The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1913-08-13
VERY DOLEFUL TALE
PROSPECTS IN BOIL WEEIIL DIS
TRICT IS BAD.

A MISSISSIPPI farhlef "il'eS VI 'A'o
Gloomy Conditions in This State
Caused the Weevil.
w. G. Cooper, of Florence, Miss.
writes very gloomy and doleful let
ter to the Southern Cultivator. Here
is what he says about the conditions:
AS it is long time since bothered
you with my squibs l will endeavor to
express myself as l see things from
a farmers point of view. First, we
are being taxed out of reason for
others to steal and have a good time
on: still there seems no way to mend
the way of doing things. Graft is all
the go with them from the highest to
The lowest official. Some few are
caught up with, but it takes more to
convict them than it is worth; SO we
are the losers at last.
Times are very gloomy with us on
account of weevil known as the
Mexican weevil. We spent thousands
of dollars as salaries for experts to
90 into the infected territory and
learn the history of the weevil and
its habits or all about him, and they
came back and told us that he came
from Mexico and would destroy our
cotton for three years and then would
leave or nearly so. and If we could
live without so much more cotton we
could do better.
So we believed them and did as
thew told. Now the weevil has been
here five years, and is a great deal
worse than he has ever been. They al
so told us if we could have dry
spring and summer we would make a
fairly good crop. We have oeen yer:
dry, and still the weevil is far worse
than it has ever been in the five years
that we have had them.
They failed to tell US what the wee
vii lived off, for he does not live on
| cotton; it is only toe place for hlLl
10 increase in or breed. You may pick
YOUR patch of cotton clean today and
tomorrow it will be full. Again the
| people have lost confidence in the ex-
perts. Tell your people that when he
| comes they just might as we'll to quit
cotton and all business that depends
on it and try to live at home, for no.
body can tell how long they will
stay.
Business is dead in this part OF the
country and if experts had told US all
of the facts We have since learned we
would have been in a far better FIX
financially, for q great many tried to
keep their business going in hope OF
the weevil leaving, but this year Will
be the last. So they would have been
better off if they had quit at first
Your people had just as well quit al
first az to try the hard toll of three
wears and then lose everything they
have at last.
We are plowing up our cot OF anc
planting peas and corn. There Will
not be enough cotton made IN this
county to pay the taxes. What are
we going to do with the shiftless ne
gro? I can not say, for he will work
at nothing but cotton and a little
patch of corn and potatoes-and corr
not enough to last two months to feeo
him and his family.
Don't think that I am pessimlst
for I am not, but am stating 1acts
as they are, and hope to help some
one else from being led astray BY
faulty reports. We had just as well
at once for the weevil is here to stay
W. G. Cooper.
The Southern Cultivator, in dis
cussing the boil weevil situation says:
Senator Ed Smith of South Caro-
lima is drafting a bill to introduce IN
the United States Senate, proposing
to have the government to have nj
ty-mile belt through the state of Ala
bama made where no cotton would DC
| DlanCGQ, anu SuCu d ,OCle ~ w MY ~>
a quarantine against the eastward
spread of the boil weevil. This belt
would only have to be $50 miles long
"This is a feasible proposition and
one the government should take II
hand. The Cultivator suggested such
a step in an editorial several years
ago. We also sent several copies to
Georgia congressman, but they did
nothing.
1--WE think the farmers On this side
Of the belt should be taxed S1.OO pei
bale to help pay the expense and tc
reimburse those in the belt. This tan
lhould be collected by the ginners and
at no expense to the government. We
trust Senator Smith will push this
measure"
1t will be noticed that the Cultlva-
tor endorses Senator Smiths plan
which is about the only feasible one
yet offered to stop the march of the
boil weevil on this section. We fear
however, that Congress is too conser-
vative to pass such progressive
measure at this time.
CUTTING DOWN CREDIT