Newspaper Page Text
SEPTEMBER 22, 1911.
THE BANNER, FRIDAY MORNINQ,
THE ATHENS BANNER
H. J. ROWE,
Editor and Proprietor.
THE ATHENS DAILY BANNER le
delivered by carriers In ttie city, or
mailed, pottage free, to any addreaa
at the following ratee: $5.00 per year;
$2.60 for six months; $1.25 for three
months, or 10 cents a week.
The red-caps are the volunteers.
Do your trading with the home
merchants.
Pall business Is opening up with the
cotton. Are you—opening up the
tbrpttle?
The Normal School is having dlty
Acuity In getting enough places for
the students to board.
The ninety-day account, as little as
you'd think of It, will be coming due
pretty close to Christmas time.
■Sunday was a bloody day over the
country—assaults and murders and
suicides marked the day with red.
The Georgia boys are receiving a
hearty welcome “home." Here's home
for every real "Georgia" boy during
school days.
While there are food riots in Vien
na, we are blessed with an opportun
ity to be Just busy and active and
gather in the harvest of a great crop
year. We should give reverent thanks.
Real estate deals are being made
every day In Athens dirt—most of the
transfers being for homes or vacant
lots on which to build homes. There
Is a good interest also In farm lands
and many places have changed bands
this fall. '
The matrimonial epidemic has brok
eu out—the Sunday papers*bave not a
page large enough to contain all the
announcemnts that have piled high
on the society editor's desk. May
they every one be as happy as a cou
pie we know.
Join tbe chamber of commerce and
not only Join, but stayi joined and
active. The organization can accom
plish wonders for Athens If tbe mem
bers will eah one—not Just a leader
or two—and every one pull for Ath
ens and pull together.
It doesn't matter what the sport
writers say about Georgia or any oth
er team, nor what the coaches of
either or any of them give out, we are
loyally betting on the Red and Black
—would be* oc ’em If there wasn’t
but a pair of eplnkleshanks for
"hope."
The turning loose of six hundred
pretty good looking young Georgians
In a .town at one time makes things
pretty livelier, eh? And there are
scores of the uniformed Normalltes
to be seen on the strata also—In their
white shirtwaists, black college caps,
and blue skirts.
If you want to get more business
this fall than you bad last fall, go
after It. If you want to get more bus
iness this fall than the other fellow
has this fall, you'll have to go after
it. One of the surest and swiftest
ways to go after business these days
la through Abe newspapers.
Governor Smith states that he was
misquoted In the interview purported
to hare been given out by him In
which he erpresed his preference for
Wilson for vice president and Harmon
for president. He now says that he
would be pleased with either Harmon
and Wilson or Wilson and Harmon
and doesn't see how the comblnatoln
of these two big democrats on a pres
idential ticket could be strengthened.
In a long life and a wlder-than-usual
travel over several countries, we
know of only one other trio In all the
realms of civilization that can match
the three Indicted upon a defenseless
public by the Atlanta Constitution in
a space on the front page yesterday
morning—a three-column area usual
ly ^occupied by one of Gregg's car
toons. "Fuzzy" looked like the breth
ren had him.
' DR. WILEY VINDICATED.
Dr. H»\V. Wiley, chief of the I'nlted States bureau of chemistry, who
has been under fire for some months and whose resignation was practically
asked by ihe United States Attorney General has been vindicated by tbe de
cision of President Taft. Tbe president In passing upon the case has many
words of praise for Dr. Wiley and none of censure. Tbe attorney general
had asked the president to request the resignation of Dr. Wiley, but the
president cot only did not isk Wiley to resign, but went on to praise him for
his work.
President Taft does not regard Ills decision in this case as being any
slap at the attorney general. He says that the attorney general did not bare
all the facts before him when be arrived at bis conclusions, and that this
decision to ask for Dr. Wiley's resignation was based upon only a part of the
evidence touching the charges against the chemistry bureau.
-It will be remembered that for several months there has been a con
sidered discussion going on concerning the efficiency of the department of
agriculture and. especially the bureau of chemistry. Dr. Wiley has render
ed the country conspicuous service in the work that he has done to bring
about tbe enforcement of the pure food act Ills actions have In a number of
cases been criticised, but he now comes out with flying colors.
While President Taft has given Dr. Wiley much praise, he does not
tempt to conceal the fact that the department of agriculture Is not In
good condition as It might be, and Intimates that the lnveslgatlon of that
partment that is now being conducted by congress may bring to light things
that will call for remedial action.
GOV. WILSON AND THE REFERENDUM.
A few days since during the session of the convention of governors,
there was a quite lively tilt betwen Governor Kmmett Oneal, of Alabama,
and Governor Woodrow Wilson, of New Jersey, on tbe subject of the
ferendum. The New Jersey governor was very strong in his advocacy
referendum, and the Alabama executive equally as pronounced In his op
position. At times the controversy between the two executives was rather
spirited.
The referendum Is not very popular In the Southern states. It has
main strength In the western states and In tbe newer states of tbe union
While it Is a old question, it has never appealed with great force to the
older and more settled states of the u nion. The new commonwealths have
as a rule adopted It and made It a part of their constitutional law.
Governor Wilson Is a man with conviction and does not hesitate to speak
out when he believes a thing. It may be that his pronounced views In favor
of the referendum as a part of the state governments may cost him some
advocates In the South and in tho more conservative states, but he will stick
to what he thinks about government regardless of this.
In some instances it la very well to have tho referendum, but we are
Inclined to the belief that too regular and too extended use of the referendum
In state governmental affairs would be very detrimental and would bring
about a multiplicity of elections that would be of serious damage to good
government.
4
OWNERS OF CORPORATIONS.
Judging from frequent attacks on corporations and the charges made
to the consolidation of wealth In those big commercial bodies, one would
think that the big corporations In this country are owned almost entirely by
a few people. Yet this Is not the truth. The Wall Street Journal sent out
Inquiries to all corporations with a capital stock of more than a million dol
lars and from tbe first two hundred and forty-two answers, the following
facta were gleaned:
Capitalization Increased from $5,659,276,316 In 1901 to $7,323,-
147,307 In 1906 and $8,997,347,426 In 1911.
Shares Increased from 60,254,988 In 1901 to 86,630,251 In 1906
and to 110,426,197 In 1911.
Shareholders increased from 226.480 In 1901 to 394,842 In 1906
and to 872,392 In 1911.
Average shares per holder decreased from 266.1 In 1901 to 191.4
In 1906 and to 126.5 In 1911.
Par value of stock per holder decreased from $24,546 In 1901 to
$18,547 in 1906 and to $10,313 In 19911.
In flfty-one of the *242 reporting, the average number of shares owned
by one person Is less than 100. -
Women comprise from 30 to 60 per cent of shareholders In tbe larger
corporations; In the United States Steel Corporation they constitute from
one-third to one-half of the holders and 50 por cent of the American Sugar
Refining Company. This same company has 19,531 shareholders, of whom
9,500 own ten or less shares each. Of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company'
69,760 shares, women held 32,801.
♦ —: * 4
Tbe Athens cotton market has sev
eral Inducements to offer the farmer
who carries his crop on wagons to
selL Tbe price paid here la as high
as the market will bear, there Is
sharp rivalry and competition among
tbe buyers, the roads are good from
Athens out Ip every direction, and
goods that must be bought with mon
ey the cotton brings In can be
bought here at as close a price and
can be seen In if great variety as at
any place In the state—the larger
cities not excepted.
Athens has many, advantages to of
fer the prospective manufacturing
plant which wishes to locate here—
superb climate and a health record
that Is a^ good as a life Insurance
policy to employer and employee; the
best educational advantages any city
of the size In the South can offer, for
children or older sons and daughters;
as cheap a place to live as any with
tbe conveniences and tecllltes; more
railroads and a better territory Into
which these roads run than any city
of the also in the state, including the
larger eWee; and abundant materials
in easy reach for a doses sorts of
factories.
ABANDONING PORT ARTHUR.
Years ago the Ruszlanz took possession of Port Arthur and made it
stronghold that they were satisfied would thoroughly and poaltlvely resist
Invasion and capture. But the Japs come along In their war agalnat Russia
and took Port Arthur by storm. When that war ended the Japs spent a mil
lion dollars on repairing the fortifications and other large sums in making
It more Impregnable. Now the Japs have suddenly determined to abandon
Port Arthur as a naval base and to construct another base at the city of
Chin Hla on the western coast of Korea. The new fort will not only com
mand the entrance to the Gulf of Pechlll, but will also give protection to tbe
western coast of Japan and the straits In that part of the world.
Japan no doubt knows whal she Is doing, but the Russians are pleased
with this movement. The}' still have their eyes on Port Arthur and tbe con
tiguous territory and any step on the part of Japan that will make It easier
for them to-retake that place Is welcomed on the part of the Russians.
Russia Is not saying much, but that the Great Bear la simply waiting for
an opportunity to close In once more with the wily Jap there Is no doubt.
♦ —+
THE ATHENS COTTON MARKET.
The cotton factors In Athens have been busy during the past few months
getting In readiness for the handling of the cotton crop this season. Tbe
warehouse facilities of the city are In consequence larger than they have
ever been and tbe cotton men ire in better shape now to handle tbe large
receipts of cotton than they have ever been.
Athens Is one of the best cotton markets anywhere In the country. The
cotton men of Athens In addition to having tbe amplest facilities for tbe
handling of the crop, always offer to the farmers the very highest prices the
market will warrant. The farmer can rest assured that If he brings bis
cotton to Athena he will get the top price for It.
An ample supply of money for the handling of the cotton that comes to
Athens Is always available and the cotton factors are experienced In the
handling of the business to the point where they can dispose of tbe staple
to the very best advantage for their customers.
There are other reasons why the farmers of this swtlon should bring
their cotton to the Athens market The country roads In Clarke county are
tbe best In tbe state and that means much to tbe farmer In transporting his
cotton to market He can bring his cotton to Athens over our good roads
much more easily than over poor roads. He does not have to make so many
tripe for his teams cen haul heavier loads over the good roads of Clarke.
Then there Is not so much wear and tear on his stock and wagons.
Athens also affords him a good trading market where on the same trip
he makes to sell his cotton he can make such purchases as be may wlah to
make and get hla goods at the very lowest market price.
For a number of years the cotton trade sf Athens has been steadily
growing and the cotton me a In this city have moved up In every way to meet
thq demands of the Increased trade. This year tbe cotton receipts here
should ge beyond one hundred and fifty thousand bales and tbe cot
ton factors of tbe city will do their part towards bringing this to pass.
FRANCE PULLS THE PURSE STRINGS.
It begins to look like France has the upper hapd In the Moroccan sltua
tlon and that sbe will be able to make Germany dance to her tune. And it
all comes about from the fact that the French appear to bold tbe purso
strings.
Germany would no doubt like to do things In Morocco, but Just as the
Germans began to talk pretty warlike, the French bankers began to call
the loans due them by Germans. Tbe Paria bankers held quite an amount
of German paper and also bkld more German obligations through tbe Swiss
banks. When the French bankers began to call In this paper, the stringency
began to be felt In Germany In many business quarters.
Following this very diplomatic move on the part of the French bankers
which received the tacit approval of tbe French government, there was a de
cldedly more peaceful tone to Che German utterances and since then the
chances for peace between tbe two countries has brightened.
The French bankers excuse themselves on tbe ground that tney bad ev
ery right to take such a step when the situation between tbe two countries
was such as to cause much unrest At life same time It Is more than likely
that the French financiers pulled the purse strings Just at tbe right time to
make Germany take a step down from her high perch on the Moroccap
question. «
BUILDING BETTER SCHOOL HOUSES.
While the educational system of the state la being steadily Improved
every year, attention should be paid also to the improvement of the school
houses and grounds. For many years the school houses in the rural districts
of-the state have been a disgrace to the state. In some of the towns the con
dltlon has been*very little bet’tter and up to recent years the larger cities
had nothing to brag about in the way of school buildings.
But the cities of the state have at last provided the children with the
best of school buildings and the more progressive towns and rural commu
nltles have been progressive enough to give proper attention to this work.
It Is Just about as cheap to build a good school building as a poor one
It may cost a little more money, but not enough more to make the difference
felt. Tbe Important work Is not so much In the amount of money as It Is In the
architecture and arrangeent of the buildings.
Every school building should be built with the end In view of getting a
building adapted to school purposes, properly lighted, properly- ventilated and
provided with the ordinary conveniences that may be necessary for the con
ducting of the school. It Is Inexcusable to construct a school buijdlng with
out proper ventilation or proper light This can be done without the ex
pendlture of an extra cent.
People are very careful to give tbelr stock good houses In which to stay,
and If they find that the houses are not properly built they tear them down
and build others. Certainly they should have more care about tbe houses
In which their little children are to spend the greater part of their youth.
There Is -evident In Georgia a very healthy movement towards the bet
terment of school buildings The people seem to have awakened to the nec
essity for more attention to this Important part of the educational work of
the state.
4
AEROPLANES TO DELIVER MAIL.
Tests will be made this week to determine whether or not the aeroplane
can be successfully used for the distribution of the United States mail. The
delivery of newspapers by aeroplane will also be tried out and great Interest
Is being felt to the result o! these experiments.
It Is claimed that the aeroplane can be used with perfect success In the
delivery of the mall and that It will -bring about a perfect revolution In that
branch of the government service, both as to speedy delivery and as to sat
isfactory delivery.
These are simply a few of the new usee to which air machines are now
being put with varying degrees of success. As tbe machines are Improved,
It Is found feasible to undertake more and more lines of service for them,
and within a few years they will be actively engaged In a number of com
mercial lines.
Whether or not the aeroplanes will become successful competitors wltb
the railroads' In the carrying of the government mall remains to be seen. It
will probably be many years before any great Inroad could be made by the
air machines, but It Is oot without the range of possibilities. At least tbe
experiment will be looked forward to with much Interest.
♦ - — - -■
[UNCLE SAM'S NAVY.
As long as nations refuse to enter Into an Iron-clad agreement not to
war against each other, the work of increasing naval armament will go on
The nations are compelled to do more or less of this work in order to bq,
ready for any war that may be preclptated upon them, however much they
might incline to the peaceful settlement of difficulties.
The United States Is now leading the way towards universal peace, and
have succeeded In at least clearing out tbe path a little, though the actual
progress towards the consummation of that great end haa not been very
great At the same time this country goes right on building Its enormous
battleships and spending great sums of money to perfect the navy.
Two of these great battleships have Just been completed. They are the
largest fighting ships afloat today, being larger than any vessels In the Eng
llsh or German navy. The United Staten navy in number of ships has now
passed up to the second rank, being exceeded In number only by the navy
of Great Britain. .Until recently Germany held tbe second place.
Tbe world will continue to look forward longingly t% the day when the
nations of the earth will cease to expend fabulous sums of money on these
vessels, that pass out of use In s few years and have to be replaced by even
gTeater and more expensive engines of destruction, and when the money thus
expended will be turned Into cbanels of greater usreulness for the benefit
and uplifting of the people.
4- 4
THE BUSINESS AND THE RAH-RAH BOY.
Mr. R. T. Crane, a millionaire manufacturer of elevators In Chicago, u*.
from bis t.’ aud downs in experience with college men, come squarely out
with an attack on college men and the bald statement that in the univem
ties of tbe country, especially tbe big schools of the eMt, drinking is preval
ent among the students—be goes so far. In fact, as to state that ninety per
cent of the average university student body drinks to excess and.continually
This Is certainly not true of the universities of the South of which the Uni
versify of Georgia Is a type—standing at the head of the list to stetlstkai
records of students who arc moral and who are Interested In matters per
talnlng to moral Improvement and religious life. And this without the sacri
flee of an iota of strong manhood or et brilliancy. The New York World in
commenting on Mr. crane’s alleged expose. In tbe same Issue as is printed
stories of strong denial of the statement of conditions In each of seven of tbe
big universities says:
“R. T. Crane of Chicago says that 90 per cent ~A Harvard boys "drink"
In their first year, 95 per cent In their senior year and 15 per cent go ir
retrievably to the bad. Yale, Princeton and Cornell are a shade better, but
Columbia worse; and, take them collectively, collegea do more harm than
good.
“It is easy to explain Mr. Crane's facts. The explanation Is that they ar«
not true. If he had conducted bis business of making elevators as carelessly
as he compiles statistics he could not have achieved success. His conclus
ions might be reached by hanging around New London after a Yale-Harvanl
boat race, or New York’s Tenderloin after a big football game. But not all
students do what some students do; and few students do all the time what
many students do sometimes. -
“The average college boy cannot spell correctly or write a letter In good
English; as MacDowell the composer discovered, be has little use for the
fine arts, being )oung and naturally a barbarian; he Is frequently coltish
and a nuisance In public. But he has a high sense of honor along his own
lines, prodigious energy and often a surprising amount of practical learning.
He often attends cbuich. Ho has debating and literary clubs, language clubs
and other admirable co-operative Interests. Even to behavior he Is a vast
Improvement upon bis kind In previous generations. He "goes wrong" near
ly as often as the general average of young men; end when he does, people
are likely to hear about it.
“College and tecblcal students, young men, are about one-fifth of 1 per
cent of the community. Graduates are numerically a small element among
adult men. In any grouping of citizens of emlence, from Congress to
Who's Who,” they are always numerous, usually respectable and frequently
a majority." j
■»
THE UNIVERSITY’S PROSPECTS
The University of Georgia opens Its one hundred and tenth session to
morrow. The Indications' point to a record-breaking attendance and to the
most successful year In the history of that great Institution.
The people of the state In recent years have been waking up to just what
this Institution means to the youth of Georgia. There was a time when there
was much prejudice and much misapprehension of the true state of affairs
at the University. That day has passed and the people of the state see the
institution In Its true light and realize the great work that It Is doing for
the young men In every; way. While every Georgian feels a pride in the
number of young men attending the University, their chief pride is in the
fact that the University does not rely upon numbers for its greatness. Ev
ery year witnesses an advance In tbe quality qf Instruction and the young
men attending here are given each year better and better chances to learn
the great things of life. Greater and greater stress Is laid each year upon the
training that makes real, strong, vigorous, active, cultured men. The young
men year by year are being trained Into more and more useful citizenship.
The University Is keeping abreast of the times. The demand of the
people for agricultural education was heard by the University and the State
College of Agriculture arose to do the great and lasting work that is now
being done among the farmers of the state. Tbe demand for better phar
macists was heard and the School of Pharmacy was- provided, and has
achieved a marked success. Tho need for better trained teachers was heard
and the School of Education Is to be Increased In strength this session sad
new building erected with money given by the Peabody Board of Trust.
The road Improvement In Georgia, a great movement, needs more trained
and scientific direction. The University has added a rood expert to the
staff of Its school of engineering In order that the very beet aid can be
given to tbe counties that are engaged In permanent road work throughout
the state. The need for better business education for the young men of the
state was seen by the University and within the next year the school of
commerce In the University Is to be established.
The people of the. state know now that their great edncatlonal Institu
tion Is keeping abreast of every Important movement, the first to see the real
needs of tne state, and always ready to do every thing possible to mset the
requirements of the situation and Improve tbe state in every way.
The University stands for' the very highest Ideals to education and at
the same time Is thoroughly practical. The great questions of. the day are
seen clearly by these who are directing Its affairs and the young men In
attendance upon Its classes are given a training that fits them to grapple
1th those questions and solve them.
It Is for these reasons that the people of the state will Isara with pleas
ure of the great opening of the State University this week.
♦ : 4 *
THE FARMERS AND THE COTTON CROP.
MORE SCHOOL ROOM NEEDED.
The growth of the city of Athens In population and the high standard of
efficiency of the city schools have conspired to bringjbout a large Increase
In attendance upon the city schools. Last year it became apparent that the
city schools this session would be crowded beyond their capacity and this
has turned out to be true. There are now enrolled In tbe several schools
more pupils than can be comfortably accommodated.
It will, of course, be Impossible to provide more room right away, but
the situation will be met to the best possible manner for the present term.
Later on steps will have to be taken to provide new buildings to take
care of the increase of this year and the years to come.
When the city spent sixty thousand dollars a few years since for new
school buildings. It was thought that the needs of the schools had been pro
vided for. But the growth of the schools has been so rapid as make those
additions thoroughly Insufficient.
The people of Athens might as well begin to study about a new school
bond Issue, for to meet tbe needs of the school system for the next few years
will require at leaat four new school b ulldlnga, if not more. The people of
Athens have at all times been willing and ready to spend whatever sum*
might be necessary to provide school accommodations and when tbe Issue Is
submitted to them they will again come up with the necessary money.
The High School Is also to need of an extra teacher, since tbe two low-
grades of the school are so full. While the work will no doubt be carried
for the present year by the present faculty, next year It Is quite likely
that there will be an addition to the faculty to take care of Increased at
tendance.
Athens has a school system of which she Is Justly proud and whenever a
step is necessary to improve It, the city haa always coma forward with tbe
necesary money to make that step possible.
Judging from the tone ol the resolutions passed by the Southern Colton
Growers' Convention at tbe session In Montgomery a few days since, It Is
quite evident that the farmers propose this season to take a band In the flz
Ing of the price for their staple, at least as far as they can do so.
They have resolved to bold cotton for fifteen cents and to do this the?
will place their cotton In warehouses and borrow money on 1L President
Barrett, of the Farmers’ Union has announced that be has made arrange
meats with a French-Engllsh syndicate to furnish seventy-five million dol
lars towards this end.
Preparations are going forward on a large scale for tbe warehoused*
of a large part of the new crop In order to place Just so much at a time on
the market and prevent the glutting of tbe market early In the season and
the consequent lowering of the price of cotton.
Just bow far the plans of the farmers will be successful remains to he
seen. It is quite likely that a large portion of the crop will go on the mar
ket early In order to pay fertilizer and other notes, but it Is also likely thsl
with the pressing debts brushed away, the farmers will hold their cotton as
far as possible for better prices.
♦ — 4
AMERICANS SHOULD TRAIN HERE
A rumor has been given out to tbe prese that Hat Chase's New York
Americans will train next spring In Atlanta. Whether or not this Is a mere
rumor or a fixed determination Is not fully known, but It Is certain that no
effort should be spared to get the management of the Americans to change
views, should It be true that the determination has been reached to transfer
the training camp to Atlanta next year.
The New York Americans have trained In Athens for the past few years
and the members of the team seem to hare both enjoyed their stay here each
spring and to hare benefited from IL The accommodations at Stallings park
have been good and tbe hotel accommodations an that could be asked.
Athens la one of the nest places In the Booth for a baseball team Ip
training season, and there should be at least one of the Mg teams here each
year. If It Is true that the New York Americans have determined to leave
us for another year and If they cannot be persuaded to reconsider this de-
termination, then stepe should be taken to secure another of the big league
teams to establish training quarters here;