The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-01-12

! Versailles treaty
production in the south is less than
ifour-tenths bales per acre. The pro-
ducticn in this state, however. for the
past year has slightly exceeded one
half bale per acre. Based on one half
bale production. the tenant farmers
expenses would be reduced by the item
OF picking, $50, and half Of the GIN
ming, $50. making his expenses $50
finstead Of $3.50. He would receive for
his half share Of ten bales 1875, leav-
ing SlS5, or 81 cents per day for the
sustenance Of his family. But, at
least half the tonant farmers make
less than one-half bale per acre in
South Carolina or less than one-third
bale Eer acre 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 does
mot 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
-
having seen a hundred dollar bill be-
fore, had no training in thrift and
spent their money without thought
OF the morrow. Many are poorer citi-
zens today than they would have been
If we had not had this period OF
prosperity, for. having had a glimpse
Of financial heaven and being again
plunged into the hell of abject pow
o,f,y
discouraged.
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 land
owner or tenant figure TO keep body
and soul together on a greatly re-
duced acreage Of cotton even If the
present price is doubled? 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 purposes.
20 Gems is, we believe, the lowest
price which the industry should con-
sider. Thirty cents will not pay the
landowner or tenant on the very re-
stricted acreage that must be planted
this year 1t will give the tenant
farmer producing bale TO the acre
on ten acres only a little over $3.50
or about helf of this If ne makes a
normal yield oe one-ha,f bale per acre.
A few weeks ago the writer was
talking with a banker from West Vir-
ginia who told him that he had just
Q. KID a payroll for a small coal
mine and that the average daily pay
for the laborers was over $l7.40 per
day, remarking that these laborers
were working six hours per day but
that they were only employed 60
per cent Of their time on account OF
car shortage. I have other evidence
to show that the coal miners are re-
ceiving at least ten times as much AS
tho cotton labOrers, who are also paid
far less than the laborers in the wes-
tern wheat farms or in the mills Of
any section Of the country.
Every interest in the cotton trade
should recognize the terrible unfair
ness Of this situation and should re-
q.
Every shouthern interest is bending
its energies to restore and maintain
4 price basis for our money crop
which will allow something besides a
drear and miserable eXistencc-that
will allow us TO build and maintain
schools. cuhrches, roads and other
facilities necessary to the mainten-
ance Of a decent civilization. Bank
ors, merchants and professional men
arc cooperating heartily with the
farmers TO protect the basic industry
Of the south. This is not enough,
however,. The whole country is at
fected by the condition Of every sec
ton. If the south is stricken with
poverty. its labororS will flock to the
cities Of the north and west and in
tensfy their race and labor problems.
If the southern farmer cannot meet
expenses for Il long period the re-
sulting financial chaos will affect all
the money and trade centers Of the
country. II we do not receive suftl-
clent money returns TO support n de-
cent civilization, the civilization Of all
sections will be affected.
Largo Glasses in the south have cN-
ccpt for brief periods, Struggled along
ever since the civil war in a poverty
so abjcct that decent food and clothes
could not be obtained. During the
periods when cotton sold for 1-2
cents to 8 cents many families had
to live on 25 cents per day or less
and right now the prospect for many
= no better than then.
The understanding sympathy of the
nation cannot prevent terrific losses
to the south nor remove the necessity
for acreage reduction and other
measures necessary to equalize the
supply Of the staple with the de-