The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-05-29
WATSON SURVEY BRINGS GLOON
Situation Serious, Both as to Supplies
Of Essential Commodities on Hand
and As to Prices.

Situation Serious, Both as to Supplies
Of Essential Commodities on Hand
and As to Prices.
Charleston American.
Columbia, May 24.-An exhaustive
survey of the food and iced conditions
in South Carolina. just completed by
the department of agriculture, COM
merce and industries, made at the re-
quest of Gov. Manning, shows that
, the situation is serious, both as to
supplies of essential commodities on
hand and as to price.
The survey represents an immense
amount of work by the department,
which was directly under the super
vision of Commissioner E. j. Watson,
and it is complete in every detail.
An alarming proportion OF the
stores examined reported no stock at
all of some of the most essential COM
modities, such as corn, oats and mix.
ed feed. twenty-five per cent. of the
wheat acreage has been abandoned,
leaving only 17S,000 acres to be har-
vested, with a prospective yield OF
1,S19,000 bushels, against 2,226.000 in
1915. The stock on farms is exhaust
ed.
On March 1 the stock Of corn on
farms in the State was 13,10O, 600
bushels, as against 17,904,000 at the
same date in 1916. At the same date,
of the home crop(of oats still on the
farms, there were only 100000 BUSH
els, against 1,496,000 bushels the pre-
ceding year at the same date. The
acreage in early cabbages is 4,100,
against 1900 in 1916. There Are only
5,5O5 tons of cotton seed remaining in
the hands of the cotton seed oil mills.
Dring the year so far about a quar-
ter of a million bushels were crushed
The oats crop this year will perhaps
be the shortest in several years.
There is a total of about $4,000 tons
of hay of last seasons growth still
on the farms.
The reports from the trucking dis
tricts on the coast are encouraging,
though most of this food is shipped
out of the State. About 100000 bar
rels of Irish potatoes will shortly be
harvested in the Charleston district
alone. In this district about 10000
/ acres are planted to vegetables Of tie
various kinds.
Gardens have been planted in this
State this year as never before.
What the Survey Shows.
"This survey merely brings out
facts to substantiate the general con-
ditions as to food and feed in the
State that this department has been
for years pointing out and pleading
with the people to cure. 1t shows our
absolute dependence for foods and
feeds on the West and uninterrupted
transportation from that section. 1t
shows that we have for years not
even been trying to feed ourselves
and our animals, but have been buy
ing food and feed in order to devote
almost exclusive attention to cotton"
says Col. Watson.
"From a careful study of the re-
suits of the survey the following con-
clusions seem inevitable:
81. That the commercial business
of the State in foods and feeds is
largely a hand-to-mouth business,
particularly in the cities; that stock
on hand sufficient to last longer than
three weeks is rarely carried; that
contract purchases ahead are the ex-
ception rather than the rule; that in
the case of ordinary small groceries
in cities stock sufficient to last for
onlv a few days ahead is carried.
"2. That stock on hand of all the
chief commodities of food and feed at
the time of the survey were not far
below the normal amount carried at
this season of the year, except in the
case of cured meats, particularly ba-
con, the supply of which is very
short.
"3. That practically all Of the
stocks, save about one-half Of 10 per
cent. of all commodities, are imported,
and, if transportation were interrupt
ed the urban population would in
few days be practically helpless for
food and feed.
"a. That there is an alarming pro-
portion of the stores examined re-
porting no stock at all Of some of the
most essential commodities, such as
corn, oats and mixed feeds.
"5. That the price situation is most
serious, being on some essential artl-
cles more than doubled as compared
to a year ago, on others very nearly
doubled, and on a few most materially
increased In fact the cost of living
in the towns and cities is almost dou-
bled and this is true of man and beast,
as shown by the range of wholesale
prices prevailing. This is not due to