Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, October 21, 1921, Image 1
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P\J nj[ ' \*rj C^"'' ? 3 S2:K,. WEEKLY. i
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l. m. grist's sons, Publisher,. % ^jamilg IJcirs payer: ,t'or the promotion of the political, ?ocjalt Igrirultural and Commercial Interests of the JJeopty. ? TER^S^BcoPY,EriviNc?TO^NCE
ESTABLISHED 1855 YORK, S. C., FRIDA.Y, OCTOBER 21, 1921. 1STO. 84
VIEWS AND INTERVIEWS
Brie! Local Paragraphs o! Here or
Less Inlcrest.
PICKED DP BY ENQDIKER REPORTERS
Stories Concerning Folks and Things,
Some of Which Ycu Know and
Some You Don't Know?Condensed
For Quick Reading.
Sam H. Pratt is regarded as one of
the best judges of horseflesh and
horse nature in all this section and he
loves good horses and intelligent
ho \ses. "That Howe's show in Yorkville
Monday," he said, "had the finest
and best trained horses I ever saw
anywhere in the entire country."
Weevil Cuts Education.
"The* boll weevil has cut ofT the
education of many a South Carolina
boy living below Columbia this year,"
said the head of one of the largest
South Carolina colleges to whom
Views and Interviews was talking the
other day. "The number of boys and
girls attending colleges and fitting
schools this year from the down state
section is nothing like as great as it
was last year because the crops on
which they depended have been a
failure by reason of the boll weevil.
Thus you see the weevil has his bad j
effect on every line of industry and
endeavor."
Guineas to Get Weevils.
"I'm going to require every family
on my lands next year to raise a flock
of guineas to eat boll weevils," said
J. L. Rniney of Sharon, one of the
largest landowners in western York
county who was talking about the boll !
weevil the other afternoon. "Guineas,"
said Mr. Rainey, "are noted destroyers
of insects. They not only pick them
up from the ground but they actually
fly into the air in pursuit of winged
insects and I have a notion that they
will destroy lots of weevils. I'm going
to try out the plan thoroughly anyhow."
Trying for Prise.
"Union school is going to take a try
for the first prize of $40 offered by thej
State School Improvement Association
for the greatest school improv< ment,"
sua i ruirian I nunKmnou, a irusivc "i
Union School on York Xo. (i, who was
in YorkviU"? yesterday and who talked
ahout his school. "We have doubhd
our enrollni -.it; erected a new build
ing which is a (1 filled improvement
over the old rhack we fonncr'y had
We now employ two tcaclurs \vh< <
we used to have one ttnd in fact we
hardly know ourselves. We have a
photograph of tin- old building and we
are going to have a photograph mad
of the new building to compare. We
may not win that prize but we are going
to be found trying.
Troubled by Solicitors.
"Had a visit from a magazine agent
this morning," said a Yo-kville lady.
"You hear about women being gr at
talkers; but I couldn't get in a word
against that young man. He said lawas
selling inscriptions to magazines
to get money to go to college and he
p'eaded so hard and so long that the
only way I could g. t rid of him was lo
give him a dollar. Lots of them >:c? m
to be working this territory just now
and I expect most of tin in are fakirs. I
r< number that 1 did g? t a chance to
toll tins smooth young man that 1
doubted very much if i ever saw the
magazine. He laughed and said something
about my not having confidence
.11 him and promised u> s< no mo magazine.
] guess I'll know positively a
month from now."
Pdost Cotton Ginned.
"Jim" Hope, well kiuwn merchant
and cotton buyer of Sharon, beiiews
that ;.t least "ft per cent, of thij year's
cotton crop in his section has already
been pieked and ginned. "1 don't
think there is any doubt about it."'
said Mr. Hope Tin sday. "For instance
this afternoon T have asked the first
fifteen farmers who dropped into my
store the number of bans they expect
to make and the number that they
have >?t to gin. I kept the record ;iti?!
these figures show you t!io total number
of boles each will make and the
amount of that total yet to be ginned;
Already Ginned Yet to Gin.
X 1
ft 2
L'ft ft
:? i
1-i !?
r, "j
r. s
2ft i <>
Co jr.
2-S ft
n . :j
1.5 2
i r?
1 f, 4
p. ?
27ft 77
Recollections cf the Itch.
"Sec by The Krniuircr the itch is
potting around." said a man yesfer
day. "lidicw lue. anybody who has
that thine, has my sympathy heeat::I
have bron there.
'I went to l!?:tha ny Hiuh .saline! nnr
yoar in this days whin it was a c>?rf!'.to:;li<
:ta! institution and it t?l
I couple of dormitories.
"Tlr- itch broke out there n'om; in
late fall and b?>?!i the hoys and u..\\
had it. There are lots of tin ni in Void
county who will no doubt mini nib r it.
"We used sulphur and lard and ho?
- .t. i- and cold water and every kind
' df salve imaginable.
One of the-teachers gut it. Tie was
bald jit vl. (1 and that itch fret into the
bald p'a" <>n ill" tup < I' lii.s head.
*-.\!sny,n lime I've .s i rn l;!in scratch
his land as he stood at the blackboard
oxp*ainin:j some problem. Then thwhole
school would break out in a
priKgl" and it would often be necessary
to dismiss the class.
"One who lias the itch has trouble
ja plenty and no mistake about that.".
Leaving the Frrm.
Vic Martin v.no \vj:i ne remcmnerod
l>y many York county i>oo;>lo as tbo
star li l'tfiekior for the American I-rgion
baseball team of Yorkville, the
past summer and who has recently
sold his farm near Yorkville. as already
announced in The Yorkville
Knquirer is going to quit farming1. "I
don't know just what sort of business
I am going into," said Martin the
other'day; "but I have made *up my
mind to quit farming for a while at
least. There has been good money in
i it; hut now with the coming of the
boll weevil f don't see much ahead for
several rears at least and 1 am going
to get out of it and into something
else." Martin said be would probably
go lir.rk to his old home at Cowpens.
Over Supply of Sweet Potatoes.
"Sweet potatoes stem to lie a drug
on the Yorkville market," said Tucs|
day a farmer v.-ho brought twenty|
five bushels into town to sell and who
j couldn't do it. "I tried every store in
town this morning and every one of
them was already well supplied with
potatoes. If York county farmers are
| going in for the culture of sweet
| potatoes on a big scale some arrangements
are going to have to lie made
for the sale of tliena. No doubt there
arc m.tnv cities within n radius ef loO
miles of here that would he plad lo
h;uc all we York county farmers have 1
if they only knew about it." Also, if
this farmer should have potatoes for
sale in February next, he will have 1
no trouble (incHmr buyers.
FIGHT FOR ASSOCIATE JUSTICE.
Fight Will Bo Renewed at Opening ot
1922 Session.
The race for tin- vacant associate
justiceship of the supreme court, with It
was suspended in a deadlock at the t nd '
"f the 1921 general assembly, wi'l 1>?ren
-wed with the same four candidal s;
!i the race at the o]h nlny oi the 1922
leva is tor 'v wen in the rtinuiivr at
the close of the 1921 session, according,
to indications at this timr, says a C>h.inhi
i dispaich. It is stated that i
fri oris of th four candidates who j
were left in th<* race at the v/tndb r? up
t! v last tefjislativi session will put
: rward name names next year.
.! t_'.: t r, who was I a 1:11 , in the
hen tin list '? ?: latnre adj ?urn
d. will be stronjr'y rupporte.l next
January wh< a the billotin^: is renewed.]
Itcp:> s: ntativ- J. C. Krarse of ikimber:f.
.vho v;:s c'**. (Yrbr's cnm|::ltjn
:r.:iii:iir, it. .: i.. ('oltiiiibi.'l recently. '
that ills candidate wou'd be strongly
tirj.-d again year.
i'ri ads of Senator J. II. Marion of
Clioaii r, who stood second in tho race
when the I'd legislature adjourned
hare Ik< n at wojk for their man and
will uri: his election next year.
c; 21 ral M. b. i: mhr.ni of Anderson,
who stood third in the race when the
eotin.; : topped, v i.l a "so be in the race
agihi. it is known that strong ? fforts
have been muds recently to line n|>
supporters in advane for him. lli.s
i i*-lids and race leaders have In en i;
communication vith ir.emhcra of the
general as-a nibly in iig.trd to Ids raillidacy
and this will lie strongly urg d 1
next year. j
No <1 Unite news has come from supporters
of Judge Siiipp of Florence,
who stood fourth in the race lav
spring, bat it is stated that this c Mididate
\\iiI also likely receive a strong
vote on tl. Hist billot in li'JJ.
Tlit i i.; c.'r. adv talk of pians to
break 111" d adloi !; that existed
through two More ballots during th<
1 It J1 g: in 1 jiss' mldy. It is probable
that a "diik hers,-" will be nominated.!
The L* session will .start with the
?! : ?11'?* ! :. though s<>ui?* action of
I!: j at .i s. in 1*1 y m:iy bo tnk.-n to
bring about .1 solution of the puzzle.
Xtninjy in which sharp
epithets a rt hurled Marled discussion
nf i'ic i t'road situation Tuesday
iu 111" ii'i'-s . U**prc.vc:it.tliv-* Ulirke
< Uepuhlicaa) i f !\ insylvnnia, a former
railroad iinu, callnl lp"prc: i-ntntiv
l.i utnu 11)> inner i of '!V:<ar who
had Just cnnrltKloil a bitter attack on
I the i . i i :> .1 brotherhoods, "a damned
I liar" .n charging lie- Texas member
J had nvde false statements. ltepreKentativc
I'. .niton leap d to hi.- fe< t. and
denying h* had sm.tui a falsehood,
! shouti d: "Vo.i're a liar." This
j brought tie- retort: "You're a d mned
, liar." fr?.:i Mr. lPakc. faring n?n:'ti.
;ou |. . up. i a hunt l?y numbers
rushing to restrain two ntemb rs
l.'nin ii In... !y dash. .Mr. Ituike shout
d : t Mr. : 1:. it ii: "You're a dirty
do-,'." !: 'i np,- .a nta'ive> later asked
to hi, iin"..* remarks ixniiapd
.Toui t!:e i cord and order v.'.e. ro
In il ;?. < i.i > n:
his j-t <? > 'i < 1 i r ' ? ih.it lli- 1 :i lift' i?l
? llipli.yi iv.-iv i- ii-::.: |.;-.i I"
:!)< ||> llh Willi' 111 m'."- I 1' COIIKI'I ss
"m; In r I !: ; l?*in? !i < ni.in:< V.'<
fiuuiil i 1 I' ll 'i< iri," he !. 'tr< "v. iiV
" .it ii' .- . .'i - it . ' * .jit tin .ii' ihi'M'
million i<l'< nu'ii ritnly i" luki* your
jo! is, ; 1 . -'i u 'tu't iii! i ; v Jl? li
."'i :ir<- tiiv 11 in-- iitu'k t" work."
A -I-.;-: '.h-' ?!;< i i'. { v. ill lliir.i
\V ' !' t-.iv.-if > . .ii I ??s
(!(> u'ii .Mr. 1'.;- : ! .1 !lint
' i'r? ; !( :M I' . l* : ! i wnii'l tl'.ii-lili
'n 'ii ; :i v. h . I.. I i . <1
in." Mr. I'urSce, former* > .m active
on ?:! - r ?.! 'lip : -i ' li;-oi!u i :i--o I,
tin'!-; i \ -. i: ,i --inliy to lifjl'"' s
j'i? t' il Ii*. M . i:..iiit-ni ;i: i p.i s ntiiif?
tin- in- Mii'y v..?;4 '-1 r:iili-i ::il work* ?-s.
j.-iiid in thi:; connection ch-irgod the
j Tc.vir member with making false
| si.it.-mm#
MUSCLE SHOALS PROBLEM
Allow Properly (o go to Waste or,
Give it to Henry Ford.
PROPOSED SALE Fl'LLY EXPLAINED
, , i
If Government Does Not Sell Prop- j
erty All its Great Investment will j
bo Lost, Out Powerful Interests
would Rather Have That Than See
j Ford Get It.
Washington Herald.
Should the rniteil States spend j
i somewhere in the neighborhood of j
$30,000,000 and render itnc'.f free from
the necessity of having to rely on
Chile for its supply of nitrates which
j ere the basis for wartime explosives
j and/ pearctime food? In other words,
whfit is to happen to Muscle Shoals?
Under the control of the war departi
merit, it is proving a rather vexing
| question, only one hid on the plant
{ having been so far received which
could In any sense be considered to:
| have the requisite financial backing.
Probably no public work of prime
importance, to compare with this pro;
jeet has l.c i: so maligned or so little
understood by the general public. We
I kp.ow we spent a lot of money during
I the war and the suggestion has been
made that the whole project ho aban- I
?--- -> 1 4.. I
ilone-a anu inc iocs rnaii "
expenditures, just as the airplane and
fhip lasses have been v.'ipcd out. Some
lew people, believing it all wasted,
really advocate such a ste p. It would
be a wave error. We have a mighty
baby which needs nothing more than
nr expert trained business nurse and
. (?mp financial milk to grow into splendid
manhood.
The facts .ue that the government
lira a plant of marvelous potentialities
in Muscle Shoals, ready to use. In
fact it has been used and produced
I free nitrogen, the basis of nitric arid
which in turn in the prime need in
1 nth the fertilizer and the explosive
field. This ; hint operation was accomplished
using steam power from a
, lant equipped with 1.0.000 horsepower
in steam boi er.s. With the completion
of the dam. and the coming of
cheaper power, the eost of producing
vo'ild lie cut almost in half.
A two weeks' test run of the plant
with fteam power showed that lime nit-ogen
cotild be r ed.. ed, when the j
;>!:'( : o;u r. Ii 1 : .'a , . r c ill. eapsc- |
. : i i t-o-: if $'57..Vi p. r ion. The
cKiimrt <1 . for pioducin? with the
plant running,.!; full rapacity, turning
out 222 00 i tons per year, under steam
,?ov.Tr. god dov.n to SCS per Ion. Tiiis
In tie:* 11; ore i::;< s a power eost of .0042
??nts ; ? ! kilowatt hour. With the
e<>! iph tion of the dam. the estimated
( st of a kilowatt hour of power is
put : t .0007." rents, which would cut
ill" eost of the fertilizer to about $30 j
!.el' Ion.
Investigation committees of engi-{
nrcrs an I busine s nien from both the!
American Farm llurcnu Federation
in? the Mississippi V: lley association
examined Muscle Shoals. Their rot-eta
show tli.at tlie condition existing
:s approximately this.
All t ilil the go*-, iv.:no::t has spout ;
oil the projcet a total of f 1i "i.121,L'S3.51.
This anioitnt is divid <1 into expend!- .
tints rp to Jtir.i' 30, 1920. for Nitrate
!'!: :it No. 1 $13,VS|,:.r.7.12 (and this
>'aint has never been use!, or. account >
of the greater safety of Uio process for
nitrogen fixation used in I'lant No 2);
a Nlti.'itc I'lant No. 2 $ti0.67(i.SS!),06 1
and 0:1 the (Jorvas Steam Station, in- 1
1 lulling transntission lines and sub-j
tat'ons (for ;0,i:0t> lmr.se power), j
: 7'i.7' L'.:;3. On the big ('am, known as
No. 2, or Wilson Darn, there has been 1
t or pledged about $17,y'i0:000.
The Tennessee I liver at Muscle
Shoals !s about as large as the Ohio
liiv- r at. Cincinnati. or the Mississippi
at |)tibiii|tie, or the I'otoniae here, cxcept
that I here i*. inore water, because
the river is deeper. More water means :
| more power.
The dam as it row stands blocks
ti c navigation el' tie- l'p|a>r Tennessee
Itiver aid it. tributaries. On these j
streams they are great deposits of;
coal, iron, marble, si- ip, phosphate ,
roek, r.ine. enpjH r and lead, and im|
mease fe.ri: ts of hardwood lumber. |
Tim f i." na\ iiration of the river is
:u ee> ar.v to get the products, badly
needed by the nation, out into places!
win re they pan be I'-od.
< f .. .. 1.... 14
Tin -lti;Mloil . rin viM iij.-'i mm ,
; :tut ;i. t.ii; ?!: ni (v/liitli v.miM
lie- tin- <?ntl i;n- < s? in til" world, l?c*in
' I'm ' h ;i:; anl foot hixh) ,
imild In* onni|?!ot"d. and nhoiit ti'Mi.OOi) j
hor-o;.owo:\ ::t :i Maximum ooiild 1m
rt-hpi-::?I : ( I'm- !o\V Olisi jdiOVO
'iniH'u. Also ih" rivr v.onid math* j
- 'i; id" for na\ motion.
t"o'l.idi ti"ii of tho V.d.son IVim,
lowovor. does not ill": n tllj't 111" prois
linlsln d. \nnth-r dam. further
'|i l!." iv.ir, on Mod No. would h:iVC
in I " lillilt. Id storo w?!"f for lil"
l.*r "r d im. : iiiI. in tini" : 11? tv."iil\v.yo
iIim would listv?- !' i'" i'liiit on
Hi" MiiaHo:- li i!>i:tari( s of tlit* 'IViin".*'S
' . to Sl'd " additional WJlt'T.
T|i"s?' mil" lil'l* li'lilS 111" s".l 11 immmI
:!" iii. in tho mountainous :-tt\inn:i of
""Mirth Carolina :t:iil Ctormn. Thoy
v.o ild ii' I 'i;nc lo l>" linilt until til"
>!< mar 1 for power assumed certain
pmpo:;ionr, rnersitntiii;? t!*.o storage
?>f v.: tor in ir the :nimi < s, to insure
a more rvt n flow at the l i.r dam
downstn am.
Hut, eventually, they would have to
j no up. and that is onra of the reasons
for the lon/7-timc lease of 100 years
which Henry Ford put In his offer to
i the War Department. No one would
1 wish to ta.Kc the risk of handling the 1
proposition over a shorter period of
time, as the history cf water-power
development shows that invariably at
the start, there is an excess of power, |
and later on this excess is absorbed,
and demands for extra power are put
on the Km crating stations. All that
takes time for the development of
factories and industries which will seek
that section because of the cheap power
available.
The ( ost of Dam No. 3, which Ford's '
offer demands be built by the government,
ia placed at *$8,000,000. This 1
figure has aroused a storm of protest '
from various sources, the objection being
made that it is too low. It is pos- '
siblc to estimate engineering costs <
quite closely, as all contractors know, I
but even if this $8,000,000 is a couple :
of million shy, would it not lie better i
to s]>cnd that much more and get I
something for the money?
Just one figure shows the possi- 11
bilitl(-3. In 1919 the United States i
paid Chile $S5,000.000 for nitrates. :
Since 1.S67 we have paid Chile some i
$S21,183,000. Our nitrate demands are doubling
about every ton years, as our
soil gets weaker and weaker. We use ;
about 25 pounds per acre in growing |
.wheat, and get'about fifteen bushels |
of wheat per acre. Belgium uses y
about 240 pounds to the acre and gets ,
about forty-five bushels of wheat, t
When our soil is less rich, fertilizers ,
must make up the deficit if we wish ]
to eat. Should we send our money
outside the country for Chilean ferti- |
lizers? j
For Nitrate Plant No. 2, which cost |
under wartime pressure about $69,000,- |
000 and which has steam power avail- |
able as a reserve to aid water power, j
and for Nitrate Plant No. 1 which cost ,
$1.1,561,000 or so (and which is not he- j
ing used under the present process), w
it is proposed by Mr. Ford to pay the <
government $5,000,000 cash. While ,
this seems like a rmall sum, it must ,
So remembered that tl?e Old Hickory (
power plant, which cost about $S0,- ,
09),000 was sold for $3,500,000 and the ,
..II I'lfrhlc. tn thp tilant. ,
Whereas under the Ford offer, should j
war occur the government would he ,
placed in possession a completely
<<iu<ppvd and operating plant for turn- ,
ir.g out explosives, which would dimi.iate
the large purchase of that com- .
inodlty. .
One has only to consider the ex- j
srenifl" small sums re:'i zed from the'
sales of i amp sites and other war!,
; i' :'t s to appreeiate that ?-"?.(?00.000 is
l out the going rate for property such ! (
as this.
On the other hand, with only $5,- ,
000,0?)0 til d u;> as the capital charge ,
against the plant proper, the cost of ,
producing nitrate is lower than it
w ould be if a greater sum had to be
.safeguarded. Since Ford offers to sell
nitrates at S per cent, above produo- *
lion costs, this means that the farm- 1
or would have the opportunity to buy <
fertilizer more cheaply. Of course '
the nitrates from the plant as it now <
. lands will not he more-thjin a drop in '
She bucket, for it (an produce something
like 200,000 tons per year, and I
the state of Oeorgla alone uses over I
1,000.000 tons. Hut the plants could 1
he enlarged as the power was devel- <
01 ed.
In addition the Ford offer contcm- <
plates paying the entire costs of Dams t
2 and :t, with interest at fi per ^ent. i
hi the money, so that whether Dam '
So. ;{ costs JS.OCO.OOO or not, the en- I
tire cost would be repaid to the gov- I
er.imcnt with interest. I
In all, over a period of 100 years, i
l-'ord would pay Hie government $214,"t
aooo. At th - end of 100 years, there <
would lie going a development of 850,- j
000 horsepower, and the navigation in j
the river for 150 miles would l>e im- |
proved at once, free of cost to the j !
> ountry. There would also be a t
charge <>f $.">3,000 or so per year cull;
out which is now paid for the operation
of canal locks. The number of ;
an. 1 locks would be cut from nine to
two, making shipments much faster,
in addition, Mr. Kurd agrees to pay j
$."..000 each year for repairs and main- j
tenance on the two dams.
The <iu : (ion of the 100-year lease
seems to disturb many people who
otherwise approve the plan heartily.
Rut 100 years is not too long to allow
the amortization of the cost of the |
dams. The power is going to waste j
now, and it would take many years to j
build up an industrial community !
large enough to use the entire amount. |
That means that millions more will
have to be spent in additional faetoriiand
people who invest would want
to be sure that they could spread their
amortizati< n charges over enough
j time to make that amount relatively
sinai! in computing the overhead. Also]
ihex wish to he rurc of their power.
A;; matters are now, tin- government
could sell t||?< |?];tnt lor salvage, which \
would bring little, if : ny, morn than
is ol'i'i-ii'd for il :>s it stand:'. In its
I |.r? ..oi't 1' i in. i' is useful. As salvage
1 lorn apart, am! dismantled. OilO.dOO
worlh of work is thrown a wa y. Opcri
iiiion of tin1 plant 1?y the government*
i w:is rejected |?y the Inst congress. |
i The innintninancc of the plant, in a
\st.and-by" condition is expensive and
impractical. Machinery rusts, despite
care. Improvements in progress will
l>e made, through operation, which j
will lower the cost and make tlie prcsi
ent equipment, in time, obsolete. This i
will only occur through discoveries
i (fontinued on I'tirfe Two)
WHY PRICES STAY HIGH !
Ifie Question is One of Very Many
Complications.
EARNINGS ON DIFFERENT LEVELS'
Farmer In Best Position In That He
Can Always Eat?Readjustment Is
Slow.
By F. J. Haskin.
Washington, D. C.?"Why," demands
nn editor out in the corn belt, "does
the retailer charge from 35 to 40 cents
i pound for pork chops when bogs cost
him only 6 or 7 cents?"
lie is one of a chorus singing different
words to the same tune. A man
down in Oklahoma wants to know why
ie cannot tote enough hides across the
street on his back to buy a pair or
shoes. A man in Georgia wants to
know why cotton enough to make a
tent won't buy an undershirt. And a
farmer in Maryland asks why apples,
such as he fed to his hogs because it
.vould not pay to haul them tc market,
sell f6r five cents each on the fruit
stands.
All of these questions have been
isked many times. They have also
heen loudly answered with the assertion
that retail prices are too high,
.vhich is of course merely begging the
luesjtiun. Sometimes it is added that
:he retailer is a profiteer, which is gen-'
?rally not true and certainly sheds no
ight on the situation.
When the editor's query was laid before
certain' marketing experts in the
government service, it was learned that
:he question is a good deal more complicated
than those who blame the re:ailer,
and let it go at that, ever imagncd.
The department of agriculture is
naking a study of the retail prices of
farm products in all of the principal
\merican cities. It is going to find out
i.thosn wrices are so inordi
lately high and why the farmer gets
juch a small share of the large price:hat
the consumer pays. The government
men do not care to be quoted nor
:o make .any extensive comment until
:his investigation has been completed,
i^ut in the meantime they throw out a
few hints. i
In the first place, they say, don't be
:oo quick to blame the retailer. Retail
prices, probably, are too high, but they
ire not as much too high as you think.
Tlie retailer has been facing a dull
market for a long time now. His great
Red is to turn over his stock. It Is extremely
probable that he would reduce
prices if he could afford to do so, in orler
to stimulate trade. In many cases,
if course, he has done so. The "apors
ire full of bargain sale advertisements.
Vet the average retail prices remain
ligh.
Cost of Retailing High.
This, say the experts, is partly be?ause
the cost of retailing, as a business
operation, is high. Out of the 35
rents that you pay for pork chops, the
retailer must pay, not only the price of
die pork at wholesale, but also the rent
nf his store, tl\e cost of the ice on
which lie kept the pork, the wages of
ilie man who cut it and sold it to you,
:_ ...hint, it n.au u'rnnnml .and
iiie paper m v.m?.w
upkeep of the vehicle In which it was
Jelivered.
The experts do not seem to know
exactly what percentage of the cost of
those pork chops is represented by
each of the elements in its transfer.
That is probably one of the things
their investigation will reveal. But
they think that the price paid for the
pork is less than half of the total cost
of getting it from wholesaler to consumer.
And all of these facts in the
operation have risen in cost. Rent,
wages, ice, paper, gasoline?no one
needs to be told that all of these
things are from 10 to 100 per cent,
higher than they were in 1913.
Remember, too, that with many persons
out of work and money tight, the
retailer is doing a smaller than normal
business. But he still pays the
same rent and he probably has to
maintain about the same staff. Ills
reduction in expenses, in a word, is not
in proportion to his reduction in business.
That means that the cost making
each sale is higher than it would i
be if he were doing a big business. If
the butcher only sold one pound of
pork chops in a day, he wou'd have to
get $10 or ?15 for it in order to break
even.
As a matter of fact the profiteering
ictailer is probably a rare bird just
now. A few of them are perhaps making
large profits by sticking to wartime
prices; but many more of them
are only hoping to make expenses until
better times come along.
The difficulty, explains an expert,
lies in the fact that retail prices,
wages, and farmers' earnings are all,
on different levels. In order that our
clumsy industrial system may work at i
all, they must be on about the same!
ieve'.
Farmers Felt Drop First.
When prices began to drop, the drop1
fell on the farmer first. With unsold I
stocks of foodstuffs on hand, the buy- '
crs refused to give him a high price
for what ho raised. IInt lie had to sell.'
So ho took a low price. Wholesaler
and retailor refused to follow suit. The
The cost of their operations was high,
chiefly because wages remained high,
and by co-operation and storage, both
of which the farmer lacked, they were
able to keep up their prices to a great!
extent.
But the farmers form about 40 per!
rent, of the buying public. Haying]
very little . oney, this large section of
the buying public bought very little.
Manufacturers of farm implements immediately
felt the pinch. Their sales
in many cases fell off more than half.
Other manufacturing lines also felt It.
As a result factory employes were
thrown out of work. Unemployment
set in. It affected millions. So the
buying public was still further reduced,
demand declined still more, the cost of
every retailing operation rose and the
retailer, with his high prices, was less
than ever in a position to reduce them.
It is a stalemate which is easy to understand,
but hard to remedy. If a
bushel of potatoes would buy a pair of
shoes in 1913 and it takes two bushels
of potatoes to buy a pair of shoes now,
then the potato growers can only buy
half as many shoes now as in 1913. One
result is that employes of shoe factories
will "be thrown out of jobs.
Then they can't buy any shoes either.
Really, the farmer, if at all intelligent,
is in an enviable position. He at
least can eat. It is only the farmer
who raises nothing but one money crop
who now suffers?the man who raises
only tobacco, or cotton?for example.
The farmer who produces hogs and
chickens and keeps dairy cattle and
raises potatoes and beans and pther
vegetables, need go to mc-net for very
little of his food, ' He is vastly better
off than ex-shoe-factory employe, for
example.
Business will never pick up until the
farmer once more is able to buy a pair
of shoes with a'bushel of potatoes.
That can be accomplished either by
giving the farmer more or the shoemaker
less. The diagnosis is easy, but
the only remedy seems to be a slow
process of readjustment.
TO SUE GOVERNMENT
Important Case Coming up in Rhode
Island.
Whether former soldiers whose
minds were wrecked by shell-shock,
wounds and gas are temporarily or
permanently insane is to be determined
in three suits to compel payment of
war. risk insurance by the government,
filed in United States district court
in Providence, R. L, by James R.
Littlefleld, attorney acting for the
American Legion.
The action lias been taken in behalf
of three soldiers, Adam Milkilliwicz,
(Juisseppe Vitullo and James McGes.
It is alleged by the Legion attorney
that the three are totally disabled us
a result.of insanity. Tfie government
Insurance bureau, Mr. Littlefleld
charges, has refused to pay the insurance
of the men on the ground that
they are but temporarily disabled and
may recover their mental faculties.
Hundreds of New England service
men, their minds dwarfed from shellshock,
wounds and gas, are confined in
state institutions for the insane and in
private hospitals. If Attorney Littlefield
wins his case, similar suits will
follow in federal courts in all New
England states and, with , a precedent
established, in all parts of the country.
'
"These men were returned from service
in the aimy as insane, and it has
been established that their insanity is
due to army service," Mr. Littlefleld
declares. "Yet the government refuses
them the financial relief to which they
are entitled under the war tax insurance
act and they have not drawn a
cent from their policies. Two must
remain confined in the state asylum
unless they can collect the $57.50 a
month for 20 years on their policies.
This amount would enable them to be
released from the asylum .and allow
their families to care for them."
.
CANDY VALUABLE FOOD
Much Energy Contained in Small Portion
of Sweets.
If there- is any doubt as to the food
value of candy, the statement, which
bears the stamp of science and investigation
that a man may walk a mile on
the energy furnished by the caramel,
nrovides food for thought, says the
Cleveland Plain Dealer.
The exact amount of energy produced
depends, of course, upon the
kind of candy eaten and the nature of
the ingredients which enter into its
composition.
That candy is an energy producer
was demonstrated many times in the
recent war. The authorities, not wishing
to feed the fighters stimulants that
would lessen their resistance, gave
them candy and Jams in large qauntities.
Practical tests of the value of
sugar in preventing or delaying fatigue
were made, the results indicating the
value of sugar in the ration when men
are subjected to great exertion.
Chocolate bars are one of the most
convenient forms in which sugar maybe
carried; they pack readily and
carry much concentrated nourishment
for their weight, making them a favorite
with mountain climbers and hikers
who do not wish to load themselves
with large quantities of food and if
one caramel will supply enough energy
for a man to walk a mile, it will he
seen how comparatively light the load
may he. The Swiss guide considers
lump sugar and highly sweetened
chocolate an indispensable part of his
outfit.
The Humanitarian.?"I use this
horrible shriek horn on my automobile
for humane reasons," explained
Lieutenant Husted. "If I can paralyze
a pedestrian with fear, he will stand
still and I am less likely to run over
him."?The Arkli?rht.
NEWS ABOUT CLOVER
?
Seventy-five Members of Barrett
Family Attend Birthday Beunlon
oci/cd11 noco nc cnoirr ccvcd
OLVLIMIL LrtOLd UI UUMILLI 1LVLB
, < --"0h \
Clever People Orink Liquor Instead of
Patent Medicine* Says Druggist*?
Towb Will Increase Its Wafer Supply?Other
News and Note*.
(By a Staff Correspondent.)
Clover, Oct. 20.?The Barrett clan,
descendants of Mr. W. A. Barrett of
Clover and a few other relatives held,
a re-union at the home of Mr. Barrett's
son, J. R. Barrett of Clover No. 3, last v
Saturday, the occasion being the 76ti?
birthday or tne senior air. u?nw.
There were a total of seventy-five persons
present and a bounteous dinner
was served while the members of the
family spent a most enjoyable day
with their relatives some of whom
they had not seen in a long time.
Present for the occasion were eleven
| sons and daughters of Mr. W. A. Barrett,
eight sons and daughtera-ln-Jaw,
t twenty-eight grand children; seven
great grand children; four brother*
I and sisters-in-law; eight nephews and
1 nieces and four friends of the family.
Despite his 76 years, the senior Mr.
Barrett continues to enjoy good health
and bears promise of many more years
'of life and usefulness.
' Liquor or Nothing. '
That there are less patent medicines
and extracts sold in Clover for beverage
purposes than in any other town
in this section of the country is the
opinion of Dr. J. E. Brison, well known
Clover druggist, who was dlscoseing
the matter with this correspondent on
yesterday. "Clover people," said Dn
Brison, "either drink liqubr or they
drink nothing. After a hard struggle
the Clover drug stares have gotten rid
of the patent medicine nuisance for ? >
beverage purposes. If a mart comes
here for a bottle of vanilla extract we
make him sign a statement that it la
not to be used as a beverage. Cod llv- .
er oil, peptone, predigested beef and
other such truck is no longer sold.
Some of the grocery stores sold the
stufT for a while; but now they have
cut it out and the only time one sees it
now is when some fellow who has been
to some other town brings back a bot,
tie. It is now liquor or nothing with
Clover people and there is not a great
deal of liquor being drunk."
Fraternities Are Growing.
Clover fraternities, especially the
Masons and Juniors, are growing in
membership, according to Jas. A. Barrett,
an enthusiastic member of both
fraternities. According to Mr. Barrett
a number of candidates have recently
been initiated into both fraternities,
and there are quite a number of applications
pending.
Scarlet Fever In Town.
Several cases of scarlet fever are reported
among children living at the
Clovef Cotton Mill here and while it is
said that some of the patients have
been pretty sick, none,of them have
been seriously sick. So far there has
not been a single case in the Clover
school, although the school authorities
are somewhat apprehensive on account
of it.
New Residence for Town.
R. A. Jackson is laying materials
preparatory to the erection of a real
dence on Bethel street in Clover. W.
T. Beamguard has the contract to build v
the house. Mrs. Virgie Jackson Is
building a residence on South Main
street, near the Clover Cotton Oil railL
Town to Buy Well Boring Machine,
According tc Mayor I. J. Campbell,
the town is going to buy a well boring
machine as a matter of economy. For
several weeks past the town has been
trying to bore another well here to increase
the "town's water supply. Water
1 ?o, loof chnwinc n.
I nas uccn i cuvmcu uv iu??, ?
flow of about Ave gallons a minute;
but this is insufficient and it is going
to be necessary to bore another well In
the hope of striking water in greater'
volume. Well borers charge $5 a foot
for boring wells and the town figures
that since much trouble is being had
in striking a big vein it is much cheaper
for it to own its own machinery and
do its own boring. The town figures
on selling the machinery' after the
work has been completed. It is hoped
to have wells with a total flow of at
least 200 gallons a minute by the time
the work is completed.
Gun Club Organized.
A. J. Quinn and Dr. I. J. Campbell
have recently organized a gun club In
Clover and every afternoon Sam Mtftthews,
O. A. Niell, Frank McJSlwee,
WU1 Rudislll, William Allison, T. M.
Campbell and a number of other Clover
sportsmen are out on Thad' Clinlonvs
field, off the Bethel road, having a try
at clay pigeons. There are a number
of good shots among the club members
and there are a number of others who
arc becoming quite proficient in breaking
the clay disks as they sail out Of
the pigeon gun.
Personal Mention.
Charlie Ratterree was a visitor In
Atlanta this week.
Dr. and Mrs. E. W. Pressly of Greenville,
were visitors in Clover this week.
Rev. and Mrs. A. A. McLean of Le
noir, N. C., visited friends in Clover
this week. Rev. McLean was formerly
pastor of the First Presbyterian church
of Clover.