Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1914-12-25
Tenant FARMERS. ! r S.
and LANDLORDS
Both Glasses Face Awkward
Situation 10 South
PERILous TIMES pRltDlcTED

--. = asE N.t ~
Undue Psrslstsnes In csttsn Growing
At the Expense ef othsrs Products
crsatss Monopoly For Mercy Lsnd-
srs-W. j. Cummings Relates story
sf His Trip Through Texas. T.
r.5. ,.. ., & %ssxs - s. ..s
Before the end Of 1915 we viii see
might riding" in the south that will
make the Kentucky tobacco war look
like a church social. is the prediction
of w. ]. Cummings Of Detroit, Mich.
While on a business trip to Texas and
Mexico Mr.. Cummings wrote letter
to his business partner. r. G. Norris.
which appeared In recent issue Of
the Cleveland CO., Gazette. He thinks
that the south will experience grave
troubles before the clearing Of the
acute situation forced upon the cotton
planters by the war which Is now
going on In Europe. * *, -
According to Mr.. Cummings, the re.
sponsibility for the trouble rests be-
tween the tenant farmer. who does not
know how to grow anything but cot.
ton, and the Texas banker. whe. 1t Is
alleged. has built up system Of usury
to bleed the cotton grower through
loans of II to 20 per cent, MIR. Cum.
mings makes the following statement
in his letter to Mr.. Norris:
Among the farmers in Texas 54 per
cent are tenant farmers. very largely
OF the nomadic, wandering type. This
forces the landlord to play safe. and
as it is hard to steal the cotton crop
he will insist upon cotton being grown
On 100 acre lease they will have nine
ty acres Of cotton and ten acres Of
corn-no space for pasture, no garden
patch. no pigs. The renter has no
money, and, not growing any food. he
buys everything on credit Money
loans at II to 70 rer cent and credit
Supplies at 100 PIT csnt very large
percentage Of the tenants efforts 60
to pay usury. Both landlord and ten
ant suffer by the system. r. ..'
"The farmers absolutely refuse to
listen to advice, but blindly continue
to grow cotton The agricultural de-
partment has been telling farmers for
the last fifteen years to grow other
crops. Their talk went UNDECIDED. You
will understand how grave the situa
ton is when I tell you that there are
more dogs than hogs In Texas; that
out of a butter consumption of $12.-
100000 in Texas she produces only
about 100000 herself.
II was in Athens. Tex, a few weeks
ago. This would make an ideal dairy
ing country. This town IS about 4.OOO.
Yet the restaurant keeper could buy
only two pounds Of butter in whole
week. This black belt valley land is
absolutely the most fertile land in the
world, and yet If a hog tight fence
were built around this Brazos valley
every person in here would starve to
death In sixty days. The Texas legis'
lature has refused to pass any law
forcing the reduction Of cotton acre
age. Other states will follow Texas
lead because this state produces IS per
cent Of the United States crop
"Cotton reduction will now become
private enterprise. and before the end
of 1915 we will see night riding in the
south that will make the Kentucky to
bacco war look like a church social
We have many fancy plans proposed
Some Of them are pure fancy. Take
the plan Of Mr. Henry that the United
States issue s25O.OOO.OO0 of money o'
something that looks like money to
valorize cotton at 10 cents pound
Did you ever hear such tommyrot?
1.-THE next agency is the bank: That
term in Texas is a misnomer the
bulk of the fraternity are not bankers
they are pawnbrokers in disguise Fol
twenty. five years they have been edu
eating the Texan to pay 10. IL. Is and
even 20 per cent for money Havtne
built up such system, DO you think
for moment that they are going to lie,
the people down here know that there
is such thing as or 6 per cent mon
ey in the whole world?
"Of course the bankers down there
are loaning money ON cotton TheS
have to do So They will make a loar
of $40 on a 500 pound bale, charging Il
to 1Y per cent and taking 1t of In ad
vance. We are safe in assuming thai
no real help will come from the south
ern banker. The war forced the clos
Ing of 9OOOO.OO0 cotton spind'es. OF
practically two-thirds Of the WORLDS
entire cotton capacity II 80 per CEN
of the English mills should be able Il
operate that would still leave about
one-half Of the worlds spinning capac
tty idle. The present lighting Is In tht
very heart of the French and Belgian
spinning districts. :.a,, ~. f.
III we assume that the United State
and Canada will consume during TN
next twelve months 7.UD.OOO bales
Great Britain 2,OOO.OOO bales and allo"
lSO0,OO bales for the balance of tn
countries using American cotton w
get an estimated total consumption O.
lOSOO.OOO bales for the season o.
19l4.l5. TO this add on estimated DC
.mand for 4,OOO.OOO bales produced Y
foreign countries and We have an e est =
mated consumption Of i4.S)O.OOO bale
as against an average normal w0f1d''
consumption Of 2l,otOo otH, bales. !