The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1917-09-29
GARDEN MOVEMENT MOVEMENT
GAINS HEAOWAy
on 6 PLACES
AS SuITHDOWN REFINERY iS
BEING MODERNIZED
FOR FUTURE

Installing modern machinery IN
Southdown refinery in order 10
bring it up to state Of efflceray
equal to that of Cuban refineles'
work which is now underway an.
will be finished in time to take Off
the next crop, is one of two things
that have been made part or
the. present system of management
Of the Est. of H. c. Minor. The
other is improvement of living con-
ditions among the laborers by help
ing them to help themselves.
Renovation Of the sugar house
to increase it's capacity and to re-
duce the cost of manufacture, was
dacidad upon Immediately
after the harvesting Of last season 5
crop. Last year crops were good
and prices reasonably high, and
the sugar planters, big and small,
made money. But in the unexpect-
ed prosperity, the managers OF the
Minor Estate did not forget the
years preceding, from 1911 to 1918
when the fate of the sugar business
trembled in the balance, and sug-
ar planter was a walking advertise
ment Of LOuisiana's misfortune.
They felt that for the next few
years, at least, the Louisiana sugar
industry could thrive, though it be
run along the same lines as in the
past. But after that-WAen condl-
tions become normal again-and
the Louisiana planter is compelled
to produce his sugar as cheaply as
it is in foreign countries-what
then? They viewed the question
from every angle and then began to /
work out its solution. An ,nVes-
tigation of conditions in Cuba re-
vealed the fact that in soil and I
field work, Louisiana is not behind
Cuba; that cane can be grown and
brought to the mill as cheaply as
it is done in Cuba, but that in the
manufacture of the cane juice into
sugar the Louisiana refiner has not
kept abreast Of his Cuban Compel
itor. The solution then seemed
very clear-modernize the sugar
house on the plan of the Cuban fac
tory. With the money at hand,
and good prices assured for several
years to come, the huge task, in
volving an outlay of nearly hum
dred thousand dollars, was under
taken and is now nearly finished,
or will be by the beginning Of the
grinding season.
But while occupied the greater
part of the time with the supervis-
ing of this work, the gentlemen at
the head of the Estate of H. c.
Minor have been carrying out an
other idea in their general plan of
improving conditions for the mu-
tual benefit of employer and en-
ployee, which is likely to go a
long way toward spreading con-
tentment among the laboring clas-
es, on their several plantations. For
it Is we'll recognized principle that
satisfied labor is the foundation to
industrial success.
To bring this about the field la
borers, most of whom are negroes,
are being led into the way of self
help, by being encouraged to 90
things for themselves from which
they and their families derive ben
eft. Every family permanently
residing on any of the plantations
owned by the Minor Estate, is per-
#mitted the use of enough land to
make a garden. Free seed are fur
nished upon request, and *'time Off
with team and implements is al
lowed each man whenever his gar.
den requires working. Those wh1
continued on page 81