The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-08-10

other crops.
IMMIGRATION ATTRACTED TO
SOUTHWEST.
One Of the results of the satisfactory
developments in the Gulf region. ac-
cording to the Departments reports,
ton toward the Southwest. The rail-
roads there have been very active in
inducing immigration from other
States in the Union, and from other
countries. The comparative cheapness
of the rice lands has appealed to the
newcomers, and they have taken up the
growing of the cereal. The thing has
been rather overdone in the last two
years. There is no apparent danger of
any ultimate over-production of rice
in this country. since the home demand
largely exceeds the home grown sup
ply: but the increase in production has
been rather too rapid. and increased
consumption has not kept pace with
it. Pice-Growing was so easy and so
remarkably profitable at first that the
planters thought it unnecessary to give
much attention to the usual problems
which confront all who help to raise
the crops which feed the country.
They are waking up to the necessity Of
a little more care now, however, and
the Department expects good results.
Although con. umption has not been
increasing as rapidly as production. in
this country, it has nevertheless shown
material advances since the time when,
about five years ago. the Gulf rice belt
first attracted attention. At that time
the annual per capita consumption Of
rice in this country was only about
three pounds. Now the Department es-
Inmates it at over five, and it is pre-
dicted-unoficially, Of course-that the
Campaign of educa ton" set on foot
by the railroads of the Southwest and
other interests, will eventually carry it
to forty pounds. The establishment
known as the Rice Kitchen" which
attracted so much attention at the st.
Louis Fair last summer, was part Of
this propaganda. and one of the roads
has issued thousands of copies Of
''rice cook book" which has been trans
lated into several foreign Languages.
Japan has been especially interested in
the matter, and the Mikado's Govern
ment has sent number of colonists to
Texas, with the view of sending a
great many more if the first ones are
successful in their work. The Italian
Ambassador, on his recent trip through
Texas, paid particular attention to the
rice industry, and it is regarded as a
foregone conclusion that the hundreds
of his countrymen who are expected to
emigrate to the South as a result OF
the reports he will make to Lis Govern
ment, will devote as much of their
time to the raising Of rice as to any
other crop.
VALUE OF GULF REGIONS OUT.
PUT.
The value of the output of rice in the
Gulf region last year was approx
mately $12,OOO,OOO. That is to say, the
years crop brought that amount to the
planters for their trough" grain. The
cleaned grain, as sold to the consumers
of the country, brought more than
twice that.
This is one phase of the matter in
which the public at large is vitally in
terested. The price to the producer
and that paid by the consumer are OBJ
viously too far apart. The middlemen
are making too great a profit. The
idea of the Department Of Agricul'
lures agents, apparently, is that the
farmer does not get enough for his
grain and that the consumer pays too
much for it after it has passed through
the hands of the miller, the wholesale
dealer, the retailer, and the various
others who are now participating in
the profits. If means can be devised
whereby the cost of rice to the people
who eat it can be brought down to
what it ought to be, and still allow a
fair profit to everybody concerned,
there can be little doubt that consump-
ton will show an even more rapid rate
of increase than it has in the past
New York Evening Post.