The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1921-01-27
been made.

known to the jury. No arrests have
been made.
of farm tenancy being about. two
years, and it is the exception rather
than the rule for the tenant to have
any live stock besides his mule or
any poultry.
Has Poor Chance.
Please note that with cotton at
Is cents per pound, S1.07 is the max
imum amount that a tenant can re-
ceive for the labor of himself, his
wife and three children in producing
the ideal yield of one bale Of cotton
per acre on 20 acres and this is a
larger acreage than the average one
horse crop in this section and must
be further curtailed this year. The
item for picking ten bales is absolute
ly necessary for the tenant and his
family can not gather more than half
Tie CIOp Ill I1ulS W pl SFouL oolAOuo
deterioration of the grade.
Please remember that the average
production in the South is less than
four-tenths bales per acre. The pro-
duction in this state, however, for
the past year has slightly exceeded
one-half bale per acre. Based on
one-half bale production, the tenant
farmers expenses would be reduced
by the item of picking-s150 and half
of the ginning-s30, making his ex-
penses $3.50 instead of $3.50. He
would receive for his half share of
ten bales, 1915, leaving s1S5 or 81
cents per day for the sustenance OF
his family. But, at least half the
tenant farmers make less than one
half bale per acre in South Carolina
or less than one-third per bale in the
rest of the cotton belt except in North
Carolina. How can these people keep
body and soul together much less
maintain a decent standard of citi-
zenship if cotton does not advance
materially?
During the years 1917, 1918 and
1919 we had a period of comparative
prosperity in the south during which
both the landowner and tenant classes
made more money than they ever
dreamed of. Many, however, never
having seen 500 bill before had no
training in thrift and spent their
money without thought of the NOR
row. Many are poorer citizens today
than they would have been if we had
not had this period of prosperity for,
having had a glimpse of financial
heaven and being again plunged into
the hell of abject poverty, they are
naturally bitter and discouraged.
Acreage Reduction.
The only remedy for the present
situation upon which all seem to be
agreed is acreage reduction. Most
cotton sections know no money crop
except cotton How can the land
owner or tenant figure to keep body
and soul together on a greatly re-
duced acreage of cotton even if the
present price is doubled? Yet they
must somehow do this if better prices
are to be hoped for.
What the south needs is a steady
price for cotton which will allow a !
fair return to the landowner and de-
cent wages to the tenant. At the |
present cost of the commodities they
must pay for crop making purposes,
80 cents is, we believe, the lowest |
price which the industry should con-
slider. Thirty cents will not pay the
landowner or tenant on the very re- ,
stricted acreage that must be planted :
this year. 1t will give the tenant !
farmer producing a bale to the acre
On ten acres only little over $3.50
per day for the support of his family
or about half of this if he makes
normal yield of one-half bale per
acre
A few weeks ago the writer was
talking with a banker from West
Virginia, who told him that he had +
just 0. I'd payroll for a small coal