The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1906-02-09

Lower ITlceSs anu al
Market.
No one would ever think OF asking
me what think of the Rate Regula-
lion Bill now before the National
Congress, for the reason, suppose
that no one thinks am a politician |
A great many people however, think
that. as am a miller | ought to be able
to fortell a good deal about rice, so
will proceed to air my views on THIS
subject. People do not have to come
to my office to hear me talk, and 10
these that do not come because they
find it more interesting to stay away,
| wish to apologize for offering this
for publication.
Observing the preparations now 60
ing on in the rice belt forthis season
crop, | notice with much dlsappolnt-
ment that many farmers are looking
to the Rice Mills for advances OF
money and supplies with which to
make and harvest their crop. | had
up to the present supposed that other
institutions would have the carrying
of the farmers to look after this sea-
son. | could not, and cannot now,
realize that our farmers are so ready
and willing to throw away the lesson
that they so dearly bought by toll
milling in 1903 and 1904. 1t does not
seem possible to me, that any farmer
can plead ignorance, as the cause OF
his going back to the mills for adj
vanceS because, if per chance there is
a new farmer among us, 1t is certain
that his ueighbOr who was here be-
fore him has told him Of the calamit-
Gus results of toll milling as it has
been carried out in large majority OF
cases in the last few years. | was
surprised few days ago, when N
conversation with a farmer, to hear
him make the remark, that, lit was VI
to the mills to stop toll milling. y
This version of it seems to be the gen
eral impression among good many
of the farmers especially those who dc
not have to get advances in order t(
be able to meet their summer eXpen
ses. The fact of this matter is tina
many of the farmers, who are in thu
habit Of getting advances, go to tn
mills for them and in many instance
are very anxious to secure them iron
this source. One Of the principal rea
sons for this, think, is that whel
they 90 to the mill they do not hav
to give any security for the loan 9th
er than mortgage on the POSSIBL
CROP, whereas, if they 90 to ban
or private individual for the same
1 thew have to furnish security in som
way, which in many cases is some
what difficult. In this respect | ma
/ add that a good many farmers VIII
: are well able to get money throug
!. other channels prefer to 90 to tf
/ mills, Or appear to me to have thu
+ preference. There are men today d.
ploring their poor fortune of the la
4 few years and blaming it all on til
A Rice Mill that handled their crop
B who are confidently expecting to S
Il cure from some mill THIS YEAR Il
81 whcrewithall to raise another crop.
3 | predict that if by April 18th,
q this year there are Ten thousand Do
n lars of loans recorded by mills
n farmers in Calcasieu Parish tn
B seventy-fve percent OF THE ENTII
q CROP will be handled on toll. The
n is a definite reason for this and
& must be plain to any one, especl al
n rice farmers, who have observed
n any measure the methods OF handliI
W rice for the last five years. The rea
U on is that with any considerable pc
"a ton of the crop handled on toll,
: mill can do a mercantile bushes
except on the most conservative sea
~ That is selling today and buying
-. morrow to cover the sale, as rice b
- no definite value whatever WI
~ handled on toll and no man can
We ford to put more than one fourth
n one third of it's price in it, uni
he has it in such a icOndition that
can collect any loss that may
~ crue, from the man who RAJ
nd il. as is the case with toll MILL