Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-01-12
the crop in time to prevent serious

the crop in time to prevent serious
deterioration of the. grade.
Please remember that the average
production in the South is less than
four-tenths bales per acre. The pro-
duction in this state, however, for
the past year has slightly exceeded
one-half bale per acre. Based on one
half bale per production, the tenant
farmers expenses would be reduced
by the item of picking-S150 and
half of the ginning-S3O, making his
expenses $3.50 instead of $3.50. He
would receive for his half share of
ten bales, S375, leaving S1S5 or 81
cents per day for the sustenahce of
his family. But, at least half the
tenant farmers make less than one
half bale per acre in. South Carolina
or less than one-third per bale in the
rest of the cotton belt except in
North Carolina. How can these people
keep body and soul together much
less maintain a decent standard. Of
citizenship if cotton dses not advance
materially?
During the years 1917, 1918 and
1919 we had period of comparative
prosperity in the South during which
both the landowner and tenant, class
es made more money than they ever
dreamed of. Many, however, never
having seen a s1G0 bill before had no
training in thrift and spent their
money without thought of the NOR
row. Many are poorer citizens today
than they would have been if we had
not had this period of prosperity for
having had glimpse of financial
heaven and being again plunged into
the hell of abject poverty, they are
naturally bitter and discouraged.
Acreage Reduction.
The only remedy for the present
situation upon which all seem to be
agreed is acreage reduction. Most
cotton sections know no money crop
except cotton. How can the landown-
er or tenant figure to keep body
and soul together on greatly re-
duced acreage of cotton even if the
present price is doubted. Yet they
must somehow do this if better prices
are to be hoped for.
What the South needs is a steady
price for cotton which will allow a
fair return to the landowner and de-
cent wages to the tenant. At the
present costs of the commodities
they must buy for crop making pur-
poses, so cents is, we believe, the low
est price which the industry should
consider. Thirty cents will not pay
the landowner or tenant on the very
restricted acreage that must be
planted this year. 1t will give the ten
ant farmer producing a bale to the
acre on ten acres only little over
$1.5O per day for the support of his
family or about half of this if he
makes normal yield of one-half bale
per acre.
A few weeks ago the writer was
talking with banker from West
Virginia, who told him that he had
just o. KID. payroll for small coal
mine and that the average daily pay
of the laborers was over S17.40 per
day, remarking that these laborers
were working six hours day but
that they were only employed 60 per
cent of their time on account of car
shortage. l have other evidence to
show that the coal miners are. receiv-
ing at least ten times as much as the
cotton laborers who are also paid
far less than the Nlaborers in the
Western wheat farms or in the mills
of any section of the country.
Unfairness to Farmer.
Every interest in the cotton trade
should recognize the terrible unfair
ness of this situation and should re-
fuse to consent to its continuance.
Every Southern interest is bending
its energies to restore and maintain
a price basis for our money crop
which will allow something besides
a drear and miserable existence
that will allow us to build and main
tain schools, churches, roads and 9TH
er facilities necessary to the main
tenance of decent civilization. Bank