Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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JUS! I J Ir | I"' 1 | I ir r. : u n W~: h HOW GOVERNMENT i CONTROL AFFECTS i I OUR DEVELOPMENT H : ' _ . | Southern Land Congress Plans For Continuance Of Work Stopped By Federal Control?President Wary field Points Out Danger In i v*" Present Tendencies I - ' ' Savannah, Ga.?In the Southern ? \ ' ( | Land Congress just held here, with, fourteen Southern states represented, it was clearly demonstrated that the great land associations which are seeking Southern development, and, now, a place to locate many of the returning American soldiers, must have adequate A support, if they are to continue their important constructive work. The congress, which was held under the auspices of four of the largest land associations in the South, all of which ' were established by the Southern Settlement and Development Organization, represented a membership of more than 3,000, including leading farmers in every Southern state, and ver 25,000,000 acres of land. Formerly, this organization, of which S. Davies Warfield of Baltimore, Hd., is president, and which has done much toward Southern agricultural development, was supported largely by railroads operating in the South., i Declined to Help * Since government control |of the railroads these contributions have been withheld; and, in a striking statement to the land congress, President Warfield said that notwithstanding the appeal made in a petition by 27 Southera senators from 15 states, that the national railroad administration continue these contributions to the organization, the director general dealined on the ground that contributions should not be made to "private organization not under government control." This position was taken, notwithstanding Maryland had granted it a charter, and given it $80,000 from the state treasury, thus attesting its pubBe character. la taripAri unfortunate." Mr. War field said, "when an agency like this, i organized not for gain but for the! general good, and which is admitted by the administration to be 'a highly meritorious one,' must be discontinued en a mere pretense in order tha,t autocratic methods may be firmly entrenched. If these organisations are to accomplish their constructive aims in the development of the South and its millions of acres of productive land, the, restoration of sanely regulated private management of the railroads is essential." Mr. WarfieW said support had thus i r RE? "5 have 01 Mors< hat has lumber < ight. Se< t lexi pun rank I . been withdrawn by the railroad ad-1 ministration from an agency which had J done and could do more than any othei j in assisting in providing those very; products needed for the winning of the; war. Shall Autocracy Continue? "It may be natural," he said, "that those in power should wish to perpefc | uate their great powers, but recently granted to them, or as many of them j ?c tht?v hold. But such an au-l tocracy as congress was compelled, un der conditions of war, to temporarily set up, it may be safely assumed, wat intended for the purpose of winning the war only. And we must take care lest we now create in this country th*} very conditions which the life's bloo<j of millions of men has been shed ti destroy in other countries!" Asserting that for this very reason questions arising from the two school) I of thought ? private or government; ownership of utilities ? will likely b? made political issues, and very sooi! occupy the attention of the two greal j political parties, Mr. Warfield declared j that the people of the country must: decide upon one of two courses: First; government ownership, under whioj; the railroads will seek to get all they! can for their holdings, and withouij regard to whether such ownership ii! to the advantage of the people; andj second, restored and properly regulate*' private management which will assur* to them better service and the benefit! of individual initiative. "My own judgment is," Mr. War, field said, "that only through compre hensive plans of control and regula tion under private management anc initiative, can the best results be ob j tained from any of the great indus . tries of the country." Shippers And Land Owners Concerning the vital interests of th< j shippers and the land owners, in thes? problems, Mr. Warfield said; xirv-i-t r\-rrrn nrp A1 i l ne bilippm a ?a.iiu. iauvi u?uvi o the country are as much concerned ii! the questions at issue ? whether th< i railroads are owned and operated b] i the government or under private own 1 ership and operation?as any interes: j involved. The securities of their owi; companies, if they are corporations are affected; and if they are no1 corporations, their business is affecte< | by the sympathetic effect of any actio] j that adversely affects the billions o, railroad securities outstanding. More j over, the success of the shipper ant j land owner is directly dependent upo] | adequate and proper railroad develoi j ment and service." "If there is a people to whom thi ery idea of such a system of patei nalism?government ownership and al that it involves?must be repugnant, i is those of us who live in the South:! It was determined by the Congres j that the four land associations sha] take over the Southern Settlement ani I Development Organization; continu; ing its work under the suggestion* o J the officers of that Organization, a I a clearing house and medium throug]! which to give collective expression 11 the desires of the land owners of th South, to the end that all sections o I the Southern country may be benefite | by the plans of the Secretary of the Ii terior, in providing for returning Af&ei lean soldiers and sailors. 1 * CEIVED= i hand a lot of t gs and R been shinned 1: A A )f years, and th< e me before mat chase. . i 1 Bamberg, 0 i 1'" "'JUS!] i w\\ bottle ^ i ww thru a \ m^pv \ ii (ry=> 14l>CLi s ^ rt^t \DHROUGH the civilized work ^w%^\^\\\s^v^VkWxSN^ American - born Thanksgiving Da> Lri*2<%jM take on national impressiveness. C days are over?the dream of New Fre is at hand. ^ CkOur boys are con HHHHHHHHHHHnHHHHniH I < he finest i m i (lines iere in a e price is :ing your i I j -,'/ i ' :v i Bamberg, S. C. t ? f f-n , ;ip ^ '''' I I 4 #