The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1915-03-05
new ECONOMICS
FOR THE SOUTH
Farmers May Begin Pig Rails
Ing on Large Scale
WHAT THE NEWSPAPERS SAY

Washington In Open Letter Meets
Hearty Response - Secretary Toolan
Of San Bsnito Commercial Club Gives
Great Impetus to the Movement.
All over the south the "silver fleece"
has become a white elephant" on the
hands of the farmers, and everywhere
they are getting together and resolv.
ing to invest their time and valuable
land next year in something which can
be easily converted into cash or imme
date use. When the farmer has rails
ed milk, butter, eggs, pork, vegetables,
corn, fruit and such things and for
some reason does not desire to sell,
these products always afford him d.
rect or cash value In that they are
available for his own consumption
without leaving the farm.
With wonderfully prophetic in.
sight tempered with prudence and
common sense DR.. Booker T. Washing
ton in a recent open letter sent broad
cast over the south urged the colored
people to devote their energies to the
raising Of products on their farms
which have immediate and direct cash
value rather than taking a gamblers
chance on cotton, whose value Is alb
stract, potential and entirely depend
ent upon the "frenzied" fancies Of cap
ital.
Az is often the case in such instan.
ces, white people are quick to grasp
the significance and Importance of
such an idea. Our people, for whose
benefit primarily DR.. Washington pro-
posed it, should also take advantage of
this opportunity for self help. In COM
menting on DR.. Washington's raise a
pig movement the Lakeland (Fla.)
News sees 1t as valuable to all the
people. 1t says: IAN excellent idea,
and it would have even greater excel,
lence If this raise a pig movement
should prove catching and take in all
the people, white and colored In pig
signo vinces' would be a proud slogan
under which to battle against the
forces of hard times"
The Staunton Va.) News likewise
takes a broad, comprehensive view
and says: This is excellent advice
and white people might follow it with
equal profit. The south has given It
self up to cotton in a large measure
and is now suffering because cotton
will not buy the things it usually buys
A little less cotton and little more
meat will add greatly to the wealth
and prosperity Of the south"
The Savannah (Ga.) News adds this
valuable thought, Zone pig or even
two or three pigs could pick up good
living about the premises of the aver.
age Negro farmer without expense to
him and would be building flesh that
would bring him a comfortable sum in
the killing season" By far the most
positive proof of DR.. Washington
wisdom in this matter is expressed In
the following news item from Texas
showing how the progressive white
people of the south appreciate the
value of hog raising at this time. The
article says In part:
Secretary George A. Toolan Of the
San BenitO Commercial club has ad
vised the Texas Industrial congress
that a new approach to the PROPOSE
ton of growing hogs on the farm as a
cash crop has been made under the
leadership of Mr.. r. o. Barron. a pro
gressive farmer Of San Benito. With
out waiting for the banks to furnish
credit Mr.. Barron purchased carload
Of thoroughbred Duroc Jersey sows
from the stockyards at Fort Worth
and had them shipped to San Benito
Then he carefully selected a number
Of worthy farmers and leased them
one or more sOws each as the circum.
stances appeared to justify.
by the terms Of the lease the lessee
agreed to care properly for the sows
which had all been bred before ship
ment, and at the end Of three months
to return the sows and one half of the
pigs to Mr.. Barron, keeping the other
half for himself. The introduction OF
hog raising on larger scale around
San Benito has not only furnished ev.
cry grower with meat, but has also
provided a cash crop that wartime con.
ditions will render more remunerative. -