Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-04-11
Threat of Food Famine ArOuSeS
 Jefferson to Big War Problem
Chamber of Commerce Undertakes Campaign to In- crease Food Production in County in Order to
 Avert Possible Hunger.

That the government will take over the cotton crop, at fixed maximum price, and that it will obtain, at a reasonable price, first choice of food and feedstuffs to feed the allies and to feed the United States army, thus forcing American farmers to grow their own feed and foodstuffs, or go hungry, is the message that is being spread broadcast through the country today from the Washington offices of the agricultural department, through all it's officials and workers, direct to | the farmers and consumers.
 The message was delivered to Pine Bluff yesterday, at meeting of trus- tees of the chamber of commerce and local wholesalers and jobbers, and ] through them is to be carried to every 1 individual farmer and planter in the county. It is essential that the mes sage be sent out at once and that the farmers heed it, because food and feedstuffs must be planted within the next two weeks.
 The man who plants cotton will get fair price for it, and fair price only from the government, just as munitions manufacturers will get a fair price for their product. The grain markets of the world already are prepared for the government to commander all stocks of grain, pay ing therefor reasonable price. The government has that authority, and lit is announced from sources high in the administration that it will not hesitate to use that authority.
 The one salvation of the individual citizens of the country in this crisis, it was stressed by J. B: Boyce, E. 5. Bloom, A. w. Nunn and other speak CTS, is for each farmer and planter to devote large portion of his acreage to growing the essential supplies or | his own home, with a little extra nroduction to care for the local de- mand. The agricultural department is urging that each planter and farmer devote one-half of his acreage to this purpose.
 No 25-Cent Cotton.
 "The cotton planter need not ex- meet to get 25 cents pound TOT ms cotton this year." said D. 5. Bloom. CT is made plain in statements by the government authorities that the government will handle the cotton crop exactly as it is handling the munition makers, the shlpDulloers and all other persons who proVloe necessary supplies. The cotton grow CT will get fair price for ms cottoh' but that is all" ,.
 Mr. Royce, who heard the address on this subject Monday night at Llt- tle Rock by Assistant Secretary Carl Vrooman of the United States depart ment of agriculture, spoke Tn the came vein. making it even. more em- phatic. ,,os+;or of having a lot of money, but ques- lion of whether money is going 10 De ahle to buy the necessities of life. We can not eat our cotton or our cold" he said. And if our cotton and our gold can not buy 1ooo 1o. us. we must go hungry. We are no' going to be able to buy necessitles even at exorbitant prices, unless % Oul farmers will grow such stun. lne government officials will feed the army and the navy and their ailles and when that is done there will! DC precious little left, unless there IS vast increase in the acreage deVotee to foodstuffs. ..ha,
 we must not depend upon otnei communities or states to supply us with our food or feedstuf1s' ne con. t;nned H "The railroads are going tt devote all their efforts to moving gov ernment orders, and it will be impos sible for ordinary shipments t to n mov, ;n,, looking for the arrival or a a, car.oa, of flour which was shipped in Januar! from Iowa. It has not yet arrlveo. have no idea when it VIII arIlve n. au. inc trouble is just starting
 Call Meeting Thursday. 1 A call was decided upon, issued D 2 Iudge l.. B. Cheek, for meeting 2 inc courthouse Thursday morning 2