The Robesonian., 1918-02-28
TOBACCO VERSUS FOOD.

Some Observations Anent Raising and
Encouraging the Raising Of To.
bacro in Face of World Food Short
age.
To the Editor of The Robesonian:
On account Of suggestions that have
come to me during the past few weeks
little space in your paper will be
appreciated. l desire to speak par
ticularly about the proposition at
this time of planting hundreds of fer
tile acres of farm land in Robson
county in crop of tobacco. To rec
the pathetic appeals and listen>to The
notes Of warning that are coming to
US every day, it really seems like it
would be difficult to induce a farmer
to plant single acre or business
man to have an acre planted, yet the
news is coming in from the tobacco
sections to the effect that great prer-
arations are being made for bumpe
tobacco crop, and we know of our ow
| knowledge that scramble has been
on for sometime among the business
men buying up tobacco warehouse
stock. We also understand that other
inducements are being offered the
farmers to raise tobacco, and from
what we see and hear daily, it ap-
| pears to be true
! II there was no food shortage and
we were not mixed up in the world
war it wn'-1d hn r~-e Of o7,r- h,,S:~-~
what the farmers plant and raise and
we would have nothing to say about
1T; however, under existing conditions
the man in this country who is not
now concerned about these things is
either irresponsible or appallingly ig-
norant. So farzas our worldly exist
ence is concerned, every one must
know we are facing the darkest hour
Of our history. Our food administra-
} tors and others who are armed with
, facts tell us that we are not only
Z going to get hungry for something te
eat, but that hundreds of US are going
: to starve to death for the want of it
r and we don't have to depend upol
Y and see it coming.
l.
Y food or in any way to help win tn
S war it would be another proposition
e but doctors and Psychologists tell u
r that it is very injurious to the huma
family It not being a food or Of an
+ use whatever to mankind, why will
t, not be a great mistake for our busi
e ness men to put money and energ
l. in tobacco warehouses and tobacc
} farming and encourage our farmer
# to cultivate their best land in tobat
g co? If our innocent children an
helpless dependents suffer for foo
e while we raise tobacco the respons
n, bility will rest upon us. Will some
n. one please explain why this will M
D be helping the Kaiser? We unde
e. stand he don't ehaw, neither does h
ID people raise it. It would be goo
news, however, for him to hear tn;
1e we are making plenty Of it, for
tt knows the more tobacco we make tt
M tless food will we make. Not on
A ldoes it seem unwise to raise it nc
at for the sake of money, but there h
never been a better time for M
n to clean up and quit the use of it, a
p no man except one who has been
er slave to it and has overcome 1t a
on quit and has not taken something el
r. in it's stead knows the real pleasu
he of being free from that thing. The
fl comes more joy with the knowledge
.th being free from it during one sin,
lty hour of time than can be smoked a
pressed out of stacks and tons OF
IA during a whole lifetime. ,
We feel that it would be a gra
bic thing and real patriotism IT the
his bacco beds of Robson county sho
the be converted into pumpkin patches
rn- the tobacco land planted in food cro
are Patriotic talk around tobacco ba
ION and tobacco warehouses next sunni
OF will indeed be as the sounding br
be and the tinkling cynlbal.
are But thew say we need the nor
ar This seems to be common error
rse, we fall into. During time OF p
get it is vastly more important that
'ur- strive to keep what we already b
ar at it's normal worth than to
SER chances on making more by follow
a line Of activity that does not re
my in general benefit. The value {
40, dollar is fixed by the amount of bl
lam it will buy, and the day our b,
eer, gives out, that day our money
fuel comes worthless. We see it depret
Win ing before our eyes just as rapid,
the the days come and 60. Some y
the ago while in Washington we '
that shown vaults in the Treasury
cut oartnoent that contained gold and
7hen yer enough, they said, to load t
yet and one-half miles of railroad
to their utmost capacity Yet, as
recollect the price of flour thel
1t, compared with the present, all
pile Of money would only buy
third the amount of flour no'
the Wouio nave Dougn. +o,,zht sre +h.+ =
ght, racs IS, @ we a. a,e a11o,u Ios Tho n,1est;e
nber SIN ioi man ~ a. a,io" ooo,,nu v +ha