Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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FARMERS FACING ' COTTON CRISIS Harris Sees Titanic Bear Raid Coming?Says Agencies Trying :o Beat Down Price. Commissioner B. Harris of the department of agriculture, commerce and industries, sees a crisis ahead of the cotton farmers, according to a statement issued from his office yesrVint nnmprouS VCl Utt V * lie tlUHAO 1/iiuw ?4 agencies are heading up a great offensive drive to beat down the price of the new crop, and at the. same time farmers seem to be taking things easy. His statement follows: "I wish to warn the farmers of South Carolina that they are today in a condition of the greatest economic peril, the most serious since the beginning of this fight to put cotton where it rightly belongs and to emancipate the cotton producers from the autocracy of price fixing. "If a man or set of men should come into this state and ask our farmers to subscribe $100,000,000 to aid such a syndicate, the promoters would not get a cent and the solicitors would be ruiv out of the state, pe7*haps by violence, if it were learned that this $100,000,000 fund, coming out of the pockets of the landowners and producers would be used ^ <?n1plv to swell the for IlifiClJ . ^ tunes of luxury loving idlers and non-producers. Furthermore, as these vampires of wealth would become wealthier and stronger, that our own people would become poo > er and more easily a prey to parasites. "That is exactly what our cotton producers are now asked to do. They have made their cotton crop. It is gold. Yet they are asked to make a present of untold millions to a predatory crowd of bear speculators, a pessimistic horde which can see nothing in the favor of the cotton producer. but think the profit of toil should go to the middle man, who contributes nothing to make the world's production. They cori^idei tVip farmer should deem himself i fortunate if he ekes out a mere living: and pays his labor bills and remains a year behind in his store accounts and fertilizer bills. Whethei or not he can educate his children 01 have a few home comforts is no concern of these outlanders. Now is the time to keep hold of what we have got and to secure the results of out fight. '-Here is the logic of the situation All efforts of the hostile camp art converging toward one big drive t( force out the holdings of the old crof arc! to humble the price af cottor before the new crop comes in. For the price paid during the first fev weeks will determine largely the'price for the remainder of the crop. How can I substantiate this serious charge that I have made? Here are the facts: ? i ?"- there js going or "dllllUluaiicvrMw*,, a fight to curtail production among British spinners or to create that impression ar.d an attempt to coerce Southern farmers through our own home banks. As outrageous as it may seem, the latter statement can not be denied. The short sighted policy of a fe wmisguided Southern bankers in lending their aid to crush Southern farmers may have a very / unwholesome psychological effect, unless we* can stop it. "Before* citing some cases under my own observation, I wish to quote from a special London cable to The Journal of Commerce of :\ew lor*. \4t a meeting of the federation of master spinners the association decided that there was no necessity to take concerted action to curtail production. The expected holidays from now until October, with numerous extensions to 12 working* days, will fully meet the situation.' ("My own opinion of what is hurting the British spinners is the fact that they are short of spinnable cotton and are throwing out a smoke barrage?anything to disconcert the American growers.) '*It is a 'mere matter of coincidence that in the very column adjoining the item quoted above I found the following item from a NewBedford special correspondent: 'It is becoming apparent that the southern -l- *?1; banks are beginning iu iuicc die liquidation of cctton and toward the end of the week some of the local brokerage firms received offers of slightly off grade staple at prices which proved astonishing even to bearish inclined buyers. That the cotton was forced on the market b> credit conditions was apparent fron: fact that it had to be taken quickly if at all, and had to be financed holly in the North.' 'I know of my own information of ^rs declining to lend money or bank Carolina cotton, not even ter ?X South v pound. cents pt. is the situation, Britisl "There -ing to .frighten cottor interests tc> h talk of curtailment producers vcriv nd gloating over th< and New E"n3&. bankers are be fact that Sout^fe credit and to cal ginning to contrast Southern farm cotton loans. Can cht Somniable con sr to^rate such an a, if they hav< dition? They can win *vr have th< the will to do it, for t# \ If the: situation in their own handt t, (wit! fail to win, they will preseri bank Vipln of those Soutnern Up0] tuc L that are weakkneed), mnuuns ? millions of dollars of their own 11 'the New England interests. "For months I have urged the American Cotton association to organize in eacn state a financial corporation to handle distress ?0ttvn and to keep it off the market for a period. My firm belief is that, without such a financial organization, especially since the local banks are *?to get indifferent, our fight will be harder and proiojie^?. "July and August are the months of weevils, worms and weather. The crop in the entire belt is the shortest in 50 years. From now or to th< picking there is every prospect of de terioration. This will be the sixt! short crop in succession and th< shortest of them all. The Manufac turers Record of July 5th publishei a statement from the governmen that the carry-over of cotton on Jul; f 1 was 2,K50,000, against u pre war T average cf about five to ? >: millions. 1 Therefore with a minimum carry over ami with a very, very short E . crop, with an acute labor situation, ; it is evident that the supply will be p. very, very short. ffl ! "The shortage of supplies, )cood n and improvements, taken with the shortage of the crop and the labor n situation, will demand high prices if hi the South is to escape actual loss. ^ The farmer must be paid for his time< n" just as is the storekeeper, and really h ; deesrves more, but the world does' not figure the farmer's time as worth o* I anything. Now let us see how the o , demand fits the supply: JP 1 "American mills are running full Ii I time and are making greater divi-1 o j dends than have ever been anticipat-' t< , ed. The associate editor of Cotton] 1 Land Cotton Seed is now touring the; o European states. He reports 30 per! a cent, of the German mills in opera- }$ tion and mills in Switzerland, Spain,! c France, Belgium and Italy runningili on full time and in the devastated j ii area the work of restoration will be' o | completed in a few months, in time if ' to spin some of this crop. Supph'esit of spinnable cotton are very low in,a 1 Europe. t "The supply is low and the demand) t is heavy. Under the natural law of j ^ supply and demand, the price of cot-1 ton should advance to not less thanj1: j CO cents and I sincerely trust that I ^ i minimum nrir?p will be!? i j SUIIIC OUVll mmuni.". r- . [agreed upon at the New Orleans e conference early in September. a <%\Ve can not expect a deflation of f cotton and grain prices until the 1 world's supply of labor becomes more plentiful. With a considerable short- * - age of farm labor, the cost of pro- c . duction has been more hazardous. It : _ is unreasonable to expect deflation of j} cotton prices during the coming: sea-'^ L son. The deflation of a number of;! . manufactured products, including,;1 dry goods, may continue, but this j ^ [ need not and must not affect raw|t , cotton. For, even if cotton were;'1" I rostin? 60 cents a pound, the mills! f .I would be making a handsome profit'1 f! if their product should be cut 25 orjl 11 SO per cent, in Celling price. Asjs .1 proved by the federal trade c;,mmjs-!c .' sion. i * *| "The difference between raw ma-l :j terial and finished product is more' -j abnormal in cotton than in any otn-j1 i er commodity, and dry goods can;^ i | stand a lot of cutting without affect* ing the raw material. Deflation may j ] be but a trick of the bears to rattle; : the cotton producers. They say thatjj i | wages of xmill operatives will not ; ) come down on account of deflation,!1 *1 1 ' > j-1- - -.ii.? ^ . c ) i incn wny wouiu ine cuttoji icirmcx uc i nthe 'goat' for all of the rest? j' , j "Now, just one other matter. Cot- : ~ r.tor. is the most liquid collateral. It!* lis a quick asset. It is gold from the' rjtime the farmer dumps it from his j !! wagon until it reaches the consumer. \ | ; Then why should Southern banks be;* afraid to carry it? I have shown the 1 \ demand, I have shown the lack of ( \J supply. Fifteen million bales ofj ;I American cotton will be required]1 i j next year, and there are less thanj i! 14,000,000 bales in sight. I ;! "The pressure that is being j , brought to bear upon Southern ~ < T-k i - i F [banks, the fiction 01 joriusn turiau- ! ment, the much advertised deflation > * j in dry goods, these and other surface! indications point very clearly to a r combination, a titanic bear raid, the j success of which would mean that the farmers of South Carolina would] i present to the rest of the world a! j hundred million dollars with which to 1 ! fight us again next year. "Don't sell". Sit steady in the boat.; i, Wait for the American Cotton asso-; t elation to name a minimum price.'t That's my advice to the farmers, and i T rronQr-lllv 6-pf it. rif?ht." J f X rs ~ ~ -- --CDeath .of Mrs. Lucy Boozer. The sudden death of Mrs. Lucy.t Boozer which occurred at her resi-! dence some time between Friday and : r Sunday was a great shock to the com-. , munity at large, as she was seen Fri-1 ^ I day, seemingly in tlte enjoyment of }I perfect health. The particulars of r J her death will never be known as no r {person was with her at the time. For ^ ! some months Mrs. Boozer had lived ! alone, one of her grandsons usually; e i staving with her at night. It hap- t pened that he was not there either t Friday or Saturday night. The neigh- c bors had heard Mrs. Boozer say that j ' she wanted to visit relatives in New- a ' berry last of the week, so when they v ;1 missed her and saw the house closed r , | they naturally thought she had gone t > to Newberry. After service at St. 2 , stone's throw of her home) Sunday j I'Lukcj's church (which is within a r r' one of her grandsons and a neighbor t [ boy decided to go and make sure Mrs.' j Boozer was not alone sick. The doors t :; were all locked,1 but one window was c 1 up a little and through this opening 1 I they saw Mrs. Boozer lying on bed } j dead. 1 1! The door was broken open, rela- t II lives and her doctor sent .for. Dr. t , Simpson thought she had been dead j A Q ViATivc Qnr? fVldt, rJpatVl r ? . ClUUUt -3CU 11VUL 0? U11V 4 VUMV - been very sudden, caused by the 1 1 bursting of a blood vessel oh the 1 - brain. ] The death of this self sacrificing, ] * unassuming: Christian woman has j ? caused a feeling of deep sadness to < y pervade the hearts of all the people, i i Left to morun her departure are: A. < s R. Boozer of Newberry, William j i Boozer of Florida, Mrs. George Mor- 1 0 ris of the county; also one step-son, j j Mr. Lewis Boozer of Newberry, and < a step-daughter, Mrs. Dantzler Stil-' ] U of Mountville. ji !'~e body was found in a state of -j 1 < - xosition and the interment was < f rW'frWi. 4.; ?l j , .'made 83 * UUIu ^wuiu uc , 'made bet^een sunset and dark , 1 on Sunday * ve ng, July 4, followed 1 by a l^rge? procession of relatives \ ; and friends smiti*?" with sorrow, the ; i body of our true aite loving friend (1 ; was laid in trie cemeteiy of St.,i j Luke's, her churchy almost in the|j t shadow of her house, to await thej i resurrection morn. .1 While it is truly sad to part with j: - au:b ovppntionally good woman, it isij 1 lllid w 2 a gTeat consolation to be able toji - "Sorrow not as those who have no'i i hope." j < t Written by one who knew and J' y loved her. . ' HE FALLING PRICE OF | LUUMBER ONLY TEMPORARY ^ ditor Herald and News: I note with interest item in your a per stating that a good business lan says he believes it good policyi ot to do any building just now, as imber should get ^till cheaper. Just: ow lumber is cheaper than it has; een for many months and figured in le value of cotton and other com-, lodities is cheaper than it has everj een before. In 1914 it took about 200 pounds; f cotton to buy one thousand feet ? framing lumber and today 100 j ounds will pay for the same amount, j n 1914 it took 18 bushels corn to! xl. ? J /% ? lnmknv onH i uy one Lnourscinu icci ui anv*, )day 12 bushels will pay for it In' 914 saw mill men could get plenty f good labor at 75c to 90c per day nd the price today ranges from 2.75 to $4.50. Taking all this into onsideration some people figure that amber is still too costly to do buildng. This impression is on the minds f many and has been for the past our or five years and the result is j he shortage of homes and the short-j ,ge homes4 is one of the potent fac-j ors in the unrest that is sweeping! he nation today. Of course there ias been profiteering in lumber as veil as sugar, lard, meat and clothng but the average lumberman is as lonest as the average dealer in any! 'ther product. Lumber is much low-! r in price just now than it should be j virl nmnv caw mill TYIPn 3TP fafintri "IU - - Ol uin, especially the man who is noti n shape to hold his lumber and canj tot shut down. Lumber is being of-! ered at less than actual cost of pro-; luction in many cases, which causes j uany people to get cold feet while! he long headed man picks up the: >arga:ns while prices are low andi >ockets his profits when things get1 lormal for the slump in prices of amber is not normal but almost en-1 irely due to the strikes of switch- j nen in the terminals which has caus-! id the railroads to declat-e an absoute embargo to the entire.Eastern umber marekt. Thank goodness this ituation is now clearing up and inluiries are coming in regularly and he prices are already stiffening and >"?inocc fnr l.nfshipment is beiner vritten at good prices. When the ailrcad situation clears I look for >.rices to go as high or higher than ;ver. The shortage of homes and he shortage of lumber combined can lot but create a great demand and i corresponding high price for all cinds and grades of lumber and all he folks who are now holdinjr back ;n thsir building plans will certainly vonder why they didn't have foresight enough to know their opportunity. Today I have turned down business at higher prices than I sold some umber for last week but I figured ,Iiat when lumber started up it would idvance almost as fast as it went lown. Watch the market and remember ny prediction. Yours respectfully, T> - ?4- T rvuuei i u. . ii urn j. Pomaria. July 8. REQUEST HEARING ON PARR SHOALS )epartment of Justice May Withdraw Suit After Facts Are Presented. 'he State. Washington, July 1G.?No immedate action will be taken towards the >reaking up of Parr Shoals dam by he government on the ground that t impedes navigation on the Uongaee river. The matter is now up to he war department to allow a hearng before further steps are taken byhe department of justice. About six weeks ago it was anibunced in The State that Frank H. Veston, district attorney for the astern district of South Carolina, lad been authorized by the departnent of justice to bring a suit to renove Parr Shoals, since which time he matter has been pending. Today when The State correspond!nt visited the department of justice ^liAwmo' ctntpment was .made by I2C J Ulivu w - ? he assistant attorney general in h?rge of the matter: "On request of the parties who ire interested in* Parr Shoals and vh6 believe that serious damage night be done if the dam be removed, he department has withheld^ action md ^ipon further request of these >arties has asked the war departnent fcr a rehearing in the matter at he request of the Columbia people. "The Parr Shoals people say that oiey have always obeyed all remirements of the eovernment to the etter of the law and that if they lave done anything against governnent regulations they did not do so wilfully. In a .word, that whatever ;hey have done in violation of the federal statutes was unintentional, rherefore, that in justice and-equity ;hey ought to have a hearing before :his property is broken up. The department does not wish to do any person or any property any harm and las, therefore, written the secretary 3f war a letter stating all the facts in the case and asking that the request of the Parr Shoals people be rranted. Of course we do not know what they will do, but it is our opin?? V>o vty-i nn n nftcaiKlw Kp <Jll Liiat uu iiaiiu <.uu ione by allowing this rehearing. This permission, if granted, may come to as in a few days or it may be referred back to the district engineer the war department in which the Congaree river is located take the isual routine course and be delayed for some time. At any rate the mat:er is now up to the war department md so far as we are hcerned the natter will remain, in abeyance un;il the decision of the war departnent as to the rehearing." Officials of the department of jus ;ice spoke most kindly regarding the matter and expressed the hope that i way would be found for permitting them to authorize the Suit to be withdrawn. This will depend, of cour#\ upon the showine made before the war department if a rehearing is allowed. 1 WhThii AVERAGir won the 355 Conditions ^ sun-baked v tection of t top. You I the stamina I i I ~ /* Touring, i f I ' I I ' ; : " t t> i j -. f"i>f?waaa?m?m?M ALL DEMOCRATIC VOTERS OF i NEWBERRY COUNTY WILL ^ . nr. -T? 1 trr VATirr l-'JLtASt, 1AA.C. nui In order to vote at the Democratic primary this year it is necessary tc sign your club roll. The last day foi signing the club roll is July 27th Don't fail to see your secretary oj enrollment committee at once anc sign the roll. If you fail to sign or or before July 27th, the executive committee will be powerless to al low you to sign after that date ; Dont' fail to sign the club roll al once. J. B. Hunter, County Chairman for Newberrj County. 7-9-ot. | BIDS WANTED. ; Bids wanted for the following sup ! plies for a period of three months: 150 bushels corn. 300 bushels oats. 600 pounds fat backs. 100 pounds rib bacon. 1UU pounds sugai. 200 pounds salt. 2 barrels flour in cloth. 10 tons good hay. 50 gallons molasses. > 3 cases tripe. i 3 cases salmon. 12 cases Brown Mule. 5 tons mixed horse feed. ? 20 bushels peas. Bids will be received up unti] July 21. J. C. SAMPLE, * County Supervisor. SPECIAL ELECTION IN O'NEAH SCHOOL DISTRICT NO 16. Whereas, one-third of the resident freeholders and a like proportion oi the resident electors of. the age oi twenty-one years in the O'Neal ok/ml Hisf-.riet. No. 16. the countj of Newberry, state of South Carolina, have filed a petition with the county board of education of New berry county, South Carolina, peti tioning and requesting that an elec tion be held in said school district or the quection of levying a specia! tax of six (6) mills on the taxable school property within the said schoo district. Now, therefore, we . the under signed composing the county boarc of education for Newberry county state of South Carolina, do hereby order the board of trustees of th< O'Neal! school district, No. .16, t< hold an election on the said questioi of levying a special tax of six (6] mills to be co1/ cted on the prop erty located within the said schoo district, which said election shall bi 1 1 1 "x 4,^"v A>\TA?11 neiCI it l LI1C KJ i> can oliiuui in the said school district, No. 16, 01 Wednesday, the 28th day of July 1920, at which said election the poll shall be opened at 7 a. m. and close* at 4 p. m. The members of the board o trustees of said school district shal act as managers of said election Only such electors as reside in sai< school district and return real o: personal, property for taxation, am who exhibit their tax receipts an< registration certificates as require< in general elections, shall bo allowe< to vote. Electors favoring the lev; of such tax shall cast a ballot con ? j <i tr ?? taming xne wora it? winbtcu v. printed thereon, and each elector op posed to such levy shall cast a bal lot containing the word "No" -writ ten or printed thereon. Given under our hands and seal this, the 12th day of July, 1920. C. M. Wilson, 0. B. Cannon, J. B. Harman. ] County Board of Education. K \ y You Wan > Sedan Noi It Gives You Convertible Car Convenience * with Light Weight Economy tfG 27.6 miles per gallon, Overland Se i-mile Los Angeles-Yosemite economy 1 varied from snow-lined mountain passe alleys. In any weather you have the ] he adjustable windows and heat-resisi have the riding-ease of Triplex Sprii of high grade alloy steels. S9S5; Roadster. $985; Coupe. $1525: Sedan, $1575 Viccj Ub. Toledo, subject co change without notice OVERLAND NEWBERRY CO. Phone 333 Newberry, S. C. 7l BBIM ;! J. i| | SERIES 20 BIG-5 i A perfected method o | together with increased and hot-spotted manifo | are some of the features J | the BIG-SIX its unusu smooth operation, and | gasoline economy. Ask us what gasoline at j |1j mileage BIG-SIX owner sang 60-H.P. detachable-head motor; 126-i = insuring ample room for seven adults. Cars are equipped with Cord Tires?ano precedent. 11 | "This is a Studebake: j | McHARDY MOW *j | Distributor . j 1 Phone 300 Newberr l I 9 .... ~ ! BASER/ 1 s ?? ????i i * *; J We have secured a g< i official league balk fr I Y. M. C. A. stock. R } values, at $1.50 and J r mmKmmmjmmmmmmmmmmmmmKmmmmmnmmmmmmmmmm j Gilder & We I sss1 ; *4 i ! , i i i ! it V ! i < ' , * dan v run. ' s to proting . { igs, j 1 . ; t . ; 4 . - v| ' N \ ~~ ~~ ?. " 3 lllllli'lilllllllilllllHP 0> Buiiiiaiiiiip | : >IX j * ! i. f timing, j ' > valve lift ?ld?these i that give al power, | note^'e I 3 vi ' T ? | , . 1 .! i<f hrt = j ? etting. = inch wheefbase. All Studebaker | ! ther Studebaker = !' * , r Year" ^ \ , j 'F.R, J ' | y? S. C. j G B-l j J ILLS ? x>d supply of om the Armv tegular $2.25 ^1.75 each. , .-<2 \ Stiff* I A Clio IA3. 1 * j r