Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-11-29
GEORGIA S Greatest Problem

INVITED to address the Atlanta Retail
Merchants Association on the subject OF
s'Selling Banking Service to the Retall
Merchant" Mr.. Eugene r. Black chose "
give his main attention to something else'
which was the problem confronting the
farmers of Georgia
Mr., Black is one of Atlanta's ablest law
yers. Recently he left his practice to accept
the presidency of the Atlanta Trust COM
pany, a large banking concern. His con-
facts are general, his information is direct
and authentic, his observations and conclu-
sions are highly intelligent and authori-
tative.
The fact that Mr.. Black chose to set ASIDE
except for Ii ,.morous references, the suDJecI
assigned to him, and to devote his main at
tention to the problem of Georgia agriculture
in very significant and encouraging. 1t means
that the problem is forcing itself upon the
attention of the bankers of Georgia, and IS
arousing them to a Relation that something
must be done to sustain Jur prosperity.
No truer thing was ever said than Mr.
Blacks statement to the Atlanta Retail Mer-
chants Association that "our prosperity here
in Atlanta rests upon the farmers purchas-
ing power Atlanta is probably dependent
as little except indirectly, upon agricultural
prosperity as any southern city. Its interests
ara diversified both commercially and IN
dustrially. Agriculture plays a part in It's
banking and trade, but not such major
part as it plays in many other cities in the
south
Yet Atlanta is dependent in the final
ANALYSIS, as Mr. Black truly said, upon the
farmers buying power for its prosperity.
Governor Hardwick sounded the same note
when he declared in his inaugural address
that weeds in the country lane cause the
grass to grow in city streets"
Not only Atlanta's prosperity but the pros
perity of every city rests finally upon agrl-
culture. An enterprising hardware merchant
in the middle west calls attention this
week in the Saturday Evening Post to the
fact that his best customers of advertised
hardware goods are the farmers OF his ter
ritory. Hence he calculates, and rightly so,
that advertisers should address themselves
especially to the creation of consumer de-
man in the rural districts.
Georgia has been hearing for the past two
decades a constant propaganda in favor OF
diversified agriculture. In the past few
years the movement has been fastened by
the boil weevil, rendering it more difficult to
produce cotton, and rendering it Impossible
to produce as much cotton as the south once
produced. Georgia this year, after two or
three seasons of bitter experience with the
boil weevil, actually arrived at diversified
agriculture. Her production Of food and
feed crops is the largest OF record.
Yet where does Georgia find herself,
from the farming standpoint? To state the
natter tersely, and with no trace Of pes
,imism, she finds herself very short of ready
lash for the reason that her products can
lot be marketed prof1tably, and in many in
cd at a
mean that there is no demand for food and
Iced crops. With II of her production, this
rear, Georgia next year will buy millions OF
dollars worth of food and feed products
from other states, and the things she buys
will be things she could produce as cheaply
IS other sections produce them if not more
eheaply. 1t was recently pointed out by
L.! w. Rogers Company that forty cents OF
Dvery dollar expended for Irish potatoes IN
Georgia cities goes to pay the freight
Georgia's marketing situation means thai
facilities mu be created for the profitable
Yelling of food and feed crops which have
DOT heretofore been produced in surplus
Quantity.
Producing farm crops Is farmers propo.
ition, but selling those crops at profitable
)rice and at the proper time and in the
}roper manner, is business problem. The
farmers can not solve the problem by them
)elves. All their training, or at least the
bulk of it, ha- run to production. Very lit
lie of it has run to marketing.
Business men and bankers must come tt
he assistant, of the farmers in this move
nent as Mr.. Black pointed out in his very
Imely and impressive address. The farmers
problem is not the farmers alone. 1t is quite
ss much the problem of the banker, thu
merchant and the manufacturer. And no
me proD1em OF the banker, merchant ant
manufacturer OF the small city and town oil
'ectly depending upon agriculture, but thu
problem of those in the states largest cities
The merchants of Georgia, the wholesaler
md jobbers of Georgia, the manufacturers o
lsorgia, could render their state no greater
)ervice in the present crisis, and could render
themselves no greater service, than by join
Ing the campaign of the Georgia Countr.
Bankers Association, aided by The Journal
10 create for Georgia farmers adequate mar
keting facilities to dispose Of their surplus
iood and feed crops.
at is no Use talking diversified crops t.
the farmer unless he can sell his diversified
crops after producing Them" said Mr.. Blacl
in his addres~ to the Atlanta Retail
Merchants Association.
A more exact statement of the case coulc
not be made.