The Savannah morning news., 1903-09-14
LABOR FoR THE CoTToN CRoP.

Il Oh AON 0hOGs
A dispatch from Memphis bewails the
lack of labor for the cotton harvest.
1t is stated that the stress of the labor
famine is felt throughout the entire
South, and is particularly severe in the
Mississippi valley. If the cotton crop
turns out to be large, says the dispatch,
it will be next to impossible to gather it
all, owing to the scarcity of labor and
the lateness of the opening of the sea-
son. THE cause of the scarcity of la
Dor is in the large increase in public
work and the rapid strides in manu-
featuring" it is explained.
We have previously commented on
the fact that a large amount of labor
has been drawn from the farms and
into the factories, and suggested that
if the South purposes to continue to
build cotton mills she must get from
some source an addition to her white
labor element. But il is with especial
reference to the future of cotton pro-
duction that we wish to speak in this
article. Mr.. d. A. Thompkins of Char
lotte estimates that not less than 10O,-
900 laborers have left the farms for
the factories in North Carolina. Be-
yond doubt the movement has been
along similar lines in Georgia, South
Carolina and Alabama, so that in the
aggregate the farm labor loss has been
very considerable. Nor has there been
a sufficient influx of new material to
take the places of those who have gone
to the mills. The effect is seen in the
stringent shortage of laborers for the
harvest season. F..
Meanwhile there is a strong demand
for raw cotton. The world is steadily
increasing its consumption of the sta
pie, and the present outlook is that
there is less danger of over production
during the next several years than has
been the case for great many years,
if ever before. But who is to grow
and harvest the cotton? A large pro-
portion of the native white labor, as
we have said, has been drawn into the
factories, and a large proportion of
colored labor has been drawn to the
turpentine forests, the lumber mills and
various works of construction.
1t seems to us that the situation pre-
sents a very promising prospect to the
white immigrant and the small farmer
generally. If we are correctly inform
ed, much of the great cotton crop of
Texas is produced by small farmers,
white immigrants who have gone into
the state and who are rapidly winning
their independence. These farmers do
not undertake TO till vast acreages, but
only to so much land as they can give
first-class attention; nor do they de-
vote all of their land to the one crop
of cotton. They make sure to raise
their provisions, cultivating cotton as
d money crop. With corn, oats, peas,
potatoes, etc, to pay the expenses of
the farm. the cotton is clear profit.
The small farmer has one or two or
three hired hands whom he retains the
year around. He does not employ
hands for three OF four months during
the busy season., and then leave them
to hustle for job during the balance
Of the year. With permanent help he
has fairly dependable help. And at
the harvest time the whole family as
sists in the fields, getting out the reIa-
lively small acreage of cotton cleanly
and promptly This system of small,
diversified farming is attractive and
profitable. This having been demon
strated in Texas, it could be employed
with equal success in Georgia and the
other cotton states.