The Savannah morning news., 1902-03-01
THE FARMERS CONFERENCE.
GEORGIA NEGRO AGRICULTURAL
ASSOCIATION ORGANIZED.


at the COnference-"DeaI" Jack
son, the First Bale Man, at the
Head of the New Organization.
The third annual session of the Negro
Farmers Conference of the Georgia
state Industrial College met yes
terday Meldrim auditorium, in which
the meeting was held, was tastefully
decorated with festoons of moss and
palmettos. 1t is estimated that more
than 1 1000 people were present, includ-
ing delegates from the adjoining ISL
ands and twenty-five counties, as far
southwark as Dougherty county.
President r. r. Wright welcomed the
delegates and in his speech, urged the
holding of farmers institutes through
out the state. Among the greatest
drawbacks and discouragements of
colored farmers, he said. is the lack OF
a working knowledge of the soil and a
proper encouragement.
The contract and tenantry systems
are the chief methods by which the
negroes of Georgia cultivate the land.
These systems should be carefully safe
guarded. Fully 80 per cent. of the negro
farm labor in Georgia may be reckoned
among the wage-workers or troopers
on farms. This class must be i'm
proved and rendered more ambitious
and intelligent before Georgia soil can
bring forth its adequate yield.
Colored farmers should set before
themselves the definite object of be-
coming owners of their own homes and
farms and good citizens of the land
Every negro farmer should certainly
own his own home. He should own
enough land for the needs of cultiva-
ton, pasturage and wood There is no
necessity of purchasing more land than
can we'll be used. 1t is well to put his
profits in the bank. A good bank ac-
count is very handy, and is the surest
sign of progress.
I'VE wish to call attention to the evils
of the habit of abandoning the farms
and following so-called public
work, said Prof. Wright
While we recognize the fact that there
is nothing wrong in the work itself and
beg leave TO state that we are rather
proud of the fact that nearly all the
crude labor used in the Naval stores
and saw mill industries, is that of the
negro, and that a few of these laborers
are saving some money, yet we cannot
shut our eyes to the evils that grow
out of this wandering habit of con-
stantly moving from pillar to post.
Frequently the men abandon their
homes, wives, and children and these
latter lose thereby not only the benefit
of school and church, but of evrything
like home life. Their camps and settle
ments are too generally the fruitful
cn x,f III
der, of immortality and shiftlessness;
from these hot-beds of vice the chain
gang and penitentary are mostly re-
plenished. We respectfully call the at
tention of the proprietors of this public
work of these evils. We urge upon the
ministers and teachers the duty of dis
couraging whatever in the life of these
laborers tends toward fostering the
nomadic and migratory disposition of
cur people; for there can be no doubt
that the people who engage even at
small wages in settled and steady work
are in the end better off for themselves
and county, "a rolling stone gathers
gathers on moss"
Many colored farmers who own farm
ing land. or who are engaged as ten
ants or choppers, are too apt to neglect
this work for little odd jobs by which
they secure a little cash and exc out
a miserable living, never getting ahead.
Such farms show by the houses, fences
and general appearance, the shiftless-
ness of the occupants. Nothing but
hard and steady work for six days in
the week in every twelve months in
the year can bring complete success
to farmer, AS far as possible he
should cultivate his own farm with his
own hands. When he harvests one crop
he should proceed to prepare for the
next. By the proper care of his stock
he can greatly reduce his guano bill
by using stable manure and other
homemade fertilizers. He saves
money by the proper care of his farm
Ing tools. fences and outhouses.
Among the greatest evils which af-
feet our people" said Prof. Wright,
us lack of definite aims
for some definite object; a fixed plan
and purpose to secure homes and to
make these homes fit dwelling places
for the rearing of a family. There can
be no substantial progress or happiness
without decent homes, and the owner
ship of these homes is the surest basis
for our moral uplift. These homes
should never be mortgaged except I'M
der the greatest distress. They should
be the center of an effort to raise hogs,
chickens, and such food-stuffs as will
keep the owner out of debt and enable
him to pay his taxes and educate his
children. 1t is needless to spe-
city the numerous ways in
which our people fritter away
their time, money and labor without
the securing of homes or the other
necessaries of life. No successful far
mer can spend every Saturday in the
city or allow his sons to loaf; nor can
he indulge in the luxury of the fine
clothes and fine buggies, often bought
on time. He must avoid law suits and
fuses"
"A full and honest days labor should
be our part of the contract which
makes IT incumbent upon our employer
70 pay, full and honest days wages.
Too often the charge of shiftlessness
lazlness and unreliability is fixed upon
the race because of so many Young
men parading the city's streets and
hanging around public places. This
IS a crying evil and must be abated.
insist upon it that your boys and girls
work at home while they are under
your control. If they are sent off to
school see that they return home in
vacation and work unless they have
suitable work elsewhere. Be careful
now you consent for your bows TO 90
North to work at summer resorts. etc
as rule these boys become of verv
little benefit to the race. Generally
speaking. the best boys are those that
reach maturity near their fathers
farms" .
Education should still be the watch
Word. Educate In books, in work, and
in morals. In fact, there is no true
education which does rot train tba
head, the hand and the heart. There ia
no OccupatioD in life Witch ,o,,,,. :. =