The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-06-19

confer with the County Council about
this matter and If deemed advisa ble
VIII have representative of the
Chamber. Council and the County
Farmers Union to go to Washington
to confer with the South Carolina
delegation, the chief uuartermaster
National Food Administrator Hoover
and Secretary of Agriculture Hous-
ton. Assistant County Food Admin.
istrator e. I. Reardon has also taken
this matter up with the six officials re-
ferred to above with the statement that
he candidly believes the lack of gov
2rnmental cooperation in marketing
the surplus grain crops Of this county
will, together with the excess supplv
over natural local or export demand
greatly discourage the farmers in the
production Of surplus grain crops an
other year.
The Sumter Chamber of Commerce
dislikes to go over the heads of the
military authorities in this matter.
but thinks that the senator's and con-
sressmen from this State and other
Southern States should be advised of
he seriousness Of the situation.
The Sumter Chamber of Commerce
will send out an appeal to every COM
mercial organization in South Caro-
ina to Immediately take concerted ac-
Ion with the Sumter Chamber and
lppeal to Washington for relief along
he lines advanced by the Sumter
Chamber of Commerce and Mr.. Nc
,4aurins letter.
1t is true that farmers can turn
great deal of their corn and oats
INTO hogs and other livestock, and
hat a great deal Of the corn and oats
could be disposed of locally if the
corn is offered for sale in meal. or
seedstuffs, or if put up in merchan-
liable and marketable shape, but even
hen only a small percentage of the
jurplus can be sold.
4
Some months ago the County Coun-
Ill Of Defense was appealed to by the
sumter Chamber of Commerce to
orm cooperative marketing associa-
Ion to store, grade, sack, and mar
iet corn and oats. A committee Of
farmers representing every township
Of the County Council of Defense was
appointed to solicit stock in this CO.
operative marketing association to be
IF ten thousand dollars capital stock
o start with. But this committee
never secured a dollars worh of stock.
md at subsequent meeting reported
n favor of temporarily postponing the
proposed formation of this associa-
ion. The Chamber of Commerce has
oeen endeavoring for years to show
he farmers that they must have u
BUSINESS like and cooperative mar
ieting association in Sumter county
% handle the surplus grain. But the
'rgument is made, and with consider
ible consistency too, that it is the
luty of the Sumter business men to
ook after the storing. handling and
elling of the surplus grain crops of
heir farmer customers because the
armers are not, as a rule business
nen and the farmers have not the
business organization, capital, facili-
les, or distributing facilities for SELL
ng their surplus crops.
The argument has been used also
hat if the Union Brokerage Com
'any, of Sumter, a farmers associa-
ion owned and managed, and very
.uccessfulIy conducted for years ex-
:lusively by farmers, has been fin-
ncial success for buying and resell
.ng necessities to the farmers. that the
jnion Brokerage Company could also
buy and resell the farmers grains and
ave the farmers the middlemen's $
charges at the same time. The Union
brokerage Company has the neces-
ary plant located on convenient side
| track facilities, with sufficient cash
-apital and connections, or it can get
III of the capital and outside connec-
| tions necessary to handle the buying
md reselling Of all surplus farm pro-
ducts, just as well as an independent
| grain stock company could do these
| things.
But the management Of the Union
| brokerage Company says that this
| 'armers' company would not touch
he proposition of buying and re-
! ceiling grains with one hundred foot