Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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ULK SUMTER WATCHMAN*, EstM&l Consolidated Aug. 2,1 PACKERS TESTIFY BEFORE CONGRESS Independent Operators Are Tim-! id About Going on Record Against Big Five SOME MEMBERS OPPOSE RESTRICTIVE LAWS There is Indirect Evidence That the Small Packers Are at the Mercy of the Big Feliows Washington, Aug. 20.?Independent packers appearing before the senate agriculture committee today chal lenged most of the statements of the , federal trade commission on which proposals for stringent regulation of the five dominant concerns in the in dustry are based. The independent representatives in-; sisted that they were meeting and1 furnishing, lively compettitlon at both! ends of the industry?in the purchase of Jive stock for their plants, and in the-sale of meats to the. retailers, and expressed the conclusion that the law of supply and demand would serve sufficiently to protect the consumer. Their view was supplemented by that of a retail butcher, and given minor support in the appearance of a vege table cannery representative and the head of a milk condensing business, to object to licensing provisions of the Kenyon bills which they felt would ? apply to then? business if not changed. Committee members, particularly -Senator Kenyon. Republican, Iowa, author of the regulation measure, and Senator Capper, Reublican, Kansas, put to the packer representatives pointed questions bearing on the es i^bjiehment of the American Institute of packing, its Washington office and activities,- as well as entering into the subiect'bf? profits. "Isnlt the institutte office here toj fight any kind of regulation?" .Sena tor "Kenyon'asked T. Davis Hill, whb^ieided ? delegation of in depend *$int packers of Baltimore. "I'm not an officer of it," Mr. Hill said,; "but I suppose they want to be oii'the ground to be familiar with al: legislative proposals affecting the in dustry." .'Understand, I'm not saying they 1 Ate wrong," Senator Kenyon contin ued,, "or that there is anything wrong in their methods, but do you know about their agents and publicity men hare, or who is going to pay for them?" **I suppose/ there will be dues as sessed for that," Mr. Hill said. "That's | the usual way." "We are now passing through a \ period of" inflation," Mr. Hill said in making his objections to proposed j " regulation. "Prices are abnormal, j business is abnormal. This is no time j to regulate. Wait until we get through it, and thave our feet back on r the ground, and then see what dras tic measures are necessary. The witness said he bought hogs in competition with the big packers in Kansas City and Chicago and was sure the big concerns could not con trol prices. Solomon Greenwald. who said his house in Baltimore dealt 0 in beef, asserted the same thing true of other live stock. Senator Ransdell, Democrat, Louis iana, took up the questioning from another angle. /<%. "We've been told the big packers are goinglnto everything," the senator j queried, "controlling the sale of sonae 700 other products. Do you think it j would be a good thing to have them 1 put all these other smaller men out of business and establish a monopoly in foodstuffs?" "No, but I'd say to license the oth ers, and let the live stock industry! alone," Greenwald responded. "These are just the sort of objec tions that were raised to meat inspec tion when that law was proposed." observed Senator Kenyon. H. C. Bertram, manager of an in- j dependent concern with packing! plants at Philadelphia, Wilmington; and Baltimore, was pressed for an j answer on the same general subject by ] Senator Ransdell. . . "There is a very delicate question i there," he said. "The packers with j their more efficient organization might | be able to distribute foodstuffs to the j consumer cheaper than other men in the specialized lines, I'll admit, and . so put them out of business, it's a ; question of economic law." All of the independents appearing: <fcaid their business had reached the! apex of prosperity under food admi >- j istration regulation during the ivar. and this aroused the interest of Chair- ; man Oronna, who asked: "If that was true when you were j being controlled why do - you object 1 to control now?" j Jacob Shafer of Baltimore respond ed that they endured the food admin- ! istratiton control without question be- ? cause "it was only temportary." Mr .Hill said "a man wants to fee! j he is doing business in a free country, j I'd have no pride in my concern if it were run under anybody's thumn." | Emmanuel W. Washerman a Xor- ; folk, Va., retail butcher, expressed i his opinion that the larger packing j houses wer*? a benefit to the industry ! and the consumers. H. P. Stausbaugh, sneaking |n be- j half of Maryland vegetable cann^-s. asked that rare be exercised to pre- ; vent the licensing requirements aim-j ed at the packers from affecting can-1 fated April, 1850. 881.* ? URGES EARLY RATIFICATION President Will Not Consent to Peace By Proclamation Un til Treaty is Ratified ;ITS ACCEPTANCE WILL REDUCE COST OF LIVING l Says German Overseas Posses ! sioris Merely Given Into Turs j teeship of Allied Powers ! I Washington, Aug. 21.?President ! Wilson said he was not the power to J declare peace by proclamation nor j will he consent to take such a step i prior to the ratification of the peace j treaty by the senate. In reply to ! twenty written questions submitted to jhim by Senator Fall after the White ! House conference the president stat j ed further that the immediate rati jfication of the treaty and acceptance ! of the league of nations covenant would certainly reduce the cost of liv ing through restoration of commerce and production to a normal basis. German overseas possessions, the president said, were merely given into trusteeship of the allied powers and no title to ownership was conveyed ! under the treaty. BANDITS HOLD UP PASSENGER TRAIN j - Nashville, Aug. 21.?Four bandits i held up the Louisville-Nashville pas senger train No. 7 between Columbia and Puleski and escaped with the mail pouches. ASKED TO FURNISH MORE INFORMATION Washington, Aug. 21.?President Wilson-was asked to furnish informa tion as to. labor, cost in the produc tion, of coal, .steel, copper, meat and canned goods as a means of determin ing to what extent it Influences the high cost of living, in a resolution introduced by Representative Carrs. HOLD YOUR COTTON Atlanta, Aug. 20.?"We earnestly urge that cotton farmers and hold ers of cotton be not stampeded by propaganda now being issued by spec ulators and parties who desire to huy cheap cotton, but that they stand steady and refuse to sell their staple at present prices," the eccecutive com mittee of the American Cotton As sociation says in a. statement just is sued here from headquarters. The committee further says: "The association deplores the organized ef fort now being made to depress and send the price of cotton to the bottom. I In spite Of the fact that cotton goods j have greatly advanced, cotton prices i have gone down $20 o $25 per bale, i Today the staple, measured by the I price of manufactured cotton goods, is j intrinsically worth more than 35 cents : per pound and even at that price it I is the cheapest commodity bMng sold I in the world's market, j "As soon as the American Cotton j Association is fully organized- with its 11,000,000 memners it will immediate ly begin an organized fight in behalf j of cotton." 1 j RED CROSS NOTES I When it comes to restoring crippled fighters in the late war, the United ; States not only outfits them with arti ficial limbs?it makes faces for them, too. Miss" Mary Ann Abel, of the Bureau of After Cars, Southern Division of the Red Cross, saw a remarkable exhibition in Atlantic City recently. "And the man who showed us around," she said, "had a' face that looked perfectly all right: rather easier. to look at than the average face, I should say. And he told us it was half a silyer mask, tinted by a skilled artist?and that his nose was artificial-?and that he had a silver jaw! The poor chaps face had been literally swept by a drift of shrapnel ?but those wonderful surgeons and artists and artisans had made it over for him." The. Red Cross is exerting every influence to inform disabled soldiers and 'sailors and marines concerning the methods of Uncle Sam in helping and refitting them, physically, finan cially $md intellectually. Uncle Sam is going a long way to serve the neph ews who served him. Washington. Aug. 21.?The Mexi can ambasador has been instructed by his government to protest to the State department against crossing of bolder by American troops. Washington. Aug. 21.?Senator Walsh has introduced a resolution re questing that the senate committee in vestigate the cost of living have ac cess ?o income tax return?- of all cor porations distributing food. nery business. William T. Nardm cf L.. Louis, for the milk condenscnes. brought up the same point. Wording in the Kenyon bill, more than its gen eral purpose, the last two witnesses said, brought their comment ad Fear not?Let all tfce end* Slum All HJMTER, 8. C, SAT?B] U. S. AND GERMAN SAILORS IN MIX?P Quarrel in Dance Hall Starts Free For All Fight In Neufahrwasser j jONE GERMAN SEAMAN AND OTHERS INJURED i I " | Americans Are Reinforced By ! French Seamen and Charge Crowds Together i . ? * Copenhagen, Aug. 21.?Fights be ! tween American and German sailors ! at.- Neufahrwasser ^resulted in the I wounding of one German seaman and {several civilians, according to Danzig J dispatches. I Disorders grew out of a quarrel in i the dance hall. Civilians also are said ! to have joined the Germans in the Iattack on Americans who were re inforced by French seamen and ? charged the crowds. Shots were fired I from the destroyer Claymore and | j frontier guards dispersed the crowds. PUTTING UP GREAT FIGHT FOR COTTON Speculators Are Waging War on Supply and Demand Columbia, Aug. 18.?The American Cotton Asociation has given out me following statement: Has the law of supply and demand been repealed? Has combination re* placed competition? Is there no such thing as free open market? Has the competitive regime run its course and have we now entered upon an era of j arbitrary fixing of prices The para i sites, profiteers and manipulators are in the saddle and this is the reWlfc today.. There is no such law as supply and demand especially for cotton un t der these .conditions. Although cotton j cost to produce it as shown by detail Jed statement, sworn to by experts from the' growing crop based on the average yield for the last ten years is from 47 1-2 cents basis middling to! 152 1-2 basis middling, and although i j the manufactured product from cot iton is selling on a basis of 65 cents to 75 cents per pound for the raw cotton basis middling. Still the manipula tors and parasites have the price beat down far below the cost of produc tion and are disregarding the cost of production, supply and demand, and the price for which the manufactur ed product is selling. This condition cannot continue. Behind this Hinden" I burg Line are entrenched far worse j than the damnable Huns and they are entrenched for stronger than the Huns. Still we have sworn to make America safe for Democracy and we will sweep them from our shores and reestablish the Laws of J.God. Supply and demand will oper-1 jate. Legitimate business will prosper* j Many of these powerful parasites \ J today, however, millions will rejoice! j when they have been removed from ! j the market place. Remove the para- j ; sites who line the road between the j i farmer and tne . consumer and who) j take great fortunes without any return I i except to bring misery to the produc-1 I er and the consumer. The farmers j j and the manufacturers and the peo- j j pie who buy cotton goods will all re- i j ceive great benefit by refusing to long" j j er permit these gentlemen to plyi ; their robbers trade in the market I ! place. j Manipulators who sold cotton j j around 22 cents for the October cot I ton. expecting to beat it down to price i j as low as possible in a desperate ef- j i fort to save themselves. Bids are be- j j ing made at 33 cents for middling j cotton. Advertisements are being in- I ! serted in the press and various sec- J j tions of the country today, offering j ; 33 cents per pound, basis middling, j This indicates that they realize that ! it will only be possible to reverse the jlaw of supply and demand for a lim ited time. This battle is for millions, 1 in fact billions. It is a battle that will I effect not only every person living in j j the South today, but wih effect un- j ! born generations. Millions will be' I used by the manipulators and para- j ! sites to defeat us. The South will I ? stand solidly loyal. They realize that | ;we are fighting for a big side of the! I question. Men no longer will consent j ? to be stripped to the-^ocks and shirt { ! and meekly submit. ' I urge that cotton be held ungin-! i ned. It will improve its condition and j I help to defeat these parasites. Do not j i play into their hands by furnishing j ; middling cotton worth 75 cents peri j pound at the price They offer for th? ? purpose of beating down the price of j ' the growing crop. Every bale you i ?sell menns not only a loss to yon. hut | [means that you stab the South in this i igiv.'jt commercial battle. If you gin your cotton as fast as' i it is picked yon simply furnish these 1 : manipulators with information that ' they will use to hurt you. The gin-! ir.ing records will he used to beat down j I prices. We are facing the most ex- i j pensive crop ever grown. The short-j i est crop in the last twenty-five years ? j All we ask is that the law of supply' land demand be permitted to oper-j into. That the parasites he removed.} j Are we asking too much? If you will j I hold your spot cotton and complete j a solid front, the victory is certain, j l Ercperts through the entire belt are i att mt be thy Oountry'a, Thy God'a a >AY, AUGUST 23, 191? PALMER AGAINST! DRASTIC MEASURE! Objects to Law Authorizing President to Fix Prices of Commodities URGES SPEEDY ENACT MENT NECESSARY LAW Recommends Extension of Food Control Act to Wearing Ap parel Washington, Aug. 20.?Attorney General Palmer is opposed to the amendments of the food control act which would authorize President Wil son to fix. wholesale and retail prices of certain commodities which are be fore the house agricultural commit tee. He said that such executive power is 1:00 drastic but urges the speedy en actment of laws to help reduce the cost of living, recommending the ex tension of the food control act to wearing apparel, fuel and fertilizers, with heavy penalties for profiteering. The Attorney General also opposed the exemption from prosecution of any retailer directly engaged in profiteer ing . SELF GOVERNMENT FOR THE KOREANS Imperial Rescript Issued in To kyo Tells of Reforms to Be Instituted Washington* Aug. 20.?Local self government for Korea and reforms toward home rule, are announced in an imperial rescript issued yesterday in Tokyo anr" received here today at "the^Japanese embassy. '. The military government has been displaced and succeeded by a civil one. The military gendarmerie; so " much under criticism of late, is to be re placed by a civilian police forc^' en tirely under civilian control. A sys tem of vilage and town municipal government based on popular suf: frage also is to be undertaken. Possibly most important of all, from the Korean point of view, the rescript by the emperor of Japan provides that Koreans shall have the same privi leges and legal rights as Japanese. Heretofore Japanese have been a privileged class. Baron Sato, former minister of State, and one of the best known of Japanese statesmen becomes govern or general succeeding Marshal Hase-, gawa. Mr. Midzumo, former minister of interior in the Kato cabinet, suc ceeds Director General Yamagata m administration. The executive orders carrying into effect the emperor's rescript were is sued today in Tokyo but have not yet been received * here. Thy are outlined however, in a statement by Premier Hara, cabled to this country, CONGRESS FAVORS HEAVY FINES Washington, Aug. 21.?The house igricultural committee reported fa vorably on the amendment to the .ood control act imposing a five.thou sand dollars fine and imprisonment for two years for profiteering. Terms of the ,act are extended to and in tluding wearing apparel, containers of food, feed or fertilizers, fuel, oil and natural gas. . COTTON CROP GREATLY HELPED Washington, Aug. 20.?Weather during the week was generally favor able in the cotton belt, according to the crop bulletin of the department of agriculture today. Seasonable temper atures continued and rainfall was light to moderate in districts east of Mississippi. Cotton made fairly sat isfactory advance in most districts ex cept Florida, the southern portions of the cast Gulf States, and in Oklaho-' ma where it was generally unsatisfac' tory. working-on the cost of production. We are fighting a desperate battle against great odds. We are armed with truth and justice, and thus doubly armed. Victory is certain. Cotton based upon the price of the manufactured product is worth today from 67 to 75 cents per pound. We have the greatest de mand ever recorded in the history of the world for the manufactured pro duct. Supply compared to demand is the smallest ever recorded. Then, why should the price of the raw ma- i terial he beat down? Remember that 1 these manipulators can only ply their j trade for a short period unless you J surrender. This is unthinkable. De- j feat means a loss of millions, in fact of billions. It means that the South will return to the deplorable condi- I tions that* have existed before the war. j Success which is certain, by the or- j ganization of the American Cotton As- j soci at ion..means thru we will have bil-j lions and jiot only the present genera tions but unborn generations will re ceive great benefit. In fact, the entire nation will receive great indirect bene fits by removing the parasites. ad tankt" ? TBS tecs; HYDE LEADS BY ONE VOTE Mayoralty Election in Charles ton is Still in Doubt and Grace in Control ? ? i ! GRACE CANDIDATES j F(L. ALDERMEN WIN; i _ The Municipal Primary in Char leston Hinges on the Action I of Executive Committee Charleston, Aug. 20.?With 73 chal lenged votes to be passed upon by mo j city Democratic executive committee j at the meeting to be held Friday at noon when the returns will be offi-1 cially canvassed and the result an nounced, the outcome of the munici pal primary held yesterday is still not settled so far as the mayoralty is con cerned. The returns that have been reported giving T. t. Hyde a majority of one, the votes for the two candi dates being as follows: T. T. Hyde 3,421, John P. Grace 3,420. Both can didates express confidence in final vic tory, after the challenged votes are considered, and tremendous interest is felt in, the forthcoming meeting of th executive' committee. The Grace ticket won decisively in the election of aldermen, the returns showing that 17 of 24 aldermen were nominated on the Grace ticket. Grace candidates won in 11 of the 12 con tests for aldermen at large. Six al dermanic candidates won on the Hyde ticket, and one independent candidate was nominated. The vote in the mayoralty contest was remarkably -close, and not until the last returns were in, at nearly 3 o'clock this morning, could the result be established on the face of the re turns. The election. . was unusually quiet, good order heing maintained throughout the day, the only threat ened disturbance of any kind being in Wrard 11, where an immense crowd gathered constantly increasing from the time the polls were closed until the time that the ballot boxes were taken to Hibernian Hall. Policemen, deputies, and provost guards were on the scene and a threatening situation apparently stirred up by rumors of various kinds was kept from develop ing into an outbreak that might have had serious consequences, by prompt action of Chairman Logan and other authorities. The tenseness of the sit uation was due to the great import ance of the result in Ward 11, as a de cisive majority in this ward would have definitely decided the election. Ward 11 was carried by Grace hy a majority of 23 votes, which when tab ulated brought Hyde's majority down to 1. Mr. Grace appealed to John D. Frost, assistant adjutant general, to order out the local militia to handle the situation as a necessary precau tionary measure. Major Frost took the view that the situation did not warrant calling out the- guardsmen as no riot or outbreak had occurred and ' he was confident the local authorities could keep order. Chairman W. Turn er Logan, Treasurer Daniel L. Sinkler of the executive committee, Major Frost and Alfred Huger proceeded to the polling place from Hibernian Hall io bring the ballot boxes to the committee room and they carried out this plan without disorder developing. The returns from Ward ^11 were the last received, it being nearly 3 O'clock in the morning when they were 1 brought to the committee. The first return of the election came from Ward 2, shortly after 8 o'tclock. ? A large crowd stayed out until the! early hours of the morning, a cheer ing throng getting facts of the re turns at Hibernian Hall. A large num ber of voters who had been absentt on vacations returned to the city to cast their ballots. i Of the 12 wards in the city seven j were carried by Grace and five by Hyde. With the exception of Ward 7. j where I'on Rhett, incumbent, was j elected ver Sidney S. Riggs, the Grace t ticket for aldermen at large carried every ward by decisive majorities ;i every ward by decisive majorities and the disposition of the challenged votes can not change the outcome. A fea i ture of this situation is that the can didates on the Grace ticket ran j ahead of Grace except in three cases, j In Ward 2, A. C. Thompson received 4.420 votes, the same number receiv ed by Grace, exclusive of the chal lenged votes. Sidney S. Riggs in Ward 7, and C. W. Tollner, in Ward 12, received fewer votes than Grace. Hyde ran ahead of his ticket of al-1 dermen at large candidates except inj j the case of I'on L. Rhett. who re-1 eeived 3,434 votes, and who is the only j j Hyde candidate to be elected as alder- j man at large. ! The highest vote for any candidate j in the election was received by Harry; i F. Barkerding. Grace candidatte for alderman at large in Ward 6, who re ceived 3.5S7 votes out of 6-,7&$ cast. The. possible vote was 7,715. j The result in the election in ward aldermen will not be changed- by the j outcome of challenged votes, the ma- f j iorities in every case being larger than j the number of votes challenged in the j I respective wards. Of the 12 ward aid-1 ! -rmen. six were elected on the Grace j ticket, five on the Hyde ticket, and one , j independent. In half the wards, the i I candidates were unopposed for elec-1 I tion. Two Grace men. perhaps three, ] '?4 VoLXLIX. No. 3. IHNES TRYING TO SATISFY SHOPMEN Director General of Ra?roads Making ErTort to Prevent Another Strike HOLDS CONFERENCE WITH UNION LEADERS Government Officials Making Careful Study of Problem of Wage Demands < Washington, Aug. 20.?Early action to settle unrest in the ranks of rail road employees who have been de manding new wage increases, was forecast today. After a leng*hy con ference with the representative of the six shop crafts, Director General Hines went to the White House tog discuss with President Wilson the problems facing the railroad admin istration. While no announcement/ was made it was understood that -the entire question was reviewed includ ing the obvious necessity for an in-; crease in rates or another congrelp^ sional appropriation to provide funds for any wage advances that may be. made, since the administration his been incurring a deficit every month 3 this year due to the falling off in bus iness and the higher cost of labor and materials. Mr. Hines promised the shopmen's leaders that he would give careful, consideration to all facts present-' I ed and would endeavor to reach ' a final decision in the near future, ind.i | eating that he will order into effects any changes in the wage scale without. referring the demands to a board for investigation. The shopmen's de- .> mands were presented in the spring to the board of railway wages and working conditions which took exten 43ve ?testimony. Delay in a^ctin^. on' the demands eventually resulted -fff?' the recent unauthorized 'Strike. in';'-'. I many sections of the country. Leaders of the shopmen, outlining the reasons for "their demands, said that they did not rest primarily on the increased cost of living although l that was a contributing factor, but were based on the proposition that the wages of railroad shopmen ought. to be more in line with wages for similar work in other industries. In some quarters this statement. was in terpretted to mean thta any wage a4rj vance to offset the higher prices of today, carrying the intimation that reductions would be in order if prices come down would be unacceptable. It was claimed by the union officials that the wages paid railroad shopmen are materially lower than those paid shop men in private* industries and in ship yards and navy yards under govern ment control. The minimum rate paid jby the railroads now is 68 cents an J hour, which is asked to be advanced to 85 cents, an increase of 25 per cent. Until the shopmen's demands are out of the wayi Mr. Hines is not tak ing up the demands of other classes j of employees, virtually all of whom want more money. THE BANDIT HUNT STILL GOES ON American Cavalry Continue in Old Mexico Marfa, Aug. 21,?American troops are continuing-tneir drive into Mexico after the bandits with the coopera tion of Carranza forces. One bandit was killed and two captured by the pursuing Americans. Rains obliter ated the trails, but the Eighth caval ry troopers are rushing on through the canyon passes south of Candela- . ria, Texas. The Mexican pr/?ss is f bitter against the Americans for crossing the border. Additional sup plies are being rushed 'to the troops in the field. General Pruneda, with two hundred fifty Carranza cavalry, are camped near the Americans. FIRST OF FOOD HOARDERS FINED First of Forty Columbus, Ohio,v Dealers Sentenced to Pay Five Hundred Dollars Columbus, Aug. 21.?Theodore ? Leonard, one of the forty food deal- A ers arrested on the'charge of holding; meats in cold storage was fined five hundred dollars. will supplant Hyde men on the school board. The outcome of the challenged votes can not change the results of the elec tion of school commissioners, except in the case of district six. comprising Wards 11 and 12. where W. C. Wilbur on the Hyde ticket, won over the op ponent by a majority of 10 votes, and there ->re 20 votes challenged in this district. The executive committ rill meet on Friday at noon to canv?* 'he elec tion and pass on the counting of chal lenged votes, which will determine the mayorality race and one or two oth ers. The ballot boxes are at commit tee headquarters under guard. No contests of boxes have been filed, so far as is known. All is quiet in Charlestont today.