The Jacksonian. (Jackson, Ga.) 1907-1907, October 18, 1907, Image 6
BLINDS USED
BY OIL TRUST
Ha of "Independent” Concerns are
"Arms” of the Octopus.
A HOODWINKING GAME
Southern People Being Fooled Bight Along,
According to Vice President of
Kentucky Company.
Hampton G. Westcott, vice president
•I the Standard Oil company of Ken
tucky, testified Monday in the bearing
•t New York of the federal suit
•gainst the oil combine that in sev
eral of the southern states the Btand
•r<t had found it expedient to sell
■euch of its products through compa
nies which the public believed to be
Independent.
Mr Kellogg, counsel for the govern
■icnt. drew from the witness that the
Standard OH company of Kentucky,
which acts as selling agent of oil in
Kentucky, Georgia, Mississippi, Louis
iana, Tennessee and Alabama, had pur
chased numerous tunall independent
•oiling companies and through many
•f them sold oil to the consumer.
Mr. Westcott threw a side light on
the business department of the Stand
ard, concerning which the federal eoun
•et has been seeking information since
tbs beginning of the inquiry.
Mr. Westcott testified that each
Month the main office of the Standard
<Mt company of Kentucky a! Coving
ton. sent to him not only the reports
•f the business operations of the
Klandard, but statements concerning
•reigbt shipments and sale of oil by
•II competitors. These statements, ac
cording to Mr. Westcott, gave the name
•T the consignor, tin* consignee, the
moo f t of oil shipped and any infor
wm(# n that might be available.
One of the most startling of the di
•Mosnrea made during the day came
when Mr. Westcott testified that for
•moral years the company lias had a
bureau set aside for the sole purpose
•t keeping down the prices of rival
•on corn a, ..
The bureau, which was under the
•oyervlsion of W. K. Bemas, wa> giv
en every detail of Information con
wrnlng companies rivaling the subsid
iary concerns of the Standard Oil com
pany by spies in the employ of the
Ikt.ter corporation.
Mr. Westcott testified that he had
•ften made reports as to the prices
•f oil charged by rival companies in
BMs state, and he forwarded the re
jgorts to the statistical bureau of
which Bemas had charge. After Ms.
Westcott left the witness stand, a
®ovorament official connected w ith the
Inquiry said:
"For years we have known of the
•xistence of the bureau, but have not
fceto re bom able to find out anything
•bout it. When It was created it meant
beginning of the end for the oil
companies who remained independent.
1 regard Mr. Westcott’s testimony as
ie most important we have had at
Km Inquiry.”
Ft was further learned that the bu-
Mutu Is still in existence and is located
Mi the sixth fioor of the Standard Oil
Kulhliug at No. 26 Broadway.
Mr Bemas. however, left shortly be
•tre the Inquiry was started, aud Is
mw said to be in Japan.
SCHOOLS FOR FOREIGNERS
fltond Necessity la Hattiesburg, Miss.,
Because of Racial Antagonism.
A resolution calling for separate
•ehdo Ia for Italians, Syrians and Hns
■t&n-Jewish children in Hattiesburg,
flits* , was adopted by the local boaftl
•f education. It will be presented to
Mko city council in an effort to obtain
flan da for erecting separte school
flooding*. Recent race antagonism in
Che vic'ulty, especially against Italians,
•a the cause for the resolution.
CRACKSMEN MAKE HAUL.
Safe* In Two Georgia Towns Dynamited
and Much Booty Secured.
Professional cracksmen, who have
•ecently beeu operating in southwest
awn Georgia towns, Monday morning
fturglarizcd two stores at De Soto and
•■other at Cobb, smal ltowns near
Atnerlcus. Safes were dynamited and
flciulreds of dollars secured, while
•Un r hundreds represented in checks
•ad poatolhce money orders were eat
••red broadcast
CONSOLIDATE BUREAUS
Of Internal Revenue Department in the
Southern States Affected by
Elimination of Booze.
A Washington special says: Com
missioner Capers of the internal rev
enue bureau has under consideration
the rearrangement and consolidation
for revenue collection purposes of a
number of southern and southeastern
states. '
The Constitution of Oklahoma, which
was recently adopted, absolutely pro
hibits the'sale of intoxicating liquors
as a -beverage, within the state’s bor
ders, and on January 1, 1908, com
plete prohibition goes into effeot in
Georgia, South Carolina, by recent ac
tion of the state, is partly prohibition
and partly under the dispensary sys
tem.
To carry into effect these changes
would necessitate an executive order
by the president, but the action of
some of the states as to the sale of
Intoxicating liquors seems to the in
ternal revenue officials to make some
action of this character an adminis
trative necessity. It is not likely,
however, that definite action will be
taken ‘ for some weeks. '
SPINNERS FRIENDLY TO EXCHANGES
ReproMnthtive 'Heflin Explains Why His
Resolution Was Turned Down.
J. Thomas Heflin, representative in
congress from the fifth Alabama dis
trict and the author of the resolution
denouncing gambling in cotton ex
changes, which was vigorously debated
in the recent cotton congress in At
lanta, in discussing the defeat of his
resolution, said:
"I have always believed that tlm
cotton- -spinner. was a friend of the
speculating exchange; I am now ab
solutely convinced of that fact. The
New England spinners, without a
single exception, opposed my resolu
tion to compel the cotton exchanges
to actually deliver the cotton sold.
The Southern Cotton Association and
the Farmers’ Union favored the adop-.
tion of my resolution and iu separate
meetings ‘-’both endorsed it. C. W.
Macara 6f England, president bf the
International. Cotton Spinners’ 'Asso
ciation, told,me during tile debate on
my resolution.;-,that.. w.qs .in favor
of it. but could not support it at this
time, and hfc intimated that something
might be dope-at the next conference.
I told him that. I was very much afraid
that |he impression would be made
that the spinner was backing the spec
ulator.
”1 think that the conference has
done good In a great many ways; it
has shown the cotton producer his
situation in the cotton world; it has
shown him that the speculator and
the spinner are not enemies, but that
there is a very cordial friendship be
tween them. It ha? put the producer
on notice that he must rely upon him
self in his organizations to enforce
the demand for a fair and reasonable
price for cotton. The curse of the
gambling exchange, backed by for
eign and New England spinners, is
upon us. Let us support our local far
mers' organizations loyally, and if we
do the Southern Cotton Association
and the Farmers’ Union will one day
exercise a power, whose influence will
be felt wherever civilization unfurls
her flag and .human beings wear
clothes."
THREE NEGRO BURGLARS LYNCHED-
Two Swung From Telegraph Pole and One
Riddled By Bulleta.
Three negro men were lynched at
Tunica, Miss., for a series of burglar
ies" Two were hanged to a telegraph
pole and the other was shot to death.
The negroes were Will Jackson, Jim
Shouts and George Robinson. They
had beu placed in the Tunica jail,
where they confessed to a series of
burglaries covering about ten years.
Some time during the night the ne
groes were spirited away from the
jail and the sheriff and his deputies
claim they do not know even the hour
when the prisoners were taken. The
sheriff testified at a corner's inquest
over the bodies that the negroes’ cap
tors must have sneaked in while he
and his assistants were out and that
they used the jail keys, for he found
the cells locked and apparently undis
turbed w hen the regular rounds were
made later.
It was the mob's intention to hang
all three negroes, but after Jackson
and Shonts had been hanged, Robin
son broke out of a barn, where he
was being held and was shot as hi
Red.
TWENTY-THREE
FOR GAMBLERS
Illegitimate Tampering With Cot
ton to Be Stopped*
EDICT IS PROMULGATED
Great Cotton Congress Closes at Atlanta
With a Record of Good Work
Well Done.
The elimination of the purely specu
lative side of the cotton exchange busi
ness is advocated by the International
Cotton Congress, which adjourned at
Atlanta Wednesday night.
By the vote of four to one, the task
of evolving some plan of regulatida
that would prevent gambling, was re
ferred to the committee on permanent
organization. One vote was cast by
each of the five organizations repre
sented at the congress.
The convention moved to take this
step because it was urged very ear
nestly by the delegates from various
organizations that nothing short of
unanimous approval of all measures
by all the associations of cotton grow
ers and cotton manufacturers would
produce effective results.
Condemnation of gambling methods
was heard on all sides, but the spia
ners made' it clear that exchanges of
some kind were necessary to their busi
ness and that, despite, the evils'in ex
isting exchanges, these Institution*
must be resorted to until some better
methods of protection against loss from
future fluctuations could be devised.
It was pointed out that the men. se
lected from each of the five organi
zations, by ‘ taking counsel among
themsfelves and considering the inter
ests ’of all sides, might be able to reach
some conclusion that would be ap
proved next >year by the whole con
gress. • . , .
The .congress unauimpusly. approved
the square bale- of • the same style of
backing and covering as the Egyptian
hale.
They recommended that southern
farmers hold their cotton for thirty
days before, having it .ginned,, that the
staple might fully mature.
They favored compression at the gin,
the foreign spinner appealing for a
bale of greater density.
They urged more careful seed selec
tion.
They endorsed the buying of spot
cotton for future delivery.
The congress killed the resolution
providing for more frequent statisU
cal crop reports from the government.
They earnestly advocated closer trade
relations, looking forward to the time
when farmers’ organizations, through
their agents, will be able to deal di
rectly with the spinners.
The following report on closer trade
relations between the grower and spin
ner was adopted:
“Be it resolved, That the internation
al convention of cotton growers and
manufacturers is of the opinion that
by closer relations between grower
and spinner a great deal of the pres
' eut expense in handling cotton can
■ be 'saved and tile evils attendant ou
violent fluctuations of the market be
! mitigated
"We are further of the opinion that
the extension of the warehouse sys
tem in ’ the southern states and the
creation- of selling offides' will tend to j
I bring .about closer trade relations, and
are, -therefore, worthy of
j meat i by- both producer and spinner.”
Herr Kuffler. on behalf of the visit
ing delegate*, thanked the state of
Georgia and Governor Smith, the city
of Atlanta and Mayor Joyner, the*
chamber of commerce and President
J. Wiiie Pope and the ladies' commit
tee of Atlanta for the courtesy and
hospitality’ shown the visitors.
C. S. Bstrrett proposed a resolution
thanking Herr Kuffler and the Euro
pean delegates for having honored At
lanta w ith their presence, llarvie Jor
dan seconded the motion, which was
enthusiastically carried.
E. D. Smith of South Carolina in
sisted that the press should not be for
gotten and proposed a vote of thanks,
which was passed.
Chairman McColl was congratulated
on his impartial rulings. Secretary
oodbury and Assistant Secretary
•Bryan weer also thanked for their
services.
The delegates left on a special train
at midnight for Birmingham and New
Orleans.
SEA ISLAND GROWERS
Have Special Conference With Foreign
Delegates to Cotton Conven
tion in Atlanta.
A called meeting of the Sea Island
Cotton Association of Georgia and
Florida was held on the thircl floor
of the state capitol at Atlanta Wednes
day morning, when the visiting for
eign spinners were invited to meet
with them to discuss the best methods
of bringing the producer and consumer
of this staple closer together, to the
elimination of the broker and middle
man.
‘‘What we want to do,” said Vice
President J. R. Williams of Alachua,-
Fla., who presided, is to sell our cot
ton direct from the planters of South
Carolina and Florida to those Eng
lish spinners who handle our produce
and cut oat the middlemen in Savan
nah and Charleston.
“We are going to hold our crop this
year; put it in warehouses at our
homes instead of storing it in Savan
nah. Why, we never know what the
men we sell it to in Savannah get
from the English spinner who uses
it.”
After a lengthy discussion, which
was heartily entered Into by the spin
ners present, it was decided that this
action could not take place in a day
and the best way to get at it was
to draft suitable resolutions stating
how this trading could be accom
plished.
The spinners explained that it would
have to be made plain to them that
they could get as good service by
dealing direct with the planter as
through a broker, who took all
blame and responsibility for bad and
damaged cotton.
The growers were urged to be care
ful in the selection of their seed; the
growing of their crop and finally its
ginning and baling.
OPPOSITION TO NEGRO BISHOPS.
Same Old Sectional Question Crops Out in
Episcopal Convention.
During the very heated discussion
on the question of the negro in the
church, which came up unexpectedly
in the house of deputies of the gen
eral Episcopal convention in Richmond,
Va., Wednesday afternoon, Rev. C. B.
Wilmer of Atlanta was subjected to
hisses by the southern delegations be
cause of the support afforded by him
in the position taken on the question
by the bishop of Michigan. The inci
dent goes to show the sectional divis
ion on this question which is appar
ent every time the question is advanc
ed. The southern delegations are op
posed to the election of negro bishops.
The diocese of Pennsylvania first
brought the matter up to the conven
tion with a memorial for the appoint
ment of a bishop to preside over the
colored churches in that state.
EXTRA SESSION IN ALABAMA.
Governor Comer Calls Legislature to Re
assemble on November 7th.
Governor Comer; Wednesday after
noon, called an extra session of the
Alabama legislature for November 7.
The call provides for regulation of
railroads, securing reasonable rates,
preventing discrimination and prepara
tion of the proper means of securing
obedience to enactments; revision of
fertilizer act. the-ridea being to make
it possible to sell cotton seed meal
with less than S per cent ammonia;
compulsory education and a few minor
matters.
FOR PROHIBITION ELECTION.
Petitions are Being Circulated in Mont
gomery County Alabama.
Petitions for an election on the elim
ination of whiskey from the county
were being circulated in Montgomery,
Ala., Wednesday. A majority of the
qualified voters are required to bring
the call for an election. Enthusiasm
is high and the prospect is that 73
per cent of the men will sign.
GEORGIA STATE FAIR OPENS.
Exhibits Surpass all Previous Efforts Along
Similar Directions.
Thursday morning at 10 o'clock the
gates to the Georgia state fair at Pied
mont park, Atlanta, were swung open.
Thousands who had been awaiting
with interest and impatience..for this
event were ushered into a series of
agricultural, mechanical, poultry, live
stock and amusement exhibits which
surpass any other effort ever made
along similar directions by the Georgia
and Atlanta fair associations.
BIG MEETING
OF CARRIERS
Comes to Close After Busy Ses-:
sioas Held ia Atlanta.
LINDSAY IS RE-ELECTED,
Other Officers of National Association Also
Retain Their Places—Omaha Gets
the Next Convention.
The election of officers, the selection
of a place of meeting for 1908, and a
trolley-ride around the city were the
features of the closing day of the sixth
annual session of the National Rural
Free Delivery Carriers’ Association in
Atlanta.
Before the election of officers came
up a committee named at the Peoria
session to revise the constitution and
by-laws presented its report. There
was practically no change in the or
ganic laws of the body suggested, ex
cept as to the per capita tax. Since
the formation of the organization the
per capita assessment has been 10 cent*
a year. The committee suggested in
Its review of the laws that the annual
draft upon the member be made $1
each year—twice the amount paid in
the past. The proposed increase
brought about a lively discussion. Some
members were emphatically opposed to
the increase. Others favored it. And
yet others declared it a good move
ment, but expressed themselves
against so radical a change at once.
The discussion resulted in an endorse
ment of the increase, that increased
assessment to become effective July
1, 1908.
The salaries of the national officers
were not changed, except that of the
treasurer. The treasurer has been
drawing $25 a year since the Rural
Free Delivery Carriers’ Association
was organized. That sum, the review
ing committee thought, was wholly in
adequate and suggested that the sal
ary be made SIOO. The suggestion!
was made effective by the adoption
of a resolution covering the change of
figures. The salary of the president
and that of the secretary SSOO each
a year, and of the members of the
executive committee, three in number
$25 each annually, were not dis
turbed.
When the election of officers came
on President Paul L. Lindsay of Geor
gia vacated the chair, Mr. McManus
of Texas taking up the gavel, asked
for nominations, indicating the officers
to be elected.
M. M. Stoddard of Virginia was rec
ognized by the chair, and in a pleas
ant manner presented the name of
Mr, Lindsay, for president. From all
sections of the assembly hall delegates
claimed attention of the presiding offi
cer to second the nomination.
No opposition was indicated, and the
secretary was directed by l 'the chair
man to cast the ballot of the associa
tion for Mr. Lindsay. Announcement of
the result was received with applause
that was an ovation to President Lind
say,
H. E. Crum of Michigan f was nomi
nated for vice president. Mr. Crum's I
election was without opposition, and I
w'as unanimous.
P. E. Cull of Massachusetts, who has
been secretary of the association since
Its formation and whose work has been
most thoroughly satisfactory to those
for w'hom he has been keeping min
utes these half dozen years, was nom
inated for another term by Delegate
Rugg of Connecticut, who, inipr* 1
seating Mr. Cull’s name, evoked
quent applause as he recounted the
work Mr. Call had done as
There was no opposition to Mr. Cull
as the secretary cast a ballot for the
association.
J. D. Williams of Pennsylvania was
re-elected national treasurer, his name
being placed in nomination by C. M-
Adams of Iow r a.
Little Rock; Dayton, Ohio; Albany,
N. Y.; Des Moines, Iowa; Omaha, Neb.,
and Milwaukee, Wis., were placed m
nomination for the next meeting.
The rivalry was strong, and a num
ber of ballots were necessary. The
contest finally narrowed down to Lit
tie Rock sad Omaha, and on the last
vote Omaha won out by a good mat
gin.
The selection of Omaha ended tn
work of the convention, and adjourn
ment to meet in the Nebraska metrop
oils next year was taken.