Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-03-12
BIC FOOD CROP AND
MODERATE COTTON
URGED BY BARRETT
National President Says Don't
Slaughter Prosperity With
Bumper Cotton Acreage, but
Use Land for Other Purposes
Especial Dispatch to The Journal)

Especial Dispatch to The Journal)
UNION CITY, Ga, March 12.-In a
statement President Charles s. Barrett,
of the National Farmers union, warns
farmers not to slaughter prosperity with
a bumper cotton crop and says one sure
barrier against hard times is moderate
cotton acreage and big food crops. His
statement follows:
''To the officers and Members of the
Farmers Union: Upon whether the farm
err harnesses cotton or cotton harnesses
the farmer will largely depend the pros
perity of the southern states for 1872, and
probably several years to come
1.-The battle between the two must De
fought out within the next few weeks.
Planting plans may as well be arranged
with cold blooded facts in view 1t may
be more convenient and easy to put IN
vour usual cotton acreage, relying upon
the other fellow to do the reducing.
But as surely as the farmer falls before
such temptation, just so surely Will the
penalty be exacted not only of him BUT
of his fellow-farmers, big and little, OF
his wife and his children and in way
of every commercial interest in the
southern states.
cit ought not to require long to de-
eide between bank accounts and bank
ness and the tyranny of the mortgage,
between a full dinner table, and short
rations, between more education and
better clothes for the family and hard
deal for the wife and the little ones.
GRAVE-BUT SIMPLE.
1.-THE crisis the southern farmer con-
fronts is a grave one, but it's solution is
as simple as a c. In normal times
even. the world will consume only so
much cotton at a fair price. If we pro-
duce a larger volume than demand VIII
naturally absorb, prices are going tum-
bling This condition is intensified at
present, for the reason that times are not
normal. The supply of the staple brought
forth last year has not been taken up
and digested by the regular agencies OF
consumption. Some of it is going over
into the new season. Even now, some
of the American and European mills are
contracting for deliveries of cotton next
fall at a low price.
I'm the face of such situation there
is lust one course for the farmer, and
that is to protect his own interests by
holding down the acreage. Do not be
fooled by the present upward furry into
planting for a big yield next fall. Prices
are higher than they were month ago
and may go yet higher. But the com
ing of the new crop on the market will
tell the story, and if it is a record
breaking crop the producer will get the
hot end of the deal as sure as shooting.
ANY business man would be placed in
the lunatic asylum by his friends for pur-
suinig the methods favored by the aver
age farmer. For by raising a moderate
crop. at less expense and labor, we get
a larger price than by raising a large
crop at higher cost and with more
labor. Yet 1 could name three or four
years during which the farmer has ig-
nored this simple principle and invited
disaster by putting in more cotton than
he could even cultivate.
REGARDING REDUCTION
"A reduction of the cotton acreage
without using the land thus reduced to
produce feed stuffs will, however, be sui
cidal folly. The southern states can pro-
duce practically every item needed for
the support of man and beast. Yet year
after year the majority of farmers have
continued single-shooting on cotton and
paying other sections for meat and
bread out Of the profits on the white
staple. This procedure means starting
out each year by giving needless prom