Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-08-06
STATE COUNCIL OF Defence
Various Matters Of Pnblic Interest
Discussed.
War ALLOWANCE SERIOUS PROBLEM
Resolutions Adopted in Favor OF the
Creation Of Cotton Corporation to
Guarantee the Price Of Most I'M
portant Commodity in Prosecution
of the War.


Columbia State. Friday.
The adoption OF four important res
OIutiOnS. the transaction OF much h'lsl-
ness and the delivery Of two impor-
tant addresses, supplemented toy IN
tcIIigcnt comment and Il general "X-
change Of ideas. featured what Is he
li.vcd to bc the most cOnstructiv" hi-
monthly meeting yet held of the stat"
council Of defense.
d. L. cokcr. chairman of tn" state
council, presided at the business Sos
sion of the council. which convened
at 10 O'Clock in the library Of the
state house, and at the open meeting
Of the county chairmcn which follow
ed at noon.
Two of the resolutions were intro
ducrd by Mr.. Cokcr. The first re-
quests that competent authorities pre-
scriis. a remedy to prevent IN" wives
and other dependents OF drafted men
from fors;iking regular occupations
and subsisting on allowances rrmitt'h
10 them 10y the war depart
mcnt. thereby aggravatinS tn" labor
problem. Sir. cOkcr's second rcsolu-
tiun directs the attention OF IN"
president and congress To the needs
and merits OF the cotton situation ana
PROPOSES the establishment Of a gov
ernmcnt financed corporation.
The other two resolutions, both OF
which were adopted during the second
session, were introduced 10y William
hanks. state explosive inspector. the
first dcprccating the sale and use OF
fireworks during the period OF tn"
war and calling upon municipalities
In the state TO forbid either: the sec
ond urging members of county de-
fcnsc organizations TO bc on tn" alert
for slackers. for those who abuse the
system OF paying allotmcnts and FOR
irregularities deserving of punish
mcnt.
Mr.. COkcr opened the business SEES
sion with Il short and telling prcscnta-
tion Of the needs of the ss,t" H.
litcracy commission. The council.
realizing the need OF additional funds
To organize and initiate the work, APP
propriatcd $1,000 to he placed at the
disposal OF the commission. of which
DIR. Patterson Wardlaw is chairman.
The executive committee of the
council has been enlarged 10y the ap-
pointmcnt of three additional mem
hcrs, this increase having been nc
ccssitated by the Increased duties and
responsibilities incident to wider ac-
tivities. Robert McDougal OF Column
) bia. w. A. Stackey OF Rishopviiie and
Horace I. Tnghman are the new
members of the committee.
A decision was made To appoint a
committee on reconstruction and read
jlIstmrnt after the war. This COM
mittcc, at the conclusion al tn" war.
will occupy itself with problems re-
garding the financial. business and
educational recommendation. similar
organizations have been formed in
other states and other countries and
hy the exchange OF ideas and plans
between thcS' several agencies II IL
thought the work will he expedited.
At the request Of national council
Of defense officials. Il committee will
he appointed later whose function will
he to cooperate with the existing
state committee on vocational train
Ing.
\ booklet which fixes the financial
obligations and the legal status oi
drlftccs. both from the state and ma
tiunal viewpoint. il being prepared
under the direction Of state council
officials and will soon he available for
distribution.
In order to aid the recently rr-or-
ganiZcd wOman's division. the council
has appropriated $3.50 which is To h'
used to secure the services OF Il wo-
man field organizer for three months
Mr.. Cokcr's first resolution, which
was introduced at this point and
which will he sent To Washington.
reads as follows:
Whereas the council of defense is
informed that the labor shortage in
the state is being rendered more acute
by the leaving of their accustomed vo
cations and the living In idlencss Of
the wives and other dependents of
drafted men who formerly were en-
gagged in regular vocations but who
also are now living upon the pay al
lowances regularly remitted to them
do ~
Whereas, The crops have always
been largely hocd and gathered by
women. and any considerable shrink
age in this class of labor added to
the already great shortage of labor
would make II impossible to gather all
the crops on time and in good con-
dition. and would thus affect the coun-
Gil Of defense of South Carolina; that
the attention OF the governor. war de-
partmcnt and our senators and con-
gressmcn Is called to this situation
with the request that an appropriate
remedy bc applied"
Following the adoption Of the above
declaration. MIR. Coker offered Il sec
ond resolution which. with the pre-
amblc. read as follows:
To Uphold Cotton Prices.
Whereas. The secretary of the
treasury has announced that fourth
Liberty loan will be offered this fall
and
Whereas, The success of our mill
tary operations depends upon the car
rying out of the financial programme
OF the government, and
Whereas. The ability Of the people
to subscribe to Liberty bonds depends
upon their respective cost Of produc-
ton plus a profit for their agricultur-
al products, and
Whereas. Cotton Is one of the great
money crops OF the nation which the
world requires. and
Whereas. The price Of cotton until
recently has averaged so low that the
cotton laborer and the cotton planter