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Established 1844. THE PRESS AND BANNER ABBEVILLE, S. C. The Press and Banner Company Published Tri-Weekly Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Entered as second-'^ass matter ai post office in Aoheville, S. C. Ter, qs of Subscription: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1921 One Year Six months _ Three months $2.00. $1.00j .50 THTHRAN ON TAXES. I In his speech to the House of Rep resentatives, on taking his seat as Speaker, Mr. Thomas P. Cothran, of Greenville, had a good deal to say about taxation which is interesting to those who have been paying enor mous tax burdens and to those as well who have been assessed the same burdens, but who have not paid. Speaker Cothran calls attention to the fact that as late as 1908,?just twelve years ago,?he introduced a J resolution providing for a constitu tional limit to appropriations of $1, 250,000. The appropriations for 1920 amounted to $6,000,000, nearly five | 5 ties-what was then thought to be aj proper limit, and this year the legis lators are asked to appropriate $9, 000,000. Notwithstanding the many new government agencies and enter prises which have come into existence since 1908, the Speaker believes we may still limit appropriations to $5, 000,000 and keep within the limit, i Speaker Cothran also calls atten tion to the fact that as long as the levy is statewide, the people do not have an interest in seeing that prop erty is equitably assessed. He advo cates, as the Press and Banner has been advocating for several years, i measures which would provide for the J assessment and collection of a proper pro rau of the taxes by each com-j munity. He believes that the amount! nf thp stttp annronriations which Ab- i beville County should pay should be fixed; and that in turn the amounti f I which the several townships, or school j districts of the county should pay,! should be fixed, and that the local j communities should then assess all | the property of their several commu-1 nities and levy a tax sufficient to i laise the part assigned to each par- \ ticular community. There is no doubt, as the Speaker takes great pains to warn the mem bers, that there is an insistent de mand that the burdens of taxation shall be lessened. Any just measures looking to that end will have the sup- , port of thoughtful people. ( We still believe tljat if Abbeville . County were required to pay a cer tain proportion 01 tne state appropri ations, instead of having a levy of j so many mills common over the whole state, the assessment of property would be more nearly equit- . able. Every taxpayer, in that event, would have a more di- , rect interest in seeing that his \ neighbor returned his property for . taxation at a value corresponding to i the valuations placed on other prop- | erty, as Mr. Cothran says. Every tax payer, seeing that every other tax- 1 payer in his district was paying on an equitable assessment, would be ,t'ne more willing to assume his just burdens of the government charges, and would return his property at Xhe same percentage as that at which his j reighbors' property is assessed. 1920?1921. TVip Olrl Ypar nnpnpd in a hlnzp of almost limitless activity and prosper ity. Farmers and mechanics were as prosperous as merchants and manu facturers. The demand for labor ex ceeded the supply. No one who want ed to work lacked the opportunity. The Old Year ends, and the New Year will open, with many people out of employment, wkh stagnation everywhere as compared with the ac tivity of twelve months ago; but it is in the power of the American people to make the New Year, before it clos es, show prosperity as wide and em ployment as general as was the con dition twelve months ago. Inherently every condition justi fies optimism and activity. We have had no epidemics of disease to sweep over the land, no drought to destroy our crops, no floods to wash away railroads and bridges, and no earth quakes to shatter down our struct ures; we have simply been suffei'ing from the unwise action of men in fin ancial leadership wholly incompetent for their task. We have been paying the penalty for the nation's cowardly surrender in 1916 to the railroad brotherhoods, which inaugurated an era of turmoil and unrest in labor and created the impression in the minds of millions of people that they had a right to bring on a revolution and demand tha all of their wishes be fulfilled just as the the railroad men had accomplish ed their aims by the nation's coward ly breakdown when the pistol was held at the head of Congress and the Administration. But- we can put all these things be hind us. We have raised abundant crops, our barns are bursting with r>f frinH anrl fppH. The shelves of the world are bare of the things that we can produce and have in abundance. We only need courage under the leadership of the hour to go forward to a greater prosperity than that which ushered in the year that is now passing out. Then, up with the spirit of opti mism! down with the spirit of pessi mism! Let all Americans unite for the upbuilding of the whole country, for putting aside class hatred, for the greatest efficiency in work and the largest pay which the business can stand, for suppressing graft and hon oring honesty, for that patriotism which can find expression in working or the business advancement of the country as wholesouledly as it work ed for the saving of the nation from barbarism. The future is ours; the opportuni T- it-- i ties limitless, it we maxe tne must ui the situation, the coming year wil! bring an abundance of prosperity to eery section and to every industry. Put your shoulder to the wheel!? Manufacturers Record. SIGNS OF THE FINANCIAL TIMES Financial retropects and forecasts at the end of the year reveal an un usual conflict of factors. In The An nalist Mr. Noyes reviews the war years with the conclusion that most expectations were disappointed, and in no year more markedly than in 1920. No one foresaw that its for eign trade would be unexpectedly good, while its domestic trade was more or lesfe discouraging. The two J trades are so interrelated that neither can thrive without the other, and there is doubt how far the politicians will allow freedom of action to the economic factors. Dr. Anderson com putes that the ratio of foreign trade to domestic rose from 10.7 per cent, in 1914 to 10.3 per cent, in 1919. The ratio is probably larger in 1920, and in 1921 conditions call for a policy of encouraging the world to pay its debts to us. Rather there are signs of a disposition to antagonize those who would pay us in goods. Also there is an inclination to establish a merchant marine, not tfy goodness and cheap .ess of service, but by cripping those who would compete with us in world service. On the other hand there is distinct encouragement in the prospect that the money market of 1921 will re verse that of 1920. Our banking sys tem has managed its affairs so wisely that it was stronger at the year end than at the previous New Year. Therefore it can afford to release funds for productive purposes, so far as it judges that to be wise, since the occasion for controlling credit has passed its crisis. There is a better outlook for the railroads. Labor and ai c gj?jug vi j ing as profits and wages decline to gether. That is better than quarrel ing over the division of excess pro fits and wages too high to be earned or paid under normal condition. The nation's income may be less, yet a larger share of it may be saved than when thrift was despised and even the poor set examples of extrava gance. In economics as in politics we are at a sort of interregnum, where high and low, great and small, are free to make up their own minds. The man of small means who sees his way through hia own affairs and acts with decision and courage will contribute to the general welfare perhaps even - . ,1 more than those who are perpiexea by the breadth and complexity of their undertakings.?New York times. NEW YORK VISITORS I Mr. and Mrs. John Hill, who are here from New York on a visit to home folks, are the guests this week of Mr. and Mrs. D. H. Hill on Ellis street. j I DELPH McDILL AN EDITOR | i It has been our pleasure to see an pdvance sheet of the Columbia Dis trict Astonisher, a small newspaper gotten out by the District office of the Southern Cotton Oil Company at Columbia. This paper circulates a mong the employees of this big con cern and Abbeville people will be pleased to know that Delph McDill is the editor of it. Every line in it is bright and sparkling, the good jokes among the men are well told, the poetry is along original lines, the skits are bright, and the paper as a whole must be a welcome addition to the life of the "S. C. 0. C. 0.," people. The office at Memphis has had a paper for a year but it has had to c?Qr?rv>-> rJ nlono cin/?o fVin A cf ATllvVlOT ! tai\t OtWJIU puvv WtIV has made its appearance. The design for the front page is unique in the extreme, bearing the letters S. C. 0. C. 0. each succeeding letter smaller than the othSr which makes the design appear a series of half circles with a straight line across the center. It is airartistic af fair. The Astonisher will be issued twice a month. Mr. McDill is to be congratulated on his success as an editor. NOT BY HIMSELF. (The Columbia District Astonisher.) A concern in Columbia recently received from one of its debtors the following letter: "Dear Sir:?I receive your letter about what I owes you. Now be pa chent. I ain't forgot you and soon as folks pay me I'll pay you, but if this was judgment day and you no more prepared to meet your uod than l am to meet your account then you sho going to hell. "Good by, "R. E. C." LARGE CROWDS ATTENDING SERVICES The evangelistic services being conducted in the Baptist Church every morning and every evening are attracting large congregations. Dr. B. B. Bailey of Shelbyville, Ken tucky, is doing the preaching, and his sermons are not only clear ex positions of the Gospel of the Christ, but are couched in the most chaste and beautiful language. They are so simple that a child may understand, yet they manifest the deepest thought and most reverent study. Abbeville church goers are fortunate in being able to hear Dr. Bailey. The services will continue for about a week longer. house in the United States run en tirely by women, with women as heads of all departments is located in New York city in connection with the National Board of the Y. W. C A. STATEMENT OF THE CONDITION BRANCH OF THE BANK OF MT. CARMEL located at Calhoun Falls, S. C., at the close of business December 31, 1920: RESOURCES Loans and Discounts $40,752.51 Overdrafts 734.27 Currency 3,398.00 Gold 35.00 Silver and other Minor Coin 853.36 Checks and Cash Items _ 164.00 TOTAL $45,937.14 Undivided Profits, less Cur rent Expenses and Tax es Paid 2,962.66 Due to Banks and Bankers 14,119.57 Tv>/]iiM/]un1 nnnci f c subject-to check $27,493.39 Savings deposits 1,276.93 Cashier's Checks 104.59 28,854.91 TOTAL $45,937.14 State of South Carolina, County of Abbeville. Before me came H. W. Lawson, Cashier of the above named bank, who being duly sworn, says that the above and foregoing statement is a true condition of said bank, as shown by books or said oanK. H. W. LAWSON. Sworn to and subscribed before me this 3rd day of January 192L JOSEPH HICKS, Notary Public. Correct Attest: B. F. MAULDIN, J. W. MORRAH, W. H. HORTON, Directors. FIVE DOLLARS FOR A NAME I The McMurray Drug Company is going to give away some genuine money and every child in the county who goes to school can enter this contest get this five dollars. The McMurray people are to open up their music parlor soon and they want a short, snappy, bright name for the parlor and they will give five dollars in gold to the school child who submits the best name. A school can enter the contest as a whole and ten dollars on the purchase price of a Victrola will be given. Competent judges will award the prize and an nouncement will be made shortly af ter the first of. February when the contest closes. Think up an attractive name, send it in and get this five dol ars in gold. NEWS FROM THE WM. H. COBB COMPANY Mr. Wm. H. Coob has been in Ab beville for several days looking over his business at this place. Mr. R. E. Henry, who has been in charge at Abbeville, has been promoted and will go to Columbia to take charge . of the store there. W. C. Hoyer will come to Abbeville and be head man at the store here. Mr. Hoyer ha3 been in Columbia for several years and is an experienced business man. His wife will come to Abbeville be fore the fir\ of February. Miss Em- : ma Harris will have charge of the store until Mr. Hoyer arrives. Mr. and Mrs. Henry have made I many friends in Abbeville, who con gratulate them on this promotion and wish them every happiness in their new home. WAS NOT PUNISHED FOR MAKING OUT BILLS ON SUNDAY New York, Jan. 11.?An attempt to punish a man for making out bills on Sunday failed here today when H. B. Divorsky, a manufactu rer, was discharged in Jefferson Market court. "There is no such thing as a 'Sun day blue law' and a man has a right to work in his office on Sunday so long as he is not engaged in the sale of merchandise," ruled Magistrate Sweetser. Eventua Why N< W. P. MARTir Gospel Singer at the I Church. Special .Service The EVENING WEDDINGS BANNED BY A PITTSBURG PREACHER Pittsburg, Jan. 11.?Evening wed 3ings at Calvary Protestant Episco pal church here are banned, under an >rder of Rev. E. J. Van Eteen, the pastor, made public today. This ac ;ion conforms with Rev. Eteen's New dear's sermon, when in a review of ;he times, he paid much attention to ;vening gowns worn by women. He :ommented on the "lack of decorum jften /manifested," and said that some of the gowns did not conform with the sacred character of mar riage. PROPER GANDER PLEASES / We have received a copy of Prop er Gander as gotton out by the class )f 1920 of the Abbeville high school, [t is very creditable and we know ;hat as soon as we can find time we will enjoy reading the book. We had loped that the publication would ?ive a little more of the history of ;he Abbeville schools, and bring the history on down, but in looking over the book hurriedly we fail to find just the sort of history that we ex pected, and the book is more of what the colleges call an anuual, and is very creditable to the class of 1920. A.nd in this respect it is well gotten up. We hope to find time to read some of the articles more carefully, they seem worth while.?New berry Herald and News. Hnlil Vn. I llvlU IVI FOR :: HIGH Conservative on Cotton Co M. B. WAT: Cotton Factor Greenville, Jly= >t Now? The avobe is the intr miliar Advertisem It is very pertinent q ble to more thing Eventually you expec Church attendant. Eventually you expe tive Christian. \A Eventually you expe< ru'iiuoi \siuan. vcntually you expe< Why not now? vcntually you expe Christ. Why not ventiicilly you expe not now? Behold NOW is the hold NOW is the 2 Cor. 6:2. \n invitation is exte services at the Ba unite with the J Church. :s Twice Daily Nc Baptist Ch ? MILLION DOLLAR BONUS GIVEN EMPLOYES OF DODGES Detroit, Jan. 11.?Distribution of bonuses totalling in excess of $1, 000,000 to employees of the Dodge Brothers Motor Car Company, was made yesterday. The bonus is in the form of liberty bonds and all shop and office workers employed by the company five years or more are in cluded in the disbursement. The bo nus amounts to from 10 to 15 per cent of a years salary and is similar to one paid a year ago. FRESH PORK DROPS 2 TO 4 CENTS POUND IN CHICAGO nL.* T 1 1 oiricBgu, j an. J.J.,?x-acsui put h. dropped in 'price today 2 to 4 cents a pound, making the total fall for loins 10 cents a pound so far this year. Loins were quoted wholesale at 17 cents to 22 cents a pound. Big receipts of hogs here today 75,000 head, and an equal number yesterday, were responsible for the break in prices. A SURE SIGN. According to the calender we can still expect several weeks of winter weather, but spring is on the way, a sure sign being the many games of marbles which have been played on the sidewalks and in the yards for the last few days. ' ir Cotton ER :: PRICES Loans Made i . nsignea ro us. son & CO. *s and Brokers S. Carolina I oduclory to a very fa lent. [uestion. It is applica s than one. )t to become a regular Why not now? ct to become an ac ,'hy not now? ct to join a Sunday ly not now? ct to join the Church. ct lo openly confess now? ct to he saved. Why ; accepted time; be day of salvation."? nded you to attend ptist Church; and to Sunday School and ( N Being Held V urch