Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-07-09
TENANT FARMERS
and LANDLORDS h
Both Glasses FacS Awkward
Situation In South
pERlloUs 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 ThrG~gh Texas.
Before the end Of 1918 we will 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, F. 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 70
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 20 per cent. Mr.. Cum
mings makes the following statement
IN his letter to Mr.. Norris:
Among the farmers in Texas 81 per
cent are tenant farmers, very largely
OF the nomadic, wandering type. This
forces the landlord to play safe, and
as 1t 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, M
buys everything on credit Money
loans at II 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.
1.-THE farmers absolutely refuse tc
listen to advice. but bllndly continue
to grow cotton. The agricultural de-
partment has been telling farmers for
the last fifteen years to grow other
crops. Their talk went unheeded. YoE
will understand how grave the situa
ton is when l tell you that there are
more dogs than hogs in Texas; that
out of a butter consumption Of $12.
100000 in Texas she produces ohly
about 100000 herself.
II was in Athens, Tex, 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 IL
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 might 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 $250.OOO,O0O of money or
something that looks like money to
valorize cotton at 10 cents a 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. For
twenty-five years they have been edu.
eating the Texan to pay 10. -, 10 and
even 20 per cent for money. Having
built up such a 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?s
"Of course the bankers down there
are loaning money on cotton. They
have to do so. They will make loan
Of $40 on 500 pound bale, charging -
to IS per cent and taking it Off In ad.
vance. We are safe In assuming that
no real help will come from the south.
ern banker. The war forced the clos.
ing Of 100000 cotton spindles, or
practically two-thirds of the worlds
entire cotton capacity. If 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 2,OOOOO0 bales and allow
100000 bales for the balance of the
countries using American cotton we
get an estimated total consumption Of
1O.SOO,OOO bales for the season OF
19l4-15. To this add an estimated de-
mand for 100000 bales produced III
foreign countries. and we have an est.
mated consumption Of 14SOO. 600 bales
as against an average normal wor.s',
consumption of 2l,OOO.OtN bales."