The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-03-23
URGES FARMERS
TO CUT ACREAGE
Harris Advises To Apply Business
Methods-Not Only Salvation

B. Harris, commissioner of agrl-
culture, has issued the following
statement, urging diversificaton of
crops and reduction of cotton acre
age:
"There is general belief in conser-
vative circles that if the South does
not turn loose the unsold portion Of
the old crop of cotton the market
will hold its own against other ad-
verse factors until more definite
knowledge is had as regards the ex-
tent of the acreage reduction. "The
South can have price for its 1921
cotton if it wants to-" said a men,
Der of large New York and New
Orleans brokerage house who has
Just recently arrived from New
York for a few days stop in Allan
ia. "If the South wants ten cents
pound or less for it's cotton such
! price will be given, he said. Now,
this depends altogether on the far
mers of the South as to the price
they receive for the 1921 cotton
crop. All the Southern farmers will
have to do to realize either price is
to plant large acreage or cut it 80
per cent from last years acreage.
New York spectators and English
spinners believe no more that the
acreage will be cut 80 to so per
cent than they believe that the
world is coming an end in 1921.
They laugh at such talk, some do not
believe the acreage will be cut an
acre, and a few admit 10 per cent
reduction and not one acre more.
They argue, what is reduction Of
10 per cent when the world is over
stocked with cotton and still would
be, even with a cut of rs per cent.
Of course, the spectators and spin.
ners of the world have a right not to
believe farmers as you have said so
often you would cut cotton acreage
and you have invariably increased.
The reduction was for the other fel-
low, not for me, but this is one time
I believe they mean to cut acreage.
eff he should follow the example
# the iron men which have blown out
large proportion of the furnaces
in the country because they could
not find a ready market for their
iron, and refuse to keep on piling it
up.
"Or if he should follow the ex-
ample Of the cotton manufacturers
who stopped their mills as soon as
they could find no market for their
goods.
"He would only be showing that
he had learned lesson of common
sense from other business men.
There is no more reason why the
farmer should keep on growing a
surplus which he can not sell,' whe-
ther it be cotton or wheat or corn
or hogs, than there is why an iron
furnace or a steel plant or cotton
mill should not keep on running
when it can not market IT'S goods,
but would only keep piling up the
stock without the cash or the credit
to carry the stuff indefinitely.
"The farmers are beginning to-
learn ordinary business common
seBse: they see that trey are no
longer wise when in times such as
the present they keep producing
when they can not find ready mar
ket for their product and can not
find the credit or cash with which to
carry it until the market is ready to
take it
"Many of the so-called political
economist and avery large proper
ton of the bankers of the country
have very little knowledge OF the
real conditions of farm life, or OF
the reasons which justify farmer
in declining to increase his produc-
ton merely to accommodate the
needs of those who want to buy his
products at less than the cost OF
raising.
"The banker feels no hesitation
whatever in declining to lend money
on good collateral if his supply OF
money is low, or of curtailing credit
- L., looo 1opo thrnrhpout the