Newspaper Page Text
eljc Mania Souvnal
VOL. XXIII. NO. 32.
GIANT CORPORATION
INSURES FUTURE OF
IU. S. EXPORT TRADE
$100)000)000 Organization
Formed to Extend Long
: Time Credits to Foreign
’ Nations
CHICAGO, 111., Dec. 12.—The fu
ture of American export trade is
assured.
This view was shared tonight by
Six hundred of the financiers, in
dustrial chieftains and agricultural
leaders of the United States who
brought into being a $100,000,000
corporation which will extend long
t time credits to foreign countries
a staggering under the burden of
paralyzed industrialism and help
less to buy needed raw materials in
America, because of unfavorable ex
change rates.
The formation of this corpora-
I tion, the Foreign Trade Financing
corporation, authorized under the
Edge act, was accomplished when
leading bankers, meeting here, de
cided that unless some such action
was taken, not only Europe would
face possible bankruptcy, but that
American domestic trade would suf
’ fer and a period of severe indus
trial depression would be seen in
the immediate future.
To Offer Stock
Resolutions calling for the imme
diate formation of this corporation
were unanimously adopted.
A committee of thirty banking,
business and farm leaders was
named as a permanent committee on
organization. This committee went
Lio work at once to float the cor
poration. A SIOO,OOO subscription to
meet expenses of organization was
■napped up by bankers and business
v jnen in five minutes.
Within a few weeks at the out
side, stock of this corporation will
be offered to the public, it was
stated. The entire sum could be
underwritten by great financial in
terests they believed. The confer
| ence took the stand that Industry,
labor and the public should be
asked to purchase the stock to.make
the corporation an all-American
project.
To Extend I>ong Credits
• The corporation will extend long
time credits, not only to allied pow
ers, but to al] countries of stable
government and to Germany as
soon as peace is declared, it was
asserted by the leading speakers.
As the Edge act provides that
this. corporation can commence as
soon as 25 per cent of the capital
» is paid in, the business of getting
• under way can commerce as soon
as $25,000,000 Is subscribed.
With the privilege of doing a bil
lion-dollar business, ten times the
capital stock, as permitted by the
Edge act, this will be the greatest
financial corporation in the country
if worked out as planned.
Formed in “the Open’’
. Its creators point to the fact
f that it was formed “in the open,”
without any "inside group.” with
out founders, stock or bonus shares.
They declare that it is the first
time in American history that a
great corporation was formed at a
public conference and that its under
writing is to be done without any
discount commissions or private
profits. x
John McHugh, New York \?ity, ac
cepted the chairmanship of the
board of directors only on the st ; >
illation that no compensation be
’ attached to the position.
Representatives of great middle
western manufacturers pledged to
underwrite and to buy great blocks.
Edward N. Hurley, on behalf of the
Illinois Manufacturers’ association,
pledged $500,000.
Founders Jubilant
Union labor will be asked to sub
scribe largely, as the founders feel
that the warking man will share in
th» benefits.
> *ll parties to formation of the
corporation were jubilant in ,ex-
• pressing their gratification over the
. rapid manner in which the project
Was brought about.
"This is the most momentous and
most progressive step ever taken by
American business men to insure the
future of our industrial life,” said
Charles H. Sabin, president of the
Guaranty Trust Company of New
T-r.rk. “We are going to be depend
ent in the future on our foreign mar
kets and the organization of this cor
poration should place us in a posi
, tion to take our proper position in
world trade.”
“Excellent 8 tart”
••It is an excellent start,” said John
H. Fahey, Boston, chairman of the
committee that formed the permanent
organization. “With a powerful com
mittee in charge, success is now pos
sible. It is no cure-all, but this
corporation is a wonderful instru
mentality and should have nation
wide support.”
“It is a remarkable achievement,
T Mr. John McHugh, who is to be
chairman of the board of directors,
said. “It is the first time that fi
nance, business and the farmers have I
' pulled together for a common end in !
Vie interests of the country’s wel- I
fare. It is the indorsement of a ,
\ project to stabilize American foreign ;
’ trade and at the same assist |
the markets of the world urgently in
nwd of goods.”
••It is the greatest etep ever tak
en to put America where she be
longs—in the van of‘world trade,”!
said William C. Redfield, former sec- ;
retary of commerce. “I wish it had I
*■ been done fifty years ago.”
For America
“The fact that this corporation ■
was formed in the open, without any
Inside group, founders stock or any
of the other corporation methods '
gives the new corporation a moral
start of the highest kind,” said Wil- ,
lis H. Booth, New York, chairman !
of the conference.
"It is as unusual as it is insmr
ing It is formed for America and i
America will get the profits.” I
’ When the stock is placed on the ■
■ market it probably will be issued at
$lO5 a share, it was declared, as the
committee on organization took up
it« work. Os this SIOO will be capi
tal and $5 surplus. •
Horses, Cows and Bulls
Are Accounted for, but
Who Gets the Liquor?
NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Dec. 11. —
The British steamship Potosi, Liver
pool to South America and carrying
200,000 quarts of Scotch whisky, four
race horses, five prize bulls and four
thoroughbred heifers, sought refuge
in this port late last night. She had
battled with storm and mechanical
difficulties for twenty-five days. The
tfirses and heifers were consigned to
tne president of Peru and the bulls
are to be used tor breeding and show
, purposes 4 in that country.
WAR FINANCE
BOARD REVIVAL
BEING FOUGHT
WASHINGTON! Dec. 13.—Opposi
tion to revival of the war finance cor
poration was voiced today by Sena
tor Edge, New Jersey, when the sen
ate resumed debate on the resolution
to make the corporation operative
as an aid to farmers.
He said revival of the corporation
would be merely a temporary and
artificial relief, “which would only
put off a little longer the undodge
able settlement.”
Private capital will gradually take
care of the situation, he asserted,
instancing the formation last week of
a $100,000,000 corporation at Chicago
as proof that private enterprise' is
taking hold of the problem of ex
port.
A vote on the resolution is ex
pected late today. '
WILSON ADOPTS
20 CHILDREN IN
STARVING EUROPE
WASHINGTON, Dec. 13.—Presi
dent Wilson today called upon his
“fellow countrymen’’ to contribute
funds to save 3,500,000 children, who
“are facing starvation in central
Europe.” The president announced
that he would adopt twenty of these
children as his temporary wards, and
said that SIOO contributed through
the European relfef council would
save the life of a child.
Coal Price Reduced
$3 a Ton on Monday
By Atlanta Company
A reduction of $3 per ton from
$15.75 to $12.75 in the bets Jellico
lump coal, effective immediate
ly, was announced Monday morn
ing by W. L. Randall, of the
Randall Brothers Coal company, op
erators of five coal yards in Atlanta.
Mr. Randall said that the reduction
was made as the price named at the
mines had bsen reduced proportion
ately. z
A reduction of $1 a ton, from sls
to sl4, was announced bv one other
Atlanta company, the Meinert Coal
company, effective Monday. The
other large dealers said that they
had not made any reduction Monday,
nor were they contemplating one.
R. R. Johnson, manager of the
coal department of the R. O. Camp
bell company, said that the price of
sl4 per ton charged by the Camp
bell company, was in keeping with
the prices charged at the, mine. He
said that any reduction would de
pend entirely upon the price at the
mines, and the manner in which the
railroad companies moved the coal
from the mines to the v company’s
yards. '
Counterfeit Money
Laid Away by Man
For Funeral Expenses
ELKHART, Ind., Dec. 11.—Money
laid away by Walter Moody for his
funeral expenses was found by bank
ers to be counterfeit today after it
had been spent to meet burial costs
for the man who died a week ago.
The money, in new S2O bills had
been kept inviolate in ‘the Moody
home for sixteen years. Moody’s
widow, who became hist second, wife
years after he set the money aside,
will have to make good the loss.
Ponzi Begins Service
Os Five-Year Term
PLYMOUTH, Mass., Dec. 12. —
Charles Ponzi Saturday entered upon
service of his sentence of five years
at the Plymouth county jail that was
imposed by the federal court as pun
ishment for the fraud by which he
obtained millions of dollars from
thousands of persons.
Accompanied by his wife and ied
eral officers he was brought here
from the East Cambridge jail where
he has been confined since his ar
rest in August.
Ponzi today put on prison garb
for the third time in his career of
attempts to make easy money, hav
ing previously served time at Mon
treal and Atlanta. Then he rejoined
his youthful wife for a temporary
farewell. She intends to leave the
mansion- home which he bought iff
Lexington to come here and work in
order to be near him.
A Personal Message About Our Astonishing 25c Offer
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\
R. F. D. No
50BUILDINGSBURN.
515,000.000 DMGE
TO CITV OF CORK
Two Thousand Out of Work
as Result of Incendiarism.
England Starts Investiga
tion of Blaze
CORK, Dec. 13.—Cork continued to
burn today. Spread over a quarter
mile of the main business section of
the city incendiary fires started Sat
urday night, swallowed up more
property last night. Losses, it was
estimated, will approach $15,000,000.
At least 2,000 persons were out
of work today with banking houses,
drapers and other shops and the city
hall destroyed. Fifty buildings
were burned.
It was believed there must have
been casualties’in the conflagration,
but the smoking ruins permitted no
search for bodies today.
There was disagreement today as
to whether the fire was started by
British police in reprisal for an am
bush.
Smoke Over City
A pall of smoke still floated over
the ruined business section of Ire
land’s second city.
Sinn Fein leaders charged the de
struction to black and tan police.
At dusk Saturday two lorries of
soldiers entering this territory for
the enforcement of martial law were
bombed at Dillon Cross, nearby.
Two hours later disturbances be
gan on the streets. Trams were
stopped and passengers searche. Fi
nally one car was fired.
Almost simultaneously flames
broke out in the Carnegie library, the
city hall and a number of shops on
St. Patrick’s street.
The fires burned all through the
night. The two and three-story
limsetone houses were burned out.
The boom of falling walls filled the
night. At daylight the flames had
died down but still smouldered.
City Hall Goes
The city hall, a famous two-story
structure of limestone, was one of
the first to go. Its clock tower top
pled a seething mass of flames early
in the night and the walls began to
sag shortly after midnight.
The fact that fires burst out si
multaneously showed the incendiar
ism was well organized. This fact
led some to believe it was not at
tempted as a reprisal for the evening
ambush. It was claimed there was
not sufficient time to organize a re
prisal of that magnitude.
Some observers declared they saw
armed men in nondescript clothing
scurrying about the streets beofre
the fires started. They were not in
uniform.
Troops were! assigned to the bus
iness section at once and a cordon
was still tightly drawn early today.
The men were under orders to shoot
at sight.
Machine guns were stationed at
commanding points.
Sork’s citizens were in a panic.
Thousands fled Saturday night and
those who remained were sleepless.
Thousands more took bedding and
valuables with them to the country
today. Refugee cities sprang up in
the surrounding districts, shelters
oeing made of any material that fell
handy. Bel clothing was thrwn over
branches to tents. Men, wom
en and children slept in the open.
Suiday services were conducted in
the Cork cathedral, but with only a
fraction of the usual crowds attend
ing. Bishop Cohalan bitterly de
nounced ambushes in the course of
his sermon, threatening to excom
municate anyone aiding in such at
tacks. The sermon was taken as a
hopeful sign, anti-Sinn Feiners be
ing cdnvinced that the threat would
restrain many of the extremists.
A military patrol was ambushed
at Cloyne, seven miles east of
Queenstown yesterday. The attack
ers threw bombs from two houses,
but ’were defeated. Two of the at
tackers were killed, several wounded
and two captured. One soldier was
wounded. The houses from which
thojsombs were thrown were burned.
ATLANTA, GA., TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1920.
Damper on Gambling
Is Expected After Probe
Held by Fulton Grand Jury
I The probe of gambling, wire-tap-
I ping, swindling and similar vio.la
j tions of the law, which was begun
I by the grand jury over a week ago,
will be resumed Tuesday and when
| completed it is expected by court
officials that a perpetual damper will
have been placed on all further op
erations of the kind in the city and
a general clean-up will have been
made of present conditions.
The greater part of the work will
be completed by the present grand
jury before its retirement for the
term, but it is likely the probe will
have to be continued by the January
term of the grand jury, according to
Solicitor General John A. Boykin.
“There is a lot yet to be done,” Mr.
Boykin says, "and it will take time
to do it.”
Already a large number of indict
ments have been returned charging
vagrancy, and during the coming
week those indicted will be tried
in the two divisions of the superior
criminal court. Every effort is be
ing made to break up gamming in all
forms and to bring the members of
an alleged gambling syndicate to
justice.
The action of the solicitor general
and his aids in conducting raids of
four places in the center of the city
and the finding of fully-equipped
“gambling dens” in operation, has
caused a sensation throughout the
city and the south. It is believed
by the solicitor that the alleged syn
dicate has fleeced hundreds of vic
tims out of thousands of dollars, and
it is further believed by the court
officials that the leader of the syn
dicate was Floyd Woodward, who,
it is said, disappeared from the city
under indictment.
Many developments have resulted
from the probe. A number of ar
rests have been made. Mr. Boykin
states that he intends to sift the
matter to a finish and no one against
whom proof can be obtained will es
cape in the wind-up. Owners of
buildings where gambling has been
carried on will be called to account,
he says, and it is likely that indict
ments will he found in a number of
instances of this kind.
Begin Tuesday
Beginning Tuesday morning, ses
sions of the grand jury will be held
during the remainder of the week
and will be personally attended by
the solicitor general. Each day, Mr.
Boykin says, new evidence is being
discovered" through the receipt of
letters, some of which are signed by
the writers and some anonymous.
Saturday morning a letter was re
ceived by the solicitor general from
a man. whose name and address Mr.
Bovkin declines to reveal for the
present, in which the writer claims
he was victimized out of $3,600 by a
"gambling syndicate” in Atlanta.
This man has signified his intentions
of coming to Atlanta and giving in
formation before the grand juky.
In order to allow Mr. Boykin time
to be with the grand jury the two
sessions of the superior criminal
court will be conducted by Assistant
Solicitor E. A. Stephens and Attor
ney Frank Carter. Judge John D.
Humphries will preside in the regu
lar division of the court and Judge
W. E. Thomas, of Valdosta, Ga., will
preside in the emergency division. It
is planned to place all the vagrancy
cases in which indictments have al
ready been returned, on trial, dispos
ing of them as rapidly as possible.
No trace of Floyd Woodward has
been found by the solicitor general
since an indictment was returned
against him, though a general de
scription of the man has been sent
broadcast and it is believed that his
capture is only a question of time.
Mr. Boykin says he is confident he
can convict the man as the "hrains”
of the gambling syndicate.
At the Friday session of the grand
jury testimony was given relative to
the slaying of Ed Mills in a local
hotel by Woodward, in which it was
said the killing was the result of a
disagreement over the -division of
money secured in one of the alleged
gambling swindles. It was said that
a Pennsylvania man was induced to
participate in a game in the Flatiron
building, where he had been "steered”
by Woodward and Mills, and the vic
tim lost $25,000. Woodward and
Mills were said to have gone to a
local hotel with the money and a
dispute arose over the distribution of
the money, which resulted in Mills
being shot and killed by Woodward.
One of the men who participated in
the alleged swindle is reported to
have been a nationally known confi
dence man, who died a week ago fol
lowing an operation in a Savannah
hospital. It is also believed that
this man was in Atlanta recently
when the expose of the gambling
ring was made by two men from
Aiken, S. C., who claim to have lost
SII,OOO.
Not Brought to Trial
Woodward was never brought to
trial for the killing of Mills. He
made a statement before the coro
ner’s jury and was exonerated on a
self-defense plea. The case against
him in the recorder’s court was
dropped. Solicitor Boykin began an
investigation of the gambling ring
which was said to be operating in
the city at that time, but the hotel
tragedy is said to have caused a
disruption in the ranks and the men
fled from the city.
The first intimations that the
“ring” has returned was received
when Wade Lamar, a well-known
farmer of Aiken, S. C., reported the
loss of SII,OOO in a fake race horse
game. Abe Powers was arrested as
one of the men operating the game,
and was sentenced to five years on
the chaingang following a conviction
by a jury of larceny after trust. So
licitor Boykin conducted a raid on
apartments at 25 West Peachtree
street, where Lamar said the fleec
ing took place, and this was quickly
followed by three more at
49 1-2 Central avenue, 35 1-2 South
Broad street and 59 1-2 Cone street.
Mr. Boykin says he has absolute
proof that all four places were linked
together, and were operated under
one head. The place at -2 South
Broad street, he says, was the as
sembly room for the confidence men
and the other places were used for
gambling operations. At 49 1-2 Cen
tral avenue the raiding party found
the place guarded by three barred
doors, wickets and guard and senti
nel. At this place, it is believed
by the solicitor, that the “small fry”
were entertained with crap shooting
and poker, while the "big game" was
carried on at 25 West Peachtree
street.
' “Sure Thing”
The system employed at this place
was, it is charged, to have the vic
tim wager his money on a "sure
thing.” Upon entering the room
the victim was confronted with click
ing of telegraph instruments. Office
attaches were rushing here and there
and marking the races on the black
board. Mn were engaged in plac
ing large sums on the horses and
stocks of money were display open
ly. The victim was told that the
wires had been tapped. The opera
tors, it was explained, were able to
get the news of the finished race be
fore the bookmakers and. therefore,
there was no chance to lose. The vic
tim at once became interested. He
was requested to wager by check. He
won and then was requested to show
his check was good by producing the
amount of the same in cash. He left
to get the money. He returned and
was told to wait until his winnings
coulfi be brought from the bank. In
•he meantime another horse had won
.and he again became interested. His
check for his earnings was accepted
and again he won. He had to snow
the amount of the second check in
cash and he left again to get it. In
the meantime his other bona fide coin
was gone.
The game was worked according to
the habitat of the victim. If he came
from the north he was induced to
play the stock market. If he was
a horse lover, he was given the races
and if he came from the west he was
induced to play on oil stoks.
It is the belief of the solicitor
general that hundreds of thousands
of dollars have been taken from vic
tims in the city and it is the pur
pose of the grand jury to thoroughly
probe the situation.
While ” a great deal of the jury’s
■leiiberations have been done secret
ly it is expected that some startling
developments will be made public
during the coming week. Already
hundreds of witnesses have been
questioned by the inquisitorial body
and it is expected that a large num
ber more will be subpoehaed for
this week.
IMMIGRATION
BILL IS PASSED '
BY THE HOUSE
WASHINGTON. Dec. 13. —The
Johnson immigration bill, as amend
ed to prohibit all immigration for a
period of one year, was passed to
day by the house. It now goes to
the senate where its defeat is pre
dicted by senate leaders.
The vote was 293 for the bill and
41 against it. Six members voted
“present.”
Olive Thomas’ Death
Declared Accidental
PARIS, Dec. 11.—The authorities,
in closing the quest in the case of
Olive Thomas, American film star
who died from poisoning here sev
eral months ago, announced today
that accidental death had been
proven.
fer again last week. And listen to this! In one day last week more
orders came in than we received during the entire first week! The
total for last week fairly Swamped us!
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ALLEGED LAKEWOOD
BLACKMAIL CASES
PROBEDATHEARING
Rev. J. W. Ham Defends
Police Department Li
quor Seizures Again Are
Aired
Testimony in regard to alleged
blackmailing of couples by the po
lice at Lake wood: statements by Dr.
John W. Ham, pastor of the Bap
tist Tabernacle in regard, to his
ideas of the police probe: and addi
tional charges of illegal liquor con
fiscations against Detectives Lon
Terry and O. M. Howell, were fea
tures of city council’s investigation
of the police and detective depart
ments when the special investigating
committee resumed its sessions at
the city hall Monday morning.
Among the witnesses at the morn
ing session were Policemen C. I E.
Ford and T. R. Sewell, who made a
complete denial of the charge that
they had blackmailed people at
Lakewood and declared that the
charges were inspired by 111 feeing
and jealousy on the part of W. C.
.Pucqett, the park manager last
spring. Several months ago, the of
ficers said, Mr. Puckett threatened to
“get” their jobs.
A dozen or more witnesses were
on hand to testify when the session
opened and the room was crowded
with interested spectators! Several
times the atmosphere became
charged with tension, as when Chair
man Harvey Hatcher cautioned At
torney Aldine Chambers against
"ragging” certain witnesses, and
again, when Attorney Thomas H.
Goodwin, who represents Clarence
Hart, a bootlegger, accused Mr.
Chambers of threatening the wit
nesses.
The latter altercation occurred
when the committee was discussing
summoning jail prisoners to testify.
"'VYe’d better get an order from the
court,” said Mr. Chambers, “we may
need some men who are in Jail now
and some who will be in jail.”
Mr. Chambers explained, after Mr.
Goodwin had called this remark a
“threat,” that he merely meant he
did not know what outcome the in
vestigation might have and that it
might result in some arrests and in
dictments.
Testimony Conflicts
The first evidence at the Monday
morning session was in regard to
alleged blackmailing of couples at
Lakewood park. At the session last
week W. C. Puckett, manager of the
park last spring, said he had two of
his employes watch Policemen Ford
and Sewell and that one of these em
ployes had made an affidavit accus
ing the officers of blackmail and that
the other employe would testify to
the sanUf thing.
Mr. Puckett’s testimony was de
nied vigorously by C. H. Camp, for
mer electrician at Lakewood, and the
first witness Monday morning. He
denied that he ever watched Ford
and Sewell. He said Mr. Puckett
tried to get him to sign an affidavit,
but that he refused to sign and that
if such an affidavit exists, it is a
forgery. Mr. Cajnp was required by
the committee to sign his name on
a piece of paper before he was ex
cused.
His testimony conflicted with that
of Maurice Lynch, night watchman
at Lakewood, who testified tn regard
to the same incident. Mr. Lynch
said that under instructions from Mr.
Puckett, K he watched Officers Ford
and Sewell, when they accosted cou
ples in remote, dark , corners of the
park. He said he saw the officers
let these couples go, but never saw
any money pass.
"It was too dark to have seen it,
if it happened,” he declared. j
Lynch said that he and Camp told
Mr. Puckett about this occurrence
and Camp read Mr. Puckett an affi
davit. In his testimony Camp de
nied this. Lynch did not know wheth-
<Contlnu«d on Page 7, Column 7)
ALL READY FOR
BAIL ARGUMENT
IN SHEPARD CASE
MACON, Ga., Dec. 11. —Hearing for
bail Tuesday in the cases of Miss
lone Henry, Ernest Hopson and Mrs.
F. Eugene Elmer, three of the four
defendants held on the charge of
murder in connection with the death
of Fred D. Shepard, wealthy peach
grower of Fort Valley, who is al
leged to have died from poisoning,
probably will last for several days,
it became known Saturday. This will
result, It is said, because in all prob
ability the hearings will be held
separately.
The announcement Saturday by So
licitor General Charles H. Garrett,
who is at the head of the investiga
tion into Shepard’s death, which be
gan several months ago, that the
hearings would be held In
when the public will practically be
excluded from the trial, probably will
cause considerable disappointment,
for it was expected that the court
room would be crowded by specta
tors.
Petition for the unconditional re
lease of Mrs. Annie Cutts, the
fourth person arrested in connection
with Mr. Shepard’s death, was filed
here late Saturday afternoon and a
hearing was set for Tuesday, when
the other three cases will be taken
up.
No move has been made by the
prosecution or the attorneys for the
defense since an amendment was
made to the original petition filed by
Judge John P. Ross several weeks
ago asking for the release of Mrs.
lone Henry and Ernest Hopson on
bail. As amended the petition ask
ed for the unconditional release on
the grounds that the state has fail
ed to show evidence to warrant the
holding of the prisoners.
General Walter A. Harris, attorney
for Mrs. Elmer, declared Saturday
that he was ready for the preliminary
hearing and was confident that the
prosecution would not be able to
show cause why his client should be
held. He declared that the state would
have to take the initiative at the pre
liminary hearing but declined to dis
luss the tactics he will introduce at
the time.
The petition filed by General Har
ris in the interest of his client asks
that she be released on bail. He de
clared later, however, that he would
request her absolute release. It is
not yet known how many witnesses
will be introduced at the preliminary
hearing, which will be held privately,
with no persons present except those
who will receive permission from
Judge Mathews. Solicitor General
Charles Garrett declared Saturday
that a large part of the evidence to
be presented at the hearing Tuesday
will be in the form of affidavits. He
is unable to state how many wit
nesses he will introduce nor how
many affidavits, as he has not yet
finished his arrangements for the
hearing.
Attorneys for the prisoners are also
unable to say how many witnesses
they will bring into the case. They
declare that the amount of evidence
they will present entirely depends
upon the action that will be taken by
Solicitor General Garrett. Mr. Gar
rett returned from Atlanta Saturday
morning, where he spent Friday col
lecting various affidavits. Although
Judge Ross declined to state how tie
would handle the defense of his
clients Tuesday, it is understood that
all of the defendant? will be given
separate hearings. If this proves to
be the case, it is likely that the hear
ing will last for several days. The
fact that the hearing will be one of
the chamber variety comes as a sur
prise to the many people who expect
ed to attend it.
The reason for the chamber hear
ing, according, to Solicitor General
Ggjrrett, is that the matter is not
for open trial. Attorney R. L. Berner,
who is representing Mrs. Eldridge
Cutts, who is also being held in the
county jail/ has as yet made no move
for a preliminary hearing for his
client. It is probably too late for
her case to be included ip the hear
ing which starts Tuesdiy, even if
Mr. Berner should make such a pe
tition.
Both Mrs. Cutts and Mrs. Elmer
are spending their days quietly in
jail, mostly in reading magazines
and papers. They are eating heartily
of the fare that is given them, ano
except for occasional remarks about
their loneliness they have nothing
to say.
During the past week several rela
tives of the prisoners have visited
them in their cells; Both refuse to
see outsiders.
It is the purpose of the state, ac
cording to the present plans, to ar
range the trials of the four persons
accused of the murder of Shepard
for the second week in April, to be
held in the Houston county superior
court.
5 CENTS A COPT.
$1.50 A IRAK.
UNCLE SAM WARNS
■ FERTILIZER MAKERS
■ ABOUTJGH PRICES
1 I Department of Agriculture
- Issues Notice of Prosecu
tions Unless 1921 Prices
i
; Are Reduced
_ The Atlanta Journal News Bureau/ \
623 Higgs Building.
BY THEODOBE TXZ.BBS
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.—Insis t
ing that at this time the farmer is
' entitled to the benefit of every price
concession, and protesting against
' the proposed 1921 prices of fertiliz
ers, the federal department of agri
’ culture has made public a state
ment it is sending to all fertilizer
manufacturers.
This statement asserts that the
prices for 1921 as announced by the
' larger ■fertilizer manufacturers are
j too high and do not properly take
into account the lower prices of raw
i materials. Manufacturers are in es
-1 feet warned that they are subject to
1 prosecution for profiteering if the
farmer is gouged by these manufac
' turers. Prices quoted, they say, •will
discourage rather than encourage
production, and the ’average farmer
can/ill afford to pay them.
"The Lever food control act,”
the department, “does not authorize 7.
1 the fixing of prices of fertilizers, but
manufacturers who exact an unjust
1
or unreasonable profit will be subject
’ to prosecution.”
The department of agriculture says
information has reached it that not
r only Is the cost of raw materials
r lower but also that the cost of manu
' facturlng fertilizer is decreasing.
2 It is revealed that more than a
3 month ago the department sent a
3 letter to various large manufacturers
protesting against the proposed 1921
price scale. Yet the statement today
indicates there has been as yet no
1 revision of the scale, so the depart
ment now is sending out a compre
’ hensive statement of its policy and a
. review of the entire fertilizer situ
-1 ation.
Subject to Prosecution
r After warning that makers of un-
> reasonable profits are subject to
' prosecution, the virtual ultimatum
1 to the manufacturers continues:
r “Notwithstanding the fact that
3 some of the raw materials used in
; the manufacture of fertilizer were
• purchased at prices higher than those
T now prevailing, the department feels
j that, in view of existing market con
ditions, the prices of mixed fertil-
» izers quoted by manufacturers for the
’ spring trade of 1921 are too high
> The consuming public is vitally con
i cerned in this matter for the reason
' that the maintenance of high prices
, for fertilizers, -at a time when the
■ prices of farm products have greatly
1 declined, may result in a curtail-
• ment of the use~of fertilizers and a
■ reduction in acreage and in yield
1 per acre of crops planted. The op
' portunity is presented for a greater
s range in fertilizer prices for the
: spring of 1921 than is usual under
normal conditions.
If th© prices th© manufacturers
: are now putting forth, which are
based upon the unit costs of Sep
' tember 25, prevail during the entire
! season, it will be necessary for the
' individual farmer who uses fertlliz
i ers to exercise unusual care in shap
' ing his operations so as to avoid
- undue risk of financial loss in his
effort to maintain normal produc
tion of essential crops.
In its analysis of its fertilizer sit
uation, the department observers, in
1 a nut shell, that prices of raw ma
terials entering fertilizer manufact
uring, while not entirely stabilized,
have come down and the manufac
turer should take this into account.
That the department has insisted
that this downward trend of prices
be recognized in making up the 1921
scale of the finished product.
That the farmer should have ev- /
ery price reduction possible at this
time. That although the department
complains in October about the price
scale proposed for 1921, there has
been no later action taking into ac
count reduced costs of prodttetion.
Better Addressed
In part, the communication of ‘he
department to the fertilizer manu
facturers says:
“In executing its duties under the
Lever food control law and the presi
dent’s proclamation regarding fertil
izers, a letter was addressed to all
fertilizer manufacturers under li
censes requesting them to submit in
formation regarding their prices for
mixed fertilizers for the spring sea
son of 1921."
This was shortly after the prices
of raw fertilizer materials had begun
to decline. At that time, the esti
mated average purchase price of
ammonia was around $5.00 per unit
of 20 pounds which was a dollar a
unit less than for the fall of 1920;
acid phosphate $1 a unit, which was
the same as for the fall; and potash
$2.25 per unit which was 50 cents
a unit below the fall price.
The prices of raw materials, to
gether with manufacturing costs, al
lowances for shrinkage, and for
profits, form the basis upon which
the fertilizer manufacturers estab
lish selling prices.
The prices quoted by the larger
manufacturers for the spring of 1921,
according to statements submitted by
him, were based upon a unit cost'
of ammonia of $5.25, phosphoric acid.
80 cents and potash $2.50.
When these prices were received'
early in October, the following com
munication was sent to some of the
principal manufacturers:
"With the break in general com
modity prices there has haea re.
cent break in the prices of many oi
the fertilizer materials. This price
adjustment has not yet been accom
plished.
"The indications now are that we
are on a continually falling market
with certain of the materials. There
fore the department is strongly of
the opinion that prices fixed for the
entire spring trade to July 1, 1921,
on the basis of present values are
not justified.
Lower Prices Urged
"Your prices for spring delivery
should be lowered now to the fullest
extent having in mind the reductions,
which recently have taken place in
many of. the fertilizer materials and
also, th© probable future prices of
these materials, and they should be
still further lowered later if condi
tions in the fertilizer material mar
ket justify.
“In your letter, you propose a
price of $5.25 per unit for ammonia.
(Continued on Page 7, Column 5)