, the annual in
terest on which woulld amount to
$2,000,000, and, since, we could not
well expend more than $5,000,000 a
year, I believe that this sum could
be raised by means of the gasoline
tax, the automobile license fees
and a small property tax. The two
million dollars annual interest on
the bond issue could thus be ex
pended in building roads to a bet
ter advantage than expending it
as interest."
Senator Johnson, who is 35
years old, has served two terms as
state senator, one from Barnwell
county and the other from Allen
dale. He was elected last fall for '
his second term from AUendale.
He is an attorney, having gradu
ated from The Citadel in 190G and
the law department of the Uni
versity of "South Carolina in 1909.
i
TO FLEE
T u r k s Reluctantly
Agree to Let Chri^. |
tians Leave A s i a 1
Minor
Constantinople, Dec. 2.7 (By the
Associated Press).?The. Turkish
Nationalist government has notified -
the American embassy here that
it has decided to permit Greek \
vessels to enter Black sea "ports
for the embarkation of Christian
refugees from Asia Minor on con
dition the ships are not under the
Oreek flag and that they be .es
corted and under surveillance of
American destroyers.
This Is a complete reversal of
policy on the part of. the Anerora
government, which only a shoijt
time ago categorically refused a re
quest for such permission trans
mitted by . the American-naval au
thorities here. The new move
comes on the heels of the Turkish
concession restoring to Christians
full freedom to leave Anatolia
whenever they desired. Both
changes of front are believed hese
to have resulted from the pressure
brought to bear on the Turkish
delegation at the Lausanne confer
ence, particularly from - the Amer
ican delegation, and the" Turks'
realization that their previous
measures had created a bad im
pression throughout the world.
As soon as the new decision be
came known the American- Near
East relief, which from the sf^rt
has shouldered the burden of re
sponsibility for assisting. ?the
Christian exiles to leave Anatoli^,
began extending its rescue ma- ^
ehinery to include aduluV as well ~|j
as orphans and wireless , messages
were sent .to ail its Black sea coas
tal and intercoastal stations.
Greek steamers, which had. been
waiting at the Golden Horn, were
soon under way, accompanied. by
American destroyers.* An Ameri
can relief worker is traveling
aboard each ship and all the ves
sels are well stocked with food
stuffs provided by the Near East
lelief. Bases for the coiiyoving
destroyers have ? been established
by. the American naval authorities
at Samasun, the principal embafr
katlon-point on' the: Black sea,, in
the Bosphorus, at Constantinople,
and .at Piraeus, Greece, from which
port refugee ships are starting.
. The new scheme provides free
transportation -.for the .exiles for
the first time since the exodus be
gan and obviates the necessity ?f
transshipment from allied vessels
to Greek boats- at Constantinople..
It will accelerate the. r^efugee move
ment, permitting the departuref o|
tens of thousands who remained
in the interior because ot their
lack of funds or. through fear of
making the long trek through win
ter roads, to the coastal towns," only
to find no ships awaiting them, ?
DISCUSSION OF
7 REPARATIONS
French Would Operate ?m
Left Bank of Rhine to
Put Up Barriers
Paris, Dec 24 (By the Associat
ed Press).)?Reparations and guar
antees were the subject of a-meet
ing today between Premier Poin
care, M. Revel, minister of liber
ated regions, M^de Lasteyrie, fill
ister of finance, Yves Le Trocquer,
minister of public works, Louis
Barthou, president of the repa
rations commission, and other
prominent personages. The meet
ing lasted three hours.
An official note issued at the con
clusion of the conference specified
that nitrates demanded from Ger
many was among the mattere dis
cussed. It , added that officials
from the ministry of liberated re
gions gave "an account of the lu
cent mission to Berlin and of the
difficulties they encountered.
In connection with this meeting
The Matin says the government is
anxious to have a plan for operat-,
ing On the left side of the Rhine
ready almost to details, including
the establishment of a customs
barrier between the Rhineland and
the Ruhr basin on the V>ne hand
and the rest of Germany on the
other. The government at >3be
same time attaches the utmost im
portance to having the triie nature
of the plan understood. It is &ia-*~~~
traint on productive guarantees,
not a military expedition intend- 9
ed to annex territory.
The" intervention of. the armf*,
continues The Matin, is foreseen
only to an extent necessary for the
protection of customs employees or
control of German state prop
erty.
A Toulon dispatch to this paper
says that the maritime prefect has
been invited by telegraph to name
several conferring engineers who
hold themselves in radiness to "?fcy^
ceed to the Ruhr. The mission^f
the officers will be to supervise
production in case occupation of the
basin is decided upon. *
A Havas dispatch from Benin
says the French demand for ni
trates amounts to 60,000 tons, to
be delivered on account of rep
artitions. The German government,
however, has declined to meet tfcs
demand on the ground that the
German production is far from suf
ficient to cover domestic needs..
? * ? I
MR. DERIEUX VISITS
COLUMBIA
Columbia, Dec. 28.?James C.
Derieux. former secretary* to Goy.
Robert? A. Cooper and his wife
soendinsr the holidavs with
Dereiux's father, the Rev.
Derieux here. Mr. Derieux
on the staff of a New Yoi