The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-05-11
FARM PRODUCE COMPANY

- ttlt- I'ttIl)I'' VI sNulDlt1 '-ttiI4t
At II meeting OF the citizens held
yesterday Cor the purpose Of consider
ing measures TO protect and promote
the business interests and welfare Of
Sumter county. [ was appointed
chairman OF 4 committee to organ
ize a corporation or association 20
buy and sell hogs and cattle. com,
and other staple farm products. Such
an organization is an absolute neces
sity if our farm interests, which pro-
; duce sevcnty-tive per cent OF the an
nual wealth Of the county, are to have
our assistance III coping with the df-
tirultics resulting from the diS;S-
lrouslv low prices Of cotton and the
coming OF the boil weevil. No other
one agency can do 60 much 70 re-
assure the farmers OF the county as
IN organization Of ti.is Kind.
4 recent investigation as to the
amount OF farm produces shipped into
South Carolina showed an aggregate
Of $1ll 900. 900 Ior agricultural pro-
ducts shipped into this state during
1920. Among the l:trse Items in this
tOlf! W tI T. S-hJpOOOOV Lpi JtI'Oil tl1J1
hog products, S20.00G, 600 for -four
ara wheat products. 100000 ,00o for
corn. SD 600 900 for hay, SO ,000.-
900 Tor oats, $1,000, 900 for beef, and
$3.0G0.0U0 for dairy products. al!
Of these except possibly the wheat
can be raised III South Carolina rs
nrofitably as anywhere else in the
United States. Granted that these
products have declined in value SO
per cent, the tot;tl would still be well
up around $40. 00G, 900. This certain
II means that there is :, market in
South Carolina for the farm products
which We Will need TO raise ON the
acreage which we take out Of cotton
with the coming Of the boil Weevil.
If then there is Il market IN South
Carolina for these farm products
and our farmers can raise them.
q proper business organization
ought 70 be able TO concentrate
these products and distribute them
10 the markets in this state with
profit to the organization and with
advantage to the farmers. With the
extremely high freight rates now
prevailing. the South Carolina. pro-
ducts should have an especial adGan-
tage.
1t is unqucstionably Il fact that the
farmers of the county will produce
a great deal more hosS, cattle, corn,
oats, hay, and other products for sale
il they know that an effective organ
~ Sc
operating in Sumter. 1t is useless to
say that such an organization Will
come into existence when the farmers
raise these products for sale and
there is a demand for it. This is
tantamount TO saying that we must
go through the disaster which has
oyertaken sections OF Alabama and
Mississippi with the coming Of the
boil wcevil. and that it is useless to
take steps to avoid q disaster before
ehe disaster is upon us.
The proposed corporation should
concentrate and ship cattle and hogs
In car oad lots to the packing g-hous.as::
and they should be in position to ship
carload lots OF corn, oats, and hay to
any portion OF the state upon receipt
Of ar order from any portion Of the
state.
Inquiry at any Of the livery stables
or wholesale and provision houses Of
tn ecity will elicit the information
that q great many carloads OF all
these farm products are shipped into
the city OF Sumter and distributed IN
the city and to farmers them
selves. Such an organization would
make possible for these people to buy
these products from the farmers OF
Sumter county. But it is hardly
practicable for them to do so unless
they are first concentrated. graded,
,1,; packed so that they can order
ard get what they want.
1t is our purpose to try TO get SIX