The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1909-02-11
The Other SIDE
OF The QUESTION.
OIJR HARPERS CORRESPONDENT THINKS
REPEAL OF Lien Law WOULD NOT
HELP LABOR CONDITIONS.

Harpers, February ST. note from
the papers that the lien law of South
Carolina is nearly killed by our law
makers now IN session at the State
carital. In few words l Will express
nv views of the lien INV and | be
lieve that part of the readers of
your paper will agree with nc. In
the first place, the repeal of the lien
law will not relieve the present labor
conditions, but will be to the reverse.
For several Years We will find it
harder to get labor. When the negro
finds that he cannot obtain lien
will he apply to the farmer for job:
No. he will leave the farm and go to
the public works of the county,
where he can get double the salary
that our farmers can afford to pay.
We have ore of the largest lumber
companies in the United States near
this place. This company pays from
81 25 to 50 per day for day labor.
Can you pay those wages on your
farm, Mr. Farmer,or doyou think the
negro will pillow for $40 or Si2 a
month when he can get the above
prices from this lumber company
that employs all the hands it can
get and then Is always short of Ia
Dor? Besides, the repeal of the lien
law will deprive hundreds of white
farmers of the means to hire labor to
work their farms. If the farmer has
not the money to cultivate his land
aud cannot obtain lien, suppose be
had all the labor necessary at his
command and could not secure the
necessary capital, how could be car
~ on his farm? The burden Of the
repeal of the lien law will fall heav-
ier on the landowner than any other
class. Our farmers will have to work
out their independence by energy
and thrift and just as soon as they
get to where they can live without
liens l assure you that our law-mak-
ers will not have to enact laws to
stop them from giving liens. l want
to be fully understood. l am not
opposed to the repeal of the lien law,
but ! don't believe it will bring the
relief expected. The public works
are responsible for the high price of
labor and the. New York Cotton Ex-
change for the low price of cotton,
Our farmers must plant less and fer
tilize higher; cultivate the land them.
selves with the least hired labor pos
sible, to ever succeed. Double our
provision crop and cut the cotton
crop to one-half. Raise plenty of
steck-horses, mules, cattle. sheep,
hogs and gosts-and leave cotton for
the last and least planted.
The farmers of our town are still
buying lots of young mules and you
can see the work of two-horse plows
on nearly every farm. Our farmers
are doing lot of deep ploving dur
ing this dry weather, which is step
towards success In cultivating our
low country.
Mr. L A Rogerson of our town has
bought pair of young mules which
represents $3.50 to $500. Our farm
ers had better raise their own stock.
1t will soon put them where they can
be independent of the lien law.
Mr. Glennie Camlin, of the Kings
tree High school, was called home
last week to the bedside of his mo-
ther, Mrs w s Camlin, Jr. Mrs
Camlin has been quite sick for the
past four weeks, but We are glad to
report her much improved at this
writing. She is now visiting her
daughter, Mrs Eula King, at Rose.
mary.
The general health of our town is
good and DR. Bigham says business
is dull in our healthy little town on
the G & W railroad.
Respectful)y.