Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-06-11
tenant FARMERS
and LANDLORDS
Both Glasses Facs Awkward
Situation In South
pERILOUS 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 HE Trip ThrG<gh Texas.


Creates Monopoly For Money Lend
srs-W. J. cummlnos Relates Story
Of His Trip Thrs~sh Texas. a
Before the end Of 1913 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 business trip to Texas and
Mexico Mr.. Cummings wrote letter
to his business partner, r. G. Norris,
which appeared IN recent issue Of
the Cleveland &C., 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 re
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, It is
alleged, has built up a 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 it 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, ne garden
patch, no pigs. The renter has No
money. and, not growing any food, n
buys everything on credit. Money
loans at Il to 20 per cent and credit
supplies ut 100 per cent A very large
percentage OF the tenants efforts 50
to pay usury. Both landlord and ten
ant suffer by the system. "a gses, Z.
"The farmers absolutely refuse to
listen to advice, but blindly continue
to grow cotton. The agricultural de-
partment has been telling farmers Tor
the last fifteen years to grow other
crops. Their talk went unheeded. Yoa
will understand how grave the situa
tion is when tell you that there are
more dogs than hogs In Texas; that
out Of butter consumption of $l2''
100000 In Texas she produces Only
about $3.OOO.O0O herself.
II was in Athens, Tex, few weeks
ago. This would make an ideal dairy
ing country. This town Is about 4,OOO,
Yet the restaurant keeper could Duy
only two pounds of butter In whole
week. This black belt valley land 10
absolutely the most fertile land in the
world, and yet If hog tight fence
were built around this Brazos valley
every person In here would starve to
death in sixty days. The Texas lee1s-
lature has refused to pass any Ia"
forcing the reduction Of cotton acre
age. Other states will follow Texas
lead because this state produces 80 per
cent of the United States crop s..s
Cotton reduction will now become 9
private enterprise, and before the end
Of 1915 we will see night riding IN tho
south that will make the Kentucky TO-
bacco war look like 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 $25O,OOO,000 Of money or
! something that looks like money to
valorize cotton at 10 cents pound
Did you ever hear such tommyrotf
"The next agency is the bank Tna1
term in Texas Is misnomer. Inc
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. L. 10 ana
even 20 per cent for money. Having
built up such a system, do you think
for moment that they are going to lee
| the people down here know that there
! is such thing as or 6 per cent mon
ey in the whole world? .. 2.4... ,y
! "Of course the bankers down there
are loaning money on cotton iney
have to do so. They will make loan
Of $40 on 800 pound bale, charging =
to 1s per cent and taking 1t on 10 ad'
vance. We are safe in assuming tnat
no real help will come from the soutn- lLl1'
ern banker. The war forced the CLOS .
ing Of 90OoO.OOO cotton spindles' OF
practically two-thirds of the world :.
entire cotton capacity. II 50 per cent
Of the English mills should be able .lb' 60 I,
operate that would still leave aDout
one half Of the worlds spinning capac---
ity idle. The present fighting is IN tne
very heart OF the French and Belgian
spinning districts.
| III we assume that the United states
and Canada will consume during the
next twelve months 100000 bales
Great Britain 100000 bales and allow
| 1900 900 bales for the balance OF the
countries using American cotton sWs.
ret an estimated total consumption q
10. COO bales for the season .
| 19l4-1h 10 this add an estimated de-ss
mand for 1000 bales produced -
foreign countries, and we have an 60
mated consumption Of l4,aOOsO0O 49,
90 againat an average normal woss0
|consumption u 81 .O0o. 600 balss