The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-08-19

Mr.. l.. f. Scott, of Decatur, Ca, ha.
walked up to the economic disadvan
tage of the South in being a buye,
instead of seller. Probably Mr.. Scot
mas known all along that a consumins
country Is at the mercy Of a produc.
ing country, but the trouble is tina,
the great majority of our people have
not walked up to the fact. Many are
waking up all right, but the thinc
to do is to get the whole South &c
wake u2. When that is done it will
be easy for us to know why the aver.
age farmer can barely make both ends
meet instead Of being able to have
at least small surplus at the end
OF the year. or course, if he buys
more than he sells he will not make
both ends meet but will be in debt a,
the end OF the year. Mr.. Scott has been
nguring on that proposition, so he
writes to the Atlanta Constitution:
THE Southern people are almos,
exclusively buyers of everything we
use from baled hay to automobiles
There Is the case of our crop of cot
ton that Is raised in great part by
tenants on farms that are not, and will
never become, diversified, thus Civ
ing the world 100000. 900 to $1,000
100000 every year in cotton and cot
ton seed at about the cost Of produc-
ton. From the average selling price
OF the 1915 cotton crop received by
those who produced it at lower price
than 1t has since sold for. since as pro-
ducers they had to part with it, and
buying the same cotton back in man.
ufactured goods, after the cotton
brokers" had levied higher price on
this same cotton, leaves the consumer
d his own product to be scarcely
able to get enough cash to clothe his
family.
Snce the European war there has
been a restless desire exhibited by ev.
cry kind Of manufacturing plant to
raise prices, and under the guise of
being influenced by a great foreign
demand for goods. have found an easy
mark In actually robbing over 1O0.-
100000 American consumers. It
would be all right for our government
to allow any surplus of any kind of
American goods to leave our ports,
ard at whatever price the traffic will
stand, but when our own citizens and
workmen become involved in the hold
up and commercial robbery, halt
should have been promptly called.
1T has been sadly overlooked that
for months the American consumer
has been forced to pay SC for sugar
that under no condition should have
been over cents per pound. The
crop Of wheat the world over, as well
as all cereals. for the years 1884
10. was the largest ever harvested, and
with two years war demand and
plenty of wheat. corn. oats. rye and
barley, Chicago has recently marked
up the price Of wheat that will cost
every American family about 10 cents
FOR each 4s-pound sack Of -four, ard
SO over one hundred million people in
America are being unjustly robbed OF
everything we eat and wear, and ON
everything in the line of metal and
builders hardware. and all unneces.
sarily, and to the hurt and damage of
all legitimate building enterprise.
Exports Of foodstuffs for the fis-
cal year just ended shows breadstuffs
suffered the greatest loss in COMPARE
son with previous years. wheat being
$11S.ooo,0o0; oats. $4,000, 900; corn,
sS.sO0,000; flour $4,000. 900 less.
$50 1t is easy to see there is now
no reason for alarm as to an unusual
demand for the above goods, yet the
prices are abnormally high to the
American consumer.
Last year the news was flashed
over the land that there was not
enough leather to make shoes for the
people, and 1t later developed there
was no truth in the statement. The
paper situation is in the same boat
and 1t is now announced it will be a
hard matter to get enough supplies for
the American school children; so,
again. every American family is to be
still further robbed.
America produces wealth wonder.
fully, and yet distributes it infamous
ly. and II there is not some halt called,
whatever money is received by the
South for our products Of raw mate
rial will not be sufficient to meet the
demands Of the barest subsistence, and
after the 1915 debts shall have been