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AMERICAN PEOF LOSII Mishandling of Cotton Means a Loss of Si Dollars^ It has been estimated by students of the cotton industry as it exists today that the American people are losing $75 .000.000 per annum from the mishandling of their cotton crop. Our present system of procedure is both slipshod and wasteful. There tho vital nrnhlpnis con-! IVi C, VJiiV VI vuv I r fronting the people to-day is the efficient and economical handling and marketing of the products of the soil. It presents a problem of vast magnitude, both from an agricultural and economic viewpoint, and it is a probv lem in which every wearer of cotton goods is interested. It so happens that cotton, the purest known natural form of cellulose, will bear more abuse than any other crop material and yet retain a large proportion of its original value. Corn, because of its perishable nature, de * 7 mands far better treatment, and receives it. If our billion-and-a-halfdollar corn crop were treated one half as badly as our cotton crop it would no doubt shrink in value half a billion dollars annually. There are corn cribs on the farms and elevai tors and warehouses at the railroad stations and primary and secondary markets for the protection of the f* crop in general. Still. 10 bushels of corn, worth ordinarily at ma-ket, prices from $5 to $6, requires as much space as a bale of cotton, for storage, which is valued at from $"0 to $60. Cotton planters persist in producing too many varieties in each community, and are careless in picking and in handling unginned and ginned cotton on the plantation. Nevertheless, in a broad sense the individual farmer is unable, because of the complexity of the present system, to cope with the great problems that exist. Most of the abuses with which spinners, especially foreign spinners, charge the American planter arise after he has parted with his cotton and when he no longer has any voice in itc trpfltment. These facts must be "* "" **" clearlv recognized as necessary and ; permanent reforms can be brought about only by community action among the planters and by co-opera-! " tion between growers, ginners, com- i press men, common carriers, bankers, | buyers, spinners and merchants. An occasional period of low prices is not as serious a danger to the American cotton industry as continual high prices that serve to stimulate a rapid development of cotton in foreign lands. A well established , foreign market means an ultimate reduction or restriction of our own prices. This in turn, injures every one concerned, from the planter to the producer. The United States possesses no natural monoply of production, for cotton may be grown in many other parts of the world. Active efforts to develop the culture of , cotton are to-day being made in numerous foreign countries, particularly Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Algeria, Sudan, Togoland, Nigaria, In dia Turkestan and Cliina. Tne oniy adequate protection against foreign competition would be to improve our own industry by growing better cotton and by growing it more cheaply than other countries are able to do. notwithstanding the lower wages of 4 the foreign plantation laborers. Some manufacturers are frank enough to say that they do not desire long or strong cotton, thus encouraging the planters to plant inferior varieties. If the goods wear out faster new garments must be purchased more frequently and this brings larger profits in turn to the manufacturers of this weak stock of - - * - J - * fabrics. Such entire aisregaru ol me interests of the ultimate consumer may serve to gain a temporary profit. but it cannot be expected to establish the cotton industry on a basis of permanent prosperity. The American public is at last beginning to appreciate the vast difference in values of strong and weak cotton products. Manufacturers of long staple cotton goods have undertaken an ac\ tive campaign of education regarding the superiority of their fabrics. Some of the more advanced States have laws forbidding the adulteration and misbranding of textile goods. The need for pure-clothes laws is one of the same vitalness as that for the pure food law, for the rapid wearing out of weak cotton not only results in enormous financial loss to our public, but represents a general danger to our national health. Broken cotton fibers form a large portion of the household dust that Is to-day recognized as a serious factor in the steady development of tuberculosis. Notwithstanding the unique commercial importance of the cotton industry the farming public has less knowledge of cotton than most i I E ARE NG GREAT SUMS in the Southern States sventy-Five Million Annually branches of agriculture. Unlike oth^r* nrinpinol ^rnnc r*r\ttr\i\ ic n At rQ iC? I V-? I ?uviyui V4 Vf kj, WCVVU U\/W * V*?s/ ed for storage purposes, but is a purely industrial or commercial proj duct. A food crop remains a part of the life of the agricultural commun| ity where it is produced, only the surplus passing into the general chant nels of commerce. In former days, when the weaving of cloth and the manufacture of garments were do| mestic arts, both producers and con| sumers were more familiar with cot! ton and more able to apprehend the I better or poorer quality of the fiber. But to-day cotton is no longer a part | of the domestic life; it is raised on j the farm to be shipped to a city a , thousand miles away to be manufac: tured into goods. Improvements in textile machinery and the factory system of labor have led in the last 50 years to an enori mous expansion in production and use of cotton, yet there has been no corresponding improvement in qualitv or intrinsic value of the fiber, nor I ; in the methods of growing and mar! keting the crop. The industrial superiority of cotton is usually supposed to lie merely in its cheapness, but cotton of good quality can compete with any other fiber in strength, fine1 ness and durability. Though the consumption of . cotton has vastly outgrown that of any other textile ma tenai, tne true possiomues ui me fiber are still very Inadequately appreciated by the general public. A lack that education alone can remedy. The popular conception of a generation ago that fine fabrics were stronger and more durable than course fabrics was based on mechan| ical limitations which modern inventors have thoroughly overcome. With strong long staple cotton can to-day be made from much shorter and I weaker fiber. The decline in the I wearing qualities of cotton fabrics is often ascribed in cities to the use of destructive chemicals in public laundries, yet the same deterioration is | recognized in rural districts, where household washing is still practiced. Fully $25,000,000 worth of cotton cloth is thrown away by the conj sumer each year, which represents a loss from which no value has been appreciated. This loss has been made a fact because the textile manufacturers are producing a. poor quality of material in cotton cloth. Millions of dollars are oeing lost annually in cotton by the farmers who endeavor to hold their crop until the markets raise sufficiently to warrant a sale of the product. The majority of the planters who are following this pastime have insufficient means for the storage of their crop, i It means leaving the bales out in the | weather, sometimes on platforms or boards, bpt often also flat on the ground without any protection whati soever: The saving of this cotton i each year would make such a mate! rial difference in the cost per yard ! of cotton cloth to the consumer that all buyers would immediately notice the saving. Under the present system, the ginbox, plantation, flat, or uncompressed bale, as it is variously termed, has a density of about 12 to 15 pounds to i the cubic foot. Its usual dimensions I are 54x27x43 inches. An average of ! 25 flat bales are loaded in cars of ordinary size and shipped to the near| est compress, usually as a re-com( press or railroad compress. As the ! usual commercial lot consists of 100 i flat bales, four ordinary cars are required for the haul. The compress ! collects its fee for service, amounting j to ten cents per 100 pounds, or about i 50 cents per bale, direct from the i railroad company, the latter having : included this amount in the freight j bill. This the producer pays, as well j as insurance, freight and other charges, all of which are deducted I before the price has been fixed. ! Upon arrival at the compress plat\ form, which often has insufficient 1 roof protection for more than one| quarter of the total shipments on | hand, the 100 bales are unloaded, j weighed, put on range, which means i lined up side by side with faces out. and sampled. They are now classed. ! compressed, and patched while in the I 1 press, and then are readv for reloaai j ing for shipment to port or domestic mill. Compression reduces thickness one-half or more, bringing them to a density of 22 pounds to the cubic I foot. Two cars will not accommo| date the 100-lot shipment. Compresses ordinarily employ the j cheapest type of labor, and are uni der pressure to show a large output j of bales during the season they are j in operation. In the Southeast their j earnings must be ample, as the averj age number of bales handled is rela The Fat Man. I tell you. When a feller/s fat His friends all have A notion that They've got a call to criticize. They say. "You chump You are too plump. Get out, get out and Exercise." They tell him that he eats To.* much; That soon he'll touch The danger line. And they opine His health is punk They shoot the bunk From morn till night. All right. Beats all how wise These skinny guys Kin sometimes be. Tain't hard to see It's jealousy That makes em talk that way. For us fat folks. We hear 'em every day. We may be fatter, but, By gosh. We're cheerfuller Than they. Something altogether new in horticulture has been successfully tried in New Orleans, where a tree was cut off at the roots and planted in the middle of the city for a Christmas tree last winter. Recently it wAs proposed to make it permanent. The roots were grafted to the stump, and an electrical curent kept running up the tree through the roots to start the sap. The tree joined and grew, and is perfectly healthy at the present time. tively large. As an example, Georgia, with a crop averaging 2,000.000 bales annually has but 35 compresses. while Oklahoma, production but 750.UUU, lias oo compresses. Although the bad condition of many bales delivered to the compresses furnishes some extenuation, the quality of the work is in many instances unnecessarily poor, due to overcrowding and carelessness in handling. Pressure by carriers, legislation, and, systematic compress inspection would vastly improve the present undesirable conditions, which cause the ultimate consumer to pay a far higher price for his cotton goods than is necessary considering the vast amount produced in this land to-day. The character of the American cotton bale, both as to condition and covering, has been a source of universal complaint and criticism for many years. The blame has quite naturally been laid at the door of the planter. He in reality has been merely the victim of an out of date, incorrect, and oppressive method of arriving at the net weight of cotton in a bale. The buyer, whether for domestic or foreign trade, does not pay cot ton prices for the bagging and the ties placed on bales at the ginnery, although a vast majority of the cotton planters suppose they do. Allowance for "tare" always is figured in some manner or form in the price offered to planters for their cotton. In other words, a 500-pound bale is considered as containing 470 pounds of cotton. If the "middling" price in Liverpool is 12 cents, the bale is worth not $60 but $56.40. As the buyer purchasers on a gross-weight basis he must protect himself against the tare rule Whence his offer to the planter, profit and other items of expense having already been reckoned in, is $56.40 divided by 500 pounds, or 11.28 per pound. The effect of the whole tare situation is, indeed, vicious. Its net result is to introduce complications and confusion in all cotton transactions whether it will go to New England or to some of the numerous Southern cotton mills. In other words, he does not know whether he should put on 22, 24, or 30 pounds of tare. As a matter of fact he practically puts on the same amount of bagging and ties, weighing usually from 19 to 22 pounds. If he attempts to "tare up" his bales he is met by the notice from the great cotton-buving concerns that operate in his section or from mill owners if in the Southern mill sections, that they will not purchase cotton that carries more than the usual amount of bagging and ties, which is six yards of bagging and ties. In the interest of good, straightforward business and for the protection of planter, cotton merchant, spinner and consumer the present diversity in assessing tare and in making tare calculations should be at once terminated. The economic waste involved in the purchase of millions of pounds of extra canvas, on which freight and handling charges must be paid, should be stopped at once. The present system of cotton growing and distribution is both wasteful and costly. It loses money for the grower and for the ultimate consumer. and the needed reform of these methods will aid in solving the problem of the high cost of living for the great army of cotton consumers. DIVORCEES BARRED. Bigamy to Wed in This State Says Attorney General. Columbia, April 29.?"In my opinion divorced people are not legally capacitated to marry in South Carolina, and if a license were to be issued the marriage would be bigamous and void," said Attorney General Peeples in a letter to Judge of Probate W. W. Johnson, of Union county. Mr. Johnson had written the attorney general that these questions sometimes came up for decision by him through people applying for marriage license. He wanted to know if people who had been - ? -i i:A J divorced in otner states, ana appntfu ? for marriage licenses in South Car- j olina, could be granted them. ? The Union official also asked whether or not, if a couple were I divorced in some other State and jj one party was giv^n the right to re- 8 marry and the other not, the latter 8 could get a license to marry in | . South Carolina. To all of these ques- I tions the attorney general answers I The letter of the attorney general I to Judge of Probate Johnson, of I Union, says: I Attorney General's Letter. I "I am in receipt of yours of the | 17th instant, in which you ask for an I opinion as to whether a marriage I license should be granted to one who I has been married and divorced in I another State, and two other ques- I tions as to the production of the cer- y tified copy of the decree of divorce, H which will be answered by the opin- B ion on the first question asked. b "South Carolina does not allow di, vorces to be granted in this State under the constitution, and it has been clearly decided in the case of McCreery vs Davis. 4 4 S. C., 195, that this State will not recognize di- i vorces granted in other States. Be'fore you can issue a marriage license the parties have to make an affidavit setting out, among other things, that they are legally capacitated to marry. In my opinion divorced people are not legally capacitated to marry in South Carolina, and if such a license were to be issued the mar- [ I ... i ?j u ?? | riage wouia De oigamous anu vuiu. Special Hosiery Offer | Guaranteed Wear-Ever Hosiery For |c Men and Women. Ladies* Special Offer = For Limited Time Only? a Six pair of our finest value ladies' m guaranteed hose in black or tan colors with written guarantee, for $1.00 and 5 stamps for postage. ) SPECIAL OFFER FOR MEN. For a limited time only, six pairs of our finest 35c value Guaranteed Hose with written guarantee and a pair of our well known Men's Paradise Garters for- one dollar, and 5 stamps for postage. You know these hose, they stood the test when all others failed. They give real foot comfort. They have no ' seams to rip. They never become loose and baggy as the shape is knit in, not pressed in. They are Guaranteed for fineness, for style, for superiority of material and work' manship, absolutely stainless and to wear six months without holes, or a new pair free. Don't delay, send in your order before offer expires. Give correct size. WEAR-EVER HOSIERY COMPANY, Dayton, Oliio. ^ PREMIER =j "Non=Pnnctnre" Auto Tires CI Guaranteed 7,50# Miles Service ?' These tires bear the greatest known mileage guarantee, yet are sold at a price even less than tires of ordinary guarantee. This guarantee covers punctures, blow-outs and ' general wear. Guarantee covers 7, 500 miles service against everything except abuse. These tires are intend, ed for most severe service. Orders have been received for these tires for use in the United I States government service.^ . As a SPECIAJL 1.NTKU1JUUTUKI offer, we wiLl allow the following prices for the nexxt ten days. TIRES?TUBES. Tire Tube 28x3 $ 9.20 $2.00 30x3 10.25 2.30 30x3 % 13.50 2.SO 32x3 % 14.05 3.00 34x3% 15.25 3.20 31x4 17.00 3.25 n n~ ? i a A A <5 OA SiX-i U.uu o.ov 33x4 19.50 3.40 i 34x4 20.40 3.60 35x4 21.00 3.80 36x4 22.00 3.90 35x4 V* 26.00 5.00 [ 36x4 V> 27.00 5.10 37x4 y2 27.50 5.15 37x5 32.60 5.40 All other sizes. Non-Skids 20 per cent extra. 5 per cent discount if payment in full accompanies order , and if two are so ordered, shipping charges will be paid by us. C. O. D. on- 15 per cent of amount of order. 1 Our output is limited, so we suggest ; early ordering. We sell direct only. . giving purchaser the advantage of all . middlemen's profits. STROXGTREAD RUBBER CO., Dayton, Ohio. t RILEY & COPELAND I * Successors to W. P. Riley. + | Fire, Life II Accident It } INSURANCE I ( Office in J. D. Copeland's Store i? ?of W PEOPLES WE ARE 1 * SO UI PROM PI PKUSPtKl TRY US _ BAMBERG, SOUTH International H Farm Wag He IH C line T TNTIL you see tl "machSS11 ; Columbus wag Sis. ?t?'a p?sted ?n the ktest in R*ke?, suckers wagons. Weber and Hsjiw? A-grade, built to the big CORN MACHINES detail, are also &?? &L. Tie Only Fifth Wheel Far SMm Mm . The International fifth TILLAGE is worth a trip to town to i the pulling up or pitching Mduot K*rn>w? one ^ the best imprcvemU GENERAL LINE wagon. It means no mo: Si T*^dojrn^a' ** pins?no more bent and b: Ln Spread?n hi? for the wagon, and &e Separators See the International fifl hm Columbus wagons, ffri? If jon will write to us, w Gnk Drflb and information aboat thi on farm wagons aad will BoierTwiM Bee the wagons. IstwQUliTMl HnWMto1 Coop (hceporatoi) PHMWHBBHI J. B. BRI< Bicycles, Guns and Automobiles Repairec mmmm n m m i \g am mat * a ? m 30 \ ears cf R ANY FEVER in curing i |NEW TI TO AUGUSTA AND Commencing May 3rd, the Atlantic ( rate through sleeping car service betwei lanta, via Florence. Sumter and Augusta Georgia Railroad. Following are the schedules: Lv. Wilmington, Lv. Florence Lv. Sumter Lv. Orangeburg Lv. Bamberg So. Rv Ar. Denmark So. Ry., Lv. Denmark Lv. Barnwell Ar. Augusta Ar. Atlanta Passengers may remain in tne sieepin 7.00 A. Al., if they so desire. Returnin lanta at 8.00 P. Al., central time, and ai Al. and Bamberg 9.17 A. M.f Eastern tim Connections are made in the Union the "Dixie Flyer," (leaving there at 8.00 train for Chicago, carrying sleeping, dinir also through sleeping cars tc St. Louis; a lantic Limited," (leaving at 7.12 A. Al..) nati, carrying sleeping and dining cars; cars to Louisville and Indianapolis. Connections are also made at Atlanta West Point Railroad for Montgomery, A1 the Southwest; with the Southern Railwa: phis and the West and with other diver South Georgia, etc. For reservations, tickets and schedules tion by this new and attractive route, bj apply to J. B. Liles, Ticket Agent of tl Denmark, S. C.. THE STANDARD RAILROAD Ol Come to die Herald B< i need of Stationery, Pen % BANK | $ APE I ND V 3US fs . .. ."cfcfg CAROLINA m ' ??????????? ons J M he 1914 Weber and ons, you cannot be aprovements on fa?m i Columbus wagons, ;heat standards in every m Wagons on die Market see. Because xt presents I \ of the freotiooister, it is I ' nts ever put on the farm I re bent and broken king | roken cirdftirffiis?ionget I seier woak the hodes. I ih wheel on Weber aad B e will send eon eetalogace I i aod other hapro^dbnts | tell you whose yon aoay |j u>7 of America ^bJ| Tie Cure I i take the ounce of pre- I >n. That means bring I hicvcle here to be looked | as soon as you even sus- I . ^11 anything is wrong. We I small repairs as well as I ones. It is in your inter- I iat we advise you to not I e little break grow big. CKLE . 1. Bamberg, S. C. S M JOHNSON'S m* TONIC tAINl > ATI AWTA H ' n 1 Limi in 111 "oast Line will inaugu- ||| en Wilmington and At- III , in connection with the ||| 6.00 A. M. JIJ g cars at Atlanta until ||| ig. the train leaves At- |f| ' rrives Denmark 4.50 A. it Depot at Atlanta with II A. M.,) which is a solid I! Lg and observation cars; II % --vja md with the "South At- || a solid train to Cincin- 11 .oj also through sleeping || i with the Atlanta and || Mobile, New Orleans and II j for Birmingham, Mem- II ging lines for points in I w to any Western destina- II j old and reliable lines, II he Atlantic Coast Line, II '|| P THE SOUTH. II ,|1 i o. __rrr >ok oiore wnen icils, Books, etc. m