Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Governors of Cotton States I Asked to CalT State Meet PLAN TO FINANCE COTTON CROP Ii*?-' ^ '4.: T ' * Fanners Working to Place Mar keting on a Sound Business 15asis. Columbia. March 18.?J. Skottowe Wannamaker, chairman of the cen tral'committee of the South Carolina w|:Cotton Association, has addressed a letter to the governors of all of the " eofton growing States asking that meetings be called in each State for the purpose of electing delegates to fhe big meeting to be held in New / Orleans on-May 14. The meeting at New Orleans will be for the purpose of forming and putting into execu tion definite plans for banking and [^financing cotton, either in the form of cotton reserve bank, similar to the one proposed by Chairman Wan r.anaaker of this State, or some sim Hyilar form of banking. Mr. Wannamaker in his letter to the governors asks that" at the State meetings twenty delegates be elected to the Southern meeting at New Or leans, including the governor, lieu tenant governor, president of the State bankers' association, commis sioner of agriculture, president of farmers* union, managers of State ?warehouse systems and speakers of the house of> representatives.. ? In his letter Mr. "Wannamaker states, that a system of cotton re serve banks if established would "re sult in revolutionizing the financing and banking of cotton and in forming plans so that the cotton States can each season jointly, name a minimum price for cotton?namely 33 1-3 per cent above the cost of production, and arrange for the marketing and ^porting of cotton and the ware housing of same. ?The.letter addressed to the gover nor of each cotton State follows: Hfc"TQ the Governor: ' South Carolina is organized as nev er before. She will reduce her cotton "acreage"fully 33 1-3 per cen. She will t?ke1 this action regardless of the price and regardless of the action iii other'States. . At the same time, with " th^^information before - us, we -are - eoovmced that reduction will extend from Hexico- to old Virginia. Reduc Hp'ti?h in commercial fertilizer will have a marked effect and bearing on the reduction of cotton throughout "the State of South Carolina and will be. sensational. Oh April 3rd we hold a mammoth meeting at the State capital, Colum bia. South Carolina. This meeting is called for the purpose of receiving final reports on the work throughout ?the" State and mainly for the pur pose of discussing and forming plans 'for the banking, financing, marketing, exporting* :and 'warehousing of cot ton and setting a minimum price for same. The minimum price set to be 33* 1-3 per cent, above the cost of production. At this meeting we will elect twen ty delegates, including the governor, lieutenant governor, president of ?State Bankers' Association, Commis sioner of Agriculture, presidents of Farmers' Unions, managers of State Warehouse System, and speaker of the. House of Representatives?these delegates being elected for the pur pose of perfecting and forming Flans for the purpose named above; and they are to meet with a like number of delegates from other States ?ef the cotton belt, at New Orleans on May 14, 1919, and cooperate with these delegates in forming and put ting into execution definite plans for banking and financing cotton either in the form of cotton reserve banks sim ilar to ore recommended to our leg islature by chairman of our associa tion, or similar form of banking. It will result in revolutionibing financing and banking of cotton and in forming plans so that the cotton States can each season jointly name a minimum price for cotton?namely, 33 1-3 per cent above the cost of production? and arrange for the marketing and exporting of cotton and the ware housing of same. This matter has been given careful consideration by some of the best posted bankers and business men throughout the belt, \ and it is unanimously agreed that it is of absolute necessity that the cot ton States take the steps as follows: First: Forming a banking system which will meet the needs for financ tag cotton so as to do away with ' entirely depressed cotton and avoid j the return of conditions which have existed in the South for the last sixty years. Second: Stabilizing cotton by naming minimum price for same. Third: Providing for the export-; ing and marketing of cotton and the warehousing of same. The most important of all of course! is the banking system. The others follow. TJnder the system proposed, re ferred to above as the Cotton Reserve Banks, we believe it is now the most opportune time to organize three such i banks in the belt. It will result in removing from the market a tre mendous amount of middling cotton. People would gladly invest Liberty Loan Bonds and after consulting in-j fluential friends in the North and! South, we are convinced that a meet ing called for the purpose above.! aside from the tremendous ad van- j tages gained as a result of forming: and carrying into effect the plans sug- j gested, will have a marvelous stimu lating effect on spot cotton now in the :South. We urge that you call a public meeting in your State jointly of. the Officials named and of other import I Washington Gossips Predict that Congress Will be Call j ed to Meet in May i . ? j PRESIDENT WILSON HAS MADE NO STATEMENT ; His Anouncement That He j Would Not Summon Congress j Before His Return from Paris i Stands j "Washington. March IS.?An extra isession of congress before July 1st is j believed to be certain by many gov I ernment officials and members of congress, although their predictions are without support or evidence to show: that President Wilson has changed his determination not to summon congress before^ he returns to Washington. Some cabinet offi cers are known to believe that the session will begin in May. Some are expecting it about, the middle of the month while others are suggesting an earier date, probably May 5th. Cotton Men Called Meeting Will Be Held in Mem phis Soon. Eaton Rouge, La. March 17?Gov ernor Pleasant issued a call today for a general meeting of cotton growing interests of the *South to .be held at Memphis, March 24. for the purpose of developing further plans for cotton acreage reduction. The governors of cotton growing States as well as dele gates appointed to the cotton acreage reduction meeting in New Orleans Feb ruary 17-78. were urged to attend the Memphis meeting. Reports on the success of the reduction movement? will be made. * The German Warships ._ Huns Will Be Required to Sur render Title to Ships Paris, March IS.?The disposition of the German warships is not l;kely to be included in the peace treaty, according to the view of the Ameri can pea^e delegation. Germany, however, will : be required to sur render title to the ships. The ulti mate ownership will be determined later. Paris, March 18.?The fortifications i on Helgoland, Germany's formidable base in the North Sea. must be dis mantled. This decision was reached today by the supreme council. It was decided, also that the Kiel canal must be internationalized. ant business leaders for the purpose of receiving reports' on the work clone in your State on cotton acreage reduction and for discussing plans along lines indicated above?electing twenty delegates to represent your State in the New Orleans convention for the purpose of arranging, dis cussing and taking the necessary steps to put into execution specific plans which will operate throughout the belt along the lines indicated. Will you at once take this matter up? It is of vital importance to the entire South. After the public meeting at which these delegates are elected, it is of course necessary that they meet to give careful consideration to these various promos:tiors devising , plans for putting same into operation. At New Orleans, of course, the best and'most feasible plans for the va rious States will be adopted. We are satisfied that the result of this work .vill be far reaching. It will not only mean the savings of millions to the South, it will mean the commercial freedom of the South; it will mean good roads and improved educational facilities. In fact, it will mean that :he lives of the entire citizenship of j the South?not ohly for this year, but j for endless years to come?will ro j ceivo the benefits as a result of this j work. The South is determined to no j longer tolerate conditions which have existed in the handling of cotton for! the last sixty years. We feel sure | that you will join us in snapping these j bonds of commercial slavery. The South Carolina Cotton Asso- j ciation has headquarters operated by j a large force and the Central Com-] mittoe of eight members in Colum bia. The headquarters is being kept j constantly open. We have 1,500 ac-j tlve workers in the State. Every' farmer in South Carolina will be ap proached for the purpose of signing j l reduction pledges. A complete list wil be made by the committees In each county showing the names of the farmers who sign and those who i fail to sign. This list will be pub-j lish.ed. A permanent, standing com-j mittoe of not less than four members! in each school district in the entire! State known as the Folow-up Com -! mittee, will keep in close touch with j the enforcment of pledges. Any vlo- j lation of pledges will be immediate-j ly reported to headquarters and pub-j lished in the county papers. The South Carolina. Association has' been supported by the farmers con- . trib?ting 10c per acre, and by the business men making voluntary con tributions. This association has ac-1 complished so much work that it j has been practically decided to make;i it a permanent organization under M the guidance of the State, it being M their entire function of handle the!' cotton situation along the lines theyjl have been working. In all probabili- : 1 ties the other States of the belt will j 1 follow the same course. j < Will you please give this matter j < careful consideration and let us have It the names of the delegates with as i' little delav as possible, and oblige < very much. > i ALES BUREAU FOR COTTON Mr. Harding Urges Corporation Capitalized at ?50,000,000 To Market Crop MIGHT USE LIBERTY BONDS AS CAPITAL i -. Could Be Financed to Some Ex tent by the War Finance Gor I poration Washington, March 17.?Organiza tion of a cooperative cotton export corporation with capitalization of perhaps $50,000,000 *was advocated today by Governor VY. P. G. Hardin.ir. of the Federal Reserve Board; in a letter to a ?Southern newspaper edi tor. ] This corporation, organized under the Webb act, solely for foreign trade transactions, could be financed to some extent by the war finance cor poration under the recent act author izing $1,000.000,000 to exporters, Governor Harding suggested. i In payment for the stock. Southern cotton, producers and business men participating in the. corporation might use liberty bonds, which they hold, thus eliminating the necessity of ty ing up large quantities of cash. Mr. Harding suggested that a con gress of cotton producers, and other [ business men be held at once to dis I cuss the project. He explained that j by using liberty bonds these would I be held by the corporation as pcrma j nent investments and would not bo placed on the market. This would remove any objection by government agencies to exchange of the corpora tion's stock for liberty bonds. "Every large manufacturing and mining concern has a well organized sales department." said the governoi in his letter. "'It would be suicida for any* large manufacturer to devote his activities to productions alone Many millions of people are engaged in the production of cotton, but oi all our great industries it is the on!> one, I believe, which has no organize'.' sales department. A farmer or 2 merchant who has cotton in the hope Of obtaining a higher price and h/ has cotton for sale must either tak* the price offered hirn or he .must hole jhis cotton in the hope of obtaining s I higher price, and he has no assuranc? ! that he will get a higher price b> j holding. The cotton spinners have their own organizations: those wh? have cotton for sale have none. "The present situation is totals different from tha^ which existed ai the close of the civil war. Then th< South was devastated, its labor wa; demobilized, and the great 'probten was one of production. Actual cottoi commanded a high price for several years after the war; the rest of th< world was prosperous, there hat" been no impairment in its purchasing power; but today the credit of most European nations ^is necessarily re stricted; even England cannot aifoj to let go of her cash with a lavish hand in payment, of goods imported: ! she has to watch her exchange rate jwith a jealous eye. France, Belgium j and Italy need goods and raw ma jterial. but they also need a reason able period of time to pay for them, i "The large manufacturing' concerns throughout the country are preparing !to take advantage of the act which (became a law on April IS, 191S, co:n fanonly known as th* Webb Act. which permits combinations for the promo tion of foreign trade. Under the act of March 3, 1919, which'provides for the additional bond issues by the gov ernment, the war finance corporation is empowered to make loans to the extent of one billion dollars to aid export transactions during a period of one year from the date of an offi cial proclamation of peace, and it is fallowed live years in which to liqui date these loans. j "For the war finance corporation I to consider applications from ten to [twenty thousand individuals and farmers for assistance in export transactions would be a difficult if not impossible proposition owing to the vast amount of time which would be involved in the consideration of each application. "A broad and dependable market for cotton is of vital importance, not only to the farmer, the producer of the staple, but to every merchant, banker, business and professional man throughout the cotton belt. '"In almost every hamlet in every United States bonds. 1 believe that United tSates bonds. I believe that if the movement is properly directed it will be possible to form a large ex port corporation the stock of which will be owned by those directly in terested in the production and mark eting of cotton. Tbc capital stock of such a corporation might be in vested in liberty bonds, which would obviate the necessity of procuring cash subscriptions and would at the same time insure certain dividends to the stockholders. The corporation might be capitalized at $50.000,000. or whatever amount might be found accessary to handle the business. The jorpcration could send exports abroad . to negotiate sales of cotton, to ar range the terms, and to procure the necessary guarantees of foreign >anks. With tho*e contracts in hand Dn proper security, the corporation nould apply to the4 war finance cor poration for aid. It should have the >ower to purchase cotton outright or o sell it on a commission basis for * he owners. If general interest could i >e aroused in the plan, a certain!' proportion of the slock could be al- J?> otted to each county in the cotton j 1 >elt so that it would be absolutely a f ?ottbn producers' organization and irs, operation would be assured in the in-, J erest of the farmers and merchants, j I 'here should be no politics in1 the ? organization, nor should, any. pro- a rioters' profits be allowed." \~. t j Secretary Glass Approves Plan ! to Convert Soldiers' Insur ance into Standard i Policies. I GOVERNMENT TO CONDUCT \ I BIG INSURANCE BUSINESS] New Form of Policies Will be Ready for Issuance at Early Dato. j Washington, March IS.?Secretary Glass today 'approved regulations] .governing conversion of soldiers' and [sailors' war time insurance to stand ' ;\ud forms of government life, insur i a lice. The policies will he ready for 1 issuance soon and the work or" issu I ing and maintaining the policies is expected to make the war risk bureau [the largest life insurance agency in ihc world. A treasury announcement explained thai the forms of policies which may {be obtained at option in exchange for i term insurance or war time are: Or dinary life. 20 payment life, 30 pay ment life, 20 year endowment, 30 year endowment and endowment payable at the age of 0 2. "The premium rates for these con verted policies are lower than those charged by private insurance com panies," said the announcement. A previous announcement said the rates would be 30 per cent, lower. '?The policies contain exceedingly liberal privileges." continued the an nouncement, "providing for cash and loan values, paid up and extended in surance, and further providing that the insured will be paid for life a monthly income in the event that lie becomes totally and permanently dis abled. All of these policies are in contestable from the date of,issue and are free from restriction as to resi dence, travel or occupation. The hold ers of the policies will be eligible to share in and receive dividends from gains and savings and the proceeds of the policies are exempt from all tax ation. ''Premiums for the' new forms of government life insurance' are pay able monthly, but may bo paid an nually, semi-annualy or quarterly. The monthly premiums, due the lirst of each month, may be paid at any time during the month." Secretary Class expressed the opin ion that the "unusual values and lib eral provisions" of the new forms ("should encourage all holders of war j rime term insurance to convert as j rapidly as their financial circum jstances will permit, and in any event to continue without fail the largest possible proportion .of their present insurance." 1 j An opinion by Attorney General r\ Palmer that insurance might .be paid 1 j to the estates of deceased persons to il dry removed the last obstacle to is trsuance of the new policies. Killed by Acciden tal Shot Dies from Gunshot Wounds in flicted by Mistake by Boy hood Friend Honea Path, March IS.? A most unfortunate incident occurred here ;asi night about 9 o'clock when young Gary Lollace came to Iiis death from gun shot wounds from the hands of (]y:.<]y Lust. Young Lollace was re turning a saw to the home of his neighbor, Lust. When he reached the; [?house he hailed and .Mi-. Lust asked i who if was. Young Lollace did not j j state who it was but went to tin-j j door, opened it and started to enter, j j '"he front of the house was dark, th^ J family of Lust being in the rear, ana when young Lollace entered Mr. Lust railed for his gun and opened lire thinking that it was a- robber. The fact that, there had been some rob beries and a barn burned in the com-; munity within the past few weeks un nerved Mr. Lust. His first shot took effect in the In-east of young Lollace from which wound he died in a. short time. The two young men were reared in the same community and had been friends all their life. Mr. Lust is heart broken over the unfortunate ac cident. Young Lollace was aged 17 years, is the son of George W. Lol lace. Law Of The Air Peace Conference Will Fix Inter national Air Code Paris. March 10.?In the report sub-j , mitted yesterday the commission fori j considering plans for an international J? air code, announced that the British j proposals were in the main accepted.j j An international council will he form- j cd as a section of the league of na-J lions to handle all matters relative toj , icrial navigation. Each nation will ic entitled to sovereignty over the alri j above it. \2 Rainbow Division Assigned for Convoy { a Will Sail From St. Mazaire Early J(. in April ! < Goblenz. March IS.?The head- si quarters of Third Army has been j t} notified that the Ttainbow Division j tviil s.ail from St. Xazaire instead of!0' Antwerp. The division will en train! "o" France the first week of April, j _ j ej Basel, March IS.?Herr Hoffman. . c( Socialist minister of worship in the|c< Sisener government, has been elect- 01 sd premier of Bavaria, by the diet.IA: iccording to a Munich dispatch to{P: he Franlcfort Gazette. I hi A LUMBER CONCERN THAFS Ours is more than a lumber yard its a store house of building material. We sell more than just material, we sell service. No we are not merely advertising "The best lumber and the best prices." oftimes meaningless words, we back our statement that we are human. If you are figuring on. a. house <>r even a chicken coop we ' will submit plans, tell you how much lumber to use, specify the price, and place our knowledge and experience at your service free of cost. When in need of building material of any kind, from the first brick to the last shin^ic, phune or write us. Booth Sc McLeod, Inc. Oftice Phone 10 SUMTER, S. C. Yard Phone 631 President Wilson and Premiers Request Lloyd George to Postpone Return to England - [urgent problems now BEFORE conference He Will Refer Request to British Cabinet and Act Accord ingly. i Paris, March IS.?A letter signed ! by President Wilson and Premiers I CIcmenceau and Orlando was handed i to Premier Lloyd George yesterday urging him to postpone for a fort j night his return to England; in view i or the urgency of the problems be ! fore the peace conference. I Mr. Lloyd George will submit the letter to the British Cabinet and. it is { understood, will act in accord with i its views. Important Conference Three Premiers and President Wilson Meet at Paris W'hite House. Paris. March IS.?President Wil son will hold an important confer ence with Premiers Lloyd George. Orhindo ana Clemenceau at the Paris "White House" today. This meeting takes the place of the supreme coun cil session, which has been postponed until tomorrow. The question to be discussed is one of securing accord between the great powers on 'all the phases of the pence treaty and its early presenta tion to the Germans. It is expected that agreement will he reached as to the inclusion of the league , of nations as an integral part of the peace treaty. Special interest attaches to today's corA'crcncc in view cf recent reports of a divergence between the powers las to the inclusion of the league plan in the treaty. Claims of Poland Now Being Heard I Corridor Said to Have Been I Fixed f Paris, March 17 (French Wireless Service).? The corjridor which the peace conference commission of Pol-1 ':sh claim:: have agreed upon shall go j i.i Poland as a means of exit to the Baltic Sea is outlined today by The Journal des Debats. The report of the commission, which is headed by Jules Cambon, will be examined] shortly by the supreme council. On the west, according to the newspaper, the corridor will begin cn the shore of the Baltic west of Danzig and will include a small part; cf Pomerania, which is inhabited by Poles. Thence it will run east of Lauenburg and continuing southward, east of Koni;/ and "Schneidemuhl. j.< The eastern border of the corridor j wiil run through Frische Nehrung, | which it divides, thence through Frische Hai'f to the west of Elbingl and Osirorode, which are left to Ger many and thence south to the present Prussian-Poland border. ThY western border of Poland from Rchneidemuhl southward will give Birbaum, Lissa and Krotoschin to Po land. In German Silesa the Poles will get the regions of Oppeln and Kew pen. The Polish and Czech frontiers will meet east of I\ustandt, south of Oppeln. a Paris. .V 17.?A drafting com-!0 nitt?ve to prepare the final report ofj!> he commission on responsibility forjn he war was appointed by th^ corn- |l1 nissi?n at its meeting today. The ?eport. after being approved will be r< eferred to the peace conference. The members of the drafting com-]" uiitec ?r? M. [toIIh-Jacquemyns of|c< he Belgian delegation. Sir Ernest]" *ollack of the British delegation, and J?| tl. Damilia of the Italian delegation. --- h b< Paris, March 17.?"The supreme ;ar council met today from 3 to 7.30 ; . m.and discussed the military, naval G nd aerial terms to be imposed on; lermany." says the official statement.' at the end of the meeting an ox-, hange of views took place on the \\ ituation in Poland as described by, te inter-allJed commission. "The next meeting will take place n Wednesday at 3 p. m." j gr - pa Paris. March 18.?The British del- pa jation to the peace conference lias su rasented to refer to the supreme to tuncil the question of the future vei vnership of the German cables to he m erica, it was announced today. All at: irties to the question are preparing pa ?iefs. cei AT CHARLESTON First South Carolina Regiment Now En Route and Will Arrive Next Week. - . .. j TO BE DISCHARGED AT CAMP JACKSON Cr.ai?Ieston Preparing tx> Give Returning Soldiers Royal Wel come. Charleston, March 17.?The wel come announcement was made here this momin" that the transport Koningin der Nedcrlanden, which sail* d from Sr. Nazaire, on March 13, has been diverted from Newport News to Charleston and is expected to ar rive about March 23, according to arovry headquarters advices, and about March 27, according to N. O. T. iS. advices, having on board the One ; Hundred and Fifteenth Field ?rtil i lor;- Thirtieth Division, less Battery j A. 4S officers and 1,461 men; the ; Headquarters Motor Battalion, One j Hundred and Fifth Ammunition I Train, two officers and 33 men, and i Cot ir.anies A. B. C. and D, and med "cal an'! ordnance detachments, One 1 Hundred and Fifth Ammunition } Train, 22 officers and 714 men, Thir tieth Division, with three casuals, making a total of 2,248. Tli ere is general joy here over the fact that the former Charleston Na tional Guardsmen, the four companies of the One Hundred and Fifth Am -nunition Train, will be on the first transport of troops to land at the port terminals. Whether the ship enter this harbor on March 23 or March 27 is not so material. The big fact is that the local boys are not only on the!" way home, as was an nounced in Sunday's dispatches, but are on their way to Charleston direct. There will" be a notable harbor J demonstration when the transport j comes in through general display of Macs and blowing of whistles-ajld""' j ringing of bells. A greeting will be' 'given tlte boys from an official boat las they enter the harbor and the wa ' terfront will undoubtedly be lined wirb thousands to wave them a wel come. But few will be allowed at the pier where they land, and they will at once entrain for Camp Jackson, wlKrf- they will go through the san it?r ion plant. It is expected about three boars will be necessary for transfer from ship to special trains. Forty-four coaches and baggage cars will be_ in the equipment of four' trains to take the soldiers to Camp Jackson. Local committees met to night to discuss plans for entertain ment. Mayor Hyde goes to Colum bia tomorrow to confer with the State committee about entertainments and reception at Camp Jackson. When the boys finally get home, they will be given a series of entertainments. Strike Called Off By Mutual Consent Street Cars Will Run Again in New Jersey?Both Sides Claims Victory Xev/ark. X. J., March 17?The strike >f 4.500 employees of the Public Ser rice Hallway Company which had tied tp trolley service in northern. New rersey smce last Wednesday was for mally called off tonight with both ides claiming victory. It was an tounccd that full service on all lines rould be resumed at 4 a. m. tomor ow. ? The terms of settlement which were pnrovei! by virtually unanimous vote f the strikers, provided that the com any treat with any authorized com littee of the Amalgamated Associa on of Street & Electric Railways Em Ioyces of America, at the same time ?serving the right to treat with any ther employees organization; that ie company's cooperative league and Elective bargaining plan, opposed by ie men be withdrawn, and that all her points of dispute be submitted to ie National War Labor Board. The mis were suggested by the war labor >ard~. inn Feiners Plan to Imitate Suffragettes 11! Create Disturbances To At tract Attention to Demands London. March is.?The more ag essive section of the Sinn Fein rty in Ireland contemplates a catn ip" similar to that of the militant iTragettes. At this time it is hoped have the peace conference inter ne in behalf of Ireland and this will for the purpose of focussing public, .ention on the demands of the rty. according to dispatches re ved here.