Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-07-23
FACTORIES AND FARMS
 PINE BLUFF TERRITORY <
 YIELD GOLDEN HARVEST
Continued from page one.)

out of this city, on the two big rail road systems. This means more trains are being operated, which means the employment of more trainmen, and so far as concerns the other departments of the road, it means also increases in the number of employees and the amount expended for wages, and more plainly than anything else, it indi- cates that this entire section of the country is enjoying it's full share of the prosperity which prevails In all parts of the country.
 Postmaster John Wilbourne's rec ords show that the receipts at the local postoffice for the quarter just closed amounted to $14,240.99, an in crease of $1 ,9O1.26 over the same quar- ter in 1915. This. again is considered an indication of the betterment of conditions here.
 Perhaps the best indication that the common laborer, especially the negro, is better off this year than he was in 1915, is shown by the records of the city tax collector The city of Pine Bluff collects street tax of $3 per annum on all .able-bodied males be- tween IS and 45 years of age. The tax may be paid in cash, or the tax payer may work three days on the city streets, in lieu thereof. Last year, it was the exception for the negroes to work out the period, al though last year only two-thirds ct the street tax was collected. This year about 90 per cent of the men are paying the $3 in money, because they are all employed at better wages and have the money with which to 1 pay the tax. And because the city pays only $1 per day for laborers on the city streets, it is having difficult time to find enough men to keep the streets clean. Adopt Preparedness Plan.
 In the rural communities and among the farmers the same condi- tion of general prosperity prevail Never before has this county harvested such wonderfully fine crop of fruits and vegetables as are now coming into the market. Canteloups, watermelQns grapes, peaches, tomatoes and al other such products, are flooding the market, and as result of the condi- tions prevailing here, they are bring ing small prices. A watermelon that is as big as man can carry can be purchased for 10 cents. Canteloups are bringing 20 cents the dozen plums 25 cents the peck, peaches 5( cents the bushel, from farmers 1 wagons.
 These low prices are due primarily to the fact that there is no system o1 marketing here, no cold storage plant no means whereby the producers car get the advantage of modern methods All this will be changed next season however, as result of the action o1 | the chamber of commerce at a recent meeting, when the trustees of the or. ganization decided to employ in the fall an expert in agriculture, to work with the farmers for the proper sys tematization of their labors.
 Lincoln county, Grant county Cleveland county, Desha county ant Jefferson county are included ia thu plans of the chamber of commerce for this new field of endeavor. Tn great and rapid spread in the network of modern turnrikes an good roads il these five counties, all the road reaching into Pine Bluff make thi city a centsr admirably qualified t serve as the focus of this new w ' /; It is planned for the expert to mee with the farmers at their homes, tt advise with t'em on what to plant how and when, and how to arrang' his product be it fruit or vegetables for market. The expert will keep il touch with market conditions every where, and with the railroads, ant he will be able to inform the farmers as to when they should haul thei products to i.is city, where they wll bring fair price. : A cold storage plant, where perish able products may be stored untl market conditions are satisfactory, ! the natural step to follow the es tablishment If this new system, an the buildings of the old Pine Bluf Packing company is at hand for sucl purpose, already fully equipped 10 such service. A canning factory i another stsp forward, and this plan likewise is here Neither the pack ing plant nor the canning factor rave ever bsrn operated since thel erection, because of financial diff