The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-10-24

j. {. Dunbar Would Have General
Expression from Farmers.
Editor Daily Item:

The question of greatest interest
now before the legislature in extra
session is the regulation of cotton
acreage for another year and on un-
til the European war ends. There is
"a division of opinion among our peo-
pie which seems hard to harmonize
and we hope, after free discussion
and thought expressed that this great
question will be settled in the best
manner possible for all concerned.
subject in their minds and trying to
arrive at conclusion Which is the
best for the country. | think that we
should have more expression of opin-
ion through the press, which would
assist in arriving at something def
mite and then memorabilia the legisla-
Informed as to what the people want
AS for total elimination, the writer
feels it would be a little to radical.
cutting the acreage to one-third of
the cultivated land, or six acres to
the regular work animal, seems to be
the wiseSt thing to do. Should all of
the cotton States cut out cotton in it's
entirety there would &c Sc million
acres of land planted rain and the
amount raised on that amount of
land added to the crop that is already
grown in this country, would throw a
tremendous crop on the market next
season. Then we must remember that
gagged in that awful struggle, they are
also wide awake to the raising all the
foodstuff they possibly can. / see a
report from the German agricultural
department saying that country has
enough fOodstuff to last until next
harvest OF course we do not know
~ are, but we should be conservative
and think we'll before we act Should
tb' country eliminate cotton entirely,
can not see where we can dispose
of such a large grain crop to any ad-
vantage. The acreage of cotton should
be cut by all means and should all
in the humble opinion of the writer
Will be worth or cents next season
While that is a very low price for the
staple, it would be better for the
country to have some to dispose of at
that figure than to have a great mass
of grain and no market for it. A
your live stock and sell the stock,
which in my Judgment is cxtraordi-
nary good advice to those who have
the live stock or the money to secure
them, but how about the fellow who
has neither and no other way to
procure them.
1t seems to me that we should
weigh this subject we'll, viewing it
from all sides and phases and not
be hasty in acting. The European
wear clothes just like we do and they
must have some cotton to get their
clothes out of. as it is the cheapest
fabric on the market of the world
That they are very busy fighting just
now is fact which we all know. but
the men who are too old to go to
war and the women and children are
large per cent. of them are in the cot
ton mills now spinning and weaving
material to clothc thsoc who are ut
the trout. Many of us thought when
the war commenced il would last but
u short while. but it looks now rs if
it may continue for some time and
while it is hardly possible for those
nations involved to raise foodStutf
sufficient To prosecute the war, yet
We may be sure they are making cv-
cry effort in their power To that end.
| hope more of the cotton planters
Will let the public hear from them as
it seems to the writer that this is no
tim" to sit idly 10y and trust to that
dclusiNc phantom of luck.
j. G. Dunbar
nalzcl, :. c.. oct. y, 1914.