The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-10-18
PROBLEM UP TO LANDLORDS.
w. III. INGRAM SAYS THAT THEY
SHOULD LIMIT AREA PLANT
ED IN COTTON.
Only Chance Then, Thinks Sumter
Planter, is to Have Landowners
Act I'm Concert.

Of 1t directly engaged in making cot
ton, is by organizing the landlords
and prescribing the area Of cotton
that each tenant shall be permitted
to plant in cotton" said w. H. In
gram. wellknown farmer and
business man of Sumter. who was
among the visitors in Columbia Sat
urday, in speaking of the movement
throughout the South to secure
higher price for cotton. He has
had much experience in planting
cotton, and is one of the largest and
most successful planters in the
State.
Several years since" said Mr. In
gram, II got a letter from the ad-
ministrative head Of the Cotton
Growers Association Of Great Brit
ian in reply to one from me. written
with a view to interesting the cotton
factories Of that country in lands
over here. l think the gentleman's
name was Mcnamara. The paper on
which his letter was written had
printed upon it the names Of some
of the leading public men of Eng
land Of that day-dukes. earls
statemen and even members Of the
royal family. l mention this merely
to show the wide interest taken in
the subject Of his letter.
THE substance of that letter was
that the English people had spent Is
years Of time, and about $15O,0O0.-
600 to find out that there was only
cne country in the world where cot
ton could be made a profitable COM
mercial crop. and that favored Sec
ton was the Southern States Of the
United States Of America. England,
with her possessions girdling the
earth, is the only country which ever
disturbed us as possible competitor.
When England gives it up, the list
Is closed. Thus. geogra phically, the
cotton area is practically fixed. The
happy combination Of the darkey
and the mule existing and existable
IN the South alone. further assures a
practical monopoly
Some OF the very conditions that
establish this monopoly are elements
that create problems in deriving the
best results from this.
"The negro and the mule are by
no means unimportant equations in
the problem. We know that. unfor-
tunate1y. the value, or the price
rather, Of agricultural lands in the
South depend almost exclusively on
the price Of cotton. When cotton
sold around six and seven cents
lands We're worth about So to $40 an
acre, and with the increased price Of
cotton these lands are now bringing
I'VE to six times as much. Thus It
VIII be seen that 1t is to the interest
OF the owners Of the real estate of
the country to maintain the highest
price for the staple.
There are probably ten farmers
raising cotton to every single owner
OF the lands on which it is raised.
Ihese lands are rented out for so
much per acre without regard to the
character of crop to raised upon
them. seventy per cent Of the total
production Of cotton in the South
Is raised by tenant farmers. these
tenant farmers being for the most
part negroes. They have not the
same interest in maintaining values
OF real estate they have not the
same broad outlook as the propria-
tors of the land naturally have. and
while living cheaply and bountifu,ly
III comparison with like class in
other countries, they live at the sama
time without any anxious Thoughts
or the future. In the case OF those
owning the lands the reverse is true
They are the owners of that which
Is practically the great wealth Of
the country, its agricultural lands.
Their lives and their fortunes are
Mound up in this. and the enhance
ment OF these lands are their first
consideration. The landlords all
Know. or ought to know, that cotton
raised on these lands ona ,,;
the market at 20 cents means that
the price and value OF the lands are
|correspondingly advanced. The Der
cehtage that the landlords bear TO
those engaged In active farming nm.
OH 'heir lands Is probably not ex-
cceding 10 per cent.
The owners OF the lands are. and
ought to be, tho more intelligent and