The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, December 23, 1916, Image 6
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.