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AGENT ANSWERS A. W. JONES I'HhHJDfcNT or l NDKIWRITFlts Wso( |.\TI4>\ TkLI-S or IN Bt RANCF. ACT. J. A. < .uli? ui i of Columbia Quote? In ?unncr ? ..inu,i.i in Ills Reply tO t hm rinn I, of ttlC Tat CoiUIuLs Columbia. March 25.?James A. Cat heart or Columbia, president of tha South Carolina Underwriters' as? sociation, has Issued a statement in "htvh he takes issue sharply with the contentions made by A. W. Jones, chairman of the State tax commis? sion* in a letter addressed to Oov. Manning, relating to the socalled res? ident agents' bill which Is now before the governor for approval. The chair? man of the tax commission urges the governor not to approve the measure. Mr Cathcart s statement follows: Inasmuch as tax commission chair? man, A. W. Jones, reccotly comp? troller general, and previous to 1908 insurance commissioner ex-offlclo. has gi\en the press a copy of his letter to Oov. Manning, protesting against the approval of the resident agents' act teeently passed by the legislature. I ''eg the liberty of correcting some of tile statements contained therein, whlfth are contrary to facta. Tae Insurance commissioner la not responsible for this hill, had nothing whatever to do with its proposal to the legislature, but when called upon, in all fairness to the local agents of the Statf. gave his unqualified approval. Ms* Jones' statement to the effect that thle bill "U intended to still fur? ther destroy the freedom of contract indi pre vent a the opportunity of com? petition, etc." la entirely without rouadatlon. F. II. McMaster. the In? surance commissioner, in his letter o Manning under date of March I. IM the support of the bill, stated: In my opinion you can sign the bill with the perfect assurance that It * 111 not Interfere with the insurance business in South Carolina and that it will have no other effect than (o secure to the resident agents of this .<ta|e the commissions on business written la this State now going to agents tleewhere, and to which 1 be? llows the agent* in South Carolina arc entitled.'' In another letter the in? surant e cemmlesioner states. "This bill wouhj elqgjdy re? re the coin I aarf ???? u do their bu> tees through i their local agents n . not through their Northern age.a*. The act la "carefully and adroitly drgwn in the Interest of.in? surance agents." but I defy this gen? tleman to show wherein it le "against the Interest of the masses of the peo? ple*' or wherein it "will secure spe? cial pris lieges and levy a special tax on Insurance.' In his letter to the I governor, Mr. McMaster expresses the i opinion that this bill "will not add one 1 ceil of cost to Insuraace In the State." Mr. Jones states: "There was no dtavusslon of its provisions either on the floor of the general assembly or In the press. 1 will refer to the journal of the house of represents* tlVfs of February 16, page 29: "'The house took up in order, un? der the steering committee report, the following second reading bill: ?H. 12.?Mr. Johnstons: A bill to rsgMlate the writing of certain classes of Insurance In the State of South Carolin.i. nut |o provide for the di? vision of premiums. "Mr. MoCullough moved to strike o*t the enacting words of the bill. "Messrs. Johnstons. Ueckett. Charles mft berry spoke in favor of the bill. '"Mi To.de spoke ugalnst the bill. ^"Mr. Fickllng moved to continue the "On the question of continuing the mil Mr. Flckllng demanded the yeas and nays, who h were takea. resulting a* follows. iTeas 24: nays, 77." ? Furthermoi e. thero was a public' Rearing on the afternoon of Junuarv i? before a Joint session of house and Senat.? ? ?onmittees on banking and in earanoe. at which thin bill was fully 4iftcus*?d and amendment| were mado tp tbe original draft. Had we known A "discussion In the press'' was neces? sary to the passage of an act. WS Would have resorted to Mr. Jones ?netbod of obtaining puldlc notu Mr. Jones quotes the insurance com jftriasioner as statin* tbat this act does n<>t apply to the reinsurance eon tracta made by the sinking fund ami then says that the distinction mado bv the Insurance) commissioner is ?both Ingenious and specious. ' Any one who has the b ,i.?a knowl? edge of Insurance knows the distinc? tion between Insurance and reinsur? ance and should furthermore, know that an act relating to "insurance ' does not affect "reinsurance"' unless the ac? definitely refers t*? reinsur? ance. Therefore the statement of tin insurance commissioner is aiieolutety correct, as all who know nn\thing of Insurance will testify. The following letter from IMwin <1 'Vlebels contains a wry Intelligent dn ^InrtPm between theee Uu terms and gilscr goes to show that the bill c Its/red to ban absolutely no effect on WAREHOUSE PAPER ACCEPTED IcnAMoa in mm vohk market IIV-IWVS. Amendment l*ro\ldes for Delivery In Receipt?Another Prohibit* Rctend erlng. New York, March 24.?Members ot the New York cotton exchange voted today to amend its by-laws by incor? porating into the New York contract the recent ruling of the department of agriculture that warehouse re? ceipt*, accompanied by a written no? tice of grade issued by the seller, shall be deemed a good delivery, sub? ject to appeal to the department of agriculture under the provisions of the Lever law. An amendment was also adopted providing that cotton rejected by the classification committee or by the ap? peal committee on rejections shall not be retendered under penalty of charges involving possible suspension from the rights of exchange member? ship. The proposed amendment, provid? ing that in the event of cotton being tendered on seller's classification the buyer should immediately pay only 80 per cent, of the invoice and deposit 20 per cent, in trust, pending the outcome of any dispute us to the grade, received a majority of the two-thirds rule, the vote standing 7 3 for to 43 against. the operations of the sinking fund commission, and he offers to take over the present contract of reinsurance upon the same terms they arc now effecting their reinsurance at any time: "Columbia, S. C. March 18, 1915. "Mr. Jas. A. Cathcart, Columbia. 8. C. "Dear Sir. Confirming our conversa? tion this morning with regard to the bill: 'To regulate the writing of cer? tain classes of Insurance in the State of South Carolina and to provide for the division of the commissions,' 1 have to advise that there is nothing in the present hill, in my opinion, that in any way appertains or applies to rein? surance. The act is identical in re? spect of the resident agents' feature with the existing law and is specific in referring to the writing of insurance on property located in the State of South /Carolina. A reinsurance con? tract does not in anv sens* in ore! property in the Stat* of South Carol I-1 n?t. on tbe contrary, it is a Contract I between companies, by which C m pajt] L>, to? reinsurvi, foi example, agrees to share losses sustained by Company 'A,' the company writing the insurance on property in the State of South Carolina, for example. The re? insuring Company *LY does not ordi? narily issue a policy of reinsurance; the matter is usually arranged under a contract known as a 'treaty con? tract.' "The law of South Carolina pro? hibits companies from doing business In South Carolina without being li? censed and paying certain taxes and fees. The law does not prohibit, however, companies from reinsuring their policies on property located in South Carolina with companies not authorized to do business in South Carolina. "Insurance and reinsurance are en? tirely separate and distinct operations, and reinsurance is only held to come under an act expressly referring to same, w hich the present act does not do eithor directly or indirectly. W? do not Intend to make any change, nor can we legally be compelled to make any change, in our method of doing reinsurance by the act in ques? tion any more than we could have been by the resident agents' law, en? acted some years ago] and we shall continue to handle our reinsurance as we have heretofore done, and would be glad to reinsure the sinking fund now affecting their reinsurance. ' Very truly yours, (Signed) "IMwln <J. Slebels, "Manager. Resident agents' laws have been I adopted In every State and territory except Alaska, California, District of (Columbia, Indiana, Kentucky, New York and Porto Klco. If this bill affects reinsurance con? tracts, as Mr. Jones would have the public believe, the companies now re - Inauriag the sinking fund commission are violating the act passed n 1900, (section 271".. ( ode of laws of South Caroll'ia. 1912), which is almost iden? tical In its provision with reference to fire insurance with tbe resident agents bill Und#f discussion. This act was passed in 190??. Mr. Jones was insur? ance commissioner previous to 190N. Tbe act required every tire insurance pa v written "on proparty situated I ad located In this state" to ba coun? tSfatgliad by agents resident in this State, "who shall receive tbe commis? sions thereon." Why did not Comp? I roller Qsnsral (Inauranes Commit) sionei > .boo s require reinsurance eon tracts to be countersigned by Iocs agents'* Hf either tailed in his dutj jthan at is Ignoraat al insurance mow If perchance in? is upheld in his (on tontlon thai this proposed act nffcel ralnanranee. n?* will ask ihm the pro vUlonj of the net of 1900 l>e snforCS WILL CARRY FLAT RATE AC CORDlNti TO RULING OF COLLECTOR, Question Is Cleared up?Internal lU'vrnuo (? no muted Tax is Not Ap? plicable to l Hlinnrv Individual Bonds, i Columbia, March 25.?On January 4, I ill 5, a l.'nited States treasury de ' cision was rendered in regard to j bonds, in which it was stated that bonds issued as certificates or evi , deuce of indebtedness, which w ere generally based on mortgages or some other character of security, founded upon roal estate or personal property, i should be taxed under the emergency I revenue act of October 22, 1014, at 5 j cents on each $100 of lace value or fractional part thereof, when issued by any association, compan> or cor? poration. If, however, they were issued simply by an individual and based either upon his individual credit or property, obligating- him to pay a certain sum or sums of money at a specified time or times, with or with? out coupons, simply marking and indi? cating interest due thereon, and whether or not based upon a mort i gage of either personal or real estate, they fell within the taxation imposed upon promissory notes; that is to say, 2 cents when promising to pay a sum not exceeding $100, and 2 cents for each additional $100 or fractional part thereof. Later on, the department stated that this decision wus based upon a form Of promissory note engraved in J large and variously colored letters -with the word "Bond" on the paper as title and with interest coupons attached thereto, and that it was not the intenion of the department to hold taxable as promissory notes bonds which are issued by individuals accompanying mortgaes on property which contained in addition to the promise to pay a sum of money at a stated time, certain penal conditions and provisions, default of any one of which would render forfeiture the mortgagor'." rights to the property, stock or other subject matter, and that all such bonds are taxable at 50 cents each, and not as promissory notes. In the State of South Carolina a bond is often used In connection with] a monguge on ? real estate, and as some doubt hag trlsen throughout 1 i Mate as to what rate of laJCatioo such bonds snouio Lc^i, L?. C. Heyward! collector Of internal revenue, has recently .taken the matter- up speci flclally with the department in Wash? ington, and has been advised that bonds used in this State in connection with real estate mortgages which con? tain penal conditions, should be taxed at the rate of GO cents each, whether executed by a corporation *or an indi? vidual, unless there is ,a fidelity com? pany surety. VERDICT IX COTTON CASE, Xcw York Firm Wins in Suit Against Spurtun. Spartanburg, March 24.?The jury in the cose of A. B. (?wathmey & Co.. of New York, againtt J. F. Burgiss, of this city, tried in the court of general sessions yesterday, returned a verdict today for th?- plaintiff In the full sum involved in the complaint, $1,405. The plaintiffs alleged that the defend? ant was indebted to them for thin amount, which represented losses sus? tained in transactions on the New York Cotton Exchange, The answer of the defendant was that the transac? tions were in the nature of gambling and that the plaintiffs had no inten? tion to deliver or to receive the ac- ' I tunl cotton. It is stated that Mr. i Burgiss will appeal to the suorerne I I court. Heal Estate Transfers. Sumter Beal Estate and Insurance Company to J. a. Raflleld, lot on < Oakland avenue, $:t.ooo. I Thomas Wilson to th * Northw estern Railroad company of South Carolina, three lots in city $1. Sharper Brown to E, w. a. Bult man, I *> acres in Sumter township, * 110, Ellas M. Diek to John Thomas Williams, 2 acres in Sumter county on road to HerlOt'a Cross Boads, $2.r>0. South Carolina produced a Dig crop Of COtton last year, but it was 124,119 bales less than the crop of 1911. Mr. Jone:; was president of the Cull A Atlantic Insurance company at the same time thai he held the office of comptroller general, and it Is stated he is still a large stockholder In that company. .\ member of bis family Is secretary nf this company. The companies which are reinsuring the sinking innd coinmissn.ii ar repre? sented in Columbia in an agency oper? ated hy members of Mr. Jones' family. The Hull ?v Atlantic Insurance com? pany wdl be affected hy this bill, as it will prevent their f.'.i\inu one sei of insurers a less ral ? than another sei Identically tho same ehr i MALLORY LINER PASSENGERS RESCUED AT LAST MO? MENT. Wireless Proves Effective In Bring Steamer s to Ai<l of Imperiled Peo? | pie. New York. March 24.?Passengers and crew of the Mallory liner Denver were taken off by the Atlantic Trans? port line steamer Manhattan late yes? terday 1,300 miles from New York while the Denver was found by the rescuing steamer leaking badly ami at the point of going down, according to the wireless to The Times this morning from the American liner St. Louis, The Denver, on her way to New York from Bremen, reported herself in dis? tress In a wireless message at 'J a. m. Monday. Several steamers hurried to the point indicated. Darkness and rough weather prevented the prompt finding of the imperiled steamer but both the St. Louis and the Manhattan sighted her at noon yesterday. The St. Louis, eastward bound, and the Manhattan came up to the Den? ver about 4 o'clock. The Atlantic Transport liner arrived a few minutes before the St. Louis. Three boats were lowered from the ^Denver as soon as the Manhattan appeared and the officers and crew and the few passen? gers were transferred to the Man? hattan, which is brir ging them to New York, the dispatch says. When the St. Louis left the vicinity of the Denver, the wireless says, the riteamer seemed to have only a few hours more to keep afloat. TWO CROP SYSTKMS ADVISED. New Bulletin Offers Tenant Farmer and Two-Horse Fanner of State a "Way Out." Clemson College, March 24.?Prac? tical advice for the small tenant farmer and for the farmer who works from two to live horses is contained in Pulletin F, the latest Bulletin in the Farmers' HeadingJ Course of* the extension division of Cleinson College. In addition to the two papers discussing these crop systems for IMG is a paper on the j South Carolina live stock problem I by one of the most successful prac-1 tieal breeders of liv#? stock in the I St.Mtc. Tb? bulletin is entitled ?'Domoi fjtrat'.m I'upers*' ami contains thret 1 papers th.it ererc 'ead at the semi-J annual meeting of demonstration agents recently held at Clemson College. The first of the three is entitled "The Beef Cattle Problem in South Carolina" and is by L. I. Guion, of Lugoff, Kershaw county. Mr. Guion is known throughout the State as one of tbe most successful beef cattle breeder* in South Carolina. He has tieated his subject briefly and. simply and what he has to say will be well worth the attention of any farmer who is thinking of try? ing his hand at feeding cattle for beef production. "A 1915 Crop System for Small Tenant Farmers" is the title of the second paper in the bulletin. It is by J. Frank Williams, demonstra? tion agent for Sumter county, and its contents are explained by its name. "The Two-to Five-horse Farmer in 1915" is the third contribution and is by T. M. Mills, demonstra? tion agent for New berry County. Mr. Mills goes thoroughly into eight separate farm practises which Clem? son College and the demonstration I work are urging South Carolina farm? ers to carry out this year. All these papers are brief and i very simply w ritten. The bulletin jalso contains a complete directory of the extension and demonstration specialists at Clemson College and of the county und district agent.-. Bulletin F is fret' and may be ob? tained from any county agent in tic I State or by writing to Sidney S. I Rittenberg, Clemson College. CIVIL COURT CONVENES . Case Against Railroad and One Against O'Neal. j From The Daily item. March 24. Civil Court convened here toda with Judge I. \V. How man of Orange - burg presiding. Court will last for three weeks and there will be ;i number of Interesting cases to come up. Tin- case of M. B, Roberts against the Southern Railway company re? sulted in a verdict tor the plaintiff <>l |160. The case was one w here da III SgS was sued tor because of a delay in tlm delivery of goods. The case ol J. I'? Bhirer against P. J. O'Neill resulted in Judge Bowman directing a verdict against the de fendunt for $157.00, Tbe case was one where the plaintiff sued to roco> er the value of ,\ car sold to the de fondant, Most people hav< become accustom ed to auto speeding, '"it the practice is dangerous its vert heless. GALVANIZED CORRUGATED AND V DRIMPED ROOFING 1,000 Squares in Stock Write u? for price*. COLUMBIA SUPPiY COMPANY, 823 WEST 6ERVAIS ST., COLUMBIA, S. t ?????????? ????????????????????????????????^ ? *!' ?I"l'4,'i * .r / C \ t * THIS SPRING I One Simply Must Use EMBROIDERIES In Some Wa^y or Other Let us show you these new embroideries, for it seems that little in the way of Spring apparel or acces? sories has escaped their influence; and you therefore ought to know about them. They impart a delightful touch wherever em? ployed, enhancing the prettiness of a dress as neatly as that or a petticoat?provided the right sorts are used. Here you can choose nothing but the right sorts. We have nothing else. Sheer, narrow flouncings with dainty small de? signs are preferred for petticoats. For dresses narrow edgings and demi-flouncings in sheer, soft fabrics are favored. All white effects will be most sought after; you will also have use for fine Convent Edgings as well as Swiss aod Voile uovelties. We have them all. The assortment is large and the prices afford best values. ! O'Donnell & Co. Find a Successful tyjTmVIKtWW, Man Who Has No Bank Account? (f You will not succeed, for an account with a bank is one of the first and most important steps towards success. <! We want your account ?it will help both of us. ''4 PER CENT INTEREST ON SAVINGS' The National Bank of Sumter ESTABLISHED 1889 Lumber, Lime, Cement, BUILDING MATERIAL GENERALLY AND FEED OF ALL KINDS. Booth-Shuler Lumber & Supply Co. SticeeMort to Boofh-Harby I Ive Stock Co und Central Lumber Co. (i*?o. F.pp?r*on'*i Old Stt^nd Op?>, Coxtrt House