The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-06-03

! facing bankruptcy and ruin because
| he planted cotton and did not realize
any profits on the sale of it. The in
dications are that it will be quite a
while before the world will pay even
what it costs to grow cotton, as is
shown by the present supply and the
crippled state of the world consump-
ton. It is just as evident that every
bale of cotton grown during the year,
will defer just that much longer the
: time when cotton will bring what it
, costs to produce it. 1t is then clear
that the farmer must depend for his
living almost entirely on some other
products than cotton. He must there
fore raise livestock, grain and diver
sifed products. These products can be
readily sold and good profit realiz-
ed. On the other hand if they do not
raise diversified products during the
time that must pass before consump-
ton and before the price of cotton is
restored, no other class of citizens
will be in a more deplorable condi-
ton.
Permanent relief would come if the
farmer would adopt better crop ro-
tation. Instead of the South's being
IA one-crop section, diversified farm
ing will bring about better food
producing section. The essentials of
such a system are good home gar
den, planting of grain, corn, hay and
other forage crops. Above all the
cotton acreage must be cut.
Another great problem the South
is facing is that of marketing its FRO
duce. Much food is rotting because
Of the lack of proper marketing. Be-
cause of the high rate Of transporta-
ton, much food is wasting that could
be sold with profit. Our main staple,
|cotton, because of wasteful conditions
and abuses in the present system of
handling and marketing it, can not be
marketed so that the farmer obtains
,, the just price for it. They must, to
attain economic equality with the
buyer, act together in organizations.
Uniformity of production of a supe-
rior variety gives any communitB a
better market standing and makes it
more attractive to buyers.
We should remember that although
the bulk of the cotton crop usually
comes to market in four or five of the
fall or winter months, the consump-
! tion of cotton extends over the whole
twelve months. Because of the lack
; of warehouses, the farmer has not
been able to finance the marketing
of his crop in an orderly fashion, ac-
cording to the needs of consumption.
| This situation must then be rene
died by providing facilities for stor-
ing the crop and means for fnanc-
ing the producers until the crop is
sold. South Carolina is already form
! ing a corporation for handling the
1921 crop. Under this plan the far
i mer delivers to a warehouse so many
bales of cotton. He either sells his
product on the basis of the warehouse
receipt or uses it to secure credit from
i the merchant, who in turn goes to
| the bank; or the farmer goes to the
finance corporation, borrows at 6 per
cent or z per cent and thus is able to
pay cash for his supplies. The cor
poration in turn issues it's own bearer
certificates, carrying rate of inter
lest which allows a margin sufficient
to cover the expenses of the copora-
tion. The stock of the corporation is
sold to either banks or private inves-
tors. This plan puts the farmer on
an equal footing with the buyer and
if this plan were adopted by all farm
,,ers, it would be the solution to the
Iproblem of marketing all farm prod
ucts. It is of especial value in the
South, where a need for a system of
; financing has so long kept living con-
ditions low and retarded the progress
of the section.
The South is beset by the great prob
lem Of keeping it's farmers on the
farm. Reports show that in one Sou
thern state alone there was last year
net decrease of $4,000 in number of
men and boys over Is years of age,
and that for every man who. returned
to farm life seven left for other en-
ployment.
The fact that over SIG of the peo-
! pie of the country are city dwellers,
and over half the land farmed in the
South is farmed by tenants, points to
the fact that there is a decided change
,oo,,1o