A Established 1841. The Press and Banner B| ABBEVILLE, S. C. Win. P. GREENE, Editor. Published Every Wednesday by H The Press and Banner Co. Telephone No. 10. HI Entered as second-class mail mat"? -A 1 -a:? A Q (~\ |nnr St pusv UUIVC m nuueituui W> ??. n Terms of Subscription: HI One year (1.60 Six months .75 Three months .50 Payable invariably in advance. Wednesday, January 3,1917 ' STREET PAVING. m The matter of paving the streets of the city is receiving attention in B. various quarters. The people are Krctalking about the project and they BKl generally favor the step forward. helieve that matters of this HV-lond should be carefully investigated |Ely the people before a step is taken. EE|$he city council will soon meet in jHlraifel regular monthly meeting, and we R ggiliggest that the committee on streets P^iSke this matter up with a view of ascertaining the cost of doing the necessary paving on the public square and on the most traveled p streets. The Press and Banner expects to make certain investigations on its own account, and the information received will be given its readers to r the end that when the people sign a petition for a vote on the subject of issuing bonds for this paving they may do so intelligently, and may vote intelligently when the time comes to vote. The taxpayers of the city will have no objection to paying the necessary amount of taxes to carry on the work, and to retire the bonds, if the work is done in a proper man ner. And we must look after the matter of sidewalks. If you are in favor of assessing abutting property holders for the purpose of paying in any part for these necessary walks, speak to the members of the city council, and let them have the benefit of your views. Should the city council feel called upon to ask the delegation in the General Assembly for any legislation on the subject, its members would like to know the views and the wishes of the public. This matter should be thoroughly thrashed out now so that, with* the , coming of the good weather in the , spring, work can begin. If we ex- , pect to be anything other than a , country village, we must pave. So let the work go forward. ===== ] ^ THE INTEREST RATE. \ 1 ^ The rate of interest allowed by , law in South Carolina is excessive. Everybody knows that this is a fact. ( Even the lenders know it, with the result that many loans are being made from time to time at six and . seven per cent, and occasionally at lower rates. I The country cannot prosper with the rate of interest charged in this State. The man without means can- ' r?nf hntr n finmp nn a credit and hoDe , to pay for it, if he must first pay eight per cent, on his investment The business man cannot run a business I where money must be borrowed if he must pay this excessive rate. By 1 the time he pays his expenses and the rate of interest now charged the profits of the business are gone. And so it is in every line. We trust that the members of the General Assembly from Abbeville county will be found among those who wish to make the state prosper, and the state will only prosper when business opportunity is as good here as elsewhere. Six pet cent, interest is enough, and the law should so declare, and its provisions should be made operative by such penalties as forbid people from overstepping the law. The banks will cry aloud we know. But the stockholders of the banks are requiring too much of the banks. People who invest their money in bank stocks do so as much for safety as they do for profit, and six per cent, is a good return for money safely invested. It is believed that banks would in the end make as much for stockholders at six per cent, as they now make at eight because deposits every year are growing, as is the banking business where the bankers are alive to the. situation. At any rate, prosperity and good business conditions will not come with the rate of interest which we now have. CHANGE THE DATE. ]| The Press and Banner is opposed to the election of trustees for the city schools, except in a town meeting. We believe that all officers of municipalities and political divisions . should be elected in town meetings ^ on a viva voce vote. We are op- t posed to electing trustees at a pri- P mary election, of ' a general elec- j tion, along with salaried officers. d The office of trustee of the schools j! in any community is a thankless job. e But it is one which, while no man I should seek it, no man should de- * cline when elected except from nec- j essity or an inability to perform p the duties of the office. It is import- jj ant, therefore, tht the best men in v a community be elected to these po- r sitions. And this can best be done * when the people who are interested t in the schools attend the meetings t more generally and make the selec- " tions on merit alone. c For these reasons we Deiieve tnat the time for electing trustees in this school district should be changed in accordance with the resolution of the citizens, who attended the school meeting during the holidays. The time now fixed by law is a most inconvenient one. People are not really interested in business matters then, and the weather is generally disagreeable. Various causes contribute to a small attendance at the meetings unless there is a "movement." The school year ends, we believe, on July 1st. It is appropriate that the meeting should be held in the lass of June so that the new trustees may begin their terms at the beginning of the year. The meeting should be held in day time, we believe. In June the stores close at six o'clock. A meeting called at that hour would be attended by the business men Generally, and would be more largely attended than the .meetings now are. t We, therefore, hope the delegation 11 will so amend our school law as to jj change the date for the annual elec- \ tion of these trustees in accordance r with the resolution. TIGHTEN IT. ' x 1 We are in favor of any all regulations of the liquor business which f " 1- ? l- -"-J nn?4 TTrVli/tll t mtlKtJ lll?UUJT litUU IU ctuu nuivu ? tend to decrease the amount which, ^ one individual may receive. The fi proposition to reduce the amount c from one gallon to one quart each s month is along the right line. And o while this is being done, let some v provision be made in the law which makes it impossible for one man to tl use the name of other men for the b purpose of obtaining more than the ^ law allows. The provisions in the Si laws of some of the other states ^ ? +a o/ixnao ? lb Ck UiUUCiucauvA wv MV? ? ?wv ^ another person where liquor may be e obtained, or to assist him in procur- d ing it, are wise and might be enact- ? ed into law in this state. a p 6 Nature arms each man with some j{ faculty which makes him do easily b what would be impossible for an- 7 other.?Emerson. I s< 8 LEARN WHAT IT COSTS b TO MAKE YOUR CROPS y a Keep Accounts and See Where Your Money Goes in 1917. i Clerason College, S. C., Jan. 1.? ^ The first of the year is a period of g new resolutions, and to keep farm ^ accounts would be a new resolution for nearly all the farmers in South ? Carolina. If you sell a bale of cotton for ? $75, do you sell at a gain or a loss? Most farmers can only guess at the u answer. The guess in this case q might be correct, but there are many other cases in which the guess ^ will be wrong. What combination , of crops seems to be best for your . farm? In what ways can you cut down your cost of production? Of t marketing? Is your business better ? than it was last year, or the year before, or five years ago? These . are some of the things a farmer ? VJ. j A. i. _i .i H ougnt lo try uu linu uut auuut just a as earnestly as a merchant or a f banker tries to find out about simi- J! lar things in his business. ? Keep accounts. This does not 1 mean estimating what labor, or ma 7 chinery, or animal power, "ought" * to cost for a certain crop. It is not s much better to make a guess at 7! each of a few items and then add t them than it is to make one guess r at the whole cost. The thing to do 0 is to keep a careful, day-to-day a record of every kind of expense. At n the end of the year, after deducting expenses, plus interest on the invest- * ment, plus value of products used in " the home, one will have left the P farm labor income, which is gen- ? erally taken as an indication of a j1 man's success or failure. ? If a man does not feel equal to J1 upuillllg Up resent as its movements are largel; lased upon the future, and a ver; trief summary of the past will onl; y a redaction in the visible^ suppl is carried o*er from the year befor >f approximately 800,000 bales, an eaving a visible supply at the be finning of this year, (New Yor Cotton Exchange figures) of 2,235, >34 bales/ To this we must add th growth ths year which the Govern nent estimates at eleven and hal trillion bales, plus linters or a tots rop of approximately 12,300,00 tales together with the carry-over a nentioned above, making a total o .4,535,634 bales. It is conceded that in the 1915-1 :rop a great deal of invisible cottoi ame into sight thereby incre^sinj he 191^-16 into sight well over it growth production. This cotton wil tot appear this year as it has gon >ut of existence and we believe tha he growth crop this year will b learer the actual census figures tha: iny crop in recent years. From th otal supply of 14,535,634 bales w oust deduct a reasonable visible fo i carry-over at the $nd of the sea on and in looking at this feature w nil refer to the carry-over durini ecent years as follows:? ? Bales 1915-16 2,236,000 1914-15 3,100,000 1913-14 1,559,000 iyiz-13 rr,uo?,uuu 1911-12 1,359,000 It is only normal therefore t igure that a carry over of 1,200,00< ales would naturally be carried ii he visible supply on July'31st nex ear as any reduction from ihe?i igures would practically mean a spo orner in the world's Vnarket, am ensationally higher prices. Basing oUr forecase, however, up n normal facts and allowing for i isible supply of 1,200,000 bales a he end of the season, we have avail ble for consumption this year fron hese figures a supply of 13,335,63< ales. This ends our argument fron tie standpoint of supply. Let us now glance (from th< tandpoint of 1917) at the demand Lt the writing of this letter it is to( arly to give the exact supply or con UXilpt/lUll U^UICO UU U&AW VUU vx mber, but using the figures of Fri ay, December 15th, we find thai ince August 1st of the present yeai re have exported 2,788,&61 bale! gainst 2,112,119 bales hat year oi ractically one-third more than w? xported up to a comparative tim< ist year. In this connection it rnusi e remembered that our exports las' ear were 6,051,062 bales ''ant hould we run one-third over thii mount for the balance of the sea on it would mean exports of ovei ,000,000 bales. We think this hard j probable although possible. Thii rould mean also two-thirds of oui vailable supply exported and it can +Viof milli U IF UC UCHICU uiaw uvuawdvav re consuming cotton in volume un nown in the past. Glancing at th< omestic consumption situation w< nd that last year, that is to saj 915-16 domestic mills consumed 5< er cent, of the United States growtl gainst 40 per cent in 1914-15, 3* er cent, in 1913-14, 38 per cent ii 912-13 and 33 per cent in 1911-1J nd in actual figures the consumptioi y domestic mills last year was 7, 18,596 bales. Should any such con umption continue it would mfeai hat the world would need well ovei 5,000,000 bales of cotton to fil heir requirements this year, an< here is not that much American cot on in existence statistically or t< est of our belief. There is another fact of vital in erest. The dry goods markets hav< sd the advance and not speculation it this time last year farmers wer< irge holders of cotton; this yea: heir holdings are negligible. A his time last year country merchant fere large holders of cotton an< his year their holdings are verj mall. Last year spot speculator fere holders of cotton and this yea: he speculative holdings are mucl educed. The market has advance< n good healthy underlying fact nd not upon any abortive holdinj lovement or unsound speculation. Has cotton advanced too high? Ii he week of December 16th last yea: larch cotton sold at 12.75; at th< ire:>ent writing March cotton is sell tig at 17.50 approximately one-thir< ligher than it was at the same per od a year ago. Are shoes a thir< ligher? Is wheat a third higher? I: inen a third higher? Is paper i hird higher? Has the general cos f living increased? Has the pric< f live stock increased? Can an: easonable man maintain that th< .dvance in cotton has been out o: iroportion with the general- trend o: ommodities during the past year? Glancing at the straws that ^he < wind of probability is blowing, looking at the shadows based upon careful thought, we cannot concede that [ the price of cotton is too high, and without hesitation we maintain that < it is too low. Summary? Insufficient supply, ? competitive demand, prosperity and possible peace is the question,?and J the answer will unfold itself. , 1 In ending we wish all of our . friends a most Prosperous and Hap 1 py New Year and we again say "The 2 King is dead! Long Live the King!" Johnston, Storm & Co. ? Dec. 27, 1916. 1 I BATTLE OF THE SOMME I PICTURED AS SWEEPING 1 TRIUMPH FOR THE ENTENTE v . t t London, Dec. 29.?The battle of e the Somme is pictured as a sweeping > triumph for Entente Allied arms in a i detailed report by Sir General e Douglas Haie which was issued toy night and which covers operations y from July 1 to Nov. 18. Gen. Haig y terms the battle a triumph in which ' the German western armies were ^ saved from complete collapse and a . decisive defeat only by a protracted j e period of unfavorable weather that prevented the Anglo-French forces e from taking full advantage of their successful advance. He declares that, i nevertheless, it was a triumph which ? proved beyond doubt the ability of the Allies to overthrow Germany I "when the time comes." The BritII ish commander shows himself to be > confident that the Entente Allien can s win the war on the western front y "I desire to add a few words as to ? further prospects," he says. "The d enemy's power has not yet been j~ broken nor is it yet possible to form k an estimate of the time the war may >- last before the objects for whicn e the Allies are fighting have been cti tained, but the Somme battle has f placed beyond doubt the ability of il the Allies to gain those objects. The 0 German army is the mainstay of the s Central Powers and a full half of f that army suffered defeat on the Somme this year. Neither victors nor 6 vanquished will forget this and, aln though bad weather has given, the g enemy a respite, there are undoubta edly man! thousands in his ranks [1 who will begin the new campaign e with little confidence in their ability 1 ,t to resist our assaults or overcome our e defense. n "The principle of an offensive cam e paign during tne summer of 1916 had e already been decided on by Vail the r Allies," says te report. . . . "Pre_ paration for the offensive had made ; e considerable progress, but the day ? was confident of many doubtful fac- , tors. "Subject to the necessity of com- | mencing operation before the summer was too far advanced, and with due regard to the general situation, i I desired to postpone my attack as long as possible. The British armies i were growing in numbers and the supply of munitions was steadily in? creasing but a large proportion of the officers and men were still far v from being fully trained and the 1 longer the attack was deferred the I most efficient they would become. ? "On the other hand, the Germans 1 were continuing to press their at- j tacks at Verdun and both there and j " on the Italian front, where the Aus- ] I trian offensive was gaining it was < t evident that the strain might become ] " too great, unless timely action was ] J taken. Accordingly, I agreed that ] * the attack should be launched when- j 1 ever the general situation required it with as great force as might be J available. "By the end of May, the pressure j > on the Italian front naa assumea - such serious proportions that the - Russian campaign was opened early - in June and the successes gained 1 t against the Austrians at once caused r a movement of German troops from ? the western to the eastern front, r This, however, did not lessen the J pressure on Verdun and therefore i it was agreed that the combined 1 t French and British offensive would i t not be postponed beyond the end of < 1 June. ( 3 "The objective of that offensive < - was threefold. To relieve pressure f r on Verdun to assist our allies in i . the other theatres of war by stop- i 3 ping any further transfer of Ger- j f man troops from the western front . and to wear down the strength of the 1 3 forces opposed to us. 1 -General Haig sums up the result i a as follows: t I "Three main objects with which \ '7 we commenced the offensive in July i j had already been achieved, in spite . x of the fact that heavy autumn rains < j prevented full advantage being ta- ( 1 ken of the favorable situation creat- < , ed by our advance at a time wjien we j ' had good grounds for hoping to j achieve yet more important success- \ es. Verdun had been relieved, the ? " main German forces had been held on the western front and the ene- ^ J my's strength had been ^considerably j i worn down. The attainment of ali t three affords ample compensation for < the splendid efforts of the troops and ' for the sacrifices made. They have brought us a long step forward to" ward the final victory of the Allied 2 causes. "Information obtained, both dur2 ir.g te progress of the Somme battle r and since the suspension of active t operations, has fully established the s effects of our offensive in keep the 1 enemy's main forces tied to the 7 western' front. It is, therefore, juss tifiable to conclude that the Somme c offensive not only relieved Verdun i but held large forces which would i otherwise have been employed s against our Allies in the east." , . i THE INAUGURAL ADDRESS. r. K Col. Stark, President of the Green" ville ?treet Set-back College, advises 1 us that he was not ready to make his " inaugural address Saturday night at 1 the meeting of the faculty, and we 5 are, therefore, unable to give it to 1 our readers this week. He tells us t that he has developed most of the 2 points he wishes to make m tne aa- j 7 dress, but he has not finished the ^ - peroration. He. hopes to deliver ? f the address on next Saturday night. ( f j The public will await with interest r I its publication, we know. 'c Sai? She Would Drop ^ Suddenly in Track. ? an COLUMBIA WOMAN SAYS SHE trc LIVED IN CONTINUAL un \ DREAD. m Regarding the truly wonderful rernlta 8msaid_ she had obtained from the use\of Tanlac. "ine JNationai o-i Tonic," Mrs. Carrie Stokes, of 113 ^ Ruger Sti Columbia, gave the follow- ^ ing highlt interesting statement: "I sufficed from stomach trou- gtl ble and ingestion for two or three w years, anal had bad spells of some ' kind of treble. They were awful! I was in si^h bad condition at one 0g time that I VouM have to crawl, for ^ I could notbear my weight on my feet. *4 he "For a y^flor more I lived on a ma diet of milk *d crackers and during that time Idid not eat a bite of voj solid food. I c*ild not sleep at night bei and I was in ariread all the time, the though I did nfl know what I was gag dreading. I hai fourteen doctors to treat me at Afferent times, and I was told an deration was the J only thing that ^buld do me any ?*V good. \ mi "When those a^l atacks came, I ete would just draw utand drop whereever I was, and I \r just about the SI same as anyone n<*s crazy when I had one of these t&ible spells. I felt lazy and sick ati tired all the time and even afteia night's rest I would feel so tired \ could hardly Cil move. \ "For a long time I\ould not do a By bit of work around t& house and I had to have someone to it for me. 1 My nerves were so badi would jump ha1 and cry out if a door Cammed and Lei I could not stand to h^e children tat around. \ lat "My husbaid read of lie great re- ' lief Tanlac had given so taany peo- adi pie and he b raght it forWe. I am rec now takingi ?y fourth bottle. Dur- Th ing the first wo weeks thit I took ^P1 Tanlac I fined ten pounds in of weight and'] am now doing all my housework. The Tanlac hAg helped me wonderltlly in every way and hei has built uvand regulated my atom- ?0< ach so that! can now eat anything I care to an my food is digested 9 ^ prpoerly. Ido not suffer at all with , Btomach treble now. ?r, "The Tame increased my strength r-_ bo much t}t I can compare my ^ strength n Columbia, ec. 29.?Governor f Manning retupd this morning from 1 hunt with ft B. M. Baruch on his >state in Geo town Co., and at Georgetown ] ihr hmf hmfrhmhmm >nce began vk on his annual message to the i eral assembly. He is fathering maftal for the message W md will beg dictating it to his op ^ tenograpner tne nrst opportunity. f~ . The gover has intimated that zSqJ lis annual ixage will be compara- IT avely brief ? that it will deal only y with the bro problems facing the destr xdministratic He expects to deal > ;hrough spe< messages with particular subjec Importantjatters which the gov?rnor is exp jd to touch on in his j . :ommunicat: to the lowmakers in:lude, insure legislation, tighten- ^ * ng up on t prohibitipn law, tho SiJ g lighway cob ssion act, amendments :x> strengths the state warehouse PT~P( system, finsfcs and education. Ke On the qtion of finances the prove governor isjected to send a special nessage ane will probably do this know ifter confhces with Chairman j >istensen jhe senate finance com- . nittee, Chaan Liles of the house . n nJ* Lruaburer v?r, vuiiiptiuiicx VJCII;ral Sawyefind Chairman A. W. rones, of t ate tax commission. It ,s probable Iditional sources of evcnue wije recommended by the ?ov^rnor. Of all tmbjects to be dealt j. q( with by thiief executive, what he * ' vill have tiy of insurance legisla- E. B. ;ion will pibly be of the greatest S. T. nterest. special commissioners C. H. report is r before him and he has T. S. lot as yet en any indication of W. "Vi vhether hprees with the findings I. A. . )f that emission or will make E. B. ihanges. jhas an open mind on D. A. ;he subject; is known and is gath- W. "W ;ring all the available informa- Dr. J. ;ion and krding that which does S. S. lot answae situation and taking A. 0. ;he best ii from everjrthing and W. D. iverywheJ a. r. What Crnor Manning will have H. L. ;o say at the National 'guard of W. A. ;he state attract attention. At M. G. :he recen nference of governors D. S. n Washi n, he was quoted as D. S. saying th e believed the National D. S. . juard wsiomed and whether he Jos vill repesis statement in his mes- J. W. >age,and gest some other form J. H. )f cf^izeildiery is not known. J. W. rhe *ove like all other patriotic T. K. :itiz^ns ibuth Carolina, is known AJbt I \ . . ' be proud of the record which lie ard has made but he feels t&at'tfief <: orifices entailed are top great for i men to lay aside' their business d be sent away for months to pa>1 a boundary. The governor wiQ doubtedly eulogize the National ard for it has won merited praises The governor has not mariA anv tement but it Is believed that he Ids the opinion which a great many ler well informed men do, that unthe caste system is discarded from ; regular army, there is going to 1 trouble in getting it recruited up war strength or even to peace v ength. He may have something to 7 along this lin# in his annual mes?e for he has tfvo sons in the Nanal guard, one the captain and the ler a sergeant ;n the cavalry-troop r Charleston Light Dragoons, now ing border serice in Texas and can speak frou first hand infortion. t Governor Mam ing expects to dete every minuti of his spare time tween now ant the convening of > legislature tq writing his mes- i re. | Every time a rich man dies some 1 & tvtVa Vinrm'4* a maIIav id m?A 4/> ' 8 3 VTUV UAOU U QMVliOi IS OVUO 'W 1C" j ad you that shjbuds have 110 pock' L, [ ATE OF SOlTH CAROLINA, County oi| Abbeville.Probata Court. mtion for Ltttft of Adminutr*.- * tion.. J i . .ij J. F. MILLEE Esq., Judge of m Probate: 1 5VHEREAS, D. 6. E. Calvert I h made suit tome, to grant him I tten of Adminitration of the Es- ' 1 e and effects <1 Henry Thomas, m e of Abbeville lounty, deceased. m rhese are therfore, to cite and nonish all and [ngular the land- fl I. and creditors t the said Henry B omas, dec eased (that they be and v sear before mejin the Court of B Probate, to bejeld at Abbeville art House, onjonday, the 15th j of Jam 1917] after publication eof, at 11 o'cfyc in the fore>n, to show cam, if any they re, why the* sai Administration ^ ' uld not be grarnd. jIVEN under mihand and seal the Court this fa day of Jan. , the year of our lrd one thousand e hundred and nenteon, and in i year of America Independence. Published in the 31 day of Jan. L 7, in The Press a : Banner and *' the Court House oor for the e required by lav J. F. MJLER, -1. ^ , Ju? of Probate. AVVVWijVVVVV^ \ SEABOARD f RAIN C < SCHEDUE. .vvvvvvvkvvv^. . 5, South, due ?1_. 1:52 P.M. 29, South, due ?L. 3:59 P. M. 11, South, due __u 8:04 A.M. f 17, South, due _.i 5:00 A.M. ' i . 6, North, due ?11 7:46 P. M. 12, North, due 1:42 A. M. $>/ 30, North, due -__i2:54 A. M. " . 18, North, arrives J :00 ? M., , 38 here. { Ibbeville-Grewood MUTUAI INSIRABE 1 ASSOCIATIN ?/?. Property Insured, $1,0,000. ' ' . ffyjPj September 1, 19 ? i I . ' ;: vifn fn a? iiall a?* I?J ??> ?W w* vou wu bus l|em|llH , lie Director of your township iny information yon y desire t our plan of Insuraii e insure your properi against nction by FIRE, WINDSTORlioR "v , LIGHTNING, lo so cheaper than anyjsurance jany iq existence, celling* ed with metal roofs ainsured ; 5 per cent, cheaper U other' jrty. I member we are preyed to > to yon that ours is I safest * cheapest plan of lurance n. i 9 I B ri Aire r? aL* mmm wMnnAJ) WU* nu^ Abbeville, G FRASER LYON, Prei V Abbeville, C. I ? I Majors tynwood Bell -allison Mabry Cfesbury . Dodson ..Jonalds Ellis E West L. Keller Lc Cane Keller Sthville Bell rkseys Ward law Cedaiprinjrs Bradley Seville A. Anderson Areville Boles LowBsville Grant ijjnolia Morrah Calho, Mills .a Morrah _ T^eon* Rasor WalniGrove I Nicklea odgea I Bowles Qrnaca I Haltiwanger Niiy Six I Haltiwanger nards J Haltiwanger FeWship v Lake benix M slmith >dery Chiles adley Lyon Troy 1 Moseley ildeU 9 mvill* ? r t ? ? ? v*| ?/ uuo A) A i J