University of South Carolina Libraries
WIEHE TUL TAKES GO. Cm CLKR? BLANKING GIVES SOU CK INFORMATION AS TO WHAT TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING FOR. Clff Schoo!? Do Not Receive us Much ? hsnaiT Thle Year aa Laal Through Clothe Ofce Increase In Taxes la Due fro Placing of Lorten to Care Inn Departments Which Formerly ' Ran Ikwlnrt and to Provide Sinking Fnai tor Bonds. City Clerk Blending stated today that there seemed to be a very gen? eral leek of definite information and seme confusion In the minds of the public aa to the cause of the Increase this year In city taxes. Judging from Um questions of quite a number the Men seems to prevail that the In? crease In city taxes from IS mills to It mills In caused by an Increased levy for school purposes. Thin In not the case, nut on the other hand the levy for school purposes, collected by the city, Is one-half mill less this year than lent, due to a past accumu? lation of funds for Washington school ban tie dnhlng fund purposes, end an Increased property valuation. The Increase In city taxes, exclusive of schools, of 7 1-1 mills was put on for the following purposes: Two and a half mills for city ordinary pur? poses, which UP to thle time has year? ly been running behind, two and a half mills to create sinking fund for four lamas of city bond* that have been running since 1901. 190?, 1911 and 1914. respectively, without any prevision having been made to create snaking funds for their retirement at ntaenrttT. and two and a-half milts tar paying the city's one-third of the favtng lately laid under the abutting property act, Lenned at as a department of the Ktho school Is the only depart t which nan been levying and col Vetlnd sufficient Uses to pay Its bills tint It want. Of Into years the water works de it had been more than aelf iltg. but Instead of accumulat a el* king Kind tor the retirement tin b>nde Its surplus funds have jicesnariry fined for general city levy added for schools thle for Increasing the number of titles is collected treasurer* ? nUlce, Hi paid thai fntldwn: 9 mi ' r A I mtll totjoanl school Ux, J.4t whk h the city schools % get about one-half.t mills City Ordinary.It 1-2 mills City bossia sinking fund end Interest. 7 mills (Including new paving work.) For oounty and State.. 13 3-4 mills Total.48 1-4 mills From a comparison of taxes of sur? rounding cities and towns, as far as he turn boon able to make, this is lit? tle, If any more than the rate paid where any development and progress hi being made, Mr. Blending states. ASMS FOR INFORMATION. Federal Trade Commission Cells f Du la oa Shortage and Needs. Washington. Dec. 18.?The federal trade commission, In conference to? day with committtees of newspaper publishers, paper manufacturers and jobbers In an effort to work out a plan for relieving the news print pa? per situation, addreeeed inquiries to all the interests concerned throughout the country to ascertain if an actual sewe print uhortage exists. Publishers of the large pspers were asked if they will relinquish some of the paper they have con? tracts for during 1917; small publish? ers were asked the extent of their 1917 needs; manufacturers wore di? rected to inform the commission con? cerning 1917 contrecte and their next year's production and Jobbers were requested to furnish general Informa? tion regarding the amount of news print paper they will handle. The conference discussed a plan proposed by manufacturers under which large publishers would give up I per cent, of their 1917 contract supplies to fill the needs of small publishers. There was a growing ob? jection on the part of the large pub? lish era to this proposal. The conten? tion was advanced that no actual shortage exists and that manufac? turers are to blame if there is a shortage next year. Plans of tho publisher* for financ? ing paper mills to help take care of newspaper needs, It was said, are tapidly taking shape. BIG TRANSPORTATION COMBINE Washington. Dec. 20.? Senator New lands, who Is In charge of the president's rdtl.road program, this af? ternoon advocated before the senate a complete coordination of the coun? try's railroads, river and ocean trans? portation, to meet the country's trans port.sjion demands. SECOND HAT RETURN SOON ADJUTANT GENERAL MOORE SAYS PROBABLY IN JAN AURY. Opinion Baaed on Information Obtain? ed at National Guard Conference. Columbia, Dec. 19.?The Second South Carolina infantry will be re? turned from border service early in January in the opinion of W. W. Moore, adjutant general, who return? ed to Columbia yesterday after at? tending a meeting of officers of the National Guard Association of the United States In New York. "The opinion expressed by practi? cally all of the officers is that none of the regiments will be returned be? fore the holidays," said Gen. Moore. New York has been picked by the National Guard association for the annual meeting which will be held very probably in February. At the New York conference of officers the attacks recently made on the National Guard were discussed. If the opponents of the militia carry their fight to congress the National Guard association will get busy, Gen. Moore said. "We believe that the National Guard has made good in the border service and if attacked the associa? tion will defend the system before congress," said Gen. Moore. Me said that practically all of the leaders of the guard were In favor of some kind of a compulsory military service. MAY COME AT ANY TIME. Washington, Dec. 18.?From what is learned here tonight it would not be at all surprising if the Second South Carolina regiment, now In camp at El Paso, Texas, should receive or? ders from Gen. Fred Funston to en? train for home almost any day. It was announced today that the men from two or three of the East? ern States will return home at qnce aad with the work that has been done to get the South Carolinians away from tbe border and with what la taking place here regarding other members of the guard, their return immediately would not be a surprise, i 1 BIG BATCH RELEASED. . . San Antonio, Texas, Dec. 18.?Na? tional Guard organisations aggregat? ing. 11,000 troops today were design at ' e4 by Gen. Funston te leave the bor K dor1 service and return to their ra ?WcMve States to be muetOrei out iwe^^Js^sSi^^^ The organisations will move home? ward In three groups to facilitate use of rolling stock. Cars are now being i assembled for regiments included In the first group and the movements from various border points will begin in a few days. Gen. Funston esti? mated it would be January 5 before all units in the last group had started. The first Virginia regiment Is the only Southern troop organization In? cluded In the movement, It was an? nounced. 'BAKER DEFENDS MILITIA. Secretary of War Expected to Advo? cate Thorough Trial. Washington, Dec. 18.?Following fast on the declaration of J. M. Dickinson, former secretary of war, and Gen. Wood and Gen. Scott that the federallzatton of the National Guard had proved to be a complete failure and that compulsory military service was absolutely essential to tbe welfare of the nation, it is learned authoritatively that Secretary Baker intends to Insist that the federallza tlon be given a fair and thorough trial. I It Is thiugnt to be the belief of the secretary that the guard as a result of Its long experience on the border has not been subjected to a test ex? tended through a long enough period. At any rato It Is learned that the sec? retary will Interpose between the guard und efforts of certain Influ? ences to belittle, humiliate or destroy it It Is Indicated that he will official? ly agree with the contention of the house that federalization should be thoroughly tried out, and oppose that of Senator Chamberlain that compul? sory service must be imposed. It is stated tonight that Mr. Baker will make his position clear this week, possibly while giving testimony before the house commltteo on mili? tary affairs. ANOTHER JOB FACTORY. rurni Loan Banks The El Dorudo or The Job Hunters. Washington, Dec. 18.?So cortain Is T. B. Stackhouse of Columbia, now in Washington, that Columbia is to get one of the farm loan banks that he has begun to sound the members of the South Carolina delegation in congress to have his son-in-law, M. K Hawkins, appointed to a position with'the bank. Mr. Stackhouso saw Senator Till ma n. Representative Byrnes and other South Carolinians today and discussed the matter with them. BIG ARMY NECESSARY. GEN. SCOTT SAYS VOLUNTEER SYSTEM IS A FAILURE, Urgently Recommends Adoption of Unusual Compulsory Military Ser? vice?Says Tills Country Needs an Army of a Million and a Half With Equal Number of Reserves : for Adequate Defense. Washington, Dec. 18.?The mobili? zation of the National Guard for'bor? der service was described as a mili? tary failure emphasizing the urgent necessity of abandoning the volun teer system as the nation's reliance for defense, in statements today by Maj. Gen. Hugh L. Scott, chief of staff of the army, and Maj. Gen. Lieon ard Wood, commanding the Eastern department, before the senate sub? committee considering the Chamber? lain universal military training bill. Both of the generals advocated uni? versal training. Gen. Wood declared that tho country now was utterly de? fenseless against a well organized foe; that the mobilization was a tragedy and that if the guardsmen had met good troops they "would never have known what hit them." Gen. Scott told the committee that lessons drawn from the present war proved that in case of war with a' first class power the United States would need imme? diately a trained force of 1,500,000 men, with another 1,500,000 available within 90 days. On the other side of the question the committee heard Walter L. Fisher of Chicago, former secretary of tho Interior, who opposed universal ser? vice, though ho stood for adequate defense measures and suggested a regular army of a half a million. He thought if the pay of privates Were raised to $30 a month the service would be more attractive to recruits. Gen. Scott told the committee today that the army general staff recom? mended without apology that the Vol? unteer system be discarded because "the time has come when this coun? try, unless it intends to avoid war at 'any cost,' must resort to universal liability to military training and ser? vice." i ' Terming tho volunteer system ex? travagant, inefficient and dangerous, tho chief of staff told the committee that universal training would Aim democratic, reliable, efficient add economical, add within a few yen** practically would render the Ui States immune from attack. V . 4U? dgnnlA the burden of natldnal'qe so would fall equally upon all clti zens. It would make It impossible for any man or group of men to trade upon the nation's necessities In time Of war. The system would be reliable because it would produce each year the number of men necessary to be trained. It would be economical' be? cause it would be based upon recog? nition by the people of the duty of the individual to render personal ser? vice and in carrying it into effect the government would not have to con ? rote in the labor market. It would be efficient because it would enable us to prepare adequately for war be? fore war comes. Gen. Scott pointed out that the Mexican crisis had failed to recruit many National Guard organizations even to their minimum peace strength. "The failure should make the whole people realize that the volun? teer system does not and probably will not give us either tho men we need in peace or for service in war," said he. He declared that if Ameri? can troops ever wero to compute with highly trained and splendidly discip? line forces they would require train? ing and discipline equal to that of their opponents." The lessons of the European war, the general said, "had demonstrated t.iat a higher standard of training and discipline were required than was popularly considered necessary be? fore, and that most of the European nations for that reason found they could not develop them tn less than two years with the colors. "It should bo obvious," said he, "that 192 hours* training prescribed for tho National Guard is utterly In? adequate to prepare this force for war service." For war with a first class power the general staff had previously esti? mated that GOO,000 fully equipped troops should be roaly at tho out? break with 500,000 more available in 1*0 days. The general was now of tho opinion that 1.500.000 fully equipped' and ready troops should be available, with another 1,500,000 to follow in ?0 days. "This Is due " said he, "to tho fact' that one of the powers Involved In the war, and whose territory ex? tends the whole length of our North? ern frontier, has increased Its army from a relatively small force to a strength approximating that of the other groat European powers. Due. to the fact that our Northern neigh-' bor is largely an island empire, a great portion of any trained force it may possess can be spared for us% in a distant theatre of operations be? cause, being an Island empire, tha THE MEXICAN CONFERENCE. GRANGE or AGREEMENT FOR SETTLEMENT OF MEXICAN PROBLEM. Carranzn Instructs His Reprcscnntive to Give Indications That He Will Accept I'roposal for Policing of Northern Section of His Country. Philadelphia, Dec. IS.?Gen. Car ranza's representatives on the Mexi ican-Ameriean joint commission made to the American members to? day the admission that the protocol signed three weeks ago at Atlantic City had not been ratified. They sup? plemented the admission, however, with a declaration of the attitude of the Carranza government and assured the Americans that the delay in rati? fication did not signify the rejection of the agreement which they had signed after alraojt three months of consideration. The exact character of the com? munication from the Mexicans was not made public but it was evident at the close of the conference that both Americans and Mexicans re? garded as probable the official sanc? tion of the protocol and the resump? tion of the sessions at which it has been planned to discuss questions at Issue between the government of the United States and Mexico. MUTINY AT JUAREZ. Gen. Gonzales Refuses to Obey Order to Surrender Command. J31 Paso, Dec. 19.?A virtual state of mutiny exists at Juarez, where Gen. Gonzales refused to obey orders to turn the command of the city over to Gen. Comaduran. Detachment of soldiers sent northward to Gen. Comaduran were disarmed by Gen. Gonzales last night Gen. Gonzales' subordinates declare that he will re? sist with arms any attempt to oust him. INVESTIATE CASE OF RUSSIAN. If Ship Was British Transport Ger? mans Had Right to Sink Her. Washington, Dec. 19.~The State department has cabled its representa ' tlves for a full report on the sinking i of the Russian. If the vessel waa an actual British transport this govern? ment has no case against Germany, although seventeen American horse . ^wranglers were killed. Full reports I must be awaited before any action is FIRE IN ATLANTA. - I Department Store Destroyed With Loss of $200,000. Atlanta, Dec. 20.?Fire this morn? ing destroyed the Allen department store. Loss two hundred thousand dollars. control of the seas gives It practical immunity from invasion where troops would have to be transported across the sea, "It should be pointed out also that our Northern neighbor is in alliance with a powerful Oriental nation?an? other island empire?and for the same reason when acting in alliance with a power which has control of the sea, has ability to send its army ol 2,225, 000 \mcn to any part of the world without danger of invasion. "I think a mere statement of these facts makes it clear that at present we are practically defenseless before the veteran armies of our Northern neighbor and could easily be crushed by the existing coalition of the island empires." * Gen. Wood, from whose depart ment went 85,000 of the guardsmen sent to the border, said of the men enrolled when the call came, an aver? age of 30 per cent, of each company had to be dropped for physical de? fects and the organizations went to the border filled up with green men. "It's been a tragedy," he said, "hut worth all it cost if we only profit by it. It was not the fault of the officers or men but of a defective sys? tem. If we had been compelled to meet good troops down there It would have been a scene of carnage. The guardsmen would never have known what hit them." "What should we do with the Na? tional Guard, general V Senator Bra? dy asked. "It should ho replaced as rapidly as possible with men trained under a universal service system," Gen. Wood replied. "When the system has been well started, I would drop the Na? tional Guard entirely from any scheme of national defense although we want every officer and many of the men in tho new plan. Hut it must be a straight federal force." "Yet the States must maintain the National Guard or some other force," Senator Brady suggested. "I believe a constabulary should be maintained by each State, not a mili? tary force," explained the general. "The police are trained to control while troops are trained to kill. There la less resentment when ?neu arc handled by police than when troops are called out. The people feel it is tho policeman's business." PEACE INFLUENCE FELT. RELIEF FUND WOULD BE IM? PORTANT AT THIS TIME. Walcott Declares Thai Five Hundred Million Dollars Might End Grout War. Washington, Dec. 17.?Frederick C. Walcott of New York who recently investigated conditions in Poland and Belgium for the Rockefeller founda? tion told a number of senators and representatives who met tonight at the home of Miss Mal el T. Boardma n of the Red Cross that a fund of $500, 000,000 collected in this country and offered for relief of non-combatants in Europe would be a powerful peace influence at this time. He said such an act would tend to create great pop? ular demonstrations for peace among civilian populations cf warring na? tions because they would be anxious for the assistance in rehabilitating their home and restoring normal liv? ing conditions. With the forwarding yesterday of the notes of the central powers pro? posing peace negotiations the United States government performed its role of intermediary and took the only immediate step contemplated by Pres? ident Wilson. It is bekeved that the speech before the British parliament to be made Tuesday by Premier Lloyd-George will set forth England's attitude. NATIONS TO INSURE PEACE. Idea Indorsed by Member of British Parliament In Speech in New York. New York, Dec. 17.?Formation of a league of nations to insure listing international peace after the termina? tion of the present war was indorsed here tonight in a speech by John Howard Whitehouse, Liberal member of the British parliament. Mr. White house is here studying educational methods with the view of introducing them in England after the war. "America," he said, "has the oppor? tunity, the will power and the hu? mane instinct to bring t.bout the or? ganization of such a league." DEFAULTING BANKER RETURNS. J T. Ilollcman Comes Back to Ander? son, After Seven Years Absence, to Stand Trial. Anderson, Dec. .18.?J. TownesHol leman, who defaulted in the sum of ? +*mpm0m4Bm**a\y t?K,nnO B0tWO/ <mu4? i e r of the Bank of Anderson, and who left for the West about ueven and a ^.half years ago, leaving behind him a written confession, has returned and has surrendered to Sheriff Ashley. He returned voluntarily, declaring that he had spent more than seven years of torture, suffering all the pangs and pains, both mental and physical known to man, and that he wanted to come back and take ihe punish? ment that the law might onforce on him. He visited a local office this morn? ing with a number of friends and called the sheriff over the telephone, advising him of his prestnee In the city and stating that he was ready to surrender. Magistrate Ccx and So? licitor Smith were also advised of his return. John K. Hood, counsel for Holleman, stated to Magistrate Cox that Holleman wanted to waive pre? liminary hearing and wanted to give bond for his appearance at the next term of court of general sessions, which convenes during the first week in February. With the solicitor's consent the magistrate fixed his bail at $1,000. declaring that he had taken into con? sideration the fact that Mr. Holleman had voluntarily returned an 1 surren? dered, indicating his desire to make amends for what he had done. The bond was signed by A. S. Fanner, Lee G. Holleman and E. P. Vandiver. Holleman then left on the midday train for Seneca to sec his family. Be? fore leaving Holleman talked freely and frankly with a representative of the press. He said that the money taken from the bank was lost in spec? ulations in stocks and cotton, mostly cotton. He said these speculations lasted about 12 months and that his troubles In tho bank lasted about the I same length of time. Oil the morning of July 13. 100'J Mr. Holleman left Anderson, taking with him $1,446 of the banks' money, lie says that he could have taken con? siderably more, as there was -i great deal of cash on hand In the bank at the time. He thought, however, that conditions were already bad enough and he says he took only what he considered necessary to get far away from Anderson. Personally, he says, he would gladly have give i him? self up to the law at that time but be thought that members of his family would be able to stand the ordeal bet? ter if he left. FUNDS FOR CHRISTMAS. Bandits Crack Oklahoma Haul, and Escape with $20,000. Tulsa, Okla., Dec. 20.?Bandits last night robbed the Bank of Skia, took $20,ftOfl and made their escape. COTTON GINNING? FOR STATE. crop NEARLY. 200,000 rales less than IX 1913. Rc|M>rt of Cotton Ginned Prior to De? cember 1 in 1916 and 1913 in South Carolina?Sumtcr County Shows Shortage. The preliminary report of cotton ginned in South Carol na to December 1, 191G and 11*15, issued by Director Sain L. Rogers of the Bureau of Cen? sus shows a shortage of 189,681 bales in 1916 from the 1915 crop. The report -is: County 1916 1915 Abbeville. 23,770 26,597 Aikcn .M,l?A 33,710 Anderson .48,510 51,945 Bamberg . 20,596 14.267 Barnwell .40,285 33,688 Beaufort. 5,220 3,417 Berkeley . 4,628 8,511 Calhoun.19,786 17,344 Charleston j. 3,4 49 7..164 Cherokee. 7,519 12,592 Chester.17,151 27,343 Chesterfield .16,521 25,301 Clarendon.16,953 24,290 Colleton .12,019 12,503 Darlington ....... 15,569 29,618 Dillon .20,596 27,403 Dorchester . 7,926 10,288 Edgefield .27,067 25,804 Fairfield .12,798 20,407 Florence.15,903 27,391 Georgetown . 1,095 2,143 Greenville .29,001 37,627 Greenwood .26,100 25,141 Hampton .15,913 11,336 Horry. 4,147 7,011 Jasper . 4,7<54 2,865 Kershaw . 9,406 22,175 Lancaster.12,070 18,816 Laurens .27,218 34,604 Lee .15,967 28,869 Lexington .21,368 20,905 Marion .10,369 12,474 Marlboro .29,643 45,687 New berry .27,026 81,715 Oconec .14,995 18,286 Orangeburg .53,336 55,473 Pickens.13,136 14,423 Rtchland .15,009 17,976 Saluda.24,100 22,688 Spartanburg.44,515 59,847 Sumter .22,370 27,905 Union .10;917 16,t70 Williamsburg.11,076 20,117 York .19,220 31,997 Total.832,161 1,021,843 ANNUAL FERTILIZER REPORT. Columbia, Dec. 19.?Farmer? 4rf South Carolina this year used about 800,000 tons of commercial fertilizers. according to figures on file in the Stato treasurer's office. There is a tax of 25 cents a ton, which goes to the support of Clemson college. The total amount collected on the sales of fertilizers to date is 1177,560.97. The amount collected to the same'date last year was $158,968.60. It Is estimated that the total for the year will be $180,000. FOOD PIRATES SAFE. Washington, Dec. 19.?With the ex? ception of a few isolated cases, the government is powerless to prosecute those who have been guilty of boost? ing food prices. Investigatiions by the department of justice reveal that the federal laws were violated in only a few cases. The department has ask? ed congressional leaders for laws to make prosecutions possible, but con? gress has no power under tho consti? tution to pass them. Except in a few cases it is anticipated that prosecu? tions .will be dropped. GERMANS WERE DISAPPOINTED. Amsterdam, Dec. 19.?The news that tho German peace note was handed to the allies w ithout comment from President Wilson caused disap? pointment in Berlin. It had been hoped by Germany that President Wilson would express the desire of neutrals that peace be restored. Ger? man papers have warned the people not to be too optimistic. ALLIES' LOSS ESTIMATED. Berlin, Dec. 18 (via Sayville).?The iosses of the French array to date have been :;.800,000 and of the Brit? ish l,300,#0t, according to "compe? tent military authority," says an Ov? erseas News agency statement today. On the same authority the French losses on the Somme up to the end of Nov ember are estimated at not Iosm limn 250.000 and those of the Brit? ish at 550,000. London, Dec. 19.?The Russian council of tho empire is unanimously in favor of rejecting the German peace proposals, states a Petrograd dispatch* London. Dec. 19.?The submarine which sank the horse transport Rus? sian with a loss of seventeen Ameri? can lives is believed to have been German. Birmingham, Dec. 20.?Fire this morning destroyed the Parisian de? partment store and damaged other stores. The loss was one hundied and fifty thousand dollars.