The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, August 13, 1919, Image 1

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?BJC SDMTER UATCHMAN, Estab Consolidated Aur. 2, 1 Making Enormous Profits But Will Not Pay Fair Price Fcr Cotton OFFICIAL FIGURES ARE MAJ>E PUBLIC Cotton Association Will Demand Action Against Manipulators! of Market ? v -' Columbia, Aug. 9.?The following! . > i .. was issued today by the American i Cotton Assocition: The American Cotton Association I through expert representatives, has I secured detailed information showing j the earnings of various cotton manu- ! facturers in America since 1914. Thisj statement is truly startling. The reta- j i tions between the Southern Manufae- j turers and the American Cotton Asso -. ciation have been extremely friendly. We have not the remotest intention of . criticizing them. However, -with the . statement of earnings referred to above, it is absolutely impossible to reconcile the price paid for raw cot ton with, the profits made by the man ufacturers. These earnings ;n :nany cases are stupendous and are certam : ly a safe barometer in judging, the ability of the mills to have paid a j higher price /or the raw material. We have no quarrel whatever with the mills for making enormous profits. If they have violated any law along this >ne we are not even criticizing ihem. . At the same time, however, we do feel \ Wfth this information before as. ihat , -\the producer was entitled to a far 5 ^ngher price than has been paid for Ms product, and with information be . fdS^e us concerning even recent earn ing^, we unhesitatingly state that the . producer-is not receiving a fair price for raw cotton. These figures show . ing"the earning of the mills are abso lutely correct and official. In addition to information concern ing the earnings of the mills,, our rep resentatives have secured a great deal m of information concerning manfcpuia;-. tlonsrlh the cotton market. These manipulations have cost the producer millions. Drygocds continue to ad vance. The demand is far greater than the supply. Still, regardless of this, under the agitation, the price for the raw material are beat down. It would seem that all laws against manipulating the cotton market and depressing cotton prices are dead. Show us a single instance of a prose cution for depressing the price. ? We can' point to you many violations of the:law of supply and demand by fia-1 grant manipulation, which resulted in j unjustifiable depressions. Truly, somej of the manipulations are truly start- j ling?a revelation. It is unnecessary { to refer to the fact that men who J have bulled the cotton market have: most invariably been prosecuted, while men who have beat it down have never been prosecuted. Why is this? What ?is sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander." Statistics secured from the very best sources on production and con sumption render it impossible to rec oncile published statements showing enonnnus surpluses. Why is it that those "surpluses fail to show the .amount of spinnable cotton? This is ?ue to the fact that the producer is without friends. r Experts of the American Cotton As sociation are working along all of these lines and every effort possible will be used to protect the interests of the -purchaser, and a thorough and pfficial investigation would jqeveat startling' conditions. The large packers are today receiv ing what they are due. Why hot clean out the'entire stable? "It is a poor rule that does not wc-rk bpth ways." A man who hoards food and profiteers upon it most assuredly should be prosecuted. The manipu lators who beat down the price of cotton, which has been produced by the toil and sweat of the farmer, most assuredly, in like manner should be held to strict account. The packer charges such a price tl i the con sumer cannot buy. The manipulators beat down prices to starvation figures so the .producer has not the money With which to buy. This is six Of One and a; half-dozen of anotner?no dis tinction... Remove the grip of the ma nipulator today; permit cotton to re spond .to .the law of supply and d. mand; . many people- will think that the days of miraclvs have passed. Men in. their greed and selfishness can violate and manipulate laws, causing people^ to suffer and escape punish ment. However, thvy cannot violate continuously the laws of God. which are unchangeable. Artificial manipu lated supplies -will not furnish cotton to run the mills. Watch the deterioration in the growing crop. After August loth. 1 jflrmly believe that God Almighty takes care of the work. We are fac ing the smallest cro*> in the last 2f? years. With the present acute labor conditions, it will he impossible to gather this crop except extremely slowly. This will result in a small percentage of good grade cottotn. We are in the midst of the greatest infla tion in currency ever known in the history of the world. The manipula tor cannot change permanently the laws of supply and demand: the laws of Dature in production: the law of inflation; which are unchangeable as fcfced April, 18*0. .881. SI WORK AND SAVE i SAYS HARDING I Outlines His Plan to Remedy the Increasing Cost of Living I _ I CITES STRIKES AND WASTE AS CAUSES Says Federal Board Believes Currency Legislation Unnec-; [ essary and Undesirable Washington, Aug. 10.?"To "work! and save" is the remedy for the in creasing coat of living pointed out to- j day by the federal reserve beard. In reply to an inquiry from the Sen ate Eanking Committee asking if it 'was advisable to attempt contraction of currency by legisation in the hope of reducing prices, Governor Harding wrote Chairman McLean tha* the growth in the volume of circulating notes was the effect and not the cause of advancing wages and prices and that the war period of finance would not be over/until government obliga tions, now carried by the banks, were absorbed through the actual savings of the people. , Strong censure of strikes and ex travagance was implied by Mr. Hard mg's getter, which did not, however, undertake to blame any one section of the population, but referred to the nation as a whole, especially to the re laxation of economies practiced dur ing the war and the purchase now of nonessential articles by persons en joying large incomes for the first time. "The federal reserve board believes that any currency legislation at this time is unnecessary and undesirable," Mr. Harding wrote, "and would sug gest' that whether viewed from an economic or financial standpoint,' the remedy for the present '.situation is the same, merely to "work-.and-save; to. werk regularly and efficiently, *j order to produce and distribute the. largest possible volume Of commodi ties and to exercise -reasonable ec?nr cmies in order that money, goods-and services1 mays be devotedk primarily to. the liquidation* of debt and to the sat isfaction of the demand for necessities rather than to indulge in Extravagance or the gratification ofr"a desire for luxuries. "Til? war is over?in a military sense?and while the bins have been settled by loans to the" government, these obligations, so far as they are carried by the banks, niust be ab sorbed before the war chapter of the financial history of the country can be closed." *' "; . ' Money in circulation actually haij jshown a decline since the post war pe j riod set in, Mr. Harding said. The J i total on December 1, 1018, was $5,- \ j 129,985,000, a per capita circulation ofJ |$4S.i3. which was reduced to $4,79?, ; 8S0.O0O and $46.15 on the first of this i month. The figures on April 1, 1917. ! were $4,100.976,000 and $37.88. i In considering the 3ncr*nsed circu lation, the committee was told, there should be considered th'j factors de manding more currency, such as the ' enlargement of payrolls both as to the ? number of workers and. the wages I paid, the, effect on pr^'oe'-ity on the. amount of money carried by individ ? uals, the increased amounts locked up ! by highly paid workmen, ignorant of ! banking methods, money carried out j of the country by aliens returning to 'Europe and prosperity in the Philip | phres. Harwaii. Cuba and' certain Cen l tral American countries where United j States money circulates freely. For ' eign circulation ef United, States cur {rency was estimated at $150,000,000. I Washington, Aug. '9. ?- Domestic J problems may be taken/ up by the President in his coming tour. ' gravitation. "All things come to those who wait." Do not be frightened; do ? not be stampeded. There is an enor ! mous unfilled demand for cotton be ! fore this time next year. Cotton is ; worth far more ' than the highest '?price it has brought since the com j men cement of the war. The mills J could have paid a far higher price for j every pound of cotton spun since the j commencement of the war, and still j have made enormous profits. ; We have a new era; a new dispen sation. During the past year, "a thou sand years in Thy sight is but as yes j terday." has been verified. One law j unchangeable from time immemorial must be obeyed today. He who con siders his factory a gold mine, who places the dollar above the man, fails to realise that we are in the midst of a new dispensation. Only the man today can truly prosper who meets these conditions squarely. This age might be called the profit-sharing age. We are in the midst of great pros perity, the greatest period of prosper ity ever known. There wih>be a plenty to divide. Why not permit cotton to move upon the laws of supply and demand? This is all that the pro ducer asks or expects. With less, he will not be longer satisfied, nor will he ever again tolerate the conditions which have existed for the last sixty years. The organization of the American Cotton Association will guarantee to the oroducer his rights. It is useless to expect to secure his rights in any oi her way. All other appeals have been unnecessary. ad Fe? not?Lee all .?be ends Thorn. AI (JMTEB, S. C, WEDNEi HESTER REPORT i ON COTTON CROP I Decrease Shown in Annual Pro duction of the Staple Last Year (IS FOUND TO BE LESS THAN 1917 ! ? ? 1 i _ j Production Placed at Eleven M? I lion Six Hundred and Thirty ; nine Thousand Bales New Orleans,. Aug. 9.?Secretary Hesterns annual report on the com mercial cotton crop issued today puts the crop of 1918-1919 at 11,639,653 bales, a decrease under the crop , of 1917-18 of 237,320 and a decrease un der 191S-17 of 1,301*2?1. He says that the crop of Texas is 541,000 bales less than last year, the] group of "other Gulf States (embrae1 ing Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas. Tennessee, Oklahoma, Missouri, Ari zona, California, Kansas and New Mexico), shewed a decrease of 381, 000 bales and the group of Atlantic I States (including Alabama, North Carolina, South Qarolina, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Virginia), an in crease of 655,000. Crop grade average barely n?d4= dling. He puts the average price per pound of middling for the year at': 30.36 cents, compared with 28.86 last year, 18.41 year before last and 11.9J9* in 1915-16 and the average commer cial value per bale at $155.14 against' $147.39 last year and 94.82 the year before and the value of the crop, in cluding the. seed, at $2,045,251,868 against $2,001,682,939 last year. 1 \ I Mr. Hester's report by,states is as I follows-in thousands of bj|les: w i Alabama; "7S6 ag?lntft 521 'last year^ [ ?. - Arkarisa s, -S-l 4 ag?ihst -^1,004.. j Florida, 34V against* 50. ~ ''<3e.6igi?,r 2}&2$ against 1,980.' ' Loufsia^a, * 5 41 against 665. OkTahdrhai ^ftO against 1,016. ' ' Miss^pp*, J.154" against 979. North Carolina, 908 against Hvt. South^Car-oli'na, 4/491 against l.29?.? 7ehriessee>" 54 3! against 4 6 0? ? ; -r " Texas, 2,B?). against 3,220. ?. Total crop bales 11,640 against 11, 907 last year. ! \ "Mi*. "Hesier says that the prices paid \ for this crop have been highest wit | nessed for the past 52 years. He then gives a table showing the exports for the five-year war period compared with the five previous year? of the anti-war period showing a total for the war period of 30,666,000 and calls attention to the fact that dur ing the five years prior to the war Germany and her allies took 13,000,-y 000 of the balance- while in. the war period they took only 349,000. Mr. Hester pats the actual growth for 1918-19 at 13,070,000 and he puts hte number of bales carried over in the interior of the South, including Southern mill stocks, at 3,574,000 against 2,184,000 carried over at the close of 117-18. Mr: Hester then gives a statement of the total carry over of American cotton in the United States and abroad, on July 31. The figures show total in interior of cotton belt 3,574,000 bales. United States port stocks, 1,213,000; Northern mills stocks 504,000; total United States 5, 2.91.000: European mills stocks 285, 000; European port stocks, 1,248,000; total Europe^ 1,533,000; total carry over 6.824.000v He says that of the total carry over 699,000 bales were linters. Consumption of the South in round figures was given as 3,535.000 and the North 2,500,000, a total of 6,034,000 bales of American cotton, including linters. In addition to this American mills have consumed 173,000 bales of foreign cotton, making a total con sumption of American and foreign growth by American mills of 6,207, 000 against 7s600,000 last year. Consumption of linters, included in the preceeding was 449,000, included ?293,000 in the South and 156,000 in the North, against a total last year of 1,100,000, including 600,000 in the South and 500,000 in the North. Mr- Hester puts the spindles in the South at 15,187,000 including old, new and idle and uncompleted, against 14. 786,000 last year and says there are in course of construction in the mills l and being added to new mills in the I South 209,226 spindles. j He puts the world's consumption of American cotton including linters, at (10,602,000 against 12,282,000 bales (last year.. . Berne, Switz., Aug. 11.?Archduke Joseph has sent a telegram to Pre mier Clemeneeau asking for the rec ognition of the new Hungarian gov ernment. It has been received and submitted to the supreme inter-allied: council. Washington. Aug. 11.?Reports to I the Railroad Administration today in dicated that the strike situation is normal west of Chicago and in the J South. In New England many men I are reported still out. Voting is ex j pected soon on the official strike bal lon. Panama. Aug. 11.?A race riot is j reported to have occurred at Kings j ton. Jamaica. July 30. It was sup j pressed by West Indian troops and j fifty marines, with machine guns. No ? mention is made of casualties. f I met xt Be thy Oosntrj**, Ihr Go?'i I 3DAT, AUGUST 13, 191 GREAT IRON MASTER DEAD Andrew Carnegie Succumbs to Pneumonia After Brief Illness ? I LAID FOUNDATION OF GREAT STEEL TRUST End Was Unexpected and His Only Daughter Was Not at Bedside Lenox, Mass. Aug 11.?Andrew Car-' negie died this morning of "bronchial pneumonia. He had been ill only three days. His wife and secretary were with him at the end.' Mr. Carnegie's death was so sud den that his daughter, Mrs. Roswell Miller, was unable to get to his bed side. The Carnegie family had been spending the summer at Shadow Brook. He had been enjoying daily fishing trips on Lake Mahkeenac, bor dering his estate and in riding about the grounds. He intended spending his declining days at his country home. He leaves a. widow .who was Louise Whiteneld, of New York, and one daughter, Margaret, *who. is the wife of Ensign Roswell Miller, of -New York. Pittsburgh, Aug. 11.?This city, where Andrew Carnegie laid the foun dation for his vast fortune in the ?steel business, mourned the financier's ^iea^h. . Work was suspended at the ?teei mills and public buildings were draped in mourning. MeGOLL TAKES THIRD GAME Slimier Did Not Play; as <jood ? In a 'game called' at; the .conclusion df^jfce ^we^h.4s?in& ta ail?w the ^isitbrs to patch a" train, ?iMeCdll.' de feated Sumter 5 t? 1 ^Satiirday. The game was hot nearly so close and exj citing as the ..two previous. games;, which were won by the Game-Cocks'. Suinter's frequent, errors. we.re.of great assistance to McCc-ll In piling .up the score. The playing of the loc^s was rotton in comparison with jitSb pre vious games. . . :/ Nunnamaker, failed to get. the sup j-port generally given the Sumter twirP ? ers. '.' Gibson, who pitched for -^cCall, kept the local's hits wejl scattered and only once or twice was .thg home, plate in danger-of being crossed by a Game Cock. ? ? . ^ Sumter's bad inning caused the firs? defeat since the strong bunch from Wilmington were here. Campbell was missing from the line up causing Mannush. to be shifted to 3rd base and Martin to be called from center field to 2nd base. I Burns failed to line up to the stan J dard he has set as an amateur catcher. Gibson, K., from McColl, did ex cellent work with the stick an<? hi the field. His drive over the fence was the longest of the game. Hines also did good wr,rk at the bat. In the fifth inning, McColl, by hit ting the pill hard, and excellent base running succeeded in scoring; four runs, thus sewing up the game. Sumter's lone score came in thf fourth as the result of a long hit and an infield out. Manager Washington was seen in his uniform for the first time this season and was greeted by much ap plause from the spectators. The attendance was not as large a? usual, however, it justifies the fact that baseball will be supported on Saturday as well as other days by the local fans. . Wilmington wired the manager this morning that they would be unable to come today. The manager is mak ing efforts to secure games from to day on, however. It is very prob able that Orangeburg or Augusta will be the next victims. Scorer. Winn. Score by innings: McColl.001 040 OOx? 5 Sumter .000 100 00x?1 Batteries: Gibson and Reaves; Nun namaker and Burns. Umpire, Butts. Washington. Aug. 11.?President Wilson wrote Senator Lodge that it would not be possible to comply with the Senate foreign committee's re quest for the documents used by the American peace commissoiners at Paris. Washington. Aug. 11.?Congress to jday began work on the legislation rec ommended by President Wilson in his J high cost of living message, and the department of justice investigators conferred with district attorneys ? throughout the country seekidg evi dence against profiteers. Fair price committee.? of war time will me or ganzied and will publish price lists in ail communities. Saloniki, Aug. 11.?A number of Greek peasants are reported to have been killed by Turkish gendarmes j and bandits at the village of Thantox, according to Athenian advices. The Gceeks are said to have refused to siwender. The French saved Kerm erti. another Greek village, from at tack. . . _ . .9. PROFITEERING BY RETAIL DEALERS! Attorney General Palmer Starts; A Searching Investi gation * ! PROBE BEING MADE IN ALL STATES! I Food Administration Asked to i Organize Fair Price Commit j tees in Each Sounty ? I "Washington,. Aug. 11.?Attorney j General Palmer started out today to [ascertain how much of the high cost of living is due to excessive profits by retailers. Tn a telegram to all state food ^q j ministrators who worked with Admin jistrator Hoover during the war, the I Attorney General requested the ap ipointment of a fair price committee in each county to investigate what is j being charged for retail necessities} and if in excess of what the commit tee considers just, to publish a'list of fair prices for the guidance of the public. This is the "etra legal" means of reaching profiteering which Mr. Pal mer recently indicated was under con sideration. He has frankly admitted from the start that there was no means to prosecute, directly a man guilty of -extortion in prices. Retailers who are gouging the ultimate consumer will have to be disciplined by public senti ment, which officials have no doubt Is sufficiently alert to the situation now to act vigorously in clearcut cases. Hoarders, on the other hand, can be reached through the war time food laws of the Sherman act, and Mr. Palmer requested the state food ad ministrators to transmit to him any evidence Of hoarding or other viola tion of the law which they.might en counter in .tn?dr.;work, with,the prom ise that the government's law enforce ment "machinery "would act promptly. Necessity Now Pressing-' "There a "pressing necessity for the "reparation of normal conditions/' Mr. Palmer's telegram stated, 'request ing the men. who did such effective work' during the war t? take up the burden again. They were asked to serve .without compensation, the at torney general believing that the pub lic service to be peVformed how is as important as when the country was engaged in hostilities and that no pa triotic citizen would refuse the call to duty. Attorney General Palmer's telegram, follows: 'Tn order to secure accurate in formation relatiye to charges of prof iteering by dealers in necessary com modities, it is the desire of the gov ernment to ascertain whether or no such dealers are making more than a fair margin o fprofit Will you as sist in your state by requesting those I crsbns who have been county fooc administrators under your jurisdiction to appoint fair price committees, in cluding one retailer of groceries, one -of dry goods, a representative of the* producers, of organized labor, of housewives, two or three representa tives of the public generally, also a wholesales when practicable and request them to pursue approximately the same inquiries with reference to food products and the ordinary ne cessities in dry goods and clothing that were pursued by your fair price committees under the food adminis tration act. This committee will be an extra legal body without power to summon witnesses or fix prices. It is j requested, however, to ascertain the cost prices, determine a fair margin of profit and if retail prices are in ex cess of what the committee regards a fair price to have published its list of fair prices reporting to you for review. You are requested to report to the department of justice a general review of the situation in your state. Seach for Evidence. "Any evidence of hoarding or other violations of the food control act which may be developed in the work of such committees should be turned over ? the United States attorney, who will be instructed as those of the bureau of investigation to co-operate with you and your committees in seeking out and punishing all violators of the law. "There is a pressing necessity for the restoration Of normal conditions and it is believed that through the same organization which you had as federal food administrator you and' your administrators, together with their appointees, can render a valu able service to the country at this I time, and your cooperation and theirs, Without compensation, will be greatly 'appreciated. The widest publicity of this movement and the results obtain- j ed by the county committees, it is be- j lieved. will be an important factor in j Its success. Please wire whether the government can count upon your ac tive cooperation." Washington. Aug. 11.?Lewis Haney j a representative of the Southern! Wholesale Grocery Association, told j the house committee that the meat, packers .through their refrijferator | car service, had a great advantage over other dealers. He asked-for the! elimination of discrimination against! the grocers. Chicago, Aug. 11.?The stockyards! strikers returned to work today after1 the last of the police guard was with dravrv Labor officials declared that they will continue their efforts to or-j ganize the industry. VoLXLVIIL ?P.S2. AUTO RACES HELD FRIDAY Best Ever Held in Sumte?and Witnessed by ai: Large Crowd ^ , ? ? ?* BETHEA, OF BA?NWELI?, WINS THREE FIRSTS In the One Mile R. J. Bark?te Wins, Bethea and Norton Tie For Second A large crowd attended the auto, races Friday and saw Bavender Bethea of Barnwell win? first prize. in three of the lour big events. Be thea, a former Sumter boy, usually.. took the lead and maintained it throughout the entire race. However, in the thirty mile race he. was forced, to drop behind for a while because of a blowout. Bethea ran about, flfrK teen miles on the rim, having1 reused? the cry of his supporters to stop -and/ put on another-tire*. These races were better than ??? any - yet held in Sumter. The track ? in much better condition than on the Fourth of July, causing the results to be good. On two or three occasions rain threatened to delay, tfae races. In the one mile race; which carried a purse of twenty-five dollars, R. J. Burkette, driving, a National, won with the time of one-minute and seven seconds. Dav.ender Bethea driving a Chalmers, and Norton driving a Hud son, tied for second place, both mak- i ing the circuit in' 1:12. The othe~: racers came as follows:. Jesse Rey nolds in a Hudson, time 1:13;* M. Brice in a Chalmers, time =1:15 ; ~MJ3~SC Criston in a Roamer, time 1:16; W D. Brown in a Studebaker, t?ne 1:17 1-2; Bob Norton in an Oakland, time .1:1.9; R: C. Bl?ckstel in a ? l.Pa<*ar4; ttn>e 1:20; Bob -Wiles in:."-a" Ford.-^Wafay 1:2*2 1-2; * ? " |lh" the ; five'. mile raee there Wei* . eight cars. Bethea ft*1 the Chaltgi^ won first prize, fifty dollars, 'Wii? j?ife t?ae ,6:23. Brown in the -Studebaker came secondhand "got th^. $25 > prize 6:23. Bunn, in the Roamer, erne third with 6:27. The national'i?flm" by Willie Austin .was forced to re tire ;from the- race... ;.-, ??- - ? ? .- ; r . Bethea also won the 15 mile race and the $150, with the tima:.a$:05. The second man, Jesse Reynolds," in a Hudson, was one minute behind Be thea with 20:05. Brice, in the Chal mers, won third place with 20:11. The Oakland was forced to retire from the race. ?? ? ?'*,'. The thirty-mile race, with avPtwse of 400 for first prize; was again-won by Bethea. His time was 4 5.52. .Buna, in the Roamer, won $200 as second prize, with 47:47, and Jesse Reynolds, with the Hudson, got the $50 with 47.48. ?? Brice was leading the race when he turned over on the curve. - Fortu nately he was not injured. After set ting aright his car, he proceeded in the rao*. The aviator who was to be present, and do stunts before and after ih? races, found it impossible to come at the last moment. The association found it impossible to secure a sub stitute so late. They were much more disappointed than the spectators be cause of the absence of the: aviator. NATIONAL GUARD REGULATIONS New Regulation Requiring One Himdred Men to Company Washington,! Aug. 9.?Just before Senator Harris left for Georgia today to remain a week or ten days, he gave out the substance of a conference he has just held with Secretary Baker and other officials of the war depart ment relative to the future of the National Guard of the United States, which applies alike everywhere. Heretofore, it was. necessary for each company of the National Guard to have not more than 65 men but uxt der new regulations it will be neces sary to have 100 This increase, in the opinion of the Georgia Senator, will probably work much hardship to Southern companies. It was explained oy him to Mr. Baker that it is com paratively easy *p organize companies in the South with,?demen but would .probably be very difficult to do so with 100. Under present regulations companies not mustering 100 men will not share in federal appropriations. The war department has a. plan to let one-half of the company-come from one town and one-half from another, but this plan, as seen 'here, would hot work satisfactorily for the redson that in many section of the country, especially in the South, there is great pride taken in the local militia and no town with a good company wishes to see half of it recruited from another town*. This plan would take away much of the rivalry that now exists between different towns and cities to have the best companies. The matter has not yet been de cided, but Senator Harris will use his strongest influence to Bftve the 65 men rule adopted as it formerly,was be fore the National Guard was taken into the war. Madrid. Aug. 8.?Parliament has approved the proposal that Spain join the League of Nations. .