The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1912-09-10
I|y0THER LETTER ABOUT BOIL WEEVIL

You know negro will not raise
meat. He will raise it all right, but
will eat it during the winter and
not have the necessary amount when
the time comes to make his crop.
But with this bad feature about ne
gro labor there has not been a solid
carload of meat shipped here since
the boil Weevil arrived. We have to
buy little meat, but not much. We
plant more potatoes, cane and all the
necessaries of life. The furnishing
business is still done, but on small
scale. Within the next year or so
| expect to see cotton as a surplus
crop. The time is not here yet, but
it is coming. The REIMBURSEMENT is
hard; times will never be what they
once were, but we expect to see
them better. The weevil has hurt all
lines of business; the cash merchant
is not doing any business as compar-
ed with years ago; the money is not
in circulation; the furnishing man is
placed in hazardous position and
cannot afford to advance more than
$35 to $50 to the family where they
are working on the one-fourth rent
system, and cannot afford to advance
at all on a stipulated contract; lands
are not as valuable, because they
cannot get the large rents they once
received; the oil mills can only run
on half time, where they can run at
ALL and the decrease in business nee
essariy decreases the working force
in all commercial houses; this sur
plus force will seek employment else
where, therefore rent on town prop
erty will decrease and few of your
dwellings will be vacant.
Now, Mr.. Edwards, | know you do
not like to hear this kind of talk, but
| am telling it to you just as it is.
| No doubt but what you are thinking
that the things l have mentioned
will never happen in Dawson. L hope
they will not. | did not believe they
would ever happen in Edwards, Miss,
| when my fellow-bankers in Texas
told me what would happen, or what
did happen to them, but, alas, | di!
not believe it, you do not believe it,
my people did not believe it, your
people will not believe it, and moth
| ing but the weevil themselves will
ever convince them.
Words of Encouragement.
| admire you for trying to find out
some of these things before the wee
wills reach you and if can help you
you will find me ready, l know you
will profit by what | am going to
say now. You did not ask me for
advice, but I am going to give it to
you, anyway, and then | am going TO
| tell you something about the BANK
ing business in boil weeyil territory
that will make you feel good.
First. If your people do not raise
the necessities of life try to get them
started at it before the weeVils reach
you.
Second. If you have no market
for other crops don't try to establish
one. Stick to cotton; you will win
out. 1t is a bad business to try to
raise anything else if you do not
have a ready market at your door.
Third. Try to keep your people
from becoming panicky. Nobody is
going to starve to death; times will
be a little hard for a while, but eV-
erybody will have plenty to eat and
will learn to get along with lots less
money. =,
Fourth. If you plant cotton fol-
low the government methods as to
reduced acreage and methods OF cul-
| tivation.
Fifth. Never talk hard times;
that is starvation to your labor
they will leave you-but try to en-
courage them. This thing is going
TO work out all right, and it does no
good to give them all the blues. Keep
them seeing the bright side and you
will make a better fight.
Sixth. Reduce the line OF accom-
mediation you grant your customers
but never quit them entirely Ex-
Main to them that it is for their
good YOU are working. Remember
that vour land values might decrease
10. 20 or 80 per cent; it Just de-
nends on how the weevil hits you
But land will always have a value,
and where you can help your Gus
toners and yet be safe it is to your
interest to do it.
The Effect on Business.
Now. about the effect it has on
the banking business. We have more
accounts than we ever had before.
Pnonle have realized the value OF a
dollar. and try to save them. Our
denosits have not increased since the