Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1916-12-06
BIG PLANTATION
system BAD FOR
SOUTHERN negro
New Farm Loan Law Not
Likely to Help Negro
Farmer, Says Educator.

AIlCdRO, DtCs ia PCool
mistic view of the negro farmer prob
lem in the South was presented today
at the National Conference on Market
ing and Farm Credits by Lewis Ceci
Gray, professor of economics at the
George Peabody College for Teachers
at Nashville, Tenn. The new farm loar
law, he. said, was unlikely to help the
negroes or poor whites, and, because
of it's maximum limitation on loans
would prove Of little value to the big
planters.
The plantation system, the speaker
said, grew naturally out of the aboli-
ton of slavery which was first replac-
ed by hired negro labor and later by
the tenant farmer system.
"For good or for evil" said Profess
sor Gray, "the system is firmly rooted
in the soil of the South.
"There is general agreement by some
Of the foremost students of the plan
tation problem that the system is ia
vorable to industrial efficiency wher-
ever plantation organization and con
troll under white supervision is highly
centralized. Under such conditions the
plantation economy is far in advance
of the economy of the average negro
owner or the negro tenant who is sub
stantially autonomous in his farming
operations.
"On the other hand the plantation
system is to be judged by its effect
on the progress of the negro and from
this standpoint it is fairly clear that
the negro is most backward in those
regions where the plantation system
has reached it's highest development.
In such regions the school facilities
are the poorest, the percentage of il
literacy is highest, the negro is most
primitive.
"Any system of mortgage credit
that will be Of material benefit to the
negro farmers and larger part to
the poorer white farmers must be far
more liberal than those of the present
act, but it is probable that a great
majority of the negro tenants have not
reached the stage of development that
would justify an attempt to legislate
them into ownership.
ut is possible, however, that sys-
tenn of credit based on the crop lien,
comprising agencies by the state to
regulate the terms of the loan, to con-
solidate the security, and to act as
CC1ulC0l0tC StkCIGlCo DCCWGCH JIlC
plantation and the general money
market, might prove successful"
Farmer Should Fix Price.
The farmer, like the manufacturer,
should fix the price of his, product,
said G. E. Prater, Jr., of Paw Paw,
Mich. manager of cooperative fruit
company, in addressing the
conference this afternoon.
Mr.. Prater said he had observed
great "bullish" enthusiasm among
merchants seeking the
business of growers but wonderful
"bearishness" on arrival of fruits at
the commission house.
"Fruit growers of Michigan" said
Mr.. Prater, "still are facing the prob
lem of whether to continue the old
method of consigning their fruit
Thereby letting the other fellow set
the price) or to try to interest indi-
vidual cash buyers in their product.
"The individual association can not
afford to maintain an efficient mar
keting organization because of linn
tied business and the short time it's
products are on the market. Hence,
Michigan's great need is federation
which will provide selling center
for the entire seasons produce. of the
state, or, at least, furnish a source
whence information on any given pro-
duct may be obtained from depend
able shipper"
After the formation of the Michigan
fruit growers organization, Mr.. Pratt
to rsaid in closing, Michigan grapes
ter said in closing in price, with those
of other sections. In the last five
years, he said, the travelling grape
buyer had been curiosity in his terri
tory.