The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1920-10-25
Allgood Explains Why Southern
Farmers Must Hold New
Crop off Market
Average Cost of Production If
Alabama Was Thirty-Four
Cents Pound

NJ. c. Allgood, commissioner
agriculture for Alabama has issued
the following appeal to farmers Of the
South to stick together and. demand
"a fair price for their most valuable
staple product:
Less than 100 days ago cotton was
selling for 40 cents; today only 20
cents is offered. The South will
produce IL million bales, which if sold
at 40 cents win bring two billion four
hundred million dollars, if sold at 20
cents will bring one billion two han
dred million. A loss of one billion
two hundred million in four months
will bankrupt our section. Our
lands and all other property will de-
preciate in value; our bankers. mer-
chants, clerks, laborers organized or
unorganized), travelling statesmen.
hotels, doctors, factories, schools.
churches, towns, cities and railroads
will suffer and above all our farm pop
ulation will become disguised and
thousands will leave the farm never to
return
This department sent out question:
aires on the cost Of producing this
cotton crop, and the average cost was
above 81 cents per pound based on a
yield Of 375 pounds of seed per adre
Into this cost was figured rent of
land chopping hoeing, fighting boil
weevils, cultivation, picking, hauling
to gin and market, ginning, black
smithing, etc. Forty-four per cent
of the total cost was for human labor.
Thus the balance, or Sc per cent, was
an actual outlay of money out of the
farmers pocket or bank accounts !.
Fifty-six per cent of "a cents is ie
cents, about the present selling price,
which leaves nothing to the millions
who produce it. So the spectators
bear gamblers, and peanut politicians
are asking US to feed and clothe our
selves and to work eight months for
nothing. A run has been made on
our property. When a run is started
on bank the bank can appeal to
State Banking Department, which
will take over the bank and give il
time to make arrangements to meet
the emergency,
What would the bankers, mer-
chants, manufacturers, coal operators.
railroads, newspapers, and all other
lines of business do if their assets
had been cut in half by SPECTATORS
or manipulators in four months time?
They would either break or close up
shop. Likewise the farmer must
close up shop or break We do not
want to break; so the only thing to
do is to close up shop. Do not sell
a bale for sixty days. The mills only
have a sixty days supply of cotton
on hand, and if we hold till that is
gone there will be the widest scram-
BILE for cotton the world has ever
seen. If it is in the farmers hands,
the farmer will get his price; if Il
is in the SPECTATORS hands the spec
ulator will fix the price. The mills
are shutting down because the farm
er who sells is helping the bear gam
bier ruin the market; the mills will
not buy on declining market, but
will buy on a rising market.
The night riders may think they
are helping the cause. but they are.
injuring it, Cease destroying and let
the farmers gin their cotton, so they
can borrow money on it.
Farmers, keep faith with those you
owe. Turn over the receipts, or if
You do not put in warehouse turn
CONTINUED on Page Two.)