The star-progress., October 18, 1919, Page 4, Image 4

About The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921

Image provided by: Louisiana State University; Baton Rouge, LA

                
THE STAR-PROGRESS
Official Journal of St. Landry Parish, Reaching More Homes than any
Paper Published in St. Landry.
4»
L. A. ANDREPONT, Editor.
W. F. NOLAN, Business Manager.
Entered at the Postoffice in Opelousas, Louisiana, as Second Class Mail Matter. |
t ALL CHECKS SHOULD BE MADE PAYABLE TO THE STAR-PROGRESS.
THE GREATER FARM COLLEGE
It is gratifying to Louisianians who
have long felt the need of a modern,
thoroughly equipped and scientifical
ly conducted agricultural college, to
see so much interest manifested in
the Greater Agricultural College
campaign presently being conducted.
Enthusiasm is being aroused over
the college in every parish in the
state, ahd it is now beginning to ap
pear as though Louisiana will soon
have an agricultural college in which
the progressive citizens will have ev
ery reason to be proud.
Many St. Landrians see the won
derful advantages that will be offered
in the scientific education of our
farm youths along agricultural lines,
and as a result the campaign, headed
by that eternal live-wire booster, L.
L. Squires, is receiving the commen
dation and co-operatjon of leading
farmers and business men of this par
ish.
Too much activity in the campaign
can not be shown by our citizens. St.
Landry is one of the parishes which
will derive the greatest amount of
good out of the college. Hundreds
of our boys and girls, desirous of ac
quiring a higher education in the
science of tilling the soil and manag
ing a farm, will be given the opor
tunity.of their lives by attending a
free school, which will represent an
initial investment of over three mil
lion dollars.
Contributions are sought to con
duct the campaign and as so many
of our citizens have shown a dispo
sition of co-operation with the com
mitte in charge of the campaign, we
would strongly urge that they send
in whatever they can contribute to
the cause without delay.
STOP SUCH WASTEFULNESS!
/
The manner in which the city au
thorities have been repairing the
wood block streets is not only dis
tasteful to the eyes of the public
spirited citizens, but a wanton waste
of the taxpayers' money.
Think of putting a dollar-and-a
half negro at work patching up
streets worth about $75,000 a mile!
Of course the city authorities mean
well. They are doing their very best
to save the taxpayers' money, but in
our opinion this method is "false
economy,"
What does a common laborer know
about fixing our streets? What assur
ances have the taxpayers that the
work is done in a scientific way?
Surely the city authorities are not
willing to let common negro laborers
"patch up" work that has cost the
taxpayers thousands of dollars
The mere slicing of the blocks and
putting them back in thier places is
not, in our mind, the way to fix these
streets—at least, not the manner in
which they are being repaired. In
little or no time our beautiful streets
—the best in the world as originally
laid downf—will be about as level and
as firm as our gravel streets.
Some action should be taken to see
that our streets are attended to prop-
erly, and this should be done without
delay, otherwise in a few years Ope-
lousas will be without wood block
streets ,and only "splinters" will be
in evidence where genuine wood
blocks dnce stood.
-o ■
STATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM
Louisiana is fast assuming the lead
among Southern states in construc-
tion of model roads. The enthusi-
asm of many of the parishes,however,
is working to the detriment of the
best interests 0 } the entire state, in
that the community idea seems to be
overshadowing the state system of
roads.
Now that we have come to appreci
ate modern highways as commercial
necessities, we believe that the State
should settle on one uniform system,
just like we here in St. Landry 1 are
endeavoring to bring about a uni
form system for ourselves.
It has been suggested that Louisi
ana vote a $26,000,000 bond issue.
It has also been suggested that the
automobile tax, paid annually, should
not be returned to the parishes, as in
the present manner, but that this
fund should go towards the construc
tion and maintenance of a state sys
tem of highways.
When one takes tne interest of the
entire state into consideration, the
two suggestions referred to are cer
tainly to be seriously considered, if
we ever desire to keep abreast of the
times. Louisiana must ge.t away
from the community influence it
must undertake the completion of a
modern project on a big, modern and
up-to-date American basis.
It is to be hoped that the next legis
lature will enact such laws as will ul
timately give Louisiana the best sys
tem of highways in the South ,and
that the money paid by automobile
owners will be spent by the state
highway authorities on model roads,
rather than by the police jurors in
fining up "bog holes."
Louisiana must adopt the best and
most economic system of roads. Stat ;
supervision of construction and main
tenance is the only solution, in our
mind, of the problem that will con
front our respective communities, if
the present plan of community road
building projects is continued.
muddying the waters
Opelousas, La., Oct. 15, 1919.
Editor of the Star-Progress:
The opposition to Mr. Parker is en
deavoring to camouflage the .issue.
Observe the headlines in the States
of this morning—"Parker Did Not
Pay His Poll Tax in the Year 1903."
This makes me tired. It is silly and
nonsensical. What does it matter
whether or not he paid his poll tax
sixteen years ago? That is not an is
sue before the people. The issues
presented them are: Is Mr. Parker
qualified to be governor; are his poli
cies sufficient? Fifty thousand white
men certified to his qualifications in
1916, when he was running outside
the party, against the democratic
nominee. Seventy-five thousand of
them will do so this time, now that he
is a candidate within the party and a
member thereof. This answers the
first query. That his platform is
sound, the country voters will attest.
With them, as with him, the question
is: "Shall the ring be maintained or
shall it be destroyed?" New Orleans
is Bhermanized, the country parishes
arè determined not to be. "The ring
must go" is the slogan of their cry.
And it must go, whether or not the
candidate of their choice paid his
poll tax sixteen years ago. The ring
must go. The ring is going. Hence
these various attempts to camouflage
the real issue before the people.
Yours truly,
GILBERT L. DUPRE.
ABOUT THE MEMORIAL
Every minister in Louisiana has
been asked to devote a part of one
of his sermons next Sunday to the life
and example .of the late Colonel
Theodore Roosevelt. This is a part
of the nation-wide Roosevelt memo
rial campaign which starts in Louis
iana October 20 and will continue un
til October 27, the birthday of the
late president.
The closing day will be celebrated
by mass meetings in every community
in the state when prominent speak
ers will discuss the Americanism of
the soldier-stateman and its applica
tion to present day problems and
When excerpts from the writings and
addresses of Colonel Roosevelt will
be read. Friday, October 24, will be
generally observed in all of the
schools of the state as "Roosevelt
Day,' 'and no child will be permitted
to give more than ten cents to the
fand to perpetuate the Roosevelt
memory.
Word comes from all parts of the
state to state headquarters, 408 Title
Guarantee Building, New Orleans, of
the activities of parish chairmen and
committeemen representing every
phase of political and religious belief
who are uniting to put Louisiana over
the top and to call upon all of the
people to give something ,no matter
how small, for this great nation-wide
democratic and popular memorial.
Dr. Clarence Pierson, in West Fe
liciana; Charles W. Lyman, in Aca
dia; John J. Robira and J. H. Hie
man, in Jefferson Davis ,are among
many of the chairmen who are lining
up for a real showing. Charles J.
Boatner, son of former Congressman
Boatner, parish chairman; Mayor
Charles Lauve, city chairman, "and
Professor Charles Gott, in charge of
the school children, have arranged for
a great turn-out October 27, in St.
Mary pirish.
At St. Joseph, in Tensas, W. M
...
I Davidson, because of ill health, was
j Prevented from serving as parish
! chairman and John W. Osborne, who
hunted many times with Colonel
Roosevelt, has been named. Henry
Hardtner, father of conservation, is
directing the work in LaSalle; Doug
las M. Kilpatrick of Houma has per
fected an organization in Terrebonne.
At New Iberia, Edwin S. Broussard,
brother of the late United States sen
ator, is working for the cause.
Swords Lee is lining up Rapides par
ish, and Albert Estopinal is working
hard as chairman in St. Bernard par
ish.
Every donor will be given a certif
icate as a member of the Roosevelt
Memorial Association and contribu
tions may be made to the parish
chairmen or sent to state headquar
ters the Roosevelt Memorial Associa
tion, 408 Title Guarantee Building,
New Orleans.
None of the fund will be used for
campaign purposes, as this expense
has all been provided by close friends
of Colonel Roosevelt.
WHEN BULL MEETS FORD
After Encounter, Ford Rolls Over
and Keeps Right on Going
Just why a particular bull grazing
on a side hill in Santa Anna canyon
one day recently shquld entertain so
sincere a dislike for a black Ford
touring car is a mystery. He may
have had gastritis or a bad liver, or
he may have disliked all automobiles
or all Fords.
Anyway, when the Harris family
of San Pedro drove their Ford around
the base of that sidehill, Friend Bull
snorted, slapped his tail at a fly, miss
ed it, saw red, and for the want of
something better to do, decided to
engage the Ford in combat. There
wasn't much of a fight. After the
bull had turned the Ford upside down
in the road, he was much better sat
isfied with himself and strolled into
the shade of a nearby tree to view
his handiwork.
The members of the Harris family
had not been hurt seriously, so they
mobilized forces, rolled the Ford over
onto its wheels, cranked it and con
tinued their journey.
o
ing
of
be
AUTO FACTORIES PAY
$33,000,000 IN TAXES
In 1918 automobile manufacturers
paid a total of $33,000,000 in taxes
to the federal government. In the
same period car owners paid $50,
000,000 in motor registration fees
to the states.
Total automobile taxes, including
the personal property, local charges,
etc., for the year are estimated at
$155,000,000. The charges will reach
$200,000,000 in 1919. All of these
are paid by car owners in the last an
alysis, making a total charge of $25
per car for 1918.
Against this it should be noted that
out of a total of the 2,500,000 miles
of highways in the United States, but
some 6,250 miles are equal to the de
mands of heavy-duty traffic, and
this mielage is disconnected, scatter
ed and of no present use for through
inter-state traffic.
It certainly appears from this that
the needs of the car owner or motor
truck operator have not been consid-
ered in highway construction, al-
though the taxes amount to a sum
equal to more than half of the real
expenditures in the United States for
any single year.
-o-
ABNORMAL DEATH RATE
IN THE YEAR
1918
The rate of mortality the life in-
surance companies had to meet in
1918 was about 32 per cent greater
than in 1917 and 14 per cent greater
than the average death rate for a
score of years. This great advance
was due mainly to the influenza epi-
demic, the ravages by which continu-
ed during several months of the cur-
rent year. Thirty-eight life insurance
companies reporting to the- New York
insurance department were called up-
on to pay for death claims and ed-
dowments about $93,000,000 mere
than in 1917. The increase in death
losses paid by legal reserve companies
was approximately $123,000,000 in-
the United States and Canada—main-
ly due to the influenza, on lives un-
der age 50. To meet the exceptional
mortality the surplus funds of legal
reserve companies as they stood at
the end of 117 were depleted more
than $37,000,000. Normally the in-
crease of surplus should have been
about $40,000,000, indicating a di-
rect draft on surplus of about $77,-
000,000, owing to the abnormal mor-
tality. Fraternal orders having lim-
ited surpluses and small reserves suf-
fered very severely.
-o--
THE MOSAIC DISEASE
THREATENS SUGAR INDUSTRY
The Mosaic, or mottling, disease of
sugar cane ,which threatens to cause
considerable losses to the cane indus
try of Louisiana ,is most apparent on
the young leaves of the plants. The
leaves of the diseased plant, instead
of being dark green as are those on a
healthy plant ,are of a yellowish
green color. The leaves also have a
mottled appearance due to the pres
ence of white or light yellow stripes
of green tissue. Sometimes these
light-colored stripes are few in num
ber and large, but more frequently
they are small and narrow and so
abundant that the whole plant has a
light-yellow apeparance as compared
to health yplants.
"While our knowledge of the dis
ease is yet limited .there are several
recommendations which we can make
which we believe will help to check
the disease in the state, and possibly
in the end eradicate it or keep it in
control," says C. W. Edgerton, plant
pthologist, experiment station, Lou
isiana State University. The meas
ures for control recommended by Dr.
Edgerton are as follows:
1—If there is none of the disease
in a neighborhood,do notship in cane
from other localities for planting pur
poses. This disease seems to be
spread largely by shippingg in new
cane for seed purposes. As all varie
ties at the sugar experiment station
at Audobon Park are at present af
fectted, it is probable that no cane
shipments will be made to those sec
tions where the disease is not present.
2—If the disease occurs on one or
two small plots only on a plantation,
it is advisable to destroy this cane
immediately. On a number of plan
tations in the state small shipments
of diseased cane were received last
year, these in most cases planting
only a part of a row. If plants from
this seed are the only ones that show
the disease, it would be advisable to
destroy them. It would be well also
to observe the cane in the adjoining j
row r s and if any suspected plants are J
seen, these should be cut. It is not
necessary to burn the plants, merely
cutting them with a hoe is sufficient.
3 —On plantations where the dis
ease has been present for some time,
pick out portions of the field that
show none of the disease fo.r plant- ;
ing purposes. With only a few ex- 1
ceptions, on the plantations that have
been visited by an insepctor .portions
of some fields could be found that
did not show the disease. By all
means .these portions should be used
for seed purposes. If seed from in
fected fields is used it is only a mat
ter of a year or so until the disease !
will become general.
Circular No. 32, "Mosaic or Mot
tling Disease of Sugar Cane," has re
cently been issued ,and copies may
be had upon application to the ex-,
tension division, Louisiana State
University, Baton Rouge.
SURVEY SHOWS EXTENT
OF MOSAIC DISEASE
in
a
The survey of the sugar cane belt
of Louisiana just completed by the
United States department of agricul
ture furnishes valuable data on the
present distribution of the Mosaic
disease in the state. The disease is
not general as yet but seems to be
spreading to a considerable extent,
according to C. W. Edgerton .plant
pathologgist, experiment station, L.
S. U. The disease is most abundant
in the southeastern part of the sugar
belt, including the parishes of Plaque
mines,, Orleans, Jefferson and port
ions of the adjoining parishes. Xhere
are also some rather large infected
areas around Donaldsonville, Plaque
mine, Addis, Burtville, Reserve and
a few other points. In the re6t of the
state there are only small isolated
patches in the neighborhod of recent
ly introduced cane. In most parts
of the state, there are as yet many
fields entirely free of the disease.
As the disease is carried over from
one crop to the next, in the seed, it
is important that the planters Should
endeavor by all means to obtain dis
ease-free seed from these healthy
fields. As the disease seems to be
seriously affecting the D-74 cane, an
earnest effort should be made to keep
it under control if we wish to keep
this valuable cane from deteriorat
ing. A circular on the control of this
disease has recently been published
by the extension division. A copy is
being sent to each name in the direc
tory of cane growers but additional
copies may be obtained by applying
to the experiment station, Louisiana
State University, Baton Rouge.
MEMORIAM
IN
—
SAMUEL JROSARIO GARBO
Bom in Cefalu, Province of Pal
ermo, Italy, July 22, 1885. Died in
Opelousas October 17, 1918.
Young Gkrbo came to this coun
try with his parents in 1891, living
in Evergreen, La., until about fifteen
years of age, when he moved with
the family to this town. He received
a comon school education in Ever
green, and at the time of his untime
ly death was the proprietor of the
Hotel LaCombe Cafe, where he is
pleasantly remembered by a large
circle of friends and the traveling
public.
About seven years ago he was
married to Miss Cecilia Jenaro of
New Iberia ,who survives him, with
one child, Josephine, aged four years.
He leaves besides his father, a sub
stantial citizen and Main street mer
chant, a mother, three sisters and
four brothers, all residents of this
town except Madame Lannasa of
New Orleans.
Sam, in his genial nature, reflected
the sunny skies of his native Italy
and of his adopted state. Sober, in
dustrious, generous, his untimely
reinoval from our midst leaves a dis
tinct void.
"Poor heart, he slumbers in his silent
tomb,
Let him possess in peace that narrow
room."
FOR SALE
Detroit Automatic Scale, practi
cally new and one 120 gallon capa
city Bowser Automatic Oil Tank, lulf
gallon stroke. If you want a real
bargain, see
THE STAR-PROGRESS.
©ct4-tf
A PLAIN
STATEMENT
GOOD clothes were never so scarce as today.
' Reliable woolens are too scarce. Skilled tailors
#
too few. Production is far behind demand—will
be for months to come.
In such a situation, is it likely that every clothes
maker and every clothier will be "fussy" on thé
subject of quality? When they can sell their
product about as they please and still find a
ready market for it, is it likely?
Perhaps you have never before looked into the
source of your clothes; never before thought it
% *
necessary. Well, today it is the most necessary
step in buying a suit of clothes. Is the fabric all
wool? Is the garment carefully tailored? Is the
%
price honestly and justly marked?
Because of our unusual buying facilities through
our New York office, we are able to offer a selec
tion of Suits and Overcoats at $25.00 to $45.00.
Among them are represented the new style cre
ations from the famous Kirschbaum shops.
Our stock will not be complete for a few weeks,
but you can rely upon the merchandise we are
showing for originality in style, thoroughness
in tailoring, accuracy in fit and a full money's
worth.
THE:
BENNETT STORES
-INCORPORATED
"The Name is the Guarantee."