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C(jt SJlaUjjman aiii Souljjton. PubUeheni Wednesday and Set unlay ,MC_I. ?BY? OSTEKN PUBLISHING COMPANY Si M l I K, S. O. I Terms: $1 r?o per annum?in advance. Advertisement*. One Square first insertion .. ..$1.00 Every subsequent insertion.5u Contracts for three months, or laager will be made at reduced rates All communications which sul> ?erve private interests will be charged for as advertisements. Obituaries and tributes of respect will be charged for. The Sumter Watchman was found ?*? ?n 1850 and the True Southron in ISC*. The Watchman and Southron now has the combined circulation an? Influence of both of the old papers, and Is manifestly the best advertising medium In Sumter. The Spartanburg City Council has enacted a drastic antl-lcatlng ordi? nance and the police have been in? structed to enforce It to the letter. The first day after the law became of force thirty-seven loafers were taken up. A similar law would do good in Sumter. It I? true that, the town is not altogether overrun with loafers, but far too many able -bodied loaf? ers are to be seen even' day in va? rious parta of the clt>. Kvery boy sixteen years of ago or over should be required to put in six full days work every week In some useful and pro? ductive occupation. A loafer Is as bad aa a pro-German and there is no place In this country for such vile parasites. Let's put the loafers to work or drive them out. see The Food Administration has at last taken hold, with a llrm hand, of the matter of profiteering In the re tall prices of groceries. Not only the prices should be strictly regulated, but there should be some system of Inspection of weights and measures to Insure full weights as well as rea? sonable prices. Not every set of scales weighs sixteen ounces to the pound, nor does every peck meusure hold a lawful peck. The cotton weighers eeeJes are tested regularly and the same system should be applied to ev? ery dealer and merchant who pays a license to do business In this city, e e e The Bleseelte demagogues and the few newspapers in the State that do not care what sort of country Ameri? ca la after their editors are dead and gone, are doing their utmost to di? vert the minds of the people from their disloyal pro-German records. The controversy between Tlllman. Manning and Lever Is being magnified and made much of. but the pro-Her? mann need not imagine that loyal men whose sons are f.ghtlng for America will forget the record. Tlll? man. Manning and Lever may dis? agree about who is the ?est man to eit in the Senate, but the. are all loyal and have been true and zealous supporters of the Amcriein adminis? tration In Its efforts to su ve America from the Huns. They have never been well wishers of the Kaiser and have not given aid and comfort to alien enemies who worked against America in America. Tlllman. Lever and Manning not only care what hap? pens to America, but th ?y care so greatly that thev quarrel amongt themselves as to who Is the strongest man to put on guard to save the State from brazen demaK"gues who give our country only Hp service. PRICE lNTP.ltPltF.TIN?. BOARD. total Administration Nanva Commit? tee to Hcvlew I ??? a I Poi d Prices, Acting under Instructions ftom the National Food Administration G. A. ' (<emmon. County Food Administrator hss named the following ladles and Kcntlemen to i \ e as ,i price inter? preting board to publish the w ho|.? sale and retail prices of importan' fOOd necessities and to review the eame weekly. Mr Abe |j\?teid.erg. representing the wholesale dealers. Mr I? <t F llultman. n presenting the retail dealers. Mrs L A. Hyttenlierg. representing the consumers. Mrs P. II Moses and Mis II G. f?steen who have been seiving under appointment of the National Food Administration as official statisticians of the administration for- gathering Information weekk as to the retail prices of foods, have been requested to serve an ex-ofth io members of the Interpreting board and have accept? ed. The rule requiring that the county food administrator or his as nlntant admlnlntrator servo as chair? man. Mr. G. A. Ijeinmon has devolv? ed that duty on K 1 Resrdon, the Msnistant county food adn inistrator. The first meet in? of the new In? terpreting board will be In Id at 11 o'clock tomorrow morning at Cham? ber of Commeree. At this meeting complete plann for a rigid inspection and publication of food prices in Sumter will be Inaugurated under I.,od administration regulations. The wholesale pro.? \\\\\ be pul? llshed and the maximum and mini? mum SgjSSI wholesale and retail also Consumers will be notified by publi? cation in these report! Jusi how much per cent profit is allowed. All con? sumers being charged moie than the regulations are requested to prompt? ly notify the price interpreting bo.\rd through any member of the board. lotion MOM and Cotton Acreage. News and Courier. The following is a copy of a letter Which has been addressed by Mr. A B. Jordan, of Dillon, S. C. to the members of the BOttth Carolina dele? gation in congress; I am addressing you this letter af? ter consulting with a number of prom Inont business men and farmers. The prevailing opinion V that unless something is done and done at once the fall cotton ciop will sell at from II to 15 cents. This will mean finan? cial embarrassment and probably bankruptcy for a big portion of the South. ' The farmers have invested heavily in Liberty Bonds, in many cases mak? ing the Initial payment of 10 or 20 pei rent, with the idea of paying the bal? ance from the proceeds of the 191S cotton crop. If cotton sells for less than 20 ct nts a pound the banks car? rying these bonds will have to dump them on the New York exchange In order to get money to warehouse ; portion of the crop. These aro Ulf views of thoughtful men in clos" touch with the situation down here. "Ah a means of avoiding this ca lan ity It has l et n su^Kcsted that prompt measures he taken to curtail tin r.i i i? erop by limiting tho farm? er to an acre of cotton for everv care of jrrnln planted. i "This plan would decrease the 191 cotton crop to a maximum of 8,000. neu hal? s and would more than doubi. the food production in the South. 1 would have the effect of solving to ; l.i i ire degree tw o problems that hav. given the administration much coi; corn, viz. The overproduction o cotton rnd the under-production o food. "If this plan cannot he put into of feet by virtue of the authority given the president under the War Erne, gency Act. it can be done by an Act o Congress, and I believe you will ren? der not only your own State but tin entire South a great service by putt'n.? Ktch a measure before congress. "I shall be glad to have your view on the t .alter." The view which Mr. Jordan takes ai to the cotton outlook Is more BOrlOUt than that of other observers whos. opinions we have read. He bases it upon "the prospect for a 15.000,000 bale crop." the fact that there is ; surplus in warehouses from the 191' crop, the lack of bottoms to carry thi surplus to Europe, and the probable serious curtailment of exports on oth er accounts. Tho News and Courier does not g? as far as Mr. Jordan In estimating the gravity of the situation, but we agree with him that in the light of the gov? ernment estimates recently published and of conditions generally, it is well that cotton growers and Southern bus iness men should begin now to la> their plans against a slump In cotton prices this fall such as he predicts and fears. The plan which Mr. Jordan propos es for an absolute reduction in cotton ;mifffmgjl in 1919 is th" simplest and most direct which eould be followed What remains to be determined is Iti feaslbihty. it was along this line tha an effort was made In South Carolin* in 1911. at the tune of the disastrous drop in cotton pric es, which occurred immediately after the oubieak of the war. to secure the passage of legisla tion limiting the size of the cotton acreage next vear. That program The News and Cour kef Opposed on a number of grounds Condition! h ive vastly changed in tlu past four years, however, and some oi the reasons which then made Imi? tation of cotton acreage by law an i.nertee ami unsound move no long*?' 03 let. 1* or instance, the position up< . Which this newspaper laid the mo. ? mphasis was that it would not be POSStblC |o take ( lie of out large 1io gro population if the cotton aoreage Were eilt in half; that they had been brought here becauet Ihej were need? ed to cultivate' and gather the cotton erop and fh.it Wf hid to provide work for them. In the light of the labor situation todaj that sort of argument now is ?mile-provoking'. so great is the Change in conditions that if the cot? ton ecreage tor till could be limited arbitrarily t>\ the method which Mr Jordan suggests one of the Imme? dlate effects would be to eise the lemand for labor which is so acute. \\. do not believe that congres would have any power to act, but ai a war measure other humus mi^v?t well be found, as things now go, to pu this scheme into effect, if after ma? ture on. ideratlon it should be deem ed the wise thing to do. As to that. we ha sard no opinion now. \\v de believe tint it is worth Immedlnh and thoughtful attention aad it WOUM be interesting to hear Argument* <" i ,i h m ? n of the question. SAVE THE BABIES. Sumtcr Now Ready to Take Part in Nation-wide Campaign. Bumter Is now ready to take her part in the nation-wide campaign to save 100,otio bablea?a part of the number who die yearly from pre? ventable causes. This campaign should have begun On April Oth with a weighing and measuring test for children under school age, but owing to difficulty in getting the necessary record cards the work in this county has been delayed. These cards have now come and the physicians of the city have offered their services in carrying on the work. The Hampton school has also been of? fered, and the hist test will probably he made on Friday afternoon. Moth? ers wishing to have their children tested should communicate with Miss E. W. McLean, phone 73, as no one can be taken who has not made an appointment previously. This is nec? essary that overcrowding and con? fusion may be avoided, and that the mothers and children may be spared inconvenience or discomfort. The object of the test is to And if the children conform to the standard of weight and height. If they vary in any great degree from this standard, it is often a sign of some weakness Which should he corrected. The record cards are in duplicate fortHi one part to be kept for refer? ence by the mother, and the other to be sent on to Washington. It Is earnestly hoped that the moth? ers of the city and count v wall coop? erate with US in this effort to banish disease and death among our little children, and that they may at once make their arrangements to have their children tested both for their own sek.es and for the sakes of those who may he influenced by their ex smplea PATRIOTISM AND THE MENU. I What You Eni These Hays Is a Mat tor of Grant importance. Columbia, June 10.?It is a matter of great importance what you eat these days, says the food administra? tion. Patriotism may be measured by the menu as well as by the light ing spirit. The season of perishable foods Is opening . Already many people av. eating garden truck. In a short time vegetables and fruits will be floodius the markets. There will probably be with home gardens r.nd truck farms, x surplus of perishable food produces ! It is the patriotic duty of those who are prlvlllgod to remain at hom^ while the war is being fought out to consume these perishable foods, se far as possible, the food administra? tion contends?that, i.s to say, to eat perishable food products instead o* the more concentrated and stapi foods which can be shipped abroad.! for the soldiers and for the*|)cople O? the allied count r ics. The usual wastage of largt amounts of perishable foodstuffs will be frowned upon i>y the food admin? istration this year, Pood is not s > plentiful in the world today that 11 can be wasted.I Even the garbage should be kept clean and free o-' trash and refuse, and this should be utilised for the feeding of hogs whicn Will, In turn, help feed human beings. || |s decidedly unpatriotic, says \\Vi\ food administration, to use canted goods at this particular time, or SO loin? as perishable products are aval! able, but immense stocks of eanne.; goods must be reser ved for the Ameri? can and silled soldiers. In helping Oreate this reserve Stock, every Amer? ican home can have a part by eating fresh and perishable products Instead of canned goods, even though a lit? tle more work should be required m the preparation of meals. We Grind Lenses, examine the eyes scientifically and fit eye? glasses perfectly. Let us work for you. We have all prescriptions on tile. Broken lenses replac? ed promptly. Graduate Opto-' J] metrlst ond Optician In charge, jj W. A. Thompson, E JEWRLE * OPTOMETRIST? | niHtitr.inHtjmiiHiiirxinnwmtitinnup j WAR SA Vie J To the People or Sumter County: The campaign for War Savings starts tomorrow, the fourteenth. It lasts for two weeks, through the -jsth. land during that time nothing should make us forget this one matter that our government has asked us, its people, to come to its aid. The government has appealed to us before, and we have responded, it appeals to us once again ,and we must respond once again. To us of this I particular part of the country the ap? peal is large, and it comes at a timej when it is hard to meet, and so, for these very reasons, we must redouble our efforts to the end thai we shall meet it; were it easy to be met there! cuuld be little glory in meeting it. The government asks now not only' that we lend it of our wealth but that all of us should participate i 1 the loan. The government asks that its whole citizenry line up solidly behind it, and that all its people make a public exhibit of their loyally and patriotism by buying government securities. Can all do it? Yes, all can do it for these securities come in denomina? tions as low as twenty-live cents, and Sach parent can give its youngest child a stamp. Ali can come in, but the quota asked for can be reached not by buying in these very small amounts, hut by buying generously. The quota for you and the quota for me is $20 lor each for the j ear 1918. We must buy our quota, but we must buy more. Some can not buy to the extent of the quota, so we who can must, buy to bring up the average low? ered by those who cannot. The gov? ernment recognises thai some must buy more largely than others, and so permits. The government feels, however, that all who can should come In as largely as they might, and to keep the wealthy from gobbling up the issue it has limited the hold Ing of each individual or each insti? tution to $1,000 maturity value. Von. each of you. who read this can help In two ways. Pledge to buy what you can. Make yourself a com? mittee to spread the knowledge of War Savings everywhere; help spread the light of it among the most back? ward, the most lowly, the most Ig? norant. We are asked to pledge ourselves to purchaee during litis $850,000 odd. We are asked to purchase during this month $170,000 of that amount. When we purchase a War Saving so our job is really easier than it JGS STAMPS - j Htamp for $4.17 we get credit for $5 looks. When we agree to join the Limit Club an<l buy the limit, $s:;i 'is all that is necessary to buy tho $1, [ 0(M? worth Of stamps. To make this campaign n success, to accomplish in Bllniter county all that is asked of Sumter county, toi I keep the Oame Cock perched high [where he always proudly stands, re? quires enormous work. It requires j the work of a whole people. The few [ individuals who along with me have been especially called upon to help stal l, this work for our own land, these few have labored faithfully. Left alone, our efforts will be but as little waves beating against great boulders. I After all it is our affair but very I slightly; in the large measure it is yours. That our work may be a success we need the energetic backing of all Sum? ter. of the young and of the old, of the man and of the woman, of the white ami of the colored, of the rich and of the poor, of the master and of tho man?of the one and of the all. l)o we get it? What is your answer? Faithfully yours. HERBERT A. MOSES, Chairman of War Savings for Sumter! ('ounty. KLACKEltti TO BE 148Tb.: War Savings Canvass Affords Pine <>p portanity for I cn-iting <>ui Um l>?? loyal?To dc Listed and II? Id. The War Savings canvass will prac? tically cover til ??entire land, and a very small percentage of the popula? tion will escape being personally in? terviewed by some interested work? er. Because of the broad scope of this work it la an excellent opportun? ity for finding1 out what the authori? ties want to know, who is indifferent or disloyal to his country. The fol? lowing letter has been addressed to each director by Ch !i tan Moses: To the Director Addressed: Dear Sir: Phase instruct all can? vassers under you, and direct each to so instinct an} canvassers under them in this War Savings work, to keep an accurate list of any who re? fuse to buy or pledge to buy War Savings stamps, or who respond in such niggardly or unwilling spirit as to evidence ;i feeling of indifference or disloyalty to the cause of tfM ir country ;:t war. This li.sL with no? tations as to causes, remarks, eon duet. et<-. made by the canvasser rhould be mailed to me with the reg? ular reports made from time to time dm Ing the canvass. Very truly yours. Herbert A. Moses, Chairman. let lie Put ELECTRIC LIGHT Western Electric POWER AND LIGHT On Your Farm ASIC HE HOW ? FORSHEE & CO., Sales Agents Sumter, S. C. WS.S. TOL&mHGS STAMPS ' MtotP TKB UNITED STATES jQOVERMMENT Buy Them And Help Win The War FOR SALE EVERYWHERE June 14th Through June 28th Are War Savings Weeks in the United States (J Sumter County is called upon to do its share in the War Savings Loan to our government, strug? gling to maintain such an army that our national existance will be safe for all time. H Sumter County is asked to pledge $850,000.00 and to buy stamps to the extent of SI70,000.00. q Are YOU going to do YOUR part? The Great War Savings Meeting Will Be Held at the Opera House Sunday Afternoon at Four. The Speakers will be Dr. Lee Davis Lodge, Lieut. Bland ing Dick and others. You Be There. This Space is Contributed to the War Savings Committee by O'DONNELL & COMPANY.