Newspaper Page Text
twenty-ninth year
AMERICUS, GEORGIA, FRIDAY MORNING SEPTEMBER *6, 1907
NUMBER 18-
HAMILTON & Cfl.; HI6HKTINB6HTHNVEARS
-- ' . ‘ [CURRENT TAX RATE HAS SWASHED PAST RECORDS
Rate fixed for 1907 Leads the list for a Score of Years. Just Double
the Rate In 1904, When County Less Prosperous.
Our New, Home Grand
Opening Sale, Saturday,
August 31st, and lasting 15
days. '
Prices, quality and fair
dealings will establish us
in our new home.
HAMMONfeCO
Proprietors.
Lamar Street Opposite Hotel Windsor,
CROP RUINED. SAYS HUDSON
NEVER SAW SUCH HAVOC AS NOW EXISTS
Has Carefully Inspected the Georgia Crop and Thinks the Loss Within Past
two Weeks Will Reach 40 Percent.
After a tour of Inspection through
Middle and South Georgia Commis
sioner Thomas G. Hudson tells
truly alarming story as to the condi
tion of the cotton crop. He says It
"ill be damaged In Georgia by from
-j to 40 per cent. His view Is based
upon actual conditions as he observed
them, and is not prompted by any ef
fort he says, to boost the price or bull
the market.
The cotton crop In Georgia will
not exceed 1,500,000 bales," said
Commissioner Hudson.
"Three weeks ago there was every
reasm to believe that we would raise
-etween 1.S00.000 and 2,000,000,, but
th» farmers of the state will be lucky
ft the crop yields a million and a half
unlos, in my opjnlon.
I have never la all my experience
"ith farming seen such havoc done In
80 s hort a time,” he continued. “The
octton crop in many sections has been
terally burned up, and everywhere it
83been damaged more or less by the
Tat and drouth. Some of it looks as
8 fl ro had been built and burned
nnder the stalks.
In three weeks’ time the crop has
uotoriorated anywhere from 25_to 40
; cr ccnt - tt “d the deterioration may
unless the hot wave Isbrok-
und we have plenty of rain.”
, hc c °mmlssloner recently return-
'T Jame *towi», where he went to
- end to the Georgia exhibit He says
he was Impressed with the deplorable
conditions of the cotton crops through
North and South Carolina, which were
then In need of rain.
“But I console myself with the hope
and belief that the crops In Georgia
were faring better,” added the. com
missioner. “I was shocked beyond
measure to And upon Inspection that
the cotton in Georgia Is in no better
shape than in the States through
which I passed on my return from
Jamestown. It look3 as if it had been
paralyzed.
Commissioner Hudson accounts for
the condition by the long drouth^and
the exceeding warm weather ot the
past three weeks.
“Until three weeks ago,” he said
“we had plenty of raTn all over the
State. The cotton thrived, and the
prospects for a record breaking year
were never better. Then the weather
turned warm again; no more rain fell
The cotton was full of moisture, and
gradually the hot wind dried out the
sap, leaving the plant to burn to
death. •
Hr. Hudson was asked as to bis
opinion regarding tbe price of cotton
this fall.
"Cotton will bring 15 cents per
pound easily, I think," was the reply
he made. “Tho reports from every
where tell of damage and antlclpat-
qjl short crops, and I can see no good
reason why the staple should not
Ond a market at 1C cents."
The Times Recorder’s story yesterday, showing the state and county
tax rate for this year fixed at $14.59 l ier $1,000, Jarred the tax payer, and
even caused tbe man who strenuously fought the bond issue In the recent
election to sit upland take notice while counting his wealth.
The rate is the highest levied in twenty years, or perbaya for an even
longer period. It about doubles the rate levied In 1S94, which was only
$7.60 on the thousand.
And conditions were far less prosperous than now, as the country
was just recovering from the panic.
As a matter of Interest to the public, the Times Recorder has examined
the tax books for the past eighteen years, and gives herewith the state and
county tax. rate levied for each year, going back as far as 1890. Here are
me omciai figures. .
They show the state rate and the county
rate, while the aggregate shows
the rate upon each $1,000 of property. ’
Year
State Bate. County Rate
/Aggregate
1890
.396
.580
$ 9.76
1891 ■
.508
.492
10'. 00
1892
.485
.465
9.$0
1893
.461
.439
9.00
1894
.437
.313
• 7.60
1895
.466
.444
9.00
1896 •
.544
.456
10.00
1897
.521
.479
10.00
1898
.621
.379
10.00
1899
.536
.414,
• 9-50
1900
.520 .
.380
* 9.00
1901
.544
.406
9.50
1902 /
.530
.420
9.50
1903
.500
.700
12.00
1904
.480
.470
9.50
1905
.490
.460
9.50
1906
.480
.620
11.00
1907
.500
.950
14.50
The county rate levied this year, as will
be seen from the above figures,
is as great as both the county and the state
rate combined for a number of
years, which was $9.50 on the thousand.
The county courthouse and jail, cotlng together about $60,000, were
built along about 1897 to 1899, but the tax rate then levied does not appear,
from the above figures, to have been excessive, In fact, very light.
The rate of $12, levied in 1903, was made necessary by the establishment
of the county chalngang system, and Included the purchase ot a large num
ber of mules, wagons, road-working machinery and many incidental expenses
for tho operation of the gang.
This year the county commissioners are confronted with the same problem
of extraordinary expenditures, chief ot which Is the building of the agricul
tural college, costing $50,000.
But for this there would probably have been no Increase over last year's
rate of $11 per $1,000. N •
The levying of such a high rate as $^4.50; $5 by the state and $9.50 by
the county, will not cancel the county's indebtedness at once.
For several years yet the rate, necessarily, may be higher than in recent
years. But it costs money to build colleges and have good roads, and the
voters of Sumter preferred to pay the bills by direct taxation rather than by
Issuing bonds, as proposed.
And now they are paying the first installment, wjjlch Is $3.50 per $1,000
more than last year, even though the Increase In property returns this year
Is $295,000 over last year's returns:
EXCHANGE IS OPENED HERE
AMERICUS WAREHOUSES GET MARKEr QUOTATIONS
Local Company Accepts Gharter and Ready for Business-Advantages of
Having an Exchange In Americus.
An Important meeting of- the Am
ericus Cotton Exchange was held on
Wednesday morning, at which the
charter for the association ’was ac
cepted and a constitution adopted. The
organization of this exchange by the
business men ot Americus means
much not only for the cotton imslness
of this section, but for 'all other lines
of business. \
The continuous publication of the
prices of stocks, bonds, cotton,'grain
and farm produce keeps the banker
and the merchant posted upon their
quotations, and assures to the farmer
the best prices for all that he raises.
The object of the'exchange is not
pecuniary gain, and no purchase or
salq of any cotton, stocks, bonds or
other commodity to effected therein,
but Is maintained entirely at.the ex
pense of the members for the market
quotations and other information that
can be obtalRed la.no other way.
The constitution adopted is model
ed after that of the Exchange at Au
gusta, and will be operated to a large
extent lir a manner similar to the Aul
gusta and Savannah Exchanges. A
committee has been appointed to
place these facts before the business
men of Americus and to solicit mem
bership In the Exchange.
The initiation fee Is fixed at ten
dollars, which eptltles the member |
to a share of stock In the Exchange
and which is transferable only after
the membership has reached fifty.
The monthly dues have not yet been
assessed.
At tbe next meeting, which will be
held on Tuesday 10th, all permanent
officers will be elected.
On September 1st, we expect to move to
our New Home on Lamar street. We ask our
friends to be a little lenient with us until then,
whin we will be in position to show the most
superb line of
Dry Goods and
Ladies Ready-
to-Wear
ever shown in this section.
We will have to establish ourselves more or
less in the new place, and propose to do this
with
“Prices.
We think this the most forcible way, and
it is certainly the best for you.
. We earnestly solicit a call from you and
will prove this assertion to your utter satisfac
tion. Remember the place, Half Way Be
tween the Old Davenport Corner and Oliver's
Warehouse.. « , • A*
Look for The Sign On Up
per Story.
PINKSTON CO.
LOOKS LIKE A START
WILL BE MADE SOON
Americus May See Work on
New Postoffice.
There Is just a bare possibility that
little children, particularly those born
yesterday may, at a ripe old Age, see
a start made upon'the Government
building In Americus. It was stated
In official circles yesterday that an
engineer had been employed to sur
vey the lot which the Treasury De
partment purchased last year, and
this Is taken as an indication that
something is to be done In the future
as well as In the past. Uncle Sam Is
terribly slow in whatever he does, but
he has bought and paid for a $15,000
lot in Americus, and by the time his
chin whiskers grow to hts boot tops
and the stripes fade in his jvellworn
Suit, he will build a postoffice upon
it. 4
WILL SELL THE
DAVIS LANDS
Great Brltian makes UBe of over FOR RENT.—My farm of 90 acres
$2,500,000 worth of shell fish overywlth or without house for 1908.
y ear - ' 1-St O. H. SEIG.
The Newest
and Best
The old Ayer’s Hair Vigor was good, no
question about that. But your own doc
tor, the one you have great confidence in,
wifi tell you that Ayer’s Hair Vigor, new
improved formula, is fir better. The one
great specific for falling hair and dandruff,
W. pubH.hth. formula* j.o.X,
TO INVITE TWO
CONVENTIONS
Gov. Smith-To Invite Prohis and
Hoo-Hoos.
ATLANTA, GA-, Sept 4.—Governor
Smith has consented In behalf of the
city of Atlanta to Invito tbe national
executive committee of the Prohibition
Party to hold tho nominating conven
tion of tho party In Atlanta next
year. Ho will also invito tho
Order of Hoo—Hoos, mainly made up
of lumber men to hold its annual
convention here next year.
Tracts Given by Friends May
Soon Change Hands.
PINE BLUFF, ARK., Sept 4.—
Thousands ot acres of land deeded to
Jefferson Davis during the life time
of the President of the Confederacy,
and left by him to his wife, who died
last year, will, it is believed, soon be
sold In several Southern 8tates to
satisfy heirs fit the Davis eatate.
Shortly after the close of the c4vtt
war many ofthe Southern sympa
thizers, who had saved part of their
fortune, deeded property to Jefferson
Davis. One of the biggest tracts was
turned over by Mrs. Elizabeth Dor
sey, a wealthy woman, owning a mag
nificent plantation near Pine’ Bluff.
Mrs. Dorsey also gave Mr. Davis tho
Beauvoir home in Mississippi. Dur
ing the lifetime of Mr. Davis and Mrs.
Davis, they refused to sell.
The Pine Bluff property, amounting
to nearly 5,000 acres, is to bo sub-
dlvideddfcnd sold in parts to suit the
ilraser.
pnrch
FARMERS TO SELL AT
15 CENTS A POUND
Price Fixed by Convention at
Little Rock.
LITTLE ROCK, ARK., Sept. 4.—
The National Farmers’ Union, In ses
sion here today fixed the minimum
price of cotton at fifteen cents, pledg
ing themselves to adhere to this fig
ure In selling their cotton.