The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, January 25, 1922, Page PAGE 4, Image 4
: The Watchman and Southron
? -' " *' ' r " " * ' ~
Published Wednesday and Satur
v: *ay by
Ostccn Publishing Company,
Sumter, S. C.
" v ?. ; Terns: . v
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serve ^private interests will $e
charged for as advertisements.
Obituaries and tributes^ of re
spect will be charged far.
The Sumter "Watchman ' was
founded' in 1850 and the True
" ?&S$&$gQL in 1Z66. The Watchman
and. Southron now has tlfe com
bined'circulation and influence" of
both.of the old papers, and is man-'
ifestly the best advertising1' medium
in Sumter._ ? . ' ?
.. :'",ro1, '
INTERSTATE GUN TRAFFIC.
*f??. Tiie association of district at
torneys'and federal prosecutors of
. th^ritate of New York is seeding
:*v-a-way to prevent pistols and small
arms from being brought into the
," state" by individuals, and also to
. . prevent, interstate shipment of fire
arms. .It is a - sort of activity
which; shodid 'be going on every-*
where.':, *
? -it is. of Kttle.^use for one com
jn-n.nit.y - or state to - try. #to control
the- traffic in deadiy weapons as
long as!'other localities have no
similar*; legislation. As long as a
firmi.in?:one city .can ship guns by
' ^pailto! customers in another city,
.jitpppiQg thefr public sale in the
latter is of little practical help.
The pistol is;a killing weapon. It
"should *be banished. While the
t&i^jand the gunman are allowed
*: to ke^p-ftheirs, tlie honest man will
feei'rthat he must keep his. There
? snoulff!i be unified legislation
-c - ... i.
throughout the nation to sweep
... taeiSL all. out. There a*re measures
pending .before congress mow for
'"' thaFpnrpose. Either these, or mea%
ures. more drastic and comprehen
s^^-^hjpuld be put through" with
out delay. ^
3*~i?s??LW-' U-_^_
-tt^^-: g?r
? *CKANCE FOR. HOOVER.
for the economic con
nc^jere^e,at Genoa go on, it is report
ed?'- that, a delegation headed by
Herbert "Hoover may be sent to rep
v y resetrt' America. , ? 1;
, Totere., is a very general feeling
./invtiP? country that the great need
'in' Berfcpe is the reduction of
' standing armies and the return of
3s a corresponding number of men,
... who- now represent only a great
"-** border **of expense, to productiva
labors m their own communities.
In' Edition to* this, Mr. Hoover
thinks the rehabilitation of Europe
*; depends upon four steps, which
? are*? '
'T^atahcing of budgets by the va
riQUS continental governments; re
* t- construction and reformation of na
tional currenciesr involving the
stoppage of the presses turning out
. papeK money; tevyi*r of increased
. taxes; and recognition ol the' nec
essary^ connection between the eco
1 n?mic recovery of Europe generally
ancfthje economic recovery of Ger
? -many.::
It -is-bard to say whether, if the
conference is* called at Genoa,
France ? will subscribe to all the
steps suggested, but the fact re
? -mains''that they are the essentials
to' European recovery. It may be
,4bai? because of the esteem in
- .";Which. jRe is held abroad, Mr.
- ?e?ver>;might'be able to do some
effective missionary work in/ the
. matter- .
A: RATION A?> ENTERPRISE,
' The ? recommendation to Con
g?eW of the ~St. Lawrence deep
waterway plan by the international
commission has put this proposal
squarely before the country for ac
tion,' t The response seems to be
almpst;,\manimouslj- favorable. The
Tf West; ;and South are inclined to
; ^support it in spite of the fact that
N rtr is "regarded as primarily a Mid
dle ,yv"est project. They recognize
tha&'any such constructive nation
al undertaking benefits the whole
country" directly or indirectly. As
the ;Js?Cky Mountain News re
marks, nearly all the opposition
\tJomes from New York. The wes
tern ami southern states probably
fejei' too, that if the federal gov
-v/.-enunoitt once undertakes any
~'"55UCh',c'onstructive enterprise in any
section of the country, it will be
-1 ~i
more inclined thereafter to do big
?thingsrfor the development of oth
er Sections.
Tfie, general .approval is easily
understood, in view of the com
mission's reportj that the whole
cost''* of the project, about as
mu'cfi'as that of the Panama Ca
nal., jfi^Jke divided between the
.. United States and Ccinada. can be
. regained by the sale of waterpower
developed incidentally. Th<? chief
benefit^.promised ar^:
Tb# stimulation of agrifujlture
and industrj' in tho whole region
lying between the Appalachian
range and the Rockies, by the low
ering of export freight charges:
Relief of congested eastern
transportation, benefitting alike
shippers and consumers and eas
ing the burden of the railroads:
Relieving the coal shortage and
conserving the coal supply, through
the creation cf nearly 1,500,000
horsepower m hydro-electric
plants:
Promoting the friendship of the
United States' and Canada through
helpful co-operation On a mutually
beneficial project.
There are two reasons that seem
likely to prove effective with con
gress. . . ~
WHY TAXES Ml'ST COME
DOWN.
?
(News and Courier).
The primary facts with refer
I ences t> the tax situation^ in South
Carolina are so big and so outstand
ing that one can Only be amazed
that they continue to be ignored
at Columbia. We hear' contin
uously of the "necessity of '"finding
new sources of revenue." We hear
very little of what is far more vi
tal at the present time, namely,
the*nece^sity of reducing appropria
tiohs*and expenditures]
What the legislature needs to
| realize, and what the people of
South Carolina must realize, is that
lor the past two years public ex
penditures in this state have been
oeyond the ability of the people to
pity.' Th;s is the hard fact. It can
iiCt be Ulnked in the end; the legis
lature ought to recognize its ex
istence now.
In his'annual message to the
legislature Governor Cooper stat
ed |hat on November 1, 1921,
"there* was -uneollected, from taxes
of 1920, practically $1,259,000/'
This morning the News and Cour
ierv prints statements from coun
ty treasurers of ^thirty-four coun- j
ties showing that in those'counties
only $?,151,323 of the 1921 taxes
have been paid out of a total as
sessment fo'$11,017,744 for the
counties named. v ' *
There is thus $4,366,421 of the
1921 taxes still outstanding and un
eollected in these counties. ' The
following table has-been made up
from the statements ser t in by the
county treasurers:
Counties. ? Paid, Uhpaijl
Abbeville ...$151,652. $1,IIU,101
Aiken Z_ 30<K9S0 221,703
Allendale_ 46,363 . $2,726
Bamberg_ 106,350 72,394
Barnwell_ 86,000 8*,O0O
Berkeley..._ loi',8s4 78,624
Calhouh_ 65,952 65,952
I Charleston 898,501 397,259
Chester ? __ 294,S69 88.000
Clarendon .. 76,625 153,000
Colston i_ 105,968 153,733
Darlington 182,579 250,000
j Dillon . 118,2.69 175,000
j Dorchester ... 110,000 85,347
lEdgefieW_ 72,000 145,000
*Fairfield_ 164,000 78.000
Georgetown _ 98,600 125.00Q
Greenwood .. 280,000 209,954
'Hampton ... 55,789 lll,0p0
Horry. 108.296 108.296.
Lancaster_ i?8,434 105,00
Lancaster ... 158.434 105,000
Lee .. .. 91,4.42 2Q9.00O
[Marion?_ 148,395 10.8,111
j Marlboro .. 225.761 150,000
McCormick .. 45,080 87,000
Newberry _r., 243,606 153,113
Qcon.ee -- .- 207,638 107,000
Orahgehurg ._ 240,182 359,807
Pickens_ 292,000 73,000
jSaluda. 58,000 107,000
I Summer ... .. 202.000 204,000
Union -. 280,000 118,000
Williamsburg . S9.000 170,000
York. 448,438 181,311
Totals ...$6,1-51,323 $4,866,296
j The county treasurers of Ander
j son, Beaufort," Cherokee, Chester
I field. Florence. Greenville, Jasper,
Kershaw, Lexington. Richland and
Spartan burg did not respond to
iThe News and Courier's inquiry
The total assessment of these coun
ties for state and county taxes in
1921 was $6,849,610.
The treasurer for Laurens sent
the figures for state taxes only,
flaurens county's total assessment
was $438,217.82.
On the basis of the averages
shown in the reports from the oth
er thirty-four counties, this would
mean thajl there is still something
like $2.500.000 of the 1921 taxes
to be collected in the counties
which have not been heard from.
In addition, therefore, to the
$1.250,000 of 1920 taxes which re
main uneollected it is probable
[that well over $6.000,000 of the
192 i taxes are still outstanding.
This in itself should be a suffi
cient warning of the necessity for
retrenchment: but the story is not
yet ended. It is brought out by
several of the treasurers that the
? taxes which have been paid have
! come in many counties largely from
,the railroads and corporations. In
: Vvilliamsburg county one-third of
the 1921 taxes have been paid, but
the county treasurer has written
receipts for only one-sixth of the
entries on the books. Out of every
six property towners in the county
five have still to pay their taxes.
Identically the same situatmion
exists in Hampton, where one
third of the taxes have 1>oph col- I
lected "But where, oh, whe?v," j
I asks County Treasurer K. E. Caus
j ey, "is the balance coming from,
j with corporations and those who
; were able having paid?"
When the legislature fixed the
! state and county taxes of South
j Carolina for 1921 at $18,257,021,
j 25 it was on the basis of a cotton
crop worth two hundred millions
or more. With a cotton crop
worth less than half this amount
the money, to pay such a tax bill
simply does not exist?especially
when it is borne in mind that over
half the present crop is in eleven
counties. No shifting of taxation
will make it possible to meet such
a budget as was called ljor in 1920
and 1921 or anything like it. If
the land owners and farmers are
unable to pay, who is?
THE PAYING HEN.
The Kansas City Star indulges in
? little comparison of hen and grain
profits. The United States Depart
ment of Agriculture reports thafit
takes about six pounds of grain to
feed a hen while she is laying a
dozen eggs. . If the eggs sell as
low as 12 cents a dozen, the grain
she has eaten may be considered
to'have, brought two cents" a<pound.
Corn, oats and wheat are, selling
at from one-half cent a pound to
something less than one and one
half cents.
Of course other factors besides
' grain consumed must be figured
in "when considering the profitable
I ness of hens. Yet the fact remains
that poultry raising might be one
<of the most profitable industries of
the farm.
Poultry fanciers take particular
care of their birds. The average
farmer, however, houses his poul
try in makeshift shelters, feeds
them by crude methods and pays
very little attention to the results
in egg profits. Here is one place
where the hard-pressed farmer
could do a little thrifty spending
and improving. Good flocks of
hens, well cared for, do much more
than pay their own way.
# o o
Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler of
Columbia University says that
"since the Civil War there has
been a tendency in_ this country to
lobk upon the college as the most
inviting and satisfactory form of
j country club with incidental facili
jties for reading and study." Per
haps that is why government cen
! sus figures show a steady gain in
(college' attendance,
j . < ? ? ? ? ? i
! UNSELFISHNESS IN POLITICS.
1 -
, "Men have never worked for the
sole good of their country," says
Mary Garrett Hay, feminist lead
er. "Men ha*e worked for office
'and for self-gain and glory. Wo
men on the contrary, work for the
best good of their country, and
with that object the League of
Women Voters will continue to be
? strong political organization."
Ahem! This is a bit rough on
the men. \W?h their usual mod
esty, however, men are likely to
agree that there may be something
in it, and let it go at that.
And yet, when a mere man starts
thinking the matter .pver, he can't
help remembering that George
Washington was a man, and he
took office under protest, and laid
ft down with relief: also that
Abraham Lincoln was a man, and
even the feminists have not ac
cused Lincoln of vainglory and self
seeking.
According to fallible masculine
notions, there have been, and are
i now, quite a lot of men who seem
to be serving their country or
state or city with zeal and self-de
nial^
At the same time, politics is a
notorious foe of modesty. We ven
ture to warn the , good women of
the League accordingly. Women
have been known, it is said.' to
strive for office rather ambitiously
in private life?even in political
organizations. Do they not fear
j the temptations of the larger politi
eal life? Or is even- woman po
litician, by mere virtue of her sex.
a Joan of Arc?
GARDENS AND GARDKNS.
The new garden catalogues are
rooming along in the mails, this year
'more beautiful than ever. It is too
j soon to plant, but it is never too
[soon to plan: and planning is. of
j itself, one of the best winter sports.
There is One kind of garden.
' however, which can be cultivated
j in the winter time. Work on it
pays fat dividends. If the whole
j nation turned to for one winter
[and assiduously cultivated, every
j one his own little patch, there is
I almost no limit to the increase in
', the national resources which would
I ensue.
This is the garden of the mind.
; Reading one or two good, hard
j books is one way to cultivate it.
Attacking some problem of life or
work which has hitherto baffled is
another. Ji' rhe man who doesn't
lik?- his io$ will give 1.". minutes a
day to solid, concentrated thought
on how to improve that job, he will
r/
f
? find the digging turns up fresh soil
i on which, before long, flourishing
; crops of better working conditions
begin to show their .heads. If the
i woman Who does not like her house
will stop kicking and devote 15
minutes to solid. concentrated
Ithought on the subject of how to
better it. the first-thing she knows
a simple means of changing things
; will occur to her. Pansies of hearts
ease* roses of beauty and violets of
contentment will spring up in her
mental, garden.
Getting the mental machinery to
work smoothly is one of the great
j satisfactions.
j Reading the Bible a few minutes
la day is not ^ bad way to dig and
! fertilize. P la y i n g the piano?
! something a bit hard and interest
j ing?is another.
Playing checkers or chess, or
: any game which lakes skill arid
concentration rather than chance
fand noise, puts a pretty good bor
i
j der on the garden. Attention to
self-control gives the shady paths
that peaccfulness which radiates
strength.
How foolish to let this garden lie
a dingy mess of weeds!
-?>-t~*
Putting a'Penalty on Thrift.
'
j (Abbeville Press and Banner).
! The cry is that a property tax is
j unequal and that not all the peo
J pie contribute to the payment of
j the running expenses of the gov
? ernment. It is proposed, there
fore, by those . who would sec con
ditions improved in this respect'to
have some system of taxation
which wiu he more nearly equal.
Several schemes have been sug
j gested. looking to fhis end. Some of
I them may have merit and deserve
consideration*! but there is nothing
more unfair in our judgment than
an income tax. A large percentage
j of the people, under a property tax,
? contribute to the running expenses
j of the government. The govern
! mer.t is for all alike, while under
j an income tax a few people, (and
j they taken as a whole are those
I now most imposed on in matters of
'taxation), will be called on to pay
fa portion of the running expenses
I of the government. The fact is that
it is a shifting of the tax burden
j from property owners as a whole
! to property owners of a very lim
ited class, to corporations and in
| dividuals of large means, persons
! natural and artificial who are al
ready paying more than their part
j of the taxes.
j ; The people who say that they
1 want to equalize taxes and shift
! the burden to the shoulders of oth
*
\ ers not paying any taxes, are not,
i we thinkv sincere when in the next
; breath they undertake to impose a
?gre*at part of the burden of gov
ernment on a very few: ^Of course
' it will be said that there is a man
here and there who has an income
of $5.000 who is paying no taxes
! and maybe there will be found
j such, but the man who is dishon
j est enough to undertake to escape
j the payment of taxes , under one
j plan will escape under anothei
! plan. There is no way to make a
perfect machine of government.
! The danger is that in-undertaking
! to perfect" it we ma?e its imper
j fections greater. ? ,
! We believe that there is justice
and equality in a tax on gasoline
! The peoplev who run motor cars
j have in large measure been re
J sponsible for trhe issues of road
I bonds and for extraordinary ex
? pensesfor road building. The clam
! or for "good roads, and when the
iroads are built they use them,
Why not make them pay the bill oi
\ a good part of it? But when we
i are putting a license tax on auto
; mobiles and forcing their owners
j to pay a tax on gasoline, why <io1
j also charge a license tax against
j horse-drawn vehicles, against ani
j mals driven upon the ^highways
and against all the people who use
the highways? To be perfectly
frank- the real reason why this is
not done is this: The legislators are
willing to put the burden on the
j few (automobile owners) and al
j low the many to escape because in
j this way they do not offend the
: men who cast the. votes?
We would like to see the genera]
?assembly ?? get idown to rock bot
' torn principles and do what thej
j propose to do, impose the burdens
\ of taxation on all, as nearly alike
as possible. But they will not dc
so. They will in effect line a man
who has something to leave to hi>
! wife and children: they will put a
penalty*on him if he works while
others play: they will burden him
j with an unequal load if he tries ft
build up while the demagogue
how ls, and so it will go.
The public schools affect the
j whole peopb-. If the members ol
the general assembly want every
body affected to bear some of the
burdens of government, why not
require of every child attending
thep ublic schools the payment ot
tuition in the amount of -SI pet
month-.' li costs the taxpayers
sonn- four or five Or more dollars
per pupil to keep the schools run
ning a month. Why should those
who get the benefit <>;' the schools
not pay a little? But they will
not do this. The tax against lands,
and houses and corporations,
against incomes (of considerable
amount) against inheritances, and
against thrift generally will be
doubled and trebled under one form
or another, but the dear one-horse
farmer will never be called <>n to
pay.
AH c>f which causes us t.i say
thai this is the worst demagogue
ridden Common wealth under the
sun.
When the fuss about taxes is all
over the man who is now paying
his taxes will lind himselt par
ing a little more.
Bin It Announcement.
Mr. and .Mis. .J. Doby Jennings
:i nnoutu e i he bin Ii oi ;i daughter.
Sarah Josephine, January IS, l:?J_'.
More German
Frightf ulness
! Chemists Working With New
York Bootleggers in Sale of
Wood Alcohol
?
! Washington. Jan. 23.?The pro
; hibition authorities are on the
! trail of two Cerman chemists who
i are alleged to be working with the
j bootlegging organization in Xew
! York, in an effort to nullify the
! poisonous nature of denatured al
; cohol.
j STARTING PLANTS
IN THE HOUSE
J In some of the cooler sections of
I the South it is desirable to start
I plants for certain crops before it
I is safe to plant them in the open
i ground. For this purpose it is de
I sirable to have a hotbed, if any
I large quantity of seed is to be
started, or to use boxes in the
house, if the^planting is to be only
I in small or moderate quantity. For
j the average small gardener the box
; in the house is the usual and more
j convenient method. It is alto
i gether" practical, also.
J These boxes, which should be
shallow in order better to govern
conditions of moisture, are gener
ally^known. from their shape, in
the trade as flats. A cigar box
makes an ideal flat for a small
quantity of seed. Even in an ordi
nary cigar box a sufficient Quantity
of either tomato, pepper, eggplant,
cabbage. Brussels sprouts, lettuce
t or onion'seed may be given an
'early start placing the box in a
i light window, where it is certain
' not to escape attenton.
j ? If no box is handy and one has
; to be made, the following dimen
sions have b*en found to be about
(right: three to four inches deep,
? n foot to 14 inches wide, and 20 to
24 inches long. If it is desired to
place the box upon -a window sill,
the width, of course, should he reg
ulated according to the width of
the sill, letting the length of the
box be the inside width of the
window. g '
Drainage-is the first and most
important feature. Place a layer
of coarse gravel cinders or broken
I flower pots or crockery about an
I inch deep in the bottom. Upon this
a layer of good garden soil, con
j taining. if possible, decayed leaves
j or manure, should be placed,
coming almost to the top of the
j box. The -soil under the family
j woodpile, when it4 is used up in the
J early spring or from around ^e
! caving logs in the woods, is ideal
I material, but if this is not handy,
[good garden soil will do very well.
J Press this soil down firmly with a
j brick or board, sift a little earth
' over it. so that the surface is even
land smooth. .Make rows one-quar
ter to one-half an inch deep, ac
:| cording to the size, of the seed, the
j narrow way of the box, and about
j two inches apart for the coarser
tand one inch for the finer seed, and
sow the seed. Sift earth through a
sieve to cover them and then gently
firm it down with a brick or piece
of smooth board of convenient size.
1 The "first watering is best done
i by setting the seed box in water
j until the moisture shows at the
j surface of the soil, and then remov
ing it and allowing it to drain. Af
i ter that water only sufficiently to
i keep the soil moist, but wet, and
'(never enough so that the water
i will leak through the box. Apply
. the water gently wfth a fine spray,
; or if not at hand, with a whisk
I broom, or by sprinkilng with the
j fingers. Do not pour from a pitch
| er or sprinkler, as the water will
i wash the seeds and often destroy
I them when they are^are sprouting.
Until the seeds begin to show
: through the soil, it is a good plan
to cut a piece of cloth to fit the
box to lay over the soil, old sheets
;! or limn toweling being excellent
j for the purpose, and the water
! may be applied through this. Re
i move when the first sprouts ap
, pear.
, I A pane of glass is even better,
j as it prevents too rapid evapora
tion. It should be removed oc
casionally and the moisture which
! has condensed upon it should be
I wiped off. When the sprouts ap
pear, partially remove the glass at
; one edge to allow plenty of air to
circulate, and as soon as well up
I remove entirely. Turn the box
j each day so the plants will not
I grow one sided and stretch towards
the light.
* Chinese and British Contend About
Possession of Land.
Amoy. China. Dec. 21.?A dispute
Ibas arisen between the British rep
: resentatives and the Chinese in
i habitants here over the possession
I of a valuable section of the busi
| ness district on Ihe waterfront or
: Bund which may lead to serious
j consequences. The British claim it
as a concession. Part of this dis
puted territory is composed of fill
j eld-in land upon which a British
firm is now building a jetty.
To this the Chinese - objected.
; claiming the new land belonged to
I the city. Failing to stop the Brit
ish work, they appealed to the Pe
king government thus far without
result. Circulars have been issued
by the Amoy Civilians' Association
and other Chinese associations pro
testing against the conduct of the
British authorities and resenting
the presence here of the British
Asiatic Fleet, which recently ar
rived.
A boycott has been declared by
the Chinese against the British
firm which is building on the tilled
in land.
Severe Winter in Central Kuropo.
Trieste. Italy. Jan. 1.?The se
vere winter which the whole of
Central Europe is experiencing has
seriously handicapped the naviga
tion of the Danube. The cold wave
w.-!< so sudden that more than G"
vessels belonging to several nations
have been ra?ghi in the icfe and
will be i'<>r< <-d to \ up to} 11n
whole winter unless an unloolced
for thaw ? onu s in the meantime.
Jewish Relief Fund
: One Hundred Thousan-.i Dol
..
lars to Be Raised in South
Carolina
_
Charleston. Jan. 23.?One hun
dred thousand dollars will be sought
j in South Carolina for the relief
I of Jewish war sufferers in Europe
! in a state-wide campaign to be
i conducted February 5 to 9. The
j campaign in this state is part .of a
I nationwide drive to raise fourteen
j million dollars for ministering to
j the needs of millions- of starving
i and destitute people in th= war
stricken regions. "We save them
or they die" is the slogan of the
campaign.
Preliminary work has been un
der way in South Carolina for sev
i eral weeks and the state body is
! rapidly perfecting its district an'd.
county organizations. The- state
committee is headed by August
Kohn of Columbia as honorary
chairman. Louis M. Shimel of
Charleston as state chairman, and
Montague Triest of Charleston as
chairman of the state executive
committee. Other officers include
Arthur V. Williams of Charleston,
j secretary, Joseph Hepler of Char
I leston, treasurer, and JOsephx R.
I Freifeld of Aiken, campaign di
rector. The advisory board con
sists of Rabbi J. S. Raisin, of
Charleston: Rabbi F. K. Hirsch, of
Sumter: Rabbi Emil Horowitz, of
Charleston: Dr. Josiah Morse, of
Columbia: Rabbi Zorach Bielsky.
of Charleston, and Rabbi IX A.
Karesh, of Columbia.
The State, for the purpose of
the campaign, has been districted
in' accordance with congressional
districts, with a district chairman
j in charge of each.' These district
j chairmen are: First district, L.
I Wetherhorn. Charleston: Second,
j M. S. Polier Aiken: Third, Morris
I Rosenbaum, Greenwood; Fourth,
I Gilbert Harris, Spartanburg; Sixth
|j. M. Levkoff, Hartsville; Seventh,
I. C. Strauss, Sumter. Each dis
trict chairman is responsible for
the counties in his district and
each county has a chairman and
! organization of its own.
I In sections of the country where
j the campaign has already been
j held, unexpectedly large results
were obtained. Chicago, with a
quota of $1,060,000J subscribed
about $2,500,000. New York has
a quota of 15,000,000 and is ex
pected to exceed it. Campaign
' leaders in South Carolina are con
fident of success in this state.
Mr. George D. Levy, Sumter, is
j chairman for this county.
jCROP VALUE PER
ACRE DROPS 00 PER
CENT IN TWO YEARS
Washington, Jan. 23.?The aver
! age value per acre of 10 crops con
' stituting nine-tenths of all crop
I production dropped ,from $35.76
to $14.48, or 60 per cent, during
[the two/years 1919-21, announced
- the United States department of
agriculture today. This decline is
1 unparalleled within the scope of
records of the department dating
back to 1866.
During the years immediately
following the civil war the general
- trend of the average was down
! ward, dropping from about $14
, or $15 per acre to less than $S by
1896, the lowest point^in the in
dustrial depression of that time. An
advance then set in and by 1913
the average value per acre was
, $16*49. The following year there
was a slight decline to. $16.44 caus
j e.d by the low price of cotton, but
in 1916, the year before the Unit
! ed States entered tlie world war,
i the average advanced to $22.58, or
t $6-14 in two years.
By far the greatest gian in one
j year in average value per acre for
?| 10 crops was $10.69 from '1916 to
j 1917, the average for the latter
year being $33.25. Tne average for
j 1918 was $33.73. The average con
tinued to rise and in 1919 reached
the peak of $35.76. A decline then
set in. the average dropping $21.28
per acre, or 60 per cent, in the two
years that followed.
j Embargo on
j Arms Proposed
Washington. Jan. 23.?As one
! means of obtaining a reduction in
! the Chinese army, the arms con
ference is considering a resolution
providing for the prohibition of the
importation of arms into China.
Coal Mine Strike
May Come in April
? Washington, Jan. 23.?Secretary
; Hoover announced that the govern
i ment had been advising the stcok
ling uf coal in preparation for the
' prospective strike April first.
! Par Check Fight.
Washington. .Jan. 23.?Chairman
McFadden, of the House Hanking
and Currency Committee lias intro
duced a bill to settle t!ie par check
[collection fight between the coun
itry banks and Federal Reserve
1 banks.
-c ? m
!r. r. superintendent
dies at morehead city
j
Morehead City. X. C. .Ian. 23.?
.!. c. Lewis, superintendent of tin
I Norfolk Southern railroad died
! here last night.
-
archbishop of
toledo dead
Madrid, Jan. 23.?Cardinal Al
ma razy Santos, aged 74. archbish
op of Toledo, died last night.
Ninety per t ent of the men look
ing for arguments are single.
Financial writer says unsettled
incidents expected next month. By
'?incidents" he must mean bills.
The Aiken Check
Forgery Case
_ V
j One Man Bound Over For
I Trial at Sessions Court?
Hearing Continues
Aiken? Jan. ?".?Ar the prelimin
ary hearing held in Aiken today.\
! Melton Lyles.' alleged forger and
?swindler, was hound over on three 1
j charges of "uttering a forgery." \
j until the court of general sessions -
j meets in Aike n in May.
Magistrate Raibon was the judge
j sitting in the case and he first fixed
I the bond for Lylcs at $1.000 for!
j euch forgery charge, bur at the re-<
I erdest of the attorneys for the de
fendant that the bond be lessened.;
I lie announced that he would nor
[decide on bond until lie had con-!
i ferred with the attorney.
The preliminary hearing for the
! alleged forgers began this morn
I ing at 10 o'clock and continued un
! tU this afjfernoon at 5 o'clock when
j court adjourned until tomorrow.
[The last part of the hearing was
i taken up with the ease of the state
: against Mr. and Mrs. Sam Padgett,
j J. C. Westberry and Melton
j Lyles on charges of conspiracy, but
j the hearing was put off until tomor
I row, when all of the witnesses^
[ shall have been heard,
j Henderson Bros., prominent
Aiken attorneys, are assisting the
solicitor, ft. L. Gunter, in thev pros
ecution 'anu W. M. Smoak and
Sawyer & Oiks are the attorneys
j for the defense.
I P. F. Henderson said he intended
j to have several important witnesses
j on hand in the morning.
The hearing today began with
j the testimony of L. C. Eubanks. in
I the employ of George E. Owens of
! Aiken, who was the party whose
j name was forged on the checks
j passed in Aiken. Mr. I-Zubanks ex
? plained the circumstances leading
' to the discovery of the forgery. He
', recognized the checks and classed
I them as forgeries, saying that
j neither he rfor Mr. Owens had sign
| ed them.
j Tile next witness was J. M.
j Thomas, teller of the Farmers and
! Merchants' bank of Aiken. He
i said. after pointing to Lyles.
J ''there is absolutely no doubt in
j my mind that he is the man. He
I made an everlasting impression
' upon me at the time and I could
j not easily forget him." ?
; George E. Owens was the next,
j He corroborated in full all of the
: testimony given by his clerk, Mr.
! Eubanks.
t
? William Schroder, paying teller
? of the First National bank of Aik
i en, w?s?the next witness. He was
: positive in his identification of
, Lyles. "E am absolutely positive
: that Lyles is the man."' he said.
i "because when he 'presented the
I check and started an account I
talked with him for a few mo
ments-and thanked him for becom
; ing a customer of the bank."
? W. H. Pardue, teller of the Bank
I of Western Carolina, on whom one
j of the forged checks is alleged to
I have been drawn, likewise identi
! tied Lyles and said. "I am positive
j beyond the shadow of a doubt that
: he is the man. / As soon as I dis
i covered that the checks were forg
t ed I wrote 'forgery' on trfe backs
j of them and returned them to the
I other banks at once."
; When the above witnesses had
I been heard Magistrate Raibon an
| nounced that he had decided to
; bind Lyles over to the court of gen
j eral sessions for trial in May. The
! conspiracy charge was then tak
| en up.
The hearing on the conspiracy
I charge had barely started when
I the lawyers for both sides began
[a long debate relative to the admis
; slon of certain testimony and ? Ife
\ fore the argument was ended the
! magistrate announced a recess for
' lunch.
: Court convened at 3 o'clock and
! W. M. Johnson of Aiken was the
I first to testify. He said that he
i had seen Padgett in Aiken on
Thursday of last week, the dare on
: \yhich the forgery was committed.
Mrs. .Julia Wolfe, another Aiken
' resident, also testfied and stated
[that she had seen Mrs. Padgett on
j the street and had recognized her
by a unique hat she was wearing'
: when she was brought to Aiken
from Augusta Sunday morning. ?
j The prosecution began by intro
' ducing testimony of bank officials
in other places, and a Mr. McFali.
j vice president and cashier of the
; Commercial bank of Xewberry,
I identified Westberry as the party
j who had passed a forged check on
him. Mr. Wright, of the Ex
' change bank of Xewberry, also
identified Westberry.
Lyles was m-xt identified by a
Mrs. Bray, teller of the Peoples'
Xational bank of Athens. Ga., and
the prosecution and defense began
another long drawn ou; argument
regarding admission of testimony
as to the mann* r in which the four
alleged forgers and swindlers were
arrested, and what led to their dis
covery.
Magistrate Raibon at .", o'clock
announced that the court was ad
journed and the hearing would be
continued tomorrow at f? o'clock
in the morning.
lew Autos iti Mountain Counties of
Kentucky.
-
Frankfort. Ky.. Jan. l*.?Three!
Kentucky counties contained no
automobiles of any kind on ruly t.
LJ?20 when the assessment of taxes
for were made, according to
the annual report of the State Tax1
Comission. These were the moun
tain counties of Knott. .Leslie and
Clav.
Six other counties had no motor
trucks although a few automobiles!
woe 1 istt?1. They wer.-: Owsley.I
county, two passenger ears valued;
at $5SO; Powell. passenger cars]
valued at s 1'.'..',.?_?.">: Roekeastle. 103 j
passenger ears valued at $3S.1*70:
Jackson, three passenger cars val
ued at $7?>0" Magoffin. four pas
senger cars valued at $700 and;
Breathitt. si>: passenger ears val-j
lied :r ?2 1 ~>0. I
All of these counties are In the !
mountainous section of the state.
State Teachers'
Association
Annual Meeting to Be Held in
Columbia March-16-18. Pro
gram Being Arranged'
Rock Hillejan. 21.?The pro
gram for the State Teachers' Asso
ciation has beln practically com
!'k:<>d. The slogan for the mee..
teg is "Fifteen Hundred for Colum
bia. March 16th to 18th, 1922."
Judging from the interest being
taken in the meeting of the Asso
ciation all over the State, this "will
be one of the biggest and best meet
ings ever held. Among the speak
ers for the general sessions will be
Dr. E. C. Brooks. Superintendent
of Education of North / Carolina;
Dr. Hugh S. Magill Field Secretary
of the National Educational Asso
ciation; Dr. Thomas Alexander, j
Poabody College for Teachers; and" j
Dr.. Henry D. Phillips, Pastor of
Trinity Church in Columbia. Be
sides these there will be some
speakers^ from the State..
The "^departmental meetings
promise to be up to their usual
high standard. These departmental
meetings have been arranged so
that teachers may get information |
and inspiration for their work
from the kindergarten teacher to
the college professor. These de
partmental meetings will be. held
on Thursday afternoon, March 16th,
Friday morning, March. 17th and
Friday afternoon.
Special rates will be granted by
the railroads over all parts of
South Carolina, Announcement of
the exact rate will be made a little
later.
The Columbia Chamber of Com
merce is lending its hearty sup
port in making the meeting a great
success. Since the camp has been
moved from Columbia there should
be- no trouble in providing ample
.entertainment for all of. the
teachers
It :s the desire of the officials
of-the association to have as many
to enroll in advance of the meeting
as possible. To enroll it is only
necessary to send a membership
fee together with the name and
address to W. E. Black, EstilL Mr.
Black is treasurer and will send a
receipt. Dues are oOc for ladies
and $1.00 for men.
Editor. I shall greatly appreci
ate your*using the above. V be
lieve that this announcement will
? be of interest to many of your*'
readers. In doing this you will be
rendering a service to the cause of
education fn. South Carolina."
1 Thanking you, I am,
: Yours very truly,
I R. C. BURTS,
Secty.
Strange Story of Banditry.
Sofia. Dec. 24.?A strange tale of
'banditry resulting in the murder
by mistake of a girl by her- own
father and mother is vouched for
'officially by the Bulgarian police.
Ivan, a peasant of Hazrad, sold
'two calves for 10,000 levas# and
1 started home from the market with
his daughter Milka. Fearing rob*
1 hers he gave the money to his
daughter. The father was attack
ed on the road and killed by two
: men who saw him make the sale.
Milka fled and sought refuge to,
?k peasant cottage where a woman
! and her daughter comforted her
and 'gave her dinner. Later Milka
; was sent to bed with the woman's
daughter.
! When the husband returned hs- '
I told his wife he had killed a man
['uselessly, as the money he sought
. had been carried by the mudered'*
: fnaii's daughter.
The woman to whom Milka had
[told her story, repeated it to her
'husband and the two determined
j to kill the girl as she lay asleep to
get the -10,"00 levas.
Milka, in the daughter's "room
upstairs, overheard and escaped
i through a window. When p^ico
I were brought by Milka tljey * I
[the old couple had gone up* <**rs?
'and killed their own daughter by
? mistake in the dark.
/
siiimp in Pearl Market of Paris?
EfarisT Jan. 3.?The pearl- mar
I ket of Paris which considers itself
! tin/ market of the world has suffer
ed a slump. A necklace of Orient
pearls, valued by the experts at
1.500.000 francs has just been sold
by public auction for only 466,000)
francs.
The slump is ascribed to general
tightness of money, to the fact that
war profiteers have by now got rid
cf tl.eir superfluous millions and
are not lmying freely as in the days
just after the war, and to various
other causes, but not to the,"com
pel it am of Japanese cultivated
pearls. French dealers continue
to smile derisively when such a 3Ug
gestion is made. *
Time to Plant
and the best varieties of vegetable
and field seeds to plant for each
purpose is told in the
1922 Catalog of '
WOODS
SEEDS
Xow ready to be mailed, free
( n request.
Reduced prices are quoted on
Seeds, Poultry Supplies, and
Feeds, Garden Tools and Spray
Materials.
Write for vour copy today.
T. W. WOOD & SONS,
Seedsmen,
:17 s. llth St., Richmond, Va.
if