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EkfiLiSH PARTY STR.FE. CAUINITT COMICS TO PAlH'IMi OF WAYS Shall Yoluntar> Sjstcin of Army Ser? vice HoUl or Outset Ipttnu Ik* l.stnb London, Dec. 26.?At a cabin* t council meeting today It la expected there will be a decision as to whether the results of the Derby si In me of recruiting Justify continued adhtjlon to the voluntary system or whether some form of conscription will b.-omn necessary. This council was to h i been held Friday, but David LJoyd Oeorge, minister of munitions, was engaged la an Important munitions mission in the < bde district. The Times suggests this morning that the conscrlptionlsts nr.1 in a ma? jority of the cabinet and thac should force be decided some anti-conscrip? tion ministers ail] resign. They, how? ever, will not do so until all hope of securing unity In the cabinet is abandoned. Their plan, The Times says, Is to give the single men another chance for a fortnight and that If this plan still failed to bring the men to the scratch these ministers will reluctantly abandon their opposition to conscription. Another solution and one 'hat the ministers are said to have discussed Is a general election on the question. The Times* military correspondent who evidently Is skeptical of the Derby scheme. Is for the house of commons to insist In the coming debate that the government shall reveal the total deficit In the army, that Is, to reveal th.* differences between the estimates and the strengths Re Infers that tho battalions are not being kept up to their proper strength. "If parliament Is determined and ruthless, "He says It will compel the government to count only tho men fit to serve In the Held. We have passed the stage where we can allow ourselves to be fobbed off by resonant iplatitudes advocating secrecy. This laf|n has been tho mainstay of fall? end we want no more of it." correspondent coin links that lea, counting only the men ac M the front, have about G.000, to the enemy's 5,000,000, but it this superiority has been almost duced to equality by tho strategy the past year and by the special ndttlons of the Italian theatre dch enabled some 300,000 to 100. Austrlaas to hold up the Italians. It Is Impossible to win tho war ttbout greatly ttupe.ior numbers," h. includes," and still less possible win It soon. Therefor,- provisions r such numbers Is the primary duty the allies." r Till?: t.OOD BIttCF.DING SOW. Some Point* to Look for In lelCClaag C.ood Pig Producer. Clemson College, Dec. IS,?In se? lecting breeding so\ns. the principal thing Is to get g uod swine. It pays a beginner better to Invest In two or three good sows than In a much larger number of ordinary ones. This Is the advice that tho livestock experts of Clemson ollege are giving South Carolina fanners who ask for pointers on making a start with hogs. In selecting a sow there are cer? tain sex characteristics to loo!: for. Sho should not have am appearance of coarseness. Tho head ?bot.id hi lighter, forehead higher, and neck slimmer and neater than those of the boar. She should have >:r our. stra legs, deep and v. id ? ? h at, wide lack, and good length and depth of body, A deep, wide chest l.s a mark of goo.I constitution, and a long, tb ep hod;, generally goes with pi dilh n y. An? other feature to look for in a brood mow Is good width of hips and hind quarters. In chooslncr h sow for brcdin purposes, look tor the goad breedifi characterises ahead of every thin else. Quality may bo considered, Im, pay more attention to usefulness than to "fancy points." i M STltl \ . ,?s MI.SSAOF. C ommunioniInn ProntSjateol to ..- < ??.? t?r> Ijaonhnj by Rarest Bwleti nek. Washington. Dec. 21.? Karon Zwic denek, the Austrian charge, confer? red with Secretary Lansing today re? garding the Ancona. !!?? preoOOleel I communication fron? A. it:ia, hu. both declined to discuss the r?mtf< r. It ?aas authentically asserted lhn1 the conference did n ?t relle\e ih*- ten? sion of the situation. Tin cominunlcn tlon rather implied the jjnUMilliallnw of Austria to agree to the Amerid demands. TIIF. ( MltlsTM V; (. \l E, Person- iVrMied in New 1 n IuimI Sniul Hoston. Dec. 27.?Four persons per? ishcl in New Kngland during yester? day's hurricane, which lashed the At? lantic coast, crippling shipment and wrecking telegraph, telephone and lighting s>xtems. The x.il<- r. tell I a velocity a! ahfhty milea an hour. M COMMISSION RlPfl?i. static BOAIID CRGB8 MODKHM t\\ svsi i:m. 1 'or.stitutn nnl Change GtVCS In<-miseil i'ouit to Les^atatufv?r.auk Assess incut- Present Obstacle?Commis? sion ilnoinnicuds Inheritance Tax and Abolition or Three-mill School j Tax. Columbia, Dec. 27.?The state tax commission created by an act oi the last general assembly to equalise tue tax system of South Carolina has completed its first annual report which is beim; mailed out to the mem? bers of the general assembly. A letter from A. W. Jones, chair? man of tho commission, accompany? ing the report is In part as follows: "in handing you a copy of our first annual repot i, >\c won id lall your attention especially to the necessity for amending the constitution, so ai to remove the restrictions on the gen? eral assembly with rctcrc.ee to the taxing* power, in order that the legis? laturc may be free to adopt from time to time such system as to it m:iy s?cm best, and to our rccommen/la tions for the classification of property! for purposes of taxation, instead of the present uniform system of taxa? tion of property for all purposes. "It has beon utterly impossible to enforco the general property tax with . uniformity, equity or efficiency against 'tho modern forms of wealth known as intangible property, and even as to tangible property, the values of which can be more definitely deter? mined. Thfl amendments to the con I stitutlon recommended by us would i not In themselves effect a change in taxation, as the tax laws would have to he changed by the legisla? ture. ! "We do not wish to impose our lodgment In these matters on the i people. What WS wish is that tho bonds which prevent the legislature i from substituting modern and aqulta i Lie methods of taxation which ha been found advantageous in ether States, er which In its wisdom may devise, for the unsatisfactory meth? ods to which the present constitu? tion hinds us." Hie commission also calls especial attention to the recommendation:; as to taxation of mortgages and a sur? vey of the State. "Such survey is an absolute necessity In order to place all lands on the tax I ooks,' says the commission. Th- report says that the eon mission did not realize the serious ditilcul . ties "which might "he thrown in the way to block the reforms in assess? ments until they attempted 10 gather information from the banking cor? porators to s'aow the actual true value of the barigO and bank stocks." The incidental effect Of tho plan of 1 the commission, the report says, way to r?iii ce eng amount pf taxes to be paid ay some banha am. increase the amount to be paid by others. "The abolition of an arbitrary eon i ntitntiOnal three-mill school tax, and the authorization of a flexible levy to meet the amount Of appropriations by the general assembly, for State, county and school purpos || essen? tial to a satisfactory readjustment and reform of present taxing me thod j In this State, and to an equitable SSpanannenfl and taxation of property for the purpose of meeting the an? nual appropriations, and the avoid? ance of Inequalities and unnecessary taxation," says the commission. The commission states that it had no right under the law to assess real cs'.ite. It can only review the assess? ments. The assessments of textile property by the commission shows an Increase Of |l,t0tt0t1 as compared with lust year. The increaso In the value of railroad property for taxation as fixed by the commission was $1*39,1? l. The Value for steed railways, light, heat . id power companies as aaaeeaed for taxation was M,48l,tll ovo? the val ur tion as Used by the county board in 1914. The commission states that through investigations, In chocking up the duplicates and Statements prepared by the county auditors with the pub? lished reports sands by certain local corporations, other than banks, it was discovered that taxable property to the amount of $471.120, belonging to such corporation.;. hi;d been, and wai eaeaplng taxation. The commission recommends a strict enforcement of the State lie otne tax law. The amount derived by the State from the Income tax this year u"s |31,l!f.S7, as compared with |ll,Set.ll in lall. The commission Bays that the law is being laxly an? forced In some counties, "The audi? tors refusing to enforet the law should 1*0 removed by the governor," Bays the report. An Inheritance tax Is urged by tin commission* ?<'oncoming land 4 escaping taxation the report Baya: "With a View to discovering la ml. which are escaping luxation, because not on the tax books, tins commission had surveys mudc Of live of the city I.i..? i.s in Columbia and found ss to throe of them: that twqHhlrds of tob! lands und one-half of the buildings in | one Mock were not returned for taxaN tion pr taxed; In another block 10. pr over half of the land, and half oi tho bu?uings wer? escaping taxation. In tho third bloek 2:\ froftl feet, valued at $469.060, and a lot and small i;ui!?l ing valued al $600 escaped taxation, I The value of the lots ana building* not returned on the first block was $4,400. The value of tlm lots and buUdingi not returned on t i i > second bHKSk was $3,800. These are the es? tlmated taxable values In Accordance with the resolution of the city assess? ors, and not the market values. In the original area of the city of Colum? bia there are 400 blocks. w-- publish one of these maps, made under our direction, to Illustrate the character of this work; see map In Cfris report, exhibit 3?'?, following tabulated mat ter. "Such property escaped taxation, because of deductions made grantors selling without charging up the lands against the grantees. Similar omis? sions of lands and buildings from the tax books occur also in Other'towns, cities and country districts through? out the State. Through the influence et' this commission the city < t Colum? bia has heen Induced to undertake n survey of the city, on accurate maps d1' each Mock, showing who are In pos? it BSion thereof, and those that are va? cant, their Bite and taxable Value as fixed by the city board of assessors, and Will use this data ill cheeking up ihe tax duplicates with reference to property In the city. Such n survey and maps should ho obtained covering all lands in the State, arranged i>y towns, cities and school districts, on a scale sufficient to show the owner's name, the acres of the tract, or num? ber of feet In a city lot, and persons transferring lands and other real property should he compelled to state fully the consideration for the trans? fer, the true value at the times When deeds of conveyance are made. "The comptroller general In his an? nual report to the general assembly for iui2 recommended such a survey Of the lands in this State, in connec? tion with the United States depart? ment of agriculture which Is now en I In a soil survey of the State, as x1. ill more fully appear in the comptroller general's report for 1012." HCT BP1UNGS lit'I.Lr.TI*. President Wilson Attending to Official. BtlgtlKM as Well as lloncyr.\o.\:i?g-. Hot Springs, Va , Dec. 2 1.?Doqora ; >ra transformed tho suite <>? the pr sklent and bride Into a verlaibrg Christmas bower. The effort is bmng ma le to have the president consent %o be the guest (?:' the hotel at Christmas celebration. The president rent a heavy bag of mail to Washington 1 y I msesengor; the mail, Including a i atcn of Instructions to Col. Houi ?. Tee president will not return to Wash? ington before January ?>. There.;, and seclusion are benefiting him. CllltlSTMAS AT HAMV1N, Nothing Unusual to Attract Attention ?IV.:Minal It' IMS. Hanoi, Dec. 25.?The Christmas seosou la passing without uusual in? cident, and tids section Is apparently in better financial condition and bet ter spirit than a year ago. While there is less grain among the f irm era than (h<> previous year, there { a greater amount of hoy, hog., ant - cattle and with some litti" bettcl' average price for cotton and n grea deal hotter price for cotton seed, th general condition is at least on part ity with the average poor cro-i .car. The banks are said to bo In th host financial condition. Tin y neves had larger deposits at this season oi the year, Hon. A. I). McFaddln <>:' Columbia accompanied by his sister, Miss Mag* gle McFaddln are visiting rotative* here during the yuletlde. .Mrs. Den II. Harvln spent Ihe week end In Columbia with her sister, Mis Maggb McFaddln, Mr, w. K. Burgess, representing Belgler Brothers of Philadelphia for the State of Oklahoma and Texas, Is spending the holidays with his man) relatives and frh Ods. Mr. and Mra n. A. Burgess of Sum ter are spending tllO yulctillo With relatives here. Mr. and Mrs, Jake Harvln of Bumter are spending Christmas with their sis? ter. Mrs. A. M. Keels. Mr, B, i>. Hodge, Jr., of Columbia,H la spending the Christmas tide with' j his lather, Hon. E, I >. Hodge, Sr. Miss M;o? Hodge of Winthrop If spending her Christmas vacation with 1 relativ * k< ro. A splfi ' Christmas match was] played today b) A, 1?. McFaddln I of the Uldgewood (.] 'f Club, Columbia and Mr U. Alford Cut ?<-.. <? Ksmtcr over the Marvin Uolf bourse, Mr, liurg< >s winning by tv <> up ,i n 1 one 1 ? ( play. Intal Train Wre -k. Galena, Kansas, iJec. 24, On& mar. was killed and twenty-eight lujnti \ i '.' hen a south bound Missouri ka 1[fa ? vain crashed into the rear ?C, a i v\h~M co train from St< Louis, lilt; Mi.i-/5i.\<; i i. yssi:i>. t hnmbcr of Commerce Seeks t<> Pro? mote Community Lift?itally on January 3rd. Tbc development of the commun? ity spirit, in every section of Sumter county la one I the chief alma of the big get-together meeting of farmers, bankers, merchants, s< hooj trustees, teachers, and consumers, at Sumter court house, Monday, January 3, 1010, at 12: JO o'clock. The various departments aimed at are the following: Department of Farm Progress, Bettor farm methods, aiming espe? cially at richer lands, and crop di? versification bo as to make every com? munity a "seli'-feeding'" community with "money crops" as surplus crops. Increasing interest in dairying, livestock, poultry raising, canning and home industries. Department of Cooperative Marketing. To secure standardisation of sales products, scientiflO grading, and by scientific grading is meant knowledge of grading not only cotton, but tobac? co, grains, vegetables, eggs, and all products offered for sale from the jfarn , warehousing and pooling inter? ests^ Department of Education. i Inert using efficiency of local schools, tea-hing, studies, attendance, etc. Improving school grounds, buildings, equipment, and library. Extension work such as corn,' pig, and canning clubs, book and travc lug libraries, increasing book and newspaper reading, among the stu? dents and patrons of schools, teach? ing adult illiterates how to read, making school community centers, et.'. Department of Social Life, Public Health. Organisation. To promote and assist the local fa litters' organizations, farm or domes? tic science, women's e:ubs, young peo? ples' debating socities, and commun? ity lairs. To encourage lectures, debates, musicals, entertainments, picnics, cele? brations, etc. To promote wholesome sports, rec? reation, 10 study local conditions and , remote community and home sani? tation. To teach individuals, adults and cuildron, methods of disease proven* ti Mi. j To combat agencies of fraud and! superstition in treatment of diseases. J The monthly meetings of the Sum? ter Chamber of Commerce during the ! year 1816, working in cooperation With other organizations, and oilicial bodies, and with Sumter citizens gen- i orally, will embrace many of the above mentioned efforts outlined for the consideration of the rural districts. In the City and the rural districts,! it la hoped and proposed, if sufficient interest is manifested, to combine the school, pulpit, farm, mercantile, bank? ing, civic improvement, public health, commercial, manufacturing, home life, and all social interests together , to develop the community spirit In the communities and neighborhoods of city, town, and rural life. For this or these purposes organiza? tion is essential. Prof. W, W. Long of Clemson College with two experts on diversification and livestock and dairying, will address the meeting on January 81 d. President J. Frank Williams, of the Sumter County Farmers' Union is appealing to the farmers Of Sumter county to attend this meeting. He Is working with and utilizingI the Sunder Chamber of Commerce and I other sources < 1* publicity In every! possible way to attract the attention of the farmers, bankers, merchants, trustees of schools, teachers, and others to the importance of making a beginning towards accomplishing the aims of systematizing tho methods aimed at above. The Sumter Chamber of Commerce has mailed out several hundred let? ters to various farmers, merchants, land bankers, and school trustees of I this city and county, asking each to I use their influence to create interest j in this approaching meeting, and to explain its objects. j The ministers of the churches of Sumter county are invited to an? nounce this meeting from their pul? pits on Sunday, January 2nd, 191C, and to explain the objects of the meeting. Tin? Chamber oi* Commerce Is ar? ranging the program of discussions, and advertising tho m< etlng extensive? ly In various ways. The question of the best and quick? est methods of establishing cream routes and a creamery, how to in? crease the livestock business, and di? versification, are the principh subjects for consideration at tin* meeting on January 3rd, next. A source of great regrol to many ln tercsted In the welfare of the rural districts, Is the Illness of In. S. C. Paker, es president of the Bumter Chamber of Commerce, v ho has al? ways b'aui an enthusiastic worker for ?ooperation between city and country, d especially for development of tie* .T al schools. CHARLESTON IN MOIRNLN^ IVut. Five More Days For 'S^fe^t} QUOP and Math Shift Iking S^>lclT News and Courier, Dec. 27. During the five days that remain before prohibition will be the law of Smith Carolina, the Charleston county dispensaries are expected to do a land oflice business. The rush started In before Christmas, and the clerks in the dispensaries were literally swamped on Christmas Eve by the tremendous volume of business. While the amount of sales of the dispensaries this week is expected to exceed the business of any other five days in the history of the institution, according to statements by dispensers, it is extremely unlikely that the stock of liquor on hand in this county will be exhausted. It is said that there are thousands of dollars worth of al? coholic beverages in the hands of the dispensary authorities. The impending stoppage of the legal sale of whiskey in the county will be anticipated, it is understood, by many persons who v. ill buy quantities of Whiskey, beer and wine, for their per? sonal use during the coming day sea? son, the length of which is a matter of speculation. Already, it is reported that citizens have been laying up stocks of drinkables for future use. Some men, who have never been known as drinking men, have bought booze by the case, it is reported. Smalicr quantities have been purchas? ed by others. This business has been under way for some weeks, it is stated. As the gallon-a-month law will be in full effect, prohibiting any person receiving by shipment more than one gallon of beer or whiskey during a month, some who have been accus? tomed to the use of more than that quantity are said to be worried by the future prospects for obtaining their beverages. Inasmuch as the dispensaries are closed at sunset of each day, and the prohibition law docs not become ef? fective until January 1, there will be an interrengnum Friday night, when the sale of whiskey will be illegal, al? though not prohibited by the law, which becomes operative at midnight. The local dispensaries will close Fri? day afternoon at the regular hour, and the prohibition law will become ef? fective about six hours later. In the meantime, however, there will be no legal means of obtaining whiskey or beer. CHINESE START REVOLT. Organicd Party Against Yuan Shi Kai. San Francisco, Dec. 26.?An organ? ized revolutionary party to be known as "the punitive expedition against Yuan Shi Kai" has been organized in China for the purpose of uphold? ing the republic, according to a ca M^grum received here today from Tong King Chong, president of the Chinese Kung Tong (Chinese Republic association.) It was from Tong King Chong's headquarters at shanghai. China, the first news came of the reported revolt in Yunnan and other Chinese provinces. According to the cablegram, the or? ganization has announced that in the event its efforts are successful all con? tracts made by Yuan Shi Kai will he disregarded. Revolutionary leaders have declared that one of the object:, of the organization "is to punish Yuan Shl Kai, the traitor." Regarding the reported Yunnan re? volt the cablegram said that following Yuannan the proinvces of Kwci Chau, Kia^nsc and Hupeh revolted and that the government ordered troops dis? patched from Szi Chuen province to put down the uprising. These troops it was said, disobeyed the command and aligned themselves with the rev? olutionaries. Many eitizens followed the soldiers in joining the revolt, tho cable stated. Hupeh was not mentioned in pre? vious cable dispatches and today's ad? vices said nothing about the province of Kwangtung, which was declared in la previous announcement to be in re? volt. POSTAL SERVIC E DOUBLED. - Marked Growth Shown in Last Twelve Years. Washington. Dee. 2.?The postal service has doubled in the last twelve years, and during the last fiscal year audited transactions reached the $2, 000,000,000 mark for the first time, according to the annual report of Charles A.Kram.auditor ?cwvplJ m rff Charles A. Kram, auditor for the postofflce department, made public tonight. Sales of stamps, postal cards and stamped envelopes, the greatest source of Income, netted $258,000,000 for the year. About >L'0<? 000 was paid out in ! alarles. SALLY TO SUCCEED Hl LI) E Ml W'V fiovomnr \ppolnta Orangelmrg Man Solicitor in tiie First Circuit. Columbia, Dec. 2 1.?Oov. Manning l ite tonight appointed .1. Blokes Sal!;., of Orangeburg, solicitor for the f t circuit to succeed IV T. Hildebrand, deceased. NEEDS FI NDS FOR S11IPS. I - Ufatul Engineering C hief Calls Atten? tion to Lack of Fiuuls for Bettering; Macf^fcry. I Washington, u, Dec 23.?Improve? ment of the machinery of warships lias been sej?tously handicapped dur? ing the last year by lack of funds, ac? cording to the annual report of the bureau of steam engineering, made publio tonight. "The progressive reduction in ex? penses for maintenance, coincident with an increase in the size of the fleet and of the horsepower of their machinery/' writes Rear Admiral R. S. Griflin, engineer in chief, "has made it almost impossible to do anything more than to keep the present equip? ment in satisfactory conditions." The report points out that the war has greatly increased the cost of ma? terial. Deliveries also have been de? layed and the report urges a big in? crease in stock in store to prevent similar delays in future. Discussing the huge task in connec? tion with the proposed building pro? gramme for the next five years, Ad? miral Griflin says: "Attention is especially invited to the fact that work on the design of machinery is seriously hampered by the limitation placed by congress on the employment of technical em? ployes in the bureau. Much that it is desirable to do is left undone be? cause of the inadequate force of am* ploj es. A similar condition exists in the machinery division of navy yards." Of the naval radio plants, the re? port says, the new high powered sta? tion at Daricn, canal zone, the first to be completed of the chain of sta? tions authorized by the last congress ! has Car exceeded expectations and "assures the success of the entire un? dertaking." Progress is being made with the building in the San Diego, Pearl har? bor and Oavite links of the chain and (contracts have been awarded for the iTutuila and Guam stations. MAKES WINDING-VP EASY. The Klngstree Dispensary Sells "Clean Out" of Liquor. Kingstrec, Dec. 25.?The Williams burg county dispensary sold out as dry as bone at 1 o'clock yesterday, the doors were closed and it is a thing of the past in Ki ngstree, for some lit? tle time at least. It was the intention of the dispensary board to close the institution here on the 26th instant, but As the entire stock gave out short? ly after noon yesterday, it was closed. The furniture and fixtures of the in? stitution will be sold at public sale Moncay, December 27, and all dispen? sary husiness will be wound up in this county by January 1, 1016. The Trio branch of the dispensary was closed about two months ago and its stock removed to this place. CREAMERY DOES WELL. Success Scored During First Year of Darlington Venture. Darlington, Dec. 23.?The Darling? ton Creamery company has just closed its first month of operation, and the showing made Is very satis? factory indeed to tho stockholders. It has made 1,000 pounds of butter, and has not been able to supply the local demand for the product. The quality of the output js the best, and the cus? tomers of the creamery have been very much pleased. There are 4 6 farmers supplying (ream at present, and they, too, have been very much pleased with the I prospect of selling their cream. A lit? tle lat? r there will bo many more cabled to this list as may have bought dairy cows. Dr. W. W. Dong and the dairy expert In charge of the j local plants ere very enthusiastic about the outlook. The making or" butter at the plant, attracts a great deal of attention, crowds from the country as well as town attending on the days that the cream is churned. Parties from without the county are now in correspondence looking toward shipping cream here. Till; PEACE PILGRIMS. Reported From Copenhagen That Ford Party May Disband. London, Dec 24.?The Copenhag? en dispatches announcing that tho Oscar II, with the Ford peace pil? grims, had arrived at Stockholm, also brought reports that the expedition Would be disbanded. There are con Ing reports concerning the pres? ent whereabouts of Henry Ford. One report said he went to Bergen to sail for tin' Cnlted States. DIE FROM EXPOSURE. Two Negroes Said to Be Dead From Cold. Summerton, Dee. 23.?News has .inst reached here that two negroes. Lev! Thomas and Moses Williams, who went to the swamp last Monday morning, were found yesterday morn? ing frozen to death.