The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1913-03-05
For Consideration at the Con
yention of Education in
the South.

J.
WASHINGTON. D. G., Mar s.
The value OF all farm products OF
the South amouats to $500, 900, 900
a year to the farmers, but they cost
the consumers s5,OO0,OO0,OO0.
The farmers of the South spend
most Of their $500. 900, 900 each
year largely for farm supplies, food
clothing, etc, and $1,000, 100000 OF
this goes each year into the hands OF
all classes Of middlemen.
Southern farmers lose an addition
al $4,000, 100000 each year because
of poor farming methods. They
could double their yield by crop di.
versihcation and other improvements
jif 1t We're not for.the advance sys.
tem," under which the creditor forces
the farmer to plsnt cash crops
such as cotton and corn, year in and
year out.
Southern farmers borrow immense
amounts of money CA secure credit
Lat great loss. The estimated loss to
them because of excessive interest
rates amounts to about s163, 900, 600
year.
So, all told, the farmers are out
$6.1 63, 100000 year, much of
which they might get If they CON
itrolled their own system OF credit.
marketing and buying.
These are figures Of Prof. John
Lee Coulter, expert special agent for
agriculture in the census bureau. He
arrives at his conclusions after years
of study, which have made him a
leading scientific authority in farm
economics.
However plfns are now matured
looking to cut which from the very
first viii amount to hundreds upon
hundreds of millions of dollars in the
enormous discrepancy between the
prices the farmer receives for his
produce and the prices which the
consumer has to pay.
The plans are to be taken up !s-4e-ssils
sixteenth conference for edlcation in
the South, to be held at Richmond.
Va, April 15-1S; and so epoch-mak-
ing in their results on Southern
prosperity are they considered to be
|, that thousands of Southern far
mers and business men will unite IN
their consideration with school men,
editors and publicists.
In brief, the common remedy to
be proposed at the conference for
most Of the farmers ills is organiza-
ton arld cooperation. lit is propos-
ed chat he market his crops cooper
|atively; buy his goods in the same
manner, and borrow his money from
cooperative credit societies. Such a
plan, it is contended, would harm no
one and in the long run would bene-
eft all classes. BY thus adding to.
the farmers Income, he will be en-
abled to spend more on the pleasant
as well as on the useful things things
of life; to build better roads; to
maintain better schools AMI to make
country living pleasant all round.
This in tunn woull have the effect
OF checking the exodus from farm to
city; and with the increase of the
proportion of country population,
will come in time an increase in the
amount OF food raised, together with
a corresponding decrease in the cost
of living. If the farmer produces
more and spends more, the railroads
VIII have larger tonnage to haul
and consequently larger incomes,
both gross and net. The bankers
Will benefit because prosperous far
mers have money to. deposit or in
vest; the manufacturers, because the
Southern agriculturst will furnish
more material TO be worked up into
finished goods, and will consume
more. while the business man will
prosper as the farmers become better
and steadier customers.
Experts in every form of co-opera-
ton have been called upon to tell
the conference precisely how to start
This movement throughout the South.
J. G. Callwell, who is one of Athe
great leaders in cooperative enter
prises in this country, will tell how
Aan Rnnnnn