The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1921-12-13
DETERIORATION and Prices.
From the Albany Herald.

reproduction will naturally and newt
ably not only depreCiate the price OF any COM
modify, but frequently result in the demorali-
cation OF the market. 1t requires no lengthy
argument to fortfy the truth OF this assertion
The mere statement of it would seem suffi-
cient to lead the intelligent and obServant
mind to the conclusion that it is true. Over
and over again, year after year, have we seen
the truth OF it demonstrated And yet how
many OF the farmers the real producers OF
the country, fail to give heed to it!
Right here a paragraph might be inserted
with special reference to cotton OVer-prOduC-
ton and market depression But what's the
use;
In casting about for crop with which to
starve out the boil weevil and that would at
the same time serve as partial substitute
for cotton as a money crop the farmers a
few years ago turned largely to peanuts And
for the first two years all seemed to go well;
peanuts were easily produced, and prices were
good. But last year the peanut market went
to smash. and the product did not command
enough to cover the cost of production and
harvesting. Last year it was discovered that
large quantities of peanuts were being i'm
ported from the Orient and being sold in
this country for less than what our farmers
declared it cost to produce them here. Then
it was that our farmers and those who were
advising and trying to help them bethought
themselves of the tariff. Yes, the tariff! A
protective tariff would stop the importation
of Oriental peanuts. And so appeal was made
to congress for a high tariff on peanuts. A
meeting Of peanut growers was called to as
semble in Albany and was largely attended
by peanut growers of Georgia, Florida and
Alabama. Resolutions were adopted calling on
our representatives in congress to get busy
in behalf Of the peanut growers of the south
and have a protective tariff imposed upon
peanuts.
At this big meeting OF peanut growers
L., or1oC Tr,cC 4la oh1 ooI
faithful representative of the Third district
of Georgia and a member of the powerful
ways and means committee OF the house OF
representatives, was present and promised to
do what he could to have the peanut placed
on the list of tariff protected products How
we'll he and the other southern congressman
who co-operated with him succeeded is now
we'll known There is now a tariff of 500
ton on peanuts-rnore than the present mark
ct price for the native product.
And so the tariff hasn't done what it was
expected to do for our peanut growers. What
is the trouble now with the peanut market?
1t seems to be reproduction. When assur
ed of the tariff protection many farmers
too many of them, evidently the
acreage of their peanut crops, and the result
seems to be too many peanuts
The following letter of recent date from
Congressman Crisp to the editor of The
Dawson News is self-eXplanatory:
u am Just dropping you line to let
you know that congress has passed a bill
extending the emergency tariff bill until
the permanent Fordney bill becomes a law
This removes all question of any lapse be-
tween the two acts.
To-day peanuts cannot come into the
United States unless duty is paid on them
OF 500 ton, so you can see it is not i'm
pOrtation from foreign countries that is at
feCtng the peanut market in the south.
81 am sure you realize that it is impos-
sible to legislate against over-production
in this country, and we cannot control the
price the buyers offer, unless they are in
a combine and violate the Sherman anti
trust act. If the producers of peanuts can
furnish evidence of any such violation of
cotrse | will be happy indeed to lay the
matter before the department of justice.
Yours sincerely, c. r. CRISP"
Washington, ID. {.
1t is being charged by some that the buy
ers of peanuts are organized and have form
ed secret combine of some sort to hold
down the price of peanuts We do not know
just how much truth there may be in this,
but it certainly seems to suggest to the farm
ers not only the WISDOM but the necessity
of organization their part, not only with
the view to procure cooperation in the mark
citing of peanuts but in holding down produc-
ton to such limitations as may be reason
ably expected to assure good demand at fair
prices. The same policy should be adopted
and consistently adhered to by farmers with
reference to other products.