Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-19
Gin AGRICULTURE
Testimony Before the Industrial Com
mission Today.
WORST THAT Was EVER KNOWN
National Bank Law and High
Railroad Rate the Cause,
D ECL1NE IN COTTON

1 l. l. ~
| The Industrial commission began today
the examination of agricultural witnesses
from the southern states, the first witness
being Mr.. James Barrett OF Augusta, Ga,
| general vice president Of the State Agrf-
| cultural Society.
| The commission at the close of the testi-
mony to be taken during the coming week
| will discontinue its investigations in the
| city and the subcommlssions, with the ex-
| ception of that on transportation. will pur-
| sue independent Investigations These sub
| commissions are on agriculture, on manu-
| featuring and on mining, and their mem
| bers will travel in such parts Of the coun-
| try as they desire in order to get informa-
| ton they wish.
Senator Tillman. who was invited to tes-
| tify before the commission tomorrow, has
written that he cannot be present then,
| and he has been asked to name some other
day on which he can appear.
Worse Than They Have Ever Been.
Mr.. Barrett, tie witness today, testified
especially concerning the conditions in
Georgia. He said that agricultural cOndi-
tions in the south are now worse than they
have ever been.
There is a natural increase of agricultural
laborers in the SOUTH but there is no immi-
grafton there. immigration is prevented by
the low rate of wages paid Negro labor
is very generally confined to the farm, and
in the south there is a disposition 10 eX-
clude negroes from the mechanical pursuits.
These laboTers, hired by the month, are
paid 81 month and his house and keep"
When cotton picking time comes he is paid
from thirty to forty cents hundred for
cotton picked, and the negro will pick from
100 to 125 pounds a day. Labor at s. a
month will allow the raising of cotton at
four cents pound, which is now the price
lN,,rl af. n mill
not permit the industry except at a loss.
The country stores charge the credit Gus
toners profit of 30 or 100 per cent on
what they sell. credit usually being for not
more than four months. The poor cotton
raiser has to pay per cent on money he
borrows, and promises to send his ten bales
of cotton to the lender TO be sold and to
pay a commission of $50 If he is pre-
vented from raising ten bales he has 10
pay the commission anyway.
National Bank Law the Cause.
The great trouble in the south. he said,
was from the fact that the national bank
act prevented those banks lending money
on real estate security. This ''outlawing
Of the land a security he believed to
be the reason why money cannot be got
ten cheaply in the south.
The national bank law he said, has
done more to injure the agriculturists in
the south than any legislation enacted by
the government"
Nlne-lenlnS Oh the COllou crop - ihOiN-
gagged before it is picked, and that fact
makes it necessary to sell the cotton when
picked and that depresses its price.
The cotton mills of Georgia are being OPP
Grated almost exclusively by southern peo-
pie. The operatives are native whites, and
even the superintendent, who went south
when the mills were established, are being
displaced by southerners.
The witness said railroad rates are high
in Georgia.
Politics in Public schools.
His own town of Augusta, Ga, was rated
by the last census the most illiterate city
of the country. The trouble with the pub
lie schools was that there was too much
politics in them. The same facilities are
given to both white and colored children
for education. Agriculture conditions m
Georgia would be improved If the national
hank law would allow real estate security
for loans by such banks and also through
the government ownership OF railroads
Thu, witness had diversified his crop. For
merly he raised 200 bales OF cotton, now ne
raises but ten or twelve bales, the balance
of the land he cultivates being in truck
gardening but he had made no money by
r. At one time all about his section or the
state watarmelons were raised. NOW, pfac-
tically no watermelons are planted, Tor the
reason that high railroad rates prevented
them from getting the crop to the northern
markets.
High Rates of Interest.
They had but two banks in his county,
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 fifty per cent per annum.