The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, May 28, 1921, Image 5
% IRakjjHtait arib J&mitjpt
Entered at the Postoroce at Sumter,
& C, as Second-class Matter.
PERSONAIi.
Rev. J. P. Marion will deliver the
commencement sermon for the
?Kingstree high school on Sunday,
May 29th.
Mrs. Georgia Davis, of Berkeley,
California, who has recentl yreturned
from a protracted stay in Europe, is
-spending a few weeks in the city
with her sisters. Mrs. Agnes Bogin
and Mrs. Nina Solomons.
Miss Elizabeth McKagen left this
morning for Bishopville, where she
will be a visitor for several days.
Miss Frances Smith has returned
to her home in the city after a de
lightful visit of several weeks to Miss
Ladd in Richmond, Va.
Mrs. Jim Irby, Mrs. H. B. Boykin.
Miss Lesa Boyxin of Loykin and Mrs.
Richard Boykin of Oregon were vis
itors in the city Tuesday.
Mr. I. A. Ryttenberg left Tuesday
for trip to North Carolina in inter
est of his work. Mr. Ryttenberg will
go: by Raleigh and through North
. Carolina to Asheville."
Misses Mary and Marion Knight
left Tuesday to spend the re
mainder of this week with their
aunt, Mrs. Rivers, at DuBose.
Miss Dorita Moise has been elected
president of the Wade Hampton Liter
ary Society at "Winthrop College.
Miss Augusta Cuttino left for
Hartsvilie today to visit her sister
Mrs. O. F. Crow.
. Messrs. B. R. China, David and Haz
el Witherspoon have returned to their
home in the city after c'ompleting their
school year in Bailey Military Acad
emy.
Judge R. O. Purdy left Tuesday
for Virginia where he has gone to at
tend the wedding of his brother Mr.
William H. Purdy. Judge Purdy will
visit in^Lawrenceville, Va., before his
return to the city.
; Mrs. C. W. McGrew is spending a
few days with relatives at St. Mat
thews.
Messrs. R. L. McLeoc and J. G.
Bagnal left this morning to spend
the day in _aurens on business.
SFegro Woman
Drowns Self
______
Janie Barfield, a young negro wo
man ""of about 25 years of age, living
in the Concord neighborhood was {
drowned early this morning when {
she. in a. delerium. resulting- from i
typhoid fever wandered out in the
yard and fell into a surface well. The
woman had been sick for a*bout two
weeks with high fever. Those
watching at her bedside stated that
they had left her for a short time
and had found her gone upon their
returned. A search for the woman re
vealed the body in the water of the
well. Thew ater in this well is prob
ably some 15 feet deep.
SUMTER WILL HEAR
NOTED SINGER
The announcement that Miss Ad
die Howell, the celebrated contralto,
will sing next Sunday morning for
the McLeod-Wesley Bible class and
for the morning service at Trinity
Methodist church was received with
delight by everybody in Suinter.
Sumter people are indeed fortu
nate because the opportunity to hear
such noted singers as Miss Howell
does not come our way more than
once or twice in a lifetime.
Word has gone out all over the
county that Miss Howell will be here
and a large crowd of country people
will come for both services.
Mr. W. E. Moore, music director,
for the McLeod-Wesley Bible class
has prepared some special music in
addition to the solo by Miss Howell.
EFIRD-EDDINS.
i This morning at nine o'clock the j
[home of Mr. J. T. Eddins on Mark-j
j ham street, was the scene of a quiet
but beautiful wedding, when Miss
jVada Mae Eddins and Mr. J. W. Efird I
were united in marriage.
The home was simply but very ef
fec/tiv.ely decorated with ferns and
palms for the occasion, and in the
presence cf her immediate relatives
and intimate friends the father of the
bride gave her in marriage, while Dr.
J. Elwood Welch performed the im
pressive ceremony.
The bride attired in handsome suit
of navy blue poiret twill with smalt
black hat carried a lovely bouquet of
bride's roses showered with white
I peas.
I Immediately after the ceremony the
young couple motored to Raleigh
where they caught the northbound
train to New York, where they will
make their future home at Hotel
Pennsylvania.
Miss Eddins is the attractive and
accomplished daughter of Mr. J. T.
Eddins and has lived in this city prac
tically all of her life. She attended
Trinity College, and later took a posi
tion with the Fidelity Bank of -this
city, as book-keeper. She has a host
of friends who will wish her every
happiness.
Mr. Efird is a man of sterling worth
and character, who is considered one
of Carolina's foremost business men.
He is vice-president and buyer forj
the Efird chain of stores. His manyi
friends here congratulate him.?Dur
ham, ft C. Sun. May 20.
Civic League May Festival.
Fesctival to take place at the Park
Tuesday afternoon, May the 31st.
Meet us at the park at four o'clock
You will find attractions for young
and old. Help us make the day a
success.
New Orleens, May 26.?The pas- !
sage by the Louisiana constitutional !
convention of the ? measure prohibit- j
ing the transmission, publication or
circulation of information concerning
odds on; horse racing brought up the
question of its effect on horse racing.
Exercises at Furman
Formal Invitations Received U
Attend Affair on June 5-7
Invitations from the faculty'of Fur
man University to friends of the in
stitutien have been received in thi
city to the annual commencement
exercises there June ">-7, inclusive.
This is the sixty-seventh annual com
I mencement and it will bring to a
? close a most successful scholastic
I year, it is stated. It is expected that
many will make their way to Green
ville to be in attendance,
j The commencement exercises will
j begin on Sunday. .i"une 5, when the
'annual sermon will take place at the
j first Baptist church <>f Greenville,
j this delivered by the Rev. T. C. Skin
! ner, D. D.. of Columbia. The an
nual sermon before the Y. M. C. A.
will be preached on the evening 01
the same day by the Rev. R. G. .Lee.
j D. D.f of Chester.
On Munday, June 6. there will be
[ the annual rallys of the literary so
I cieties at their halls beginning at 10
o'clock and this to be followed by an
adress by Governor R. A. Cooper be
fore the Adelphian and Philosophian
Societies.
The class day exercises will take
place the same day between 4 and t>
o'clock in the afternoon. At 5:3o
o'clock the dedicatory exercises of the
new dormitory will take place. The
annual alumni banquet and meeting
will take place at Montague Hall on
the night of June 6th.
The formal exercises of the sixty
sc-venth commencement will take
place on Tuesday, June 7. beginning
at 10:30 o'clock. This will be pre
ceded by the academic procession on
the campus. A life-sized portrait of
Dr. Charles Manly, second president
of Furman University will be unveil
ed during the day's program.
Death.
Mrs. T. E. Ilinson. Sr., died Thurs
day morning at her residence, 125 N.
Salem Ave., at 11:40 after having
been in declining health for a num
ber of years. She was in her 7Sth
year. Mrs. Hinson leaves her hus
band, three daughters, Mrs. Ira
Brown, Mrs. S. L. Hinson and M^ss
Ilattie Hinson, and two sons, Mr. Joe
Hinson of Sumter and Mr. F. C. Hin
son. of Camden. who will mourn her
loss. In addition to these she has
a large family connection of numer
ous other relatives. Mrs. Hin9on was
born in.Kershaw county but has liv
ed in Sumter for many years.
The funeral procession will leave
the residence in Sumter at N:30
o'clock 'tomorrow morning and will
go to Mt. Olive church near Camden
where the funeral services will be
held and the body interred.
Washington, May 26.?The admin
istration's policy of promoting expor
tations as a means of restoration to
normal business was discussed las:
night at the White House dinner.
The guests included Secretaries Hoov
er, Mellon. J. P. Morgan and other
financiers.
We take pleasure in announcing to the public that we have
been appointed distributors for Chevrolet autqmobiles and parts
for this territory.
We also wish to. announce a reduction in prices of Chevrolet
s
Motor Cars. New prices effective on and after this date on 490
Models will be $645.00 f. o. b. factory, plus freight and war tax, mak
ing these models $750.00 delivered, Sumter fully equiped.
This car has been greatly improved in every respect in the past
few months and is at present the best light weight automobile built
in America.
We carry a complete line of Chevrolet repair parts at all times.
We also have a first class garage, doing a general line of repair
work on all makes of cars. Our prices are very reasonable. Satis
faction guaranteed. Money refunded?we let you be the judge.
"We Know How"
BURKETT-HUNTER MOTOR CO.
14 Caldwell Street Phone 777 P. O. Box 197
House Built in a Day
Men of Bible Class Erect Build
ing on Wednesday?Services
Held Same Night
Wednesday was a busy day for the
nembers of the Men's Bible Class of
he Broad Street Methodist Church
"or it was on this day. Wednesday,
hat the men of this class assembled!
?lad in :h--ir working clothf-s. and'
ach man did his allotted task in the!
?rection of an open air building to
>e used as a meeting room for this
dass.
Wednesday morning found only the
umber on tin- lot immediately behind
he Broad Street Church, but by Wed
lesday night a building 16x24 feet
ras standing on the lot. and in this
building an audience was seatel lis
ening to an address by Mr. T. C. i
VIcLeod, of Bishopville. The lumber
'or this building had to be cut andl
:he building erected from "the!
fround up". Everything was accom-i
>lished as it had been plnnned and the
ouilding stood ready for occupation |
m the same day on which the build
ng had been begun. All work was!
lone gratuitously by the members of j
his Bibli1 Class. The building is sub-j
tsantially built of good wood material i
tnd is entirely pleasing and very neat |
?n appearance. Its comfortable ca
pacity is 75 people.
The idea of th ebuilding of this
dass room originated at the District
Sunday School Conference, which was
leid in Manning last week. One week
later, to the day. the idea had been
moldede into a thing of beauty and
usefulness.
A little social was held on the!
jhurch grounds just after the close of '
:he address by Mr. McLeod. ice cream,
;ake and ca::dy. which was donated
md sold by the ladies of the church,
netted a tidy little sum, which the
adies cheerfully presented to go to
ward the defraying of material costs ;
.'or the building. 1
Shower for Miss Esther Clark.
Mrs. Jas. L. Haynswurth and Mrs.
Cecil Wilson gave a miscellaneous ?
shower on Friday afternoon at the '?
former's home on Church street in :
honor of Miss Esther Clark who is to i
oe one of Sumter's June brides.
The entire lower floor was a veri
table garden of roses, sweet peas and
poppies. The dining room was es- 1
pecially lovely with its soft pink
lights, masses Of roses, garlands of
smilax and centerpiece of artistical
ly arranged sweet peas.
Book and heart dice were enjoyed <
for a time, after which each guest ;
was presented with a "romance in i
rhyme" with all personal names left ]
blank and requested to compete with
litting names of flowers. After much
fun and excitement the missing names <
were supplied and the romance com
pleted. While this was ':;>?:?:.. V--..? i
Assyrian peddl?r v. ???:.;... Ml ?
the door, requesting permission l >"
show her goods for sale. After some
pleadings she was permitted to bring .
in her pack which was tilled with j
beautiful gifts for the bride. This
method of presentation of their pres
ents was a surprise to the guests and
Dr. Sophia Brunson's impersonation
of the peddler woman was splendid.
After admiring the fine collection ;
of exquisite hand work, etc., the
guests repaired to the dining room
where they were served block cream,
fancy cakes, wafers and mints, the
color scheme of pink and white be
ing carried out in the refreshments.
Mrs. Haynsworth and Mrs. Wilson i
proved themselves most charming
hostesses. .
Those present were Mesdames Ed- ,
ward Pitts, Jake Harvin, Win. Mills.
A. J. Bynum, Robt. Sanders, Eraser ('
Dick and Misses Reese Chandler, ,
Margaret DtLerme. Marion Gentry,
Celeste Hughson. Claudia Eraser.
Pauline Haynsworth, Sophia Brunson.
Hannah and Melle Montgomery, Sara
Edmunds. Prances Blanding, Daisy
Yeadon. Ruby Beatty and Esther '
Clark. Mrs. Jas. H. Chandler. Mrs.
T. H. Clark and Mrs. Dr. .Marion as
sisted in serving.
The May Festival.
The- festival which will be held at
the Park on next Tuesday afternoon
and night. May 31st, will be a gala
event. Tin-re will be cold drink
booths, ice cream cones, fish pond
grab bags, ride shows, cake booths,
folk dancing by the school chil
dren, and a real chicken supper for
the. grown-ups. A real fortune tel
ler will oc on the scene, and many
will wish to consult her.
The proceeds of the festival will
be used for benches and attractive
pay ground equipment for the chil
dren, and to provide a supervisor for
the summer months,
j The park is a beautiful spot now
jand the ideal place for a fete.
The festival will be opened with a
Ijrrand parade, which is under the di
rection of Mrs. Eugene Stansill and
a splendid committee.
The cotton crop certainly looks
sick. The plants are small and _n
! thrifty and the stand is probably the
poorest in years.
San Francisco. May 26.?The ques
tion, of Japanese control over Yap is
causing no excitement in Japan, ac
cording to Take Tanaka. a member
of the parliamentary mission that is
here to study economic conditions.
Shrcveport. May 2,; -Jack Morgan,
who was treated to a coat of tar and
feathers last night, is ill at the city
hospita I.
Chicago. May ?_*?'?.?Another death
was .elded to the political fued cas- ,
u.iMy list the police believe when
Michael Lazari, a saloon keeper was
Mi-'t dow n on the street.
Dublin, May 26. ? Pour civilians
have been sentenced to 15 years pen
mi servitude for attack on crown
forces lasl 1 >ecember.
Osaka, Japan, May 26.?Viscount
Kato, former minister of foreign af
fairs, is blamed by the Japanese gov
ernment for tlie developments over
the Yap mandate.
THETAXCORNER
The Inconsistencies and Short
comings of the Tax Laws of
South Carolina
(University Weekly News).
I The power to impose taxes is vest
I ed exclusively in the legislative de
partment of the government, but
there are certain provisions in the
c,institution of 1SS5 which will have
to l^e amended or repealed before
there can be any appreciable reform
in taxation.
Article III, Section 29. of the con
stitution of 1S05, provides that "aii
taxes' upon property, real and person
al, shall be laid upon tin- actual val
ue of the property taxed."' It is
manifest that general property tax' is
main source of revenue in Sou:h Car
olina. Carrying out the intent of the
constitution, the general assembly en
acted a law requiring that "all prop
erty shall be valued for taxation at
its true value in money." (Section
379. Civil Code of 1912).
Prior to the creation of tha South
Carolina Tax Commission in 1915. it
was a well known fact that there was
no uniform basis of assesment :jsed
by the boards of assessors through
out the state. No better examoY of
the inequalities in the assessment of
property could be offered than The
results of the state tax commission's i
equalization of the banks in 19i.">. The
commission found that there wer,?
some banks paying upon an assess
ment as high as 0 7 per cent, of their
value, and others paying on as low j
a basis as is per cent. The comrais- j
sion thereupon required financial'
statements of all the banks and placed ;
them upon a basis of equality lor j
purpose of taxation. Ascertaining j
that the average percentage taken ;
for assessment throughout the siate
was 4 2 per cent, the commission
adopted this basis of percentage Of i
true value a?? the basis to assess and ,'
c-'iualize ail property assessed and j
equalized by it.
Another l:ril-.ing illustration ? : th ?
inequalities in assessment, made pos- j
sible under our tax laws, is the fact j
that the state tax commission, when \
it equalized the property of mer- j
chants in 1919, found some mer- |
chants paying on an assessment of j
three-fourths of- one per cent, while
others were pa: ing on a basis of 105
per cent of the value of the stocn of
Koods.
Since our law requires an "equal
md uniform rate of assessment,"
classification of property for pur
poses of taxation is impossible with- |
-jut constitutional amend.nnet. If the
law, therefore, were rigidly enforced.
tangible property, such as notes,
bonds, mortgages, etc., would be as
sessed upon the same basis a- .::???,
i-roperty. Suppose \ . had -iiCvUftv
which would be us . or $.x/p'k
After deducting ilic tuxes fr- f .
income of $SO0 (the mortgage near- i
ing S per cent, interest), the rate of;
interest realized on his investment I
would be so small that the lender !
thereof would take his capital out j
of South Carolina and invcit it in |
some other state that had a proper j
classification of property. if this '
class of property were placed upon !
the tax books as required by law. a !
very large amount of capital would :
be driven from the state, and our j
people would be izr.poverished to j
that extent.
The same rules applies to the tax
ati?n of cash. The law requires that j
cash on hand January 1st be assessed. ]
It is well known that no one returns j
cash, and yet when the taxpayer sub- j
scribes his name to the oath on the j
tax return, he swears that he has re- i
turned all his money, credits, etc
There is no provision in our iaws
providing for a tax to be levied on j
business done or on gross sales, and j
consequently many individuals and <
firms are enabled to do an enormous j
amount of business, and contribute i
nothing to the support of the state j
and county governments, for in- i
stance, there was a certain brokerage
concern in South Carolina last year
which did a gross nusiness of $10.
OOi'viOO, and which paid taxes on an
assessment of $300 for furniture and
! fixtures in this office. Is this fair
land just? This brokerage firm en
j joyed ajl the privileges and protec
j tion of our government, and from
' the standpoint of ability to pay, was
j in 'much better condition than thou
I sands who paid very much higher
I taxes.
j Such is the operation and admin
! fstration of the general property tax.
? There are many inequalities in the
j assessment of real estate, and this is
! due to the fact that the taxpayer
; himself is the important factor in
I determining the value of his property
i for purposes of taxation. It is well
; known to all that there are farm
lf.nds in this state which sell for $100
to $200 per acre, but which are re
turned for taxation at $5 to $10 per
acre, while in the same county there
is land which is unproductive and is
assessed the same per acre as the
highly developed farm lands. Each
taxpayer feels that he must return his
property as low as possible, so that
lie will not pay more than his neigh
bor. Of course, the lower the valu
ation of property, the higher the tax
levies will be. If all property were
assessed at 100 per cent, the tax levies
would be reduced to a very low rate,
and the burden would be equitably
distributed.
These are only a few of the incon
sistencies and shortcomings embod
ied in the fundamental tax laws of
South Carolina. How much longer
are we going to allow such antiquat-.
ed tax laws to remain in force? Untli
we have complete reform in taxation,
grave injustices will be done the
taxpayers of this state, and progress
In educational,' social, economic and
governmental affairs will be well
nigh impossible.
John L Rice.
WHITE-LEWIS.
Saturday afternoon, at 2 o'clock.
May 21st., Miss Mary Evelyn White
and Mr. Robert C. Lewis, were united
in marriage, Rev. Eugen6 Reynolds
perferrr^ng the ceremony a* the par*
so! ige. .-.* the Salem Baptist church.
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis will make their
home in Sumter. May the years bring
peace and prosperity to this young
pair. - ? \
Tuesday proved the day of the
biggest cotton deals of the season for
Sumter. Eleven hundred bales/ of
cotton changed hands in the city yes
terday in two transactions. The sales
were as follows: 650 bales bought by
W. H. Bowman and brother from F. K.
Holmon. Bought on a 10.75 basis.
450 bales bought by C. E. Dukes from
L C. Strauss. Bought on 10:41 basis.
Remarks: Business picking up. ,v
The Secretary of rh- Red Cross ?
fTom* Service Station is ing fcept
?'??> ?/ busy with her work., of getting
:.. fib s to'sed . '.he get' 1 ncr.of-Jjer
oCila in prop.? r shape for the cl*>st*ig
<.i r -x; first day f .lime. No ?ew
?"?uses ? ?. 11 * be Jr: ? :: her. I'fcCr. ^vef',
work ????will ho done o - any ?iases thai
have already been began b>.. Mjss
Chandlci provided- a brougntj .to
her within the next week. An: ex
service men who have affidavits :o.b?3
made out or necessary correspondence
conducted relative to a present claim,
should see Miss Chandler immediate
ly. The last two days of this month
will be devoted entirely to the final
work at the closing of the office and
its files of cases.
Garner's Ferry bridge is under con
tract to be completed' within
days, and the last report was to the
effect that work was to have been,
started last week. If the bridge is.
to be of service the approaches must
be completed at the sama time. - For
the construction of the approaches
the sum of $25,000 has been guaran
teed by a number of citizens. It-would
seem that :: is about time for the
guaraxitors :?* begin collecting^ fbe
money as a preliminary jd be^i/ining
work on the three or more bruiges
in the swamp and the four miles. .Qf
causeway. It will be almost as big
a job to build the approaches as the
bridge. .
The Game Wardens are annoying
fishermen who use trap: c m-uderably
th^se days. _?*
NEILL O'DONXEJLL
President
ARCHIE CHINA
Vice President
0. L. YATES
Cashic*
A Guaranteed Income.
The record of the past year shows
the risk of investing money in stocks
and bonds. There is -_one security,
however that never declines. The
interest is paid with mathematical
regularity every quarter, and the
principal is always paid as promised.
We refer to our savings depart
ment, a 100 per cent safe and sound
investment for either short or long
periods. A glance at our last pub
lished statement will show how many
peoplo have taken advantage of our
advice. If you have c.ot do so at
^ once. It is not too late.
First National Bank
Sumter, S.
The National Bank of
South Carolina
of Sumter, 8. C
Capital $300,000
Surplus and Profits $280,000
Strong and ProgreMtvt
The Most P&lnst&klnc SERTIC9B
with OOUKTR3X
Gl re os the Pteaenre of ^?nrinf TOC
The Bank of the Rank;
and File
O. G. ?ttWZiATO, Podest
EARLE KOWIAOT, ?a?Jee