Evening journal., 1921-08-04
FEDERAL BOARD BROUGHT PELLAGRA

Ep DsTr discussion Of the extent OF pelagra in the
II South has directed attention to the de-
fsdon policy adopted by the Wilson administration
somsthing more than a year ago.
According the Pubic Health Service the prevalence
Of pela due TO the poverty OF cotton growers who
are unable to provide varied food supply because OF
their nltd Lack OF proper diet is the Of
peaers- Commenting this phase of the question Mr..
Thomas i Hamilton, editor OF the Augusta, Georgia,
Chronarl1. Democratic paper, says:
The Sogth is hft hard by OF ruthless delaton
m the price OF cotton but is starving down here
He places the extent Of the denaton at 400 per cent
There is more authority than the assertion Of Mr..
Hamilton for the statement that RUTHLESS denauon"
brought the fnancisl condition from which the cotton
growers suffering, and n the prevalence OF peagra
y due 70 poverty, the epidemic may be traced part
70 the pUaes Of the Federal Reserve Board under
Wilson regime.
In October. 1890. Jonn skelton Williams, a Democrat
and member Of the board protested the deation
policy OF the board and asserted that already the farmers
had suffered loss Of i've hundred million dollars in
wheat from 10 two billion dollars in corn and a
billion dollars in cotton. He added
1fle plans and pohcses which have aided in bringing
about deaon in the great staple commodities should be
at once revised as far as may be necessary TO
changed conditions. II this is not done speedily am
fearful as 70 the consequences which may ensue"
Later IN the year he repeated his warnings bosered up
by assertions that the losses Of farmers had been in
creased 81 billions OF dollars
Williams did not make his protest public until many
months afterward HIS views openly espoused by his
successor D. B. Crssinger who said at recent meeting
Of the Ohio Bankers Association:
4 cannot boo emphatcally say that do not believe
deaton currency and credits go hand in hand with
regime Of high interest rates without imposing great
and dangerous harships the people II that be nnan-
cal heresy economic treason make the most Of IT, our
farmers stimulated by the Governments appeals and Dy
patriotic purpose TO win the war put their energies
into the production OF the worlds supplies and
al the time denied by the Government in some
instances market ruled by the free law Of sup
ply and demand in which to sell. They were not per-
mitted 70 pro1teer. Their profits intended to be
fair recompense for services but hardly for investment
Tie wars end found the farm machine producing more
and more and this production reached its maximum in
the crop season Of 1920 The order deaton for such
was construed to be- found granares and warehouses
busing with farm products produced at war COSTS which
were and are being sod when buyers can be found al
less than half their production The result is IN,
imposition Of Distress Of Bankruptcy upon farmers b,
millions"
II 1t be true that epidemic Of peagra is now threat
ened In the South and that epidemic due to the povert,
Of the cotton growers, it looks though the Fedora
Reserve Board under the Wilson regime will have TO bea
share Of The blame.