Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-20
UNION HOPE Of
SOUTH, SAY ORGANIZERS IN
GREAT GEORGIA CAMPAIGN
Charles S. Barrett and L. NJ. Rhodes,
of Tennessee, Sweep Through the
State With a Message to Planters
to Check Enormous Crop Waste

L. N. Rhodes. president OF the Ten
neesee division and chairman Of tho
national board 0f directors at tine
Farmers Union. has just finished a
fving trip through Georgia ln COM
panv Of Charles = Barrett. natoEa.
president of Oh. Farmers Union. aH.
J. J. Brown former comm ssl.u-I OF
Agriculturs OF Georgia. The follow
ing message 20 tine farmers as ae.IE -
cred by MIR Rhodes ao0luas in su.1
truth and fact not generally known
THE marvellous grandeur Of me
worlds progress astpuuds and amazts
US. vet the wonderful story Wouil
never have been written had Y not
been for the ever faithful farmer.
Agriculture Is basic Upon II rests
cities. commerce and civilization. The
people OF the earth consume 60oop.-
600 tons OF food annually Five hun
dred and eighty-tWo million tons of lt
come from the farm. Human beings
are clothed in the products OF the
farm from the time they are born un
IN they embark for eternity. let ever
since Grandfather Adam made the
mistake that caused him TO lose the
family estate the farmer has been a
failure so business
Farmer Behind in Business.
In business development " the
United States Ia the last century the
farmer has fallen behind I'm the pro
Cession Of modern business methods
he has followed where hc should have
led
When We became a nation the farm
or owned go per cent Of the wealth
In 1850 our national wealth Wa
s., 600 600 900 and the farmer owned
81 600 600 600. or four agycnths.
In 1918 our national wealth IS eFti-
mated AT $131 600 900. and the
farmer owns $4,000 NOu GOO our farm
property Is valued al nearly $40 nnu,-
O00. 600. but $4,000. 900. 600 BIS owned by
other classes than farmers.
The above figures show that farm
ers are not holding their own, for "
they had kept pace with other yoca-
lions since 1850 they would now own
$15 900. 600 600 worth % wealth Instead
OF S26. 000. 900 600 Their lack OF husi-
ness methods and failure 20 match
conditions have cost them 5000
600 600 This would buy AN the farm
property ia the United States anu
have enough left to buy a half interest
IN an the railroads.
In score of years the farmers Of
this country have produced Sl35.00O.-
00o. 900 worth OF farm products, or
enough TO buy all the property In the
United States. Yet this wonderful
amount OF wealth has not gone TO the
farmers We have 10000 men in this
country who own an average Of $40,
O00.0 600 each. And their combined
wealth is 100000. 600 600 The other
80 $50 600 people own S3I.0O0,0O0. 600.
OF our 00.0O0,OQv, 60.Oo0.0o0 are home
less
Twelve men control one-third Of
our wealth, and one man controls
nearly one-tenth Of the wealth of this
the richest country IN the world, At
the rate we are going capital WIFI own
practically all our wealth in another
generation.
sixty three land companies and
rich individuals own an area equal
20 Tennessee, Mississippi Alabama
and North and South Carolina
Liberty can not long exist in a
country where the tendency is TO
Coufiue the wealth TO a few hands, for
he who controls "A nations money
controls its people
Union Is Educational
Knowing that our liberty was
bought with holy blood and sacred
tears. and FeeinE that we must or
game and change our present meth
DDS or surrender we organized the
Farmers Educational and Opera
tive Union of America. Believing that
a lack of practical knowledge is man.
greatest enemy. we placed rduCa-
ton as the first word in our name
And knowing that a people are never
strong when they are wrong. We Sc
leCted as our motto. Equity. Justice
and the Golden Rule our orEaniZa
ton has steadily grown, until now u