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I ESTABLISHED 1844 i The Press and Banner ABBEVILLE, S. C. Wm. P. GREENE, Editor. p The Press and Banner Co. Published Every Tuesday and Friday Telephone No. 10. Entered as second-class mail matter at post office in Abbeville, S. C. Terms of Subscription: ? ' One year $1.5C i Six months .7E Three months .5C Payable invariably in advance. __ i Tuesday, February 26, 1918. I " ..vAT WHOSE SUGGESTION? WHY? ????? Elsewhere in this issue we publish the text of the recent Act of the I ^legislature taking the management of the water and light plants out of the hands of the City Council and turning the same over to Commissioners of Public Works. It has been stated that this amounts to little as a matter of law as the Commissioners of Public Works are under the control of the City Council, and can only act with their authority. This is a serious mistake in the interpretation of the law. We F. Will discuss the absolute and arbiR trary powers which pass to the Comn missioners in another article to be l| printed Friday. We are now iriterL'Usted in knowing why the change pv'.^as made, and who was responsible for it. We asked in our last issue who fathered this amendment to the law i- stood. We believe that the I'Vdaily papers stated that the amendment, at least in the Senate, was in- j produced by Senator Nickles. Now; * 5? ^ Cnnn f ai* i iCVCryDOQy RIlUWs uiai ucnawvi invnles has never had any close connec-, tfojl with the city council, he has1 never been a member of that body, j He has not been the city atorney, and so far as we konw his connec-* tion with the city government in j lA^Sville has not been such that, on his own account, he would have had a change made of this character without somebody asking that it be done. f. On the other hand Dr. Neuffer has been a member of the city council. He served on the water and light committee if we mistake not, p\for one or two terms during wnicn t time the water and light plants made so much mom.'y that a city park was Bps* bought with the overplus and was named for the doctor, and it was 5*: filled with rabbits, owls and other j?. wise-looking animals. He found no fanlt with the management of these ' enterprises by the city council as jfoc- long as he was a member of the council and had them in charge, sc a* V far as we have heard. But, if there HP: was any reason why there shoulc RS have been a change in the law ii pi " ; would seem to us that he, rathe] ftk- " than Senator Nickles, should hav< ojmown of the reason and shoulc pf"* therefore, have introduced the bill P/; Why.did he not do so? Was then an effort to cover up somebody'; :tracks, and would the matter ap ?^: pear innocent looking if it cairn f from the other side of the law-mak llpiv ing body? We take it that Dr. Neuf tjer was in full accord with the Bill ab introduced and had full know! edge about it. Representative Moor tells us that he asked his colleagu ^ t for information about this propose^ ijp- i.law and the matter was explaine kir . by Dr. Neuffer, and that he (Mi V(]Moore) supposed it was wanted b MonfTor VL'at in ffl t.'oae Cltjr. n 1/1. 4'vuuv. ? ? IN , vor of the bill, why did he not in troduce it in the house and give hi _ reasons for so doing? Why did h \ not advocate the change when h was on the council, when it was hi c.daty to get for the people of Abbe ; yille the best management possibl ..for these enterprises. We have stated, and the record prove that we speak the trutl . $at the water-works plant in Abb< ;/-?ilIe was not a success when mar )(l^ged by these Commissioners; thi (VJarge sums of money were lost i ,its management by the Commissior -UJ ers, while on the other hand, it i I, claimed by Mr. . Anderson's frienc in the city council that the planl have been a financial success und? fe, - v. . / the management of the City Coun , ciL Why then was the law passec changing the management? It wil not do to say that there is a gener - al law on the subject and that all but a few cities and towns have commissioners. Because everybods else in the community exposes themselves to small-pox is no reason * why a man who is looking after his health should do so. The fact that a general law was first passed by the legislature and that, one after another well-governed city and town in this state has applied to the legislature for a change in the law so as to get rid of these commisI sioners would seem to indicate that, . at least at some places, either this plan of managing matters is not sat' isfactory, or the commissioners have been carrying things with a high 1 hand and the community has been forced to get rid of them. We have inquired from people in * / every walk of life in the city, and none ot tnem nave ceen aoie to ten I us anything about why the law was | changed. No citizen of this city . and' no member of the present city j council so far as we can learn ever heard of the proposed change until it had been made a law and then | they didn't hear of it from any of those responsible for the change exI cept in a round-about way. One former member of the city council j told us that some two years ago : when he was on the council Mr. An- j ; derson was advocating Commission-j ers of Public Works, and we have j heard it stated that this law was in-1 , troduced in the Senate at the suggestion of Dr. Gambrell, and that, the Senator, when he introduced it, -supposed that he was acting, not at' the solicitation of Dr. Gambrell, personally, but that the whole matter was understood and desired by the whole city council. This, how-; ever, seems to have been a mistake. If Senator Nickles had this impression he can likely tell us who is responsible for such impression. He can likely tell us who asked him to introduce the Bill changing the law. i Now, why did Mr. Anderson want^ a Board of Commissioners of Public Works? He came here as a hired; A?v*T\1mmn frnm onnfliAT pifv pnH his; I ClIlplVjWV X* V*tl Uit V UitVA V vj } M business was to keep the plants run-' ning. We cannot see that there' i would be any more watqr in Savan-; | nah River for running the plants, J nor that the wires would carry more > j or carry less current, or that the( | machinery would run smoother, or the expenses of doing his work would be more or less, whether the ; governing head of the plants was the j city council, or the Commissioners i of Public Works. He was elected ! by the City Council and not by commissioners of Public Works, and it must seem strange to some people, ' at least, that he would go around 1 and try to destroy the authority un " - * i I--* ! J der which he obtained ms juu, u?1 less, perhaps, he sought some private ! I advantage. Of course if he could ? pack the Board Qf Commissioners 1 with friends of his, one holding for I four years, and one for six, he t would have the job nailed down, and r his board having arbitrary powi ers, he could run matters with a 1 freer hand, and manage the proper ty of the taxpayers in this city more - in accord with his own ideas. Is s that what he has been seeking? Does - the fact that he has not been able e to get everything he has wanted from - the full council and the fact that he - has not always been in the best ol '' standing with certain members ol the council, indicate that Mr. AnP J ' intoToat in t.h< aerson nas a pcmvuai ... ? e law which has been enacted? Wa; ^ he in any way responsible for its introduction and passage? Did h< know that the change was beinj y made? If so, who told him? And what about Dr. Gambrell' His term as mayor is about to ex IS pire. He has been honored by th< i city for a good many years. Hi 6 now holds, so far as we are advised IS only three other public offices, name 5" ly: Member of the State Board o: e Health, Member of City Board o: Health, and Trustee of City Schools 's Now these three small offices ar< V entirely insufficient for his insatiabli maw for public office, it would seem *- Has he been looking out for an it other office for himself? Did he n while saying nothing to the publi i- about the change he had had mad' is in the law, have a talk with a mem Is ber of the city council in which th ts information about " the law wa sr "tipped off" to this member with th ' V *v*/' \ ' ' - . ' , - information that the city council 1 should suggest to the voters, jusit i before the election, three names 1o - support as members of this' Board I of Commissioners and did he say, in that conversation, that he wouJd 7 like to have one of the places? And did he suggest Mr. J. R. Glenn, a i former councilman, supposed to be an Anderson supporter, for one of - the other places, volunteering the ' information that Mr. Glenn hs.d ' made one of the best members of 1 the light committee the city had evur had? Perhaps, the Mayor will tell us? In view of these suggestions, we again ask the voters of this ci;y these questions: Why was the law changed, and who was responsible for its changu? Why was the public not advised as to the change before it was j made, and why was the city council | not consulted? Is anybody seeking a private advantage, or seeking to assume ofj fice in this city by virtue of a law! 'which he has had enacted? Has any-| | body sought to make an office for himself? Who is the other member on the. slate? Is it proposed to put Dr.' Neuffer in at the last minut? as the^ other man to take care of the peo-| pie's property? If Mr. Glenn, Dr. Neuffer and Dr. Gambrell, when they were members of the city council, cotrld operate the water works and electric light plant, so as to make them paying institutions, why is it that they want the law changed as they go out of orncer wny ao tney go DacK a> system which was not successful.' inj this city and which year after year' is being repudiated by. other wellgoverned cities? Will the people of this city submit to such one man government? Why send men to France to :Sg;htj autocracy when we submit to it at home? Will the people do the only thing now possible,?nominate a ticket ofj three men for Commissioners put it; in the field and elect it in the general; election in April, and take charge: of their own property, and tell Mr.! Anderson to run the plants as he isj employed to do, keep out of city; politics, and that we will govern our own city, and tell Dr. Gambrell that there are other men in the cil:y as competent as he and Dr. Neuffitr " to manage the affairs of this city? It is up to the voters in the city.! They must either ^ct or submit. Let us have no more back room ' diplomacy. _ "OVER THE TOP." The Press and Banner has secur-J ed the right to publish "Over the' ; Top" as a serial. This story is one | j of the greatest that has ever beenj j written about the war. Arthur Uuy I Empey, the author, went over to j England immediately after the sinki ing of the Lusitania and enlisted as | a Canadian. For a year and a half i before he fell in "No Man's Land", he saw more real fighting than any war correspondent who has written about the war. This is a real live story and is ( well worth reading. Don't miss a single issue. It will probably begin in our next Tuesday's issue. i t ^ [ ^ ! * ; ABBEVILLE RED CROSS NEWS. ' 5 The Lowndesville Branch of the ' Abbeville Chapter Red Cross, has - fitted up a work room in the school I building and the ladies met there Wednesday afternoon to fold com? presses. Forty hanks of wool has - been distributed among the members J and they are already at work on ' sweaters. 9 ?? Tl +A It Will peruana uc lutcicovnig w f the Red Cross Chapter to know that f eighteen sweaters knitted sometime i. ago by one Lowndesville family were e worn by the troops on the Tuscania. e These sweaters were knit for the . Forrestry Unit in Washington, D. C.i - and this unit furnished many sweat-' i, ers to the troops stationed at the c Catholic University of America. Be e fore leaving to sail on this transport - many of the soldiers - were fitted e with sweaters and the eighteen seht s from here were among the lot given e them. * ! Over Top. '< B A 1 dj an /tmericau i^jiuici ARTHUR GUY When the Lusitania wa Guy Empey decided thai wait for his country to de he sailed without orders and enlisted as a Canadia He recounts this incidi THE TOP* in less than words In a few thousan he completes his experienc ?and after that he is in the greater part of the ei . before he was invalided "Front Line Trenches." "OVER THE TOP" is by one of the American went to France, has beei batant and ha3 seen long trenches. N Sergeant Empey tells w means and feels like: to be wounded seven time to live for a year and a 1 and rats and shells; to be covered! 'with "cooti to get rid of them; to go "over the top" in a < to grasp for your gas h< second's delay mean's to capture a Prussian; to get tangled up in bar to lie for thirty-six houi For a year and a half, u saw more actual fighting z about the war. His expei touch of humor as origin; We take pleasure in annoui and that it will appear in i IN THIS NEWS NEWS FROM THE SURGICAL | DRESSINGS DEPT. OF THE R. C.j Last week the best work was done in the surgical dressings department cinrp t.hp work beean. Every day new workers were added to the regular number. Tuesday is D. A. R. Day,. Thursday U. D. C. day. Both of these organizations were well represented and diet splendid work. The D. A. R's. have kindly offered the use of their rooms, which is a great help to the workers. The second class in surgical dressings, under tKe direction of Mrs. J. C. Ellis, assisted by Miss Magijie Latimer, has just been completed. Those taking the course are: Mesdames F. B. Gary, T. G. White, Lila Mabry, Rayford Power, D. R. Riser, Will Harris, J. M. Lawson, L. C. Parker, J. F. Youngblood, W. R. Speed, Misses Nettie Russell, Jessie Hill, Eliza Gary, Leila Link, Bessie Lee Cheatham, Louise Brown. Antoinette Thomson, Mary Quarles Link, Mary Smith, Fannie Stark, Mrs. Otto Bristow. The Red Cross is indebted to the Library Associanofl nf tViuir rnftms for LIUI l XUi Uaw vr*, v.*w.. ? this class, and wish to thank them for this great kindness. A box containing 2200 Compresses has just been shipped, another with scultetus, abdominal and T bandages will be sent this week. Chairman Surg. Dress. Dept. CUTTING COMMITTEE FOR MARCH Mrs. A. B. Morse, Chairman, Miss Beusie Lee Cheatham, Mrs. Jim ' Shurard. * Ladies in charge of work rooms downstairs, every day except Monday from 10 to 1 o'clock. ' Tuesday?Mrs. D. R. Riser, Chmn. Wednesday?Mrs. F. E. Harrison, Chairman. ?||F^ the , Who Went >p |!?|p EMPEY | is sunk Arthur '' ;nt in "OVER , H five hundred d more words >f ^HM| :es in England , France?for ghteen months home, in the the first story B i soldiers who i a real com- J service in the rhat it actually s; mlf nrifh mitH es" and never The G SET*.. Story i death; [>wire with that machine gun v; "s wounded and unconscious in " intil he fell wounded in "No Man's ] ind real warfare than any war con riences are grim, but they are tli al as the Soldiers Three. And the acinar that we have secured serial rig nstallments _ _ . paper It Is the 1 1 Thursday?Mrs. C. H. McMurray, I Chairman. Friday?Mrs. E. P. Nonvood, Ch. Saturday?Miss Maggie Latimer,' Chairman. I Ladies in charge D. A. R. Rooms:: Tuesday?Mrs. Lila Mabry, Ch. I Wednesday?Miss Nettie Russell, Chairman. Thursday?Miss Fannie Stark, Ch.! Friday?Misses Mamie Morse and j Mary Smith. i Saturday?Miss Louise Brown. Packing Committee For 1918. Miss Onie Morse, Chairman, Caro Morse, Miss Maggie Latimer, Mrs. W. W. 'Bradley, Mrs. Harrison. Chairman of bandages, Mrs. J. H. Sherard. Mrs. J. C. Ellis, Supervisor of Surgical Dressings. : TO CHESTER. Dr. G. A. Neuffer went over toj Chester yesterday afternoon to take the following for operations or examinations: Miss Adelaide Philson, Mrs. W. H. White, Miss Edna White, Donald Harris, Frank Neuffer, Mrs. W. F. Perrin. E. T. Link of Route 4, is a new subscriber. He wants to keep op; with the news. Mr. Link is a farmer and is getting rich living at home on the supplies that he raises himself. I HOME ON LEAVE. Capt. R. B. Cheatham came home Friday for a short holiday with his family. He was one of the interested listeners at Adjutant Fleury's lecture in the Court House Saturday night. TWO ALIEN SOLDIERS IN GREENVILLE JAIL - -J " A k. Austrian ana u?rm?a ? ? ?< ?/ Marshal Lyoh' Under Order From Washington. Camp Sevier, Greenville, Feb. 21. , :?Two soldiers from Camp Sevier, Privates Heinrich Adler, One Han U * &C . ?? i I** %M. jWf j BR^pppp^^SBragj^^B |y ^Hj ..T-' IKg&illMJB llliitB IKm ! v r ? 9 ^kspp ? ' ,A$l ====* :^ ' I Greatest War, 77 r// : Ujver vr ruicn ======L orking a few yards away; No Man's Land" 1 \ Land"this American soldier espondent who has written rilling, and lightened by a sy are True. hts to this remarkable story /fea/ Sfu/F/ a < ? ? dred and Fifth Ammunition Train, Julius Rubenstein, base hospital, have been arrested by C. J. Lyon, twqt*cViq1 nn confiden unneu uyoiw ? tial instructions from Washington and both men were lodged in the ' county jail here, presumably awaiting further instructions. The charge against them is not stated. Adler, who is 21 years of age, and who has been in this country- only 20 months, is a German citizen. ( He says that when war was declared he was discharged by the firm in Charleston for which he was working and that being unable to get employment anywhere he enlisted in the army; Rubenstein is an unnat uralized Austrian, having been brought to this country wfien two years oliL He was drafted at Newark, N.. J.. and was first sent to iS}x f!amn Dix. Wriehtstown, N. J., and later transferred here. Recently, SJ;.: accord&g to him, he applied for an honorable discharge as an alien enemy. This, he says, was granted, but simultaneously he was arrested. Both men deny any hostile acts j or intentions and Rubenstein affirms I his sympathy for the United States, J although Adler is apparently a great I admirer of the German emperor. I Following the usual action in such I cases, they may be sent to a deten- I tion camp for the duration of tha , I war. I ninrue I Dimno. _ Born?at Monterey, Feb. 28, 1918 J to Mr. and Mrs. Jesse L. Sutherland, I a gon. fl V CANDIDATES ANNOUNCED V I (All adTertiiemeati in this column 9 cask in adnnce.) I J. ALLEN LONG is hereby an nounced as a candidate for Mayor H in the coming Democratic primary M election, subject to the rules of the H party and he pledged himself to H abide its result. H j? ' '