The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1916-08-03

founded and that the future will bright
en- up in hurry. l will advise you if
help is needed. rather think, however,
that with pull altogether the commu-
nifty can stand the strain.
Yours very truly,
ECEPrs
Washington, D c, June 20.
Hon E C Epps,
Kingstree, Sc.
/ My dear Senator Epps Il am in re.
ceipt Of your esteemed favor of July 18
and am very much distressed to learn of
the great losses that your people have
sustained. received the wire from Mr.
Fl E Montgomery asking me to have
the Government investigate conditions
in your country. and have succeeded in
securing an order from the Secretary of
War directing that United States ar
my officer be sent to Kingstree in order
to make a report. This could do no
harm and may be of considerable serv-
ice. I am exceedingly anxious to do ev-
erything possible for the relief of your
people, and do not want you to hesi-
tate to advise me Of anything that can
do.
Immediately upon the receipt of the
! information of the disaster that had
come to the tobacco growers, commu-
nicated with prominent tobacco buyers,
and | am glad to be able to inform you
that prices will probably range very
high. Of course. with the destroyed
crop. this will not relieve the situation,
l,,& h. ho1 hot 10 lnf
brings. the better it will be for the peo-
pie. One of the biggest concerns in the
country, replying to my urgent appeal
that as high prices as possible be paid,
wrote me under date of July l8 as fol-
lows:
II have your wire Of the 18th and in
reply wish to advise that we have had
some information of crop conditions in
South Carolina since the storm, and re-
gret very much to advise that there has
been right much injury to the crop, but
not so bad, however, as Senator Epps
advises.
'For your information / advise that
we will be on the markets on the open
ing sales, August l, and from the best
information can get, think you will see
the best prices in South Carolina you
have seen for years. We look for high
prices in that section"
This of course is good information.
Yours very truly,
j w RAGSDALE.
Kingstree S C, July "a.
Hon w Ragsdale, NJ e,
Washington, D G.
Dear Congressman:-Y of the
22d has been received Concerning Gov
ernment aid to our storm sufferers,
want to suggest that, should the officer
who has visited the community report
favorably for aid, you take the matter
up with the proper department and see
| if some way cannot be devised by which
the aid will not come entirely free. If
under the new road law we could get an
appropriation to be used in Williams
burg county on public roads, thus giving
employment to heads of families and
others in actual need of employment, a
much greater thing would be accom-
plished than the mere act of charity on
the Governments part.
You know that the negro will easily
be ruined as laborer and as citizen,
granting that they are such, If free gifts
are handed out to them. And the Gov
ernment must consider all sufferers
alike if donation is made.
know that we have no State High
way Commission to receive road money
from the Federal Government, but If
you could get resolution through Con-
gress conditioned upon like amount
being given by our county. am salts
fled that the delegation would pledge
themselves to provide the necessary levy
and meet the provisions of such reso-
luton, could you pass it. In fact, ! would
like for you to raise the question in Con-
gress just at this time, for l think 1t
would be in the right direction and might
open up new channel of public assist
ance to needy communities. That our
people will need help is no longer aques-
ton in my mind, but / have always
doubted the advisability of uncondition-
al aid in such circumstances as confront
US. Think this proposition over and If
it strikes you as feasible thing to do,
offer a resolution donating, say, fifty
thousand dollars to be expended upon
the rural route roads, under the direc-
tion of the Board of County Commits
sioners, provided that the county pledge
itself to raise half the amount by di-
rect levy, which will be added to the
amount given by the Federal Govern.
ment, and expended as per the terms OF
the resolution.
If you think we'll of the proposition,
you will know how to do the job. l
have written hurriedly.
The U S officer did not call on me
while here and l missed seeing him,
which regret. Yours very truly,
&c EPPs.
Washington, D c, Jnly %.
Hon E c Epps,
Kingstree, S c.
Dear Senator Epps:-I have your let
ter of the 24th and have just left the
Secretary of War, with whom | have
gone over the whole matter in detail.
We are now working out q plan by
which we hope to provide work for your
people, and 1 am remaining here at his
suggestion to try to work out plan, al
though am missing campaign meet
ings at Loris and Conway, where | was