The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-09-15
MEETING AT WEDGElIELD.
County Wide Campaign or Council o:
Defense Developing Interest.

Despite the cold weather or last
night quite u number OF ladies and
gentlemen of WedScield and other
portions of Middleton and Nanchts-
ter townships attended the cOmmun-
ity meeting in the large auditorium OF
the school building at Wedgeticld.
DR.. Nj. L. Parer. chairman of the
Middleton Township Committee of the
Sumter County Council of Defense
presided and introduced the speakers.
Mr.. j. III. Higginbotham, Field
Agent Of the Bureau Of Markets Of
the United States Department of Ag-
r!culture very interestingly explained
the objects of the Tri-County Farm
ers Cotton Marketing Association, of
Sumter, and discussed the government
Standardization of cotton, and the rca-
sons why the government has station.
ed an expert cotton classer on the
Sumter cotton market. He was asked
many questions. and those present
seemed interested in the workings Of
the association and the governr.en
methods Of organization of cotton
growers.
Mr.. j. Frank Williams, Farm Dem
onstrator for this county. discussed
the mediate and future needs Of the
farmers, with due regard to diversi-
flcation. and particularly with refer-
ence to soil preparation for an in
creased acreage of wheat, oats, win
ter gardens, and winter cover crops.
ative action in holding cotton, and
selling cotton in lump lots so as to Sc
cure advantageous prices and also of
the advantages of storing cotton in
the Sumter warehouse, because of the
fact that the storage rates here are so
attractive that 1t is cheaper to store
cotton in Sumter than to store it on
the farms. He advocated precaution-
ary methods to. protect the public
health.
Mr. f. I. Reardon. Secretary of tho
County Council of Defense advocated
the planting of tobacco on every farm
In limited acreages and urged that
farm landowners encourage and assist
their tenants and share croppers TO
plant tobacco. build barns. and secure
fertilizers for them for tobacco cu'-
ture. He gave statistics from officia'
sources to show that the prices Of to-
bacco will, during the next two years
be regulated by the law Of supply and
demand. that the tobacco supply j.
two years behind the normal demand.
and that prices will be almost certain
to remain very high for next two or
three years.
He also explained the objects OF tho
cooperative produce marketing asso-
citation being organized in this coun-
try.
Mr.. H. G. Osteen covered the ques
tions of diversification coupled up
with intelligent marketing of all farm,
products, and showed wherein Sumtc
county is blessed by a combination O:
good things. such as fertile soils
splendid climate, winter and summer
healthfulness of this section, tn.
bountiful supplies of pure, palatablc
and health giving waters for man and
beast. absence of epidemics or seriou
outbreaks Of disease as compared with
some other sections where there ar
fertile soils, but bad water and ur
healthy conditions He showed where
In Sumter county was one of the hes
places to live and farm, and be in
dependent. and to "live at home" I'm
this country. He advocated diversi
fication Of crops. so easily done in this
county. better highways. conservatio
or food and feedstuffs. and improve.
ment Of public health conditions.
DR.. 8. H. Edmunds, Superintendent
OF Sumter City Schools. in his force.
ful style delivered most interestin !,
and scholarly address. He dwelt on
the Importance Of the awakening O.
the american people to what tn.
present war means to posterity should
the Germans win and depicted in con-
Servative vet cOnvincinp noopnor tb q,
horrors of the conflict in the refine
ment OF cruelty and scientific bar
barism practiced on helpless and in
hocent noncombatant women and
children of France and Belgium by
the German governments orders.
He defined lo.alty and disloyalty to