The Denver star., 1914-12-19
Tenant FARMERS
And LANDLORDS
Both Classes Face Awkward
Situation In South
pERILouS TIMES PREDICTED
Undue Persistence In Cotton Growing
at the Expense Of Other Products
Creates Monopoly For Money Lend
srs-W. J. Cummings Relates Story
Of His Trip Through Texas.

srs-W. J. Cummings Relates Story
of His Trip Through Texas.
Before the end of 1915 we will see
night 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 ana
Mexico Mr.. Cummings wrote letter
to his business partner. II. G. Norris,
which appeared in recent issue or
the Cleveland (OJ 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, who. 1t Is
! alleged, has built up system OF usury
to bleed the cotton grower through
| loans of IL to 30 per cent Mr.. Cum
mings makes the following statement
in his letter to Mr.. Norris:
Among the farmers in Texas o4 per
tent are tenant farmers. very largely
OF the nomadic, wandering type. This
forces the landlord to play safe. ana
| 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 12 to 20 per cent and credit
supplies at 100 per cent A very large
percentage of the tenants efforts 60
to pay usury Both landlord and ten
ant suffer by the system.
sThe farmers absolutely refuse to
listen to advice, but blindiy continue
to grow cotton. The agricultural de-
partment has been telling farmers for
the last fifteen years to grow otheS
crops. Their talk went unheeded You
will understand how grave the situa-
ton is when tell you that there are
more dogs than hogs in Texas; that
out of 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 1000.
Yet the restaurant keeper could buy
only two pounds of butter In whole
week. This black belt valley land II
absolutely the most fertile land in the
world. and vet II hog tight fence
were built around this Brazos valley
every person in here would starve to
death in sixty days. The Texas lesis-
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 a
private enterprise and before the end
Of 1918 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.OOO of money or
something that looks like money to
ralorize cotton at 10 cents pound.
Did you ever hear such tommyrot:
The next agency is the bank. That
term In Texas Is a miSnouer. Ihe
bulk of the fraternity are not bankers:
they are pawnhrokers in disguise. For
twenty five years they have been edu-
eating the Texan to pay 10. -. Is and
even ~ per cent for money. Having
built up such n system. do you think
for a moment that they are going to let
the people down here know that there
is such thing as or 6 per cent mon
ey in the whole world?
or course the bankers down there
are loaning money on cotton. They
have to do SO. They will make loan
of $40 on a 500 pound bale. charging II
to IS per cent and taking 1T OH in ad-
vance. We are safe In assuming that
no real help will come from the south
eru banker. The war forced the clos
Ing of 100000 cotton spindles. or
practically two-thiris of the worlds
entire cotton capacity. II so per cent
Of the English mills should be able to
operate that would still leave about
one half Of the worlds spinning capac-
ity idle. The present fighting is in the
very heart OF the French and Belgian
spinning districts.
IF we assume that the United States
and Canada will consume during the
next twelve months 100000 bales.
Great Britain 100000 bales and allow
1900. 900 bales for the balance Of the
countries using American cotton We
get an estimated total consumption Of
lOSOO.OOO bales for the season OF
l914-15. To this add an estimated do
| c,.ra for nm m halea nruf3uCsA IN