The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-10-17


supply OF men. ammunition and food
AT the present moment things look
black for the allies. for the m.iled fist
OF the German War Lord Is battering
mercilessly.
The South Carolina legislature is
unalterably opposed to total elimi-
nation-of the $500 legislative salary,
the IS stationery allowance and the
mileage. They want all that is COM
Ign to them and want it in cash-no
cotton accepted at ten cents a pound.
Members Of the legislature should
not be expected to serve without
compensation and pay their own ex-
penses. but why they refused to
adopt the Christensen resolution pro-
viding for a per diem Of IS per day,
with mileage additional. and demand
5000. the maximum amount allowed
for a session, is difficult to understand.
III the European war should result
in the complete triumph of Germany
and the humiliation Of France, Eng
land and Russia, wave of militarism
would sweep over the United States
and Roosevelt and HObson would be in
the ascendancy. The ship builders;
armor plate. ammunition and gun
makers and all the other believers in
a big navy and army would go up
and down the country working up a
panic, proclaiming that Americas
only safety from conquest by Ger
many To- be an invincible navy
and a standing army greater in num-
bers and better equipped than Ger
many's. Hobson's periodic Japanese
war scare Is not to be compared to
the furor that would be raised over
the German world conquest logic.
The total elimination Of the cotton
crop next year means q tremendous
Increase in the corn acreage and q
corn crop next fall that must find an
outside market or become as great a
drag on the market as cotton Is now.
While the legislature is debating the
cotton elimination plan 1t should take
some time to consider a plan to mar
ket the grain crop.
One solution Of cotton warehouse
problem Is for the farmers who
wish to hold cotton to organize
neighbOrhood warehouse companies,
have them regularly incorporated and
their own cotton at a
minimum cost. 1t would not be
necessary to build warehouses in a
majority Of communities since on
many farms there are buildings that
can easily be utilized as cotton storage
Cotton thus stored can
be insured at low rate and ware
house certificates issued by a mutual
Of this sort would be just
as good collateral as a certificate is
sued by any other warehouse cor
The cost Of organizing
and incorporating a community ware
house would be inconsiderable and
the cost Of operation would be low,
the storage and insur-
ance would not amount to great
deal. Brought down to it's last
analysis. the solution of the prob
lem that Is now facing the cotton
rests with themselves and
self-help Is the only thing that Of
fers them any hope Of real and per-
manent relief. A half dozen farmers
In any neighborhood can by CO.
operation. become their own cotton
and save a part of
the money that they would otherwise
pay out to the regular warehouses,
which are already taxed beyond their
A warehouse company le-
gally Incorporated Is warehouse
whether 1t Is located in a
town or In the country. whether it
has a capital of $1,000 or 100000.
whether 1t has five stockholders or
five hundred. A warehouse certif-
cate issued by the little company Is
just as safe and valid as the GER
tifcate Of the big company, and the
insurance companies will issue poll
cies on cotton stored in warehouses
in the country as readily as on that
stored in big warehouses located in
towns. The insurance rate on cotton
stored in warehouses other than of
standard construction is somewhat
higher. but the rate Is reasonable and
not prOhibitive-something like $3.50