Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-07-19
To CONSIDER PLAN
FOR ESTABLISHING
MARKET CENTER

The first attempt &c be made in
Georgia in the direction of the es-
adjustment Of a state-owned mar
keting center is scheduled for dis.
sassion in the house of representa-
tives this week. Representative
Kittrell, Of Laurens county, will seek
to have passed such measure
which has already received a fav-
orable report at the hands Of gen.
eral agricultural committee No. @
and provides for a port commission
of five members.
The bill authorizes the commission
to make a thorough survey of ports
in Georgia and submit recommended
tons to the next session of the leg
islature. An appropriation of $4,000
is provided to cover the expenses of
the survey.
Representatives Wimberly, of
Laurens; Hamilton of Floyd, and
Childs, of Epson, assisted Represen-
tative Kittrell in drafting the bill.
1--WE have drafted this bill" said
Representative Kittrell Saturday
night, with provisions that the port
commission shall be composed of the
governor, secretary of state, COM
missioner of agriculture and two
to represent the manufacturers as
ISOLATION and ten farmers union. The
appropriation of $4,000 is for the
purpose of defraying the actual ex-
penses of the commission while they
are making their survey, and there
is no provision for a salary to be
paid any of them.
1.-THE members are to be charged
with the special duty of Investigate
ing all ports and marketing facili-
ties for the purpose of recommend
ing to the legislature where the Of
fetal port of the state shall be To-
Gated. The character OF the equip
ment needed and the portable
amount of bonds NECESSARY to es-
tablish the port are other things the
commission will be required to look
into.
Mr.. Kittreu's Statement
In explaining the purposes Of a
port commission, Representative Kit
trel1 gave out the following state
ment:
'Why the port commission and the
state-owned port of Georgia. The
port commission is simply necessary
as medium through which the peo-
pie of Georgia may bave a great
coastal shipping point where the
great commerce of Georgia may move
in the shortest possible time with
the least possible expense.
"As we know, every commodity
must pay it's own handling charges,
and ours being mostly a shipping out
movement the producers of Georgia
lose every dollar that is charged for
handling costs in excess of abso-
lutely necessary expenses. Since
custom has established a cheaper
freight rate going east than west
on farm products, it is absolutely
"a of
eastward on crops other than cotton
as our only means Of having an
equitable market for corn and
grains, etc. 1t is absolutely neces-
sary for US to establish a marketing
point and exchange for these crops,
but, looking at the shipping point
and port facilities alone, we have
only to compare our antiquatcd port
facilities, privately owned, to those
publicly owned by San Francisco,
Portland, Seattle and the port of
New Orleans to see our inefhciencieS.
Millions have been invested by
counties, cities and states and the
investments made by the sale of
bonds have been self-sustaining, and
ed commerce and have not as a gen
eral rule given any direct service
to agriculture. We propose that
Georgia shall have the greatest port
of them all, because we will not only
serve commerce of the present and
futurei but Will develop a grain ship
ping point that will not only take
care of Georgia, but will be the meals
of bringing train lots from the mid
Gle west through our state to be
loaded or sold at our coastal eleva-
tor. But even all that is only part
of the great possibility. We propose
to make it the concentration point
of Georgia cotton where the farmers
of Georgia can, irrespective of the
degree Of intelligence, ship their
crop and have it sold in a real world
market where producer and consumer
actually deal through the medium of
the state under the national ware
house act, and thus obtain the mar
ket value Of their products.
According to a government survey
In 1915, the average loss to the Geor-
farmer under the present system Of
distribution was So per bale net, or
s16,000.000 annually for Georgia
alone, based on 2,000,000-bale crop
estimate average. Under the pro-
posed plan, this vast sum that has
been taken from the farmer by I'M
der grading and loose management
and inadequate facilities will be
saved
Other crops are equally imposed
telligence and racial differences make
it impossible to organize the farm
ers of the south into a great unit.
Equity and the golden rule are al
and selfshness has ever been the
cause of abuse Of power. This self
ish abuse of power has ever been
the cause Of revolutions, and the
time has arrived in Georgia when an
economic revolution is at hand and
ha Of oh lhn
armed with the proper weapons of
defense and aggressive econ onical
warfare. Their backs are to the
wall. but they have the vision. They
have discovered the way.
'"Those who control the commerce
Of the world have ever been it's rul-
ers. Commerce has been master of
human destiny and shifting currents
of trade have made and unmade en-
pires and republics. Those sections
Of our own country that control com
merce have controlled the destinies
of our people. Those who possess
this power usually object to edu-
eating the children of the masses
yet they deny us the right to inter
fere with the real key to the future
commerce.
The time has come when the farm
ers of Georgia are aware that there
is more to this game than mere vot.
ing While the state uses her great
that her children may be educated
and safeguarded for the future, the
grown-ups-children in the complex
system of COMMERCIALS clamorine
that the strong arm Of the state be
used to conserve the resources oil
Georgia lest there be nothing left
with which to meet the taxes of the
state.
Sbipping Board Head
r TIl