The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-03-06
MUST REDUCE ACREAGE.
Farmers Agree Campaign Must be
Waged.-Plans Made.

At meeting of the farmers OF
Bamberg county at the court house
last Friday morning, plans were
| made for conducting an aggressive
| campaign throughout the county fol
the purpose of securing pledges from
every cotton planter to reduce his
cotton acreage in accordance with
| the plans of the recent New Orleans
convention. The meeting was the
| most enthusiastic assembly of farm
ers that has perhaps ever been held
| in this city There was an air of de-
termination about the meeting, and
it appears that the farmers are ready
to fight for their rights and demand
proper prices for. their products.
The first thing done at the meeting
was the election of Mr.. j. Arthur
Virgins, of Denmark, as temporary
chairman. Mr.. Wiggins then made a
ringing address to the farmers, in
which he stressed the necessity of the
farmers reducing acreage this sea-
son, and showed the disaster that
would befall us if the farmers fail to
do so. Showing the necessity for de-
termined action on the part of the
farmers, Mr.. Virgins related an in
cident of unusual interest. He stated
that recently a man who came to
Denmark as a travelling salesman for
we'll known commodity had been
proven to be an agent of Wall street.
The man had gathered statistics on
the cotton crop. The time has come
for the farmers to assert themselves,
he said, and cease to be domineered
by the cotton gamblers.
The meeting then proceeded to a
permanent organization by the elec-
tion of the following officers: Presi-
dent, G. w. Rentz; vice president, A.
NJ. Brabham; secretary, J. ]. Heard.
Committees were then appointed
to canvass the entire county in an ef-
fort to secure pledges from every cot
ton farmer that he will cut his acre
age this year one-third. The follow
ing are the committees named for
each section of the county:
Denmark. B. Guess, Jr., J. K.
Mayfeld.
Olar-C. F. Rizer, w. B. Chitty.
Ehrhardt-S. w. Copeland, J. H.
A. Carter, I. D. Copeland.
Govan-J. F. Lancaster, R. L.
Lancaster, S. S. Williams.
Kearse-H. A. Kearse, Arthur
Brabham.
Fishpond township-F. E. Steed-
ly, j. G. Rhoad, A. G.. W. Hill.
Brier Creek section-J. J. Eng
land.
Midway-C. B. steedly, J. Y.
Hicks.
Colston-J. Calvin Mcmillan, Joe
Beard, G. F. Padgett.
Lees-H. B. Grimes, w. D. May
field.
Clear Pond-F. C. Aver, P. K.
Hughes.
Bamberg-A. Rice, W. D. Rowell,
C. R. Brabham, J. D. Copeland, Jr.,
J. A. j. Rice, ]. A. Williams, a. NJ.
Brabham.
These committees were instructed
to start work at once and if possible
have all of the farmers in their dis
tricts signed up by next Friday,
March Z, at which time the commit
tees will meet again at the court
house to check UP and report the
names of those who have refused to
reduce their acreage.
Mr.. J. B. Guess, Jr., of Denmark,
was present and told Of his trip to
the New Orleans meeting recently:
He said that there was no doubt that
the West, and particularly Texas, was
going to reduce the acreage, that
many pledges had already been Sc
cured there, and that they were 60
ing to reduce despite the fact that
they are now only planting on an av-
erage of about six acres to the plow,
or less, on account of the boil weevil.
Speeches were also made at the
meeting by Messrs. J. B. Guess, Sr.,
G.. w. Goolsby, H. C. Crum, c. W..
Rentz, and others, all stressing the
Importance of prompt and determin-
ed action as the only means of saving
the cotton crop this year. About
800 farmers were present. 1t was de-
cided that reduction of fertilizers
would not be pressed.
The Fatherless Children of France.