The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-02-02
GROW FOOD OR GO HUNGRY.
State Council Of Defense Sounds Note
OF Warning.

Ssotc council Of Defense Sounds Note
OF Warning.
The State Council of Defense, in
conjunction with the food administra-
ton and home demonstration depart
ments. will shortly begin the spring
campaign for food production and
observation. Notwithstanding the
splendid results from the last springs
campaign waged all over the United
States. the food situation of the coun-
try is now more acute than ever be
fore. This Is due to the largely in
creased demands from the govern
ment, to the damaging OF a large por-
tion of the corn crop of the northwest
by early frost, to the injury of the
winter wheat and oats crop by the un-
precedentedly severe winter and to
the tremendous losses from freezing in
transit and i'm homes of canned goods
fruits. potatoes and other perishablc
food products.
The congested conditions Of the
railroads in this section are greatly
delaying the movement Of freight, and
1t seems likely that acute shortages d.
certain food products may become
prevalent before long in our towns
and cities. Should such condition
arise the non-agricultural population
OF the State will have to depend
largely on the reserve food supplies on
the farms. and the farmers should
realize that it may he up 70 them a,
an early date to release part of their
surplus supplies OF corn. potatoes.
pork. etc., for the relief of the towns
We know of instances where mer.
chants have been forced to impor,
meal and corn from outside OF the
state after Offering the farmers 81
per bushel for corn and being unable
to induce them to bring it i'm. The
corn production of South Carolina 70
1917 was approximately forty-threo
million bushels, and this figure is an
adequate supply for the entire human
and animal population OF the state.
The corn coming in from outside will
leave surplus in our barns for rats
and weevls to consume. and besides
the unnecessary imports are putting
an extra burden upon transportation
facilities which we have no right TO
demand. IL seems to us that pa
triotism demands that the farmers all
over the State supply the towns with
corn. and it also seems to us that
present circumstances do not warrant
higher price than S2.O0 per bushel
to the farmer. When we remember
that price to the westerner for his
wheat has been fixed at only slightly
higher than this figure. ii would seem
evident that we have no right to de-
mand more. even IL circumstances
made IT possible to do 80.
ihooc WIN nave recently tamlllar.
ICED themselves with the general food
situatior in the United States are con-
vinced that the only safe policy for
our farmers to pursue in 1918 is to
bend every effort to the production OF
ample food supplies for the feeding
OF the entire population of the State.
Our people must be fed. no matter
whether cotton is ten cents or fifty
cents per pound. We all want to raise
all tho cotton we can under the pres
ent circumstances. and we should ID
so: but. first. let us all plan for an
adequate food acreage. There is no
other safe or reasonable course un-
der present conditions.
ID. II. Coker,
Chairman State Council of Defense.