The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1911-06-02
PRES. BARRETT SPEAKS PLAIN
Issues Warning to Farmers and BANK
ers Against Entering Wedge
of Foreign Ownership.

by effort to avoid the note OF the
alarmist or the sensattonalist
But the time is come to speak
plainly regarding matter that IS oi
the first Importance not only to the
farmers of the south, but as well 10
the business and the people OF the
south generally.
It has not escaped the attention OF
the more thoughtful that an Ensi'sh
syndicate recently acquired a largo
ACREAGE of fine cotton lands in one III
the central southern states.
The tacit purpose Is to produce
cotton on these lands for Engiln
spinners, thus avoiding dependence
upon the southern cotton farmer.
II this were just one instasce' IL
need not occasion concern.
But 1t has come to my attention
that similar negotiations are on 1901
in other portions of the cotton belt
What Is more significant, | am
also informed that foreign spinners
generally are contemplating the ad'
visibility of buying large tracts IN
the southern states, and produce
their own staple.
OF course, in each one OF th'se
cases the most scientific methods
will be employed, as much cotton Will
be raised to the acre as the specialist
can extort. rotation and fertilization
will be used to retain the richness
Of the soil, and the latest improved
farm machinery will be on the pro-
gram.
We cannot censure foreign spinners
for projecting this movement. It IS
simply a business proposition with
them.
1t should also be business propo'
sition with the south to take cog
nizance of movement that laay
throw the balance of power In our so
called monopoly" Of cotton into the
hands of foreigners.
And such is the inevitable conclu.
sion of the policy under debate by
English and continental spinners.
The meaning Of such a development
is plain.
Hundreds upon thousands Of south,
ern farmers would be compelled to
compete upon the open market with
a product raised by the buyers upon
our own soil and by the most i'm
proved methods.
The demand for native-grown cot.
ton would dwindle as these foreign.
owned farms came into their full
productiyeness.
Prices might. probably would, be
controlled by mill interests as abso-
lutely as they used to be controlled
by cotton exchange operators before
the days of the Farmers union.
The penalty would not be confined
to the farmer.
1t would be visited in greater or
less degree upon every business in
the southern states, since southern
business and cotton are. as yet. IL
separable financial factors.
The stream of gold now coming
into the south each year from
Europe would be lessened. Cote !,
which is now zone Of the country's
| greatest relianees for preserving The
international bkiance On the righ
side. would lose much Of Its vitalit,
in that direction.
am speaking temporarily, because
this menace is yet no larger than
mans hand. We can avert it. ant
we must go about the task withou
delay.
Conditions under general invasion
of foreign land.buyers would be disas
/ trous. The absentee landlordism tina
is making life such a struggle Il
England, and more Of a struggle Il
Ireland. might be reproduced on
proportionate scale in this country
The one way is for southern farm
ers to acquire their own acres ant
what is of equal importance. to US
upon them the most scientific Of Gu
tural methods. It is case Of fgh
Ing the devil with fire.
We may as we'll face the truth no.
az later. And the truth Is that co
ton-growing In the south will NJ
reach q genuine business basis unit
every farmer makes every acre r,
turn its maximum. until he reduce
the cost Of production to a minimum
and raises his own food product
You may ask how this is to be don
when hundreds Of thousands Of farm
ers do not own their own farms, {
are under obligations to landlords.
/ We can, flrst. help ourselves. W
can do that by sacrificing. pinchin
and scraping. until all Of US get o,
Of debt and accumulate enough
make first payments upon farms.
We can. next. reinforce this poll,
by utilizing scientific methods. ar
all the help we can get from IL
, Farmers union lecturers and COVER
; ment agents and state and feder
agricultural departments and expel
} ment stations. Hand in hand with tn
should go scientific marketing al
distribution under cooperative a
spices.
In this battle with : problem tn
} Is going to grow in a geometric
! ratio, the aid of the southern busine
man is needed.
The banker, the merchant and Il
capitalist will find 1t to his ultima
interest to cooperate to the end
enabling the farmer to own his ov
acres, and further, to take scienti
a A. -