Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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IK UN-UN KT. MM* M'MASTKR MJJUCS STATE MMXT On UfSURAtCR SITUA? TION IN SOUTH (ARO. *V LINA. ' ?oath Carolina Concerns Show Strides la De Columbia. Aug I.?F. H. McMaster, tajnvrance commissioner, today Issued te> thd press an Intending statement ShntiiisJnf the now famous Lnney act, of the last general aasem f# together with a discussion of ths atatua In this State at the int time. It follows: May I he permlted once more to ta the people of South Carolina a httle ort about the fire Insurance ttlon. la considering the fire Insurance Lttoa created by the withdrawn < eil ee many of the larger companies the) wisdom or unwisdom of the Lan oy-Odom act doee aot neceaaarily en? ter* Id the situation created is so In tMe or Inconvenient ae to de the enactment of such leglsla tfcea aa will he satisfactory to the com which have withdrawn. Of this might hurt one a pride H htt, hat many pocket their pride at aaeh he aeeeesery to get along. The tie of the 8Ute ere capable Judges each aa Intolerable sttua created ae to require their aaeesalag tain attitude. r, ae each Intolerable con exlet and merely one at* it Inconvenience, it Is well t< the wisdom or unwisdom oi the !?aey-Odom act and to try tc hair a Mttie late the future and tc fade* whether temporary 1 neonven ftfftoi should aet he Buffered If im? proved condition* are likely to fol? low from the operations of the act. . A atraosyo view of the act show* that the Arst five sections forbid Are iQcei enco companies from entering Skie oosnblnatloee to govern Are In enyenee rates; It perm lb i them to em pftef a common agent to make Inapec ?tlene, furnish maps, give- full in for ma? tte* ad to rteke and to go so far as to furnish advisory ntee. The Cth subject!ag the dnclslon of the commissioner :o Instant re by any Judge, gtv?e him power oiler hearing to peas upon discrimi? natory or eajadt ratee. The 7th sec tfteo) ferhtde tie companies or agents gssytag favorites among tkeir . Ae Is seen, the act while permit ttag edch company to fellow Ite own yet deea permit the com pa? ir they choose to oo-operate in to Inspections evim to the ex teat of receiving from the common ageat what la am op nlon la en eaeltable rate on the risks Inspected. This, therefore, while permitting great co-operation yet also permits free competition between the companies. Tale principle of competition In Are Ineerenee rates Is one seriously ob? jected to by a great man) of the Are Insurance company managers. They ddelare that there should be no such thing as competition In Are Insur ratee, hut that through some isaen agency a rats ahoud be Axed a ad all Insurers required to charge It. .There are unmistakable- advantages ta the economy of co-opeiatlon In the matter of Inspection and classification of risk* and the furnishing of advl retee thereon. But a hen we And companies with high loss ratios end others with low lorn expense ehargee, there will he few who will deny that the public should be given the baaent of such rates as Aow from easeful selection of rtska and econo? my of management. It la hardly fair to the general public to my that they all should contribute to a common lead aed that the honest and careful lean should bear the burden Imposed by the criminal or carelene who in . teetlonally or unintentionally cause Ares. This careful selection of risks, both , In . rosso rt to moral and financial has axde. Is to be seen on every hand. It Is the reason why the farmers' mutual i Ore companies, which have been run? ning la this State from twenty ot twenty-ftv* years, are able to furnish Insurance at from about Mc to 7&c per 1100 a yeer, through a course of years on farm dwelling houses, tenant houses and barna, when the stock companion claim Inability to como out ?v*n whan they charge $1.20 per $100 for the tame c'aas of rinks. Like? wise even greater difference* are found la the coat of Innuranc* In the mutual companies In Charleaton, aa compared with the ratee charged by the stock . cose pan lea And the same excellent results are to be found In he opera liens of those splendid companies known aa the Senior Conference of Mill Mutual*, some of which have been running for Afty to seventy-Ave year* It was certainly competition with these companies which caused about thirty of the stock companies twenty-Ave years sgo to organise What Is knowr as the Fsctory Insur? ance Association and whlcr Is fur njabtng Insursnce on cotton mill ten? ant dwellings at about one-third to ?es-haIf ths rates which the** same ?mmpanles chargs private in dividual* INKS DEFEATED IT SUEZ. ROUT AT ROMAXI WRKC'KS LAST CHANCE OF INVAIHXU EGYPT. Strong Onslaught by Ansacg and Brit? on* Finally Shatters Ambition of Ot? toman?. London, Aug. 8.?"At sunset yoster dsy Turkish pretensions for the conquest of Egypt were Irretrievably I smashed," says the British representa? tive with the army at Horn: under Idste of August 6. "While a crescent moon faintly lighted the desert we! pursued and defeated the Turkish j troops vigorously. The brunt of the1 tight was borne by the Anzac mount? ed troops, who acquitted themselves magnificently. For more than a week they had little rest, keeping in touch with the enemy, pushing back patrols and reconnoitring. Their final attacks yesterday were irresistible. "Of the troops the Scotch and War? wickshire territorials and Warwick and Gloucester yeomanry fought splen? didly. At midnight on Thursday the Turks In strength of one division held a north and1 south line through Katia Umalsba, about seven miles long, with the flanks thrown westward. From a point south of Romani to the Medi? terranean coast wan Scottish infantry while the Ansacs In front of them from an hour before ' daylight fought with great steadiness and determina? tion against the well handled enemy In superior numbers, yielding ground gradually, until MaJ. Gen. Lawrence could reinforce the line with more cavalry and Infantry. At midday we held a line through Mahamadiya, Ro? mani, Katla and Qanit. "The Turks had chosen what ap? peared to be the easiest path toward the canal?a broad, undulating sandy plain, flanked by sand dunes. At 8 o'clock the enemy attacked fiercely Romani and Oanlt, but were driven back towards Abuhamara with consid? erable losses. "At 6 o'clock our infantry began gn attack from the. north to the south, while dismounted yeomanry moved over the sand dunes toward Mount Royaton. Our artillery, rifles and ma? chine guns cost the enemy dearly. Nothing could withstand the on? slaught and we drove the enemy off Mount Royaton and Wellington ridge; then, after a brief delay, cleared Kfefe dith. collecting a thousand prisoners and scattering the remainder of the force over the face of the desert, where the pursuit continues. "Whether the Turks will try to hold the trenches dug by them remains to be seen, but whatever happens Egypt Is safer from Invasion." on their dwellings of even better con? struction In a number of the towns of this State. When one reviews these and many other similar matters the conclusion la almost Irresistible that while the fullest co-operation should he permit? ted in the Interest of economy In the making of Inspections and the fur nlahing of all data concerning risks, yet the individual companies then should be left free to make their rates In accordance with their own ex? perience In respect to loseea and ex? penses. Another aspect of the case is that while It was not designated, neverthe? less, the South Carolina companies are developing under the present circum? stances aa they have never had op? portunity to develop before. They and a number of companlea from oth? er States are operating without let or hindrance under the Laney-Odoin act, and some of them say more satisfac? torily than heretofore. The question si lees whether it will not be well to suffer some little Inconvenience to give the local companies a chance to develop. Not only does this mean the keeping of money at home, but more Important still it means a safeguard? ing against possible Inconvenience and possible great damage and loss which might occur from the sudder. with? drawal from the State of companies which have their headquarters in oth? er States. No one acquainted even superficial? ly with the fire Insurance conditions In this country can deny that there has been very rapid centralisation In the control of fire Insurance compa? cte* of the country* in the pr.st few yearn. Not only have the larg* com pan tea grown larger, but several of them at least own and control several small companies which do their bid? ding. It can hardly be fairly denied that no such withdrawal would have oc? curred ten V( a > . as followed the enactment tney-Odom tict in 191?}. Im.oeu th l^aney-<>doin act, was on the statute books fron 1899 until 1904 without causing the with? drawal of a company, and If the read? er will refer to Sections 2,7118 and 2, 739 of the Code of Uwa of South Carolins, he will And a statute drawn by the tire Insurance compunles them? selves and enacted at their Instance In 1904 which Riven the Insi runcc commissioner practically unlimited power In respect to passing upon dis? criminatory or excessive and unrea? sonable rates. Wherein doen this differ from Section 8, giving the in GONE TO TEXAS. FI It KT REGIMENT CHEERED AT STATIONS. I Crowds Gather at Union, Spartan- j burg and Greenville to See Guards- j men Pass. Greenville, (En Route to the Rorder), Aug. 7.?The First South Carolina regiment is speeding tonight towards the Mexican frontier to join the forces of Uncle Sam gathered ..nere in response to the call of Pres? ident Wilson. All along the way from Columbia to the Georgia line the people gathered at the stations with a warm welcome for the soldiers and bade them a hearty godspeed. Large crowds gathered at Union, Spartanburg and Greenville. The companies from these three cities were given ovations from hundreds who saw them pass through. The people did not forget the others but gave every one of the hoys abundant manifestation of their interest in themj and their well wishes. The be? havior of the men is exemplary, not one "fresh" remark having been made by any man at the various points where crowds gathered. Hundreds of ladies, young and old, waved good wishes to the Palmetto j boys as the trains sped through the Piedmont this afternoon. The men are well fed and there Is plenty of Ice water. The soldiers are happy and are enjoying every minute of the journey. For the present all mall should be addressed, "Co A, First South Caro? lina Infantry, El Paso, Texas," sub? stituting the letter of the company to Which the person addressed be? longs. Arrangements wil be made to have all mall so addressed promptly delivered to the camp. The route followed today was from Columbia to Spartanburg and then to Atlanta. The latter city will be reach? ed about midnight. It will be the last of the week before the regiment ar? rives on the border. 1 ?\ The regiment 1064 strong, is trav? eling in three sections, an hour and a italf apart. Good time has' bfcen made so far. The third section under Col. Blythe passed Spartanburg at 5 o'clock, sev? eral hundred people seeing the boys go through. At Greenville a stop of several minutes was made, add thous? ands roared a welcome. The But? ler Guards were in the third section and the wlvos, mothers, sweethearts, sie ers, fathers, brothers and frieVids of the men of this company were at the depot to tell them goodbye. The Groenvllllans gave their fellow towns? man, Col. Blythe, a rousing welcome. It was a stirring scene. The First was greatly cheered and encouraged by the manifestations of the people of the State and retired for the night with happy hearts. FELDER REPORTED WORSE. Condition of Atlanta Lawyer Takes 111 Turn?Alleged Assailant Indicted by Jury. Atlanta, Aug. 8.?Thomas B. Fel? der, the Atlanta lawyer, who was stabbed during an alleged altercation with G. K. Vasson, doorkeeper for the Georgia house of representatives, in tho lobby of a local hotel Thursday night, has taken a turn for the worse, it wus said tonight at a local hospital. Physicians, however, believe he Is not in immediate danger. 1 Vasson, who was today indicted by a Fulton county grind jury for "as? sault with intent to murder," was re? leased from jail this afternoon on a 16,000 bond. Several members of the State legis? lature testified before the grand jury. THREE NEW CASES. Infantile Paralysis at Springfield, Perry, Iva. Columbia, Aug. 9.?Three new cases of Infantile paralysis were reported yesterday to the State board of health. Tho cases were at Springfield, Perry and Iva. This makes a total of 28 cuses reported to the board since July 1. James A. Huyne, M. D? State health officer, does not consider that the situation is serious. Pnvlng brlrk are being placed on Sumter street and the work of putting them down will be started within a few days, by the Georgia Engineering Co. suranre commissioner power to pass upon discriminatory and unjust rates and subjecting his findings to Instant review before a Judge, a saving clause which thelnsurance companies them? selves did not write Into their statute of 1904. So the danger and the ominous warning of the action of the com? panies this year upon the enactment of the Lnney-(>dom act Is apparent to any mun who reads and thinks. There are other aspects of the mat? ter worthy of consideration, and If I do not tire the patience of the public. 1 may deal with them In a later ar? ticle. F. li. McMaster, insurance Commissioner. OFF FOR THE BORDER. SECOND INFANTRY AND THREE j INDEPENDENT UNITS LEAVE j STYX TODAY. Regular Army OUlcer Will Succeed to \ Lieut. Colonelcy?Men Asking Dis- j charges Will be Left Behind? Sick Sent to Fort Moultrle. Camp Moore, Styx, Aug. 8.?Col., H. B. Springs, with the 50 other of? ficers and the 972 enlisted men of the Second regiment, will be rolling to? ward the Mexican border early tomor? row afternoon on three special trains over the Seaboard Air Line. A fourth Itain will bear tho ?avalry troop, the engineer company and the held hos? pital. The first troop train will leave tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock. The destination Is Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas. "We are ready and the men have been ordered into shelter tents for the night," said Col. Springs t...:> after? noon at, 6 o'clock. The four troop trains will not stop in Columbia, except to change engines near the Olympia mills. This will cause a stop of about five minutes. The trains will not come to the Sea? board station. "It is all set and the powder is dry," said R. B. Pegram, representative of the American Railway association, , detailed to handle the movement of the troops. The tents of the Second regiment were struck this morning and had been loaded in the box cars before 5 o'clock this afternoon. The men slept in dog tents. The troop trains will be made up as follows: First troop train, leaves at 9 o'clock; three flat cars, one box car, one bag? gage car, nine Pullman cars; carries 17 officers and 319 men of the Third battalion, under command of Maj. J. W. Bradford. Second troop train, leaves at 10:30 o'clock; three flat cars, one box car, one baggage car, seven tourist cars an done Pullman car; carries 14 offi? cers and 320 men of the Second bat? talion, in command of Maj. T. M. Marchant. Third troop train, leaves at 12 o'clock, two flat cars, one box car, eight tourist cars, one baggage car, one Pullman car; carries 18 officers and 318 men, under command of Col. H. B. Spring?. Fourth troop train, leaves at 1:30 o'clock, one box car, one baggage car. five tourist cars, one Pullman car; carries Charleston Light Dragoons, Engineer company and field hospital company, under command of Maj. A. Moultrle Brailsford. Thirty-five men of the Second regi? ment, who applied for discharge, un? der the dependent relative ruling by the war department, will not go for? ward to the Mexican border. Col. Springs wired the war department asking that the men be left at Camp Moore until mustered out of the ser? vice. His request wa? granted. This will save, it is estimated, about $3,000, the cost of transporting the men to and from El Paso. Col. Springs announced today that an officer of the regular army would be appointed lieutenant colonel of the Second regiment". Five names have been suggested and the officer most available for the duty will be appoint? ed to the place. Capt. Henry T. Thompson of the Darlington Guards, Company E, who has been ill in Columbia for the last six weeks, will not be well enough to leave with his regiment today. Col. Springs has extended his furlough for two weeks and before the end of that time Capt. Thompson expects to join his company at El Paso. Four privates who have been sick in the hospital at Camp Moore have been sent to Fort Moultrle, Charles? ton, by Maj. F. Schmitter, camp sur? geon. Maj. Scbmitter will return in a few days to the government barracks at Columbus, Ohio. Jack Suess, ser? geant, medical department, will go to Fort Caswell, North Carolina. Pri? vates Angus McDonald, Jr., and Wil? liam I^eBeau of the medical depart? ment, United States army, will go to Madison barracks, New York. Capt. J. Malcolm Graham, assistant muster? ing officer, will very probably return to Columbia. He is the regular In? spector-instructor of the National Guard of this State. _v_ STATE LOST HEAVILY. Penitentiary Farms Damaged Severely by I'Yeshets. Columbia, Aug. 9.?The recent floods and Htorms caused a loss of ap? proximately $40,000 to the State farms according to a director of the State penitentiary. The board has return? ed after inspecting the farm in Sum ter county. About 500 acres of land in the lowlands was destroyed. The board will meet today at the pen? itentiary for its regular monthly ses? sion. The curb market is defunct?dead beyond ressurrection, probably?but the need for some market for the convenience of house-keepers is acute? ly felt CROP CONDITIONS POOR - FALLING OFF AMOUNTS TO MANY MILLIONS. _ I - lorn in Poor shape?Drought II*? Had Very Bad Effect on Nation's Biggest Farm Product, Washington, Aug. 8.?Falling off in croti prospects, amounting to many millions of dollars to farmers of the country, was indicated today in the department of agriculture's August report which forecast declines in in? dicated production In almost every im? portant crop from the forecasts re? ported in July. i Wheat showed a Iocs of 105,000,000 bushels, corn 89,000,000 bush* i, oats 43,000,000 bushels, barley 11,000,000 bushels and there were decreases in i rye, white and sweet potatoes, liax, {apples and peaches. A heavy reduc i tion of the indicated production of j cotton previously had been reported. I Corn, the nation's greatest crop, is in a serious condition from drought and if rain does not come soon the yield will be smaller than the forecast announced today which was 2,777,000. 000 bushels. FIGURES ON CROPS IN SOUTH CAROLINA. I Weather Bureau Gives Out Estimates of Production of Various Farm Staples. Washington, Aug. 8.?A summary of the August crop report for the State of South Carolina and for the United l I States, as compiled by the bureau of crop estimates (and transmitted through the weather bureau United States department of agriculture), is as follows: Corn: State, August 1 forecast, 36, 300,000 bushels; production last year, final estimate, 35,?58,000 bushels, j United States?August 1 forecast, 2, 1780,000,000 bushels; production last ;yoar, final estimate, 3,054,535,000 j bushels. All wheat: State?August 1 fore? cast, 2,400,000 bushels; production last year, final estimate, 2,4 30,000 bushels. United States?August 1 forecast, 654, 000,000 bushels; production last year, final estimate, 1,011,505,000 bushels. Oats: State?August 1 forecast, 8, 100,000 bushels; production last year, final estimate, 9,975,000 bushels. United States?August 1 forecast, 1, 270,000,000 bushels; production last year, final estimate, 1,540,362,000 bushels. Tobacco: State?August 1 forecast 20,200,000 pounds; production last year, final estimate, 37,700,000 pounds. United States?August 1 forecast, 1, 200,000,000 pounds; production last year, final estimate, 1,060,587,000 pounds. Potatoes: State?August 1 forecast, 746,000 bushels; production last year, final estimate, 880,000 bushels. United States?August 1 forecast, 364,000,000 bushels; production last year, final es? timate, 359,103,000 bushels. Sweet Potatoes: Stute?August 1 forecast, 6,000,000 bushels; production last year, final estimate, 6,8 25,000 bushels. United States?August 1 fore? cast 71,000,000 bushels; production last year, final estimate, 74,295,000 bushels. Hay: State?August 1 forecast, 282, 000 tons; production last year, final estimate, 286,000 tons. United States? August 1 forecast, 84,600,000 tons; production last year, final estimate, 85,225,000 tons. Pasture: State?August 1 condition, 92, compared with the ten year aver? age of 86. United States?August 1 condition, 86.9, compared with the ten-year average of 81.6. Apples: State?August 1 forecast, 227,000 barrels; production last year, final estimate, 221,000 barrels. United States?August 1 forecast, 71,600,000 barrels; production last year, final es? timate, 76,670,000 barrels. Peaches: State?August 1 forecast, 562,0*0 bushels; production last year, Anal estimate, 864,000 bushels. United States?August 1 forecast, 40,300,000 bushels; production last year, tinal es? timate, 63,460,000 bushel* Cotton: State?July 25 forecast. I, 200,000 bales; production last year (census), 11,191,820 bales. Prices: (The first price given below is the average on August 1 this year, and the second the average on August 1 last year.) State?Wheat 121 and 125 cents per bushel. Corn, 104 and 104 per bushel. Outs, 69 and 66 per bushel. Potatoes, 115 and 9 7. Hay, $15.90 and $17.20 per ton. Cotton, 12.6 and 8.2 cents per pound. Eggs, 19 and 17 cents per dozen. United States? Wheat, 107.0 and 106.5 cents per bush? el. Corn, 79.4 and 7S.9 cents per bush? el. Oats, 40.1 and 45.4 cents per bush? el. Potatoes, 95.4 andSB.3 cent* Hay, $10.70 and $11.02 per ton. Cotton, 12.6 and K.l cents per pound. Eggs, 20.7 and 17 cents per dozen. Coal Mine Accident, Wilgesbarre, Pa., Aug. 9.?Forty miners are entombed in the Pennsyl? vania coal company's mine at Inker man near here. A gas explosion was the cause. Two were killed and two injured. The entombed men are now being rescued.. FIRST SESSION AT TREASURY DE? PARTMENT. Work or Organization Expected to Take Sc\eral Months and Require Long Journey. Washington, Auk. I.?The new farm loan hoard, charged with organization of the federal land hank system pro? viding methods for making loans to farmers on hist mortgages of land, will hold the first meeting tomorrow at the treasury department. The most important preliminary work of the board will be a division of the country into 12 federal bank districts with a land bank, which will furnish the funds for the loans in each dis? trict. ; Forty cities already have applied or 'have been recommended for banks, i Before it reaches any decision the j board is expected to travel across the continent to hear the views of farmers. I It in probable this work will take .several months. j Secretary McAdoo is chairman ex ! officio of the board and the other j members, appointed by the president and confirmed by the senate, are C. E. Loudell, George W. Norris, S. A. Smith j and Herbert Quick, j Secretary McAdoo predicts that it [can not be in operation for at least six months and probably loans cannot be made before next spring. In operation the system to some ex jtent will do for the farmer what the ? federal reserve system dues for tha j business man. The farmer will be J given opportunity to secure money on his most available commodtty, his land, just as the merchant and manu? facturer has been enabled through the federal reserve system to have his paper, based on commercial transac ! tions, find a ready market. The new scheme has many points 'of resemblance to the federal reserve i system but in many essential features ?it is entirely different. In no way will the banks created under it do com? mercial banking, and while It Is possi? ble that in years to come they may have funds to loan that will amount to several hundred million dollars, It is not believed probable that the sys? tem ever will have the resources of the j reserve system. The act provided for a division of continental United States into 12 land bank districts with a federal bind bank in each. The work of designat ing these districts and selecting the centres at which the loan banks are to be located will be the first import? ant duty of the farm loan board and j is expected to result in just as many j bitter contests as preceded the an? nouncement of the lines of the 12 federal reserve districts and the loca? tion of federal reserve banks. The I only directory provision in the farm loan act says that land banks shall be located with particular reference to the farm loan needs of the coun? try, so the board will have wide dis 'cretion. Many applications from cities, particularly in the Northwest and Southwest, already have been filed in the treasury, but the board will not make public its conclusions t until it has traveled over the coun? try and held hearings in many States. Each federal land bank must have a minimum subscribed capital of $750,000 before it can start business. If within 30 days after books are opened for subscriptions to the stock of any of these banks individuals or corporations have not subscri?bed that amount the secretary of the treasury is directed to subscribe for the United States in the needed sums. Stock in the banks may pay dividends when earned, but the United States as a stockholder can not participate with others. VENIZELOS MAN FIRED. Dnnglis Removed From Greek Court Post. Athens, Mondav, Aug. 7 (via Lon? don, Aug. 8).?Gen. Panyotis Danglis, former minister of war, chief of the general staff during the first Balkan war and credited with being one of the inventors of the famous French three-inch gune, has been removed from his post as royal aide de camp by King <'tonstantine. Gen. Danglls was minister of war in the Venizelos cabinet of 1915, which resigned on October 5 of last year. An Athens dispatch on July 21 told of his election as president of a league formed by adherents of For? mer Premier Venizelos to counteract the effect of the formation of ani' Vcnizelos leagues among the demobi? lized Greek reservists. RETALIATION FOR BLACKLIST. Congress Will Probably Pass Foreign Sidling Agencies Bill. Washington, Aug. 9.?Chairman Webb, of the house judiciary com? mittee begins writing a favorable re? port on the foreign selling agencies bill, permitting combines In restraint of trade outside of the United States. This will be used in retaliation for the British black list.