Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-07-16
TENANT FARMERS
And LANDLORDS
Deh Glssos Fer Awkward
Situation \ Ssutk
PHRIloUs TINES PREDICTED

PERIlouS TIMES PREDICTED
undws Persistence In csttsn Growing
a H. Expsnss u other Products
crssEss Monopoly Fer kiensy Ls"d.
sn-W. J. css.ninss Relates Stsry
o. His Trip Thrsssh Tsxaa
Before the end 81 1918 we win So
night riding IN tie south that VII
make TIE Kentucky tobacco war look
IKE church soedaI. Is the prediction
sf ". j. Cummings Of Detroit Mich
While on Z business trip to Texas and
Mexico Nj. Cummings wrote q letter
- biz bcSiness partner. F. C. Norris'
which appeared = recent issse Of
the Cleveland g., Gazette. he thinks
that the south VIII experience grave
troubles before the clearing OF The
acute situation forced upon the cotton
plautks by the var which u nov
ling - In EurUse
According to Mr.. Cummings the ~
accessibility for the trouble rests be
tween the tenant farmer. who does NOD
know bow to grow anythtng bat cot
tpa. and the Texas banker. who II y
alleged. has built up system Of usurJ
70 bleed the cotton grower through
loans Of II TO 70 per cent Ar. Cum
n.nSs makes the following statement
IN his letter 70 Mr.. Norris:
Among the farmers In Texas - Per
cent are tenant farmes. FaJ largely
u the nomadic, wandering type. This
forces the landlord to play safe. and
. Il IL hard to steal the cottoo crop
he win insist upon cotton being grown
On 100 acre lease they win have nine
d acres Of cotton and ten acres OF
coen-no space for pasture, no garden
Patch, no pigA The renter has ~
raoney, and. not growing any food. k
buys everything on credit Money
loans at II to 20 per cent and credit
supplies ct 100 per cent A very large
percentage o4 the tenants efforts %
% pay usury. Both landlord and ten
ant suffer By the system
The farmers absolutely refuse ts
listen to advice, but blindly continue
% grow cotton. The agricultural DE-
partmeut has been telling farmers fox
the last fifteen yeas to grow othes
crcpa Their talk went UNDECIDED Yos
win undestand how grave the situa
don b when tell you that there are
more d0ss than hogS In Texas; that
out of butter consumption Of 81.
100000 IN Texas she produces only
about 100000 herself
r was n Athens, Tex. . few weeks
aeo. This would make an IDEAL dairy,
fns country. This town = about 1000
Yef the restaurant keeper could bu.
only two pounds OF butter In whole
week. This black belt valley land h
absolutely the most fertile land In the
word. and Jet II 4 hog light fence
were built around this Brazos VALLEY
evefy person IN here would starve te
death in sixty days. The Texas legis
hture has refused 10 pass any Law
forcing de reduction Of cotton acre
age. Other states VIII follow Texas
lead because this state produces s. PEI
cent Of ne United States crop
Cotton reduction viii now become q
private enterprise. and before the end
of 1915 we win zee night riding tn the
south that win make the Kentucky to
baeco war look Ike q church social
We have many fancy plans proposed
Come Of them are pure fancy. Take
the plan Of Mr.. Henry that the United
States Issue 600 Of money OF
something that looks Ike money to
yalortxe cotton ct 10 cents pound
Dbl you erer hear such tOmmyrot7
rs The next agency = the bank That
term ID Texas = 4 misnomer. The
bulk of the fraternity are not bankers;
they are paEnbrokess In disguise. For
twenty are years they have been edU-
eating the Texan to pay 10. II. Is and
even 20 per cent for money. Having
bnst mp such system. DO you think
Tor 1 moment that they are going TO Ie.
the people down here know that there
f. such 4 thing % or per cent mon
ey 10 the whole woEid7
-Ox course the bankers down there
ms loantng money on cotton. They
hare 10 do %. They WIN make . loan
II 80 on so pound bale. charging u
"a is per cent and taking It OF IN nd
rance. We are safe h assuming that
70 RAJ help WIN come from the south
IN IN. banker. The war forced the clos
M 0f 90O0OO00 cotton spindles. or
practically two-ti1irds Of the worlds
eptire cotton capacity II 20 per cent
II lie Engiish mills should be able 70
ooerate inst would still leave about
epe- half Of the worlds spinning capac-
~ idle. The present fighting = in the
very heart of the French and Belgian
spinning districts.
II ne assume that the United StntAa
and caaada viii consume during the
nexf twelve months 7-UDO00 bale<
Great Britain 2OU0. 900 bales and allow
a90OOOO bales for he baiance of n
counfYies uainz American cotton re
- "a estimated total consumption q
1n9OuO0O bales for the season OF
1911. is 70 this add IN estimated d.
..,.nsnd for 100000 bales produced 10