The Clinton chronicle. (Clinton, S.C.) 1901-current, December 31, 1931, Image 1
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VOLUME XXXI
CLINTON, S. C., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1931
S NUMBER 52
SOLONS START-
GIU^SOON
Important Bills Before Le^risla-
ture Next Year. Convenes Sec
ond Tuesday In January.
Columbia, Dec. 29. — More leifisla-
tive activity was crowded into the
year 1931 in South Carolina than into
any of recent yeirs, and issues bit
terly debated in the State House were
among the most vital since Recon
struction days.
The year saw the longest regular
session of the general assembly in
modern times—117 days.^and the first
extraordinary session since 1914 when
Cole L. B'ease was governor.
Reduction of state expenses and
economy was the theme over which
legislators battled during the regular
session which began in January and
continued until almost summer. At
the opening the state’s highest office
passed from John G. Richards to n)ra
C. Blackwood.
But the long, tense and colorful
when Governor Blackwood frorn New
Orleans announced in Scptohil>er that
he would call a special sess’on to en
act a total prohibtiion cotton planting
bill for 19.32. This was done in a nine-
day session.
Practically all major bills confront
ing the two sessions will be fought
Happenings In S. C.
Get 1931 Headlines
Death of Speaker LouRworth At
Aiken, Drowning At George
town Among Leaders.
Coiimbia, Dec. 28. — Those “big
new's” events that cause new’spapor
editors t6|dust off,their blackets type
and order, ’pfesses run at full speed
broke thick and fa.st in South Caro
lina in 1931.
At least four stories originating
writhin the state during the year were
of national interest w'hile others were
of prime importance regionally and
within the state.
The eyes of the world were focused
on Aiken when Nicholas Longw’orth,
speaker of the national hou«e of rep
resentatives, died there .April 9.
The ilrowTiing of 23 persons at
Georgeitown when a bus loaded with
picnickers craslied through an open
drawbridge into the Sampit river was
one of the major catastrophes of the
year.
the penitentiary death hoa.^ at Co
lumbia for the slaying of B. W. Hen
drix, I/exirgton county storekeeper,
attracted wide attention. It was one
of th? largest extvutions on record.
When George Ja< kson ran amok in
Aiken county and slew six of his rela
tives, new.spaiK*rs through the nation
heralded it in bol<i type. Jackson was
over again at the next session, eon
vening two weeks from today. These I'ater convicted of murder and is un
include the cotton prohibition bill I b'V sentence to die January If),
of the extra session, the hydro-elec-1 Of prime interest to the state and
trie tax passed last spring and the ‘South was the special session of the
race horse bill, approved by the house
but continued in the senate until the
1932 session. 'Other important meas
ures wer*. carried over until 1932.
The general appropriation bill was
the rope over which the regular ses
sion did much of its tugging and pull
ing. The session was prolonged when
the house for the first time in history
killed a free conference reijort on the
appropriation bill. The bill finally
passed was a compromise measure,
ower than that of 1930 through sal
ary and appropriation slashes, but not
as low as some economy advocates
wished.
Leaders claimed that for the first
time in years the budget had been
balanced
The fight over the tax on hydro
electric power generated or sold in the
state was bitter and long. Four times
general assembly which banned cotton
planting in this state. The “no-cotton”
plan was adopted after it had been
passed by Ixiuisiana but will not be
come effective unless agreed to by
three-fourths of the other cotton pro
ducing states.
The regular session of the general
assembly was the longest on record,
117 days. One of the major accom
plishments of this body was passage
of a tax on hydro-electric power.
I>eath, during the year, claimed an
unusually large numfber of outstand
ing citizens, including;
Dr. Davison McDowell Douglas,
president of the University n’t South
Carolina; Lieut. Gov. Thomas B. But
ler; Col. Iveroy Springs, Lancaster
textile magnate; former Governor
Richard I. Manning; former Governttr
John (’. Sheppard; Robert S. .Small,
the house killed the measure, but late | President of the South Carolina Na-
in the session reversed its step andj^’^"®* i
agreed with the senate. A bill pro
viding an increased tax on insurance
premiums also was approved.
The legislature voted $260 extra
pay for each member, an action which
drew widespread public interest. The
matter was carried later to the su
preme court, which upheld the law
makers’ right to vote themselves "ex-
rowsmith, Florence county ligislative
leader, killed in an automobile wreck
which also cest the life of O. Hoyt
Mc.Millan, Conway attorney; Gen.
Washington A. Clark of Columbia,
Confederate vet<Tan and banker; (\
W. and J. L. <’oker, brothers, mem
bers of the prorr'inent Hartsville fam
ily; John T. kodiley, Rock Hill cotton
broker and finaVicier; Dr. W. B. Bur-
Smith Setting
Tongues Awag
Democrats In Congress Divided
On Views As To Likely Course
of Former Governor.
Washington, Dec. 28.—Congression
al Democrats are divided in their
views on whether Alfred E. Smith,
the 1928 standard bearer, is prepar
ing to seek renomination.
New York newspaper stories specu
lating on this subject preliminary to
the national Democratic gathering
next month have served to bring th •
question into discussion here.
Those proposing Governor Franklin
I). Roosevelt of New York for the
IVmocrntic nomination are keeping
quiet on the possibility of Smith en
tering the contest, but there is a dis
tinct division among them as to
whether this will come about. All are
very confident of Roosevelt’s pros
pects.
But certain it is, that the way has
bt*en opened for Smith to hold the
The bill to legalile. horse-racinit Idepart-
with pari-mptuel bettin* waa approv- »*■*"• un.vera.ty; and a
ed b/the houae and when before the "“"’'j'' “f »«'<■'; Pronnnent peraona
aenate niet a atorm of oppoaition from 'noludmK aeveral member, of the
church and civic leader.. The aenate st^ le^ialature.
continued it until next year. Bill, to haa f.Kured .n new.
stone? in this state for the last sev
eral years, agaiit grabbed the head-
provide biennial sessions and classi
fication of intangible property for
taxation were continued.
Balloting over the election of an
associate justice of the supreme court,. , . xu i e xtr ..
te aucceed the late Chief J„,tice|y'f but th-alYinit of « (..
Watt, waa unuaually prolon|re<l. j K/'u--.rf Crosa H.II .and the .hooting
Judg. M. L. Bonham of Anderaon, fi- <>f G<-dd,nga of Pme-
nally waa. elected. Aaaociate Justice «"'«d, wore among the cases attract-
lines in .May when he was tried a sec
ond time for the murder of his wife.
Acts of violence were frequent dur-
Value Of State’s
Crops Decreases
Figures for 1932 Given By Agri
culture Department Statisti
cian. Total Is $71,214,000.
Columbia, Dec. 22.—The total esti
mated value of all crops in South
('•’rolina in 1931 is placed at $71,214.-
000 by Frank O. Black, agricultural
statistician. United States department
of agriculture.
This value i.s a decrease of $47,44x3,-
000 or 40 per cent from the valuation
of $118,6.57,000 for 1930, and $69,530,-
000, or 49.4 per cent, btdow the value
of $140,744,000 for 1929, Mr. Black
said.
The estimated cotton crop of 1,015,-
000 bale.s for 1931 i.s valued at $30,-
4.50,000, compare<l with $49,550,000
for 1930 and $68,060,000 for 192t>.
Mr. Black, in his report, said the
decline in crop values waa due to
much lower prices of farm products,
for the total quantity pro(luce<i in
1931 was about 4.5 per cent above
production in 1930 and about 17 per
cent above that of 1929.
The trend in total acreage, the re
port continued, “has been downward
Urges Change In
Schools System
State Superintendent Hope Sees
Need of Reorganization of Ru
ral and Village Bducation.
Columbia, Disc. 26. — Fundamental
renrgnnizat’on of rural and small vil
lage education to remedy some of the
“marked inequalities’* of the “district”
system is urged by James H. Hope,
state superintendent of education, in
his annual report to the general as
sembly, made public today.
Mr, Hope. In his report, also took
up the questions of economy in school
expenditur(*8 and state aid to schools.
As to expenditures, he said that in
1931 the people jof the state w})ent for
automobiles, gasoline and luxuries
more than $110,(K>0,()0(), or ten times
as much as the $14,000,000 oxpepdcHl
for public education.
“Place the emphasis where it be
longs and solve the problem in favor
of the child,” he added.
He qyoted figures that in 1890
.South Carolina appropriated 82.7 per
cent of all public school costs, the
highest in the South Atlantic, but
that in 1931 the state appropriated
speakers at the .latkson day hanijuet
on January 8, the 'night before the
Deniocratic national committee meets.
The other banquet speakers an
nounced by ('hairman Raskoh of the
committee are presidential nomiiKM-s
of ixK’ent years, James M, ('ox and
John W. Davis.
It is the conviction of Roosevelt’s
advocates on Capitol Hill — an<l there
SIHMIIS to 1m' h considerable group of
them—-that the New York governor i.s
far in fronit for the nomination and
can not 1k‘ hea<ied, oven by Smith.
' There is no doubt in the minds, also,
of Roosevelt’s friends ♦hat he and
Raskoh have reached a definite part
ing of the ways. But many believe
this .split does not extend to Smith
and Roosevelt.
They have suggesUxi that Smith is
trying to steer a course between these
two prominenit Democrats and kt'cp
himself alway.s in position to be titu
lar leader of the party. Whether this
position would be invoked to seek the
nomination is uncertain.
Also, it is understood by some high
in the party councils that Mr. Spiith
intends to attend the next Ikmiocratic
convention as a delegate and take the
floor in a fight for an anti-prohibition
plank
Should Smith pursue this course
and be<’ome a delegate, it is believed
unlikely he would leave himself in the
pre.siuential race.
DANIELS TALKS
OF NEH RACE
Former Secretary of Navy Says
Democratic Candidate Must
Be Liberal and Progressive.
New York, Dec. 29.~A 1932 presi
dential candidate, who embodies lib
eral and progressive views and hail
“no vestige of .standpatism or p'nk
Republicanism,” was urged upon o
Democratic party today by Jose a
Daniels.
“For,” said the secretary of »
navy in the Wilson adniinistra
“the situation next year /will be
unlike that of 1912. Now, as then
people are going to elect a fires’
who embodies liberal land progre i
views.”
“If, in 1912, the Democrats d
nominateil what is caMc-d a conserva
tive—a misnomer for a reactionary—
Roosevelt would have won. Rut the
Demo<’rats picked Wilson, a great
progressive, and they won.
oeen (meneo lor rimitn lo noui me * 7, , , ,
of the party. He will Ih‘ nm* of 44wee Patter.’ or who acquu-wes in ‘stand-
. ■ 1 1 A tADfmnv ' /’5in win in IM* XiYr /»!in
patism,’ can win in Nor can we
win with u ‘pink Roiiub'ican,’ w’aich
is another name for reactionary Dem
ocrat.
“The iM'ople are on the.nuirch: they
see conditions are bad;’they demand
a change. The party in power, by al
lowing 6,()<)0,(M)0 men tn go without
j(d)s, has, in the woril-' (>f the Scrifi-
ture.s, U'en weighed an 1 found woint-
ing.
“Tlie Republicans next y^uir will
have no more of a chance than did
that great and good man. Taf!, in
1912. It seems that the only (jue.stioii
left for the Democrats to decide i.-i the
identity of their candidate.”
And there Mr. Daniebs stopped. He
was unwilling, at the moment, to ven
ture a prediction as to who would he
nominatecl, but—
“The Democratic party is fortunate
in having available candidates who
meet the specifications and who in-
carnato progressive principles. Par
ticularly, we have Franklin 1). Roose
velt, of New York, and Newton I).
Baker, of Ohio.”
Mr. Daniels, always dry, himself,
mentioned prohibition;
“The country is .so eager to find its
way out of economic distress that the
fieople won’t be interested in prohi
bition. People are thinking about
bread and the man who talks about
booze—whether more or less booze! —
does-not get an audie nce.
“There is no doubt in my mind that
when the DemcKTatic national com
mittee meets next month to select a
time and place for a convention it will
I .IPPIIRPII' select- a time and place. It will not
'assume to dictate platforms or poli-
jcies, prerogatives that are reserved
Gity council at a recent session, or-1 for the delegates in convention usseni-
Council Lowers
City
in cash crops and upward on food and 1 only 23.8 per cent of the total school
feed crops.
“iXeclines of 11 per cent in cotton
and 15 per cent in tobacco were about
offset by increased acreages of prac
tically all other crops.”
The 15 per cent reduction in tobac
co acreage, with a lower yield per
acre, resulted in a crop about 29 per
costs for public education. He con
tinued;
“Whether the state should assume
a larger percentage of public school
costs is a (luestion for consi leiation,
nevertheless the fact remains that the
local units upon which the burden is
now place<l are so une(|ual in their
Blease became chief justice. State
Senator G. B. Greene of Anderson,
was elected to the circuit bench sue
ceeding Judge Bonham.
Important state bills became laws, .
including one increasing the “teacher
load” by reducing the number of Rf'^^tor,
ing the greatest "Atatewide attention, j 1929, the report said.
Carlos A Rector, former .sheriff of I 'Tbe 1931 estimate of 70,070,000
Greenville county and well-known tojpoumls was valued at $6,466,000,
South Carolina newspaper readers, ' '
cent below 1930 and 20 per cent below i ability to finance schools that the
BCihool system of this and oth^r st.-xtes
is shot through with inequalities.”
“What is n(*e<led,’ he said, “it, a fun-
figured in two important stories dur-
with J. Harmon Moore,
which compared with 98,600,000 ' da mental reorganization and redirec-
pounds and $11,832,000 value in 1930, jtion of rural and small village ixluca-
87,081,000 pounds and $13,498,(8)0 ini tion. The county .seems the natural
fiend a reduction of 15 per cent in
all city licenses for 1932 over the past
year.
The city ordinance imposing a li-
cons<* tax on all business and profes
sions for the coming year, appears in
tmlay’s paper. All licen.ses must be
paid on or before the 15th of Janu
ary, with a penalty of 10 per cent
added after that date.
C. F. FLEMING GOES
WITH PALMETTO BANK
Laurens, De<‘. 24.--Charles h'. Flem
ing, prominent young business man of
the city and formerly connected with
the Feoples-Enterfirise bunk, i.s to
join the forces of the I’almetto brnk
bled.”
This was his only reft rence to the
reported plans of John .1. Ra.-fkob,
national Democratic chairman, to ask
definite action on a prohibition plank
or referendum when the committee'
meets.
Desc-ribing President Hoover as a
man whom “the jn't^jile resjtect ami
like,” Mr. Daniels nonetfieless sharji-
ly criticizetl the president for what
he called delaying positi\e action tu
relieve economic conditioiis.
Sale Of Highway
Bonds Called Off
on January l.st, it ha.s In-en announced , Bhicltwood .Makes An-
192'J.
♦ - Kxr pffpeHno- a ^as convicted of being an ac<es9ory| The corn crop this year was esti-
teachers by about the fact of manslaughter in con-1 mated at 12,994,(>'i0 bushels, as com-
by Hs wn Wil-/par..d with 22.200,000 bu.hel» in 1930
«ppr.,xi.nat*ly $200,000 by its spon appealed his | and 10,131,000 bushels in 192i).
wn uiViiph pnacted 10-yefr sentence to the supreme court,' “However,” .said the report, “(he
snl^ial session would make it a where his conviction was upheld. A price per bushel is reported as le.ss
at the special session would make It a re-heanng is now I than half that of last year and the
pending. [total value of $10,117,000 is 49 per
unit for the organization.”
misdemeanor to plant any cotton in
1932, including the “Long plan.” It is
inciua.ng cne ^ ^ ^ he cent below the value of the two pre-
net effective unless 75 per cent of the wa uui, aux,'vimitt
kfatoB A»na/»t Bimilar i ^•'1* arrested in connection with the vious years,
cotton growing a -au^ i robbery of the Farmers’ bank of “It was a good year for small
legislation. Since the _ • ! Travelers Rest. This case resulted in grains and per acre yields were about
the best ever produced in the state,
with total production well above re
cent years.”
Mr. and Mrs. L. L. Adair of Atlan
ta, Ga., spent Christinas with the for-
incr'% mother, Mrs. Corrie Adair.
pital to Richland county and the re
sumption, after three years court liti
gation, of street car service in the
state capital.
m imii iiiwi #
A &P. Store
states have failed to follow South • . • $
Carolina and the bill probably will be ® mistrial. i ' •
r»pe.le<i at the coming M.»ion or die '‘o™’
automatically becaueTof Ite provleo. ‘'"ot to Columb.a were the award-
Attache on n«eep.pers. which al- '"K Stntee veteran, hoe-
most unanimously had opposed the
“Long plan” favored by Governor
Blackwood, constituted most of the
debate in the two houses. 'The bill was
passed by generous margins in both
houses.
An attempt to pass a bill reducing
acreage by two-thirds, which was then
the so-called “Texas plan,” failed
when the bouse refused to approve
a senate amendment for the state to
borrow up to $15,000,000 to advance
to fanners on their cotton. The bill
probably will be brought up at the
1932 session.
The special session also passed a
bill providing an investigation of the
cottonseed industry.
City Schools
Open Monday
The Clinton public schools will re^
^ [open next Monday morning after a
LfOCfttlOn'^wo weeks period of Christmas holi-
jdays. All of the teachers will return
Quiet Christmas
Observed Here
by President R. B. Terry. Mr. Flem
ing is to hold the post of as.sistani
easihier. Miss Martha Weir Davis wasi
also recently added to the clerical
forces of the bank. No other changes
in the bank force.s are cont<‘mpIated,
it was said by Mr. Terry.
nouncement After Series of
(’onference.s.
Ghristma.s was observed, in Clinton
in the usual quiet manner. The city
rested Christmas day with the mills,
stores, offices, banks, post office, etc.,
all closed. The banks took both Friday
and Saturday in the observance.
The spirit of Christmas was in evi
dence everywhere with many on the
streets carrying gifts to loved ones
and friends, receiving in turn other
appreciations of love and friendship.
Many spent the day hunting and en
joying (Jhristmas visiting •
The loc»l Great Atlantic'& Pacific
Tea Company's store will move today
from its present location on West
Main street into the building on Mus-
grove street just viurated by B. L.
King. Mr. Stiller, who has been man
ager of the A. & P. store sin^e it
opened here several years ago, states
that the “moving job” will be com
pleted tonight and everything in
reaifinesa for business in their new
location on Friday morning.
to the city in time for the opening
and regular classroom work will be
resumed without delay.
Presbyterian college will also be
gin its new term next Monday morn
ing.
Tho 'Thornwell orphanage schools
re-opened yesterday.
Mr. and Mrs. Jim Moore of York,
and Mr. and Mrs. T. 0. McKeown and
children of (Cornwell, spent Christmas
with Hr. and Mrs. T. J. Blalock.
Several Changes
With New Year
B. L. King, well known local mer
chant, has moved from his former lo
cation on Musgrove street into the
store room on North Broad street for
merly occupied by Blakely Bros., and
is now stationed in his new home
where he will be glad to serve his cus
tomers.
Pet B. Adair’s Furniture store is
occupying the room adjoining King’s,
while the building vacated across the
street has been rented by Coleman’s
Electric Shop.
The Successful
Merchant Of 1932
Will be the merchant who
buya his merchandiae well,
givea courteoua aervice, dia-
playa hia aiock well and
runs a ayatematic advertis
ing campaign. Competition
ia keen and if you want tir
keep on selling 'em you
have got to keep on telling
’em.
The advertising department
of THE CHRONICLE will
welcome the opportunity to
diacuaa you^^publicity cam
paign for thia year.
The advertiairg ctdumna of
this newspaper offer you a
mire way of increasing your
aalea and making new
friends for your store.
The Chronicle
“The Paper Everybody Reads”
Columbia, Doc. 22, C;ivontnr I. C.
Blackwood announced I;ito toihiv that
becau.so of “bond marl-i t cimditi >n<”
the proposed saU* t'miorr.AV of $10,-
000,000 in .South ('ar<ilina highway
bonds or notes had boon called off.
After conferences with bankers,
highway and other officials lasting
practically throughout the day. the
governor issued the following state
ment;
“The latest reports on bond market
conditions convince me that bids will
j not be rcA-eived proposing rates that
I the stab* could afford to accept, and
' we have therefore come to the con-
, elusion to call off the sale advertised
I for tomorrow. At a later date another
jbond sale will be advertised.”
The proposed sale was announced
! Dec. 6 from New York, where the
! governor and Ben M. Sawyer, chief
■ highway commissioner, had gone to
study the bond market. The adver
tisement for bids specified bonds or
i short-term notes.
Governor Blackwood said his brief
statement covered the situation and
he did not feel it necessary to elabor-
j ate on it. The decision to postpone the
bond sale, he explained, was reached
after a thorough survey of bond mar
ket conditions.
H. D. Rantin has returned after
spending several days in Knoxville,
Tenn., ,with his daughter and son-in
law, Mr. and ’Mrs. N. P. Dow.
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