' OURTH LIBERTY LOAN STARTS SEPTEMBER 28th—GET READY.
. _..
—
ewport Daily Indepen 1 nt.
VOLUME XVIII. NO. 128. NEWPORT, ARKANSAS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1918. PRICE FIVE CENTS
_mmmemmMBw M
■ALLIED FORCES
I IT ILL POINTS
■ HAIFA AND ACRE.
[ British Have Advanced More Than
Sixty Miles North of Jaffa Since
the Present Operations Were
CommiCnced.
ROUT OF TURKS CONTINUES.
(Associated Press Summary.)
In Palestine and Macedonia and
in France allied offensives are pro
gressing satisfactorily. On the Med
iterranean coast of Palestine British
s cavalry has occupied the ports of
Haifa and Acre, marking an ad
vance just norwi 01 jaua ui iuwc
than sixty miles since the present
operations were begun. The rout of
the Turks in the area west of the
Jordan river has compelled the Turks
east of the river to retreat, closely
pursued by allied forces.
In Central Macedonia the allies
are pressing their advantages won.
The Germans and Bulgarians are re
tiring on a hundred mile front. The
allies have reached the Vardar river
northeast of Monastir on a front of
more than ten miles, and the Ser
bians have already crossed the river
in pursuit of the Bulgarians.
On the west front Haig has taken
a new step in the investment of St.
Quentin, and is fighting toward the
northern outskirts of a German
stronghold from east of Vermand.
Activity on the French front is
confined to artillery duels.
In Palestine the number of Turks
taken prisoners will exceed largely
-the 25,000 already reported.
_
(By The Associated Press.)
London, Sept. 24.—Serbian troops
continue to cross the Vardar river
northeast of Monazia and are in con
tact with the Bulgarians, says to
I day’s official statement. The Bulga
rians are burning villages and stores
of material. The Serbians, however,
Lave captured great quantities of
n material around Prilep. The Ser
bians are on the Gradsko-Prilep road
to the northeast, while to the south
east they have reached the steep
enassif of the Drenska mountain
range.
ARKANSAS NATIONAL
GUARD TEAM WON TRO
PHY IN RIFLE SHOOT.
Special to Independent.
Little Rock, Sept. 24.—In the Na
tional Rifle Shoot at Camp Perry, 0.,
the Arkansas National Guard team
won the trophy in the National
Guard Division, with an aggregate
score of 2281 points out of a total of
3600.
fThe Arkansas Civilian Rifle team
scored' 2829 points out of 3600, there
by defeating all the National Guards
men.
Walter G. Brasher, of the Arkansas
Railroad Commission, led the Civil
ian team. The scores made by the
Civilian team are as follows: Wal
ter G. Brasher, 260; N. O. Baldwin,
Siloam Springs, 256; F. E. Wright,
Gurdon, 225; George Fogle, Jones
boro, 224; Ben Wofford, DeWitt,
219; Alfred Buercklen, Winthrop,
235; G. W. Roplogle, Little Rock,
218; J. G»»Evans, McRae, 201; O.
M. Nation, Lamar, 205; E. W. Mc
Gough, Warren, 236; F. M. Nichol
son, Marshall, 210; George Fleener,
Ozark, 160. Mike Cuing is captain.
The National Guard team is com
posed of men from the Fourth Reg
iment as follows: Major E. T. Teter
captain of the team; Major C. S
Jackson, Captain Frank E. Patrick
Captain James E. Anderson, Sergt
Elmer J. Powman, Sergt. H. Bansin
ger, Sergt. F. C. Martin, Sergt. E
F. Pace, Sergt. Thomas Cosby, R. D
Donnell,’ F. Royes, John R. Harrison
Robert Wallace, Cecil J. Biggs, J. E
Collins and W. F. Hauser.
GERMAN RAID -
ISJEPULSED
Enemy Barrage Had Been Thrown
Over Lines When American Ar
tillery Makes Interference.
(By The Associated Press.)
With the American Army in Lor
raine, Sept. 24.—American artillery
fire prevented a German raid from
materializing today after the enemy
barrage had been thrown over the
American lines. Isolated sectors
were subjected to a harassing bom
bardment this morning. The enemy
is still busy consolidating and or
ganizing their lines on the front of
the American right flank before St.
Mihiel. An attempted raid in the
Vosges sector was also repulsed.
ASKS THAT PRICE OF
COTTON BE FIXED AT NOT
LOWER THAN THIRTY-FIVE
Special to Independent.
L,ittle Rock, Sept. 24.—Secretary
of State Tom J. Terral has sent the
following letter to President Wilson:
“May I not suggest that the price
of cotton be fixed at a rate not low
er than thirty-five cents. I urge
this, Mr. President, because the cost
of production and marketing cotton
is extremely high, and I doubt if the
’ farmers could make any profit at a
rate lower than I have suggested.
“This year we have suffered from a
drouth that has almost ruined our
cotton crop, and I fear that if the
rate is fixed lower than thirty-five
cents it will mean a very serious loss
to the farmers of the south.”
Subscribe for the Independent.
The Light and Water
Question.
■a* ,r ' Tf -
■ * ■ - c
A special meeting of the City
Council was held last night to con
sider and pass upon the application
of the Arkansas Light and Power
Company for an increase in water j
and light rates to be charged the
citizens of Newport. H. C. Couch,1
the president of the company, and O.
P. Moss appeared on behalf of the
company, and Ira J. Mack was pres-'
ent for himself and other consumers, j
Quite a large numbef of citizens
were present, considering the short
notice had of the meeting.
The company presented for the first
time a written application for a
! change in its contract with the peo
! pie, basing its plea for a cancella
tion of the contract and for higher
rates on the ground of increased
cost of operation of the plants.
There was also presented to the peo
ple an audit of the books of the'com
pany as kept at its office in Pine
Bluff. It seepis that no audit or
check has been made of the books
here, nor of the operations of the
company here.
It will be remembered by our read
ers that in May, 1915, the company
purchased the electric light plant
from G. H. Hamel and associates.
Mr. Hamel had a franchise which was
to run for twenty years from Sep
, tember 7, 1912. On May 10, 1915, an
extension of this franchise to fifty
i years was secured and it was stipu
lated that the city should not have
j the right to change the rates as then
fixed, and which are the prenent rates,
I for a period of twenty years, or not
until the year 1935. The company
purchased the water plant from A.
N. Walker and associates in Febru
ary, 1917. It will thus be seen that
- -. ~ ~
the company entered Newport after
the present world war had started,
and its largest acquisition, the water
plant, was only eighteen months ago.
Mr. Couch presented the conten
tions of his company, based on the
audit of their Pine Bluff records,
and stated that if a raise in prices
was not granted that poor service
might be expected and fire losses an
ticipated. He said that there had
been an increase of 100 per cent in
the price of fuel and of 25 per cent in
the price of labor. He also stated
that the increase asked for by the
company would amount to only five
or six thousand dollars, but later
amended it by saying it might reach
,»,600. He was of the opinion that
the people would complain at first of
this added cost, but they would soon
get used to it and there should be no
objection raised to the proposed in
crease; that it would be better to
pay it than to have their property
destroyed by fire on account of lack
of water pressure.
On behalf of citizens and consum
ers it was urged that the following
items appearing in the audit furnish
ed by the company and for which
they asked credit as expenses, should
not be considered nor charged as
such, viz:
Discounts and allowances__$l,641.87
Amount paid for death of
Dodson _ 1,500.00
Attorney fee in connection with
Dodson claim - 500.00
General office expense- 1,635.98
5 per cent depreciation on
plants_■-9,341.08
These items total $14,618.93. The
item of discounts and allowances
does not cover bad accounts or dis
I The Season Signals
Fall Clothes
Cooler evenings and
shorter days are the
advance signals of
Autumn and general
reminders 'of Fall
Clothes.
Think well about
your clothes needs this
season. In order to
save materials vital to
the prosecution of the
war, buy quality
clothes which will
■ ■* V V
tnereoy enaDie you to
get along with less.
This is the inspiration
back of
Kuppenheimer
Clothes
I for Fall. It is express
ed in maintained quality stand
ards of fabric, tailoring and de
signing. The service and value
giving for which this store is
more strongly evident in our
Fall stocks than ever before.
We welcome you to inspect the
new Fall styles. Our Suits are
$20.00 and up
Copyright 1918 ~ *
s The House of Kupponheimer
Star Clothing Company
|j ADAM LOCKARD, Manager “THE APPAREL STORE FOR MEN.”
. Iji _ m ■■■■ _
IT"'. 1 ' - "" ..*^p—1 ■■■■ ■- .
. . - • 1
Casualty List
v
For the first time perhaps in a
number of weeks the names of Ark
ansas boys are not contained in the
daily casualty list, the lists in the
i possession of the Independent for
poblication on this date containing
'not a single soldier or sailor from
Arkansas. The number of casualties
on this date was 248.
count of county scrip as these items
are taken care of in another credit
in amount $457.25. That the people
should not be called upon to pay $2,
000 for the death of Mr. Dodson, nor
should the general office expense be
charged here for the people to pay as
there are charges made in addition to
this of $2,550.1)8 to cover superin
tendence and office expenses here
and also $420 for office rent here.
That the depreciation charge is not
in order for the reason that the com
pany asks credit elsewhere for $1,
992.77 for maintenance of their
plants, and this charge for main
tenance apparently does not cover
labor for maintenance but only for
material. If the plant is main
tained and this charge is made
and paid, then the people snouia not
be asked to pay a twentieth part of
the plant each year for depreciation.
In twenty years at this rate, and'
long before the expiration of the
present contract with the company,
the people would have bought and
aid for the plants twice, and the
company would still own them.
It is a matter of general knowl
edge that the present pipes of the
water company have been in use for
over thirty years, and according to
this depreciation charge they ceased
to exist years ago.
After taking out the above items
asked as credits, amounting to $14,
618.93, the statement furnished shows
that the company made a profit last
yea?1 in Newport of $11,325.78.
It has been suggested that a de
preciation charge of not to exceed
two per cent at the outside would be
sufficient, if any such charge is in
order, and this should be on the ac
tual valuation. It appears that the
company pays taxes on a valuation
of $44,340. According to this,
then their property is worth some
thing in the neighborhood of $90,000,
and a two per cent depreciation
would be $1,800, and would still
leave them a net profit for the year
of $9,525.78.
There was also read a letter from
j a stock broker in St. Louis, dated
September 20, 1918, offering stock
in the Arkansas Light & Power Com
pany for sale, and stating that he is
advised that the stock is earning
better that nine per cent at the pres
ent time.
It also appeared from .the state
ment, oral, made by Mr. Couch that
the company had made a contract to
deliver electric current to the town
of Tuckerman for an average price of
seven cents per kilowat. He also
stated that in carrying this to Tuck
1 erman there would be a loss of about
40 per cent, and it would thus cost
Tukerman about 11 cents per kilo
wat. The statement furnished by the
company shows that their cost of dis
tribution of current here m rsiewpori,
is .076 per cent; this added to 11
cents would make an outside cost of
current in Tuckerman of 12 cents,
while the charge made to consumers
here is 1214 cents.
It was shown by fiigures furnished
in the audit filed by the company
that the increase asked \ of 35 per
cent on water rates (exclusive of city
hydrant rentals), and approximately
25 per cent increase in light rates
(although the small consumer would
have to pay a 28 per cent increase),
would amount to approximately $13,
000 per year. If they had been re
ceiving these rates last year, then
their profits, after allowing a 2 per
cent depreciation charge, would have
been approximately $22,500.
I It was also called to the attention
of the council that this company had
within the last two years sold elec
tric current in Newport as low as
as 814 cents per killowat as a maxi
mum charge, and that after they had
purchased their competitor’s plant,
the rate was increased to 10 cents
and then to 1214 cents, and now it is
sought to charge 16 cents, a consid
erably higher rate than the people in
Tuckerman will have to pay for cur
rent from this plant.
^ It was urged that the company hac
DRAWING HEAD
10 S1J0EBII
Haig Has Gained the Advantage And
Is Pressing In On St. Quentin
From the West
(By The Associated Press.)
London, Sept. 24^— Field Marshal i
Haig reports the British are pressing
in on St. Quentin from the west with
the fighting being to the advantage
of the British. The attacking forces
are making progress in the region
east of Vermand. British positons
west of Cambrai and in the region
north of Moeuvres have improved.
In the Arras-Lens sector a German
attempt to drive the British from
new positions southeast of Gavrella
was repulsed.
(By The Associated Press.)
Paris, Sept. 24.—The war office
reports artillery was active last nightr j>
rm thp FVpnrh front helow St. Qlien
; action on the application, uu»
ferred it to a later date.
thought there will be another meet- ;>
ing tonight.
The Banner correspondent of the
Heber Springs Headlight says there
is a great deal of excitement there
over the discovery of manganese. It
is said the metal found there assay* '
from $40 to $80 a ton.
HUADALINE THEATR
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