The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, January 28, 1922, Page PAGE 4, Image 4
The Watchman and Southron
' 1,; ^ . ? v
Published Wednesday and Satur
..'?''./ . day by
Osteeii Publishing Company,
m: . Sumter, S. C.
? Terms: .
$2/00 per annum?in advance.
V^avejrtife^mcnts:
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JSvery iub>iquent insertion ? .50
_ X^^hV^aucts for three months or
longer will be made at reduced
rates"
AH communications which sub
|r., serve .private. interests will be
charged for*as advertisements,
, Obituaries and tributes of re
spect will be charged f?r.
The . J^mter Watchman was
-founded in 1850 and the True
Southron'm 1566.^ The Watchman
and Sottthron now ha?? the com
bined circulation and m*3uencfe of
both ofVhe old papers, and is man
ifestly, the best advertising medium
in Sumter.
? ... .-X- r.
SIMPLIFYING THIXGS.
b?oti _
The stress of war helped along
the proces of standardization. It
.. wasufojind necesary to simplify in
dustrial products for the sake of
efficiency:; ' When 'the war ended,
tbere. -was no return to the old
complexity. The process continues.
It is especially noticeable in the
?^c?ltural implement industry,
where . 1*06 kinds of plows have
-been ieKmtinated and 41 retained,
762 'kinds of planters and drills
ehrfiinat^d and 29 retained, and 37
cnItiv;a?ors eliminated and eight
retained, ??
Nearly'one-half of the varieties
of taps, and dies have been drop
ped, ;a-ad"60 per cent of malleable
-enafnsj There is an effort to re
"- 3ucer bricks to one standard size.
Abo^l.(.i,500 varieties of pocket
ki?v?snJo?i"e been decreased io 100
'basicB -patterns and 300 varieties.
" ' Umbrella manufacturers are stan
daj^izin5:.everythinfe but the han
dles:: T*be great number of bicycles
?? ;fo**rae**fyfr produced have been
brought' 'down* to 22 models.
StjU^tfc^re remains much to be
?ovtss, ?fciindustry in general is to
? be br?feght to the degree of ef
fic^cpcryc ahown in a few of ,the
best^e$&$pies of standardization.
: The -need; is felt especially in the
-"" bui??hg industry, because of the
;. great. need ofMiew construction
and - tfa^r jjigh costs. **These costs,
due in part, no doubt, to artificial
b^lsrterin??' of prices, are also caus
ed largely "by the wide variety of
style, shapes and sizes of the ma
V.-- tcriaiS;} '*So many kinds of wood
-'***tr?nand-1 window*!, for instance,
are .spec^red b*r architects," says a
_r- ^uildera -'that. manufacturers of
these d?* only , make them to or
der?they' can never make up
' .'stock. They are little more than
... od{Tj?fe*&,.: That is what keeps the
........cost .of the staff so high.'/
?-r^tjhis account Secretary of
Conferee Hoover is planning to
? .'.?-ca^ira-*ii(ULtional. coxifereoce of ar
... ^chitects,' contractors and building
material 'manufacturers and deal
ers to work out a plan for sim
plifying >thiS varieties of material
.which go into construction. It
would* be well if that conference
^^.werel ollowed by others, to stand
ardize and simplify the products
of industries not yet in harmony
' with^iiisl'modern idea.
?!7?.. Arid when the practical business
men -get -the **aaierial things of this
indnjptriat ^ age -simplified, the
J"\ philosophers might start in trying
to simplify human life itself.
MOTOR* GAS FOR RATS.
-. Farmer*; in Ohio have found an
effective way to get rid of rats.
When, they have a "pest hunt"
ihey. rfmd the rat- hole, attacm a
hose to'the exhaust pipe of a fliv
ver and' start the engine. Any oc
cupant^? that hole that is pot
,asnhyxia$ed before he knows what
has hafpfrened to him promptly
makes^his appearance and is shot.
His daxed condition makes him
- an-.easy mark for the shotgun.
The idea is worth copying any
where,- ;n\ the war against rodents
of various kinds. It also suggests
the fofly'df human beings who run
an autorrjobile in a closed garage
and.fill the garage and themselves
withipoison gas. Rats?would know
better than that.
f ? ^ ?
TXT^XATIOXAL PLAY.
1 ^_
Mostvtxf the news about France
y. ' .these days is of a political nature.
But an item has broken into the
sport pages which affords welcome
relief from demands for more war
ships. ? Tnat is the statement of the
minister-erf sports that work on the
stadium for the Olympic games of
ll?24 is to go forward steadily.
Tile. Paris frtadium is to be the
biggest of its kind ever erected. It
will also be the best equipped. It
is to?have a capacity for 150.000
spectators, a number far in excess
*' of any; previous attendance at these
games.
The same" English firm which
built' the stadium at Antwerp is to
build, the new one at Paris. It is
expected that the field and traok
- - will he completed 18 months before
i I
the games start, so that the ground j
may settle properly, making pos
sible more record-breaking feats
than at Antwerp.
In the midst of all their other
discussions and plans and- pro- !
gtams, the civilized nations still j
have time to look forward to and j
prepare for a great play festival to- ;
gether, when their finest athletes i
will compete in wholly friendly
rivalry for honor and places of dis- ]
tinction in all sorts of athletic j
sports and contests. That is some- j
thing to remember when internat- |
tonal animosities loom large.
? Y_ ,
PROTECTING SOCIETY.
There are undoubtedly some
misguided attempts at prison re
form: which accomplish no good i
either for society or for the pris- j
oner, ?thd which may even do a
little harm. l3ut the man or wo
man who therefore condemns all
prison reform as sentimental cod
idling of convicted criminals should
find food for thought tn a letter j
recently published in an eastern j
newspaper. The writer , said in!
part: \.
*'? criminal is imprisoned 'to
protect society.' How long? The j
judge decides that he must pro
tect it "for three years, 10 years,
20 years, and sentences society
to receive its enemy back at the
end of that time. I wonder, some
times, how the Judge knows that at
the end of the term he fixes in ad
vance, this man will be fit to come
lout.
"The time has come for a prison j
system which makes a prisoner's i
j future, instead of his past, the
j principal thought."
j This attitude, as in othe~ 'in
stances of progressive and en
lightened thought, is both altruistic
and selfish, it is to the prisoner's
advantage *o be trained to honesty,
self-support and self-respect. It is
even more to society's advantage
to have him so trained. This points
out once more the truth difficult for
.some to perceive and believe in,
that what is for the best good of
one is for the best good of all.
THE BURNT CORN.
It develops that the widespread
indignation over the use of corn for
fuel in some of the agricultural
states was uncalled for. Quite
aside from the plea of the farm- j
ers themselveSr that if they want
to burn their corn because it is j
cheaper than coal, that is nobody's j
business but their own, it appears j
that comparatively little. corn has
been burnt, or is likely to be. So j
there is really no problem. * j
Iowa State College, investigating
the situation in its state, reports
that not more than 2 per cent of
the farmers are burning any corn
at all," and it is unlikely that more
than 300,000 bushels fit for human
rconsumption or for marketing in
any form have been burnt so far.
That is only one-eighth of 1 per
cent of Iowa's corn production.
Iowa is the biggest corn state,
j and one Of the states , where the
coal problem has been most d*f
Ificult. It seems doubtful whether
all of the edjtble corn burnt for fuel
j in all the states this winter will
j amount to more than a few mil
lion bushels. And let it be remem
bered that the corn crop for the
United States last year was 3.185,
876,000 bushels.
Famine in the Cape Vertfe Islands.
Lisbon, Dec. 25.?Many residents
of the Cape Verde Islands are ad
vocating an appeal to foreign coun
tries for relief from the famine
conditions which have prevailed
there for many months, says Joa
j quim de Macedo, an engineer, who
! has just returned from the islands.
The Cape Verdes are controlled by
I Portugal but the people declare
I that the mother country appears
j to have forgotten its colony and
j to have left thousands of Por
| tuguese to die of famine ,
Senator Macdeo described condi
tions in the islands as horrible. He
said that 200 persons had died
i each day in the town of Praia ^n
i the summer months when the fam
j ine was at -its worst and that the
j bodies were left unburied to be de
j /oured by dogs, ravens and hyenas,
j The people, like living skeletons,
staggered about the streets until
} they fell dying. The population of
! one island, he said, had been re
j duced by one-third and the silent,
j d'-serted streets "resembled a gi
{ gantie necrepolis."
The chief^eause of the famine
! was drought" for the last three
j years. Senor Macedo said the C^pe
J VerdiSns had appealed to Portu
j gal for aid but had received only
j corn which could not be eaten by
ihe weak and famine-stricken
! people and that many of fhem were
! unable to buy it.
Senor Macedo and others are
(trying to induce the Portuguese
j government to arrange a method
j by which the islanders can raise
sufficient funds from the ns.- of
their' cables to pay for an tryiga
4 tion system and this plan has been
[approved by the Portugese presi
; dent. This gives promise that the
f situation in the islands will be im
;proved.
j The various types of "istn" ar
tists keep us continually guessing
j?guessing whether they're shoot
ling over our heads, or merely fir
? ins blanks,
i
Good Roads Meeting
in Columbia
Plans Formulated to Increase
Funds For Road Building in
South Carolina
Columbia, Jan. 25 ?The build
ing of good roads throughout
South, Carolina was the theme of i
the three principal addresses at |
the banquet of the South Carolina
Good Roads association last night.
This is also the underlying purpose
behind the association and the
South Carolina road institute, the ,
members of which with the mem
bers of the general assembly were
the guests at tie banquet at the
Jefferson Hotel. Three plans for;
the realization of this aim and |
that, too, without net cost to the
people of the state were proposed:
One a $50,000,000 bond issue for
road building, a ^i^er the state
highway commission's six year
$34,000,000 road building and I
road maintenance progrom, -the j
third a combination of the first!
two. The highway commission j
plan carries with it the issuance
of $10,000,000 in bonds and the!
proposed combination plan would i
carry with it the increase of this [
bond issue to $50,000,000 and the j
consequent; extension of the pe- j
riod of retirement.
The $50,000,000 bond issue plan
was suggested by L. D. Jennings of \
Sumter. president of the good
roads association, who presided as j
tbastmaster. Mr. Jennings is also j
che lather of the compromise plan,
calling for the enlargement and ex
tension of the state highway com
mission's proposed program. Eith
er plan, Mr. Jennings said, could
be successfully carried through
with no cost to the state other than
the use of the state's / credit and
both would result in the end in
the saving to the people of the \
state of millions of dollars which j
the possession of a good system of j
highways would of necessity mean.
Permeating Mr. * Jennings' ad
dress and setting it apart from 99
per cent, of all speeches, -talks and i
addresses made and heard in j
South Carolina at present, was an j
overpowering, resistless optimism, j
"Don't pay-too much attention." j
he told the legislators, "to the hue j
and cry for reduction of taxes and
reduce taxes only when by so doing j
you do not retard the growth of j
the state. A county, a state or %a j
nation can not stand still and
When we begin to cut we go back
ward. Let us cling to the things
that are worth while."
Governor Cooper was the second
speaker on the program, pointing j
out to the members of the general I
assembly the duty facing them to
make some provisions to meet the!
problem of unemployment that will ?
face the state in the next twox. years, j
he thought. Many small farmers I
throughout the state, Governor^
Cooper said, will find themselves j
in need of additional work; fac-;
tories and stores and farms j
throughout the state will be un- j
able to employ the numbers of'
men they now use and will need j
when the state^ once more enjoys j
the substantial prosperity which,
he thought, is certain to be ?South
Carolina's in days to come. The
building of roads under some plan
as suggested, Governor Cooper
said, would provide employment
for the unemployed and would
keep them fFom leaving the state j
and prevent them from begging, i
the only possible alternative that
he saw facing the men to be thrown
out of work. "This," Governor
Cooper said: "I consider the eco
nomic thing to do. We must insure
fori the people these privileges and j
opportunities, that will make {
them enjoy living here and en- ;
Doying it produce more and buy!
more." t ? i
R. Goodwyn P>hett of Charles- !
ton. chairman of the state high
way commission, set forth in some
detail the difficulties facing the;
state highway commission and its
proposed six year $34.000.000 pro
gram for meeting these difficulties
and solving them. Under this
program, as explained by Mr.
Rhett, the motor vehicle license
tax would be raised slightly to
bring in $7,800,000 in the six years,
a tax of -one cent a gallon on gas
oline imposed to produce $3.400.
000 in the six years, the two mill
road tax levy would be continued
to furnish S6.200.000 in the six
,years. and a $10,000.000 bond is
sue floated to bring the total, in
cluding the $6,600,000 in federal
j aid funds available under the pro
| gram, up to $34.000.000. This,
Mr. Rhett said, would enable the
I commission to construct 4,000 miles
j of improved highways. 600 miles of
j permanent roads, build all neces
j sary bridges in the state, maintain
I the roads already built and to be
! constructed, pay the interest and
I provide for the eventual retire
; ment of the bonds issued and turn1
I back sufficient funds to the coun
j ties to enable them to continue
their county -oad programs?ana
; all this, Mr. Rhett skid, can be
done without net cost to the peo
; pie or automobile users of the
i state.
! Other speakers heard for brief
I talks were: R. M. Cooper, Jr.. of
? Wisacky, Dr. W. A. Tripp of An
i derson. A. A. Edmunds of Edge
j field and T. G. McLeod of Bishop
| vttle.
The legislature will he asked by
the good roads association, as
? the members attending the ban
quet last night were asked by Mr.
Jennings. Governor Cooper and
, Mr. Rhett. to pass the acts neces
! sary to put one of these plans or
"some .similar plan in force, the is
suing of the bonds being depend
jent of course, upon the agree
! ment of the qualified electors of
; the state.
t "Grand opera is almost as good
as ;i phonograph record after you
j get accustomed to tlo- absence of
[thai funny scratching noise.
A criminal's favorite punctu
ation is the period, which marks
the end of a sentence.
A Taxpayer Suggests
Plan For Cutting Tax
County Should Be Tax Unit
Instead of the State
From the Pee Dee Advocate. Jan
uary 20, 1922.
Mr. Editor: It has about reach
ed the point, where:
When a man has built a barn
Go and tax him:
When he has cleared another farm,
Go and tax him!
When he lays another roof.
When he grows another hoof.
Hustle round and get the proof,
Then go and tax him.
Has a man a pot of money.
Don't tax him!
Though it's sweet like honey.
Don't tax him!
Let him reap what others sow.
People are rather fools you know;
If they were not, they would go,
And Tax HIM.
In 1905. the assessed value of
property in South Carolina was
$220,000,000. The revenue at a
rate of 5 1-4 mills was $1,550,000.
Ten years later the assessed value
was $310,907.10L The levy was 7
mills. So that in ten years the in
crease in taxable values was less
than 5 per cent, and the increase
in expenditures was 100 per cent
In 1921.# the assessed taxation was
$6.767.13*5 on a, 12 mill levy. The
assessed value of property was
$452,490,600, so that mills increase
as assessments increase, thus dou
bling taxes.
During this period there has
been an increase of about 15 per
cent, in population. Now all ex
perts in taxation agree that when
taxes increase faster than wealth
and population. an unbearable
burden is placed on the'people.
Who is responsible?
No state, county or town official
will admit that this condition is
the result of his administration. It
is not. It is the system which
piles up the expense account,
which the taxpayer is compelled
to settle. We have built' up a
spoils system from the little town
to the congressional pork barrel, a
government by bureau instead of
a Democracy. The taxpayers of
this state have been bullied and
brow beaten by a bunch of pre
tentious tin horn politicians until
fliey have got into the habit of
standing in line to have their
pockets picked.
Useless boards and commsisions
are created each year, because of
the growing horde of spoilsmen,
seeking a reward for services per
formed for: the machine, and this
demands a constant extension of
the system.
There has been little effort in
this state for a real business ad
ministration. Taxes in South Car
olina have trebled in 20 years, yet
who dares say in maintenance of
law or efficiency we have been bet
tered ?
This state and every other state
in the nation is flooded with politi
cal leeches performing no essen
tial work, but bending their ener
gies to keep up a machine which
will perpetuate their iobs. Food
inspectors, oil inspectors, internal
revenue agents, special tax collec
tors, whiskey constables, charity
inspectors pellagra experts, horse
doctors, hog doctors, bureau agents
and hundreds of trustees, all -mov
ing up and down the land at heavy
expense, everlastingly drawing sal
aries and piling up expense ac
counts to the profit of the political
machine and the impoverishment
of the ordinary citizen, who "pays
the freight."
I venture the assertion, that
leaving out the lately enfranchised
women that one voter out of 2u in
the primary is on either state or
federal pay role in some capacity.
! Only voters are useful to the poli
tician and this means the balance
; of power is held by the machine.
Where is it to end?
j Any man knows' that such a
course would bankrupt any private
! business within six months, and
I this government, state and nation
j al. is-only able, to survive the in
j creasing drain at the expense of
the taxpayers,
j Efficiency is the only basis for
i progress and the economic etrug
! gle demands it.
j The entire nation is in the dead
season of its fortunes. The reac
j tion from the exertion and fears of
the war are at their height. We
were moved beyond endurance,
and never in the world has the
universal element in the soul of
I mar. burned so feebly.
; For who docs not see that we do
not end war when we put a stop to
actual conflict between nations?
;This is only a superficial view. Any
[wide social and industrial struggle
I that is attended in its natural
i course with great suffering is war.
The essence of war is a needless
: competition between states corpor
j at ions and individuals that results
in wide spread suffering, and surely
! we are in the midst of that.
Remedy.
The rapid concentration of pow
ers, taken away from the states,
in Washington is alarming, but this
will never be remedied except
through action at home. Send
good government and economy to
Washington and it will come hack
home to bless. Send extravagance
end it is returned ten fold to curse.
The Power to Tax. is the Power to
Destroy.
Let us as a people guard this
right. We need ?
1st. To g?-t the assessment of
property <?vit of politics. So long
as the officials assessing property
are aspiring politicians, there will
be favoritism.
2nd. A governor, who will throw
the rsponsibilty for excessive tax
ation oh the legislature by a firm
use of t h?- veto power.
3rd. Do away with so many
boards, commissions, et<-.. by hav
ing "t'?1 administrative board to
{control th<- sta:?- institutions, there
by ceasing to duplicate state ma
chinery.
Ith The Recall to apply to ev
, cry elective officer; from governor
to coroner, so that we can tire the
men we hire.
Our free institutions can only
be preserved by getting back to
i first principles, and the matter of
taxation will either force reform
or revolution will overtake our re
public as it has those in the past, i
Xo saving in mere money will com
pensate for lowering our standard
of life, but popular government is
on trial the world over. Amend
ments to the constitution can give
four year terms and biennial ses
sions of the legislature, saving
election expenses, etc.. amounting-:
to at least a fifth of our necessary
expenses.
The greatest problem is to
equalize taxation, and the county
should be ihe unit, instead of as
now having a rivalry between the
counties in the matter of- low val
uation. The general assembly
should first determine just what
amount is necessary to conduct the
stale government, and this should i
be apportioned among the counties j
! in proportion to wealth and pop
ulation. Then the county commis
I sioners in each county, elected by
: the people, should assess the prop
' erty in the county and levy a tax
i to pay its proportionate share of
j the state government, and what-.
1 ever they may determine to spend
1 for the county in addition. The
I money would be kept in the coun
ty, and it would be to the interest
I of each citizen to see that all of
> the property of the county was re
| turned for taxation, because every
; dollar that escaped would make
j his taxes higher. The burden of
: taxation would be more widely dis
i tributed by bringing the invisible
\ property out of hiding.
I Instead of so many trustees.
! one board consisting of the govern
i or, and other state officers and five
i elected by the general assembly
! could look after every charitable
I and penal institution in the state.
We now virtually have three_ agri
cultural departments, the state
warehouse, Clejmson college and
the regular department of agri
culture should be combined under
one head, so that when an inspec
tor went to a town, he could inspect
waehouses. attend to pure food
enforcement and other kindred du
ties. If he is qualified for one, he
can be for aj.1. Why pay three
men when one can do the work?
The railroad commission and in
' surance department should be
j placed in charge of the secretary
j of state, and the highway commis
I sion, in charge' of the comptroller
! general./ because with this new
? mode of assessment, he would have
: ample time.
i In the judicial department, the
; trial justice at the county seat
should be given jurisdiction in civil
j cases where the amount involved
j does not exceed one thousand dol
\ lars and in criminal cases where
j the punishment is not over one
i year. This alone would save many
j thousands in court expenses and
j not do injustice to litigants.
The idea that money for roads
; or other improvements costs the
I county nothing when it comes from
j Columbia or Washington is false.
} In the long run, we pay it all and
I for much red tape and bureau ex
| penses in addition. It is not
! charity, and is on?- of the means of
: encouraging extravagance, graft
and incompetency.
Respectfully,
s TAXPAYER. 1
? ? ?-.
Columbia Railway
Lost Money
j Columbia. Jan. 23.?Trie Colum
bia Railway. Gas & Electric Co.,
! will have to operate on a different
j basis from that of last year, where
: the company lost heavily every
month, or it will have to go out
of business, so far as its street cars
are concerned. This was the po
! sition of the company as stated to
I the state board of conciliation, at
I a hearing in the supreme court
i rooms of the capitol Tuesday after
! noon, attended by a capacity aud
ience of street; car men and others
;interested.
After hearing both sides of
what has been considered a con*
troversy between the company and
j its employed over the 1922 wording
j agreement, the board of concilia
tion came to the decision that
i there was nothing for them to
conciliate. The car men had of
fered a contract which the com
I pany refused to consider. The
company had offered an entirely
: different agreement. The two sides
: were as far apart as north and
south. The matter was taken un
der advisement, .however, and a
, decision will be announced early
; in February.
It was pointed out that the
? agreement submitted by the com
pany is not similar to that of last
[year in any way. The company's
\ plan is to dispose of the "closed
shop", and it offers a new wage
scale. The wage scale was not
objected to seriously by the em
ployes, their objection being to the
method of employment, which the
; company proposed to handle in
whatever way it sees lit. The ear
men want to have the old priority
Of service clause put into the new
agreement. It was pointed out by
the company that by handling the
employment situation as it sees tit.
a saving can be effected, which
will probably enables it to con
tinue operation of cars.
? ? o
Control Of
Railroad Rates
By Commission
Washington. Jan. 25.?The sub
committee of the agricultural enn
ference has voted :i recommenda
tion to return to the state rail
road commission the control over
state rate:. Xegro delegates who
called at the White Hons.- request
ed the president for more general
federal aid for negro agricultural
colleges and financial encourage
ment of negro farmers.
Considering ttiat we're legally
dry, it':- truly remarkable how
hard liquor isn't to get.
PROBLEMS
CONSIDERED
BY CONFERENCE
Numerous Plans Sug
gested For Relief of
"Agricultural D e -
pression and t o
Make Farming
Profitable
Washington, Jan. 25.?Propos- j
als looking to development of
American agriculture as a self-sus
taining industry were considered
today by the national agricultural
conference while its committee
continued working on suggested
measures to relieve the present
acute situation and . provide for
general rehabilitation. /
The program of addresses which
covered marketing problems in
many phases was interrupted long
enough to permit Chairman Ander
son to deny the charge voiced in
some quarters that the delegates
to the conference were "hand
picked."
Mr. Anderson said that Secretary
Wallace, despite the shortness of
time in which to. select delegates
after the conference was called,
had consulted farm organization
leaders and others in making up
his list.
Governor Parker of, Louisiana,
one of .the speakers on the'program
who was the first to mention the
"whispered talk of hand-picked"
delegates at today's meeting, also
defended the conference.
A proposal for establishment of
commodity financing through loans
to farmers running from six months
to three years was indorsed today
by a subcommittee working on this
phase of the rehabilitation pro
gram. The proposal was said to
provide for creation by the govern
ment of an agency for discounting
farmers' notes based on agricultur
al commodities and livestock pa
pers. This was said to be one of
; the important steps necessary to
ameliorate the present situation,
j A number of "informal confer
ences were held today both before
i and during the conference session
I by delegates who were said to be
j considering the proposal of a rest
olution indorsing the "farm bloc"
in congress. Conosiderable.discus
sion of the "farm bloc" followed
I President Harding's address Mon
i day, it was said, and delegates fa
' voring action in support of ft are
i understood to. be canvassing to de
I termine what reception such a res
| olution would be likely to receive.
I Reduction of wages paid railroad
J labor and of freight rates was rec
, ommended tonight by a subcommit
' tee on costs, prices and readjust
j ment. The committee declared that
j prices paid railroad labor and that
of other industries was much great
er than returns received by agri
cultural labor and that a read
! justment was necessary.
Another subcommittee recom
mended a tariff rate on sugar high
enough to put sugar production in
America on the same basis as dur
ing the war. These reports are to
be considered by the fuil commit
tee at a meeting tomorrow. The
committee on agricultural credit
and insurance also reported a res
j olution urging congress to ccnsid
ter the advisability of a plan for crop
insurance against pest and elements
[ and the creation of a crop insur
: ance bureau,
? . Cooperation between various pro
! ducing and distributing agencies
; was recommended by a subcommit
' tee on market costs, studies and
j improved business methods.
j Considerable difference of opin
! ion developed in the subcommit
tee on waterways in its discussion
of the St. Lawrence-Great Lakes
waterway, opposition being, evi
denced by New York interesst. It
was understood, however, that the
j proposal was indorsed.
The reporc of the committee pro
viding immediate credit for farm
ers would have congress create an
agency of the government to dis
count for any bank or incorporated
livestock loan association paper on
which they had made loans for ag
ricultural purposes. It would also
: provide for loans direct by this
I agency to any cooperative associa
! tion organized under the laws of
i any state where farm paper is se
cured by a warehouse receipt ( over
ling the commodity on which the
! loan is j>ought.
This agency would also be ern
; powered t<> sell debentures with
security of not more than three
; years and secured by such paper.
Note of the agency could be redis
1 counted by the federal reserve
banking system.
Extension of tiie war finance cor
poration from July 1 next "until
: such time as may seem necessary
and proper" was also recommend
ed.
Due representation of agriculture
on die reserve board also was urg
ed- The subcommittee on tobacco
recommended investigation by tin
state ^government in cooperation
1 with state . gencies, of the most
i
economic methods of production
and consumption, kinds of tobac
co most suitable for particular jsoil
and the best methods of controlling
insect pets and plant diseases. Ir
urged a standard grade for trans
poiting different types of tobacco
ami a warehouse system.
Tin- subcommittee ?>n crop sta
tistics recommended that a Census
.of agriculture he taken every five
years by tin- bureau of the census,
in cooperation with the department
of agriculture: that an annual cen
sus of acreage planted to various
crops be taken in the spring by
tax assessors in connection with the
listing of taxable property: that
;th<- department of agriculture re
i port in addition to crop condition
and forecast during tin- growing
iseason, tin- production and value of
crops, the quantify of products on '
farms, the marketable surplus of
crops; and that the county be adopt- j
ed as the geographical unit for re
porting crop production. ?!
-,? ? # ?
Day of Testimony
In Arbuckle Case
Finger Print Expert and
Newspaper Man Are Wit
nesses for State
San Francisco. Jan. 23.?Finger I
prints alleged t?? have been made
on the door of Roscoe Arbuckle's1
room in the Hotel St. Francis!
??could have been forged under \
some circumstances." E. O. Hein-.
: rich, finger print-expert testified
j today in the second trial of a ;
manslaughter charge against Ar
buckle in connection with Miss
j Virginia Rappe's death.
I ? '"I determined as best I could by :
I experiments that the particular,
[ ones were not forged, however/' he j
; said. The prosecution charges that
I the finger prints indicate that Miss:
' Rappe attempted to escape from j
[the room on the occasion that she
was supposed to have been fatally j
i injured by Arbuckle and that he j
had forcibly detained her. Previ
j ously Heinrich, who was on the ;
'stand most of the day. had identi-j
; fied the finger prints as those of
j Arbuckle and Miss Rappe.
Warden Woolard, a Los Angeles j
newspaper man. gave testimony
that caused the prosecution to ,
read to the jury all the testimony !
offered by Arbuckle as a witness in 1
I his own defense in the first trial, i
j The reading was based on the con- j
tention that Arbuckle made state-,
j ments in Los Angeles contrary to
j his testimony.
Woolard testified that he inter- j
: viewed Arbuckle'in Los Angeles)
September 9 regarding dispatches i
: telling of Miss Rappe's death in
I San Francisco on the same day.
"Arbuckle said that Miss Rappe j
i was taken ill at a party he had j
! given in the Hotel St. Francis," j
: Woolard testified.
Arbuckle denied having hurt J
! Miss Rappe in any way, but admit- I
; ted that "he pushed her down oh ?
i the bed to keep her quiet." Wool- j
! ard said. The reading of Ar
I buckle's testimony was cut short by j
adjournment over night.
I
Railway Shopmen
Reject Reduction!
i Chicago. Jan. 24.? (By the Asso-j
ciated Press).?Rejection of all j
j railroad shop rules, recently pro-'
; mulgated by the United States rail
j road labor board, which cut time,
j and one-half pay for extra wqrk j
[ from the shopmen's wages was or-j
i dered today by the/commission of
j 100, acting for the six railway j
' shop crafts.
In a circular issued to the 500.- i
000 shop workers in the country, j
j the committee ordered new dis
j putes instituted with the railway j
; managements immediately over
theser ules, and failirig an agree- J
ment, the disputes were ordered j
taken to th elabor board for hear- j
i ing. The. circular was signed by'
j the international presidents of the
! six shop crafts unions. Of the sev- \
\ en rejected rules, the greatest dis- !
satisfaction centered on rule six, j
providing straight time for regular- j
ly assigned work on Sundays and
holidays. This work was previous
ly paid for at time and one-half,
j The committee proposed a substi
j tute rule reinstating time and one
| half.
The board's new rules covering
employees assigned to emergency
work and to fill temporary vacan
' ces at outlying points were also
! rejected by the committee because
j they took away certain pay pro
i visions contained in the old nation
I al agreement made during federal
' control. Under rule 10, emer
gency employees are paid for time
j worked in accordance with the
practice at the home station and
i straight time for all time waiting
! or traveling.
The union committee directed in
stitution of a dispute to reinstate
I ;me and one-half and double time
I to cover all time spent on the
emergency assignment whether
: working, waiting or traveling.
Similar provisions will be ask
ed ni disputes to be created over
rules 12 and. 14. applying to men
assigned to temporary vacancies at
outlying points and to men on
j road work who leave and return
j to their home stations daily.
! The board's new rule allowing
ithe carriers to require a physical
examination for all aplications for
Employment was also remanded to
the system federatins to renegoti
ate with the individual roads.
The committee directed that the
dispute be instituted to have this
rule modified, "in the interest of
the employees/'
Another important rule by which
'the board made it possible Cor the
roads to hiiv any man familiar
: with the use of tools as a car re
|pairer came under fire by the
committee. A new rule was pro
posed over which the carmen are
directed to. open negotiations. The
proposed rule would allow helpers
and helper apprentices*- with less
(than four years' experience to be
advanced to mechanic's grade .and
if more men are needed, men with
i experience in the use of mechanic's
tools could be hired. Tins would
eliminate the hiring of any car
penter who had not had mechani
ra f experience.
Thirty-three other rules were ac
cepted, ;?ubje< t to the interpreta
tion which the committee placed
lipon th< m and the remaining rules
^ w ere agreed to.
Some revision of certain of the
overtime rub s was said to be likely
as they were found to permit of
, different interpretations as they
j stand at present. Railroad officials,
however, declared there was little
likelihood of reinstating any of
time and one-half previsions wiped
out by 3 he board.
-<v-o-~*.
Indiana has three hundred posts.
The unemployment situation is
.worse than wc thought,
i
Would Reorganize
State Highway Dept
?ill Introduced by Represent
atives Hughes and Bromi
Would Completely Change
- Present System
Columbia, Jan. 25.?Represen
tative/; E. T. Hughes of Marlon
and Edgar A. Brown of BarnweU
have prepared a bill for the leg
islature to wholly revolutionize
the organization of the state high
way department. The new bill
would abolish the present state
highway commission of seven mem
bers and create the office of state
highway commissioner to be elect
ed by the legislature, this lone
commissioner to be the chief en
gineer of the department. The bill
would put licensing of cars. on
county commissions.
Representatye Horton introduced
in the house a bill to put forward
by four days the opening of the
season for hunting partridges and
wild turkeys. At present the sea
son opens on Thanksgiving Day.
The new idea is to allow a man to
kill game for his Thanksgiving
meal. The bill would also allow
trapping in ditches on a man's own
land or in deserted rice fields.
The house of representatives to
day debated at length the bill by
Representative Sheppard of FAge
field to reducing the nu:.. ;r of
jurors necessary to a verdict* ins
civil cases from the full jury to
nine in cases of juries of twelve
and to four where the jury num
bers six. There was'' lengthy 'de
bate and it appeared that there
was strong sentiment in favor of
the bill, but vote was postponed
until the night session to allow for
certain corrections in phraseology.
The house killed a senate meas
ure to provide pensions for cer
tain faithful negroes who were en
gaged in the service of t.\e state in
the civil war. Representative
Greer, a veteran of Greenville,
spoke for the bill. Representative
Beamlett also . a Greenville* veter
an, spoke against it.
-? ? ?
Debate on
Lynching Bill
' Washington. Jan. 25.?Debate in
the house on the Dyer anti-lynch
ing bill was concluded today fend
the measure was taken up under
the five-minute rule which affords
members an opportunity to offer
amendments. Republican leaders
announcing that the bill would be
kept before the house until a final
vote was reached, said they were
confident it would be sent to the
senate late tomorrow or Friday.
Roll calls during debate indicat
ed1 that proponents of the measure
were in a majority but it is ex
pected that a number^ of 'drastic
amendments will be offered in
attempt to alter amendments
whiefe1- call for heavy penalties in
the way of fines and imprisonment
for persons participating in lynch
ings and for officials who through
negligence fail to prevent them.
The bill as it stands also provides
that counties in which lynchings
occur must forfeit $10,000 tv/. the
families of the victims.
Democrats are said to_ stand
practically solid in opposition al
though two minority members,
Representatives Cockran and Grif
fine both of New York, spoke in
favor of the bill today. Several Re
publicans, have expressed opposi
tion to it and a number of Repub
lican members are expected to vote
in the negative on the final 'roll
call.
The session today was marked
by a verbal clash between Repre
sentatives Sisson (Democrat) of
Mississippi and Cooper (Republi
can ) of Wisconsin which threw the
: house into confusion with several
! hundrcKl negroes in the gaUejfles
; joining in a demonstration that fcr?s
; silenced with difficulty. The flare
up occurred when Mr. Coop*"" de
jciared Mr. Sisson had "openayiad
! vocated" mob rule. Mr. Sisson dur
I ing an attack on the bill had. de
; scribed conditions in. the South and
Shad contended that mob violenec
j could not be stamped out until
i "black rascals keep their hands off
j the throats of white women."*
Advocating federal action as a
; means of checking lynchings. Rep
resentative Mondel. Republican
leader, declared that states *had
; failed utterly to assert their author
ity. If permitted to go uncheck
ed. Mr. Mondel contended, lynch
ing will break down and destroy
I law and order and civilization. Rep
resentative Garrett Tennessee,
I Democratic leader, appealed to
j members from the Pacific coast
j who. he said were confronted with
a perplexing race question to stand
with opponents of the Dyer bill in
resisting interferrence of the fed
eral government in state affairs.
; "Whatever you people in- the
West decide to do in working out
your problem we of the South will
understand." said Mr. Garrett.
Miami. Jan. 25.?Guarded by
j motorcycle police six members of
a negro orchestra, engaged ?t a
large tourist hotel here, were tak
en to a suburb and placed aboard
a train for Columbus, Ohio, the
negroes' home. East night-, the
negroes were lured to the suburbs
and beaten by a gang of men
and warned to leave Miami with
in twenty-four hours. Their mu
sical instruments were destroyed.
It is said the negroes attempted
to mingle with white people and
one attempted to direct a new
dance.
Drys are putting stars in their
windows: but three stars in a%row
don't mean what they once meant.
? ?
Home-made girls make homes. .
A European statesman says .the
world looks to America for its mo
tive power. Sure thing. It thinks
America is a tilling station.
The submarines, at present, are
totally submerged in hot wateK