The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-04-23
PRODUCTION AND PRICE.
Hon. John /. Mclaur;n Talks of Problems
of the Farmer:

Hon. John L. MeIaur:n Talks of Problems
of the Farmer
Richmond, Va, April Is.
Hon. John l.. McLaurin, Of
South Carolina. addressed the
Southern Educational conference
here today on the economical
problems of the Southern farm
er. His speech, which received
the close and interested atten-
tion of the big audience, was as
follows:
Gentlemen:
I was invited by the Southern
Educational conference to say
something on the subject of cot
ton marketing. I suppose be-
cause I am the author of a bill
providing for state inspection,
aud grading with state owned
and operated warehouses.
l see measure very similar IN
principle has been commended
to the legislature of Wisconsin
by the governor of that State
and I believe that soon or later
all of the great agricultural crops
will be handled in this way. There
can be no doubt that much of the
high cost of living comes from
the enormous profits that go to
the middlemen VINO stand be
tween the producer and the con
sumer.
There is a great deal being
said in the public prints about
chpapening the cost Of living,
but 1 hear very little about the
profits of productive labor. If
the propaganda was less for the
consumer and more for the ben
eit of the producer, the evil
would be sooner adjusted to their
mutual benefit. More profits on
the farm would attract those now
in non productive fields, creating
more food and clothing. Our Cen
sus tells a story of decreasing
per centage of country popula
ton as compared to the town,
and it is manifest impossibility
in this free country by any fiscal
or economic policy, to compel the
farms to feed and clothe a con
stantly increasing urban popula-
ton at less and Jess cost. Was
born in the early days of the war
on a big cotton plantation on the
Little Peedee, twenty miles from
a railroad. and am today a prac.
tical not a theoretical planter,
and I can truthfully say, that
there is very little net profit in
cotton at even fifteen cents per
pound.
There is a constant labor short
age. because we cannot compete
in prices with the saw mills and
railroads and factories, and rs Il
consequence the most energetic
labor goes wi ere it commands a
higher price, leaving US the nat
urally idle and unambitious for
the farm.
There is nothing to keep the
energetic ambitious and educat
ed boy on the farm. Rural life
commissions may cry "back to
the farm" but the country lanes
and blooming fields do not at.
tract, when the only place where
the comfort which wealth alone
can bring, is IN the city where
traffic makes gold by its very
touch.
This exodus from the country
to the town not only effects the
cost of living, but goes deeper,
for history tie aches US that a ma
tion draws it's most unseIfsh pat
riotism and purest life from the
deep wells of a prosperous agri-
culture.
1t is not my purpose to discuss
the tariff money or transporta
ton questions, further than to
say that for so years our whole
scheme of government has re-
voIved around their protection
and development at the expense
of both producer and consumer.
The farmer is compelled to buy
in the projected home market
and to sell in the unprotected
open world market. l doubt if
there is a great fortune in this
country whose source cannot be
traced to special privileges con
ferred by legislation.
Every article which the farm
er uses in his business in addi-
tion to protection, is trust made
and the price trust fixed. He
must either pay or go without.
When he comes to sell his prod.
uct, be has nothing to do with
liking the price, he is competi.
tor with every other farmer, and
his product is forced on the mar
ket under a crop mortgage and
lien law system and he must take
such price as may be offered.
Time and again we have tried
to organize and build warehous-
es, in fact in 1911, we did not
lack facilities for storing, but
found it impossible because our
debts were due, and money to
finance the crop could not be
had. There are several reasons
why private warehouses do not
furnish a satisfactory collateral,