The Barnwell people-sentinel. (Barnwell, S.C.) 1925-current, July 30, 1936, Image 1
TUB OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF BARNWELL OOUNTT.
CemoliJated lane 1, 1925.
The Barnwell People-Sentinel
‘Ju»t L.tk« a IVI«mb«r of the Famllv
• »
VOLUME LIX.
BARNWELL, SOUTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, JULY 30TH, 1936.
Largest County Circulation.
NUMBER 46.
Johnston Assertion
Is Termed Falsehood
Jefferies and Porter Deny That High
way Department Had Part in
Colleton Road.
Ben Sawyer Declares x
Allegations Not Tme
Governor 01 in D. Johnston's asser
tion that the State highway depart
ment played a part in the construction
of a 12-mile road to a Colleton hunt
ing preserve met denials yesterday
from two quarters.
Senator R. M. Jefferies, of Colleton
County, termed any statement that the
highway department was instrumen
tal m building the road “a malicious
falsehood.”
R. M. Porter, WPA regional engi
neer and former State lelief engineer,
took full responsibility, he said, for
the road as a FERA project and said
neither Chief Commissioner Ben M.
Sawyer nor any other highway offi
cial had “anything whatsoever” to do
with it.
The governor told an estimated 4,-
000 persons at Mullins Wednesday that
the load to Cel. R. G. Elbert’ s estate
“probably” was built because Jef
feries was Elbert’s attorney and be
cause Elbert s old Sawyer a yacht for
$1.
He added that “probably” the en
tile federal relief allotment for road
purposes in Colleton County was
spent on the road, and read a letter
he said was from Elbert to Jefferies
urging Jefferies to have Sawyer ap
prove development of the route.
The Colleton senator said in a state
ment at Walterboro that the road was
built with relief fund* in 1933 and
1934, whereas the governor quoted
from a letter dated July 11, 1935.
Senator Jeffeneg cited the corre
spondence. taken from highway Ale*
uurtng Johnston** military road re
gime, as showing that the Colleton
legislative delegation declined to allo
cate feheral h ghway funds for the
road, and that Sawyer took the posi
tion that federal highway funds should
be spent on Route 21 between Bells
and Yemasare
Mr. Porter** statement follows:
**! have read with surprise the
newwpaper accounts of slafpinent*
made by Governor Johnston at Ruf■
An and Mullins concerning a county
road in t ojeton Couty commencing
at a point near Green Pond and ex
tending across the Ashapoo r ver to
Bennett* s Point. The governor has
been mis^nfoimed as to the facts and
h.« statement is not correct.
“Prior to the time that I was pro
moted to my presnt position 1 was
State engineer for the South Caiolina
emergency rtlief administration and
civil works administration. The Col
leton County road in question was im-
pmved during that period by the em
ployment of relief forces and 1, as
State engineer for the relief adminis
tration approved the project. Every
dollar expended on the road was A-
n a need by federal funds allotted to
this State for unemployment relief—
and not with any funds allocated to
the State highway department. I ac
cept full responsibility for this road
project. Neither Mr. Ben M. Saw
yer nor anyone connected with the
State highway commission or depart
ment had anything whatsoever to do
with this road work.
The statement of Senator Jefferies
follows: »
“After Governor Johnston had er
roneously stated at Ruffin in a speech
July 16 that the State highway de
partment had built a road to a hunt
ing preserve of Col. Robeit G. Elbert,
I was charitable enough to think that
the governor had been deceived by
some of his political friends in Colle
ton County because I was unwilling
to believe that any man who had been
elevated to the high position of gov
ernor would misrepresent willfully
the facts. However, s ince I have seen
his statement in the morning news
papers I can see that the charity I
wa s willing to extend to him in my
statement of last Friday was mis
placed.
“Does the governor mean to say by
his statement yesterday that he did
not state at Ruffin that the State
highway department built the road?
If he did not so state at Ruffin, then
the highway department is exonerated,
but the very able press reports of
his statement at Ruffin to the effect
that the highway department did build
the road is confirmed by a steno
graphic report of the governor’s
speech which I have in my posses
sion.
“If Olin Johnston or any other man
says that Ben M. Sawyer or the State
highway depat tment or the State
Chief State Highway Commissioner
Denies Any Conection With
Colleton Road.
Replying to charges made by Gov
ernor Johnston that the highway de
partment had a part in building the
much discussed Colleton County road
by Col. R. G. Elbert’s place, Ben M.
Saw’yer, chief State highway commis
sioner, said yesterday, in his first
public statement since the beginning
of the long highway controversy, that
the chief executive’s charge was “ut-
SELECTS BARNWELL COUNTY
AS OUT STANDING EXAMPLE
Candidates Speak at
Dunbarton Tomorrow
Farmers and Taxpayers League Requests Statement Show
ing Reductions in Taxes and Appropriations as
Result of Business-like Administration.
Barnwell County has been selected
by the Farmers and Taxpayers League
as one of the outstanding examples in
South Carolina in the matter of busi
nesslike administration of public af
fairs, with the consequent reduction in
taxes, it became known here this
week, and at the request of J. K-
teily false and any statement or in- Breedin, secretary of that organiza-
ference to /; the effect that the State
highway commission, the highway de
partment or I had anything whatever
to do with the construction of the
dirt roaa is equally false.”
Concerning the boat which the gov-
etnor referred to in his speech at
Ruffirr recently, Mr. Sawyer said that
in 1932 Colonel Elbert, his personal
friend, gave “me a fishing boat which
Y’ill accommodate comfortably two
person s ( ar, d uncomfoitably five) and
which is used by me on occasions for
fishing purposes.”
The road commissioner added that
“this boat was an absolute gift from
Colonel Elbert and had no connection
with any duties of mine as chief com
missioner and any statement to the
contrary ig absolutely false.”
“Any person who says or infers that
1 have received or accepted anything
of value from any person, Arm or cor
poration as the result of any highway
department tranaaction or work—to
use plain language—ig a malicious 1933
liar I” Mr. Sawyer said. I 1934
“Since I came to the highway de- 1935
partment many years ago the depart- !
mmt has disbursed for the State and 1
the federal government over $160,000,
tion, statements have been prepared
by W. H. Manning, county auditor,
which, it is understood, the league
will use to s how that it i s possible for
counties to effect savings and reduce
taxes.
Mr. Manning has prepared one
statement -showing a comparison of
total taxe s levied in this county for
State, county and school purposes,
which shows that the total amount of
taxes assessed from 1928 to 1931, in
clusive, was $952,904.69, while from
1932 to 1935 it was only $656,086.22,
divided as follows:
Total Taxes
Year. Valuation. Mills Assessed
1928 .. $4,495,890.00..30. .$232,937.96
1929
1930
1931
1932
.. 4,394.930.00..36— 272,076.65
“(Note.—Mills in this statement are
State and county, while taxe s assessed
include also special school levies,
varying in each district.)”
In hi s report to the Farmers and
Taxpayers League, Auditor Manning
also prepared a statement showing a
comparison of appiopriations for ordi
nary county purposes for the four-
year periods, 1928 to 1931, inclusive,
and 1932 to 1935, inclusive, which is
a s follows:
Year. Appropriation.
1928 $39,339.04
1929 ' 43,949.30
1930 56,713.67
1931 .-- 20,933.16 -
$160,940.16
1932 .00
1933 15,428.80
1934 19,137.15
1935 25,053.86
Schedule Calls for Meetings at Wil-
liston, Hlackville and Barnwell
Before Primary.
$59,619.81
Thus it w'ill be seen that those
charged with the management, of
4,362,590.00.-30.. 245,130.34 Barnwell County* financial affairs re-
4,187,630.00. .*22.- 202,759.74
$3991.620.00.
3,867,200.00.
3927,430.00.
3,721.980.00
.17.
.17.
.18.
20
$952904.69
$167,435.12
. 159985.47
. 163,580.60
. 165,085.03
$656986.22
From the above it will be aeen that
000 and I defy the governor or any I there wa* a reduction in aaaaaad tax-
other man to point hia Anger at a »tion in the past four year* of $29«.
gingle crooked transaction involving mg.47 and in rommentu
duced the cost of operating the coun
ty government $101,320.35 for the
four-year period, 1932-1935, as com
pared with the four-year period, 1928-
1931. In this connection. Auditor
Manning gays in hig report:
“It will be observed that for the
year 1932 there wa, no levy and,
therefore, no direct appropriation for
ordinary county pupo*e«, which in
cludes officers' salaries, jail expenses.
*hain gang, roads and bridgrs, poor
house, etc., the county having been
me or any of my associates.”
The chief commissioner charge* the
governor concealed fact* by not mak-1
on this l, P* r * tr d at that time out of the sur-
statement to the Farmers and Tax- P ,ua wh * h Kmd ^ nfmmuUted dur-
payers League Auditor Manning says ,n « Preceding four year* when
“For many yeais prior to. and in- mnnugoarnnl »»» arrang
mg public all available correspondence dudtng 1930. the county had borrowed ln * '** •ff»ira ao that the
with Senator Jefferies about Colleton ' yearly against its appropriation bill • co, * B *y ■*gkt be put on a cash basis
road b«ild‘ng.—The Stale. July 25. | gso.000 or more to operate on “Ordinary county purposes, of
-=^- ' . =: i Average annual interest item was $3.. coor ~* do *» 1101 "*''**• bond levies
highway commission had anything to '8)0. Between 1925 and 1930 a sulfi- ** n *** various *rhno| distrrts
00 with the construction of. or siloca-1 cient surplu« was accumulated to put' * ^ ***
tion of funds for, the county rood . the county on a cash
.1,. . . _v- i oV cr the county, which the county dele-
t road the county on a cash bas s. >0 *• r
. . ...... . . . . 1 -1 .w.* 1 gatmn and board of directors have no
which passeg through the property of money hag been borrowed since that
Col. Robert G. Elbert he utter* a ma
liciou* falsehood. The governor j yei
knows or should have intelligence
enough to ascertain, that Ben M.
Sawyer and the State highway com
mission had nothing whatsoever to do
time. During 1932 the county Ascal! f over.
. . m 1 . I "I attribute tl
year was changed from January 1 • |
rxn
mgly
fine
changed irom January
r, ,. . • . ■ t-,.. condition in %hich the county And*
December 31 to July 1-June 30. r or I
the Aral half of the year 1932 and the;
following Ascal year, which was from
July 1, 1932, to June 30, 1933, no levy
county purposes. In other yords. dur
ing the period of 18 months the
with the expenditure of such teliof j whatever was made for ordinary
fund* in 1933 and 1934, and if the go\
»rnot wanted to be fair he would give
the facts as they really exist. During j county wag operated upon arcumulat-
the entire discussion of the highway , ed surplus. As of June 30, 1936,
matterg in the genet al assembly and the ending of the last Ascal year, the
in public over the State, I have tried
to be temperate in my remarkg con-
county—still operating on a cash
basia—had on hand a surplug of $14,-
its Ananrial affairs to the c.ose
co-operation between the county cele
gal ion and the board of director* and
the other county officials.”
YOl K FRIEND EDISON.
cerning the governor and hi* very ( 939.55.
inconsistent attitude toward highways j “Since 1925 the county’s affairs have
and re-employment in South Carolina, been under the direction of the same
but, in view of the governor’s state
ment, I must speak plainly. Anyone
who state g that the whole amount of
federal fund s allotted for road pur
poses in Colleton County was spent
on this one road leading to Col. Rob
ert Elbert’s estate utters a malicious
falsehood.
“The governor ha s tried to make it
appear that the road in question is an
excellent one and already people have
sid that it was a paved road. The
fact as it is known to the governor, or
could by an investigation be ascer
tained, is that as a major relief proj
ect to prevent suffering among scores
of unemployed in the territory of this 1
load, a fairly well drained and graded
dirt type of road with wooden bridges
and with no sand clay or top soil sur
facing, was constructed. The governor
knows, or could easily ascertain, that
at the same time this major relief
project-was being built there were at
County Board of Directors.
tained, that the work on this particu
lar road was completed long before
the date of the letter he quotes in hi s
statement of yesterday, to wit: June
11, 1935, and that no work from fed
eral or State funds has been done
on that road since that time. The
governor knows, or by reasonable in
vestigation could have ascertained,
that the correspondence he refers to
in the summer of 1935 was concern
ing the possible allocation of secon
dary road money or farm-to-market
road money to a further impiovement
of this road and others in Colleton
County. The governor’s very efficient
military oiganization, to whom he
gives the credit of obtaining the let
ters he now gloat s in quoting, did ob
tain, or could have obtained, the en
tire correspondence which show’ed that
the Colleton County legislative dele-
least two other major projects in other ! gat'on was not willing to allocate any
sections of Colleton County and that | e( jc r c] highway funds to this par-
to each of these roads there was al- ticu’ar road and that Ben M. Sawyer
lotted a sufficient proportion of fed- i the attitude that any federal
eral relief funds coming to Colleton highway funds, at that time available
County. The governor knows, or he i to Colleton County, should have been
could easily ascertain, that the money 1 spent on U. S. Route 21 between Bell’s
for the Bennett’s Point road, the one ; an( j Yemassee, which money would
in question, came to the Colleton have been spent on that road last
County relief administration earmarked year except for the use of the militia
ed for that particular project in order
to relieve the laige amount of un-
by the governor and which money is
now about to be spent under a con-
employment in that particular section j-tract let by the highway department
of the county in which allocation of s j n ce the legislature and the courts
funds Ben Sawyer and the State high- have told the governor that he shall
way department had no part whatso- not be permitted to become a Musso-
« v «r- | lini, Hitler, Sulin, Huey Long or any
“The governor knows, or by reason- other kind of dicUtor in South Caro-
afcle investigation could have aacer-! lina.”—The State July 24.
Edison was granted the Amt basic
pitent of rad:o transmission in 1885,
stating that he had found that electric
telegraphy between distant points
could be carried on without the use of
wires. Edison’s claim included send
ing message s through the air above
oceans. Years later various interests
wanted to buy the patent, but Edison
insist ed that it rightly should g (> to
Marconi. “If they don’t want it, I
won’t sell it to anyone else,” he said,
and he sold it to Marconi for a very
modest sum. The Golden Jubilee of
radio will be celebrated this year.
The First Radio Tube.
One of Edison’s most brilliant dis
coveries was made in 1883, when the
so-called “Edison effect” lamp was in
vented. This lamp showed an electric
discharge occurring in the vacuum of
the bulb. Edison’s lamp wa 3 used by
Professor J. A. Fleming as a radio
detector, and Lee de Forest followed
with his control grid. In November,
1932, forty-nine years after Edison
had applied for his radio lamp patent,
two famoug electricians stood in the
studio of the? National Broadcasting
Company in New York and placed one
of the Edison effect lamps in a radio
set. Word s an d music were reproduc
ed perfectly. Anyone with a radio in
his home should remember that the
power to give energy to it was devised
by Edison, the first method of collect
ing and utilizing etheric waves was
his, and that the first radio tube was
also his. 29.
The second of the regularly schedul
ed county campaign meetings will be
held at Dunbarton tomorrow (Friday)
morning, beginning promptly at 11
o’clock, it was stated here Monday by
Senator Edgar A. Brown, county
chaiiman. The meeting will probably
be held in the Dunbarton high school
building, Senator Brown said.
The opening meeting of the cam
paign was held at Hilda on June 9th,
the day following the closing of the
entries. A special meeting was held
a few weeks later at Long Branch
Church in connection with a barbecue
dinner to raise funds to paint the
church building. ‘
Following the Dunbarton meeting
tomorrow, the candidates will invade
Williston the following Firday—Au
gust 7th. The fourth of the series
will lie held in Blackville on Friday,
August 14th, and the last meeting will
be held in Batnwell on Friday, Au
gust 21st. The first primary will be
held Tuesday, Auguat 25th.
Enrollment Books Close.
Books of enrollment throughout
Barnwell County closed Tuesday of
this week, and the executive commit
tee will meet in the Court House at
Batnwell Saturday morning at ten
o’clock to purge the club rolls, ap
point manager a of election and trans
act such other business a a may prop
erly come before said meeting. Candi
dates having complaints of irregulari
ties are invited to appear before the
committee at that time.
Cotton Crop Showing
Marked Improvement
Prospective Yield of Fleecy Staple m
Barnwell County to
Get Drought Relief
Congressman Fulmer Says County
Was Designated Drought Ter
ritory July 17.
A short time ago, Representative
Solomon Blatt, of this city, wired
Congiessman H. P. Fulmer, Senator
James F. Byrnes and others in au
thority to ascertain why Barnwell
County had not been designated to re
ceive drought relief along with other
counties in South Carolina and last
week wa g assured that this county had
been so designated. Under date of
July 23rd, Congressman Fulmer ad
vised Colonel Blatt as follows:
“I am quoting herewith from a let
ter received from Mr. J. W. Tapp,
chairman, department drought com
mittee, IT. S. Department of Agricul-
ture, Washington, D. C., in reply to
my telegram under date of July 10th,
requesting that Barnwell County be
designated a s official drought terri
tory:
“ ‘This will acknowledge receipt of
your telegram of July 10th addressed
to Mr. Aubrey Williams, W. P. A.,
which has just been referred to us
for reply. Barnwell and Bamberg
Counties were designated a a official
drought teritory on July 17th.’
“1 am mighty glad that you called
to my attention the fact that Barnwell
had been left out of the designated
drought area. 1 am also glad to be
able to state that we have succeeded
in having it designated, and I am sure
if you will get in touch with your
county agent, as well as any commit
tee which may be appointed to look
after program. Barnwell County will
get everything it i a entitled te.“
Colonel Blot also received assurance
from Senator Byrnes and others that
the county wilt he taken care ef ia
the matter of drought relief.
Meeting Neat
Allen’s Chapel Meeting.
The annual protracted meeting at
Allen’s Chapel Baptist Church will
commence Sunday, August 2nd. Be
ginning Sunday, the service 3 wll be
held at 11:00 o’clock a. m. end 8:30
p. m., and run throughout the week.
The public ia invited to attend.
Chaperones were once known in
England as ’’gooseberries.’’
a Month Ago.
The Arst open boll of 1936 cotton
seen here ws a on display Monday at
the Best Pharmacy and ia said to have
been picked on the firm of Dave
Black, a few miles from this city.
Judging from imports from various
sections of the county the cotton crop
has improved greatly ia the past few
wrek a and prospects now indicate a
much larger yield of the Acecy a tap.e
than was the case a month ago. The
wrather recently has been ideal for
cotton and “old” cotton- -thA ia.
plantings that came up before the
drought—is said to be heavily fruited
with grown bolls, with indicated
yields of a half to a bale per acre.
Young cotton i a atill at a critical
stage and the yield from that source
depends entirely on the weather dur
ing the next few weeks. Plants that
did not come up until the dought was
broken several week a ago are said to
be putting on squares and blooming
rapidly. Seasonable weather will re
sult in a fair yield, but prolonged
rains will increase boll weevil infesta
tion, with the consequent damage to
the squares and young bolls.
While many farmers have good
corn crops also, there are some sec
tions in which this crop ha s not
shown the same marked improvement
as cotton, and the prospect at this
time is for a smaller yield than last
year.
The watermelon season is rapidly
drawing to a close and on a whole has
been more successful than was an
ticipated at the beginning. The
yield has been very good and prices
have held up well throughout the
marketing season, due in large part
to the control measures used in pre
venting the markets from being glut
ted with surplug shipments.
!J*
6$
urged to utCaud a
stork mooting, which will bo hold
Tuesday night at eight or lock la the
Court Houao at Baruwotl. This moot
ing ia being hold ia ruoporation with
the rhambor of c*
j pap* rs of Auguoi
thro* from that city will ho
according ta County Agent H. G.
Boyiston Farmers will bo shown
how they esa produce more liesatack
and representative* of banka hi this
section will bo protowt to tall of thoir
cooperation ia helping to
th«a project. District
Ward, of Aiken, and Lieootock Spec
ialist Hawkins nr* exported to attend
the meeting and n good attendance ia
being anticipated.
Ceuaty Extension Planning Mooting
.Nino farmer* and farm
representing the County Planning
Committee, met in the office of the
county and home agents Monday
morning, together with the district
agents, Mias Bessie Harper and A.
H. Ward, of Aiken.
The outstanding problems and
of the coufity were discussed at
length by those present, as well ag a
plan of work for another year to be
gin to solve at least some of these
problems. Another meeting will be
held with the committee in the near
future, at which time an outline of
the work to be carried on in 1937 will
be prepared by the committee for the
guidance of the county and home
agents.
Pastor Returns From Vacation.
Revival Meeting at Long Branch.
Tha revival service s will begin at
the Long Branch Baptist Church on
Sunday afternoon, August 2nd, at
five o’clock. Beginning Monday, Au
gust 3rd, the services will be held at
11 o’clock in the morning and at 8
o’clock in the evening. The pastor
will have charge of the services and
preach throughout the meeting. The
member 9 and friends of the church
are urged to attend. Visitors are wel
come at all times.
The world has too many snowshovel-
ers looking for work in summer, and
too many lawn morerers looking for
work in winter!
The pastor of the Barnwell Baptist
Church, the Rev. J. A. Estes, has re
turned from his vacation, and the
services will continue as usual, with
the exception of the B. T. U. The
B. T. U. leaders think it best to wait
until the latter part of August or the
first of September to start the B. T.
U. again. The service s are to beheld
as follows: Sunday School, 10:30;
Morning Worship, 11:30; Evening
, Worship, 8:00.
All member s are urged to attend
all of these services each Sunday.
We especially urge everyone to attend
services Sunday morning, at which
time we are to decide upon a time
for our Revival meeting. Visitors and
out-of-town friends are given a cor
dial welcome to all of our services.
Contributed.
A Get man husband was allowed to
divorce his wife because she made in
sulting remarks about Hitler.