The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-06-22
Farming In Geo e.

IHt luluSltlAl cDmnlh5l'u At W h0h-
ington on Monday, began the exami'
nation Of agricultural witnesses from
the southern states, the first witness
being Mr. james Barrett, Of Augusta,
Ga. general vice president OF the
State Agricultural Society.
Mr.. Barrett. the witness today, test
titled especially concerning the condi-
tions in Georgia He said that agri-
cultural conditions in the south are
now worse than they have ever been
There is natural increase OF agrl-
cultural labOrers in the South, but
there is no immigration there. I'm
migration is prevented by the low rate
of wages paid Negro labor Is very
generally confined TO the farm, and in
the south there is disposition TO ex-
clude negroes from mechanical pursuits
These labors hired by the months,
are paid 81 a month and his house and
keeps When cotton picking comes
no il paid from thirty TO forty cents a
hundred for cotton picked and the ne
gro will pick from 100 20 70 pounds a
day. Labor at three dollars a month
Will allow the raising Of cotton at four
cents pound, which is now the price
in the market, but labor at - \ month
will not permit the industry except at
loss The country stores charge the
credit customers a profit Of % or 100
per cent on what they sell, credit US
ually being for not moro than four
months. TIE poor cotton raiser has 10
pay per cent on money he b0rrows,
and promises 10 send his ten bales Of
cotton 10 the lender to be sold and TO
pay a commission ~ $50. If he Is
prevented from raising ten bales he
has to pay the commission anyway
NATIONAL BANK Law THE CAUSE
The great trouble in the south, he
said. was from the fact that the nat.
ioual bank act prevented those banks
lending money on real estate security.
This 'outlawing Of the land az secur-
ity he believed to be the reason why
money cannot DO gotten cheaply in the
south.
The national bank law. he said.
has done more to inJure the agrlcult-
wrists in the south than any legislation
enacted by the government.
Nine-tenths Of the cotton crop Is
mortgaged before it is picked. and that
fact makes in necessary to sell the cot
ton when picked and depresses its
price
The cotton mills If Georgia are be-
ing operated almost exclusively by
southern people The operatives are
native whites, and even the superin.
tendents who went south when the
mills were established. are being dis.
placed by southerners
The witness said railroad r ties are
Ligh IN Georgia.
POLITICS ~ PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
His own town of Augusta. Ga. was
rated by the last census as the most H.
literate city Of the country. The trou-
BILE with the public schools was that
there was too much politics in them.
The same facilities are given 10 both
white and colored children for educa-
ton. Agriculture conditions in Georgia
would be improved If the national bank
law would allow real estate security for
loans by such banks and also through
the government ownership Of railroads
The witness had diversified his crop
Formerly he raised POO bales Of cotton,
now he raises but ten or twelve bales,
the balance Of the land he cultiyates
being in truck gardening, but he had
made no money by It, At one time all
about his section Of the State water
melons were raised Now, practically.
no watermelons are planted, for the
reason that high railroad rates prevent
ed them from getting the crop to the
northern markets.
HIGH RATES OF INTEREST.
They had but two banks in his coun.
ty, and they charge ten per cent for
loan Of three months That amounted
to forty per cent and before they had
two banks they paid about Gay per
cent per annum.