University of South Carolina Libraries
m <;.\u Pit >I>1 < hon. \% IMM Ameriou and t.cinuiuy lla\?> l>oiw in l>c\ch?p the Ii?ct Siig.ii- In duxtr>. / l?ondoo, .1 ana .. <'??i i?ip< !i<in? ? of The Aiaoci.it?'.I rYeue) in a re port on tlo- sugar supph ?pn-stion in Ure??t l.'itnn. pffl QfJOrff? M.trtim-uu of the Fnlverstty of London, urges th* Itrittsh government to barn from ? i'liii.iiu ami Um l'nitcd > tab s which he describes as "the two countries which have handled the -n^ u ques? tion 111 out MUCefHMtlllly." Speaking of ? ;.imany's success with sugar in the punt decade Im va\ s Tic i .? i .? two cuuses at th?? bottom of t his mystery I MrflQf, ability,, eltlciem v. ami mor. than all. persistent research, con? stituted ||m tust und best cause. I'.ut this wan supplemented hj a stimulus deMigiu'd to induce capitalists to risk their money in the beet root imlustr\ It was ib'ruiany that bit upon tin right kind of stimulus. It was a bril? liant idea and carried out with great Judgment. Tho sugar duty was levied, not upon the sugar produced t ot tin i.a.t'j Tills at Qflce stunulat ed tlie farmer to produce the richest possible quality of root, and the mnaufai-Mirer to extinct from the root the largest possible quantity of stl nor. i ire.it pains were taken to breed an improved variety of Migar beet. "This rOOOarOU Btlll BOO! on in i o r many ami Its success has been as founding. At the beginning the su gar beet coufaimd less than i*. pe, cent of sugar. In derma iy the aver age quantity of sugar actually ex tracted has been broucht up Ifl prn?8 ticully IS per cent. "That this wonderful result WUf ? aimed by the stimulus, plus ol course great efficiency, Is proved b> the fact that poor France continuec getting a up. r cent vo id until it adopted the Herman system, and ever. llM ' i "\. | succeeded in catching up In the race. That is the worst of he ing too late. In in.lust i \ It fa fatal. In the Fnlted States, says Profe.vsoi Martin.au, the imhlstty has been si carefully fost. ied that the prodUOttOI has increased many-fold. "If Ameri 'ii had not created tins great increas in pio.bn tion." he explains, "w ? houol it the present moment he suf ferlng?and so would America fron a real sugar famine. "In 1?IT? the consumption of suga? in the t inted BtatOfl amounted to tic huge figure of 4,210,000 tons, eVOf ounce of which, with the purely a??i dental . xception of J t.aim tons. cam. 11 gm her on ii in tee teritorteg am protectorates This strn.inr: fact h entirely the result of gtvtngj a BtOfgf ence. The Fnited States, ho far gl sugar Is concerned, is now entirely in dependent of the outsid" .vorhl, an? is even able to spare us a million ton? whenever we are BUOli of supplies." The rain ami wiml storm Momla\ ufternoon was quit*- seven- in the cit. but did no pai t o ui.ir ilamage. exoep. to some ot the wins of the Lighlin Companv 1 ?n Fast Liberty street poh and ii tree were blown down ? allying a numb, r of wires am blocking Hi.- street. Tlie < um nt gmi 1 e c?* *. s a r i I \ cut out until the wir? could be repaired and in ?. unscqimm the Dnll] Item was, as usual the chni ? uli. rer. as tin- last gnd most Import gnl leiagraaM ol th.> day. dealing with the submarine raid had just arrivoo ami could not be put into type until the power circuit was turned on. North ami east of the city th> storm was more si verc and was ac lompann?! by considerable hail. A the Sumb-r Itrlck Works oae smok? ntM? is sv i blown down and the OttlOl tv. lotOd out Of ill M"'. and tin- buihl Ings were somewhat damaged. Tin plant has been siiut down for repairs In the country districts tin* hail dl>' great damage to eropn i aneelally to bnoeO and oats. In some gectloni tin tobacco crop is report?*d to hav?' been pi n th illy ruined, but it Is prohahl that the damage is over-estimated or first appearances. The dnnUUJfg to oats is large, as the high wiml ami hail beat It to the ground ami it will be difficult to save much of it. it be Ing loo fl.t on the frnoUd lO bg bar ve*te?l if either a reaper n ml hmdci or ggnnlng machine, Tin- wheat wm not us gortounly damages! as eata, a* It Stood Up bitter, but the loss on both win-it and oa?* will be quit. Ill rge. The grain crop was jusi rOUd] for harvest and t hose Uhc started hiirvi sliii?; last wei k and Nad tln-h ?rata stJoehed la the Hold were for rannte, in the dhdrtets whore the mil of had was henvleaf enra and onttor. Wer?? both Injnmd a few i. poil having conn- in of a total d? -tin.-turn of ???in and serious damage f.ItOll MomI of us can rememb? r I he oM laahtnned man who get it< bed match ee on the seat of fits panls. When a man feels too big fOf hi Jel?. the Imss accepts his resit:nutlUfl with resignation. The danger about suln.T a man for libel ie that he muy be abb- |fl proV* it 7&o,o*o m:w soldi i:ks. That Is the Number Gou? t'rowder liuuit'M Will bv Added by Today's I teg 1st rut ion. Washington. June I??Today, on the anniversary of Aim-lira's llrst manpower nwiblllaatlon, another mil? lion youths, the estimated strength o( the class of I MX, register on the llrst station Of the jourm-y to the OOlora w hog their draft registration card* OOme into their hands, they come to the disposition of a swift, smoothly working and practiced organisation, Whose agencies in every ( taint ry-side. hamlet, and city of the land have as sumed ?ucceesfully the task ot dis? criminating between the nation's need for men who can light or work, and Its additional need for men at hoim to support its dependent population. Observers, foreign ami domestic, military ami civilian, alike, class the performance to date under the Amer? ican selective servic e law as the mosi tangibly successful of Its military ef? forts, ami regard the accretion to tin men-power reservoir or the young? sters who had not reached their ma? jority one year ago as the most cer tain assurance of the final downfall of the Prussian autocracy. Be it near or far, the day of Allied victory cannot he evaded, the practical mili? tary view is, so long as the rising Hood of tin- American armies, drill ed, equipped and equipping, can be turned to the European battlefrpnt. Provost Marshal General Crowder, who supervises the draft, fixes tin* tentative number given above for the day'l new total, and likewise from tin experience tables of the year place the number of potential soldiers to be added to the list today at 760,000, Concluding that the class will be 7?"? per cent, composed of military effeo tives. As they assemble ;?t the registering stations today, the total of men raised b\ the dtatt in the United States fot its armies will pass 1,300,000, Before the end of the present month. tin mobilised total will have passed 1. .".aO.OOO, for the immense militar.\ machine that owes its existence to the readiness of plain Americans to rghl is moving forward to a goal that will meet President Wilson's demand for "force, force to the utmoet, and on e w IthOUl stint." The |,&00 local board'-; throughout the country who take the burden ol the WOrk have na tned re: .Sterin clerks for every loo of the young men within then- Jurisdiction, Men absent unavoidably from their homes on registering day may apply to nn> board for their cards. Names at recorded will pass into the exlstinis classifications of register* d nu n am in accordance with their physical qualifications, their status as to de? pendent! and as to industrial or ami OUltUrnl occupations, they Will be as? signed to ClaSS One, Two. Three Four, or five. The overwhelming majority, however, as indicated by the climate given, the provost marshal general expects to find placed in Clas one. They Will go to the foot of the list ?i Itll registrants in each eiass, ami will not he called, the regulations pro vide, until those above them have been taken, unless by trade or eduea lion they are fitted for specialise*: army service, then tiny may be call? sd sooner, The system of determln lllK the order of their call as among hemselves the proVOSl marshal gen ? i a I has not yet fixed, but the general expectation IS that some sort Of a lot lory of the type previously used, will be conducted on a national scale. Yet of this officials are not certain, be taUSS the recurring draft calls conn more swiftly, ami run to larger to tale now. and the classification has OOme to he more important than the numbers. A late order number Wll lerve only to postpone for a few day Ihe Inevitable call to the training ?amps. National purpose to sc. that no in 'lividilals evade service is expressed in the regulations, wherein are voiced Ihe command of the government ti peace officers of all descriptions United states marshals, secret servlci no i and city police, that they shall i t exemption boards in scanning lists and Coming out attempted < \ad ra of the registration. PigUres available show that no ot b er country participating in the great war has the actual resources in met that lh? United states has Against the provost marshal general's est i male of 1,000,000 lor tin1 American mllltnr) class of 191H, which is added io ihe almost 10,000,000 total of 1011 ran be placed the tlerma*i annual in 11. no m of iao,#oo, tin- French ot 100,000, ami tin- Italian of IftO.OOt) Ami ail these classes in other countrlei hm S bei n called In advance. PARDON or moom:\ rit<.i:i>. Washington. June |'i e idea' Wilson h m written a second letter to flOV, Stephens, of California, urging I ha I he pardon Tims J, \lnonev. Iii? labor agitator who was convicted sev era I months ago of murder and sen tenced to death. Oullook for Cotton. To the Editor ot The Newa and Cou? rier: it la fairly certain that if any con alderable amount of cotton is carried thin fall i>y cotton merchants, apln ners and apeoulatora it could easily tic up an amount of money that would bo, nol only a atanding men ire to the cotton trade, hut a menace to tlie morale of the business of tin na? tion as well. The cotton not re? quired for Immediate uae, however. must be carried by sum 'body. As it lias been definitely established that COtton la a surplus crop, it is evident that the producers are tin- only mem? bers of tin- cotton community who can do this without subjecting the trad' ami the country to a perilous risk. The trend of events indicates that tin producera will have to do this the coming season to protect their own interest. Tln se e- -"its are rather plainly outlined. Uue to the scarcity of labor, it has been evident lor some time that the country was facing re? duced production, it is reasonable to expect that this will be reflected in re? ducing the output of American cotton mills just as it will be reflected in re? ducing the output of most of the oth? er standard industries. Then, the movement of troops and war supplies aboard can hardly be expected to reach its maximum by tall. IJenec, any relief of the export situation by that time is problematical. At least, it is safer to calculate that it will not Improve. It seems therefore, within a rcason Iable probability that tha producera will have to face at the beginning of the season of mis reduced con I sumption of American cotton and the handling of a growing surplus in ad? dition to the new crop. Assuming that this situation develops, it is perfectly obvious that if the producers at? tempt to force the new crop 03 the market as it is gathered from the fields it will have to be sold at a sac rlflCC, and there are many evidences that it will be at a ruinous sacrifice at that. This prospective situation is far more momentoua than many of us probably realize. It involves matters of the very greatest public concern, as indicated above, for it will plainly af? fect, and very vitally so, other large financial and commercial interests and vast military Interests also. Militi? as much as it will affect the cotton trade. In view of these things, the attitude of the producer In such cir? cumstances is a matter of first im? portance. How will he meet such a it nation Should it come about, and has he the resources to carry the cot ton until it can he marketed not only without a sacrifice but at a profit? In what direction shall we turn for an answer to these questions? The clearest and most Illuminating answer resides In the history of the COtton market during the last live years, It BhOWS, with only one ex? ception, that the producers have car? ried practically all of every crop dur? ing this time until their views as to the price were realised. And this was dorn- in the face of dimcultlee, many of them, far more formidable thai. any that are likely to develop the tanning season. It is significant that at no time during this period has any appreciable amount of cotton in tin hands of the producers been disturb ed by breaks in the future market in eluding, too, the historic event o February 1st. 1H IT. and the events of recent weeks, it should he empha? sised in this connection that the only spot cotton affected by these declines had passed out of the hands of tin producers, The exception referred to was tin leeline which followed the breakini out of the war, and it throws a mos illuminating light upon the abilitv and the disposition of the producer: to take care of their interest. The de moralIxntion which followed the be ginning of the war, it is well to re member, was not confined to cottOI producers atom, but to every class o. business nu n. The producers recov '?re,I from the shock as Boon as anv other members of the business com? munity. Alter they recovered thev financed and oar, e,| for more than ; year an amount oi cotton that wai I probably double anv amount they ar? lik< ly to be called Upon to carry th coming fall, even should the prophe I eles as to coming developments I? i ull) I led. It is a matter ot record that lb producers are Infinitely stronger to day financially than they were whe the war began, as the six billion ilol Iura returned from Southern fi rim foi the year 1017 Will attest. Till does not include, || should be I t iled flic returns from livestock. Not n tin; people probably realise that the ax leen Southern States own practical ly one third of tin- cattle ,swine am sheep of the entile country, ami tha the Increase from this sou reo o Wealth is, by far. greater than ha leen tin- increase in anv other see lion ot ihe country, Then, in mi the llnunces of ihe country wer? ompleteiv demoralised, now ihey ir> wuiklng with potential precision un der the federal Reserve Act. Bine*? that year, too, the farm loan bank In-' become h tremendously constructive force in the producers' economic \iU ir. is prophesied now thai the weight of the now crop Will break" the price. Tin. same thing was prophe? sied In 1915, 11* 16 and In 1917. The producers, however, each time took ? arc of the cotton and pricea each time actually advanced as the move-' incut rose to its crest. It is said that r ? < ? I prices uunng these years were not so high ? they will probably be this fall. That I. likely true, but neither wa - the cost of producing these crops so high (i.t will be the cost of growing tic- crop this year. Taking- these rec? ords into consideration, it seems on the whole within a reasonable ?er tuinty that the producer's views as to what it will cost him to grow his cot? ton kVlll have more to do with finally determining the price throughout the ( coming season than any other factor that is likely to develop. What is the record as to this cost'.' The last year of normal conditions preceding war was 1913. The averag< price of cotton that year was 13 1-2 cents. Tim staple products consumed in the production of cotton advanced in price, from 1913 to litis, 1ST per cent. Or, in other words, the advance in the price ot corn, meat, meal, Hour, fertilizers, farm implements and standard dry goods Increased the cost of growing cotton 2."> 1-1 cents pound during this period. The crop of 1913 Was produced by labor .at. from $18 to $20 per month. In producing the crop of 1 !? 1S labor will cost ap? proximately $7? per month. The de? partment of agriculture in bulletin 492, just issued, showing the cost of plowing cotton in the year 1913, fully confirms the higher cost of produc? tion which these records Indicate. The merchants, bankers and plant? ers constitute the cotton producing in terests. They are the real construc? tive force in Southern life and are perfectly familiar with these records. For some time they have been, and are Still, subjecting the cost of grow? ing cotton to a buelnesa-llk? analysis such as it was never subjected to be? fore. The writer knows that through? out this Investigation they have been, and are still, keenly differentiating between what Is history, what is ar? gument and what is merely market j news. These nu n are fully aware of 'the difficulties that are likely to de? velop in the future, and they fully understand just how stub difficulties have been met and overcome in the past. With existing labor conditions it la, of course, possible to produce ami harvest a cotton crop that would be a menacing burden, hut it is clearly well beyond a reasonable expectation. Nor is a decline in the price of labor or food products any nunc to be ex? pected. Baaed upon these clearly defined records it seems safe to calcu ! late, therefore, that the crop of l!?is will go out of the hands of the pro? ducers at a higher level than did the crop of r.*i7. it is Interesting to note that this forecast depends for justifi? cation, not st) much upon theoretical speculations as it docs upon mathe? matical deductions. W. W. Morrison. New Orleans, June 1. TKLEGUAPHER8 WILL STRIKE. Only Government tun stop Plan. "Washington, .June 4.?only Inter? vention by the federal government can prevent a general strike of oper? ators employed by the Western Un? ion ami Postal Telegraph Companies, .1. Konenkamp, president of the telegraphers' union, said tonight be? fore leaving for Chicago. Upon hi arrival there he planned to mail out the call lor a walkout as a result of the refusal of the Western Union Company to submit to the jurisdiction of the national war labor board which -ought to compose differences between the companies and the men, After two days spent here in dis cussing tin* situation with adminls tratlon officials members of congress and lal.or leaders, Air. Konenkamp said he doubted that, even should the government decide to intervene, tction COUld be taken in time to pre? vent the men from going out. Secretary Wilson. who discussed the situation with the union president Is understood to have laid the matter before the cabinet at its meeting to? day-. Mr. Konenkamp said he had been assured hj President Oompers a the American Federation of i.abm ? i' ins Interest ami sympathy and ol mh assistance as the federation could lend an a flit in ted union. Mr lompcrs made ao statement, Rdwnrd lleynolds, vlco president iml general manager of the Postal 'ompauy, issui d a statement tonight tying there won not enough union rpcrntors to make a strike, and that i a strike were called not l* per cent, if the telegraphers would respond. General von Below is scheduled to command the next drive against ?i\iii/ation. Here's an Instance where there should be something in a name.?Greenwood Journal. WIPE OUT COMMISSION. ?i\o. M'LAtlUN (i:\sruis NIN ASM >sMl NT. - I Columbia, June ??.?Jno. Lb &Ic-| Laurln came to Columbia from hie home in Uennetteville yesterday tol iih* hie pN-dge and pay bit assessment! foe as a candidate for the oiii???? of governor tins nimmer. While in Co* tumble Mr. McLaurin laaued the fol? lowing statement relative to the. finan? cial system of the state government and the warehouse system: Of course personally my purpose in I entering the contest is to perfect the State aurehouse system, so as to pro? vide a certain and safe method ot financing our cotton and making sales direct to the mills, We will be confronted with a disas? ter Uns tall parallel lo that of 11* 1 4. unh-ss this is done. We must nave state insurance on cotton and prepare ourselves to hold the surplus until the war Is over. Prices of goods have ad? vanced an average of five cents u yard, while cotton has declined $15 a (bale in days. Our cotton is just as I valuable as it w as :jo days ago; the bunks are simply declining cotton paper. VVe will need the full power Of the State behind our cotton crop. They refused me that power while I was warehouse commissioner, and 1 am going to ask the people for ii direct. If they give it to me, I will give the South an object lesson on financing and marketing cotton, which will forever put us out of the power of gamblers and profiteering middle? men. There is another thing I will do, if given the power, and that is over? haul and repair our fiscal system, I do not intend to place the blame on any particular man. It is the system, and l could not have done any better with the wornouf machinery myself. Rxtravagance increases each year, and unless it is changed will bankrupt the State. In 1!?1the tax levy was live and a half mills. In 1917 it was eight aipl three-fourths mills, in 1913 the total amount raised was $1,858, 948.63. Tn 1917 the total was $2,7If, 922.70, This is an Increase in State taxes within four years $900,000. There is no corresponding increase in efficiency. Nor is this all. The figures are not available as yet, but I warn the taxpayers that under the meth? ods adopted by the State tax commis? sion the amount collected for 1918 will approximately double the taxes of the preceding years. The entire scheme of taxation is faulty, out of date and. unfair. It be? gets impotence and is the fruitful mother of extravagance. The tax com? missioners are good men. but they will make a pjtiful failure on the plan they are pursuing, if given tin I power, I would wipe it out and start ^ With the budget system, praetieed by * I .g < orpor; tions and in progressive civil gOVCn ments all over the world. The com mission started right by taking ttio census of the United States as a basis, but instead of trying to equalise land Valuea in the various cpuaties, 1 would assess the county a lump sum in proportion to wealth and population and lei each county assess Ita land and other property and pay il into the treasury. Tie present plan will create jealousy, suspicion and endlesa discontent. The idea is to take land at 4 2 per cent, of the telling value, minus the buildings The batiks ware assessed at 48 per cent, of their value and the commis? sion reduced them to 42 per cent. Who knows and how can the selling value of land bo determined? It is easy as to stocks, which are constant? ly changing hands and whose divi? dends are fixed. The value of land can not be determined by its selling price. The value of lands is fixed by the yearly gross products and the net sales thereof. < ?n this theory the commission has reduced the assessed value of banks from 48 to 12 per cent., while land has been advanced approx? imately 100 per cent. Now when the 1918 tax levy of nine mills is levied on this Increased val? uation, it places the entire burden on land and practically doubles the taxes of the owner thereof. The theory may be good, but it is rotten in practice. In ollm,- word*', take Marl? boro county. The assessment on 'hnnkS will show a decrease of 6 per i ent., while the increase on land is : 11!per cent. I*nnd in Marlboro was assessed at $0.13 an acre. Under the ord< r of the commission it Will thi^ year be 117.80 an acre. If all the buildings were destroyed (and they are assessed separately) the land of the county would hardly bring $17.80 an acre. Piekena was assessed at $3.30 and is now placed at $9.07. Barnwell was assessed -'<t $3.58. It is now assessed at $10.!?:b Anderson was assessed at $0.7", and now at $12.75, or about 96 per cent, increase. Richtend was as? sessed at ST..1?, an acre under the old assessment ami under the new assess ment $4.95 per acre. W hat will the people of the other counties say when they see Rtchland practically at tho old valuation and they increased 100 per cent. I believe 1 can he of great seVvice to South Carolina and I intend to dis? cuss public matters and outline public policies, instead of slinging mud and creating factionalisni. Your only no? tice, Mr. Taxpayer, Is ? levy of a 100 per cent. Increase on your land when you go to pay taxes next fall, and it Is so arranged that practically the entire burden is on land minus build? ings. It does not hurt the town, but it skins the country. ???TT BOOTH & McLEOD SAY: Buy Liberty Bonds and War Savings Stamps ...FIRST... Send ,;s an order next, and first, last and all the time ?'Swat the Kaiser" S3 MHf BAHR I l_wim tut I^ . OF".". NATIONAL BANK OF SOUTH CAROLINA OF SUMTF/A. The I argest Bank in Eastern South Carolina offers you its services and is prepared to serve you. The National Bank of South Carolina C. G. ROWLAND, President. F. E. HINNANT. Cashier. ' Thrift Stamps. Buy One Each _ Pay! The First National Bank SDMI I K, S C.