The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-12-16

| We usually get all the credit We need
or, anyhow. that we deserve. The
banks have never. thai | know OF. been
I the least bit close. but have let lis
have the money for any kind of devel-
opment work. | am sorry that Mr.,
Harding made the statement about
such exorbitant interest rates in the
South don't exactly agree with
him. There may be an occasional case
in which that is done. but generally it
is not I rather think ii is unjust TO
our banks.
| Last year they let us have $4,000 for
/ the purchase of crimson clover seed.
just TO go around among the farmers
and sell them the seed for what ii
cost. We got that seed in July and
| good many of the farmers didn't know
| how to cultivate that clover. and some
| said they did know how. but we went
around and showed them anyhow That
money came back in October and the
| banks didn't lose a single cent on it.
| One of the banks told me that they
had been in the habit OF loanins SIZE
geo year for the purchase OF mules.
We raise males down there for s25.
They were lending out that money!
buy mules. and they said: Now. this
| ear or next, We are not going TO lend
out cent for the purchase OF mules;
we are going to compel the men 10
! buy brood mares and raise their Own
mules That Is big thing
The woman in charge of the Girls
| Canning Club in the county that hap
pen to own a farm in, told me that she
had thirty-five girls in the canning club
business, but they were the daughters
of well-to-do people. said: Miss
Bankston. this money that the govern
ment is furnishing us is not for well-to-
do people. but particularly for the poor
You go out to the girls in the hills and
1.-THE mountains and give them these
seed that the government has fur
nished. lets get them TO growing TO-
matoes. and show them how TO do
something"
She said she didn't know how they
were going to get the cans. So We
went over to the Chamber OF Com
merce and asked if they could help us
get the cans for the girls. They told
us no. ! said: You call the society
women of this town down here. I'm
going to raise those cans or raise the
town" He sent for them and | talked
to them just like felt about it. | said:
sionary societies and have nothing
against that-bnt you know more about
the face of the earth than you know
about Alabama" and said. You
have heard the call of distress from
lacross the ocean, but have YOU heard
the still small voice of the women and
girls of Alabama" ! told them the
time had come for them 10 do some
thing at once and then: You ladies
get the money and get these cans.
And they said. How will We do il?
II answered: T. don't know how--but
you get everything else You want. so
get that Go sign note for three
or four hundred, or whatever it is You
need" And they went.
SO we bought the cans and gave
them out to the girls in the mountains
land the girls signed notes for them,
and when they had them filed with
tomatoes they brought them back and
tpaid their notes When the tomatoes
were all sold and the expenses paid.
there were six thousand dollars in
cash scattered OUT in the hills and hol
flows among the girls. and we wanted
tmoney. They came TO town and most
!of them planned to send themselves
ito school And they bought clothing,
lof course. and furniture. and rugs. and
lrocking chairs Some of them bought
Istoves and fence wire and one lame
lgirl paid on mule for her father, and
isome paid something on the land and
some paid doctors BILLS and some paid
for collins.
We loaned those girls $500 and Sc. 900
beat that for an investment. / think
We ought TO consider these things.
1 Oh, there's so much that We can do
land do so easily-if We will only -
about ii in the right spirit.