The times., 1899-06-21
GEORGIA PLANTERS
ARE GROWING POORER
Testimony Before the Indus
trial Commission.
The Negro Has Degenerated Since
He Was Made Free.
The Southern Farmer Has Not Been
Swept Away by the Wave
of Prosperity.

The condition of the Georgia agricultur-
ist was again the subject OF discussion
yesterday by the Industrial Commission.
extensive planters, and the latter also a
merchant of that State, gave testimony.
The testimony of both witnesses showed
that all classes were growing poorer the
population was increasing, and the prob
lem of earning livelihood was getting to
be more serious one each year. The
remedies suggested embraced educational
advantages in the industrial line; the dis
continuance of the raising of so much cot
ton, and the cultivation of diversified
crops, which would make the farmer prac-
tically self-supporting; cheaper railroad
rates, and banking laws that permit loans
to be made on real estate. The establish
ment of manufactures in the South for
the utilization of the cotton crop into
fabric before it is shipped would be a
means of relieving the situation to a great
extent. This would leave $40, 900. 600 in
that section OF the country each year for
the cotton crop, instead of $25, 900, ,000 as
at present, suggested Mr.. Brown, the first
witness.
Mr.. Brown is President of the Agrieul-
tural Society of Georgia, and is the owner
ana operator OF very large plantation
which he runs by negro labor The race
question was discussed at length by him
HIS conclusions on this subject were that
the negro was degenerating since he OBJ
tanned his freedom, and to his shiftlessness
was due much of the hard times The
State needed colonization by whites. He
cited the Fitzgerald colony as showing
that white settlements were success in
Georgia No negro is allowed to own land
in this colony, and the condition of its
members is very prosperous Mr.. Brown
had no suggestion as to where the negro
should be sent, but was positive in the
belief that he should not be allowed to
remain where he was.
There are more people," said the wit
ness, following the plow barefooted
bare backed, and hungry today than at
any time since the Civil War. The land
owners are in more precarious condi-
ton than is generally supposed The busi-
ness depression of the last four years has
forced many TO give up their lands One
man remarked to me recently that he was
having all he could do to pay the interest
on the mortgage on his land Many people
whom we have considered prosperous are
IN unsound financial condition, and in dan
ger of being forced into bankruptcy. As a
general thing, the farmer who owns a
small tract of land and does his own
work, living upon the products which he
raises, is the most prosperous, although
even he has the barest necessities"
p. H. Lovejoy, merchant and planter
of Hawkinsville Ca, took the stand at the
afternoon session. Mr.. Lovejoy's opening
statement was that the farmers in the cot
ton States were not prosperous. Their
condition had been growing worse for the
last five or six years In his opinion the
laborer who got S. or Sc a month was bet
ter OF than the planter. In the merchan-
disc business he said he made loans to
farmers on their land, II they had any.
and if not on their crop. I'VE size a man
up" he continued "and if he is good we
sell to him cheap, and if he is dis
reputable character in business, We get all
he has got and let him co.
1t was necessary to have at least 1-2
cents pound for cotton in order to make
any money in growing it. The trouble
was that the Southern planters did not
know how to work any other crop and
kept on raising cotton because they had
to do something and knew nothing else.
The fact that Liverpool fixed the price of
cotton, and that the price remained about
the same the year round would seem to
show that there was "a cat in the meal"
somewhere.
Mr.. Harris asked the witness what mar
gin of profit he endeavored to make in his
mercantile business. Mr. Lovejoy said
they sold a good man goods at 10 per cent
profit, and a poor man % per cent. I'VE
have to take all the risk of a mans max
ing a crop. The customers who asked for
credit were informed of these facts. Mer-
chants in the South had been doing a time
business for a great many years, and it
was taking all the profits of previous good
years to carry the farmers during the past
few years. This year, however, less sup
plies in the way of corn and wheat had
been shipped in from the West on account
of the home production. The colored nan
never figures for tomorrow, but simply
takes what is in sight.
The farmers cannot borrow money on
their land from the banks and conse-
quently they get carried by the merchant
The merchant borrows from the local
banks, who, in turn, get their money from
New York.
The witness saw no remedy for the con-
dition unless the farmers changed their
method of planting. Ten bushels of corn
was all that would grow to the acre. About
the same amount of wheat could be grown.
The grass, which the farmer works hard
to KILL would be worth more now as hay
than the cotton crop.
Cotton seed was the best fertilizer but
the negro now sold his seed to oil makers
and spent the money for liquor and some
necessities, consequently the land did not
get fertilized.
The public schools were good, said the
witness. The best teachers We're EN-
ployed The farmer boy did not remain
on the farm if he can get off.
About 25 per cent of the farm labor was
Nyb hur W M
better laborers than the cOlored. They
| were generally not fit for farmers. There
was very little farming machinery used.
| Grain is cut with the cradle. and it was
brought out that this way of cutting the
| grain was cheaper than in the large grain
ranges in the West, where the work is
done by machinery.
The watermelon industry was killed by
the railroads. Il never could understand" :"
said Mr.. Lovejoy, why it costs twice as
much to ship barrel of potatoes from
| our country TO New York as il does to
| ship the same freight from New York to
our country" The railroad question was
one that needed adjustment, according to
the witness.
| Franklin Dye and ]. o. Magee will tes-
| tify today regarding agricultural condi-
tions in New Jersey.
| Caroline Frazier Appointed Cook.
| Caroline Frazier was yesterday appoint
| ed cook at the Washington Asylum, to
serve from June Is last, at an annual