The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, May 06, 1908, Image 7
\ki if H16H RATES.
RAIIJtOADN lONTKND THAT IN?
CREASE IS ABSOLUTELY
NKllXsAHV
t
eee> Are Mouuting Vp Despite
Ever* Effort to Limit Them, ami
thw Bn saner In on the Wrong Hide?
Better Time* Are Hoped For.
Washington. April I?.?"A serious
V condition confronts ths railways of
America. They are going backward
In receipts, without being able ma?
terially to reduce their expenses. Un
toss railroad business should improve
la the next three or four months, one
of two things alraoat certainly wlli
c occur: Cither there will be a reduc
) tkm of ths wages of railway employes
or an Increase In the freight rates of
the lines."
This opinion was expressed by sn
Important member of the Interstate
commerce commission. He had gone
.over carefully with the leading flnan
Mgeare of American railways the whole
prob lam and his opinion *>as the only
conclusion at which they possibly
could arrive.
It la hoped?and by many It la ex?
pected?that the business conditions j
. of (he railroads will Improve before
^tiext autumn; but the situation now ,
la pretty serious. The president of an
Important system of railroads said to- I
day j
"Despite all we can do our expenses
are keeping up. Ws have practically j
stopped all new construction work. !
I and we have reduced our .operating
asperates to the lowest posslbls limit; ,
but notwithstanding these facts, our ?
not revenues are far less than they j
were in the corresponding months of
last tear or ths year before. We can |
not fairly compare the revenues of
Pthw year and laat year with those of
five years ago. for Instance, because
then our operating expanses were not (
no heavy as they now are. In the last
Ove years, wages have Increased Im
unaaly; supplies of all kinds are
. greater In coaj; and our equipment Is
aVwnorrnously more expensive. On our
tinea, for Instance?and thsy are sub?
stantially typical?we are making lit?
tle more than our operating expenses.
Wo hare littst for Interest on our
bonds and nothing for dividends to
stockholders. I hope and believe that
p*ne> attention will Improve, but If the
Improvement done not come noon we
shall he face to face with a most
aortoeo problem. It may resolve Into
m quest Ion either of reducing wages
?r of . Increasing freight raten. Pe?
eeeeity, I do not want to take either
^ enure*; but this may be a great move
to aeve from general collapse the
greatest single lad net ry In the world
of Industry, the aggregate value of
which la approximately $15.000.000.
eet. besides which the United 8tates
' Corporation Is dwarfed Into Insignlfl
t eeavoa."
?The problems suggested In this
statement, are under most serious con?
sideration by railway officials Jhrough
. out the country. Thus far. the offi?
cials of organised labor have de?
clined to consider any proposition
. looking to a scaling down of wages.
? even temporarily, and the likelihood
Is that If such a proposition were
put Into effect gnerally. It would
r saw It In a tremendoua labor dis?
turbance.
Ae railway men regard the matter.
ij therefore, the only means by which
' they can make both ends meet Is to
Increase their freight rates. Passen
v per rates probably will not be affect?
ed. If a general Increase of freight
charges ahould be determined upon,
the Interstate commerce co mm las ion
probably would institute an Inveatlga
t Hoe Into the subject, having the au?
thority to do so under the law. Even?
tually, therefore. It would be decided
whether euch an increase was war?
ranted. In any event, the Interests of
the people wpuld be amply pro?
tected.
-1
GEORGIA HAH IT BAD.
Vote of Randolph County Wager?
ed on a Ball On me Hohe Smith
teem.
Cmthbert. Qa.. April St.?As the re
feu It of a baseball game played here
* yesterday this county (Ksndolph) will
go to Oov. Hoke Smith by default In
the June primary. The leading sup?
porters of Joe Brown are bound pat
to make a fight to carry the county
j Before the game waa called It was
k Uncovered that every fan on one
team was for Smith, while the mem?
bers of the other team were fo?
Brown.
The leading supporters of Smith
end Brown then practically wagered
the county'a vote on the game, the
I Smith men agreeing If the Brown
' team won to support Brown and the
Brown men. If the Smith team w.<n.
to support Sr h.
The Smith team won IS to
Browns supporter* say they will
abide by the result.
t A woman wouldn't care t ? be rich
I she could lave all the clothes and
"toels she wanted.
L
Electric signs are responsible for
PAPER TRUST FIGHT.
?
( -
WILLIAMS' NKW MOVE IX WOOD
PULP MATTKIL
Issue 1* Placed Squarely Before tlie
Republicans?Clever Speech by the ,
Minority Leader.
Washington, April 29.?John Sharp
Williams today gave the Republican
majority in the house an opportunity
either to permit or refuse to permit
I vote on the Stevens bill to place
wood pulp on the free list. In the 1
i
course of a cleverly humorous* and (
satrlcal speech he unrolled un^ held
up to view the following petition to '
Speaker Cannon, bearing the signa- '
tures of 164 of the 166 Democratic
members:
"We, the undersigned, representa?
tives In congress, request, each for I
himself, and each, for each of the <
I
others, that you recognise one of us, ,
or If you prefer, some other represen?
tative, to move to discharge the com?
mittee on ways and means from fur- {
ther consideration of and to suspend
the rules and pass the Stevens bill 1
or any other bill having the effect to
put wood pulp and print paper on the
free list."
Mr. Williams said that the two
Democratic members whose names
a ere not appended to that petition '
sere out of town, but efforts were be
ins made to reach them by wire;
when their signatures were added
only 80 Republican names would be
reeded to swell the strength of the
petition to the proportion of a ma?
jority request, which Mr. Williams
?aid with good natured sarcasm he
felt sure the speaker would heed.
After saying that only SO Republi?
cans were necessary to make up the
required number to paaa the bill, Mr. j
Williame declared that la ahould be
caay to get hem because almost 30
Republicans had Introduced free pa?
per bills, and, he aald, "I know that
every one of you who Introduced a '
bill meant what you said." Quoting
the lines from the old hymn:
'While the lamp holds out to burn,
The vilest sinner may return,"
Mr. Williams proceeded:
"If you have been in any manner
hulldoaed. why think for a second;
think of what a abort Ige we live
here, and how necessary It is that we
should be doing thlnga while we are
living, during thla brief day of our
time. I express a hope that at least
:i0 of you may algn a petition. If you
do not Ilka that petition because my
name la on it and the names of
Champ Clark and DeArmond and Un?
derwood and John Wesley Oalnea,
and all these vile publicans and sin?
ners on thta side, get up one of your
own. We can add the two together.
If SO of you algn, the speaker cannot
refuae, because you, together with
us, will then constitute a majority of j
the house of representatives. Early
In the aesslon, when the rules were
being adopted, the speaker was ask?
ed if a majority* of the house made a
requeat to the speaker, whether that
request would be heeded and his re?
ply, as I remember It, was, 'A ma?
jority of the house of representatives
will always be heeded by the speaker.'
So, If you have SO names to our 166,
It will constitute a majority of the
t
house. I (know that the eminently
good natured man who presides over
this house, who is so tolerant of op?
position, so patient whenever there is
a stumbling block athwart his path?
way, will bow In his most elegant man?
ner, with the gesticulation that is pe?
culiar to him. and say, 'Gentlemen, a
majority of the representatives of the
American people have a right to have
their way and I will recognize some?
body/ "
A table had been placed on the
floor In front of the stenographer's
bench and on It the petition was
spread, with Ink bottles and pens,
while the minority leader, simulating
the voice and manner of a revivalist
exhorted the Republicans to rise and
go forward and sign up. pleading for
"thirty."
"Are there not 30 who will come
forward?" he concluded, amid hand
clapping and laughter.
SCOTT TO VISIT SUMTER.
Kansas CongrcMsnian Will Aecom- I
pany Mr. Is'ver and Secretary Wil?
son.
\ -
Washington, April 30.?Congress?
man Charles S. Scott, of Kansas,
chairman of the house committee on
agriculture and a close friend of Rep?
resentative Lever, today promised the
lateer that he would accept his Invi?
tation to go to Sumter on May 7 with
Mr. Lever and Secretary Wilson, of
the department of agriculture. The
presence In Sumter of three men like
Secretary Wilson and Representatives
I. ver and Scott, all enthusiasts on
the possibilities of the South in agri?
cultural matters. will undoubtedly
serve to draw one of the largest
crowds of people to Sumter that per?
haps has ever gone there before at
one time. Mr. Scott will address the
people on the subject of agriculture
generally and the great opportunities
opening to the people of the United
Mil. NORMS contimks on tili?:
witness stand.
It I? Brought Out That the Alleged
Sixty Million Dollar.* In the Price
of Paper He lutes to All Paper Con?
sumed, Not News Print Pai>er
Alone.
Washington, April 30.?A mass of
data bearing on what is charged to
be a combination of paper makers to
raise prices and restrict production
was furnished today by John Xorris,
representing the American Newspaper
Publishers' Association, to the -select
committee of the house, which Is |
conducting an investigation into the
subject of the price of news print pa?
per in the United States.
Gen. Felix Agnus, of the Baltimore
American, who was also on the stand
today, testified regarding the various
contracts with paper manufacturers,
and also said that on January 1 last
he was forced by the International
Paper Company to pay $12 a ton
more for paper than he did last year.
He related a conversation he had had
today with a representative of the
International Company, in which, he
said, If the tariff on print paper was
removed he would be given a reduced
rate.
He read a letter from the Berlin
Company saying that company had
plenty, and more than plenty, of pa?
per to meet the demand for 1908,
??but," the communication continued,
"due consideration, however, of the
circumstances attending our negotia?
tions of two years ago lead us to de?
cline to'even consider a contract with
the American newspapers." He ap?
plied to the Vernon Mills, and was
told the supplv was all being spoken
for. That m..i had been soliciting his
business from time to time, he said,
but "all of a sudden It stopped." He
was satisfied from this, he declared,
that the paper makers had combined.
At the close of the day's session
Chairman Mann stated that apparent?
ly some of the publishers were not so
anxious to attend the hearing as they
originally appearedMo be, but said
that he would force their presence
and secure their testimony.
Mr. Mann today put Into the rec?
ord letters received by him from the
International Brotherhood of Pulp,
Sulphite and Paper Mill Workers, and
Dr. North, of the census bureau, and
also telegrams from David S. Cowles,
president of the American Paper and
Pulp Association, asking the oppor?
tunity to be heard. Both Mr. North
and Mr. Cowles stated that they de?
sire to deny certain statements made
by the Publishers' Association.
"Do you claim as a matter of fact,'
Mr. Mann asked Mr. Xorris, "that
the statement In Mr. Redder's letter
of March 4, 1908, to President Roose?
velt, in which he said there was
practically a combination to put an
additional burden of $60,000.000 per
annum upon the printing and publish?
ing Interests is true?" ?
"Yes, sir," the witness responded,
and answering a further question said
that the news print paper represented
the great bulk of the paper made.
"You don't figure the blotting pa?
per or wrapping paper as printing
and publishing paper, do you " asked
Mr. Mann.
The witness said that he did so
regard them.
"How about wall paper?"
Mr. Norrls replied that it was in?
tended to include all consumers in
the advance, and he put the question
to Mr. Mann if he thought it material
whether the $60,000,000 increase
planned was confined to the printing
or publishing business, or confined to
paper consumers.
"I think it Is extremely material,"
Mr. Mann replied as to whether this
$60.000,000 burden is one thing or
everything In the United States.
Mr. Norrls said that If it related to
paper makers who are in combina?
tion, "and who are In combination In
such ways that the taking of their
machines off one kind of paper and
putting htem on another affects the
whole business." It was a factor to
be considered.
Mr. Mann remarked that the wit?
ness had been directed to cover the
subject of paper, whereas all that has
been said was confined ao the printing
and publishing interests, "and there?
by absolutely you misled myself."
"We do not claim," said Mr. Nor?
rls, "that the increase is confined to
the printing and publishing business,
but that it applies to a co aputatlon
of the burdens which all the paper
combinations aim to impose upon all
paper consumers."
A WOfnan seldom nags her hus?
band unless he is {'. t kind of a hus?
band.
??or a burn or scald apply Cham?
berlain's Salve. It will allay the pain
almost Instantly and quickly heal
the injured parts. For sale by all
druggists.
Winter Isn't doing a great deal of
that lap-lingering business this year.
THE PRICE OF PAPER.
MORE TESTIMONY AGAINST THE
PAPER TRUST.
Well Known Chicago Publisher Says
That He Has Been Forced to Pay
100,000 More u Year For Paper?He
Advoctcs Removal of Tariff on Pa?
per and Pulp.
Washington, May 1.?Testifying to?
day before the house select comittee
on wood pulp and paper investigation,
Medill McCormick, publisher of the
Chicago Tribune, explained his several
paper contracts of the last 10 years
and said that although he had a five
year contract, with one year yet to
run, with the International Paper
Company, the price had been gradual?
ly Increased from $1.85 per 100 to
$2.20. He said although his purchases
amounted to 14,000 or 15,000 tons a
year, no one had approached him re?
garding his paper supply for next
year.
I
Under a rigid cross-examination,
Mr. McCormick testified that shortly
before making his last contract with
the International Company he had
bought paper from a Watertown, N.
Y., mill. Subsequently through a
traveling representative, the Water
town Company asked to be relieved
of its contract and on the same day
within an hour an agent of the In?
ternational Company appeared in his
office and asked for the contract. The
committee entered into an Informal
discussion as to the probable effect on
the public of Its report. In the opinion
of Mr. Stafford, the recommendations
of the committee would be followed
by the house.
Continuing his testimony, Mr. Mc?
Cormick declared that the passage of
the Stevens bill, removing the duty
tin wood pulp and print paper would
effect the relief sought. Mr. McCor?
mick said the Increased price of paper
meant an additional outlay by film
of $100,000 a year. He added that if
the committee would look Into the
condition of some of the smaller pub?
lishers they would find that in many
Instances men who, after years of
hard work had built up a good living,
had lost that living.
In the opinion of Mr. McCormick
the emergency!of the case fully Justi?
fied Immediate action by Congress
without going Into a general revision
of the tariff.
Further evidence was submitted by
John Nords, representaalve of the
American Newspaper Publishers' As?
sociation, in support of the claim that
there is a combination or agreement
In restraint of trade among the groups
of paper makers.
"You claim," Chairman Mann said,
"that the advance Is In part caused
by an artificial comblnaaion, that
there Is an artificial price, that it is
fostered by the tariff, and you think
we ought to recommend a removal
of the tariff, but suppose It should
appear that the enhancement In price
Is caused by normal conditions, by the
actual increase In cost of material or
labor, and not by reason of a com?
bination, do you think that we ought
to recommend a removal of the tar?
iff?"
Mr. Xorrls answered that that was
such an Impossible hypothesis that he
could not give an answer that would
clearly state his mind. He said the
publishers would substantially rest
their whole position upon the fact that
there not only was a combination but
that the prices which were being
charged were absolutely without Justi?
fication. The statements of the manu?
facturers, he said, as to the cost of
production were absolutely untrue.
Mr, Xorrls said In answer to a ques?
tion that the full measure of relief
desired by the publishers could be ob?
tained without removal of the tar?
iff.
Mr. Xorrls also gave testimony
showing the existence of a box board
pool which, he said, collapsed April 1
of the present year, when prices were
$8 to $10 a ton. Since then, he said,
there had been extremely lively com?
petition In that line.
The witness elaborated his former
statements refuting the claim of the
paper makers that the Increased
price of paper was due to higher
wages for labor and furnished evi?
dence showing that paper workers
are paid less per week than the fol?
lowers of any single occupation re?
porting to the Xew York, bureau of la?
bor.
The hearing will be continued to?
morrow.
Don't cough your head off when you
can g?^t a guaranteed remedy in Bees
Laxative cough Byrup. it Is especial?
ly recommended for children as it's
pleasant to take. Is a gentle laxative
thus expelling the phlegm from the
system. For coughs. colds, croup,
whooping cough, hoarseness and all
bronchial trouble. Guaranteed. Sohl
by Blbert's Drug Store.
The man who thinks he can fool
'i woman is an easy mark for her,
30 days* trial $1 is the offer on
Plneules. Relieves backache, weak
back, lame back. rheumatic pains.
Rest on sale for kidneys, bladder and
blood. Good for young and old. Sat?
isfaction guaranteed or money re
PASTURE GRASS TESTS.
DEPARTMENT OF. AGRICULTURE
TO MAKE INVESTIGATION.
Valuable Work to Re Done By Mr. S.
M. Pierson in Conjunction with Ex?
port From Department?Experi?
ments Undertaken at Request of
Secretary Reardon.
The following- correspondence,
which is fully self-explanatory, shows
that an important series of tests are
to be made on a practical scale for
the purpose of determining what va?
rieties of grasses are best adapted for
growing in this section as winter pas?
turage. A winter pasture grass is
greatly neeuca in the South and es?
pecially In this section. If it is pos?
sible to secure a permanent pasture
for winter grazing the live stock in?
dustry in this State will receive aB
impetus that will cause it to attain
large proportions within the next few
years.
The letters received by Secretary
Reardon are as follows:
Washington, D. C, April 24, 1908.
Mr. E. I. Reardon, Secretary, Sumter,
Chamber of Commerce, Sumter,
My Dear Sir: Your communication
of recent date, addressed to the hon?
orable secretary, regarding pasture
grasses has been referred to this office.
I called upon our forage crop expert,
Prof. Piper, for a memorandum as to
what could be done to assist Mr. Pier
son and inclose his reply herewith,
which is self-explanatory- I have
asked Prof. Piper to take the matter
In charge and give It his personal at?
tention.
Very truly yours,
B. V. Elly,
Chief of Bureau.
Washington. D. C, April 21, 1908.
Dr. B. T. Galloway, Chief, Bureau of
Plant Industry.
Dear Dr. Galloway: Referring to
the attached letter from Mr. E. L
Reardon, addressed to the Honodable
Secretary of Agriculture, I will say
that we will be glad to conduct some
tests with the pasture grasses and
mixtures with Mr. Samuel M. Pierson,
of Sumter, S. C, and will be pleased
to take the matter up with him direct.
I note from Mr. Reardon's letter that
a grass furnishing winter pasure is
very desirable, and I am of the opin?
ion that rescue grass would be well
worth testing for this purpose. Res?
cue grass, of course, is an annual
grass, but if properly handled it par?
takes of the nature of a perennial, in?
asmuch as it reseeds Itself readily.
There are also other grasses which,
when used in mixtures, would, I be?
lieve, give satisfaction, and we would
be glad to arrange for the testing of
these on a practicable scale. I regret
that I can give Mr. Pierson very little
Information concerning the growing
of Texas bluegrass, as this has not as
yet established Itself as a cultivated
grass in the South. The seed is at
present difficult to obtain and very
unsatisfactory to handle, and I do
not believe that Mr. Pierson will be
Justified In going to any expense at
present to establish a field of this
grass. Our experience with seeding
indicates that fall seeding will give
better results than spring seeding In
most sections of the South, and I
would suggest that Mr. Pierson defer
the matter of conducting any tests
until some time next fall.
Yours very truly,
C. V. Piper,
Agrostologist.
Washington, D. C, April 28, 1908.
Mr. E. L Reardon, Sumter, S. C.
Dear Sir: Your communication of
the 16th instant, to the Honorable Sec?
retary of Agriculture has been refer?
red to this office for personal attention.
We prepared a memorandum some time
ago for the reply to your letter, which
I presume you have received before
this. I will say that we will be glad
Indeed to have you test the grasses
and mixtures Indicated in our leter,
but believe that It is rather late now
In the season to begin work. Or ex?
perience Indicates that fall seeding
gives better results than spring seed?
ing In many sections of the South, and
I would suggest, therefore, that you
defer making any tests until next
fall. We will be glad to have you write
us, giving your opinion regarding this
matter, and giving us some idea as to
the extent to which you would like to
conduct experiments.
You'll j'dmit its wonderful merits,
else It couldn't keep the reputation
for thirty years of America's most re?
liable and surest tonic and blood rem?
edy?Holllster's Rocky Mountain Tea
36c , 'OS or tablets. Sibert ? Drug
Store.
Mrs. Catherine Helnts, of Cincin?
nati, Is now engaged In lor third
suit for damages against Dr. Frank
Caldwell for alleged injuries resulting
from bites of a dog In 1896. At the
first trial the jury gave her $100. and
at the second $3.000. She claims $5,
S. C.
Very truly yours,
R. A. Oakley,
Assistant Agrostologist.
EXPLOSION ON CRUISER.
MATsrsHIMO GOBS DOWX WITH.
MAXV OF CHEW. .
Out of a Total Complement of UWI
About 140 Men Are Saved?Num?
ber of Cadets Perish.
Tokyo, Ap/il 30.?Admiral Yoshl
masu. commander of the training
squadron, reports that an explosion,
occurred in the stern magazine of the
cruiser Matsushimo early this morn?
ing while anchoring at Makang. The*
Matsushimo immediately sank until
only her bridge was visible. Boats
lowered from the cruiser Hashadite
and Itsumushina continued rescue
work until 9 a. m., resulting in the
saving of the lives of 141 men, includ?
ing some officers. The majority ofT
the officers were not saved. At the*
time of the explosion, the admiral re?
ports, the cadets on board numbered.
58 out of a total complement of 300.
The sons of Baron Chlndia, vince min?
ister of the foreign office, and of
Prince Oyama, held marshal, are
among the cadets who It Is feared are
lost, also Capts Hamme, Yoshmorl
and Yasbiro.
The cause of the explosion is un?
known.
-1
A GIGANTIC COMBINE. I
Conferences Have Been Under Way foe*
Two Bays Between Lumbermen^
Controlling All of Yellow Pino
Land in the South. Approximately
5.000.000 Acres.
St. Louis, April 30.?Lumbermen,
representing companies comprising in
their holdings about 5,000,000 acres
or practically all of the yellow pine
timber of the South, have been hold?
ing an executive conference, for the)
past two days and it is understood tho
purpose of the meeting is to form a
holding corporation or merger not only
to conserve the timber supply but also
to maintain equitable prices on yel?
low pine products.
It is stated that the proposed or?
ganization will be capitalized foe
$300,000,000 and because of the heavy
corporate fees and other restriction*
in Missouri the concern will probably*
be incorporated in Delaware or Xew
Jersey.
The holdings of the various com?
panies represeting 100 plants will ho
vested in the corporation and tho
stockholders of each will simply ex?
change their stock share for share of/
stock in the holding compnay.
Ran; Opportunity.
A philanthropic man heard the
other day of a family dewn in tho
"Xeck" who were In extreme financial
stress. He took a trip around to tho.
poor, miserably furnished home and
found the occupants were having a
hard struggle to get enough to eat.
He gave three $5 bills to the gaunt*
half-starved mother and told her to
spend.it as she thought best.
A few days later he returned to sea
how the family was getting' along. All
the members in sight looked poorly
fed.
"Did you buy some groceries witla
that $15," he asked.
"Well, no," the mother replied with
some hesitation. "You see, it was the
first time we had had so much money
all at once, and It looked like such a
good chance, that we each went up
and had a dozen cabinet photographs
taken."?Philadelphia Ledger.
The Honest Janitor.
A janitor In a neighboring school
threw up his Job the other day. When,
asked what was the trouble, he said:
"I'm honest and won't stand being
slurred. If I find a pencil or a hand?
kerchief 'bout the school I hang It
up. Every little while the teacher or
some one that Is too cowardly to face
me gives me a slur."
"It what way?" asked the officer.
"Why, a little while ago I saw
written on hte board, 'find the com?
mon multiple.' I looked for it fronx
cellar to garret, and I wouldn't know
the thing if I met it on the street.
What made me quit my Job? Last
night In big writin' on the black?
board U said, 'find the greatest com?
mon divisor.' Well, I sayti to myself,
both them darn things are lost now.
and I'll be blamed for sweepin* 'era*
so I'll quit."?Ex. (
t.or?m! by a Steer.
Oaffney. May 1.?Mr. W. A. Mc
Par land, who is farming near Gaf
ney on the plantation of Mr. J. R.
Tolleson, while preparing some land,
for planting yesterday, was very bad?
ly gored by a steer which he wae
plowing. The wound Is on the BftdSj
and is a very ugly one. The injure.!
man. though suffering much pain,
from his w und, Is doing reasonably
well.
ri he butcher should be careful hifJI
h? steaks his reputation.
Do your duty and let the other fel