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Thursday, February 26, 1931 McCORMICK MESSENGER, McCORMICK, SOUTH CAROLINA PAGE NUMBER TWO GROWING COTTON TO MAKE RAYON (The Asheville Citizen-Times.) Experiments now being conduct ed at the University of North Carolina attack the cotton prob lem in a way which, if it succeeds, may well revolutionize the whole cotton industry. Dr. Frank R. Cam eron, Professor of Chemistry, and one of his students, Nicholas W. Dockery, are conducting the ex periments. The latter, with his mother, owns a cotton plantation of several thousand acres Rockingham. These gentlemen are undertaking to turn cotton into rayon in com petition with wood pulp. Their idea is to use the whole plant in stead of the lint alone. They wish to change the method of produc tion entirely by substituting a sys tem of growing similar to that now used with wheat and hay. After extensive experimentation, they believe that material for making rayon can be produced at barely more than one-twentieth of the cost by present methods of sup- * FORD COMFORT MSverg new Ford is equipped with four Houdaille double-acting . hydraulic shock absorbers ONE of the fine things about driving the new Ford is the way it takes you over the miles without strain or fatigue. No matter how long the trip, you know it will bring you safely, quickly, comfortably to the journey’s end. The seats are generously wide, deeply cushioned and carefully designed to conform to the curves of the body. Every new Ford has specially designed springs and four Houdaille double-acting hydraulic shock absorbers. These work both ways — up and down. They absorb the force of road shocks and also provide a cushion against the rebound of the springs. Other features that make the new Ford a value far above the price are the Triplex shatter-proof glass wind shield, silent, fully enclosed four-wheel brakes, more than twenty ball and roller bearings, extensive use of fine steel forgings, aluminum pistons, chrome silicon alloy valves, torque-tube drive, Rustless Steel and unusual accuracy in manufacturing. In addition, you save many dollars because of the low first cost of the new Ford, low cost of operation and upkeep, and low yearly depreciation. The New Fordor Sedan near plying lint for this purpose. It is an interesting fact that cotton is probably richer than any other plant in available cellulose, which is the basic material of ray on. Ninety-five to ninety-eight per cent of its lint is cellulose. Further this cellulose is of a very high quality and is suited for conversion into the finest types of rayon. Nevertheless, the cost of cotton, as compared with wood pulp, from which rayon is now mostly made, keeps it from being much used in the rayon industry. For growing cotton for this new industry two systems are being considered. One plan provides for sowing or broadcasting as hay and grains are planted. The other method is to drill in rows close to gether. From experimental evid ence already obtained, these new methods are expected to produce a smaller plant with comparatively less stalk and more fruit, with probably a shorter staple fibre, as well as shortening maturing sea son. Under this system of growing cotton would require no cultivation, also picking would be eliminated and a mowing machine could be used for harvesting. As a matter of fact, this has already been done in experiments, although with plants that had been grown in the customary rows. Disposal of the seeds, however, is a problem to be dealt with in the process being thus tried from Chapel Hill. It would be a great draw back to lose them or any considerable proportion of them, because of their value as by pro ducts. But it seems possible to send the seed through the pulping process unginned and afterwards to recover by chemical processes the oil which they would leave. An alternative would be to gin, not ;he lint only, but the whole plant. It is a question as to which is the more practical way. If cotton growing can be thus revolutionized so as to divert this staple to use in the rayon industry the effects should be profound. The cotton industry of ihe South is suffering from over production and from competition with silk and rayon. But if we are to have new, better and cheaper rayon itself made of cotton, the tables will be turned. Perhaps the pres ent experiments at Chapel Hill will prove of incalcuable value to the South. 1X2 COUNTY AND SCHOOL EXPENDITURES ROW PRICES OP FORB CARS $430 TO $630 F.O.B. Detroit, pine freight end delivery. Bumper* and apare tire astro at email coat. You con purchase a Ford on economical term* through the Authorised Ford Finance Plan* of the Vnivertal Credit Company* \ ' • . ( zZfad' ) $50,000.00 Cigarette Contest Under Way A contest offering $50,000.00 in prizes has been announced by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, makers of Camel Cigarettes, with special announcements in practically every Newspaper in the United States. Eight days are allowed for sub mission of essays, the contest clos ing at midnight on March 4th. Prizes will be awarded for the best answ'ers to the question: What significant change has recently been made in the wrapping of the Camel package, containing twenty cigar ettes, and what are its advantages to the smoker? Answers are limit ed to two hundred words in length, must be written on one side of the paper only and are to be mailed to the contest editor, R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. First prize is $25,000.00, with sec ond and third prizes of $10,000.00 and $5,000.00. Numerous smaller prizes will also be awarded. Judges of the contest are Ray Long, Presi dent of the International Magazine Company and Editor of Cosmopoli tan Magazine; Roy Howard, Chair man of the Board of the Scripps- Howard Newspapers, and Charles Dana Gibson, internationally known artist and Publisher of Life Maga zine. The contest is part of what ad vertising experts declare is one of the most intensive advertising cam paigns ever staged. Practically ev ery Daily and County Seat Weekly Newspaper in the country will be used as well as College Periodicals and Financial Newspapers. This campaign is to be followed by an aggressive advertising drive through Newspapers, Magazines, Radio and outdoor display. is publicity, the taxpayers of the county will probably insist on re forms. If they act with determ ination, the publicity will result in netting the taxpayers a saving of a quarter of a million or so a year. As The State has heretofore pointed out, it would be a very wholesome thing if the detailed cost of government in every coun ty were laid before the people of the county. And in this connec tion it would be especially valuable to know just how, on whose au thority and by what process, the school money is spent in the coun ties; what teachers are relatives of school officials and how contracts for supplies are made. In fact, there should be light and plenty of it. X AUDITS WOULD SAVE MONEY AND INCREASE HONEST SERVICE (The State.) (The State.) Publication in the Spartanburg Journal of a series of articles on county expenses, prepared by county authorities on tne call of the delegation, has attracted quite a lot of attention. Greenville had regarded her expenditures as high but is surprised to note how much less they are than those of Spar tanburg. The Greenville News had this to say: Governmental costs may be high in Greenville county, but it is some consolation to learn that our neighbor county of Spartanburg is wondering why its county govern ment costs so much more than Greenville’s. The Spartanburg Journal pub lishes in some detail a report to the county delegation showing that while Spartanburg county is spend ing for all purposes about a mill ion and a half dollars annually, Greenville’s expenditures run to around $800,000, or only about half as much. One big difference in the ex- fenditures of the two counties is in local road maintenance, for which Spartanburg spent last year around $550,000, while Greenville spent $282,340. And in the matter of bond retirement and bond in terest, Spartanburg spent over $569,000, while Greenville spent $278,000 in round figures. Salaries in Greenville county were $10,000 less than in Spartanburg. Magis trates and constables cost twice as much in the neighbor county as here. The Spartan health depart ment cost $10,000 more. Spartanburg and Greenville counties are fairly close to equality in the matter of population, area, and general governmental respon sibilities. The comparison in ex- Representative Rittenberg of Charleston has introduced a bill requiring an annual audit made of the books and records of each county official and to have such audits filed. We do not know how this measure will appeal to the legisla ture, but if one judge the present 4 assembly by those which have gone before, some one is bound to ob ject on the ground that audits will' cost money. This writer remem bers the time when “old time gentlemen” elected to offices “of honor and trust” where they had to handle public money were in dignant at the requirement that they should furnish bond for the faithful discharge of their duties —and there were many who then sympathized with their “touch iness.” But bonds are required by law and it is now generally recognized that they are needed. What, how ever, is the use of bonds when there are no audits? The certainty of an audit is a double protection. Very few persons who are faith less to their trusts originally set out to defraud the public. They be gin by “borrowing” from the funds in their keeping, with the full in tention of returning the money. But it is not returned. The ice of honesty having been broken, they go deeper and deeper into the hole. In most cases of detection, an ac cident is responsible for the in quiry and resultant investigation and discovery. Without systematic audits only a part, and probably the smaller part, of defalcations are discover ed. On the other hand system atic audits would deter many an official from making that first false step. They would help men to resist temptation. Aside from that sordid phase, audits would help the people to know and understand the finan cial status of the public’s business. The bill introduced by Mr. Ritten- penditures is stirring the Spartan citizenship to renew demands that its delegation go more thoroughly ; berg is a step toward a businesslike into the matter and bring govern- | conduct of public affairs. Those mental costs down. It is grati- who speak for economy should fying. of course, to learn that our support it as an absolute essential county expenditures are not so to economical government. No high as our neighbor’s, but that private business could long survive fact should not, of course, cause if subjected to the unbusinesslike any relaxation of the effort to put methods which mark the conduct our own county affairs on the basis of public business. of the greatest possible and efficiency. economy 4X1- Snapping of a power line by The State confesses to surprise hpavv wind ~ pt a firp wh irh hnrn- fV*o Hiffhofn/oon t>»o nnct ne aVy Wind SCt a 1116 WHICH DUm ed over 1,000 acres in the San Bernadino National Forest in Cali- Chained lightning can be at the difference between the cost of running the governments in those two counties. We are sur prised, indeed, that Greenville’s f 0 rnia costs are so much less than Rich- j . , ,, . land’s. This county and Spartan- a l mos t as dangerous as the real burg are in the same brackets | thing which during a single storm Here, however, our expenses for se t 73 fires last summer in the schools will take the place of Spar tanburg's extraordinary annual bill for road maintenance. The Spartanburg Herald is hop ing some error will be found in the published figures. That hope, we fear, in vain. But now that there i Ouachita National Forest in Ark ansas. All of these fires were held to small size, however, by the prompt work of the Forest Service officers. An ANNOUNCEMENT by your Fertilizer Dealer No. 2 in s Series appearing in this newspaper M Y purpose in being here in business is to supply at a fair price what you need to make successful crops. ,This year I am in better position than ever be fore to help you. I have contracted for my supply of Chilean Nitrate at the lowest price in years. I can pass this saving on to you. I recommend Chilean Nitrate...the nitrogen the South relies on for real money-making crops* C HILEAN Nitrate is the natural nitrate fertilizer. For more than 100 years it has. been used to improve American crops. A little under the crop is important but a liberal topi or side dressing is your insurance of profitable results. There is just one thing to think of when you buy your nitrate. Say CHILEAN to- your dealer. That one word is your protection and his too. Insist on Chilean and you get the one best nitrogen for your crops. Remember the two kinds—Original Chilean (Crystalline) and Champion Brand (Granulated) both. natural nitrate. LOWEST PRICE in years NEW 100-lb. BAG The bag without a backache- Chilean Nitrate of Soda EDUCATIONAL BUREAU 810 Carolina Life Bldg., Columbia, S. C. In writing for literature or information, please refer to Ad Nbi 69 r Grow \5ur Own \fegetables S ALAD vegetables, lettuce, radishes, beet>, carrots*! cucumbers, tomatoes.and green onions are more crisp and full of flavor when freshly picked. The same is true ci beans, peas and sweet cornJ To make the most of your gardening effort, plant the first quality tested seed now available in the Northrup < King 8c Co. seed box at a’ nearby dealer’s. tAll standard - {size vegetable packets Seeds