The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-10-07
BAMBERG, s. G. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1
BYRNES on THE JOB.
Second District Congressman Look
ing After Local Affairs.


patch of the 29th, will be of interest
to the county:
Congressman James F. Byrnes, of
| the End South Carolina district, was
informed at the navy department to-
day that just as soon as a transport
could be obtained the commandant OF
the marine corps would send 500 ma
rines to Port Royal, and that the
number would be increased later. 1t
will be recalled that some months
ago the secretary of the navy decid-
ed to move the marine recruiting
station from Norfolk to Port Royal.
Yesterday Mr.. Byrnes argued be-
fore the river and harbor engineers
an appeal from the adverse report
/ of the district engineer on the pro-
/ ject for improving the North Fork
of the Edisto river. The congress-
man urged that the same recommen-
dation for improvement should be
made of the South Fork as for the
North Fork, so that whenever con-
gress considers the question of ap-
propriating for the improvement OF
the waterway from Orangeburg to
Charleston, the South Fork project
! can be taken up at the same time.
Another matter in which the End
district representative is interesting
himself is the complaint of lumber
shippers in Hampton county that the
interstate railroad rate from points
in that county to Savannah, by the
Atlantic Coast Line, is, greater than
the rate from the same points to
Charleston, though the distance to
Savannah is less. Mr.. Byrnes dis
cussed this subject at the interstate
commerce commission today.
The railway company explains that
the Charleston rate is fixed by the
State railroad commission and is
forced upon the company, and that
! it is unreasonable. The railroad
claims that the interstate rate is a
reasonable one. Mr.. Byrnes~ says he
is going to have a formal complaint
filed with the commerce commission
| to test the reasonableness of the
rate. The principle involved is caus-
| ing trouble in many States and has
in some cases gone to the United
States supreme court on appeals
from the commission.
When asked if he had any COM
ment to make on the state of the
country and the sentiment of his
constituents towards the Wilson ad-
ministration, Representative Byrnes
said: N
'"The people of my section of the
South are feeling much better at this
time than they were two or three
months ago on account of the in
creased price of cotton. Many of the
persons who bought cotton during
the buy-a-bale movement with the
expectation of suffering loss have
during the last week been able to
sell at a net profit. AS a result OF
the rise in cotton much of the feel
ing that existed among the people
of the South against Great Britain
because of interference with cotton
shipments has disappeared.
s'The interest of our people in the
expectation of cotton causes them to
take an interest also in the question
of preparedness so far as the navy
is concerned, the sentiment being
that while there should be reason
able increase in both army and navy,
! it is more important that we should
have a stronger navy than we should
maintain a larger standing army.
"Our people are of the opinion
that the coast Notifications should
be improved and that they should be
sufficiently garrisoned. Following
the construction of the forts at Pan
ANA, Hawaii and in the Philippines,
the garrisons at the coast fortifca-
tions in Charleston harbor was cut
to the bone; and l understand that
this is true, in a measure, of all the
other important coast Notifications
in the country.
''South Carolina's people are en-
thusiastic in their support OF Presi-
dent Wilson, and whatever pro-
gramme of preparedness is recon-
mended by him to the congress will
Undoubtedly influence their view on
the subject. Today the president is
stronger with our people than ever
before"