The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-10-19
SCARCITY OF LABOR.
Much Trouble Is Experienced in
Gathering the Cotton Crop.

0aLucIlHS- Inc COItCn CCOC.
The fact that the negroes are lear.
ing tie farms year after year in
greater numbers TO seek more profit
able and easier employment, or to get
into the towns where they can leaf
and live as well as when they worked
hard all day, is aggravated just now
by the fact that the long continued
dry weather is causing cotton to open
with unprecedented rapidity. The
scarcity OF labor was perhaps never 50
intensely ard painfully felt than it
is today, according to reports which
reach here from various parts OF the
low country as well as from the red
hills of the Piedmont section of the
State. Cotton pickers are getting
about the best pay they have enjoyed
since the negroes were emanci pated.
The Charleston PUst says:
Railroad Commissioner B. L. Caugh-
man, who has had varied experience
as practical farmer and who has 1e-
Gently observed conditions ia trips to
various parts OF the State State, said:
There is no doubt but that the
dry weather is causing the cotton to
open with great rapidity, and there is
also no doubt about the wisdom OF
having it gathered without delay, foI
two good reasons: II the cotton is
allowed to remain in the field if it
does not fall out of its own weight it
loses heavily by the oil drying out,
and what's Of greater importance,
there is always the grave danger OF
o-e of these fall gales coming along
and blowing it out Of the bolls on to
the ground where it becomes stained
Or is lost altogether by careless picker0
to gather II. A gale like
the une that started up here few
days ago would have resulted in loss
Of over $50, 1000 to South Carolina cot.
ton farmers had it kept up a day or
50, as is generally its custom.
Il don't know what's gotten into
the negroes lately. They are leaving
the farms rapid =, coming to town or
going to what they call public works.
But those who rem in on the farm
Ire more triding than negroes ever
we're before. Since the establishment
II rural free delivery the negro farm
srs are getting their newspapers more
general IN some sections than the
white farmers are getting theirs.
The prevailing price for cotton
picking is so per cent. higher today
than it was last year or in several
years. The standard price Of 40 cents
a hundred has been advanced to as
Ind IS cents, and I understand th50
q some sections Of t:le low-country at
nigh as 81 a hundred Is being paid.
Near the cities that is causing the
nen and women servants, particular
y tie cooks, to desert the households
md go to the fields.
Another thing that is hurTying
he farmers to get their cotton picked
S that they nave been frightened into
;he belief that the price will 60 down
from 10 cents to and maybe 8 cents.
But so far as labor conditions are con.
,erned the high price increases the
jrouble. For this reason: When as.
'ured that the price will probably be
10 cents or more the country mer-
chant will cheerfully stake the negro
,ropper or renter, whereas when the
price is low the merchant requires
5he white farmer to stand for the
renter OF cropper.
But this heavier price for cotton
picking is not resulting in any more
cotton being picked, as sad as that
fact is. 1t IS the negro's nature to
work only for an immediate living,
and the more pay he gets the less
work he is going to do. There were
four negro excursions into Columbia
there last week in as many days. This
brought several thousand negroes
there, many Of whom would other
wise have been in the field. Thirty
to forty more bales OF cotton would
have been picked but for those excur-
siors."