Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1921-07-29
WANTS MASS MEETING
FARMERS & BUSINESS MEN
CONTINUED From Page y


ior merit. Organization is necessary
to put this syrup on the market.
Our corn should be marketed thru
an exchange on a cooperative plan.
There is we'll known plan on
foot now proposed for selling cotton
through a marketing organization
Who did | say were marketing
through organization?
Peach Growers.
Melon Growers.
Cantaloupc Growers.
Vegetable Growers.
Orange Growers.
Grapefruit Growers.
Pecan Growers.
The are making money while we,
who are depending on cotton are
growing poorer?
We hear from many reliable sour
ces repeatedly that everyone of them
is making money fast.
Irish potatoes sold in Florida sea-
son before last for over So per bushel.
One peach grower received 100000
for his peach crop on the trees.
Melons brought 5000 per car, car
having been grown on, say, two acres
and probably less.
If the Chamber of Commerce
wants to do big work, and l know
it does, let it start something like
this-FIND MARKETS.
We need organization here in Ben
Hill County. 1t will encourage our
farmers to grow MONEY crops
when they feel there is an organized
effort to find for them a ready mar
ket. Other sections have co-operat-
ed and found markets. Are we not
as competent as they?
The Chamber of Commerce should
call a meeting of leading farmers
and leading business men and talk
over matters of our present and flu
ture welfare
Hundreds of acres of watermelons
will be grown here next year; can
taloupes also. Will it then be as it
has ever been since we first arrived
in this city some twenty years ago
every grower trying to find an indi-
vldual buyer-no organization to
depend upon to market?
When buyers came to Triton re-
Gently to buy melons they could not
buy a single car from the grower.
The business men through the Cham
Der of Commerce had organized and
contracted the farmers to sell only
through The North American Fruit
Growers Exchange. A buyer said
to one grower: 81 will give you $3.50
for that car" He was refused and
told that he must buy through The
North American Fruit Growers Ex-
change.
Melons sold at Triton for from
$500 to 5000 per car, while we were
here floundering about trying to find
buyer and were forced to take as
low as $50 per car and we under
stand some went even for nothing.
We had not organized.
| suggest that the Chamber of
Commerce bring together some lead
ing farmers and some leading bust
ness men and let's map out cooper
alton and relief work, so that in just
few years we may have the most
prosperous section in the whole
country.
Let business men realize now, be-
fore it is too latc-1et them realize
as they do in other prosperous
South Georgia cities-that their pros
perity depends upon whether their
farmer friends grow more and more
impoverished or whether they pros
per.
The rightful heritage of this sec
ton is that it should produce large
variety of money crops, animals, etc
such as the rest of the world is COM
PEELED to have, to use prudent meth
DDS in selling and finally to become
prosperous, commended, rich; gaining
into this inviting section hundreds
of thrifty and industrious families to
add to our present population, bring
ing with them their present wealth
and patronage and accommodating here
with us from the fruits of favored
climate and soil and, altogether as
we labor wisely and industriously
we shall be pleased with peace and
happiness.
But to accomplish this desired end
the situation demands the thought
and the cooperation of the business
people of our city.
]. F. TURNER, Vice President OF