The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-05-26
America rs Menaced
By Food Famine

Labor Curtails Production. :,
Country Faces Serious
| Shortage
Columbia, May 21-Comnissiorer
| Harris is genuinely alarmed over the
prospect of a serious food shortage
, in. this country within the next few
months A year, age he gave warning
that this condition Would come about.
but the people have been too engross-
led IL the business of today to take
heed for the morrow. Reports and
statistics show, says Mr.. Harris,
1..that the the food supply is short to
| fill the demands of the world. The
situation that confronts the entire ma
/ ton, as we'll as. the South is very seri-
lous
s.It would be useless to undertake
/ to disguise the fact. no one can at
ford to close his eyes and refuse to see
that the situation is approaching the
critical Yes, we are aware of the
! fact that there is much money in the
Ncountry. We know that the per cap
ita circulation is greater than 1t has
lever been But that does not get US
fanywhere when we are confronted
with the spectacle of under produc-
| ton
The. demand for the necessities Of
| life is greater than the supply Too
Imany people are undertaking to reap
4 where they do not SOW. Theretare too
many consumers and TOO few produc-
Iers. 1t does not matter how much a
man has with which to pay for some
thing, IF that something is not to he
had. We have seen this fact demon
strated in the past, two or three years:
s4.At one time wheat -four was so
Iscarce< purchasers were limited to the
fquantity. and it was the same with
tsugar For instance, If. q man had a
4 barrel of money he could buy only
ahree5 pounds, of sugar, and now i
Ireaairese almost aebarre1& OF money to
obtain a pound Thus, it is not al
ways the case that money can do all
that it IS expected to do.
Today the country is confronted
with a great problen-tl1e problem
4 lof productions Unless there will be
y . greater production of food supplies
I I, his year than indications now poin.
4 to. the people of the entire country
Twill have hard time before another
i food crop can be produced: One can
not buy. bread and meat unless there
lis bread and meat for sale. Unless
4 there be a.revoiution In production eof
i food supplies in this country. it isn't
I going TO be: a great while before lev
erybcdy as well as poor--will
begin to feel the pinch Of hunger that
4 is sure to come. : -Sss9 Is.
Again I:want to urge3the farmers
Ifof, South Carolina so to arrange to .di-
! leersiSy their crops as to- raise all the
home supplies OF food for fhe=fan1ily
: and FOR tn live stock For if the.far-
Isnen depends upon bnying it and there
lis nothing to buy, how isshe goisrssstc
4 live; Not to mention at all his re-
s sponsibiity in part toward others.
eff there ever was a time when he
8 tshousd do these things.fit is iow. this
s. very year. For the thinking men OF
the world realize that we. are not far
/ Ina nov there are some sections
where hay and corn can hardly be
hadTfn quantity sufficient for the de-
Il mand. and. for every day from this
4 time on the situation will grow more
serious. .s..==-s'.'s;
GstttIf is not too late for the farmers
OF thesSouth to remedy such conditions
by planting plenty of corn, peas; cane
/ for syrup They should at least raise
hogs sufficient for home consumption
Take warning before it is too late, :" is
Mr.. lHarris,s heartfelt appeal to the
! farmers OF the state.
Commissioner Harris has been max
ing a careful study of crop conditions
all over the country studying govern
nent reports as well as the carefully
compiled statements of commercial
agencies and such Investigators as the
american Steel and Wire Company.
t'In the corn belt and wheat produce
ing States. says Mr.. Harris. Hstl1e ac-
reage Of wheat is greatly reduced, the
preparation of the land is poorly done
4 on account of too ,h1uch wet weather.
and corn planting is at least from two
ito three weeks late. Mich means that
/ if the frost comes on it's usual time the
Icrop may be cut short. -
These facts applyeto Indiana, Kan
sas. Missouri, Tennessee. ohios Wy
oming, Idaho, Kentucky. Maryland.
Virginia, Illinois. Montana. Utah New
Mexico and Delaware. The subnor-
NAL weather we have been having
in this section is but a counterpart,
only in nilder way, of what the rest
of the, country in general has been
suffering.
! ."As to the cotton situation, f have
| heard from the following States, Tex
| as. Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma.
| A III