The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, June 28, 1919, Image 3
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influence of both of the old papers,
arid is manifestly the best advertising
medium in Sumter.
CONGRESSIONAL INQUIRIES.
The attitude toward congressional
investigation said to have been assum
ed by the War Department is the only
one consistent either with the interests
of the nation or of the administration
whose acts are questioned. Secretary
Baker is quoted as saying:
"Of course congress is going to in
vestigate the management of the war.
Congress not only should conduct
such an investigation, but -Congress
would be derelict in its duty if it did
not. investigate. Where billions of dol
iars. have been expended, there can be
no objection to the most exhaustive
sort of investigation and auditing of
accounts."
Orders have been given, according
ly, that all employees of the depart
ment shall co-operate fully and
promptly with * the probers. It is
even announcea^that for some time
the department has been collecting
and preparing data to -facilitate the
big inquiry.
It will be fortunate if this policy is
followed in every department whose
work-is subjected to scrutiny by the
majority in Congress. It will be for
tunate, too, if the investigation com
mittees, where they find such a sit
uation, will go about their task in an
equally frank spirit. In any event,
little is to be gained either by con
cealment or distortion. Facts will
out.
Perodical investigations of this sort
nrfe ^really one of the .big benefits in
cident to the American two-party
system %of government. Each party
knows that, sooner or. later, it will
be^ relegated to a minority role and
called upon for an 'accounting. It ? is
weh for everybody; concerned to ac
cept the logic of the case, and have
as Jittle unpleasantness ? about the
matter ?s possible.
METHOD ISM AND THE DRAMA.
One of the greatest surprises of
this surprising age is the fact that
the Methodist church has taken the
drama into its fold. It has not arriv-i
ed-.at?the stage where it recommends,
tife;'diversions thought necessary inj
some circles for the tired business!
man, b^it has taken' the opposite
couTse of making dramatic art serve
its. own ?teaching.
j$ a great centenary exposition aad
world rally of Methodism held in Co
lumbus, O., a pageant has been staged
in a- coliseum seating 8,600 people.
The play was based, in form, on the
old "nymulity" plays. Action, solo
and chorus were used, and the story,
was that of a bewildered 2011I, called
"The Wayfarer," who was finally con-;
rinced that God's purpose rules the
worjd.
This seems like the right angle
from which to view art and life. Art
is always the attempt to express and
interpret life. It succeeds according
as the interpretation is sound. To
deny the right to exist of any form
of art simply because its working out
has been unsuccessful in the wrong
hands is like trying to sweep back the
tides. There are King Canutes in ev
ery iand and every generation, but the
tide continues to come in according
to its own great laws.
To adapt an art-form to the needs
of any great purpose or time is a
constructive thing. If there is indeed
a divine purpose running through all
life, moulding it according to law, and
the -Methodists wish to prove it, they
could choose no* better vehicle than
the drama, which appeals at once to
eye, to ear and to understanding.
THE AIR SERVICE.
Congress is fortunately adopting a
more liberal policy with regard to avi
ation. The house, voting an appro
priation of only $15,000,000 for the
naval air service next year, has rais
ed, the amount to $35,000,000. It was
made clear that the navy could not
get along on less than $35,000,000, un
less it were to eliminate all pro
gressive, experimental, constructive
effort ??nd simply continue its present
equipment and stand pat on present
achievement.
Now similar steps may be taken
with the army air appropriation. The
bouse committee has cut that down
to $15,000,000. The original estimate
of $86,000,000 seems small enough,
when compared with those of the
'other powers. Great Britain is plan
i?ng to spend $'*tO$,eoo,?04 on aviation
next year.
The federal aviation service was
long enough a disgrace to the coun
try. It has only lately attained a
strength and effectiveness in which
Americans can take any, pride or sat
isfaction. The nation, while naturally
not disposed to spend money on air
planes at a war-time rate, realizes
the value of maintaining and develop
ing this new mode of transportation,
jcor purposes of war and peace alike,
and is willing to pay any reasonable
j
j price.
A "billion-dollar wheat crop" used
to be the American farmer's dream
of opulence. And now, just figure up
what 1,200,000,000 bushels of wheat
are worth at $2.2B a bushel.
FEDERATION AXD LEAGUE.
It would hardly be accurate to
characterize the Federation of Labor
vote on the League of Nations as a
straw showing which way the wind
blows. It looks more like a straw
stack in a tornado. There is no mis
taking the fact and its significance. ?
The vote cast at the Atlantic City
convention in bettalf of 'She more than
30,00*0 local unions represented was
29,750 in favor of the covenant as it
stamis, and only 420 against it. That
Is 70 to one.
It cannot be argued logically that
this indicates the actual ratio of pub
lic opinion on the subject. The un
ions were strongly influenced by the
favorable provisions incorporated in
the peace treaty in behalf of labor.
But with all due allowances made for
this and other determining* factors, it
looks like a pretty clear indication of
the way the "plain people" feel about
the matter.
That vote registers the sentiment
of 3,000,000 workers, representing di
rectly, with their ; families,. perhaps
15,000,000 people, and indirectly rep
resenting many millions more. It
seems likely that unorganized labor in
general will follow the lead of the
Federation.
Here is the biggest block of definite
sentiment that has yet appeared in
America xon either side of the con
troversy. Opponents nf the League
may well doubt whether they can
muster any weight of hostile senti
ment sufficient to counteract It
MEXICAN, SORENESS.
.. Mexico is sore . becat-se American
troops went across the Rio Grande
river and drove off a lot of revolution
ary bandits who were spattering
deadly bullets into El Paso. That is
to say, the Mexican government is
sore. And that, in turn, is to say that
President Carrarza is sore.
The United States can stand it, be
cause that is the habitual state of
mind of Carranza and those associat
ed with him in his so-called govern
ment. The United States can stand
it even if it represents the sentiment
of the Mexican people in general.
Those ignorant masses have been
taught to hate and fear the Yankees.
A long course of unprecedented toler
ance and humility on the part of the
United States does not seem to have
lessened their hatred much, nor im
proved their undertsanding. Such be
ing the case, it is probably well to in
! still into them a wholesome fear of
our military power and effective
ness.
Prompt action in every crisis, and
stern punishment for every offense
committed against American life,
right or property, will tend to make
the border safe from raids and re-,
store peace within Mexico. It will
give the Mexicans, public officials and!
peons alike, mere espect for the
Gringos. And L.e. . in time, they
may come to understand the honesty
and friendship of the United States,
and behave themselves decently.
FOOD COMPETITION.
There may be some good reason,
either economic or military, for the
government refusing to place on the
market the vast quantities of food
stuffs purchased for the army and
now held in storage because they are
not needed. There may be some
good reason why they should be sold
abroad, as the packing interests de
sire, rather than sold here at home to
American consumers. But no rea
son has yet been presented to con
vince the American consumers that
they have not a perfectly good right
to buy that food.
There is no desire to withhold fro.n
hungry Europeans anything they need
to sustain life until their own har
vests provide for their needs. There
is no desire, either, to hurt any legi
timate business interest in this coun
try. But the present situation seems
unjust, and if continued may develop
into a scandal.
Everybody knows that food prices
in the United States are oppressive.
Nearly everybody is convinced that
they are far higher than they ought
to be, and that the principal reason
for it is the exc??ssive profits taken
by big interests that have a grip on
the nation's main food staples. The
middlemen and the retailers, too, are
probably doing their share of the
gouging, and in many case more
than their share. It does look, some
times, as if there were a great, silent
conspiracy all along the line to pile j
up abnormal profits at the expense of j
the helpless consumer.
Nothing could' deal a more effective
blow at this illegitimate profit-taking
than the pouring into the market of
a large amount of beef, pork, flour,
butter, eggs, etc., such as is held by
the war department. This would im
mediately restore competition in a
field where there has-been, for some
time, a virtual monopoly. Every
body connected with the food indus
try would be immediately deprived of
any artificial pretext for maintaining
ecccessive prices. Accordingly, prices
would sink to a more tolerable level.
And once reduced, with the bountiful
American harvests coming on, they
! would probably stay down.
NORMAL EMPLOYMENT.
Some of the big industrial centers
are reporting a shortage of? labor. One
of the United States Employment Bu
reau superintendents says: "We have
more jobs than we have applicants.
Unemployment at this time is cer
tainly as low as in normal time?. We
have a particular demand for com
mon and semi-skilled labor. There
are jobs awaiting men in almost ev
ery line. Formerly we had the men,
but no jobs. Conditions are now re
versed."
Such conditions probably exist to a
much larger extent than most people
unfamiliar with the labor parket
would believe. So much has been
said about dull times that the degree
of industrial depression has been ex
aggerated all along in the public
mind. Strangely enough, conditions
seem to have been improving almost
without the public knowing anything
about it
. Two things tend especially to les
sen unemployment at this time. One
is the demand for farm labor, to har
vest the big crops. The other is the
growing emigration of alien work
men. To these must be added the
increasing absorption of labor as va
rious industries, little by little, re
turn to about normal production.
The electric fan certainly has the
palm leaf beaten for efficiency. That
is, if the owner knows enough to use
it for blowing the cool air into a
room,; or the hot air out, instead of
merely stirring the same dead air
around and around. '
* * *
No*one man, no one legislative body,
no one party, is going to settle the
fate of the League of Nations. The
people will decide. And the wise
statesmen will avoid committing him
self irretrievably until he hears from ;
them.
FALL IRISH POTATOES.
Preparation, Planting and Cultiva- ,
tion. !
Clemson College, June 24.?As the
time approaches for the second crop
of Irish potatoes, land should be se
lected and prepared thoroughly, so
that when planting time comes in i
July, everything will be in. readiness.
A rich sandy loam is preferable, but i
almost any well drained soil will grow
potatoes, if the land is well prepared I
and fertilized. i
Thorough preparation consists^ of .
deep turning followed by harrowing [
until a completely pulverized seed
bed is formed. Rows or deep fur- \
rows should then be laid off 3 to 3 1-2 i
feet apart and well thrown out with
a turn or shovel plow. j
Thorough barnyard manure and ,
commercial fertilizers are recom- '
mended, but the former must be i
well rotted and judiciously used;
otherwise, scab and similar diseases I
may result. In the use of com- i
mercial fertilizer, a complete mix- '
ture containing an excess of potash (
should be applied. Because of the
shortage of potash, the element of I
plant food most needed in excess in |
potato production, liberal applica
tions of well rotted barnyard ma- I
nure will be found to be very ef- i
fective, in helping to reduce this
shortage, and to correct the physical {
condition of the soil.
Barnyard manure should be ap- \
plied broadcast, 8 to 10 tons per i
acre, and thoroughly disced into the
soil. In the use of commercial fer- (
tilizer, apply in the drill, using 800
to 1,000 pounds per acre, and '
thoroughly mix with the so"1; other- t
wise, a poor stand may bf obtaiaed
as the result of the contact of fer- (
tilizer and tubers. i
Preparatory to planting, reopen '
the furrows and drop the tubers or t
parts of tubers 14 to 16 inches apart
in the drill covering to a depth of (
3 to 6 inches, depending upon the <
character of the soil?heavier soils '
planted more shallow than lighter (
soils. Packing the soil about the
tubers, either by stepping directly A
upon the tuber when dropped, or by a
use of a light roller following cov
ering, insures a much better stand. (
If tubers of the spring crop of .
the current year are used for plant- \
ing the second, or fall crop, "sprout- t
ing," preparatory to planting will
bo very helpful in obtaining a stand. (
This may be done by drying the tu- d
bers 10 to 14 days and spreading '
upon the ground in a cool shaded i
place, covered with straw to a
depth of 3 to 6 inches and watering (
sufficiently to saturate the straw i
but by no means such as to cause "
the tubers to become drenched. j
Frequent shallow cultivation, eith- .
er by harrowing across or with the I
HARBY & CO., Inc.
COTTON AHO FERTILIZER
If you have cotton to sell, see us, it will pay you.
If you have fertilizer or fertilizer materials to buy it will pay
you to see us before you buy, Cash or approved collateral.
9 West Liberty Street
rows, should be giv? : at intervals
of one week, or as . uon after each
rain as soil conditions will permit,
until a good stand is obtained; after
which, such as may be necessary to
keep the crop in a high state of cul
tivation. Under normal conditions,
from 90 to 110 days from planting
will be required to make the crop.
Flour Dealers' License
Sale of Flour Regulated By Gov
ernment
New York, June 24.?Julius Barnes,
United . States wheat director, an
nounced tonight that President Wilson
has signed a proclamation putting un
der license of the wheat director per
sons, firm, corporations and associa
tions dealing in wheat, wheat flour, or
baking products manufactured either
wholly or partly from wheat flour.
The only exceptions are farmers and
small bakers.
The proclamation, which goes into
effect July 15, applies 'to the "busi
ness of storing or distributing wheat,
or manufacturing, storing or distribut
ing wheat flour" as well as to the
manufacture of bread or other bakers'
products either wholly or partly from
wheat flour. The exceptions are listed
as follows:
"(a) Bakers and manufacturers of
bakery products whose consumption
of flour in the manufacture of such
products, is in the aggregate less
than 50 barrels per month.
"(b) Retailers and farmers or co
operative associations' of farmers or
other persons with respect to the pro
ducts of any farm or other land
owned, leased or cultivated by them."
Common carriers are required to get
on or before July 15 a license from
Mr. Barnes "in such form, under such
conditions and, under such rules and
regulations governing the conduct of
the business as he may from time to
time prescribe."
Blank forms to be used in apply-1
ing for jjuch licenses may be ob
tained by the zone agents of the grain
corporation in Baltimore, Chicago,
Calveston, Minneapolis, Kansas City.
New Orleans, On- . Philadelphia,!
Portland, Ore., St. .uis, San Fran-1
Cisco, Buffalo and Duluth. After the]
applications have been filled out they ?
must be sent to the wheat director
at Washington.
The proclamation states that "any
person, firm, corporation or associa
tion other than those herein before
excepted who shall engage in or car-1
jry on any business above specified af
jter July 15 without first securing the
j license, or shall carry on any such
j business when such license is sus
I pended or after such license is re
voked will be liable to the penalties
'prescribed by law."
Cotton Market
LOCAL.
P. G. BOWMAN, Cotton Bujer.
(Corrected Daily at 12 o'clock Noon).
Good Middling 32 1-4.
Strict Middling 31 3-4.
j Middling Si 1-4.
j Strict Low Middling 24 3-4.
,-.
NEW YORK COTTON MARKET.
Yes'td'y?
Open High Low Close Close
Oct 32.94 33.78 32.77 33.74 32.74
Dec . 32.87 33.70 32.72 33.66 32.70
Mch ..32.55 33.35 32.25 33.25 32.30
CROP REPORT.
! Synopsis of Weather and Crop Condi
j tions in South Carolina for The
I Week Ending June 24.
I Columbia, June 25.?Cotton, on the
j whole, has made seasonable growth
j during the past week and is in good
I to excellent condition. The dry weath
j er was favorable for cultivation, and
fields are free from grass. Blooming
is-rgeneral in southern portions, and
scattered "blooms are appearing in
, the central counties. Corn, through
i out the State, is in rather poor con
dition. Much of it is "firing" and
tacseling prematurely, .especially in
the uplands. There is considerable
complaint of insects in northern and
central counties. Tobacco is fair to
good, with some very good. Grain
has been practically all housed. The
peach and apple crops are reported
very light in northern counties. Gar
den and truck crops are looking
well. Copious rains would improve
practically all crops.
ALBANIA WANTS ONLY LIBERTY.
Tirana, Albania, May 5 (By Mail)?
Albania desires nothing from the
Peace Conference except its liberty.
It wants neither mandates nor pro
| tectorates but simply self-government.
jThe simple mountaineers trust the
! soldiers of no nation and the presence
I of foreign uniforms in their mountain
! fastnesses serves only to goad the pi
into revolt against the invader._
. The only uniform which is welcom
ed is the American. Albanians as
sociate the American uniform, wbeth
j er it be that of ar. army officer of the
Hoover Food Mission or the American
Red Cross, with charity and the help-'
ing hand. They put the broadest
terpretation upon the entry of *
American Red Cross into their coUn
try and see in it a sign that ?meri
will back them up in their claims To
independence.
The harvest of 1918 fortunately
was very abundant in Albania
thus the country escaped a serio
shortage of food. However, the n
of medical help and of clothing.<fe
universal. The mountain people have-,
practically speaking no doctors and
no medicines. When they are taken
siek they lie down on the dirt floors
of their houses and are covered with
blankets by their friends, there either
to recover or die. Tuberculosis, and
malaria are the commonest diseases.
There is much malnutrition from im
proper feeding, especially among the
children.
Although they have no trust in;
their own physicians the natives will
j swallow without hesitation any kind
of a phi or draught from an Ameri
; can Red Cross doctor or nurse. Amer
| ican doctors and nurses are welcom
jed into Mohammedan homes where
[other Christians would not be admit
ted. Mohammedan women submit to
operations by American doctors where
! before they lay down and died rath
er than have a foreigner touch them.
Albanian mountaineers carry their
children on donSey back for hundreds-;
of miles over the mountains to this''
nearest American Red Cross station.
In short, Albanians have implicit con
fidence in Americans.
SALESMAN" WANTED?To solicit or
ders for lubricating oils, greases
and paints. Salary ^pr commission.
Address The Lennox Oil & Paint :
Co., Cleveland, O._ '" ?'ri
FOR SALE?Or will trade for dry
cattle several Jersey heifers or^
young cows with young calves. B.
W Dabbs, Mayesville, S. C. R. L.
BEEHIVES AND SUPPLIES?I have
lately received a few Georgia made
hives and fxjames?8 and 10 frame
size. Also on hand sections and
foundation for comb honey. N. G.
Osteen, 320 W. Hampton Ave.
BEESWAX WANTED-?Any quantity
large or smalL Am paying best
cash price. See me if you have
any. N. G. Osteen.
Just Received. Priced at
from $1.25 T0 $3.00
Also a New Line of
georgette WAISTS
In All Colors at $6.00 to $7.50
An Attractive Showing of
CREPE DE CHENE WAISTS
Exceptional Values at $3.50 to $5.00
Additions to our waist stock are being
received nearly every day. Dainty waists,
the latest models and newest effects will al
ways be found in our waist department.
Shaw & McCollum Mercantile Co*