Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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SOUTH'S COMMANDING POSITION ! IN THE COTTON MILL INDUSTRY Map of Southern Railway lines showing location of cotton mills, each dot indicating 10,000 cotton spindles. "Washington, D. C.-(Special.)-The commanding position of the South with respect to the cotton mill industry is graphically shown by figures and a map presented in the annual report of Southern Railway Company for the fiscal year ended June 30th, 1916. "A notable feature of Southern manufacturing development,** says President Fairfax Harrison in the report, "Is the rate at which the consumption of cotton, one of the principal raw materials of the South, has increased in i Solchem mills. United States census figures show that in the twelve months ended July 31, 1916, the mills of the South consumed 3,526,787 bales, as compared with 3,026,969 bales last year, an increase of 499,818 bales, or 16.51 per cent. The mills of all other States consumed 2,S69,185 bales in the twelve months'this year, as compared with 2,570,393 bales last year, an increase of 298,792 bales, or 11.62 per cent Fully seventy-five per cent of the cotton spindles of the South are in mills along the lines of Southern Railway Company and its associated companies." HANDLING OF U. S. TROOPS i WAS BEST IN ALL HISTORY Report Of Quartermaster General Com pliments American Railways. MILITIA MOVED PROMPTLY Splendid Results Attained by Cordial Co-Operation of Railway Em ployees a.:'' Officials With of the U. S. Army, w?icn nas just been made public. On behalf of the railways, super ?vision of moving the troops was in the hands of a special Committee on Co-operation with the Military Author ities appointed by the American Rail way Association, at the request of thc War Department, . and composed of Fairfax Harrison, president of the -Southern Railway, chairman; R. H. Aishton, president of the Chicago and Northwestern Railway; A. W. Thomp son, vice president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad; W. G. Besler, pres ident of the Central Railroad of New Jersey. The report tells of the uniformly excellent handling given troops and supplies through the co-operation of railway officials and employees of ev ery rank with the War Department officials. It states that to carry the first 100,000 of the National Guard moved to the border, 350 trains, which, if combined, would have been nearly BO mites long, were required, and that they included 3,000 passenger cars, 400 baggage cars, most of them equip ped as kitchen cars for serving hot meals en route, 1,300 box cars, 2,000 stock cars, and 800 flat cars. Approx imately 4,900 road locomotives and crews had a part in handling this movement, in addition to a large num ber of yard engines and crews. I Striking sentences from the report are as follows: "Considering the great distances traveled by the militia from the vari ous camps to the Mexican border, the fact that there was but a single ac cident, and that of a minor character, the celerity with which the trains were moved and the entire absence of congestion or delay, it is believed that there has been no case in history .where troops have been as well and safely transported or as well cared for while en route as in the recent mob ilization." "Every assistance possible was ren dered the Government by officials and employees of all railroads concerned, from the presidents of the companies down to the minor employees." "Although the movement of the Or ganized Militia to the border came at a time when the commercial traf fic on railroads of the United States was the largest in years, the trans portation of the militia was performed .with very little interference with reg ular train service and with no conges tion whatever, either at initial or ter minal points or en route." "It is, of course, impossible to com pare the concentration of .the United States Militia on the Mexican border with the mobilization in Europe in the summer of 1914. In Europe all elvi! ?trafflo was stopped and the entire railroad system given over to the mi? itary movement. The distances in volved in this movement of the Or ganized Militia are very much greater than those in Europe, the longest run in the German Empire, from one fron tier to the other, being about 700 miles and those in France much 'less. The distances traveled by the militia or ganizations of the United States vary from 60S miles, in the case of the Louisiana troops, to 2,916 miles in the case of the Connecticut troops. The majority of these troops came from North and Northeastern States and were carried over 2,000 miles; In mos* cases in remarirnhly fast time. pidity." FREIGHT SUMS PAID PROMPTLY SAYS HARLAN Member Of Interstate Commerce Com mission Praises The Railroads. NOCAUSEFORJUSTCRITICISM Mr. Harlan Tells Freight Claim Asso ciation of Surprise of Commission at Excellent Showing as to Prompt 3ayments Washington, D. C.-(Special.) Where the claims of shippers against railroads are well founded they are paid promptly, declared Commissioner James S. Harlan of the Interstate Commerce Commission to the mem bers of the Freight Claim Association in an address in which he told of an investigation made by the Commission and the surprise of its members at the excellent showing as to prompt payments made by the railroads. "Before taking my seat," said Mr. Harlan, "I wish to make a very frank confession. During the course of my ten years service on the Commission so many complaints had come to me of the delay in the payment by car riers of the claims of shippers that I had come to think that the matter of claim adjustments was a very weak spot in our railroad administration. I was, therefore, particularly interest ed in the suggestion that interroga tions should be addressed by the com mission to the carriers for the purpose of ascertaining, among other things, the length of time taken by them in settling the claims of shippers. "The results that were tabulated by the commission on the answers return ed by the carriers about a year ago were so surprising to me and to my colleagues and were considered by us of such importance that we at once re ported the facts to the Congress as useful public information. I wish to congratulate the association on the showing made. "The trouble with us was that we had made no distinction between claims that had been declined or that wero without merit and therefore still pending, and claims that were well founded and had been promptly ad justed. "The shipping public should know that instead of being a weak spot in the railroad service, the work of your association has been so systematized as practically to eliminate all reason able and fair criticism CLOSE MARGIN OF PROFIT IN OPERATION OF RAILWAY Large Amount Of Capital Risked Fur Very Small Returns C ny*s history the net operating income ($21,004,005.09) represented only 5.31 per cent on the investment ($395,722, 785.06) in the railroad and equipment which produced it "It may perhaps be said," said Mr. Harrison, "that there is no industry ex cept a railroad in which so large a capital is risked for such a return in its most successful year." At a time when the newspapers dal ly are printing articles in regard to increasing railroad gross earnings, as indicating a rising tide of general prosperity, it is well to bear in mind the very small return on money in vested in railroad property. Many persons are misled into believ ing that the railroads are fabulously prosperous by the mere size of the fig ures in which the earnings of large railroads are expressed, but it should be remembered that an enormous sum of money was required to construct and equip their plants and that the return on each dollar invested is rela tively small. lt is manifestly in the interest of the employees of a railroad and of the public served that the railroad secure new capital for additions and improvements to its plant so that it may give better service and offer en larged employment However, this can be accomplished only by allowing the railroad to earn an amount on the capital already invested sufficient to promise a return on the additional capital desired. Governmental agencies may depress rates and enact restrictive legislation which will deprive the man who has already invested in railroads of a fair return on his investment, but no plan bas been devised for forcing ?he maa with money in the bank to put it into railroad construction or improve ment Unless the investment appears attractive to him and offers a fair return he will put his money In some enterprise that cannot be affected by governmental agencies. Bvery employee of the Southern Railway and every shipper served by it who recognizes his true interest will do what he can to insure such a re turn on the capital now invested in the Southern Railway as will make the securities of the Company more at traotlve to investors, so the Company will be able to secure the additional capital needed to carry on a consist ently constructive p;ogram which will mean increased prosperity for every interest in the tem.' y served by it-> Southern News Bi INAUGURATION OF The "South Carolina's nauguration Special" will leave Columbia by the South ern Railway System on March ord at 7:30 P. M., arriving at Washington Sunday morning. Returning, leave Washington on Tuesday night, March 6th, arriving in Columbia Wednesday merning. Passengers will be taken on at Winnsboro, Chester and Rock Hill, and the train will be consolidated at Charlotte with the train from Greenville, having the delegation from Greenwood, Anderson, Greenville and Spartan burg. Governor Manning and staff Las selected the Southern Railway System as the official ro.Ue to Wash ington on this great occasion, and the trip will be made on the "South Carolina's Inaugural Special." Those wishing to remain longer in Washington may do so, as the special round trip tickets will also be sold for all regular trains, Mandi 1st to 4th, with final limit returning to reach original starting point by March 10th. Extension may be had until April 10th by depositing ticket and paying a fee of one dollar. The Round-Trip Fare from Edgefield will be $17.40 Pullman Lower Berth $3.00 in each direction from Columbia Fares in proportion from other points The Southern Railway System is making unusual preparation for handling the large travel expected to attend the Inauguration, and is prepared to render better service than ever before, owing to the double track and electric block signal system, which has been completed, and is now in operation practi cally all the way from Charlotte to Washington. Pullman reservations are now being booked for both directions at City Office of the Southern, 1300 Main street, Columbia, and those expecting to make the trip are urged to apply at once for same. Hotel and boarding house accommodations are also being secured for those desiring it. For further information and reservations apply to local agents or direct to S. H. McLean, District Passenger Agent, Columbia, S. C. "?ATI0N PLANTER . Will plant any distance apart or in the and ; guaranteed not to miss ; has a revolv itor. A simr1!*1 lat has PRICE $15.00 -SOLD BY Southern Planter Company, Columbia Derrick Brothers, Johnston W. W. Adams k Company, Edgefield Holman-Cullum Hardware Co., Batesburg P. C. STEVENS, Representative , ;':::! Hardware of all Kinds We want our Edgefield friends, particularly our farmer friends, to know that we carry a large stock of Hardware of all kinds, and can always supply their?needs. It matters not what you need for the farm in the way of hard ware or agricultural implements we have it for you. Buy your plow steels, hames, traeej, plow stocks, Bl etc., of us and let us save you money It mattersjnot what you need in hardware, we'can supply your needs. If you have any building to do, come in and let us figure with you on the hard ware needed. We buy nails, hinges, locks in large quantities and can make very low prices. It will always be a pleasure for us to serve you. If we haven't what you want we will order it out at once. By trading with us you get the benefit of our large buying facilities. Hardware Department of E. M. Andrews Furniture Company 1289 Broad Street Augusta, Georgia 5?S .. ia I