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The-Watchman and Southron Published Wednesday and Satur day by Qsteen Publishing Company. Sumter, S. C. t Terms: $2.00 per annum?in advance. ? Advertisements: . One Square, first insertion ..$1.00 Every-subsequent insertion -1 .50 Contracts .for three- months or longer will be made at .- reduced rates. All communications which sub serve private interests will sDe charged for as advertisements. Obituaries and tributes of re spect will be charged, for. The Sumter Watchman was founded in 1850 and the True Southron in 1866. The Watchman and Southron now -has the com bined circulation and influer.ee of both of the old papers, and Is man ifestly the best advertising medium in Sumteiv GERMAN TRADE DEFICIT Figures on Germany's foreign trade' suggest that German asser tions of inability to make repara tion payments are by no means all s Llttff. German exports have fallen off enormously. In October they\were only a trifle more than half as large as her imports, with the ratio against her increasing.' This means that Germany is be coming more of a debtor nation, in stead of less, on the basis of cur rent business. Instead et" collecting a profit from her foreign trade, as she expected, and as she did for "a little while after the armistice by the sale of marks as well as mer chandise. *she Is obliged to pay' a profit to other nations. That leaves no balance' to help liquidate her war obligations. Clearly, 'Germans' can not pay foreign debts' in money without selling abroad more than she buys abroad. She could not" do that un less she had gold mines or was able :o manufacture gold. The fact that Germany herself is responsible for this plight doesn't change the situation. France may move into Germany and start forced collections, but France can't collect gold that isn't there. The only visible asset the Ger mans possess that might profit her foreign creditors is man-poweV? ability to work. That is to say,; Germany can make reparation in labor, utilized directly for the re build ingy of devastated areas in France and elsewhere, or indirectly in the production of goods for her creditors. The Allies .vill probablv agree, to that in the end. FOOLISH HFXT1XG When the federal bill to regu huntrng and protect migra tory Inrds came up in the Senate the other cay. one of the senators hoUy attacked the measure on the ground that it interfered with the citizen's " right to hunt". Evidently the senator regards that as one of the inalienable rights guaranteed by the Declara tion of Independence and the Unit ed States Constitution. Possibly it is. There is something in the Con stitution, anyway, about the right to "bear arms", and bearing arms probably presupposes the right to use them. It might never have oc curred to the Fathers of the Con stitution to limit an American citi zen's hunting. But times have changed. The air. land and water are no longer lull of game. Civilized man ha5? encroached more and more on the wild life that orfce filled the conti nent, until many valuable species have been wholly destroyed and many others are doomed to extinc tion unless there is a change in the policy and practice and birds, beasts and fish are fostered as "natural resources". There may be a constitutional right to kill any living thing. There may be even a moral right to do so, though that is open to question. But if the people who insist on un limited freedom in that respect were to have their way, before long there would he no longer anything left for them to kill. America would be stripped even of song birds, as Italy has been. CLEMEXCEAC'S CASE Clemeneeau's self-imposed mis sion is over, end it is possible to appraise its purpose and effect. The purpose is dear enough, in spite of the very informal and rather rambling addresses in which the aged French statesman has put his case before the county. He has made a sincere plea, straight from the heart of a French patriot who has spent a lifetime in his country's service and fears for her uture. His cry is the famous Mace ? nian cry of Paul, in his old age: ome over and help tis!" hat is. the gist of it. Cl^menceau not lay down any specific pro for his country or our.. He speaks, or tries to speak, from the heart of the French people to the heart of the American1 people. He ? wants the old friendliness and sym pathy. ' He thinks that will lead to understanding, and with under standing America will support France, now ?nd hereafter. As far as Clemenceau is con cerned personally, he seems to have won this country. As far as France is concerned, as a benefici ary, he may have failed. There is a somewhat friendlier feeling toward France, no doubt, around the coun try and in Washington. But there j is little more disposition to support j Franc e's international policies than j there, was before. j Americans respect and like jClemenceau, but are not persuaded j that he is an infallible judge of [international affairs. As regards France, whose attitude Clemenceau seems to assume is necessarily right and wise, the American public still waits to be "shown". Yet Clemenceau may be right in his main idea-?that if America would take a more active part in international affairs, and would approach France in a friendly spirit ?el co-operation, the whole business might be worked out to the ad vantage of both countries and the world in general. CHRISTMAS TREE SOURCES Train loads of Christmas trees' are speeding over the rails, ship loads docking at the wharves-and occasional stocks appearing in lo cal markets. It is not too soon for the prospective buyer 10 inform himself of the source of supply which appears in his particular neighborhood. The growing of these festal trees is a regular industry in many inr stances, arid represents no waste, [for plantings follow cuttings. Con | servatio/ialists urge that no dealer [should be patronized who .cannot jporht to such an origin for his stock, I.for over against this thrifty meth ^od there is a great dfah of Christ i mas free cutting which represents I damage only, taking no thought of 1 future growth. This sort of supply j should be rejected so that those ^responsible for it may learn a lesson j in forest conservation through the: j refusal of their wares, j Above all, *he Christmas tree ! thief, should be guarded against } publicly and privately. In one city oh a single short street six beautiful evergreen trees "were cur down and tajjen away from private dobryards i ----- ? . I in-one holiday season. They werej traced and it was found they had j l been sold to other citizens who had i taken no pains to know anything I about their Christmas trees or their ! dealers before buying. THE PRICE OF EQUALITY Under a decision just rendered by the Wiscohsin Supreme Court, a I woman's equality under the law j with her husband makes her equal I iy liable with him in her separate I business or property when she en ! dorses his note or assumes other financial responsibility with him. The case Involving the decision : concerned a note tor $8,000 tender i ed by a^ Milwaukee man to one of ! the banks and endorsed by his wife, j He is unable to meet the contract, j j and she is held. This is a situation Which must j be accepted by women if they de- j I mand absolute equality of rifcht and j privilege under the law with men It should not necessitate any hard-, ship if wome| will take pains to inform themselves of just what responsibilities they assume in as fsuming their rights. Otherwise [ many a woman counting oh her sex i as her protection in , business or finance will be surprised and chagrinned; - ? ?? ? RAILROAIV CONTROL In asking for a stronger Rail road Labor Board, acting in con duction with, or as a part of, the I j Ir terstate Commerce Commission, j j President Harding has given offi-; eial sanction to a change suggested ' by many disinterested observers of, che railroad situation. It has always been recognized as rather absurd that one federal | body should be charged with the' ?ixing of railroad rates and another bodv, with no connection, should i X . . 1 ffe chargf-d with authority to fix; wages. Rates and wages depend much on eaeh other, and should! be kept in continual adjustment. That calls for the final judgment of; a single body, even if separate bod -' ies work out preliminary details, j The Interstate Commerce Commis-1 sion, because of its established au thority and influence, is the natural! body to invest with this power. Such a centralizing of railroad authority should help in itself to prevent interruptions of operation, j It may be, however, that an ex-' -tension of authority to the extent j?f forbidding: strikes, apparently favored by the President, will be found advisable eventually, if not now, in such ? vital public utility (as the railroads, however distaste ful the idea is at present to or ganized labor. It is clearly impos sible to control the railroads and _ insure steady and efficient opera : tion by controlling: railroad capital alone. BE PATIENT WITH IRELAND Americans keenly regret recent developments in Ireland. Just as the new Irish Free State is formally [inaugurated, and an eminently fit ting Irish leader is chosen l^y the British King as governor-general, there are new outbreaks of Repub liean rebels, with reprisals and counter-reprisals. Simultaneously there is the announcement of Ul ster's secession from the Free State, which was originally intend ed to include all Ireland. Yet" it is a time for tolerant un derstanding, in America as well as in Ireland. There,*is no need~tc indulge in bitter flings at Ireland for the apparent unwillingness of the various sections of the Irish people to embrace immediately and trhariimbusly the good fortune within their grasp. As far as' Ulster is concerned, its action- awakens no surprise and calls for no particular criticism. The Irish settlement establishing the Free State reserved for Ulster the right tb secede from South Ire land. The Ulster action is there fore legal and, under the circum stances, not unnatural. The Ul sterites prefer, for the present at least, to, go their own wTay. If they [are to be won over to a union with [South Ireland, it will through a prolonged demonstration that South Ireland, it will be through a self-government and fair dealing with> her northern ^neighbor. The fighting is IJad. Yet it might be worse. And there are plenty j of precendents in '"other lands now j highly critical of Iieland. That is [a delicate matter for Americans, especially, to criticise. Some Amer icans seem to forget that there was a good deal of civil Warfare and guerrilla fighting in this . blesised land, before it was knit into one firm Union. CHRISTMAS MASS MEETING A tendance Was Large and ' v Collections Greater Than Last Year The annual Christmas fund mass meeting, whicn was held in the Presbyterian church Sunday afterr noon under the auspices of all the Sunday schools of the city, for the purpose of raising funds for the Christmas distribution of gifts to the poor children, was "attended by a large crowd, despite /the in clement weather. The program pre viously announced was carried out. The fund collected to provide Christmas cheer for the needy children of the city was greater than that collected last year. I The following committees were [appointed to cooperate with the j central committee: ' First Baptist ? Mrs. Jno. I. jBrunson, Miss Caro Truluck. Grace Baptist?Miss Lula Hayns | worth, Mrs. A. D. Rogers. I Presbyterian?Mrs. H. M. Stuck ey, Mrs. Fred Gregg. ! Broad Street Methodist ? Mrs. Barnes. Mrs. J. .K. Boykin. , Lutheran?Mrs. J. D. . Shirer, Miss Constance Bultman. St. Anne's Catholic?Mrs. Willie Bultman, Mrs. E-. H. Mose?. Sinia^Mrs. Kraker; Mrs. H. D. ?Barnett. Christian?Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Hug gins. Episcopal?Mrs. Jv H. Guthrie, Mrs. B. D. Yeadon. Trinity Methodist?Mrs. E. W. Vogel, Mrs. H. P. Bruner. Salem Baptist?To be named. The collection reported by Treas urer R. L. Edmunds were as. fol lows:' Ducker & Bultman (gro ceries) _ -- --$25.00 St. Anne's Sunday S. 25.00 McCpllum Bros. 10-00 O'Donnell & Co. 25.00 First Baptist Baraea-100.00 McLeod-Wesley Bible Class 50.00 K. K. K. No. 25 .. 25.00 Men's club. Episcopal - 20.00 Trinity Sunday School- 25.00 Philathea First Baptist... ltkOO, Claremont Lodge A. F. M. 25.00 Knights of Columbus? .. 10,00 Knights of Pythias .. 10.00 Sumter Shrine Club 25.G0 Kiwanis Club .. 15.00 Tenth Grade boys. 5.00, Sumter Dry Goods. 20.00 American Legion. 10.00 Christian Sunday School.. 10.00 Lutheran Sunday School .. 20.00 Graduated Nurses T. H... 10.00 .Jno. ilaynsworth .. .. 5.00 Intermediate C. E_ ._ 5.00 Primary C. E. .. 5.19 First and St-eond C: E. .. 1.84 Sinia Sunday School .. 7.50 Mr.*and Mrs. .J. F. Mallard 5.00 j Henry Burnett. 5.50^ Eastern Star. 5.00 j Mens Bible Class Presby terian church _. 15.00 j Ceo. L. Ricker .. .. 5.00 R. C. Williams. 5.00 Interest on Mrs. L. B. Du ? Rant be<Luest.70.00 Pledge s collected. 92.13 Total $70(i.t>ti HERRIN MOB VICTIM ON THE STANU Dan 0. Rouke, Who! Was Shot by Mob; and Left in the Road Comes Back to Face the Butchers By Die Associated Press Marion, 111., Dec. 18. ? Dan O'Rourke, one of the men shot in the Herrin riots and left for dead, toda# returned to testify at the trial of the five men charged wnti murder in connection with The riots. He is kept under heavy gua)rd. O'Rourke was one of the six men witnesses have testified i were shot down near , the Herrin {cemetery after being marehd .through the town by the mob. The {prosecution says O'Rourke was one of the six men left by the road side together with a rope around their necks. They claim O'Rourke was one of the two found still alive, the other dying afterwards. Witnesses last week testified to seeing'non-union workers taken from Strip Mine by several hundred persons, many *<of whom carried guns, and later finding fourteen dead and wounded in the trees nearby ancT six near the cemetery. The defense attorneys did little cross examination. Theyj j expressed confidence that they j I can prove an alibi for the defend- j ants. FIGHT AGAINST BOLL WEEVIL : ? ' -. - } Secrtary of Agriculture Wal-j lace Optimistic Over Sue- j cess of Experiments Made by Experts Washington, Dec. 17.?Steps tak en by the department' of agricul ture to combat the cotton boll weevil have brought about a sit uation "more favorable than ever before." Secretary Wallace inform ed Senator Harris of Geon&ia in fa letter made public today'by the senator. Mr. Wallace declared his depart ment had found effective- the Oust ing method and also the new meth od- developed in Florida and- had ; requested the cooperation of the war department in the further testing of the possibility of ail%>lane dusting. "With these two major and highly promising developments of the past year to thoroughly test out the coming season," the sec-1 retary \\rote, "the scientific" forces of the department will be fully, occupied and those who have been studying the problem feel very cort-j fident that out of these methods and the ones now in usek will-be found a satisfactory combination j for practically all conditions." j The agriculture secretary's let- j ter was in reply to one from Sen-; ator Harris, inclosing a communi cation from a constituent, who ex pressed the belief that "half had i not been done by the department which should have been done.'-' "The damage from the cotton boll weevil varies considerably from year to year and this letter coming as it does just at the close ^ one of the most seriously in jurious seasons experienced in re cent' years," Mr. Wallace wrote, !"no doubt truly represents the state J of mind of a great many people inj the south. Those, \ however, who have been closest to the problem., realize the difficulties with which: the scientific workers have had to contend in the development of con trol measures for this insect and consider rather that the advance ments have been more than could ? be expected. "Jjj fact, just at the present; time the situation is more favorable; than ever before. The dusting method has in the face of heavy infestation of this year proved it self capable of satisfactory pro tecting the production of cotton in large areas of the south. This method seems to be especially adapted for the more productiye areas and where the staple cot tons have been developed and in those regions where the yield per acre is half a bale or more the method has been proven satisfac-jr tory. "Just recently, as you no doubt know, Dr. Newell and Mr. George Smith of the Florida, experiment station have published a bulletin giving a complete and detailed account of a long series of experi ments in the use of another method of control, which appears to be peculiarly adapted to meet the conditions in the Florida re- \ gion and in other regions of the south in which the cotton produc tion per acre is relatively low. "The fact that the Florida method has been carried out suc cessfully by the ordinary share croppers and the cottpn production pra<f .cally is that before the wee vil invasion seems to warrant the conclusion that this will prove to be a cheap and efficient method over a large area in the south. The department is just at this time re questing cooperation of the war department in the further testing of the possibility of a-eroplane dust- | ing. "The remarkably successful re sults obtained elsewhere by this method seemed to abundantly justify the additional expense that will be incurred in a much more extensive test to be carried on this year, .which should determine con clusively whether these machines can be depended upon to mater- 1 ia'Jy assist in the control of this pest." i Agricultural Depart ment Issues Report ori : Production and Value of Staple Crops _ i Washington, Dec. 15 (By the As sociated .Press). ? The nation's crops this year are worth $7,572,- j 890,000, hased on their farm value] as of December % the department j of agriculture announced today in its final crop report of the year. Their value is $1,842,078.000 more than last year's crops, re flecting improvement in prices for farm products prevailing now as compared with a year ago and in creased production in some crops. This year's farm s production is j worth about the same as that of 1916 but is lower than 1920 by about $1,500,000,000, ( and lower than any year since 1915, except last year. It is only a little more than half as much as the record value , year of 1919, ( Record production was made this year in rye, white potatoes, sweet potatoes and hay. Other bumper crops this year were rice, the third j largest production; tobacco, with! the fourth largest , crop in history, I wheat with the fifth largest pro duction, 'and corn with its seventh IsLrge'st - crop. Cotton this year is the fourth most valuable crop of tliat staple ever grown, although' ?: small crop in point of produc-| ? Corn, as. usual, is the country's | most valuable crop being worth this j year'$700,000,000 more than last year with a total value of $1,900,-j 287,000. Cotton stands second with j $1.238.517,000, the lint rteing yaS-l ued at $3,190.7.61,000 and the cot-! ton seed, $177,750,000. Hay is thej third most valuable crop with a! tofarbf $1,331,679,000. .No other j crop reached a billion dollars in value this year. Wheat was valued at $864,000,000, standing as fourth most valuable crop of the country h In today's, fiual estimates, based { on revision to conform with the I census bureau's decennial crop j production statistics the prelimi-1 nary estimates of production an nounced last month were some-1 w.hat changed. There was a re-i dhction in the corn crop of about 6,000,000 bushels. Increases were shown* for other crops, including: Winter#wheat, 45,000,000 bushels; spring wheat 1,700,000 bushels; oats, 14,278,000'bushels: rye, 15, S74;000 bushels; buckwheat. 1,-j 407,000. bushels; rice, 2.806,000 < bushels: potatoes, 17,280,000 bush els, and hay, 4,055,000 tons. Govv Harvey Refuses to Show! Partiality to Certain ; Convicts ; Columbia, Dec/ 18.?Governor Harvey is being flooded witl\ 'pe titions for Christmas paroles, but the* governor will not grant: Christmas paroles. He made this j known yesterday. The petitions set forth that the prisoners want to i dine with their relatives, but the chief', executive says that though some of these appeals come from worthy prisoners and touch his sympathy, yet he makes the an nouncement in advance, so the friends and relatives of prisoners might know his stand, that there will be no instances of executive clemency because of the petitions, i Yet the governor will likely give freedom to one prisoner, not be- j cause of a Christmas petition, but I because Governor Cooper, before j he left office six months ago, practically: promised the prisoner J sole lucky prisoner is - Norman ? H,' .-?uivur. ? jLKjilivar. IS a yuU?^ j white man who was sentenced i five years ago for rape. He was i sent from Orangeburg county. He is book-keeper for the chair fac-.j tory at the penitentiary and has made a good prisoner. Because of his good behavior two pardon boards have recommended that he be pardoned. There was an understanding that Governor Cooper had Issued a p.-v role, to take effect December 24, next Sunday. However, the change in. governor's left- Bollivar in the penitentiary. "Governor Cooper's pardon board recommended, clem ency for Bollivar, and the new board named by Governor Harvey has, made similar recommenda tions. Governor Harvey has had tfie matter under consideration for a long time, and he stated yester day that he feels somewhat under; obligations ^o pardon the man. He { has, reached no. final decision, butj he announced yesterday that he { would probably take some action: in the next few days. Regarding the petitions for | Christmas ?parolesf the governor! Lakes the position that to allow some of the prisoners to spond Christmas with friends or rela-1 lives in Columbia or other parts | or the state would be showing fa- j i-oritism. To let, say, a half dozen i spend Christmas outside the pris-, oh would not, he says, be lair to the remaining 490. Xor could he,; ihe governor says, let out fifty or j more, as this would be detrimental.! "The governor stands for abso- j lute humaneness," says a state ment issued by him yesterday, "but "he believes in punishment ivhere there are offenders, just as; children have to be punished if: Lhey violate the ordinary rules of j dome life." Governor Harvey says he re gards the prison as a place of punishment, and the verdicts of ?ourts should be carried out. with >niy such exceptions as are proper*] md right. THE ST?RY OE BUTCHER ATJERRHi Witnesses Tell of Mas acre of Non-Union Miners by Mob - of Strikers and Atro cities Practied Marion, 111., Dec. 15 (By the'As-j sociatea Press).?The attack on the Herrin, "strip" mine, the death march through the towrf with, the captives and the hunting down of a few fugitives, were described to day by witnesses at th,e trial of live men held in connection with tjne killings. All but one of the defendants were named as having been seen i with a gun during the progress of the rioting but all the witnesses, so far heard, have declared they could not identify any persons they had seen in the act of shoot ing at the victims. .In an argument between oppos ing counsel regarding the exclusion of a. portion of the testimony . to ? which .the defense objected. Judge! D. T. HartweU, ruling in favor of J the prosecution said. "I want the i whole thing to come out and I do not want to exclude any testimony on a. mere technicality." .. The defendants who have been pointed, out .by witnesses as having been seen carrying guns during the rioting are Otis Clark. Bert Grace, j Joseph Caranghi and Levi Mann, j The name of Peter Hiller, the fifth i defendant has not yet appeared 'in j any of, Lhe testimony. ! Donald M. Ewing a Chicago' newspaper man who wrote the first account of the killings for the As jsociated Press, picked out Grace from among the defendants as a! man who had threatened him with ! a gun when he attempted to bring j a drink of water .to two injured! men who were lying on a sun bak- i ed road surrounded by a crowd of | armed men just outside of Her-1 rin. i The witness said there were six j ^dead or wounded men lying in the j road, all of them bound together j by a single rope tied about their; necks. "Grace put his foot on one of | the wounded men and pushed." the; witness declared, and quoted the | defendant as saying with a curse: j "You'll get no wafer here." Another witness, Henry Graves,! a mine pump man, said he had1 seen a group of armed men pur- I vuing two fugitives through the field near his house. "I heard the sound of shots," he testified, "and could see the bul lets Kicking up the dust behind the j fleeing men." Shortly afterwards, he, said, a! wounded man had taken refuge on I his rear porch, but two men who j said they were "officers" came and took him away. Fred Harrison, a student at the University of Illinois, testified he had seen Bert" Grace near his fath er's farm on the outskirts of Her- j rin the morning of the riots. - Young Harrison said he had then j taken a walk to a nearby clump'of | woods, where he found four bodies, I one of them hanging from a tree. ! William Goodman, a faVmer tes- j tilled that he-had been nea* the] "strip" mine where the riot start-! ed and had seen several hundred j men coming from the mine with \ 30 or 40 prisoners. He estimated j the crowd about the mine at 1,500 j persons. .At the close of the afternoon; session Judge Hartwell announced an adjournment of court over Sat urday and Sunday. EFFORT TO DEFEAT JUSTICE! Effort Made to Stay Harrison's' Death Sentence Greenville, Dec. 15.?B. B. Evans, lawyer of Columbia, ap peared before T. P. Cothran. as sociate ju.stice of the supreme court, today and moved for a stay of execution in the case of Ira. Harrison, under death sentence for the murder of .1. C. Arnette. 1 Justice Cothran took the mat ter under advisement and has not announced his decision. The mo tion for a stay of execution was yria.de on the grounds that an ap peal iias been taken from the de cision of Judge Mauldin in refus ing to appoint a board to inquire , into Harrison's sanity. John R. Dixon Dies I Death Comes From Influenza; Complications Columbia, Dee. IS. ? John "R. Dixon died at fi:2<) o'clock yes terday morning at his home on the Childs plantation. Bluff road. He had been ill for two weeks, death ! resulting from influenza eoinpliea-! tions. Mr. Dixon had been overseer on j the Childs plantation for two years, j crying there from Lexington coun- ' ty. He was capable farmer, a man of high character, and had. a wide circle of friends to join with the family in mourning his death. He was 7,3 years of age. Surviving are his widow, who j before marriage was Miss Emma MeGrew, and seven children. Funeral services will be held at 3 o'clock this afternoon at Mill creek church, in the county, con ducted by the Rev. A. Kennedy of Tabernacle church. -Mr, Dixon was a Baptist. ? # ? Do you want a present for an enemy? Give him a cigar lighter. MORE HOPEFUL GtffiOOKAT ! LAUSANNE Reports That America Will Assist in Re habilitation of Eli rope Arouses Opti mistic Feeling i n Conference By the Associated .Press Lausanne, Dec. 18.?The Near [East peace conference has grown more optimistic with the circula-J tion of reports that America is I considering lending assistance to j the economic rehabilitation of Eu- ', rope. As the meeting%entered the! fifth week, three "of the biggest! t problems still were unsolved. The | Mosul, oil regions, control, the j Turkish plan to deport the Greek I patriarch and capitulations are j causing trouble. The Dardanelles; question is believed to be about j solved. - TO ORGANIZE NATIONAL BODY Council cf Cooperative Asso ciations in Making. To liandle Problems Washington, Dec. l(t.?Pernia- ! nent organization of the' National i Council of Farmers' Cooperative: Marketing Associations was author- \ ized today in the closing session! here of a three day conference of j representative farmers' associations j in all sections of the country. The! purpose of the council will be to j .handle common problems of co- j operative marketing bodies with out conflicting with activities of other associations and acting as their mouthpiece. ? Modification of present agricul tural loan system to give farmers j nine months' credit paper instead of six months, and to increase to $25,000, the maximum basis of loans from farm land banks, was recommended in resolutions unani-j m?usly. adopted. Amendment of the federal reserve law to meet the special requirements of farm credits) and to permit the financing of; farmers and their cooperative so- j cieties was also favored. The general policy for the coun- j oil was laid down, favoring the lo cal banker as the primary reliance of the farmer for ^production and marketing creditc. Erection of a farm credits de partment in federal- land banks, with capital suuicient to issue farm ^creditto the maximum of $000.000, 000 was another project indorsed by the conference. This depart ment would discount or purchase agricultural paper and make loans 1 to cooperative marketing associa tions and to agricultural coopera tive credit associations. None of the farm relief measures now pending was indorsed by name, but the house'- and senate banking \ and currency committees were re quested to incorporate the confer ence recommendations in one ru ral credits bill along with accept able features of the nine credits bills already before congress. The conference, in its formal declaration of policy, held that the cooperative associations should ;isk nothing from the federal gov ernment other than enactment of legislation to permit farmers and their organizations, file same ac cess to the federal credits sys'tems that all other industries now pos sess. The interstate o.on>roerce com mission was requested by the con ference to institute hearings for the purpose of opening the whole question of revision* of freight rates, with the view to possible lessening the burdens borne by shippers of primary commodities. Sounding the gavel for adjourn ment. Carl Williams of Oklahoma, president of the American Cotton Growers' exchange, declared the conference to have been the most important move in American his tory for the betterment , of the fanner. Not only will agriculture bene fit, he declared, but, the consumers of farm produce everywhere will share in the reforms , expected to come from' the discussions here. BLIZZARD ON LAKE SUPERIOR Winter Season Takes Heavy DeattL Toll By the Associated Press Chicago, Dec. 18. .? A dozen known deaths and the x probable death o% twenty-seven others, is.the toll of the freezing weather on Lake Superior during the past few days. A- dozen died when, a Ca nadian steamer pounded to pieces at the mouth of the Portage Lake ship carnal. The others are miss ing from the tug Beliancefi wreck ed last Wednesday on Lizard Is land. Nine big ships are now known to be fighting their 'jvay down the lake. Navigation was kept open after- December 1st be cause the coal and railroad strikes had cut down northern coal supplies. Federal Reserve Truck Robbed . . ? Three Bandits Secure Two ' Hundred Thousand in Currency By the Associated Press Denver. Dec. 18.?Three ban dits today .robbed a federal ee> serve bank truck of $200,000. in currency in frent of the United. States mint here. Charles Linton, a guard, was probably fatally wounded. T,he robbers seized the currency' as it was being loaded, in a truck. The guards inside the mint opened fire as the robbers fled in an automobile. The entire Denver police, force' was called out. The bandits were armed with rifles. Six tons ?f - cranberries were burned in a New York fire. Cook ing steadily it would take 100 brides two weeks to burn this many. ATTENTION WOODMEN ? The regular monthly meeting of the W. O. W. will be held Wednes day, December 20th at 7:30 p. m. sharp. We have 5 candidates for introduction. The election of of ficers will be held and we would like for you .to be present with . us? May we look for you? R. . S. Hood, Clerk._. WANTED?Several small tracts of good pine timber Yrom 1-4 to 5 million feet. We also pay cash for No. 1 pine logs 14 inches and up in diameter delivered to bur new band mill, at Denmark, S. C. The Zickgraf Company, Denmark,.S. C. WANTED?Hardwood logs. We pay highest cash price for chQice Ash, Poplar; Cypress and White Oak logs of standard specifica tions, delivered to Sumter by rail or truck. We buy logs twelve months in the year and give preference to loggers equipped to bring in a steady supply. What have yoU to offer? Sumter Hardwood Co., Sumter, S. C. TEN YEARS HENCE WILL YOU BE PROSPERING in BUSINESS or LOOKING FOR A JOB? IT DEPEIsTDS ON WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE STARTED TO SAVE. First National Bank of Sumter Plow your cotton stalks in now. FACTS WORTHY OF YOUR CONSIDERATION Our largo Capital Stock and Surplus indicate our* Ability. Large Loans and Discounts?Our Liberality. Large -Deposits?the Peoples'. Satisfaction with.our Service and ConfideAce in bur Protection. ? VYe offer you our Service and Protection and want your Ac< mint. ^ ? The National Bank of South Carolina The Bank With the Chime Clock. C. G. Rowland, Pres. Earle Rowland, Cashier