The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-08-22
South slandcrcd.
Greenville Piedmont.

| Io6hiSuituIoo % iooiioH uSScTlioHS 10 tnC
contrary, the South not only feeds
itself but helps feed the balance OF
the nation. This has been Demon
strated by the governments own
figures. And yet the agricultural dc
partment persists in promuglating
falsehoods as to this section? For
instance it's weekly news let .r OF
July IA contains this paragraphs:
"As each person, it is calculated,
consumes about three-fourths of a
barrel of flour a year. and as the
population of the Southern States is
approximately 3O,0O0.OOO, it is obvious
that the general use of these wheat
flour substitutes would result in a
marked reduction in the total quantity
of wheat flour consumed in the South
On the basis of total flour consump-
tion in the Southern States of over
22, 100000 barrels, it has been esti-
mated that if the practice became
universal the use of rs per cent Of
-four substitutes grown in the South
would save over 5,500.O00 barrels
Of flour. AS matter of fact, how
ever, the saving would be far greater
than this because a much larger pro-
portion of flour substitutes can be
used in the preparation of biscuits
than In bread. IN view of this fact
the total saving might amount to
100000 barrels of white flour. All
this flour, 1t must be remembered, is
imported into the South from other
sections. and the consumer must pay
freight rates on it,"
Read that last sentence again. IT
Is rankly false. The Manufacturers
Record resented that misrepresenta-
ton Of the South and asked the de-
partment of agriculture for an ex-
plantation as to what States it classad
as Southern and on what basis OF
computation 1t reached its conclusion
as to the flour consumption of tho
South. The reply contained the fol-
lowing paragraphs:
According to the World Almanac
for 1912, the population of the South
Atlantic States in 1910 was q little
over 12,000,O0O; that of the East
South Central states somewhat over
s 100000, and that of the west South
Central States was S,5OO,OOO, making
total population for those Southern
States mentioned a little over 29,OOO,-
600.
the average annual consumption
Of flour In this country is about one
barrel per capita. 1t was assumed
that the Southern people did not eat
so much wheat bread as the rest OF
the country, and because of that fact
it was also assumed that about three
quarters of barrel of flour per capita
would approximate the amount OF
Hour consumed. These are mere as
sumptions. and if they are not correct
and you have any information which
Will give more correct data, we shall
be very glad inded. to receive the
There is some very effective satire
in the Manufacturers Records COM
ment upon that letter. 1t says:
THE Census Department Of tho
United States issues annually an es-
innate of the population of the coun-
try. but an official of the department
OF agriculture has to turn to the
World Almanac of 1912 for the statis-
tics of the South's population Of 1910
m order to get the figures! Surely,
school Of statistics should be estab-
lished in Washington for the benefit
IF men who undertake to handle the
governments figures. This is 1917,
1ut a government official charged with
he responsibility of issuing state
ments about the consumption of flour
in the South finds nothing later than
he figures of 1910. seven years ago,
published in the World Almanac for
iSl2. five years ago. No wonder tn
Department of Agriculture is con-
Stantly putting forth the vCries;
trash! There are some bureaus in tho
Department of Agriculture which
send out information of much value,
but evidently there are other bureaus
which need a radical ovcrhauling.
But even if we should take the fig
urcs of 1910 instead of the figures o.
1916, the absurdity of the statement
that all of the flour used in the
south is brought from elsewhere is
strikingly illustrated. For in 1910
the production of wheat i'm the South