Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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ObnON GROWERS MEET. ??????? AJSU GOVERNMENT TO FIX COT? TON PRICES. South Carolina Cotton Growers' As? sociation Expresses Confidence In Government's Colby of Faimceai In Price Fixing?Smith to Appoint iMsiegaten to Meeting in New Or? leans July 1. Columbia, June 25.?The 8outh Carolina Marketing Association met In the State library yeaterday after? noon at 2.30 o'clock and adjourned Immediately upon the acceptance of a resolution to change the name of tbe organisation to "The South Caro? lina Cotton Orowera* Association." The siasion of the new body was de? clared to be open by the presiding of? ficer, W. O. Smith, and matters relat-1 Ing to price fixing on cotton and the ?ejection of delegates to attend a con? ference of Southern bankers and planters In New Orleans on July 1 were taken up. Mr. Smith said In his Introductory remarks that great interest had been manifested in the movement by the farmers where county organizations had been perfected. Next year the farmers will have at their disposal the services of expert cotton graders in Darlington. Greenville, Orangeburg Sad Sumter A telegram from W. W. Woodson. president of the Texas Bunkere' Ah sociation. addressed to T. B. Thack pon. deputy State warehouse commis? sioner, was received aa Information. J. A. Bank? of St. Matthews told of the services that the Federal Reset-\ Bank had rendered to farmers during the year If 15, and read a telegram which be had recently received from W. P. O. Harding, an official of the Syatem. in answer to an inquiry as to what ateps would be taken to finance a very large und expensive cotton erop. The telegram atated that the matter had been under consideration for aome time by the bank officials r nd that adequate provision would be made to take care of the needs of the farmers In the cotton growing States. Wade Stackhouse of Dillon was the next speaker. Dr. Stackhouse said that the cotton acreage this year was the largest that South Carolina had ever cultivated, and that the condi? tion was at least 85 per cent., with every indication that the percentage will rise as the crop matures. He said that the law of supply and demand did not control cotton marketing as it did the safc> of other commodities. Cotton seed products, iron, copper, powder and other necessary materials had been materially reduced in price by the manufacturers when the gov? ernment requested that they should do so. tho discount amounting, In some Instances, to 76 per cent. Dr. Stackhouse expressed it as his opinion that the government could not force farmers to sell their cotton at an ar? bitrary price fixed by officials, but at the same time the price fixing of cot? ton goods would automatically fix the price of the raw cotton. Four meas? ures were suggested by him to solve &e problem before the farmer. The association was urged to have representatives to attend all conven? tions and meetings where matters in? volving the Interests of the farmers sre under consideration, and to pro? vide a fund with which to defray their expenses. Ills second suggestion, which was later put in the form of u motion and accepted with modifica? tions, provided thjt congress should conduct Hit investigation into the mode of operutton employed by the New York and New Orleans cotton ex? changes. His third and fourth sug? gestions were tsgbodied In a resolu? tion which fsgjfl as follows: "Be It resolved. That the South Car? olina Cotton Growers* Association meetlpg this day In Columbia and having representative* of gggsj carlou* counties in the State, hereby request our delegation representing us in New ? ?Means on July 1, to support the fol? lowing resolution. "Resolved. That we request the president of the Cnit sd States through the food adminis? tration as u war time n*eess;ty to re quire that st least one acre of t oo ' crop be planted In 19ID for each acn plsnted In cotton, and that the grain crop be fertilised pro rata with th corresponding cotton acreage and cub Ivated with the g#JM skill; and that no farmer in 1D1D shall plant in cot ton an acreage greater than his aver age for the years 1D15, 191?; and 1111 We request that tie president through the food administration will appoint a commission to determine a fair value for cotton and * reason tble profit. As patriotic cltliens. we only ask a fair profit on this ami the |ftl r i op and agree to abide |.y any price fixing pro grsm which SOSUflS just to this board We request that ? ssjpp of these reso? lutions be sent to eaeh rommlttce o* agriculture in the Southern States and also a OOpy to each representative in ths house and senate from South Car? olina "' Spirited debate followed the Intro duotlon of the resolution which evi? denced th* symnath] of the meeting for the policy proposed by Dr. Stack house. A motion to strike out the words "and that no farmer in 1919 shall plant in cotton an acreage greater than his average for the years 1915, 1916 and 1917" was carried and the resolution as amended was passed unanimously. E. W. Dabbs of Mayesville stress? ed the need for concerted action and said the farmers needed the strong arm of the federal government to aid them in realizing their aims. He took issue with another delegate who had said on the floor that price fixing b> tho farmers heretofore had netted nothing and showed that the efforts of the Farmers' Union had resulted li higher cotton prices than could havt. been gotten by the Individual farmers. At the conclusion of his speech he of? fered the following resolution, which was accepted: "Resolved. That we do urge the holders of cotton not to sell for lest than 32 cents, and to hold for 35 centv if possible." John T. Duncan said the farmer. should get 50 cents for their cotton and provoked much laughter when h< said they would realize that much or. It "if they got sense enough to get it.' He recommended ?ended cotton ware houses, operating under government supervision, not unlike whiskey ware? houses in principle. Confidence in the intention of the administration to d the fair thing by the farmer was ex pressed by Mr. Duncan. Dr. Stack house offered a lecond resolution which was accepted with little debate. It provided that con? gress should Investigate the mode ot operation of the New Orleans and New York cotton exchanges, and furthermore to require cotton to be bought and sold upon grades to be de? livered at the principal primary cotton markets in the South. Correspondence between David R. Cokcr and George J. Seay, governor of the federal reserve bank at Rich? mond, with reference to cotton loans was read by Mr. Coker. Just after the seed conference in Charlotte a few weeks ago, the South Carolina com? mittee appointed E. W? Dabbs of the committee to interview Mr. Coker, di? rector of the federal reserve bank of Richmond, in reference to the hostile attitude of the federal reserve bank toward cotton loans, as shown~by let? ters of the assistant cashier of the said bank to banks in this State. As the result of this interview the fol? lowing letter was written by Mr. Coker In Mr. Dabbs' prcsenco and for? warded to Mr. Soay: "Correspondence between Mr. Thuir.,s Marshal, assistant cashier, and the - bank with reference to cotton loans has been brought to my attention. These letters are dated May 21. 23 and 27. "We have just had a decline in the New York market amounting tc about 10 cents per pound. This de? cline has been largely fictitious. What agencies engineered it I am unuble to say. "The fact, however, Is that promi? nent manufacturers told me not more than three days ago in Washington that white cotton could not be obtain? ed in any considerable sized quantltio in the South. I had private informa? tion a few days ago tthe source of which I can not vouch for) that largo lot of cotton was sold in Texas at 1,000 points above the quoted market in New York. "I am satisfied that cotton could be sold if assembled In lots and classed (I speak of short staple cotton) at close to 30 cents in this section. Cot? ton is being quoted by tho larger cot? ton houses at 600 points on the fall months for fall delivery, which would mean today about 29 cents. "Notwithstanding these facts, tht most Important of which Is that th" New York cotton market has lost all relation to the price of the actual staple in the South, the habit of the trade of loosing to the New York market as, a standard of value Is s'> strong thut the average interior buyer will not offer a farmer with a mod? erate Stood lot anything like what cot? ton is worth, based on the above stated facts. The reason cotton ad? vanced to a good profitable price in the South this season was largely be OaUaS the Mnam ial resources of the South (including the resources of th? federal reserve bank) allowed It to go ? a. the market in moderate quantities instead of, as formerly, being rustle* on within a few months. To with? draw the facilities of the reserve bank at a time when the market has re? ef reed such a stunning blOW as it has recently by reason of tho torrltle de? cline in the future market would be in the nature of a calamity, for It would undoubtedly force large quantities of OOtton upon the market which might bi sold on the basis of the quoted New York market, and this abnormal In? flux would probably force much lower prices. Whilo I believe that cotton went fully up to or possibly slightly above its value judged by the aver ige of other commodities, we must not lom? HlRht of the fact that It took the South some time to recover from the blow received In the fall of 1914 and that for a long period of lime the cot ton industry of the South was so un? profitable that wages were kept at a ridiculously low figure, and con? sequently we still have a large body of densely ignorant people who have only begun recently to accumulate something and to advance towards the better standard of living and citiz? enship. "The strongest factor in my judg? ment (and I consider it a highly legiti? mate factor) which caused farmers to hold cotton which had reached 35 cents in the South was the fact that manufactured goods were then selling on the open wholesale markets of the country at prices ranging between 80 cents and $1 per pound. These prices would have justified the mill paying 4 0 to 50 cents for their staple and still I agree fully that undue speculation and the indefinite holding of cotton i purely for speculative purposes should be discouraged by the reserve bank. There has been too much spot specula? tion in my Immediate neighborhood. We must not lose sight of the fact, however, that there is a basic differ? ence between the buyer who buys up cotton or other commodities and then calls on the banking facilities of the country to help him to speculate for an indefinite time, and the actual pro? ducer for whose protection it is nec? essary that the crop be placed upon the market during a long period of time." Mr. Seay's reply, dated June 3, Is as follows: "I am in receipt of your letter of the first, which I have read carefully. We agree with you quite closely in your position with respect to borrowing on cotton. It can be abused, and in some cases has been abused. "Of course, we would not under any condition withdraw our support to all legitimate borrowing on cotton, and we are lending huge sums for that purpose. "We think It is pertinent, however, to inquire as to the purpose for which a loan on cotton against receipts dated back in October, November and December is made, in which doubtless you will agree. My position has been that if money was desired for the new crop raising purposes, it was all right; if it was wanted for speculative or in? vestment holding, it was against th* regulations. "My associates were not prepared to make the distinction which I have made above. They think that borrow? ing on one crop at this season of the year to raise another is pyramiding, and is essentially speculative, and 1 do not know that you can get away from that position. "We have refused but one loan with cotton as a collateral, and that not especially because it was on cotton against old receipts, but because the bank was borrowing too heavily? several times its capital and surplus "The bank alluded to in this cor? respondence is borrowing $185,000. and its capital is $200,000. This h not excessive and we have not refused any of the loans that I am aware of, but have only made inquiries as t< the purpose for whieh some recent loans secured by cotton were wanted. "You can rely upon It that wo have been considerate, and will continue to be so, and that nobody legitimately entitled to a loan against cotton anc who is not abusing his privileges will fail to get It." The prompt action of the committee in securing these letters has brought a better understanding of the cotton situation on tho part of the federal re? serve bank, which has done much to uccount for the advance In cotton since June 1 of more than six cents per pound. Ed Wannamaker of Orangeburg was asked to explain his method of computing the cost of raising cotton grown by tenants. Mr. Wannamaker gave a detailed account of the factors and costs involved, placing the month? ly salary of a tenant, wife and two children at $90 per month and basing his estimates on a farm of 20 acres. His estimate showed that it would cost '12.?; cents per pound to raise cot? ton on the lines suggested by him. The chairman of the meeting was directed to wire a vote of thanks to W. I>. rj. Harding of the federal re? serve hank for his past and promised aid to the farmers. Mr. Smith was also directed to wire W. W. Woodson. president of the Texas Hankers' Asso eiation. requesting that the Texas bankers meet with delegates from the other Southern States In New Or? leans mi July 1, instead of July f>, as proponed by that organization. Tower to appoint three or more delegates to attend the New Orleans meeting was delegated to the chair? men of the state association, it was SUggeated thai Senator 10 I>. Smith. Representative Lever and Representa? tive Stevenson be naked to accom? pany the South Carolina delegation. A collection was taken for the pur-i poss of defraying Ihe expenses of the1 contingent, which netted 1113.77, ami I the rarlOUS county organizations will I ??e asked to contribute $lon each to establish a fund, At the New Oilcans meeting delegates will be selected to attend a conference in Washington, where government representatives, farmers and bankers will endeavor to fix a price on cotton. The following resolution was offer? ed by Maj. J. D. Frost and accepted: "Resolved, That it is the sense of this meeting that it is against the inter? ests of the farmers of this country for a farmer to sell his cotton before it is produced and that we urge that this practice discontinue." This was the final transaction of the session, which lasted about three hours. About 300 men attended the meet? ing and it is thought that every coun? ty in the State was represented. Many were obliged to leave the meeting be? fore the time for registration came, and as a consequence officials are un? able to compile a complete list of the counties represented. If the zeal, in? terest, enthusiasm and resolution evinced at yesterday's meeting may be regarded as Index to the associa? tion's will to nii.ster a complex sit? uation, it augurs well for the farm? ers and the (arming interests in this State. SENATORIAL CAMPAIGN MEET? ING. AapiruntS for Ben Tillmun's Scat Will Speak Here Saturday and Candi? dates for Congress Will Also Make Their Plena, The Senatorial and Congressional campaign meeting will be held in this city Saturday, June 29th. As Senator Tillman has decided to remain in Washington as long as Congress is In session attending his duties, and Cole Blease, who pretends to be a candi? date under the rules of the Demo? cratic party, but refuses to attend the campaign meetings, evidently fearim to meet the other candidaies on the stump, where they would have oppor? tunity to denounce him face to face for his Pro-German and disloyal ut? terances both before and after the l.'nited States was forced into the war by German attacks upon American ships on the high seas, Messrs. Dial and Rice have the senatorial field to themselves, insofar as speech-making is concerned. Mr. Dial is making vig? orous and plain-spoken attacks upon both Tillman and Blease and seems to be arousing some little interest in some places that he has spoken dur? ing the past week, although the at? tendance is small everywhere. Mr. Rice spends his time in telling the people who he is, which appears to be quite necessary, as nobody down this way ever heard of him before. He may be senatorial timber of large size and a shining light, bul; his light has been hidden under a bushel here? tofore. So far as one can judge there is practically no interest in the senator? ial race locally, except that it seems to be settled that a large majority of the voters of Sumter county will cast their ballots for Tillman, despite the fact that Sumter county has never been a Tillman stronghold and there are many men in this county who have never voted for him. Tillman is a loyal American democrat and a con? sistent supporter of President Wilson and his policies, his record on the war is clean and he has nc explain? ing to do, consequently the people are going to send him back for one more term, regardless of past factional dif? ferences and antagonisms. Sumter county has never trusted or support? ed Bleose and this year he is less trusted than ever before. Unless all signs fall ho will not receive in Sum? ter county one-hnlf as many votes a? he has in the past. NEW SIBERIAN GOVERNMENT. Grand Duke Michael Seizes Reins of Power. Amsterdam. June2 7.?Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovitch, a younger brother of Former Emperor Nicholas is reported in a dispatch from Mos? cow, received via Berlin to have placed himself at the head of the new Siberian government and to have Is? sued a manifesto to the Russian peo? ple. WOMAN SUFFRAGE AMENDMENT. Senate Takes up Consideration of House Bill. Washington. June 27.?Considera? tion was begun today by the t-enate of the house resolution proposing the submission of the woman suffrage amendment to the constitution. The possibility of reaching a vote during the day, however, is uncertain. WIFRH AN ( ASl'Al.TV I.IST. Twenty-nine Reported Killed in Ac? tion. Washington, June 27.?The army casualty list today has eighty names. Killed In action. 29; died of wounds 8; died of accident. fi; died of dis? ease. 2; wounded severely, 11; wound? ed, 4: missing In action. 11. Private .kick Brown, of Columbia, S. C, died of accident; Finest Ktmbrell. of Spnrtanburg was wounded severely, MRS. STORY, FORMER PRESIDENT GENERAL OF D. A. R. INDICTED. Action Caused by Activities of Nation ul Emergency Relief Society in Ncv York. New York, June 26.?Mrs. William Cumming Story, former president gen? eral of the Daughters of the Ameri? can Revolution, was arrested hero late today on indictments charging her with grand larceny, petty larceny and conspiracy in connection with tho affairs of the National Emergency Re? lief Society, of which she is presi? dent. Mrs. Story was paroled in the cus? tody of her counsel until tomorrow afernoon when she will be arraigned and bail will be floced. Indicted with Mrs. Story were her two sons, Allen, an army lieutenant stationed at Aberdeen, Md., and Sterl? ing, who is now in the government sen ice in Washington. They are charged with having participated with their mother in proliteering where'oy money obtained for comfort kits for for United Suites soldiers was divert? ed to the pockets of a solicitor. Tho indictments charge that Mrs. Story arranged with William Garland Brown, the solicitor, for him to re? ceive half the funds collected by the society and that he gave Sterling Story one-fifth of his 50 per cent. This second division, it is alleged, compen? sated Sterling for his part in nego? tiating Brown's arrangements with his mother. Tho assistant district attorney who has charge of the inquiry declared there was no way of checking up the contributions made and the use to which they were ultimately put. Con? sequently he said the aggregate amount believed to have been missed could not be verified. Mrs. Story, the prosecuting authori? ties declare, never was actually elect? ed president of the Relief Society, but took that office arbitrarily. As a mat i ter of fact they say, the manner ir. which the society itself was incor? porated was "grossly irregular." Several prominent members have withdrawn and insisted that then names be no longer used on its sta? tionery, it is said. Among them a) Rear Admiral Bradley A. Fiske, and Mrs. Simon Baruch. wifo of a wealth} New York physician. Mrs. Story subjected herself to pros? ecution, it was declared, because she falsely represented that her society paid no commissions to solicitors, and thus obtained a small pf.rt of the pro? ceeds from the Hero Land Bazaar in which many accredited war ~eliof or? ganizations participated. The alleged payment of $90 com? mission to Allen Story lor services In leasing an uptown property for the society constituted an ad ditional cause for grand jury action, it was assert? ed. Subscription soliciting blanks made no mention of the intention to use part of the money for tho leasing of a house as a soldiers* recreation center, it was explained. Mrs. A. T. Baldwin, wife of a New York lamp manufacturer, who it is declared, was deposed as treasurer of the society by a faction favorable to Mrs. Story, was the chief witness dur? ing the grand jury sitting. Through her counsel tonight Mrs Story termed the charges made against her and her sons the result of " a dlsgruntlement on the part of the treasurer of the society (Mrs. Bald? win) who was removed from office by vote of the organization." The lawyer said that Mrs. Story had no knowledge of the society's fin? ancial transactions othe r than that gained during the official investiga? tion. Ho added that she believed im? plicitly that the part played by her sons in the relief work was "in all respects proper and regular." Regarding the "hero land" funds, and a check in Mrs. Story's posses? sion when the official inquiry was bo gun the attorney said: "All I know is that Mrs. Story did not get the money. The check cam* ! into her hands when the treasurer was ! not performing the functions of her i office. Mrs. Baldwin tied up the whob Aoeicty, with the assistance of the dis? trict attorney." The National Emergency Relief So? ciety has had ? stormy career, ac? cording to the district attorney. It was Irregularly incorporated, he said, and Mrs. Story "arbitrarily assumed" the otiice of president. Among the prominent women mem? bers of the society, according to as? sistant District Attorney Kilroe. sr Mrs. Rolfe E. Holling, a sister In law of the wife of President Wilson and Mrs. f. C. Bwacker, wife of a former assistant attorney general. Besides serving three years as head of the Daughters of the American Revolution Mrs Story was a former president of the Now York Federation of Women's Clubs and chairman of the Women's Division of the Ameri? can Defense Society. LOOKS LIKE PROHIBITION. SENATE COMMITTEE AGREES TO AMENDMENT TO AGRICUIi TURAL BILL. Manufacture anrt Kale of Liquor and Beer Both to Be Outlawed. Washington, June 27.?The senate agricultural committee today agreed upon the amendment to the eleven million dollar emergency agricultur? al appropriation bill providing for national prohibition. Under the ?amendment the manufacture and salo of whiskey and wine is prohibited af? ter June 30, next, and the manufac? ture and sale of beer three months af? ter the final approval of the bill by the president. WAR ON SUBMARINES. Enemy Pays Higher Price Than Ever Before for Every Ton of Shipping Sunk. London, June 27.?The month of May was the most favorable we have yet had." This is the comment of Archibald S. Hurd, the naval writer in the Dally Telegraph. He adds: "It is common knowledge that ow? ing to the large number of subma? rines destroyed the enemy paid a higher price for every ton of shipping sunk than In any corresponding pe? riod since piracy was inaugurated. "The offensive by sea was still be? ing maintained by the Germans dur? ing May with the utmost vigor but in spite of the unprecedented number of submarines sent to sea, only 224,000* tons of British tonnage was loot as compared with 374,000 in May of last year"_< 1 Sg^J WHEAT MILLING ORDER. Farmers Permitted to Grind Sufficient Wheat to Supply Needs Until Oc? tober. Columbia, June 26.?Until the nat? ional wheat supply is definitely deter? mined and the allied necessities are likewise arrived at, the food adminis? tration cannot lay down a national rrogram, hut as a temporary basis, and in order that the farmers of South Carolina, who have grown their own wheat, may know how to gov? ern themselves, the farmers' wheat in, thu; State will be treated as follows: The farmer, out of his present crop, may obtain enough flour to supply himself and those dependent upon him . for the current year, and at present will be permitted to exchange enough wheat for flour, or have wheat ground into flour, to last him and those de? pendent upon him until October 1. To arrive at the amount needed, this must be figured on the basis of twelve pounds per person per month for the hun:her supplied by him. It is also noceesary that the farmer sign the re? quired pledge to consume at least an equal amount of wheat substitutes with his flour. Mills are forbidden by the food ad? ministration to grind more wheat for farmers than the amount needed, on the above basis, to supply farmers, 'heir families and tenants until Oc? tober 1. The mills are furnished with pledges which the farmers are required to sign when their wheat is ground. Farmers will not, at the present time, be permitted to sell wheat to their neighbors to be ground into flour. FIGHTING IN SIBERIA. Gen. scmcnoff Again Advancing Against Bo Is he vi ki. London, June 27.?Gen. Semenoff, the anti-Bolshevlki leader in Eastern Siberia, is again advancing into Si? beria from the Manchurian border, according to Peking dispatches to Times. The Bolshevik! forces oppos? ing him it is added have been ordered to return to Irkutsk to defend the soviet cause in western Siberia, which is reported to be threatened by a counter revolution. HUN PRISONERS COUNTED. * Americans Capture 311 in Rellean Wood Battles. With American forces on Mai June 27.?The number of prison... captured by the Americans In drive in the Belleau Wood sector Tuesday night was officially announced todr.y to be 311. The Americans also cap? tured eleven big machine guns and ten automatic rifles. nostday Clab Notes. There will be two drawing cl tomorrow. One at 9.30 and one 10.30. Other classes will be the knitting, sewing, music, scrap books, handwork. There will be no cooking classes omorrow because the County Home Demonstration clubs will use the Domestic Science rooms.