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ff jjc dulatcbmaii ;tirt Routinen. I'uoIi-Im .i VYcune^t i> unit Saturday. ?BY? OSTEEN PUBLISHING COMPANY 8CMTKU, ?. C. Tonus: fl.50 per annum?In advance. ArivertUcmeuls: One Square Mrst insertion.|1?H Every subsequent insertion.. .. Contract* for three months, or loafer will be made at r< dated tates. All communication 4 which sub Serve private Interests will be charged for aa advertisements. Obituaries and tribute* of rOap< el Will be charged for. The Sumter w ii> hman was found? ed In 1850 and the True Southron in IUI The Watchman and Southron mow has ths combined circulation and Influvac? cf both of the old papers, maul Is manifestly the best advertising snedium la Sumter. Complaint of poor stands of cotton la geuerul and the acreage of cotton that has been plowed up and replant? ed 1* greater this yeas, thun for many years. The farmers who planted cot? ton early aa a rule have fine stands, the crop has been chopped out, is free of grase ?nd in excellent condition, al? though rain Is now needed. ? ? ? The organisation of the school trustees aasociatlon ad Sumter county which was affected Saturday marks an epoch In the improvement of the eubtte aehools, and we expect far reaching results from the cooperation of the trustees, ? ? ? Jones, the I'nion county wife-killer, failed to oMata the expected pardon, let there Is no need for him to lose hope. if he will go gently to the Penitentiary, conduct himself so as to gain the reputation of being a model prisoner, curb his appetite so that he will loee flesh, cultivate a chronic rough and frame up another petition for pardon on the plea of chronic ill health, he can easily turn the trick %nd secure hla freedom. ? a s The turn that affairs have taken in Mexico and practical certainty of peace within a short time, is a ter? rible disappointment to the hero of ?^Alone In Cuby." ? ? ? The subscription campaign am' V?t? ting contest which Is being conducted Jor the Dally Item and Watchm in and Southron by the United Contost Ad? vertising company, will be the means ?f dUtrihuting $900 worth of prizes among those who interest themselves la securing new subscribers for those newspapers. The contest for the six valuable prises will be close and ex? alting and STill arouse great interest we feel sure. The contestants who begin early and make an active can? vass for subscriptions stand the best ahaace of winning one of the capital orlse*. t t ? The editors who will gather In an? nual session In Columbia next week will put to the prooi the easts that Co? lumbia is the "square meal" town, ess The church of St. Anne which was dedicated I ir da> is not the largest in Ihe t?.s.. ot <'harle*ton. but lllshop Kertbr >p has not within his jurU dleCion a more beautiful or more per? fectly approved church edlllce. It is a gem architecturally and In construc? tion ?and is a credit not only to this parish t ut to thj IHoceso. e o e I Th*- bo..ks of registration for the special bond election to be held on June /'t i loned Monday afternoon and comparatively f< w ha\c registered, but aa the law la construed that all wha registered f..r the las: regular munlclal election are ent'tlcd to vote In any special election and that the special registration Is merely supplementary, the poll list will not be so limited as the special registration would Indicate. Ilow ^turner 4.oi a Hundred Thou*, anil hollar Hotel. Rock Mill Reeses! Mr. b I>. /enalagi ll mayor of Sumter. He is likewise president of the Chamber of Com nie? ce there, in the latter position io- fnu constantly hesleffrd by Sumterite-< to push the movemenr for a new hotel. He took them at their word, called a no,ting, and ttfcSSS ptemssM told hlni to go ahead. Mr. ./.imlngs *ent OVOff to Char* b-t'e. asm c,resham. the hotel man, took htio mmsl to Sumter. called an? other p it lie meeting?and then thing* happ. n-d Mr. Hreshain told the meeting that If the eltlzens of Sumter would subscribe and pay In cash 110,000, ho would build and operate In Sumter g hotel to cost $100,000 exclusive of furnishings, and the**, latter h? would pay for him? self. That was pore s*jBtg*MSV And what waa again bmslnea, the Sumterltes subscribe,| the $l0,0tf b. - fore the sseatlag edjoumed, OsgsteejmsgfM SmaHet mill have a lioii.ooo hot. I run ?.\ on. of th. n, h'?tel iron In the country. N ' hot all. All business. CREOSOTE TARIFF LIFTtD.1 HX1 Mil llol.Ds HECRKTAR\ OF TREASURE RCSPONSlBIiK. Hoawr Insjali j Brings out Mlegatlons That Cu bine! OttCCr \\a^ Kind l<? Kailrotds. Wadiington, May 22.?Testifying before the home oomnilttoe on ex? penditures In the treasury department today. J. B, B. Stuart, former col leetor of cuetomi nl Newport News said I'rankiin MacVeagh, secretary of the treasury. had told him the de? partment reversed a ruling, calling for eollectlon of a II per cent, duty on oreoaote Importations because the railroads c.oild not afford to pay duty | on that commodity. Another witness lentiflod that Sec? retary IfaeVeagh'l brother had inter -'?d himself in the matter. Mr. Stuart.w ho Instigated an in vestigation into creosote imports at New Mrleans last fall, charging that the government was losing millions in revenue because oreoaote, dutiable at L'<> per cent ad valorem, was being admitted an creosote oil free cf duty, was summoned before the committee as the result of testimony given pre? viously in executive session by Allan L. Benson. Mr. Stuart related how he found that no duty was being collected at New Orleans from foreign ships I whose manif :sto showed their cargoes to be creosote, the cargoes being re? ceived as creosote oil. which Is on the* free list. He told how last Sep? tember A. Platt Andrew, assistant secretary of thv treasury, had ordered that duty he collected on such im? ports, and that subsequently Mr. Cur? tis, assistant secretary, had reversed the order, claiming the goods were not subject to revenue, because they did not contain as much as 2 per cent of chlorine gas and could not be classed refined creosote. He said he had called on Mr. Curtis and was Informed of the decision and that he visited Mr. MacVeagh, who explained the decision. "Did Mr. MacVeagh give any rea? son for the order?" Mr. Cox, chair? man of the committee asked. "Yes," Mr. Stuart replied. "He said the railroads could not afford to pay duty on It." "Was that the only reason he gave?" asked the chairman. "That Is the only one I recall." was the reply. Previously Allan U Bonaou had told tho committee In executive ses? sion that Stuart had told him of the remarks Secretary MacVeagh is al? leged to have made. Bataaoa also visited the secretary of the treasury to inquire about the creosote ruling- He told the commit? tee Mr. MacVeagh had Informed him that "my instinct told me my assist? ant. Mr. Curtis, has done right In reversing the ruling In favor of the railroads." When the committee asked if Mr. JfacVeagh gave any reason, Mr. Ben? sog replied: ".Mr. afacVs igh laid timber ivai becoming very SCaroe in this country ami that everybody should dg what he could to preserve and conserve what timber we have. He said It made a very serious difference with the railroads whether they paid the duty or n >t. He did not say to me in so many words, but he did say the ratroadl ought to be encouraged to use that preservative. j "He also said his brother, Wayne, had called Og him to Inquire what the department waa going to do In the creosote matter, and be said he told him they were going to admit it free and that his brother then said. That was right.* Mr. Curtis, assistant secretary of the treasury) was present at the heat? ing today. He will be called as wit? ness before the committee later In the week. Mr. Cox said the Inquiry would be prolonged. In the Police Court. Tin- following cases were tried in I he Police Court Monday by Re ? uder Lee; Tom Wilson. James Wilson, Jim Stuttle, Dave Williams and Jim Rose were Interrupted arly that morning in a liitv game of skin by Policemen Owens, Williams and Ward, who had the e.doted card players in court to answer to the charge of gambling. Others of those who were engaged in ti>e name managed to escape the gl ip of the officers. Tom Wilson and Jim Rosa plead guilty and were lined $1", each, while the others, against Whom there was no positive evidence, were allowed lo go with ft flue of ll.tl each, Cyrus Arthur. To public drunken? ness, was food I ."..on or la days. A lot of new i.ks fur young people have bang received al the library as well as a number of bonks for older people. See the s. M. Pierson Company be? fore y.ni purchase your binder twine. Lit- It?W, Farmers' U K Practical Thoughts i R iCouducted by E, W. Dabbe, Tie Some Random Thought*. \w have often mentioned the. suc? cessful operation of the Eastern Shore Produce Exchange, of Maryland, This week we have articles from the Am erican Agriculturist, giving more in? formation about thla exchange, it is proof conclusive that farmers can or ganlse and successfully run a business enterprise and that they should no longer '"cuss" the middleman and commission houses for doing what they, the producers, should do Cor themselves?find the places where thslr Stuff Is In demand and then gup ply that demand. see It Is still very dry. I ?ats are ready to cut, Corn is getting all the humilia? tion Mr. Itclver Williamson could with, if only enough fertilisers will now be applied and have everything in readiness to lay by as soon as the rains come and it begins to grow, there will be a bumper corn crop made this year. At least one-third ?f the cotton is not yet up nor will it i tine UP until it rains. It Is cu? rious, but every one seems to expert ra'.n about the time oat-cutting he? roines general. Hence not a few will try to get she) d of the rain by cut? ting oats just s lltle before they arc ripe. ? ? ? The next meeting of the county Farmers' Union will be at Salem school house next week, Friday, June 2nd. We ought to have important report! from twa> committees that will make the meeting of more than usual Interest. E. W. D. FARMERS' EXCHANGE MAKES HISTORY. PlonScre in the Field?Former Meth? ods of Fleecing Farmers outlined? Commission Men and Local Buyer* Profit at Farmers' Expense?Grow ers Organise to Fight for Tholt nights ? Exchange Victorious? Handles Two-Thirds Produce of the lection. By N, P, WesCOtt, General Counsel for Exchange. Eleven years ago, in spite of great natural advantages and the uniform industry of a large population of ?mail farmers, the eastern shore of Virginia was not prosperous. Tn the decadf ending with 1S99, it was not unusual for prime, sweet potatoes to drop, after a brief reign Of early high price to 40 or even 30 cents a barrel and sell at this figure without hope of ,v covery, though cost of production wsi nearly $1 and the barrel alone a? that time cost 13 to 20 cents. In fact, many a car of Choice Irish Of sweet potatoes, though they might reach market in faultless condition and be paid well for by the persons who con? sumed them. brought back to the producer only a few postage stamp--, or perhaps even a bill for part of the freight?to meet Which the unhappy farmer could only offer more of his 1 rathi r leas than valueless potatoes, .\t that time two methods of mar? keting were In vogue on the penin? sula. The older was the familiar sys? tem of shipping to commission mer? chants "on c mslgnment," transpor? tation charges and a commission of 8 to t" per cent to be deducted from gros-; sales, the balance remitted to the shipper. Aside from the obvious, and generally overrated. Invitation to fraud in the fact thai the commission man I "held the bag" and that the farmer had no ( heck upon the accounting, the system was full of serious evils. | Shipments were made gen > rally In small lots, taking the highest rate of fr< Ight and imposing on the commis? sion mere'..ant. who must handle his business In this finely divided state, a high rate of operating expense, neces? sitating high commislons, The big eastern markets near by proved more attractive to the average small farm? er, and shipments were practically confined to a half dosen cities, , hiefly New York. Philadelphia, Baltimore and Boston, < ? I in ^ Offer Speculative Chances. Generally after a brief period of high prices for scant early shipments. i the consuming capacity of these cities was exceeded ami their markets be? came glutted. As highly perlshsblc goods, like vegetables, must find a prompt sale at sonn- price or become utterly worthless, the Ural result was that the bottom dropped out of the markets so overloaded, Then Inevi? tably the demoralisation of prices would gradually spread to all other accessible markets, New York espec? ially being a potent, since, ns any ex? perienced produce min knows. its j market is a closely watched barometer for those of the entire country, sinee the early stages of'every such nion News ND ? ?or Practical Farmers sideNt Farmers' (Dion of Sumter County.) glut offered attractive opportunities for speculation through reshipment t-# markets still unaffected, a largo part of the potatoes consigned to the east? ern cities were finally consumed in smaller towns and more distant se< - tions which did not attract con.'ign ments. But it was the undertaking of the commission man to sell only In his own home city. If the New York price for potatoes dropped to 50 centfl a barrel, while the still normally sup? plied Chicago market was paying $i.7"?, the New York commission mer? chant could account to the shipper at Till cents and Sell the goods to hit neighbor, or turn them >ver to him? self at that price for reshipment to Chicago, Thus many thousands bar? rels of produce for which the retail dealers In Chicago and St. Louis paid a good price netted the farmer ab? solutely nothing, the difference being i consumed In speculators' profit, cost of rehandllng, double freights and the i decay and gem rai deterioration Inct I dent to delay and rough usage in this roundabout way of reaching a final destiatlon. Local Buyers Prove Bloodsuckera. Tiie second and newer method of I distribution, which was gradually ? supplanting the consignment system. ' eliminated these w astes, but was even j more disastrous for the farmer. Around almost every station and wharf there had come to operate one i or several local buyers. A3 the sole ? agency intervening between producer : and wholesaler, the local buyer would naturally be expected to exert a con t i slderable Influence on the general trend of prices. Various factors combined to accentuate that influence and to give it a direction ever down > ward. In the first plac;?, though the buyer usually operated on his own or bor " rowed capital, paying the farmers " cash and collecting later from the dis ' tant who esaler, on whose order he ' bought, yet the profits of his business generally took the shape of a fixed " brokerage of 5 cents a barrel regard ' less of price. It was thus directly to his interest, and to the interest of his ' class, not only to force down the price j to the bottom of the market on each : individual purchase, as would he the i j case generally with any buyer, hut I j to force down the market and to pro i. duce and maintain the lowest range of i ' prices possible. The lower the price 1 I the more barrels his limited capital would enable him to handle and *ho i more nlckles he could get. I The only real competition armm ? the local buyers was in the selling i end of the business. Bach buyer had usually his own following of growers, who would sell to him by preference; the buyers were well acquainted among themselves, and reports were frequent of nightly agreements among them to tix the next day's prices. Farmer! generally have scant acquaintance with general market i conditions. When prices decline they b< come panicky and sell their crops ; even more freely than on a rising market, in short, potatoes were gen? erally plentiful and easy to get; se? curing orders was the rub, and in the J fight to get orders, as all had the same product to offer, their only weapon was underselling. it became the ordinary practice of the local buyer Hrsl to wire out his ? quotations early each morning and j later In the day. when the loaded carts and wagons began coming In, to till the orders thus secured by buying up the potatoes which he had already sohl in the confident assurance thai the farmer would take whatever price he offered, Thus the grower had vir? tually no voice In the bargain In which be was vitally concerned. Co-operation Decided Upon. Moved by a healthy discontent with these conditions and Inspired with sotm me isut e of practical Imagination, a few Individuals In the fall of 1899 set to work to establish a union of eastern farmers to supplant both com? mission nun and local buyers, sub? stitute Intelligent and purposeful dis? tribution of the section's products for haphasard methoda of marketing, and put eastern shore farming on a profi? table basis, i Their work was original, they had no known method to build on. On general principles and plain horse sense, however. a definite plan was i formulated and a ( harter secun ?1 for i the eastern shore of Virginia produce ? exchange. How well Ita founders hullded, ami above all, how sound la the principle of co-operation on which they relied, becomes apparent on .i brief statement of some further facts: Within three years, notwithstanding ? a very general condition of apathy ami a large measure of skepticism i encountered at the outset, and In ?plle of the bitterest son of u light put up; by tin- local buyers and some com? mission men, Iii?- exchange had come' to handle nearly two-thirds ut the farm products of the peninsula, I while the average price obtained had exceeded that ol th, preceding three year period by probably 50 -mi.- a barrel. (?rowtli Has lb-en Phenomenal. Since that time Its growth has been continuous and phenominal. Ii now has a working capital of |120,000, markets seven-tenths of the produce of the peninsula, and for several Near lias done an annual business for Its members of from $2,250,600 to $2, 500,000. in the year just past, it marketed 1,030,56!) barrels of Irish potatoes and 824,767 barrels of sweet potatoes, with gome 200 cars of straw? berries and a BufTtcienl quantity of < th er minor crops to make ;i total of ov r 2,000,000 packages. or 10,000 tats. This is probably double the total pro? duction of the peninsula for any Near preceding the exchange's organization an expansion made possible only by persistent efforts to open up new mar? kets and constant work of intelligent and expansive distribution. Throughout all this period, although seasonal and national market condi? tions beyond any local control have occasionally (and notably in the two years just past) conspired to rob th ? eastern shore farmer of his profits, prices have been constantly maintain? ed at the highest level possible under these general conditions, and under what local oop< sitlon has remained, and there has never been any return or near approach to the chronic Bieget of disastrously low prices for choice produce, which had come regu la ly to prevail before the ( Ki hange was organized. in short, taking the lean years with the fat. as all the farmers, and espec? ially all truck farmers must do, it has unquestionably been the economic salvation of its section. In its life, local farm land has trebled in value; and it has been said that any eastern shore man who wants convincing proof of the worth of the exchang * need only look from his window arid see it in any direction. The positive working principles through which this success has been achieved are equally capable cf ap? plication in other sections. Of this a constant succession of requests from all parts of the United States and even occasionally from Europe for infarm tlon concerning them, as Nvell as the half dozen more recent co-operative association! patterned more or less closely after this, which are now suc? ceeding in other States, are sufficient proof. In next week's isue these principles as developed and made per? fect will bo presented. Working Principles lor Success, 1. The elimination to the utmost possible extent of middlemen and the establishment of a homo market. Ninety per cent of all produce handled by the exchanges is sold f. o. b, loading point direct to the distant wholesale dealer; in some cases to the retail grocer. The advantage of the home market thus created is evident from the fact that frequently for many days in succession the associa? tion Belle at its own home w harve. and stations for prices equal to those prevailing in New York city. The remaining one-tenth, which is handled on consignment by specially authorized selling agents of the ex? change in the eastern cities, is made up largely of odd lota and inferior grades of produce which the ex? change is unwilling shall injure the reputation of its standard goods by selling. 2. Intelligent distribution iimong all available markets. Both Western Union ami postal telegraph operators arc stationed in the association's of llce and exclusive trunk wires from thla room to Philadelphia give the exchange quick access t ? all parts of both systems. Constant telegraphic communication is maintained with every important market in the United States cast of the Pacific slope ami with the chief cities of Canada and all sales are made by wire. Bach morning the day's sales campaign is planned bj the general manager, who is thus constantly in touch with the exact situation in iv? ory section, ami nn hose constant aim it is only to procure for hia members each day t ic best prices obtainable under the general market conditions prevailing, but also to keep every market supplied in proportion to its varying needs ami to avoid glutting any market. A persistent effort is also made continually to open up hcns markets. Last Near the exchange sold to 71 different customers in 300 cities and towns stuttered over SO states and territories, and it paid th,- tnn o telegraph companies slightly over $20,000 for telegrams. Vigilance the Price of Success. :t. Constant watchfulness against forces tending to break the market. Though in in? sense a buying or spec? ulative enterprise, the exchange, in Its light with th,- local buyers, does ? not hesitate to buy from non-members for ? ash at an advance over 'he pi ii . ? offered by these buyers when neces | sary to protect the general market Makes Home Baking Easy be CC 1>I POWDER Absolutely Pure The only baking powder made from Royal Crape Cream of Tartar NO ALUM.N0 LIME PHOSPHATE a*ainst their Itearish tendencies]. In the season just past $23,000 was thus expended and it Ii a n ?table fact and ?. n which f generally underatood w< aid deprive the last local buyer of his remaining following that the goods so bought wore sold by the ex? change at a profit of over $400 in ad? option to the regular B per cent com m'ssion. Had the* uon-meanbers n members this would, of rae, have gone into their pockets. The establishnn nt. through per culling and packing, insured by rigid Inapectton of a Axed stand? ard of excellence f >r the products of the exchange and of a national mar? ket reputation for its trademark. In? stead of the grab-bag. prize-package affair, typified by the usual barrel of produce, the exchange aims to offer its customers a standard article of merchandise, of quality to be relied upon and as nearly uniform as the peculiar conditions of agricultural production will allow. For this purpose it employs at each of its 41 shipping poims me or more inspectors, whose duty is to examine every lot of produce sub nitted for shipment and apply or wb^hoid the official brand. Two general inspec? tor.--, and at times four, are also em? ployed to go constantly from point to point, examining and directing the work of the local men. striving con? stantly for uniformity and urging backward points up to proper stand? ards. If a lot of potatoe? i? foond con tain small sizes culled out, or duly bruised or way defective, o under size or slack-packed, the lot must be sold as unbranded goods, or else consigned to some nearby mar? ket, to be sold on its merits under personal examination by the buyer.? Trogrosive Farmer. TEDDY WANTS Till. .JOB? Would Lead Army Against Mexico if Intervention < omrs? Washington. May 19,?A piece of gossip heard here, but which cannot be confirmed and is sent : r s iat it is worth, is to the effect rhat CoL Roosevelt has asked t" b?s am wed to command our arms f interven? tion in Mexico becomes ntcessaty, and that President Taft v ii! grant the request in that event. District Confer c.i, e. I llshopvllle Vindicator. The Sumter District Conference convened yesterday evening at 8:30 p. m. Opening by Rev. R. B. sharpe. There will bi one hundred d< legatee who will lind pleasant homes am our people* Presiding Elder W. T. bunonn 1 preside and there will be serv morning, afternoon and even Public cordially Invited net only to the devotional services, but to the business session. F.xcurslon to Jacksonville ami Tampa. Florida, via. The Atlantic Coaat Line. On Tuesday. June 5th, the Atlantic coast Line win sell round trip tickets from Sumter to Jacksonville, Fla., at $6.60 and to Tampa at .<V."<>. limited returning to reach Sumter not later than midnight on Tuesday, June 13. 1911. Extra sleeping cars ami < caches sufficient to ;n > ommodate all pass? engers will be placed on trains and ? verythlng will be done by the man? agement of the Atlantic Coast Line to make this a first class excursion. Proportionate rates will be made from other points in Virginia, North Carolina ami South Carolina. For tickets, Pullman accommoda? tions and schedules see the nearest infill - or address, t. c. White, General Passenger Agent, or W. J. Cralg, Passenger Traffic Manager, Wilming? ton, x. C. See the s. m. Fiei von Company be fore you purchase your bind? r twin< ' 12-41 \\