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mf' \' t W ! J uUjr Hamburg ifrralb ? j 1 ??~ I $2.00 Per Year in Advance - BAMBERG, S. 0., THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 1920. Established in 1891 . -^========================================================================================^ r PRACTICE ECONOMY THROUGHOUT STATE ( DETAILED STATEMENT ON BOLL WEEVIL IS PREPARED. I J \ Build Up Bank Accounts. rr ^ Kfnch Damage Expected Next Year if Season is Wet, According to Experts. / ______ * Columbia, Dec. 21.?The practice of the severest economy, to build up ,=? a bank account, and the installation -* _ > l j, or a sysiem 01 aiversmea agriculture, with livestock raising as the funda. mental, are the surest means of meetin? the boll weevil menace which threatens the whole State, according to a detailed statement on the cotton pest prepared by W. W. Long, director of extension, Clemson College, for ? Governor Cooper, and released by the latter today for publication. Dr; A. F. Conradi, entomologist, Clem$on vCoilege, in a statement inserted by Prof. Long, says if the cotton season of 1920 is wet that serious damage from the boll weevil may be expected in the counties in the territory below a line drawn from a point on the Savannah river a few miles > below Augusta, Ga., to Mt. Pleasant on the coast, namely: Beaufort, Jasper, HamDton. Colleton. Dorchester, j Orangeburg, Bamberg, Aiken, Barnwell and Allendale. However, if the winter has low temperatures, he said, and the growing season is dry, then no very serious damage is to be ex pected in these counties. If the winter is mild and followed by a wet growing season, he continued, then serious damage may be expected in the lowlands of Berkeley, Williamsburg, Georgetown and Horry counties, and furthermore damage may be expected in spots in low lands as far v north as the latitutde of Columbia. In Coastal Counties. "In the coastal counties lying below a line from the southern part of Aiken county to Conway, in Horry county, claims Prof. Conradi, "cotton production ii, rapidly becoming a gamble and as already stated, serious, damage will occur in 1920 if the season is wet; and it is of the greatest importance that the farms become h self-supporting and self-sustaining immediately.* Prof. Long's statement follows: "This article is to discuss and emphasize the great devastation and hardships the people have passed -through in States infested by the boll weevil in past years and the means they used to regain their present prosperity. Unless we prepare we have every reason to believe we will suffer a similar experience. It is admitted that in some sections the farm era have recovered and business is on a sound foundation; therefore we shall d'scuss this problem from four standpoints. The effect of the boll weevil on the agricultural interest in the States where it has existed for several years; second, effect of weevil on other industries, such as banking and oil mill ;nterests; third, how best to prepare to meet th's menace; and four*h, the counties in this State in which we may expect the greatest damage next year. Cotton Prodnction, "In the matter of cotton production in Texas in 1900 there were planted several million acres, producing 3,400,000 bales. In 1914 the acreage had increased to 11,000,000 acres, and the crop to 4,500,000 bales. It must be understood that the increased acreage in cotton in Texas has been in that part of the State known as the prairie section, which is very hot and has very little rainfall. In Lou's'ana where the acreage remained practically the same during the fourteen year period, the production fell from one-half a bale per acre to something like one-third of a bale per acre. From these figures it will be seen that when th^ boll weevil was at its worst in these States there was a disastrous reduction ip cotton productron and they emphasize the aDsoiute necessity ior our peopie to begin at once to> change their agriculture. "In 1906 there were 2,076 operating ginneries in Louisiana; in 1915 there were 1,086; in 1906 there were 25 oil mills in operat'on; in 1916 there were 14; in Mississippi In 1906 there were 3,780 ginneries in operation; in 1916 there were 2,204. . In the same State there were 84 oil mills in operat'on before the advent of the weevil and in 1916 + Vl oro trora r>Tl 1V ^4 Tt OUTI ho fiPPTI *v VAJLV/A ^ TT V/A v ^ ^ V I from these figures just what these - v^i * *$.: ' '.? ' . c . ? v-. - ? fi-sv* , . ARREST OF NEGRO CAUSES TROUBLE ????? \ MARION SHERIFF AND FUGITIVE SHOOT EACH OTHER. Occurs at Sellers. Prisoner Not Expected To Recover. Officer Resting Easy Last Night. Marion, Dec. 26.?Sheriff Rowell, of Marion county, is in a hospital at Florence from four pistol wounds and Mayo Carmichael, a negro, is believed to be fatally injured, as a result of trouble which occurred yes teraay at senars wnen tne omcer went to arrest the negro. On the night before Christmas Chief of Police Bass, of Sellers, went to a negro entertainment to arrest some negroes on charges not stated. The Carmichael negro fired on the policeman five times but did not hit him. A warrant was taken out for Carmichael and on Christmas day Sheriff Rowell w.'th several deputies went to arrest Carmichael. The negro was found in a house and the sheriff weni in and called upon him to surrender. At the time the sheriff went in the house the negro had his hands in his pockets, and upon the sheriff speaking to him the negro pulled a pistol out of his pocket and commenced fir ing on him, four of his shots taking effect. The sheriff pulled his pistol I and shot the negro once. The negro ran out of the house into the woods, but was afterwards captured and taken to the jail in Marion, where he is now in a serious condition. It is not expected that he will recover. Sherill Rowell was brought to Marion and then taken to the hospital in Florence. The physic'ans there report that he has an even chance for recovery. j industries suffered and the consequent loss not only to the owners but to the people of the 'entire State. Land values naturally declined heavily. From the present prices paid in South Carolina for some of our lands it seems that a number of our farmers have ent'rely lost sight of the presence of the boll weevil or stin of/i in tho T^rwnhtinsr Thnmas class. Bank deposits in many instances were decdeased as much as 50 per cent. Credit at banks was greatly curtailed and credit from a merchant was given only in rare instances. Up to Date Information. "I am including a telegram anu letter just received from the commissioners of agriculture of Alabama and Georgia which give information up to date: "Montgomery, Ala., Dec. 15, 1919. W. W. Long, D're"tor of Extension, Clemson College, S. C. 1914?four mill'on acres of cotton, 1,751,000 bales; 1915, three and one-th'rd mill'on acres, 1,021,000 bales; 1916?three and one-quarter m'lli'on acres, 533,000 bales; 1917? two million acres, 518,000 bales; 1918?two and half million acres, 800,000 bales; 1919?three million acres, 715,000 bales. Prices of cotton for 1914, boll weev'l and flood damage for 1915-1916 caused reaction in land values 1914-1916. Banking interests were advisedly affected dur'ng this period; however, Alabama through demonstration work was fairly well prepared for the coming of the boll weevil by diversified crops and live stock. Land values 'ncreased fifty per cent, in last two years over prices prevail"*ng in 1914 before coming of boll weevil and war. (Signed) M. C. ALLGOOD, uommissioner. "The following statement is made in a letter from J. J. Brown, the Commissioner of Agriculture of the State of Georgia, under date of December 16, 1919: " 'There are seven or eight very important factors which must be considered in addit'on. First was the war; second, increase in foodstuffs made through patriotic campaigns; third, inability to get suitable fertilizer; fourth, labor shortage; fifth, disastrous season; sixth, inrreased profit from other market crops, such as peanuts, sweet potatoes, tobacco, hogs, sugar cane, etc. To give you an idea of the weather as affecting the crop out turn, at least 150,009 bales were cut off by the summer ra'ns of this year. Weevil in Georgia. " 'The advent of the boll weevil in Georgia was largely coincident with the breaking out- of the war ;n Europe. War conditions were responsible for a cut of some arcs, crop in 1915. The actual value of tbe damage during that season, as reported by the United States bureau i i TAXES TO IX AS Pi Columbia, Dec. 27.?As long as the State fails to provide sources of revenue other than taxable property, then the people must expect increased taxation, because of the continual vaulting of prices, says Rut. L. Osborne, Comptroller General, in his annual report to the General Assembly. The Comptroller General calls attention to the lack of inheritance, income or franchise tax laws on the statute books of South Carolina. Mr. Osborne likewise takes the position that all departments should fVio'r pnllpotions over to the State Treasurer and have them chec* out under regular appropriations on warrant of the Comptroller General. Some departments, notably the State Department of Agriculture, Commerce-and Industries, are not required to do that. In his report, Mr. Osborne says: With Little Friction. "The appropriation act has beon handled during the year with but little friction, the State departments,* as a whole, cooperating with this office in every way. The wording and phrasing of this act was unusually clear, there being but few legal questions to arise from same. "The county officials of the several 1 counties have without exception as-| sisted the office whenever called \ upon. Their cooperation and their j willingness to comply with the statutes is most commendable and has not only been beneficial in conduct- ; ing the affa'rs of this office, but has also been a benefit to their respective i counties and the State. In some few instances it became my unpleasant ; duty to make unfavorable reports Oi i these county officials to their grand < juries. However, their< errors and failures to comply with the laws have ; been due in most instances to errors i of the head rather than of the heart, i Especial and personal attention has i been given counties during the past < year and I am pleased to report very j noticeable improvement in this de- ] partment. i Bookkeeping System. ' "The general system of bookkeeping 3 employed by the State and counties 3 of South Carolina will, I believe, com- ] pare favorably with that used in any ] State. The budget act, passed at the 1 iast session, is a progressive step and < should be of great assistance in ; stamping out any existing irregu- i laritipa Simti nn art fr?r thp pnnnt pa i would be even more benefical and it 1 is my understanding that the Gover- nor expects to request the proper legislation for the same. "I do not believe it good policy to make exceptions to the general system used regarding the receipts and expend tures of State funds. At presof crop estimates, was the loss of about 26 pounds per acre in the southwestern section, meaning the loss of approximately 25,000 bales. The next season the boll weevil extended his damage across our southern border and increased the damage in the south-west to about 50 pounds per acre. The loss due to reduction in acreage and in yield was about 100,000 bales during that sea-! son. In 1917 the weevil extended | his scope with the result in loss of production of about 130,000 to 140,000#bales. It was not until the season of 1918, however, th^t enough territory was under severe infestation to very greatly affect the State average. Th's year he cut the yield j iti + Visaii + orn eontin-n f rr>m 90 f n 9 r\ I . 1UL OV/UbUVA U OVV/tiVyU 11 VUA W V t V w V j per cent, and was becoming active , well up the State. During the season ] of 1919 the damage from the weevil t was terrific, running from 280,000 s to 300,000 bales. The State has 3 most decidedly not recovered from ^ the weevil, although acreage reac- T tion has set in and the farmers in the ( southern section have learned to ^ make cotton in spite of him and are j gradually increasing their yield. 1 " 'Georgia land values have been c increasing steadily for many years, c The boll weevil was merely able to t stop the increase temporarily in the c worst infested se tions. The effect on j i labor in the southwest, aggravated \ by war and other conditions, was i very serious, leading to migration of 1 thousands of workers. In the rest t of the State ::t has not been very bad. I t The only th'ng which has enabled us a to stand up under the onslaughts of-j e the weevil was the exceedingly high | t price of cotton, coupled w'th the ex- s ceptional values and other markets d for farm produce.' c "These faits should emphasise the i4 'CREASE RICES VAULT ent a few departments of the State government authorized by law to collect certain fees, licenses, etc., arc allowed to use such receipts, or a part thereof, to assist in defraying the expenses of the department. This method is very undesirable; all receipts should be paid into the State treasury and disbursed on the Comptroller General's warrant, according to appropriations.- In other words, I do not think any expenditure should ho untlinriTD/l nnloea nlnnod in tho UO UUbUVA i?VU *** ^?V appropriation act. By adopting this method, all revenues and disbursements would be handled regular!* and the departments would necessarily be forced to request from the General Assembly each year the 'entire appropriations required for their upkeep. As above stated, our general system is good, therefore we should avoid exceptions. More Centralized. "The State government should be more centralized. We have entirely too many departments, boards, or commlss'ons, in a number of which the activities are necessary,, but should be under the control of one office. The present system has a tendency to create friction and extrava gance. "The appropriation act for 1919 totals approximately four million dollars. Of this amount less than four hundred thousand dollars, or 10 per cent., was estimated as being the revenue for the State from sources other than the general or property tax. It was necessary, therefore, to to make the State tax levy nine mills. Even though the taxable property of the State shows a material increase it did not warrant a reduction of the : 19-18 levy, due to the increased appropriations, but, on the other hand, an increase of three-fourths of one nill was necessary. During these days of high prices, when the costs of all 1 commodities have increased about 80 per cent, and the State has fa'led to 1 make provisions for new revenues, increased taxes should be expected, rhe State, like any business, must necessarily spend more money or else %o backward. There is but one so- 1 [uticn to the high property tax prob- ] lem, and that is, increase the revenue 1 from other sources to take care of the < 3xped!tures which are automatically < ncreased with progress. While the 1 State levy for 1919 is nine mills, we . must take into consideration the fact < ;hat the basis of assessment is only ] 12 per cent. < "The South Carolina statutes con- < ,a!n no income, inheritance, or fran- 1 2hise tax laws. It should not be nec- 3 jssary to depend upon the property 1 tax for 90 per cent, of our total revenue." y importance of.,our people beginning ( it once to practice the most severe < jconomy. The question is how best i ;o prepare to meet this menace. We 3 jan only hope to do those things that J the wise men in those unfortunate 3 sections have done, ami they have 1 jeen po'nted out time and and again 3 3y a great number of our citizens 1 vho have visited those sections of 3 . 1 4. J "U A i /v 4 lit? uuu.uirj' iiuu uy oiaie <mu yiivciie; < igencies, but it is well to reiterate ;he methods they pursued. The first :hing that I would suggest is that j jvery man increase his bank account \ is rapidly as possible and treat it as i i sacred fund, buying only those ] hings absolutely necessary on the , !arm and in the household, for after ill a good fat bank account to start ^ vith and freedom from,any incum- ( 3erance is the best preparation for ( he boll weevil. The watchword hould be economy! Economy in this rear of plenty! A man in debt with he boll weevil to contend with has ( rery little chance of holding his own. c )ur farm practice must consist of a * [iversified agriculture, livestock play- ^ ng a great part. In order to have t ivestock we must have pastures; in >rder to have pastures we must fence >ur farms. Let me emphasize that it akes years to make a good pasture >ut of poor land. Therefore, we nust be willing to utilize acres of our ^ -ery best land for this purpose. This c s an item of expense that necessar ly c las to be met. The dairy cow and ? he hog as a state-wide proposition ( told out the greatest hope. Experts s it Clemson are ready and willing to c jive detailed information in tne | ; >uilding of pastures, the growth of ill kinds of forage crops and the c >uilding of silos. There are certain s :oast counties in which the growing (Continued on page 4, column 2.) ' ' V* . * DEATH TOLL FROM DRINK REACHES 78 OTHERS SUFFERING FROM PARALYSIS. Officers On Trail. Hotel' Proprietor Confesses To Buying Fifty Gallons of the Concoction. New York. Dec. 27.?Seventy eight persons have died during the past forty-eight hours and scores of others are suffering from paralysis and blindness, due to drinking wood alcohol "whiskey" according to reports received tonight from seven eastern cities, and Chicago. Highest in New England. The toll of poisonous liquor is the highest in New England, where sixty deaths are recorded. Two women at Chicopee Falls, Mass., and one at Springfield, Mass., are included in this list. In connection with the New England deaths and six reported in New York city, police, internal revenue officers and agents of the Department of Justice, are seeking Adolph Paraneli importer and commiss'on mer- . chant of this city, who they assert sold twelve barrels of poisonous li quor. me poi.ce cnarge mat me "whiskey"' was concocted in Para- < neli's store in Becker street. \ Many Deaths Reported. i In Chicopee, Mass., thirty-four men and two women died, in Springfield three men and one woman; Holyoke, six men and in Garfield, Mass., one t man. In Hartford, Conn., thirteen i persons died of the poison. \ , < Chicago reported eight deaths from < the drinking of poisonous beverages. < 14 Die at Cleveland. ] Two deaths were announced at : Newark, N. J., by the police. At Pittsburg two deaths are report- < ed. ] Three deaths at Cleveland, Ohio, j this week brought the total there to ] fourteen for the month. Hotel Man Confesses. ( Chicopee, Mass., Dec. 27.?Dis- ] trict Attorney Ely, of Westfield, who 1 has been investigating the deaths of I < more than forty-five persons in the I Connecticut valley as the result of ] Ir.'nking wood alcohol contained in i whiskey, announced tonight that t A.lex Perry, proprietor of the Ameri- j can House in Chicopee Falls had con- ] fessed to buying fifty gallons of the c concoction in Hartford, all except five of which were sold. The district attorney also stated that five other gal- t Ions of the liquor had been traced to \ the Polski Hotel, in Holyoke. i Charged With Manslaughter. ( According to the district attorney, ] vho bad refused to grant Dan 01 ??v,- ] 000 to Perry earlier in the day on the \ jharge of manslaughter, Perry stated 3 that he bought the liquor through j 3am Darling, of Hartford, an express- , man, who is under arrest in that city | in connection with the deaths. Perry told the d'strict attorney he had no ] idea the liquor was poisonous. Fol- } towing the confession the district at- j torney allowed Perry to be released i 3n bail. j Death Toll Reaches Forty-six. ] The list of dead was increased to forty-six in the Connecticut valley tonight with the death of another 1 Ohicopee man, Maurice Murphy, in . Mercy Hospital, Springfield. The 3 leaths are now divided as follows: j Chicopee, thirty-three men and two j vomen; Springfield, three men and ? >ne woman; Holyoke, six men; ^ Greenfield, one man. ? ( Three Die at Memphis. Memphis, Tenn., Dec. 27.?Board )f health records show three persons died in Memphis of wood alcohol )oisoning during the present month. MI of the deaths occurred prior to he Christmas holdidays. Crnsade Against Liquid. Mineola, N. Y., Dec. 27.?Walter 5. Reynolds, director of the War 2amp Community Service for Nassau md Queen count'es, announced tolav that he had begun a crusade igafnst persons who are sell'ng hard ;!der and "imitation" whiskey to ;oldiers stationed at the aviation lelds around Camp Mills. In some | :ases, it was alleged, wood alcohol 1 r \ been sold. Officials of Nassau * :ounty are coporating, Mr. Reynolds * iaid. ' r Four Physicians Arrested. T Pittsburg, Pa., Dec. 27.?Four EUROPE IS AFTER 17,000,000 BALES \ . , , ACCORDING TO STATEMENT BY BY THE COTTON ASSOCIATION. 'i4 Demands Are Enormous. ..J i ' Experts Make Close Study of Exchange Situation Existing at Present. J; Columbia, Dec. 27.?"A painstaktaking investigat'on by the American "I Cotton Association through the most reliable sources in Europe, for the purpose of securing all possible in- :>^ formation on the exchange situation and the European demand for raw J cotton, conveys the absolute certainty of a world demand for 17,000,000 bales of American cotton," says a 1 fftfltpmorif icouoil tn/^oTT Ktt t ov.t iuaubu buuaj UJ o. O avf towe Wannamake, president of the American Cotton Association. "From whence can this cotton come?" asks Mr. Wannamaker. "Enormous contracts, some at far lower prices, both for long and short staple cotton, must be filled. Cotton is dirt cheap today at $1 per pound, j basis middling." Confirm Statements. "The best experts in the country >'>; have confirmed our statements that the world is facing a shortage in raw cotton, and that manufactured prodlcts from cotton are enormously oversold. Europe will export more cotton than any previous year since the War Between the States. 4 "In our investigation we consulted ;he best experts in Europe and America. We also consulted with the larg- { \ est dealers throughout Europe. Our statement that the supply of raw cotton has been far oversold at far lower prices has been confirmed. Many of the mills of America and ? ^ Europe have sold enormous amounts of manufactured goods at fabulous prices. Europe is alarmed over the ^ absolute certainty of a shortage of - ; raw cotton. -j. . "Direct offers have been made from ; " a, combination of the largest Europe .. 2an dealers for the largest amount of ' raw cotton ever sold at one time or the largest amount ever sold in sev2ral consecutive deals, the price offered being far above -prevailing 3 prices, in desperation and to secure raw cotton an offer was made to pay to the producer the amount now being deducted for exchange by Europe, it being realized that exchange :onditions will finally become norma*. ' Says Hold Staple. "With the information in hand, on supply and demand wordwide, and the price of the manufactured prodict, I unhesitatingly urge the pro iucers to hold their cotton. Europe ias already exported 1,000,000 more bales this year than last. In addition :o this an enormoud amount of cotton aow in America has been sold already. We are facing the absolute certainty of cotton selling on the -J* - - - )asis aof fair price. "An investigation of the New York . Exchange by a committee of spinlers, has been arranged for the purpose of trying to arrange Southern warehouses for delivery. However, it s too late to lock the door after the lorse is stolen. .? Nine-Tenths of Clothing. "Nine-tenths of the clothing of the world is made from cotton, there is i world shortage and the demand for nanufactured goods at unheard of prices, is the greatest on recortf. For ligher prices for cotton is an absolute certainty, you have the choice ;o sacrifice your cotton at prevail ng ^ >rlces, permitting others the privilege )f reaping what they have not sown, )r of hold'ng your cotton for just Mi md fair price. If you have an ounce )r sense you win aaopi me iaiier ;ourse. "Pay no attention to the misleadng statements being issued by peo)le who have sold something they do lot own, that they cannot secure and vhich does not exist, the cotton you lave and which they greatly desire or the purpose of releasing them rom the:r predicament." . ^ J|*ygS 'ittsburg Physicians and a druggist Wj vere arrested here today by a deputy Jnited States Marshal and held in ! 1,5 00 bail each on a charge of havng violated the war-time prohibit aw. The physicians were charJ^HHBH o. bills of complaint with y and unlawfully prescribing ey" for a spec'al agent of tl^Hj^Bj|^B artment of Justice. The ras charged with having (Continued on ANH