The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1922-10-11
SPEECH OF GEORGE
R. JAMES AT FAIR
Day of Credit Farming is
Nearing Close -Diversifi-
cation the Remedy.

- - :.
The speech made by George r.
James of Memphis at the Seven
County Fair Saturday morning was
one Of the outstanding features of
the great community event. The at
tention with which his hearers lis
tened amid the general unrest which
always pervades Fair just before
time for breaking up indicated
that Mr.. James brought a message
worth while.
In part, Mr.. James stated that
there was one principle underlying
success service. The world will al
ways pay for something useful to
It. Anyone starting upon the basis
o. How Much can I.get and how
little can giye?" will fail.
Mr.. James gave the interesting
figures Of insurance companies,
which show that, in general, only
four men in one hundred attain old
age with Independent means, and
only Sone of the hundred reaches old
age as a rich man. The other nine
ty-five die or. as failures find them
selves dependent upon other in their
old age.
According to figures Of the last CEN
sus, all the states had increased in
wealth and population except three,
among which, Mississippi is number
ed. No state had so small a list Of
income tax payers.
In seven years, according to Ed
ward Hines, the timber in Mississip-
pi will be gone. The problem is to
learn to produce without depend
ence upon the lumber industry and
be ready to meet the new conditions.
A rich, prosperous people. can't
live on poor land. Intelligent peo-
pie will leave such land or make it
rich. If you'll make the land rich,
you'll get rich making it so.
Mississippi ought to be one of the
richest states instead of the poorest
or next to the poorest in the Union.
Iowa is the richest. Iowa has lit
tie coal, but is mainly agricultural.
Iowa farmers work to make liv-
Ing Mississippi farmers work to
get credit. White women and child
rem work in the fields in Mississippi;
none do SO in Iowa. In the farm
homes Of Iowa are found electric
lights, washing machines and bath
rooms as luxurious as a city bath
room -and two hundred and fifty
acre farm IS big farm in Iowa.
The speaker scored the farmers
holding tracts of land too large for
use, and the purchase of additional
tracts while wife and children work
ed in the field and the children grew
Np without education. Give to the
children give to the women, said
Mr.. James, forget How can / get =
More money is spent upon sin
gle agricultural college in Iowa, than
upon all the public and private edu-
cational institutions in this state.
Mississippi is robbing her children.
1t is no disgrace to make mistakes
but smart man doesn't make two
in the same place.
There are four different types of
soil in Mississippi. SHOW the land
and you'll show the kind of folks, "
said Mr.. James. Four experiment
stations Holly Springs. Stoneville,
Poplarville and Starkville give assist
Eance in. these regious of diverse soils.
aided by the county agents.
TAFT Butler said that the greatest
agricultural implement is the lead
pencil, in urging the farmers to keep
books.
The belief that God sent the boil
weevil to enforce diversified farming
was expressed.
Slavery was followed by share
cropping and on two or three thous-
and acre farms there are still slaves
the farmers wife and children.
Mississippi's greatest expectation
is dollars and the next, people. The
state sells cotton. and buys, corn,
timed tomatoes. etc.
The banks, The cotton mills and the
credit system did service and made
money in time past, but the day of
cooperative marketing is here now.
The city must justify its existence by
the service it renders.
Largely through the offices Of the
women Of Mississippi. the state is
waking up. If the women Of Missis-
sippi want things, they can get them.
You're not going to get much
more credit" was a warning in
junction in urging the placing of
farming upon a better basis.
After the close of Mr. James,
speech interested queries led him to
tell of some of his own experiences
in farming. among them, in learn
ing after purchasing herd OF dairy
cows, that his feed bill was twice as
great as the check received for milk.
This led to a test of the cows. and
the owner learned that of the herd
of hundred and FIVE. only four were
profitable dairy cows. A thorough
reconstruction OF the herd followed