The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-12-01
SUMTER, S. c.. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER /, 1920
FARMERS MUST
.SAVETHElhSEL YES
Governor Cooper Urges Them to
Join Their Associations
POSITIVELY NO TAX
EXTENSIONS NOW

IkVOAAlVGL1 NJ 4AA sfE
As EXTENSIONS NOW
|Diversification Of Crops Must
Be Practised During Recon.
struction Of South 81 .x
Columbia. Nov. 2ss--J. Sknttowe
WannRtnaker, preAidentI Of the Amer
lean Cotton association. today made
public the following letter which he
has received, from Governor Cooper:
It has been Hifnpossible for me to
answer Your telegram OF the firs1
instant until now. The deiays IA due
10. the fact that I wanted 70 give very
serious consideratop to vopr susxeA-
ttons with reference to poatponense al
4ef the time for the payment az taxes
and the reduction Of cotton Acreiae
by legislative enactment. = (
II ann sure YOU know OF Yny sSry
deep interest In the work being done
by the American Cotton assoetlxtou.
The situA Atton which ,oonfSontA the peo.
pie Of the south u q serious onA. ThiS
y q time for clear thinking. ana
eournEtous and conservative action.
We arc facing q lost In the keS0 cran
based on the present market prices
It 70 Obvious that people now So3Eaxjd
In agriculture must changvs tlisir
method OF farming II they aresto sxs
-pect = prQntable rAtufp for; their N
Dor and money invested. II believe
me, condition of the }Aftner ~ 9 whole
- much better now thar, Il, 49, }c1rt
or i've years ago. The present sikuas
u0n' II only Temporary. Iauf ebnvlac,
"a that the price ct cotton svill ,,,ss
terially advance before the pr6dactien
Of another crop. I en- al6o O,re- that
there must be reduction dc cottoa
acrea8c In 1874. and q Scorrespondinx
Increase In the planting lof grain and
other feed and food crops. There
must be an increase In the rroaucI
ton Of cattle, hogs, etc. 4 We m ust
look tNes' 'sjtuation. al Il. 10. sonah1aysy yu
the facs. We have eiery natSrat I'd |.
ventase. .ss., T.. am. sure ! that sy0ur ayl.
xankation has niti eisng inteSk kjkeNck
Sna coNFsesSts.lsad. our rpeopla a4fh thf
! s''AnsweFirg specifically your sugssss
lions AZ to, the postpoHe Hehsenk or ihA
time for the payment of taxeb and
the reduction OF cotton 4craag4 by. ieYl
islative' enactment: IN the matter 81
'hs payment OF taxSA YOU rs have
doubtless overlooked the fact that che
state. In order TO meet current apptp.
priattons in the year 1890. had to bort
row three million dollars, which Is
payable during the months OF Janu-
ary and, February 1921, and the tax
levy, has been pledged for the pay I
ment OF these obligations. TO post
poiM the TINE for tthe payment OF
taxes would seriously Ambatrass the
states crtdit. s Under our lawaa per-
son may defer tho payment. of ,his
taxes until the frst OF Februaryeby
paying = penalfv Of one per cent, and
until tho first 0f Mafch by paying &
pfnaltys OF two per- cent II the .fax
u not. paid on or before the first oil
March. however, d penalty Of seven
per cent ID added. The s1egislatuke win
be in, regular session III ample time
to eonnider this question:, ,s's ~ !,
81 p.Ould Ike TO -subniit sopae vicws
also oE the proposed legislatson Look
in& to the reduction Of cotton acre.
AGE: 1t may be that such an Act
would be sustained as y proper extr
eis&sof the police- power. am; frank
70 any, however. that have serious
douRtsfon this question:. sBut wheth-
6r such an act would be constitutions
or not. you will meet With many se-
rtons difficulties in It's enforcement Ii
is ypur purpose. as understand, to re.
duce the acreage one-third II an act
70 pissed to this effect. and II such act
- held to beNconstit,itional, 1t woisid
necessarily involve survey of each
farm to determine 1.-The, number or
acres planted. during 1920. so as to
kn0w the number each person could
plant in 1921 There viii doubtless
pc people engaged In farming in
1871 Who were not 50 engaged In
1920, A person who operated ten
piowa In 1890 might Increase to
ifteen In 1921. These are only some
Qf the questions to be, considered in
preparing an act OF the character
under consideration Whatever plan
You adopt in carrying out your pnr-
pose, you must. In my opinion, In the
last analysis depend upon the good
fattH OF the individual farmer. or else
some means OF making a survey. as
already indicated wilt he necessary. II
Is necessary also that any legislation
n remedial character must have
as fts basis the support OF an intelli-
gent public opinion. Without sHch
support It's cnforcementiis is to all prao-
tlonl purposes Impossible, II you have
such support In the present CASE It
seems to me the legislation ID un-
necessary. 1t seems to me that the
barks OF the state Will be forced 10
cooperate In this effort. and can large
" control the matter in n great many
instancess If we succeed In perfectins
the organization OF your export and
import corporation. and continue
through the state department Of ag-