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PAGE EIGHT
DEMOCRATS SHOW IT TO BE
CURSE; REPUBLICANS SHOW
IT TO BE A BLESSING.
Speakers of Both Parties Will Make
Arguments Face Two Ways in
Campaign. Both Sides Think They
Have Good “Thunder.” |
WASHINGTON, D. C.—Of nllthc‘
muddled situations that confront the]
politicians as they draw their lines fnrg
the next presidential fray there Is]
none to compare with the tariff, ‘
Something has gone wrong with the
tariff. It is not acting according t«-f
political tradition. But it is, m'wrthc-[
less. in the foreiront of every political |
discussion—the press agents of t}n;
two old parties are hammering away |
on the subject even thus early in '.hri
campaign and there is every reason to|
believe that despite the wet and dry|
jssue, despite the contention as to the |
world court, despite the difference mi
democratic and republican conceptions;
of a proper international policy, t!n'
old tariff, veteran of many a hard
fought battle, will be found d'-m;*
business at the same old stand on the |
hustings when the Ides of 1924 i~~,m-l
in the quadrennial scrimmage tor the |
suffrage of a free people. |
1
Dropped From Sight in 1920.
The tariff represents one of the few
fundamental differences between the
democratic and republican parties. It
was almost lost sight of in the 1920
campaign, so keen was the issue over
the league of nations. Many persons
thought the tariff was dead. The re
publicans slighted it in their platiorm.
So did the democrats. But now as
1924 approaches and battle fronts are
being tormed the tariff looms up once
more as the great bone of contention.
The broad claim of the democrats
today is that the tariff is to blame for
all the high prices prevailing.
The broad claim of the republicans
is that the tariff is responsible for an
almost unprecedented wave of pros
perity sweeping the greater part of
the nation.
The remarkable part of the situation
is that figures just made public by
the department of commerce seem to
corroborate both claims. The more
the politicians study the figures the
more muddled they become, and to
the innocent bystander it would seem
that yvou can take absolutely the same
set of figures and make therefrom a
perfectly consistent speech in behali
of either the democratic or the repub
lican contention.
In such circumstances there is not
much hope for the voter.
Imports Climb Steadily.
When the Fordney-McCumber tar
iff bill was enacted it was stated that
it imposed the highest duties levied
in a third of a¢century. It was said
that the duties were so high that they
would constitute a tariff wall, shut
ting out all foreign products and
thereby defeating one of the purpos
es of the bill—the raising of revenues
to help support the government and
bring down domestic taxes.
Instead of falling off with the levy
ing of the new high duties, imports
have been steadily climbing until at
last they have outbalanced the exports
from the United States by something
like $60.000,000 a month. This is the
first adverse trade balance the United
States has faced in many years.
‘he republicans naturally are point
ing to the figures with pride. They
say that the new tariff act has proved
a wonderful success as a revenue pro
ducer and has brought more exports
into the country than ever before.
Tweedledum and Tweedledee.
The democrats, arguing from the
same premises,.ask where there is
protection to American industry in an |
act which brings in more 'foreignl
goods than ever before. The tariff ex
perts of the administration say that
the decrease in exports is due to the
fact that the big market and high
prices prevailing in the United States
have not made it necessary for Amer
ican manufacturers and producers to
dump their goods upon the foreign
market.
The democrats say that the high
prices which are keeping potential ex- |
ports at home are entirely due to the
high tariff rates and that the high
prices reflect the increased cost to thel
American consumer of the high tariff
rates,
The democrats are claiming that the
recent unwarranted rise in the price of
sugar was due to the tariff. It is ad
mitted that the new rates put inm‘
effect last September only amounted
to an increase oi one-sixth of a cmtl
a pound, whereas the market has risen |
over three cents a pound. Still the
“tariff wall” is blamed by the refiners
for their big boost in prices.
The democratic claims as to high
prices in general and as to sugar in
particular appear to be well ground
ed, at least in theory, until a further
examination of the official figures is
made.
They show that in addition to sugar
the greatest increases in price recent
ly have been shown in furs, raw silk
and rubber.
Situation Muddled.
And furs, raw silk and rubber are
on the iree list. 'There is no tariff
against them because they are not, and
cannot be, raised in this country. The
republicans therefore say that it sugar
had been on the free list it would
have gone up, too.
It is small wonder that the politi
cizns are muddled over the situation.
When they begin their counter-bat
tety work in the next campaign the
veter will be muddled also.
But no matter what the figures may
or may not prove, the democratic and
republican positions on the tariff are
irreconcilable now and will be to the
end of both the noble old parties.
Sunburned ?
MENTHOLATUM
cools and soothes
the parched skin
Famous Southern Mother
Has 1,595 Descendants
The south is mourning the pass
ing of one of its most famous
mothers, Mrs. Jane Bennett, 82
vears old, who died a few days
ago at Dixon Springs, Tenn. Mrs,
Bennett is survived by 13 children,
142 grandchildren, 565 great-grand
children, 775 great-great-grand
children, a total of 1595 descend
ants.
:
50,000 VA. FARMERS
I ’ .
:
'THEIR MEMBERSHIP HAS IN
~ CREASED FROM 5,000 IN
| PAST THREE YEARS.
HARRISONBURG, Va—Phenom
enal increase has been attained in the
co-operative marketing of farm prod
ucts in Virginia. This enterprise is the
outgrowth of the misery Virginia
farmers have experienced in the past
three - years. Before 1920 there was
only one large co-opeartive marketing
association in the state; today there
are nine. Three years ago 5,000 farm
ers comprised the ::s\'ucmnon;‘today
50,000 farmers are members of such
associations.
Virtually every product raised on a
Virginia farm, except wheat, corn and
hay, are marketed through the co
operative associations. This does not
mean that all the cattle raisers or all
the dairymen, or all the hog raisers
are members. Some sections of the
state have marketing associations
which embrace these products and
others have not. The organizations
are as follows:
The Peanut Growers’ Association,
with 2,500 members; Tobacco Grow
ers’ Association, with 35,000 members;
Southwest Virginia Co-Operative Ex
change, with 1,000 members; Mary
land-Virginia Milk Producers’” Asso
ciation; Valley Virginia Milk Produc
ers’ Association; Richmond Milk
Producers’ Association, and several
other smaller ones. The total mem
bership compiled 2,000 dairymen.
The Virginia Sheep and Wool
Growers Association and the Live
Stock Shipping Associations have a
combined membership of 2,000.
From 20 to 25 per cent of the Vir
ginia farmers are selling some part of
their produce on the co-operative plan.
The apple growers and poultry rais
ers in Virginia are working out plans
for state-wide co-operative marketing
associations. They probably will be
doing business in a few months.
INSECT DESTROYS BOLL
WEEVILS ON GEORGIA FARM
Appears in Bulloch County, and Does
Its Work Well.
AUGUSTA, Ga—Visitors in. Au
gusta from Statesboro are telling a
quaint story, and the newspapers here
are publishing to the effect that an in
sect has appeared in the cotton fields
in that vicinity which destroys the
boll weevil. The insect is something
like what is known as the “Devil
Horse,” of the grasshopper family.
The statement is made by men who
say they have seen that the destroyer
seizes weevils with unerring accuracy,
eating them with remarkable rapidity.
The destroyer hurts the cotton in no
way.
DEBT CUT $15,400,000.
A reduction of $15,400,000 in the
country’s pablic debt in May is an
pounced by the treasury department
at Washington. :
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E PITCHES FOR DAWSON THURSDAY CZ/:§ > . /.,‘ > C‘c"’
Albany (wit Jack siappey) in Dawson, June 18-20th L 8 " Z 2 €¢ ’{,’«
Arlington ( withTige Stone )in Dawson June 22nd % .
CAPITALIZATION OF
PRESIDENT WINBURN ISSUES
STATEMENT IN WHICH HE
GIVES INTERESTING FACTS.
That the capitalization of the Cen
tral of Georgia railway represents on
ly $22,281 for each mile of track oper
ated, a sum less than the construction
cost of a mile of ordinary hard-finish
ed highway, is the statement of W. A.
Winburn, president of the Central.
He points out that it costs $25,000
per mile to build such a highway,
with only light grading, and without
considering the value of the land on
which the road is builtewhile the rail
way capitalization represents the
right-oi-way, buildings, ballast, ties
and rails, heavy bridges, signals, tele
phone and telegraph lines, shops, ter
minals, etc. :
Discussing “watered stock,” Mr.
Winburn argues that this contrast
proves the reasonable capitalization of
the Central of Georgia. He points out
that the railway must build and main
tain its own tracks, whereas motor
trucks and busses, in competition with
the railways, have the free use of
hard-surfaced highways, built and
maintained by public funds, and which
must be rebuilt by tax money when
worn out by motor traffic. He de
clares further that the struggle the
railways must make to earn a modest
return upon a low capitalization
proves that there is no ‘“watered
stock,” and that the freight and pas
senger rates are reasonable.
The statement explains the railway
valuation now under attack by radi
ca] agitators who aim at government
ownership. Mr. Winburn says that the
transportation companies ask only
such treatment as_the constitution of
the United States provides, and that
to disregard these provisions would
involve confiscation of private prop
erty and of investments, made in good
faith, such as has never occurred in
American history.
LOCAL GROWERS HAVE
BEGUN SHIPPING PEACHES
Mr. L. E. Baldwin’s peach orchards
just cout of Dawson have been for
some davs busy spots with the “Arp
beauties” and “Uneedas” ripening so
fast. LLarge shipments were made ev
ery day last week and the local market
was supplied with fruit of excellent
quality. The crop, however, is not so
Jarge this season, owing to unfavor
able weather conditions which caus
ed many of the young peaches to
drop off. Other varieties will soon be
ready for market and on the whole
this promises to be a good season for
local fruit growers.
NAMED AS DELEGATES.
Ex-Senator J. D. Weaver and Hon.
M. J. Yeomans are among the dele
gates appointed by Governor Hard
wick to represent Georgia at the Na
tional Wheat Congress to be held in
Chicago on June 20th.
Frank Collins’ Shoe Shop
REAR WALL BROS.
Men Soles - - -90 c
Ladies Soles - -70 c
WE USE THE BEST MATERIAL ONLY
SATISFACTION GUARANTEED
THE DAWSON NEWS
DR. DEAN VICE PRESIDENT
OF CENTRAL'S SURGEONS
Dr. J. G. Dean was honored by
the Cerntral of Georgia railway sur
geons in session at Macon last week
by being elected vice president of the
organization. He is also a member of
the executive committee and a dele
gate to the convention of the Ameri
can Railway Surgeons’ Association.
Dr. Dean responded to the address of
welcome by Mayor Williams at the
Macon meeting.
REV. T. M. CHRISTIAN A
VISITOR IN CUTHBERT
Rev. T. M. Christian, of Dawson,
who was pastor of the Cuthbert Meth
odist church more than twenty ‘years
ago, dropped in to see the editor while
attending the district conference. Mr.
Christian is remembered by our citi
zens as a strong and fearless preach
er.—Cuthbert Leader.
e e
BIRTH ANNOUNCED.
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Williams, of
Smithville, announce the birth of a
daughter June 2nd at the home of the
maternal grandmother, Mrs. Will J.
Lewis, in Dawson. The above notice
written for last week’s issue was in
advertently omitted.
LOCATES IN DAWSON.
Dr. J. E. Adams, chiropractor from
Chicago, has joined his wife and
daughter, who have been in Dawson
for several weeks. They are at home
in the Dillon cottage on College street.
TURN HAIR DARK
WITH SAGE TEA
The old-time mixture of Sage Tea
and Sulphur for darkening gray,
streaked and faded hair is grandmoth
er’s recipe, and folks are again using it
to keep their hair a good, even color,
which is quite sensible, as we are liv
ing in an age when a youthful appear
ance is of the greatest advantage.
Nowadays, though, we don't have the
troublesome task of gathering the sage
and the mussy mixing at home. All
drug stores sell the ready-to-use prod
uct, improved by the addition of other
ingredients, called “Wyeth’s Sage and
Sulphur Compound.” It is very popu
lar because nobody can discover it has
been applied. Simply moisten your
comb or a soft brush with it and draw
this through your hair, taking one small
strand at a time; by morning the gray
hair disappears, but what delights the
ladies with Wyeth’s Sage and Sulphur
Compound, is that, besides beautifully
darkening the hair after a few applica
tions, it also produces that soft lustre
and appearance of abundance which is
<o attractive.
CENTRAL OF GEORGIA GIVES FACTS
Radical politicians, whose purpose is to establish government ownership of rajlways
have recently launched an attack upon the valuation of American railways, as fixed for rate.
making purposes by the Interstate Commerce Commission.
Patrons of the Central of Georgia Railway have a right to know the facts, concerning the
valuation upon which rates are based, and to have the figures as to the capitalization of
this railway, so they may judge for themselves as to whether this company is expecting t,
earn returns upon over-capitalization, or as it is commonly termed, “watered stock.”
Here are the facts concerning the Central of Georgia Railway and the lines leased ang
operated by it. The aggregate par value of the securities outstanding as at December 3]
1022, was $75,778,826. On that date we owned 298 locomotives, 9,056 freight train cars’
and 312 passenger train cars. This equipment alone cost as follows: ' :
Locomotives, $ 5,770,431.02
Freight cars, 8,796,884.99
Passenger cars, 2,758,309.60
, Total $17,325,625.61 :
At present prices this equipment would cost more than $30,000,000. But subtracting op.
ly the smaller figure, representing actual cost, from the capitalization outstanding leaves
only $58.453,200.39 as representing the value of our roadway with its right-of-way, ballast,
ties and rails, bridges, signals, telephone and telegraph lines, and other railway property,
even including buildings, land, roundhouses, shops, freight and passenger stations and the
like. The value of our terminal properties at Savannah and other important cities runs into
large figures. For example, our terminal in Savannah, comprises 288 acres with one mile of
waterfront for the handling of domestic and foreign traffic.
The Central of Georgia operates and leases 1,964.55 miles of railroad, but counting ad
ditional main line trackage, passing tracks and yard tracks, we have 2,623.25 miles of track.
If the $58,453,200.39 referred to above, covered the value of tracks alone (excluding all
other property used in the service of the public) it would represent only $22,281.89 for
each mile of track. It costs approximately $25,000.00 per mile to build ordinary hard-sur
faced hichways with only light grading and bridge construction necessary, and without in
cluding the cost of acquiring the land on which the road is constructed. Will any reasonably
minded person deny that the Central of Georgia track with its right-of-way, station build
ings, ballast, ties and rails, heavy bridges, signals, telephone and telegraph lines, and other
appurtenances, is worth more per mile than it costs to build a mile of hard road and without
including the cost of acquiring the land?
The Interstate Commerce Commission, after vears of thorough investigation, has fixed
the tentative valuation of all American railways at $18,900,000,000. Those attacking the
justice of this valuation are trying to make it appear that it is based upon present-day re
placement costs; that it is excessive and that it imposes a burden upon those who pay
freight and passenger rates. This is erroneous and misleading. Valuation figures are based
upon cost determined as at June 30, 1914, and ignore entirely the increase of costs during
the war period. It is a matter of common knowledge that pre-war costs have practically
doubled. Additions since the valuation at 1914 figures, have been taken by the Commission
at actual cost minus depreciation.
The present outstanding capitalization of all railways is about $2,000,000,000 less than
the present tentative valuation.
In 1922 out of every dollar spent by the carriers, 86 cents went to pay the actual costs
of the service rendered to the public. The act of valuation can have no conceivable effect
upon these costs. Only about 14 cents remained out of which to pay interest on indebted
ness, rentals of leased lines, dividends and the cost of enlargements and improvements.
The railroads ask only that the Interstate Commerce Commission treat them in accord
ance with the provisions of the constitution asinterpreted by the courts. To disregard these
constitutional provisions, as demanded by radical agitators, would involve such confiscation
of private property and investments made in good faith, as has never occurred in American
history. .
Constructive criticism and suggestions are invited.
W. A. WINBURN,
President, Central of Georgia Railway Co.
Savannah, Ga., June 7, 1923.
TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 1923,