The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-05-01
COTTON PLANTING
DELAYED BY RAIN
CONDITION FAR FROM NORMAL
THROUGHOUT BELT.
Harris Makes Survey
Observations Given for Different
States-Great Reduction Assured,
Says Commissioner.

Columbia, April 27.-Commisslon-
or Harris is ,erv enthusiastic over
the meeting recently held at Men,
phis for the purpose OF organizing a
great corporation to finance the cot
ton situation. This has been Mr..
Harris hobby since 1905 when he
first began making public talks on
this line. He. believes that ne will
see the fruition of his hopes of many
years. From Memphis Mr.. Harris at
tended a meeting of the National
Good Roads Association held at Min
eral Wells Texas. Of his speech at
Mineral Wells The Daily Index OF
that city has the following account:
"In many ways the speech of the
session was made by B. Harris, COM
missioner of agriculture of South
Carolina: Mr.. Harris said that he
had prepared manuscript for the
occasion, but he believed he'd just
table and forget it. He said so much
that was fine one must needs have
heard him to fully have appreciated
the bigness of his subject and the
|earnestness and sincerity with which
he handled 1.-THE Farmer and His
Production.' The watchwords of his
burning theme were organization and
cooperation of the farmers, the mer-
chants and the bankers and his
sharpest criticism was directed
against the speculator, who grew rich
upon the labors of the tillers of the
soil. The South, he said, was the
most favored section of the globe
and it was just beginning to see
glimpses of the prosperity which was
its heritage. The South raised 65
per cent. of all the cotton that
clothed the world and in the handling
of that f1eecy commodity large part
of the world grew rich. 1t rested
with thefarmed to control that prod
uct and to draw from it his full and
~ightful share of profit. In burning
words he bade the farmers study
world conditions, organize and CO.
operate. His subject, he said, had a
beginning, but it had no end. He
gave to the convention a message not
to be forgotten"
Upon his return to his Office Mr..
Harris spoke very Interestingly of the
crop conditions all along the line
from here to Mineral Wells. when
l left Columbia" he said, travelling
via Atlanta and Birmingham, found
all the way that very little cotton is
being planted and that three-fourths
of the land had not been plcwed on
account of the wet weather. From
Memphis to Fort Worth, I travelled
over the cotton belt through Arkan-
sas into Texas. I found on that route
that about one-half of the ground
had, been plowed and no cotton plant
ed. 7 passed through a fine rice belt
in Arkansas and found that none of
it had been plowed for the same rea-
son. From Fort Worth to Mineral
Wells I found the same conditions.
At that great convention attended by
more than 1000 persons who were
representative and intelligent citizens
from all over the States of Texas,
Oklahoma, Arkansas. Louisiana, Mis-
sissippi and Alabama, inquired very
particularly among all the farmers
and business men concerning the cot
ton acreage. They all agreed that cot
ton acreage is being very much re-
duced and they believe that it will
be cut one-third. 1 was informed that
in many places they would cut out en-
tirely the planting of cotton. They
have all agreed that the cotton crop
is at least three weeks late.
ION my way back via Texas & Pa
cifc Railway, which brought me