The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-09-08
.6lllE.@FEMSE 0eyAsA.
REGULAR MONTHLY MEETING
HELD HERE TO-DAY.
organization Of All the Counties OK
State Practically Completed and Ef-
fcctivc Work Being DOnc-Whcat
Acreage To he Increased.


Acreage To he Increased.
The State Council OF Defense me
this morning In the Chamber of Com
merce roms, In regular monthly scs
sion. There was not full attendanc,
OF members. few representatives o
the Piedmont section being present
but there were a number Of chairme,
OF county councils here and the meet
ing was full of interest and matter:
OF Importance were attended to.
The meeting was called to order by
Chairman d. r. Coker at $40 o'clock
who first introduced County Chairman
A. c. Phelps. who after briefly ex.
pressing his qualification at having the
state Council meet in Sumter, intro
duced Mayor Jennings who welcome.
the body to Sumter and expressed the
hope that the Council would meet
here whenever 1t was convenient for
them to do so.
Chairman Coker stated that nc had
been invited by National Food Admin
istrator Hoover to accept the position
of Administrator for South Carolina.
He had visited Washington for a
conference with Mr.. Hoover and af-
ter learning that the plans of the
Food Administration Board were in
close accord with the work being done
by the State Council Of Defense and
could be carried on in connection with
the work he was already doing he ac-
cepted the appointment. He stated
that two Offices had been rented in Co.
lumbia and that one would be used by
ths State Council Of Defense and the
other by the State Food Administra-
lion.
Secretary Sparks read the minutes
Of tho August meeting Of tho Coun-
eli. which were approved. He then
At the request Of the chairman gave a
summary Of the reports received from
the chairmen OF County Councils. The
reports showed that all counties have
organized. save two and that the work
. progressing most satisfactorily in all
the other counties save one, which
had not been thoroughly organized. He
stated that the organization in sumter
county was one OF the most complete
and the work done up to date the
most effective in the State; but other
counties that started their organiza-
lions at a much later date than sum-
ter are now doing fully effective work.
He referred especially to Union Coun.
". whore the County Chairman. Mr..
Lowndes J. Browning is giving the
greater part Of his time to the work
Of public service and has perfected a
very complete and efficient organiza-
ton. Other counties mentioned were
likewise fully organized. many OF
them having working committees in
every school district.
DR.. w. W.. Long. State Demonstra-
ton Agent, reported that work was
needed to increase the livestock re-
sources Of the State. especially in
hogs. Ho also stated that the cam
paign to increase the small grain ac-
reage had met with most encouraging
results thus far. There was more in
terest than ever before and the out
look was for the largest grain acreage
the State had ever had in the recent
past. In reference to wheat he ex-
pressed the opinion that no effort
should be made to materially re-
duce the acreage Of cotton and corn
next year in favor of wheat. He said
that IL the acreage was increased 81
per cent. as recommended by the De-
partment of Agriculture the State
would be doing all that 1t should. He
planting wheat, but as q
matter OF fact cotton and corn are
more important food crops in South
than wheat an acre of cotton
more food in the shape of
oil than an acre of wheat and an acre
OF corn likewise producing in this Sec
tion more food than an acre of wheat
The Council decided to recommend
that an acre of wheat be planted to
every plow on every farm. This
plan would conform approximately to
the recommendation to increase the
States wheat acreage 81 per cent.
The matter of military training IN
tho public schools was discussed al
some length. there being opposition tc
a blanket recommendation that mill
tary training be introduced In all the
public schools, since such an under