Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-04-13
Meeting Yesterday Shows Gravity of Situation Re-
 alized by Everyone.
COMMITTEES FOR
 EACH TOWNSHIP
Acreage Devoted to Food and Feed CrOps Will Be Greatly Increased as Result of War Situation, Menacing
 Supply of Food for Civilians.

That some of the largest planta- ton owners in the county have al- ready given strict instructions to their tenants that food and feedstuffs must be raised in quantities sufficient to supply the demand of the plantations involved, was the statement made yesterday forenoon by several of the planters, and it was stated also that other planters will issue such orders within the next two or three days, and will see that they are carried out.
 J. w. Gibson made the statement that while other planters and some of the supply men have said the negro farmers can not be prevailed upon to grow food and feedstuffs, he himself has had no difficulty along those lines with his tenants.
 The men and women on his land, MT. Gibson averred, are already keen ly aroused to the crisis, and they are all planting additional acreages of food and feedstuffs. Where it had been planned originally to plant five acres, ten are being planted; where 20 acres had been planned 30 are be- ing planted; and each and every tenant on the place is not only plant ing some food for the men and the beasts on the place, but are planting a quantity more than sufficient for his own needs. And they are determined that the proper care shall be given these tracts, in the way of cultivation, just as care will be given the acreage planted in cotton.
 Reese Burks made statement along the same lines. saying that he has already conferred with his tenants on his place relative to the food prob lem. Every tenant on his place, he announced, is planting and cultivat- ing at least five acres of food and feedstuff for each head of livestock on the place.
 Meeting Was Enthusiastic.
 There were other talks along the same line made by other planters and farmers who were in attendance yes terday morning at the big meeting, at the assembly hall of the chamber or commerce. Present at the meeting were men who are leading in every township in the county, and they had Deen called together by County Judge A. E. Cheek to formulate the plans gor the county wide campaign in be- fialf of greater production and con- eervation of food and feedstuffs.
 Perhaps never before has there been such an enthusiastic meeting of so many of the county's most influential men as was the meeting yesterday nornlng, and, perhaps, as many of
 
 pever such an important situation to pc considered Not only the city and ne county and the state, but the en- Ire country is vitally interested and nVolved in the problem, and several the speakers made it plain that pon the result of this food mobiliza- lon campaign will depend the success
 the president and congress, in their ians TOT successful war against the nperlal German government.
 Farmer Must Feed City.
 Ine point was brought out at the neetlng yesterday that perhaps 30 per ent Of the citizens of the county live the farms of the county, and are ngaged in agricultural pursuits. It as stressed as an important consid-
 don that these 30 per cent must
 pauce not only enough food and
 edstuffs for themselves, but also nough for the other 70 per cent of ae people, who are engaged in other aslnesses, which are not productive
 food supplies.
 m other words, whenever the 30 er cent of the people raise food for
 emselves, they must raise more than vlce as much more foodstuffs. to be
 ten by the other 70 per cent of the
 ople: This extra production will
 can just so much ready cash for the
 rmers, because his city. brothers,
 Crklng at their several businesses, tu De compelled to buy it for money
 pm the farmers. The farmers will
 us be serving their country as
 'trlots by producing the food supply,
 (Continued on naoa five.l