Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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MEETING OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Many Matters of Im portance Brought Up For Considera tion?Court House Bonds To Be Paid - The regular monthly meeting of j the County Board of Commission- j ers was held on January 3rd. with j all members present. '! The minutes of the meeting of | ? December ?th were read and ap proved. Chairman Rowland, reported on the case of Janie Dicks, stating that she had been sent to the asylum.: Engineer Jeffords reported the j result of an investigation of the! complaint of Mr. Shields as to the j ditching of a road, which was put- ! ting water on his land. He stated that the county attorney said that this road could be abandoned. Engi 'neer Jeffords recommended the abandonment of the road The clerk was directed to confer with the county attorney and to take the necessary steps to abandon this road. The case of William Harvin, pauper charge, was discussed. The clerk was directed to confer with the Red Cross and set? if arrange ments could not be made for some one to take care of him for a rea sonable charge. Chairman Rowland sjated that there was need for a toilet for col- j bred women in the court house, j The chairman and the clerk were i directed to look into same and to j rake the necessary steps to in- j si ail same. ; Dr. R. 13. Furman and Mr. J. R. \ ?steen app'ea^ed before the board j asking that at bridge and crossing j ?5e put across Nasty Branch so as j to give their territory access to the ?ew Privateer road now being con -jgructedr - Drr Furman stated that j -fee<w?uld furnish'the timber neces- i fijxry for the lumber for the bridge and Mrv Osteen said that he would ? Saw the same. The board decided fhat they would accept this offer; *nd directed the engineer to fur- j nish the bill of the lumber neces- ; sary and to put in the crossing at tjie point indicated. i * Mr. T;. L.. Jones, with, his at-{ torne.v, Mr. T. H. Tatura,' appeared ! Before the board relative to his J claim of $74.S0. the balance of a I iHonth's salary when he was dis- j c5&?ged without cause. The coun- ] ty was represented by its attorney j Mr. L. D. Jennings and testimony J of the various witnesses were tak- i en. After hearing arguments from j the attorneys, the board as a court Of jurisdiction decided in the favor j of the county as defendant in the j case. : ?'?" I Atorney Tat urn also made state- j ment in the case of Mr. Marion ' Rivers for violation of the prohib ition law, stating that he had in his judgment been sufficiently punish ed and a:-ke<i that the board re duce the valuation of an automo- j bile whiten he figured in the case io ] $75.00. The board deferred action j on this. . j Mrs. E. W. Dabbs came before j the board and stated that two vi her j bonses on her property in Privateer srectlon had l>een moved by the ; ecunty forces in the construction ! of the new Privtaeer road but had not been properly placed. She re- j ({nested that these houses be mov- ; ed to points she would indicate not j exceeding a distance of 175 yards. This was referred to Commissioner Britton and Engineer Jeffords to consult with county attorney and ! to do what was necessary. , Mr. E. W. Dabbs appeared be fore the board and stated that eighteen trees had been cut on his land and used for pilings in Black river without his consent. He asked that he be paid for these at a reasonable rate. He also call ed attention to the fact thai the read forces were cutting timber and ; trees along side of roads without ; consent of owners, and while he j was not opposed to Improvements] which this cutting out of the right ; of way produced, we. thought that the parties concerned should be paid for the cross tie and saw mill timber. The board directed that the eighteen trees of Mr. Dabbs which had been used for piling be sraled and paid for at the market price. ? The board directed that trees should not be cut off of rights of way wit boat the consent of the owners. Mr. B: R. Barkley of the Priva teer section appeared before the board relative to a ditch which had been dug along side of the new Privateer road and asked that same !>e filled up. The board de ferred action on this. The clerk reported on the case of Simon Miller who was being sent to Columbia from time to time for treatment stating that he showed improvement but complete cur would probably involve consider ftfeid further expense. He was di TOBACI ? We have a supply on hai HEARON'S rected t<> consult with the county ! physician about the case. Applications for aid were rceeiv l ed from Patience Nelson, who was jgranted $5.00 per month; Charles! j Edwards' case was referred to ' j Commissioner Lenoir for further! ! investigation and Rhoda Nelson. !who was granted $6.00 per month, j Reports from rural police, home ! 'demonstration agent and cotton j weighers as to scale tests, were re iceived and ordered filed, j County engineer reported on the | jvork done during the past month !as follows: main gang constructing! j new Privateer road which' would ! j be completed in about two weeks; ; ! jail gang. Piuewood gang, and Shi- j lob gang engaged as usual i ? cov- ! ! ering their respective territories. | Engineer JelTords reported a | I bi-idge down in the neighborhood of ' [ the old Manning mansion which | I made it necessary to go through the i private road of the old Manning estate and which the owners were ! objecting to on the grounds that j the continual use of the road might I make it a public road. He advised j j that an lS-foot bridge over a deep; i gulley would be necessary, and that ! I it /would take about ten days to ! ; open up the old road and put in ! [this bridge. The engineer was in- ] j structed to have this done. Engineer Jeffords advised that i ! the Mallard Lumber Co.. which had j lately been awarded the contract j for putting in concrete bridges in ' j the county wanted to rent two con- j ! crete mixers belonging to the coun- j ty. He recommended the renting of these mixers to them on a yard-1 age basis. The board agreed to do i I this with the understanding that these mixers should be examined carefully and be returned in the same condition as when gotten. The engineer recommended the j placing of a maintainance gang in j the Rembert-Hagood section. The j board postponed action on this. Treasurer B. C. Wallace appear ed before the board stating that i $30.000 of court house bonds with i semi-annual interest came payable ! on January 1st, 1922 and for which there was now available $2(1,016.7 2. j He advised that the tax levy for ! this purpose would bring in other j funds during the current year { prohably enough to take care of the i deficiency. He suggested that the I county borrow the remainder of the j money needed at this time. The ; board adopted a resolution author- j izing th<' fiscal agent and the treas- ! irrer to borrow the necessary amount for this purpose at the ! best rate obtainable. Eliza Farmer, who had care of J William Harvin, appeared before j the board and stated that the I amount, which she had been receiv- ; ing from the county had not com- j pensated her for her trouble. The ! board directed that $5.00 be paid I her on back account and asked her; j to arrange to take care of him un- j I til some arrangement couM be' ; made for the further dispcLnion of J ! his case. j ! The attention of the board was j j called to an outstanding note of j [the county of $75,000.00 which j I comes due January 14th. and steps were taken to have this paid with I cash fur "s available and proceeds j j fro-, a new loan. The board received estimates for j j probable expenses of the county for j i the coming year and considered j j these with a view to preparing its j I recommendation to the legisla j tive delegation at the joint meet- ; ' ing to be held on Thursday. Janu ! ary 5th. The board also eonsider ; ed recommendation as to legisla tion which it expected to present ,'to the delegation at such time, j After approving claims before P jthe board adjourned. Public Responsible For Crime I Columbia. Jan. 4.?Blame for the crime situation was laid on the ! people, who will not co-operate ! with officers in apprehending vio j lators of lav.- and who refuse to j testify in prosecutions, by Judge j Peurifoy, in his charge to the grand I jury of Richland county, at the i opening of the first court of the ! year here yesterday. The judge re ? marked on the great amount of ' crime in the state and said that j the pablic was as much to blame ! as ihe law-enforcement officers and ; the courts. I Justice Watts Is 111 Columbia. Jan. 4?Associate j Justice R. C. Watts, of the state ; supreme court, who underwent a j minor operation for kidney trou I ble at a local hospital this morn ing, which reacted seriously, is j some better tonight. However, he ; is still very ill, according to his physicians. A major operation ; will be performed on him in tint near future, it was said today. Air Tank Kills Two Greensboro, N. C, Jan. 4.?Two men were killed and several injur ed when an air tank in a garage j exploded. J. Ed Albright, a plumb j ing contractor, is one of the two dead. Inill folks don't cut much ice. :o SEED of Improved Warne nd now. PHARMACY DE VALERA 1 SUBSTITUTE ! JREATY Sinn Fein President; Persists in Conten-j tion For Absolute! Independence o f Ireland Dublin. Jan. 4.? (By the Asso ciated Press).?Eamon de Valera. when the Dail Eireann rose this evening, produced for the first time publicly his alternative pro posals to the Irish treaty. A fort night ago he was asked by Art nur Griffith to publish them and Mr. Griffith repeated his challenge at today's debate. Mr. de Valera's original idea, ( as | announced by himself, was to move his alternative proposals in the event of rejection of the treaty. But. he changed his mind, and now intends, if he is permitted, to move them as an amendment to the res olution approving the treaty. The document, whose secrecy has been carefully guarded except for obscure hints by dail members who saw it in the private sessions, was issued to the press, accom panied by an appeal by Mr. de Va lera in a manifesto addressed to the Irish people, urging them not to be stampeded in the support of the treaty which would not bring peace. The document as issued differs, according to Mr. Griffith, from the document submitted in the private sessions of the Dial Eireann. It follows the main outline of the treaty made at the Downing street residence of the British prime minister and signed by Arthur Griffith, Michael Collins and the other plenipotentiaries, but implies Mr. de Valera contends, a funda mental difference in principle. It asserts that the sole source of au thority in Ireland rests with the Irish people while by the treaty it is argued, it is derived prom the king. No Oath of Allegiance Mr. de Valera's plan contains* no oath of allegiance, btit admits re cognition of his Britannic majesty as head of the association of states in the British commonwealth, with which Ireland externally associates itself. The debate today revealed the presence of at least three parties in the Dail Eireann?the supporters of the treaty made in London, the supporters of Mr. de Velera and his alternative proposals, and some active republicans opposed to both sets of proposals. Vigorous speech es were made for and against the *.reaty but at the conclusion of the session there was no indication of ! any change in the sentiment of the members and best informed opinion ; continues to incline to the belief I that the treaty will be approved j by a small majority. I The session adjourned until 11 j o'clock tomorrow when the pro j ceedings are expected to take the j form of a discussion on the rules j of order, to determine whether ; Mr. de Yelera can move his pro ; posals as an amendment or must I wait until the Dail Eireann has ; given a direct vote on the treaty. When the Dail Eireann reassem i bled. 59 of its members?nearly I half?had expressed their views on ; the Irish peace treaty. Between i private and public sittings the Dail I thus far has devoted nine days to ! debate. Although the list of speakers is I still far from exhausted, it is ap j parent that every argument has i been brought forward and it is U believed that henceforth the ; speeches will be short. ? Hope for a decision tomorrow : or Friday at the latest was freely ! expressed today. The newspapers I continue to speculate on the size j of the majority for the treaty. The ! number of doubtful votes is esti f mated at five or six, including three who will probably abstain from vot , nig. The first speaker of today's ses sion was Doyle D. Buckley of Kii jdare, who opposed the treaty. "The people of this country have ? been stampeded into acceptance of 1 the treaty by the rotten press of : Ireland." he said. McCain*. Favors Pact ! Alexander McCabe of Sligo fol lowed with a plea for acceptance, j Miss Mary McSwlney interrupted I him, saying the women were not I in favor of the treaty. To this j McCabe retorted: "I know what the women of Ire land wants as well as you." Mrs. i earse, mother of Patricke I II. Pearse, the first president of tin- Irish republic who was execut red after the Dublin rising in 1916. spoke against the treaty. Sin? de ; clared she knew that her son, if , In* were alive today, would vote for rejection. The Union .lack, a symbol of sla very, would continue to float in Ire ! land under the treaty, said Buck ley. The "rotten press." which had stampeded the country, was i trying to stampede its represent atives, bin he would not yield. The country needed a tonic, in his view. In his argument in support of tin- treaiy. McCabe of Sligo regret ? ted the disagreement with Eamon de Velera. whom ihe Dail mem , hers, he said, regarded with ad miration. He regarded the op ponents of tin- treaty as guilty of j "criminal incitement to national suicide.." They would sacrifice tin- whole population of Ireland on the altar lof socallcd priuiciples. lie criti ? eised de Velera's "document .No. iihe alternative proposal, saying there would be a governor general even under it. This last declaration provoked a heated scene. De Velera said the document should not be referred to ? m ihe Dail until he moved it :is an 1 amendment. Arthur Griffith said ii was POLAND RECOVERING FROM WAR American Business Man Says That Country Will Be First to Regain Prosperity New York. .Jan. 5.?Poland will be one of the first countries to recover from the war Vice Presi dent St. Phalle, of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, says, who has just returned from abroad. He says President Pilsudsky saw that Poland had enough war and want ed peace. He declared there was no danger of the overthrow of the Kassian government and the evolu tion of the present government was tlie solution. Income Tax Information Facts That the Public Will Want to Know Columbia. .Ian. "..?The follow ing statement is issued by Acting Collector of Internal Revenue, W. R. Bradley, of the District of South Carolina: The Revenue Act of 1021 con tains two new ami important pro visions, which are tin* subject of frequent inquiry. The first relates to the personal exemption allowed married persons, and the second to the provision requiring that a re turn he made of gross income of $5.000 or more. The act provides that a married person, living with husband or wife, whose net im-onie for 1021 was $5.000 or less shall he allow ed a personal exemption of $2.500. If the ne( income of such person was over $5,000 the exemption is $2.000. Under the Revenue Act of 1018 the personal exemption allow ed was $2,000, regardless of the amount of net income. The nor mal tax rate remains unchanged, 4 per cent on the first $4,000 of net income above the exemptions and S per cent on the remaining net income. In order that an income slightly in excess of $5,000 shall not he subjected to an inordinately dis proportionate tax because of the reduction of the exemption to $2. 000 thereon. The law provides that such reduction shall not oper ate to increase the tax, which would be- payable if the exemption were $2,500, by more than the amount of the net income in excess of $5> 000. For example, on a net income <;1 $5.oio, the tax without this saving clause, would he- $120.40, which is 4 per cent on $3.010, the amount o* net income less an exemption $2,0fio. The actual tax is $110.40, [computed as follows: From the net income of $5,010 is deducted $2.500, leaving $2.510, tin- 4 per cent tax on which amounts to $100.40. To this is added $10.nn. "the amount of net income in ex cess of $5.000." The personal exemptions allow ? ed married persons, apply also to i the head of a family, a person who supports in one household one or more relatives by blood, marriage, I or adoption. Heretofore, a person whose net j income was less than his exemption I ($1.000 if single, or $2,000, if ruar Iried) was not required to file a re | turn. Under the ltevenue act c 11921, if the gross income of an individual equalled or exceeded $5,000. or if the combined gross in come of a married couple and thai if dependent minor children equal led or exceeded $5,000. a return must !>?? tiled, regardless of the amount of net income. "Xet income*' is gross income. I less certain deductions. The fad that allowable deductions from ; gross income, for business ex ; penses. losses, bad debts, etc., may j reduce the net iwome to an amount below tin-, personal exemp tions of $1,000 Or $2.??nn. does not alter the requirements to file a re j turn of gross Income, if such gross income equalled or exceeded $5, ! ooo. Suffering" in West Virginia Charleston. W. V'a.. .Jan. 4.? Governor .Morgan, answering Sen ator Southerland's request for in formal ion declared that reports that miners' families were destitute and starving in West Virginia are untrue. Reports of suffering are grossly exaggerated ami apparent ly the product of propagandists. ('aiit). Kgypl. .Ian. .".?Radrel I dine Bey, controller of the govern ment crimes department, was se riously wounded by an assassin's revolver shot. lie returned the i lire ami pursued the assailant, i believed to be a si udent. I most unfair to the public to sup press i!iis. document. lie said he I had also asked the president al riie beginning i<> make the docu ; men! public. ;i ml i ha i he had re - I fused. I '"im you object lo my bringing (it for ward as an amendment'!" ; asked M r. ele Wiera. "Is this a debate ?>r an old wo man's wrangle?" exclaimed Collins. "This document is hiring referred Iii? piecemeal." continued ?le \V? 1 'era. "and nn :it:?-mt>i is being I made l<> prejudice my uuhi !<? bring it forward as an amendment while the only thin;; preventing it i i.; tii.it the oilier side wants a direct I vote. I formally give notice that I I will move tomorrow that this document lie brought forward an amendment." Canners to Gather At Louisville, Ky. Canners, Brokers and Dis tributors From All Parts of World to Meet Louisville, Ky.. Jan. 3. ?Plans are rapidly being shaped lor the fifteenth annual meeting of the Na tional Canners' Association. Can ning Machinery and Supplies As sociation and the National Food Brokers' Association to be held in Louisville January 1C to 20. It will be a getrogether convention of canners. brokers and distributors from all parts of the world. A new feature to be introduced j at this gathering will be a special j convention of which details for a j "Canned Foods Week" will be dis- j cussed. The committee on ..a;ion- j a) "Canned Foods Wee);" will an-i nounee that Tt will be held through oul the country March 1-S. Along with the general sessions! of the convention there will be ! meetings of separate sections, such J as tin- c<?rn. fruit, ketchup, kraut, milk, molasses and syrup, pea. j pork and bean, pumpkin, sweet po- j rato. tomato ami raw and green j bean sections. Through the courtesy of the Cnited States department of agri culture, the Bureau of Raw Pro ducts Research of the National) Canners' Association has received] assurance of exhibits and demon strations which are in preparation for the Louisville convention. Those i will he accompanied an/l explain- j ed by the department's scientific experts. The latest knowledge in regard to diseases of sweet corn and meth ods for controlling them will bei presented. Valuable additions to the knowledge of the corn root, rot . problem have been made ranee the j last convention, and these results! will he show n. State Ware house System Organization Has Grown Rap-j idly in Recent Months Columbia. Jan. 1.?The state! warehouse system has grown rap- ! idly in recent months, according! to a statement made today by J. j C. Rivers, of Columbia, state ware house commissioner. In Septem-j her the system had NTS ware-j houses. Today there are over l, 100 warehouses in the system. Mr. Rivers ascribes the remark able growth of the system to the j activites of the federal war finance; corporation which lends money on I cotton and other agricultural pro- j ducts, giving preference to receipts j of the state warehouse system. Be cause money is more easily avail able on state warehouse receipts, many large' warehouses have joined I the state system recently. Mr. ! Rivers states that many of the largest warehouses of the state.! owned privately or by strong cor-j porations, have joined the state) syst em. Mr. Rivers states also that the! system has recently taken in many houses where canned goods are; stored. Especially in the coastal section are many canning establish- j merits, with stored goods. By put ting these storage houses in thei state warehouse system, money can be secured, with the warehouse! receipts as collateral. This is resulting in a great impetus to the canning industry of the state, Mr. Livers says. Fire in Hartsville Historic Coker Residence Lost in Flames Hartsville. Jan. 3 ?Smoking ruins and charred walls are all that is left of the home of the late Maj. James Lide Coker. The tire caught on the roof this morning about 11 o'clock. Janus L. Coker, eldest son of Major- Coker. owned and oc cupied the home. It appears that Mrs. Coker had left the house for a few minutes. Returning she noted the roof of her house ablaze and immediately turned in the alarm. The fire de partment responded at once and a large crowd of friends assembled I to render aid. Owing to the poor j water pressure, due to long hose i connections it was difficult to throw jibe streams of water high enough j to subdue the flames which fanned I bv a stilt breeze made rapid head I ! way. Probably a spark from a 1 chimney fell on the shingle roof and from this the stately old frame ? resilience, a mansion in its day when btiili about -in years ago, be came a complete wreck. POOD FOR STARVING RUSSIANS Washington. Jan. 2. -More than 3.000,000 bushels o!' corn has been bought by the purchasing com mission for Russian relief and one ship load of 240.0H0 bushels left New Orleans December :51. the American Farm Bureau Federation today said it had been informed hy Don Livingston, commissioner of agriculture of South Dakota. The corn lnis i><-e;i bought, it was said, for deli\ ei \ on shipim;i rd at New Orleans. Baltimore and Xew York. Tie- corn is bring purchased on ;i 'Tree-on?hoardshIp*" basis, it was explained, to eliminate the neces sity of organizing a large buying organization and to expedite its movement to Russia, where i; i nceded within sixty days. Ii is lie in-: shipped nugronnd. ami will ar rive in prime condition, it Is said, as her; as the weather continues cold The Soviel authorities have agreed to transport the corn fromd 'Tie ports lo t he fa mine ,-i reas. ' >ul w In re 1 h-y hide moonshine in the bushes it pay- to beat around the Lush. (From the Monthly Letter IN an industrial forecast for 1922 it is necessary to consider the causes of the depression, chief among which is the unbalanced re lationship between the prices of farm and other primary products on the one hand, and the prices of manufactured goods, transportation service a,, i various other products and services on the other hand- ? The final estimates of the Depart ment of Agriculture upon the 1921 crops give them a market value to the farmers $8,l)OU,0UU.0OU below the value of the crop of 1918 and $3.400,000.000 below the value of the crop of 1920. These are figures of great significance. The farmers have produced nearly as mu ch in quantity, but it has been valued in the exchanges at less than one-halt the figures of 1919. As other prod ucts and services have not declined in like degree, he farmers must buy much less, and all the industries are suffering in consequence. It is useless to expect a return to normal conditions while this dis parity of compensation between tjreat bodies of produces exist. It is unfair and it establishes an effective blockage against a revival of business. It is time that the busi ness community took cognizance of the situation, and set itself to the task of correcting it. The argument that stock on hand was purchased at higher prices has lost whatever force it ever had. Merchants who are interested in the return of pros perity should do their part for it. and one of their duties is to reduce operating costs. in large part the situation is chargeable to the action of organ ized labor in clinging to the war time wage rates. Raw materials and foodstuffs have had a great de cline at wholesale, but between the wholesale markets and consumers the cost of handling and manufac turing has not declined in like pro portions. The effect is to obstruct the distribution of goods and throw millions of wage-earners out of em ployment, at the same time keeping up the cost of living on the entire wage-earning population. In the aggregate there is no rv*m. but a great loss, to the wage-earners as a class. Railroad Wages The railroad companies are Struggling with a difficult situation, and although their efforts are in the public interest they have little help from the public. Railroad wages in shops and for common labor are so far above the wages paid for similar work along their lines that the companies find it practicable to make important savings by con tracting for their repairs and much other work. The New York Central has contracted for freight-handling at com? of its terminals, and the ?>ie has contracted for track-main mance ov?r i >or'ion ->i ?ts 'i**r Post Office Em ployees Hold Banquet j Got Together Occasion is Cn-j joyed by a Large Attend ance A banquet given by local post - ! office employee; Monday night at | Claremont Motel in honor of Post master Doar, although of an in formal nature, was most thor oughly enjoyed and will long be remembered by all those in at tendance. The happy party which gathered around the tables at S o'clock for one of those bountiful turkey suppers for which the I Claremont is fast winning a repu tation, cnosisted of about twenty of I I'nele Sam's helpers including till I those employed in the local office, ' rural carriers, special delivery car ; Hers and as guests of honor. Messrs B. It. Sanders and H. G. Osteen. ! As soon as supper was finished and the cigars were passed* Postmaster ! Doar arose and in well chosen I words thanked his fellow workers I for their thought fulness and loyal ' ty, touching on pleasant memories of their past association and their : hopes for t he future. j Following him several other in teresting talks were given by oth I ers present including Miss Eleanor j I Kolb. Messrs. Ralph Moise. Geo. ! Rei tham. Soule Mellette. \V. V. L. ' Marshall and B. R. Sanders, who is a retired postal clerk. The get rogether spirit of good fellowship was a feature of the occasion and when the party broke up those in attendance left with a feeling of having spent a most enjoyable evening. The list of ihose present included: Capt. T. S. Hoar, postmaster. Miss Annie Strobher. genera! de livery clerk. Miss Vileta Tisdale. stamp clerk. .Miss Eleanor Kol!?, parcel post clerk. Mr. Charlie Roone, money order clerk. Mr. Julian Wilder, registry clerk. Mr. Covington I'arhnm, distribut ing clerk. Mr. James Tardy. distributing clerk. Mr. Willie Bradford, distributing clerk. Mr. Mark Reynolds, distributing clerk, clerk. Mr. J. Ft. Jones, pareelpost eleik. Mr. Ralph Moise. acting assist ant postmaster. Mr. George Beet ham. inspecting clerk. Major J. W. Bradford; inspect ing elerk. Mr. Sotile Mellette. rural carrier. Mr. I: B. Jackson, rural carrier. Mr. W. V. U Marshall, rural car rier. Mr. Bailey But lor, rural carrier. Mr. Arthur Butler, rural carrier. Mr. B. R. Sanders, retired pos .t! clerk. Mr. H. G. Osteen, Editor Daily By GEORGE E. ROBERTS Issued by The National City Bank The operation of railway repair shops always has been regarded as a matter of policy within the dis cretion of the management. If a company can save money by oper ating its own shops it shouid do so. and by the same reasoning if money can be saved by letting out the work, that should be done. The railroads are maintained primarily to give service to the public, and the public is entitled to have them operated upon a level of costs cor responding to what the public pays and receives for like labors and ser vices. Continuity of service and merit in service may well be recog nized, but compensation should be based upon the value of services rendered. Any other system would make railroad employes a favored class, at the expense, not of the rail road companies, but of the public, including millions of people who have less pay than the railroad men. We have a lette.c? from Mont gomery, Ala., in which the writer says: "The producers arc forced to sell href for from ,1% :i> 3 cents per pound and bides for from 1 to .1 cents and die consumers pay from -:. to 40 cents per pound for Steak and from S3 to $15 per pair for shoes. The same is true of ill other prod ucts. The neg'o porters on railway train* get a salary of from $100 so $200 per month for eight hours of easy work a day; white the farm laborers work from 10 to 14 hour? a day in the dew and cold and receive a salary of from S8 to S15 per month, and the farmer loses money paying that salary. Something is radically wrong and I fear the result will not be good t'?r our country." The prospect is for a cessation of coal-mining when existing contracts expire on April 1st The pay for mining coal is so far above what it was before the war that the price of coal is one of the most serious obstacles to the general reduction of living costs and the revival of industry. The increased cost of coal and increased cost of trans portation are causing more unem ployment and more hardship in this country than any other two in flu ences that can be named. No pre dictions can be ventured as to when industry will be running full time so long as it labors under such handicaps. Agricultural Conditions Conditions in the agricultural sec tions are far from inspiring, but in the cotton country the feeling is a little better. The final government estimate upon the cotton crop is 8,340,000 bales, which compares with the October estimate of 6.537,000 bales, an increase that might have been expected to play smash with the market. The ex planation given for this extraor dinary revision is that the Depart ment of Agriculture was crippled in the bureau of estimates by a reduc tion of its force of investigators, and was misled as to the acreage planted in cotton. The ginnings proved the inaccuracy of the Oc tober estimate, and th? conclusion seems to be forced that the acreage The Lexington Murderers The Appeals of Kirby, Gap pins and Fox to Be Filed Columbia. Jan. 3.?The appeal of S. J. Kirby, now; in the death house of the state penitentiary, has. within the past few days, been filed with Solicitor Callison. of Lexington, according to a state ment made by the solicitor today. The appeal of Jesse Cmppins. an other member of the trio convicted of the murder of William Brazell. Columbia taxi driver, last summer, will be filed with the solicitor with in a week or two, by the loth the solicitor states. Attorneys for Gappim* have recently received copies of the transcribed testi mony in the case, and this means the appeal will shortly be perfect ed. The appeal of C. O. Fox, from the derision of Associate Justice Cot bran, in refusing a writ of cer tiorari for an appeal to the United States supreme court, will be heard by the supreme court at its April t?-rm. and until the three cases are disposed of by the ap pelate court, the three men can not be resenteneed to the electric chair. t<> which they were sen tenced by the Lexington court last summer. Solicitor Callision stated today that he intends to ask the supreme court early in its April session to dismiss the appeals of the three men. ander ihe new rule adopted by the court during the recent fall term, whereby ihr court has the right to dismiss an appeal, on mo tion of opposing counsel, if it is found that the appeal lacks merit, without the necesstiy of formal ar guments in Hie case and trie neees sity of a formal opinion in deciding the issue. It is not generally be lieved that the appeals of the ;hree men have merit, and no points raised now were raised a: the time of trial, and the three men admit ted their guilt. If. when ihr so licitor moves for dismissal of the appeals, no merit in the appeals appears to the supreme court, the appeals can he dismissed and the prisoners orderet! sent hack to the circuit court to be re-sentenced. Cnder Mich a situation. I'ox. Kirby and Cappins will !??? resenteneed at tlie term of court which con venes in Lexington county in May. It tin- com; docs no; dismiss the appeal. Put holds ib.at there is sufficient merit for arguments and a consideration of the case |>y the court, then the men could hardly he resenteneed until the Septem ber term, following a decision of the case by the supreme court. Kirby, whose appeal has been tiled, raises t'ue point that the c|r > :v of court records in Lexington do not show that tin- grand jury was properly sworn. He also takes certain exceptions to the judge's charge :is to tin Question of malice. That still small voice is tlu- voice of the people. inditions of New York for January) claimed by the organizers of ' movement. The first effect of the revised esti mate was to cause cotton to sell ott.* January contracts going under 17 cents, but since then with good conditions in the cotton goods trade prices have advanced about* two cents the pound. Exports of cotton since June have been well above those of the corresponding months of last year, and there is some feeling in the British cotton trade that world stocks of cotton goods are low and that better buy ing is not far off. Trade in India* is unfavorably affected by the patri otic boycott of British goods. The Government's final report makes this country's production of. wheat about 54,000,000 bushels above former figures. Exports for the twenty-five weeks ended December 22, as reported by Bradstreet's aggregated 231.000,000 bushels against 238.000,000 in the corresponding tim<2 last year. The market has been unsettled and fluctuating, but at the end of Decem ber was upon about the same level as at the beginning. The world's needs and supplies seems to be closely half anced in this crop, but the growing crop in this country is rated at a low condition. The West has a surplus of corn, i&'ch rests heavily upon the market, but prices have held their own during the past month, and gained a couple of cents, partly on the strength of prospective purchases for Russia. Cattle are depressed, but hogs around $7 per hundred-weight in Chicago^ yield a fair recrrn to the farmer who has grown a good crop of corn. Dairy products aho are bringing fair prices. Fanners who own their land and? are out of debt can get along very well under present conditions, although local taxes have been pushed up in recent years until they are as much as rent was twenty years ago. Far? mers who went into debt for la*d at the prices ruling two years ago have an interest charge which cannot be met from the land. This will be the first year in a great many in which numerous defaults will occur- in the payment of interest upon farm mort? gages. . ? There is good reason to believe that present prices for farm products are about the lowest that will be seen. The last two seasons have been un usually favorable for the grain crops. The carry-over of wheat certainly will not be large and the growing crop has a poor start. It would be re markable to have another bumper corn yield after three great crops, and there is reason to believe that less corn will be planted this year. Moreover, it is likely tliat the hog crop will be itf? creased. During the years when com brought high prices, it became {ht^ popular thing to sell corn and a good* many farmers got out of hogs. They are likely to get back to a more evenly balanced agriculture., with more milch cows, more pigs, more gTass and for-* age crops and more scientific culture. The Cotton Outlook. News and Courier. The New York Evening Po*i Is. its annual review of the cotton sit uation predicts an increased acre age and an increased yield in 1922t The expert of The Evening Post estimates that there will be a car ry-over of American cotton of about 2,000,000 bales at the end i of the present cotton year and he j says that neither Egypt nor India j will be able to dispose of all of ! their existing surplus! "There j fore," he concludes, "the course j of prices for cotton the ensuing j year will dep?nd largely upon the 'acreage at the start of the new j crop, together with the way the? financial industrial situation and I outlook of Europe shape up during j the next month or two. If the j new crop of 1022 should indicate j a yield of as high as 14,000.000 bales by the time the first govern ment condition and acreage report comes out about July 2, a price of IS or 20 cents i. pound would seem high with the condition in Europe continuing to call for adherence to rigid economy." Very few people in this part of the world believe that a crop ofj 14.000,000 bales is any longer pos-/ sible, now that the boll weevil has invaded the entire cotton belt. It is difficult, however, to determine just what percentage of the injury to cotton in 1921 was due to dis astrous seasons and what percen j tage was due to the boll weevil. In I the coastat section of South Caro lina the cotton yield has been ! decimated where it has not been wiped out entirely. Many up country farmers still believe that they are not going to be seriously affected. In the middle part of the state the production has been leut in half. In the eastern section I they expect, in counties like Dar j lington and Florence, to produce j at least as much cotton in 1922 as j they did in 1921. Probably the present year should , reveal just about how many bales of cotton can be expected hereaf ter from the American crop. The I Evening Post's expert may well be [right in his prophecy of a greatly ? increased acre*.0e. The real ques tion is ;ts to how much cotton can j m' made in states like Georgia and (South Carolina, planting as much - cotton as the growers are able to t finance. j The one mile of gravel roadway ; laid as an experiment on the Oswe ; go highway is convincing a great many people that a $12.000 pet. j mile gravel road is just as satisfac tory as a $30,000 per mile hard j surfaced road, and it may be more economical in upkeep and just as lasting. Lots of society buds blooming wall flowers. Sugar cane has become pot ular , with Brooklyn boys, who make frequent, trips to the docks where {this commodity is being unloaded and taken to a >-u?ur factory in Williamsburg. become