The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-03-13
FARMERS
UNION NEWS
Practical Thoughts for Practical
Farmers.
Conducted by e. w. Dabbs, Pres
ident S. G. Farmers Union.)
Some Random Thoughts.

some RANDOM thoughts.
The speech of Warehouse Com
missioner McLaurin last Friday made
1t very plain that, if farmers expect
help they must be organized. Neith-
er government nor the commercial
world can or will deal with the in
dlVldual farmer on as favorable terms
as with a body of organized farmers.
All over the State there is a more fa-
Vorable disposition among the farm
ers to organize, witness the organiza .
ton of new local unions in Chester
field, Horny and Calhoun counties in
the past few days, and OF others II,
Florence last week.
We have set out to get 5000 new
members by the annual meeting in
July Mr.. II. NJ. Cooper, who was on
the legislative committee OF the state
Union and is a member of the State
executive committee says we must
have $4,000 by the next meeting OF
the legislature. If the farmers all
over the county could but realize
how important it is to have a large
membership if we would make trade
arrangements to our advantage or if
we would influence legislation in our
behalf, they would all join and keep
up their membership after joining.
Those of us who have served on leg
islative committees or as business
agents, know this to be true.
4: * X
By direction of the last annual
meeting and ordered by the January
meeting, the State executive commit
tee is charged with the duty OF maxi
ing arrangements to buy fertilizers
for the union. AS chairman of that
committee l have had overturcs from
several of the biggest fertilizer houses
in this section, but can not do any
thing because the membership do not
get together and put the committee
in shape to make = business deal.
Mr.. 3. Harris of the State eXecu-
tive committee has an admirable in
tervie,w in yesterdays papers urging
diversificiIion, organization and CO.
operation. He, State Secretary Reid
and Warehouse Commissioner Nc
Laurin are doing a good work in
pressing these three commandments
upon the attention of the farmers iii
so many places; they have pretty
nearly covered the State in the past
two months. These meetings should
be followed by local work in all the
counties. Reid is in Lee county this
week.
Why should not the friends Of or
ganization in Sumter county press
forward until every community has
it's local union? Not only should
there be strong unions at Bethel
Concord, OswegO, Trinity and Salem:
but Grahams, Dalzell, Rembert, State
burg, Mayesville, Shiloh, Norwards Y
Roads and Rocky Bluff, should each
have a local union in the good work
of uniting the farmers for better
farming, better business, better liv-
ing, the slogan of the Progressive
Farmer for the rural South. If the
farmers of the county will meet
President Williams and Secretary
Warren half way we will have in
Sumter county not only an "old
guard" of the union, but the most
progressive county union in the state.
We sometimes think this low country
is not so we'll adapted to or
ganiZation as the up-country, but
Dorchester county farmers with their
control Of the cotton seed and fer
terliZer situation to their profit by
several dollars per ton shows what
can be done, even in the sparsely set
tied lower counties of the State.
e. W. ID.