The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-11-24
Farmers Mar
ket Bulletin
Commissioner Harris Explains
Why Publication Was Dis
continued For Lack of APP
preparation

Columbia, Nov. 79-"Why have
YOU quit sending Us the Market Bul-
letln?' That is the tenor Ot hun
dreds OF inquiries coming To the Of
ice OF the commissioner of agricul-
turc. COMMISSIONS iIarris is very
much disturbed abOu- the complaints
cf the people. and NJ has given out
a statement I'm which he tells why the
bulletin has been suspended until the
legislature meets
Our appropriation Tor printing
run out. and we had nothing with
which 20 issue the bulletin saws the
commissioner. The cost of printing
appears Tea have gone up along with
either thugs. ana our fund for p.'nt-
ing was exhausted two months bC-
fore the yecv was cut. | notified the
budget commission and urged that
be allowed to usc some OF tho money
coming into my office. bat The COM
mission Informed mo that it's non
elastic emergency fund was also cx-
hausted by demands from othcr de-
partments. and the calls all seem to
be ind no doubt are very dcScrv-
ing.
My department will turn over
To the state this year something like
$4,000 i'm excess of all expenses. 1 did
so hope that l could be allowed 10 use
q portion Of that fund To- keep the
bulletin going. hut the laws appear
TO be 40 fixed that l could not du I.
The money which 1 collect Is for the
protection and help OF the people ana
4 know OF NO better way tO use Il
than in putting out the Market liul-
letin. I hope the next legislature
viii allow me to- carry on the pub
llcation OF the bulletin i'm a manner
which I have mapped out. that will
not only AFFORD a medium of direct
exchange between buyer and seller,
hut Will allow me 10 spread before
the people cOnciscly facts and statis-
tics about their own state which will
encourage them I'm their undertakings.
II am not ovcrstatlng the case
when 1 say that the Market Bulle-
tin during the nine months of the
year when II was operating promoted
thousands OF dollars OF transactions
from the farm. OF course we han
dlc none Of the money i'm the Office
and have no way to estimate the
total. but the listings ran into the
hundreds of thousands OF dollars, and
rarely was anything listed that did not
ilnd ready sale.
"And L hope | am not immodcst in
saying that 1 have letters from all
parts Of the state congratulating the
bulletin ON the improvements we
were making just as we had To sus-
pend. I think the sphere OF the bui-
letin should he To- give general infur-
nation. I'm brief form. to the people.
This is done in Othcr states. South
Carolina was the first state to start
this market exchange and other states
which may he said To- be moro liberal
In their attitude. have enlarged upon
II.
"Tf the klllctln was OF service be-
fore when the people were sclling
their surplus through its columns.
how mucH more good could IL ac-
complish now when we have no move
ment OF the cotton crop and the farm
ers would like To be selling off their
poultry. live stock and other pro-
ducts or the year To help sustain them
In petty cash until cotton does he
gin To- move? I consider that this is
the loss OF the people. perhaps
hundredfOld greater loss than the cost
OF issuing the bulletin for TWO months.
Il present the facts TO the public
so that they may understand that IL
II my wish to publish the bulletin
next year and TO send out double the
number OF copies that have been is
sued this year"