The Little River news., 1915-10-16
MARKETING
 SYSTEM BAD
Keep Arkansas Money at Home Is Slogan that Should be Adopted
 By Every Arkansas Man.
(By Clio Harper.l


 Keep Arkansas Money at Home" is the slogan of an Arkansas fraterna: organization that should be adopted by ever y citizen of the state
 It is one of the blanks in the plat form of those who are promoting the Home Products Show, that IS to be held in Little Rock at the Arcade Market, Oct. 27-3O.
 Until this policy has been adopted by the Arkansas consumer the Arkan- sas producer cannot achieve the pros Derity which he has earned.
 Dversification is an accomplished fact, but profitable marketing of the products of diversified farming is yet to be provided Unless this is speed fly done, the pendulum will swing backward to the tranny of the one crop system. With cotton selling around IA cents now and threatening to go to IS cents or higher, this would not be at all difficulty.
 All the varied interests that have been concerned in the institution of the New Agriculture in Arkansas are united in an effort tc. make the Home Products Exposition, great, out standing success.
 The importance of movement of this kind is emphasized by the follow ing peculiarly candid letter, addressed to Commissioner Jchn H. Page, by George c. Payne, Secretary of the Drew County Truck Growers Assoc iation
 "I have gotten myself in trouble by advising my people to diversity their crops, and succeeded in doing so. Now cotton is in demand at high prices, and all other crops dead on our hands. We now have on hand at least hum dred car loads of very fine sweet po- tatoes and could net sell them at 10 cts. bushel if we ship. The railroads and commission merchants seem to
 
 theirs and we get nothing. For in stance, we shipped car of Irish po- tatoes in June-the freight was $1O4, and commissions 10 per cent, and we got $9 fer the car. How is this for diversification? have two car loads of sweet potatoes and if you know Of any way I can dispose of them, I would certainly thank you.'
 This is condition that certainly presented poser for the Department. It Was a condition that required some thing more than theories for it's sO lution. In answering MT. Payne's inquiries, MT. Page said he had taken it up with several parties, and added:
 "It is regretable that conditions arc as they are in some sections. It should not properly be laid to the door of any man or set of men, bu, should be accorded to cur system and the completely disorganized condition of affairs generally. If the price of cotton acreage this year we would again have a crop of unprcfitable cot ton, and too, without the great supply of food-stuffs that we have now with good price for cotton. The system of marketing that our farmers are compelled to face in the disposal of perishable goods is the real reason for the depression now over those crops and not because too many have been raised. Sweet potatoes, for in stance, are selling to the consumers in Little Rock for about $1 per bushel, and in my opinicn there are markets without any sweet potatoes. There have been increases in acreage and production, too, for that matter but the demand has not been met yet. If We ccMld only market our crops as they should be marketed and at fair price to the grower Sometime in the future hope the crop enthusiasts and legislatures and Congress and other farmers friends will see the real cause of the one crop system in the South, and this is unprofitable mar keting and unsatisfactory methods to the farmer"
 That there should be condition of increasing prosperity in the state not withstanding these adverse conditions is proof of the adaptability of the state. Should conditions be made more ad vantageous, and the farmer be en- abled to dispose of all his varied pro ducts at fair price, insuring a liv- ing return on labor and money invest ed. the Arkansas farmer should be the most prosperous citizen of the whole country.
 Prospects for the future were never so bright. but when one considers c how much brighter they might be with improved conditions, it is a scmrce of regret that a radical change is not already apparent on the horizon.
 AMERICAN LOAN BILL