The Donaldsonville chief., 1914-01-17
BLOW SOON To BE FELT.
Captain M. F. Bradford, Head of
Steamboat Line, Predicts Early
Appeal of Plantation Negroes for
Government Rations-Suffering
iy, ENEIapre

Appeal of Plantation Negroes for
Government misunderstanding
Already in Evidence.
i New Orleans Picayune:
H With the finish of the grinding sea-
son, and so per cent Of the sugar
4 planters unable to borrow money
with which to continue the business,
free sugar having hastened them to
the end of their rope, q hundred thou
sand negroes and poor whites have
suddenly been thrown out Of employ
ment, and within twenty days half of
these will be in a condition of starva-
1 ton.
An appeal will be made to Presi-
dent Wilson to furnish rations to
these poor people.
/ The Miles Planting Company, run
ming thirteen big plantations and
three big sugar mills, and employing
over 1900 negroes and whites, is one
Of the biggest concerns to announce
its withdrawal from the sugar raising
industry. It's plantations will remain
idle.
Captain NJ F. Bradford, president
Of the Bradford transportation Com
pany, who has just returned from a
trip over the sugar district, estimates
it will not be more than twenty days
before it will be necessary to ask
Washington for relief for the poor
people on the plantations, 80 per cent
of whom are negroes. s.
II have never seen anything like
it, commented Captain Bradford.
Already these negroes are starving.
Dislodged from employment, the com
missary houses closed up, these he
| groes are in a pitiful state. All their
lives they have lived from hand to
mouth, and in 80 per cent of the me-
gro homes in the sugar district Meth
. er money nor provisions are to be
found. These negroes can't do any
thing else, and during the winter
they will be out of work. Some of
the sugar plantations which have
= closed down will be replanted in
other products perhaps, but it will be
sixty days Or longer before there will
be any work to be dcne. The men
who are replanting cane have already
commenced to plow up the ground,
and making repairs, and this work
gives the negroes enough employ
!, ment to carry them through the win
! ter. However, on the plantations
: which are closing down, the workers
are simply destitute, with all pros
poets of starvation unless the govern
ment comes to their rescue.
; 1T is much worse than high water
In flood time the people who are
- I,
! the government will feed them, but
! in this case there is some doubt. The
: average plantation employs on an av.
) erage from IS to 100 people, mostly
: negro men, women and children. They
make their home in the cabins own,
> ed by the planter. Of course, these
: planters who are closing down their
: farms will not be so rude as to turn
| their negroes out Of the homes, but
, there is not more tnan one or two OF
: these planters who are financially able
: to furnish the negroes with provision:
to tide them over until they can get
2 work
9 From Bayou Sara on down the
: river on both sides, l would say
? there are over 100000 negroes en-
: plcyed on the plantations which are
: being closed down. In addition tc
: this are thousands on Bayou Lafourche
!. and elsewhere who will have to be
e taken care of.
: Merchants and supply men in al
t of the towns of the sugar districts
q have hung out the Cash Only sigr
: to their customers. This means tha
the sugar men can't restock their
e commissary houses without they've
e got the ready money. The merchant
:. are forced to do this in self-defense.
r 1.-THE banks have closed down OF
:, the sugar planters, ana most Of then
Il are refused money with which to re
r plant. The sugar men have thei1
e 1918 product still on their hands
Prices are 2 cents below last year
a The sugar can't be sold at any price
+ steamboat transportation ha:
Il fallen off nearly two thirds. One
4 big merchant at New Iberia who VI
a to recently was good for four and fiv'
) wagon loads a day, sends out only
O one load now. That is general will
Il all of the plantation supply men
q The steamboat men will suffer terri
:. h1y''