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Pnbhsfced Wednesday and Saturday py ... *L08S?BES PUBLISHING COMPANY IP SUMXER, S. O. f-V Terms: 91 .SO per ?nimm?in advance. ?I Ii. Advertisements. One Square first insertion .. ..$1.00 Svery subsequent insertion.60 ; Contracts for three months, or i tenger will be made at reducsd rates. - All communications which sub aerv? private interests will be charged -Vjr &a 'advertisements. Obituaries and tributes of respect jriB be charged far. The Somter Watchman was found ed & 185Q and the True Southron m i$S S. The Watchman and Southron new has the combined circulation and inhuence of both of the old papers, ' and is manifestly the 'Best advertising medium in Sumter. ABNORMAL BUSINESS STANDARD. In ordinary times there is little dis ?position to scrutinize the profits made by producers, manufacturers, middle men, wholesalers, and retailers. It is "assumed that competition will take ? care of prices, and that in general any i branch of any industry is probably en titled to whatever extra profit it can make through special ability and effi . riency. But these are not normal times. ?Competition is not operating as usual. -Supplies are not accessible as usual. ?Transportation and credit and other factors are in an abnormal condition. .All the affairs of the world are unset tled. Peopte are harder put to it than usual to make both ends meet. ^Ii2 this disturbed situation, there 1s little disposition to endure the piling up of fortunes by clever men out of the necessities of the people. It is thue for an abnormal restriction of profits rather than an abnormal swell1 ing of profits y Every business connected with the staple commodities of life must be looked into, and the economic wrongs of 100,000,000 people must be righted. STORAGE PROFITEERS. Every storage house in New York C?ty and other Atlantic ports is stuffed with food. Breweries, diverted from liquor business, are filled with it. Ev . ery .available building is . crammed from cellar to garret. Most of this food seems intended for exportation. Food exports have al ready reached a record volume, and that volume is said to be still grow ing. Europe is clamoring for Ameri can produce. fiut the owners of the stored food dp not care whether they sell :t abroad or at home. They have mov ^?d and storted it near tidewater with a view to taking advantage of che- for eign market; but they will just as wil iingly release it for the home market if domestic prices can be forced up high enough to give them as big a ,pr<Sfit as they could reap abroad. The profit is the thing. And it is, in most casts, a profit admittedly far in excess of any previously realized. The food hoards are estimated at no less than 10,000.000,000, pounds in New .York alone. The totals for the whole eastern seaboard are beyond calculation. Who are the owners of these hoards? A government representative says: *4Of the immense quantities Ml food stuffs held to storage the greater per centage is at the moment in the hands of profiteers, who are awaiting an op portunity to mulct either the citizens of Europe or this country. It makes no v difference to them whom? they snare. There is a legitimate and nec essary quantity held for American use, of; course, and there are men honest enough to give this product to the country at a reasonable profit, but the great, percentage of food is held out of the market for purely selfish rea sons. "Men who never in their lives bought a pound of butter, cheese, meat or leather with the idea oZ hcid ing it for sale at a profit have lumped into this market and will squeeze the public if they get a chance. Millions loom in front of them, and they feel they are safe in exacting them." Here is a situation that the govern ment authorities will do well to sift thoroughly. It is no time for reaping forunes through gamD'mg in the na tion's food supply. 12 ther-L* is no au thority for preventing the gamblers from cornering the food surplus, hold ing it to create an abnormal scarcity and then take advantage of the forced prices, there ought to be some legis ltion on the matter at once. If ther-3 is any law providing for punishment of the offenders, it is time to enforce it. before they have s*acctM.**!ed in their plundering enterprise. The new military training plan would give three months' instruction to more than half a miilion boys ev ery year, at a cost of $95.000,000, or less than $200 apiece. Thousands of parents would gladly pay more than that for. the privilege of sending their sons to a military school for three months in the summer or winter, and hundreds of thousands of lads would jump at the chance. * * * A Consumers' League in France has lowered prices 20 per cent by simply printing the facts about prices and values. Maybe the; same thing can be done in this country. Consumers here tofore have been at a disadvantage be cause they didn't know the facts, and so could be bluffed and bulldozed into paying exhorbitant prices. * * * A Boston grand jury soberly an nounces that the principal reason why shoes are so high is that the public buys so many of them. As usual, iVs the consumer's fault. Congress, in be half of the nation, might apologize to the packers, tanners, shoe manufac turers, jobbers, wholesalers and re tailers. THE VICIOTS CIRCLE. Nothing could better illustrate the wrong way to go about remedying present economic evils than the pro gram of the United Mine Workers of America, as outlined by some of their representatives. It is said that the miners, most of whom are engaged in the coal indus try, are going to ask for a wage in crease of about 50 per cent, making probably $8 a day or more, and along with it a reduction of working lime to six hours a day and five days a week, i That would mean about $50 a week for thirty hours* work. Thirty hours' work, if divided as usual among six days, would mtan five hours a day. It may be that the miners need a liberal wage increase to meet the ris ing cost of living. It may be granted, too, that miners ought to be well paid for the time they put in, because their work is hard, disagreeable and dan gerous. But when the demand for a big wage increase is coupled with the demand for a big reduction of working time, the absurdity of it ought to he apparent to anyone fa miliar with present economic condi tions. We might leave out of consideration the insistent fact that the world needs coal as it needs all other commoditie > and that any industry which delib~ erately does anything to curtail pro duction' is shirking its duty and re fusing to play itst part in the general rehabilitation of the world. Consid ering . the matter purely from the standpoint of the miners themselves, we are likely to find the plan operat .ihg in a vicious circle which defeats its own aims. ??? The miners, working shorter hours, naturally produce less coal. That makes coal dearer for everybody. Ob taining higher wages, they add still more to the cost of coal. Everybody else, having to pay more for coal, has to charge more for his own services or output. Thus everything the min ers themselves buy will soon cost them more. If everybody else put into ef fect this plan of the miners, we should simply have everybody doing less work, creating less wealth, and at the same time getting more money?and prices" going up and up and up, so that even the high pay would buy less than usual, because there would be less to buy. It would make money more and more worthless?counters of continually shrinking value . There is really only one way to re store comfortable living conditions. It is to increase production of all the necessaries of life. Then, if profiteer ing is, generally speaking, curbed, prices and wages will pretty well take care of themselves. CONCORD SCHOOL TO HAVE BOOTH Concord School, one of the most progressive and patriotic educational districts of this country has started work to line up the men, women and boys and girls of that district and township to have a creditable repre sentative community booth, and num bers of farm and individual exhibits at the big 1919 Sumter County fair. At yesterday's meeting of the Con cord Club which was attended by sev eral gentlemen of the district. Miss Nan Martin, the Home Demonstration Agent, and Secretary E. I. Reardon discussed county fair matters with the ladies and gentlemen present. It was decided to endeavor to have Concord Township and school district creditably represented at the fair. Mrs. John Childress, Mrs. G. W. Mahoney, Mrs. B. M. Fort, Mr. Walker Newman and Mr. John Childress were selected as a committee to canvass the district to interview the school pa trons and the home demonstration club members, and the ?rirls of the canning and tomato clubs, poultry clubs, boys pig and corn clubs with the view of interesting every one in the Concord community booth and farm and individual exhibits. Miss Nan Martin gave an interest ing and instructive lecture and demon stration on how to cook an entire meal in twenty minutes. She cooked the dinner in a st^am pressure cooker and served the club members with a sub stantial meal. The ladies and gentle men were very pleesantly surprised with the economy in t:me, fuel, and worry by this modern r. ethod of cook ing. Several ladies requested steam pressure cookers ordered for their use. Miss Eileen Hurst has returned to her home in Savannah after visiting Mr. and Mrs. C. M. Hurst. COUNTY COTTON ASSOCIATION Officers and Committees Ap pointed For Membership Campaign I The following citizens have been 'selected as officers, members of the j Township Committees for the log I membership campaign of the South ' Carolina Cotton Association which ! occurs September 26th-27th and 28th. j County Executive Committee.? j Chairman for Sumter County, L. D. Jennings; C. J. Jackson, Horatio; T. S. Dubose, Jr., Oswego; A. E. Aycock, Wedgefield; E. W. Dabbs, R. F. D., 1 Mayesville; J. B. Britton, R. F. D., No. 1, Sumter; G. A. Lemmon, Sum ter; J. Frank Williams, R. F. D. No. 3, Sumter; T. J. Keels, Acting Secretary, Sumter, S. C. Township committees to organize their respective townships and secure pledges of membership and secure funds. Each committee is authorized , to appoint as many additional com mitteemen as they deem necessary to properly divide up the territory and the work in order to complete the membership campaign in their respe- j tive township within three days. Township chairnien are requested to immeditaely call their respective com-; mittees together for the purpose of organization, and to notifv Chairman Jennings of their having organized for a successful campaign Sumter Township.?T. J. Kirvin, Chairman, J. H. Myers, W. A. Bryan. Oswego Section, - Sumter T. S.?E. C. Brown, Chairman; F. W. Andrews. B. M. Oliver. Mayesville Township.?J. F. Bland,! Chairman; L. C. Tisdale, J. H. Wil son. I Middleton Township.?Dr. M. L. j Parier, Chairman; W. H. Ramsey, E. E. Aycock. Manchester Township?B. T. Kolb, Chairman; F. M. Coulte*. W. Als brook. Shiloh Township.?I. M. Truluck, Chairman; J. C. McElveen, Johnny Johnson. Statesburg Township.?George Ma brey, Chiarman; N. B. Murray, R. M. Moore. Concord Township.?J. C. Brogdon, Chairman; Joel Davis, C. W. Bran son. Privateer Township.?J. M. Kolb, Chairman; T. E. Hodge, Rev. Wm. Haynsworth. Providence Township.?H. T. Ed ens, Chairman; M. L. Moore, A. C. Burroughs., Rafting Creek Township?E. E. Rembert, Chairman; C. M. Emmanuel, J.. L. Jackson. DUES. Dues from date to January 1st. 1921, to be 25c per bale of cotton pro duced in 1917, 25c per thousand dol lars capital invested in mercantile and other classes of business, banks or manufacturing plants, and profession al men, such as lawyers, doctors, school teachers, etc., $3 each. Dues for 1921 and 1922, 10c per bale of cot ton and 10c per thousand 'dollars capi tal per annum. Dues for professional men $3 per annum. The dues will include subscription to the Cotton Journal to be published by the Amer ican Cotton Association. , The dues for the first year and balance of 1919 to be paid to the committee' securing the application, who will ; turn same over to the county Secretary for transmis sion to the State Organization Treas urer. All dues in future must be sent by each member, direct to the Treas urer of the State Organiaztion, but In no, case shall the dues of any individ ual, firm or corporation exceed one hundred dollars. Minimum dues $2. It will be the duty of the Couu ty Secretary to list all applications for membership alphabetically and by townships and wards. Membership books will be furnished by the State Central Committee. Mr. Vaughan, Farmer, Tells How He Lost All His Prize Seed Corn. "Sometime ago sent away for some pedigreed seed corn. Put it in a gun ney sack and hung it on a rope sus pended from roof. Rats got it all? how beats me, but they did because I got 5 dead whoppers in the morning after trying RAT-SNAP." Three sizes, 25c, 50c, $1.00. Sold and guaranteed by Sibert's Drug Store, O'Donnell & Co., DuRant Hardware Co., Sumter, S. C?Advt. The Charleston Election. (Charleston Post.) The election can bring little real satisfaction to anybody concerned. The margin is so small on the face \ j of the returns for the mayoralty that i a consideration of the challenges and, perhaps a re-canvass of the vote, will be necessary to determine whether j Mr. Hyde or Mr. Grace is to be the [ nominee. For the third time these j two antagonists have run what is virtually a dead heat. Mr. Grace polled fewer votes, gen erally speaking, than the candidates on his ticket for aldermen at large, all but one of whom appear to have been nominated. Obviously the para mount issue of the campaign, Mr. Grace's attitude toward the war, was effective with a certain proportion of the voters who were opposed to the administration. The patriotic appeal undoubtedly \ brought out a large vote to Mayor Hyde which otherwise would have re mained passive if it had not beep pos itively hostile. But the appeal did not have the response it should have > evoked. For failure to rally to this call in a decisive majority the com-j munity will suffer seriously in the re- j gard of outsiders whose attention has been centered on the contest here and made familiar with the issue. Charles ton must bear that as best it may. | Dissatisfaction with the administra" tion and with the political leadership is manifest. There is a veritable deadlock of factionalism, with neither side able to score a true decision. Out of that situation somehody, reasonably free of a. stale feud and witte vision and a sense of proportion, mufi bring the Democrats of rharleston^: Once more we say. as we said before this campaign was finally joined. Tnere is a call to the young men whose minds are fresh and outlook is clear. The one gratifying^thins about the election was the peacefulness and HARBY & CO., Inc. COIH UNO FERTILIZER MERtHHTS 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 \ NOTICE We are ready to ffin your cotton. Have installed four new gins and are better equipped than ever to do your work. Efficiency our motto. Swift & Co., Oil Mill Ginnery Cor. Calhoun and Green Sts. ? J. C. PATE, Manager. general good conduct which charac-1 fcerized it. It was practically free of i untoward incident and both sides! seemed to have themselves well in j hand and to hold a sense of responsi bility for the peace of the commun ity. ! It may be taken as certain that ev ery point will be canvassed for a de termination of the result and the de cision should be reached judicially upon the evidence in hand, and the result declared and made effective as promptly as possible, in order that the community may have a rest from the strain under which this racking po litical contest has held it for the past four months, and turn to the tasks which are before it, not the least cf which is a new political ordination. uRat-Snap Beats the Best Trap Ever Made," Mrs. Emily Shaw Says. "My husband bought $2 trap. I bought a 50c box of RAT-SNAP. The trap only caught 3 rats but RAT-SNAP killed 12 in a week. I'm never with out RAT-SNAP. Reckon I couldn't raise chicks without it." RAT-SNAP comes in cakes. Three sizes, 25c, 50c, $1.00. Sold and guaranteed by Si berfs Drug Store, O'Donnell & Co., DuRant Hardware Co., Sumter, S. C. ?Advt. PREDICTS BANNER TOBACCO CROP "Washington, 'Aug. 2 k?Another banner tobacco crop is forecast by the department of agriculture. Why People Buy Rat-Snap in Prefer ence to Rat Poison (1) RAT SNAP absolutely kills rats and mice. (2) What it doesn't kill it scares away. (3) Rats killed with RAT-SNAP leave no smell, they dry up inside. (4) Made in cakes, no mix ing with other food. (5) Cats or dogs won't touch it. Three sizes. 25c, 50c, $1.00. Sold and guaranteed by Sibert's Drug Store, O'Donnell & Co., DuRant Hardware Co., Sumter, S. C.?Advt. FOR CONGRESS I hereby announce myself a candi date for Congress to succeed A. F. Lever, resigned; and I pledge myself to abide the result of the Democratic primary. GEORGE BELL TIMMER MAN. NO MORE or mice after you use RAT-SNAP. It's a sure rodent killer. Try a pkg. and prove it. Rats killed with RAT SNAP leave no smell. Cats or dogs won't touch it. Guaranteed.. 25c size (1 cake) enough for Pan try, Kitchen or Cellar. 50c size (2 cakes) ..for.. Chicken House, coops, or small buildings. $1.00 size (5 cakes) enough for all farm and out-buildings, storage buildings, or -factory buildings. Sold and guaranteed by Sibert's Drug Store. O'Donnell & Co. and Du rant Hardware Co. Sumter, S. C. RATS Tobacco Sales. There were no tobacco sales at the Banner Warehouse on Wednesday, bui today rbe floor is overcrowded so that a huge sale will take place. At Moore Brother's Warehouse a total of 84,000 pounds were sold for $17,834.69 or zu average of a'bout twenty two cents. There will be no j so:es at this warehouse today. During the last few aays the sales j have beer, esrreme'y heavy and no time was allowed' for removing the I sold product from the floor till to- | day. j "Why I Put Up With Rats for Years," Writes X. Windsor, a Farmer. "Years ago I bought some rat pois- j on, which nearly killed our fine watch dog. It so scared us that we suffered a long time with rats until my neigh bor told me about RAT-SNAP. That's the sure rat killer and a safe one." (Three sizes. 25c, 50c, $1100. Sold and j guaranteed by Sibert's Drug Store, lO'Donnell & Co., DuRant Hardware ?Co., Sumter. S. C.?Advt._ DELCO-LIGHT The complete Electric Light and Power Plant Clean, safe electric light and power ! at the touch of a convenient button. T. M. BRADLEY, I Phone 649-L_Snmtcr. S. C. Tobacco Sales Today. The Banner Warehouse had what is probably their largest tobacco sales on Tuesday when 80,460 pounds sold for $17,901.20, or an average of about 22 cents. The Moore Brothers Warehouse sold 75,720 pounds for $17,355.9tf, or an average of nearly 23 cents. Today's sales win surposs those of Tuesday. It is almost impossible f?r the warehouses to place all the. to bacco on the floor that is brought hero for sale. ? . BEEHIVES AND SUPPLIES?I have lately received a few Georgia made hives and frames?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. DATS DIE _| so do mice; once they eat RAT SNAP. And they leave no odor be hind. Don't take our word for it? try a package. Cats and dogs won't touch it. Rats pass up all food to get RAT-SNAP. Three sizes. 25c size (1 cake) enough for Pan try, Kitchen or Cellar. 50c size (2 cakes) ..for.. Chicken House, coops, or small buildings. $1.00 size (5 cakes) enough for all farm and out-buildings, storage buildings, or factory buildings. ' Sold and guaranteed by Sibert's Drug Store, O'Donneh & Co. and Du rant Hardware Co, Sumter, S. C. ccessful Students ist Have Good Vision -I 'HE young men and women of today, who have successfully passed through various stages :hool life, have either had good nght of have worn glasses that s them normal vision. ? j xthout good tibi or good work is ?1 ossible. We overcome the prej- \i :e against wearing glasses by ting them pleasing to the eye and - :ient in vision. * Our examination Is occur* ate and not uncomfortable D. L. WILLIAMS Office at City Drug Store Vnrmerly With W. A. Thompson : GINNING! OUR GINNERY has been thoroughly overhauled and repair ed and is in first-class condition. We are ready for business and can guarantee prompt and satisfactory service. . j* ? THE SOUTHERN COTTON OIL CO., _ A. G. FISHBURNE, Manager. - 1 - * ' a * a A A A. A, A, A. A, A..A. X A. L. t *JXiXLiM4Ai>XAXLAJ I A f|