The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1920-11-03
OF RICE
CONTROLLED
BY ORGANIZATION
Southern Rice Growers
Leases Concerns in
Three States
EXPECTED TO TURN
TRICK FOR FARMER
Healthier Tone and Feeling
Among the Rice
Producers

Ninety, per cent of existing rice
mills in Louisiana, Texas and Arkan-
sas. it is stated, have been leased by
the Southern Rice Growers associa-
ton and will be operated from now
on in the interest OF the farmers and
the members OF the organization.
This brief announcement, which
came as a surprise last week, was
undoubtedly a strategic move on the
part OF the producers and those at
the head Of the Southern Rice Growers
association to aid in the movement to
give the market for rough rice a boost
upward. The game Of hiae-andseek,
played by the milling and producing
interests, has at last reached the
stage when one or the other had to
show its hand. Evidently the milling
people saw their fate IN the. hand
/ writing on the wall though they have
all the time claimed the demand for
rice was so limited that they were not
justified in going in and buying free
ly at even tthe very low prices Offer
ed spasmodicaIly. Conditions, COM
pared with last year, had changed,
they claimed, and the former big
European market had ceased to ex-
ist.
On the other hand, the producing
interests maintaining that there was
no excuse for the low price Of the
crop and some Of the more militant
members of the producers even went
so far as to charge that the market
conditions we're entirely due to well
organized conspiracy on the part Of
the millers to steal the present
crop. and thus recoup themselves for
some of the doubtful losses expert
enced by them last season. These
charges and counter-charges amount.
ed to naught and got no one any
4 where. The eheekerboard between
fhe players. in the big game so be
came egummed up" and some move
became necessary in order to wipe
the slate clean and start out with
everything moving in the right di
rection.
Undoubtedly the leasing Of the rice
mills VIII clear all sides Of tbs
charges formerly made, and now thai
the milling interests are PRACTICAL,
out CT the game. they can stand aside
and watch the efforts Of the growers
as managers Of the mills. to opeI
and maintain a market for rice at
price that will be commensurate Will
: the costs Of producing, harvesting am
marketing the crop Of the presen
wear. However, it can be stated
without much fear Of contradiction
that while the farmer may receive
r better price for his crop than he wa
offered a brief time ago he will sure
~ not get the price that was pal
! him for the crop Of 1919. Some losse
may be experienced in selling at a r.
! duced price. but many will be glad {
! get out from under this years pr
5 duction on a fifty-fifty break or eve
/ at a slight loss
Profiting by their bitted experience
OF the present year, in the matter
high wages and high cost Of produ
tion, with a low .price for the Gro
, the rice farmer can lay his plans wit
I more foresight for the production
I the crop OF. 1921. If he secures perm
nent control. and perhaps ownersh
Of the mills, he win havet solved o.
, end Of the big problem-the stabli
i ing Of the rice industry, The ne
big step. and one that has long be-
. neglected, is the popularizing Of ri
le as a national food and one that G
:. be eheaply bought-the food OF t
poor and rich alike and not the
8, elusive diet Of the wealthy man. as
. was a year ago under the abnorH
e prices paid for it at that time.