The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-16
How Souti, Carolina is Procuring Farm
 laborers


 Laborers
 By T. J. Key in Southern Agriculturist. One man and horse can cultivate ana
 bring to maturity more cotton than
 three laborers can pick from the bolis-
 Therefore growing the plant IS com
 paratively an easy work but extract
 ing the lint from the boil is the most
 important question to be taken into account when the labor question is nn- der consideration. The negro has been the best cotton picker that the south has had, but he is becoming dissatisfied with farm life and is going to rail- ways, shops and cities for what he considers an easier life. tHe has ceased
 to be reliable and when the fields are white with cotton, he will abandon the fields and seek other employment or idle away his time where political ex- citement is kept in the air by ofnce-
 seekers. What does he care if cotton
 Is 10 to 12 cents per pound and the
 fields white with its abundance, If he can obtain a piece of bread and meat.
 and sit around discussing national po-
 litical issues There are thousands Of
 exceptions among the colored people.
 and those that have remained on the
 farms are in d much more prosperous
 condition than the young ones.
 Will laborers continue to become less industrious and reliable? If so.
 to what extent will the cotton be re-
 duced in acreage? The growth of the populations of the world demands about one additional million bales of cotton per annum to eIothe the people.
 The demand is increasing. but facili- ties for production are decreasing
 This will, of necessity. bring the price of cotton, within the next decade, to IS to 20 cents per pound. There IS not a human living who does not use cotton as parts of his clothing. There fore 1t is not the South alone that is interested in the production, but all peoples and nations.
 The Immigration Commissioner of
 South Carolina looking at the vast pos
 abilities of his State, seeing only one
 way to utilize it. has gone to the East
 ern continent to procure laborers who
 will live upon the farms and cultivate them to their possibilities. The land owners who were paying taxes on idle farms for want of laborers, combined and placed in the hands of the lmmi- grafton Commj jssioner, who went to Norway and Sweden and sold lands
 to one thousand white men to come to
 South Carolina. He sold 5O,000 acres
 in Howy county, S. C., which is now
 being settled by the immigrants. The
 Swedes will enter upon general truck and farm cultivation. until they can
 be taught the cultivationorEbkwylo be taught the culture and picking of
 cotton. One thousand people in one county will in two years completely revolutionize the industrial conditions of that section, doubling the products. | enhancing the price of lands, introduc- ing new enterprises which will make that county like hive of working l bees. These white immigrants will crowd out the colored people and thus the idier will be forced to move to other parts. If the negro will not work he is destined to be supplanted by the
 white race that will gladly work, and do his part to make the earth pros- porous.
 Down in Texas, Dr. Krapp, of Louis
 lana, has brought from Japan a num-
 Der of Japanese to engage in the cul- ture of rice. / They have givep entire satisfaction as laborers. as well be- haved people, and are adapting them selves to the habits of Americans. The Japs are noted for their industry. un- seIflshness and temperate habits. They have cultivated rice from childhood. but they can be made as successful in cotton culture as rice. If the colored people abandon the cotton fields the
 Swedes and Japanese are destinei to fill their places
 Cotton must be had more abundant ly. and if the present laborers will not
 meet the conditions, then other labor
 CTS will he procured, us the world must be clothed from the cotton fields
 of the South This is the situation that presents itself to the American people. What will they do to face the conditions?