The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-06-29
SUMTER CANNING FACTORY
MEANS MUCH TO FARMERS
(By b. f.. Adams, in Charleston News
and Courier, June 25).

a new industry has been opened up
IN Sumter County. 1t promises to aid
very materially in bringing about a
change in the agricultural outlook in
that section. The canning of food
products on large scale is something
new in Sumter, yet in the short space
of few months, the industry has
reached goodly proportions.
Already the canning factory is
proving big thing in the lives of
many people. This is specially true
OF the farmers who are benefitting
through the operation of this plant.
The canning factory is affordng a
ready cash market for four vegetable
crops grown in Sumter county; it is
providing work for about 200 persons
who might otherwise be without en-
ploymcnt;. it IS taking raw products
from the farms Of Sumter county and
turning them into cash and the cash
IS being distributed among the bus
mess houses of Sumter; it has added
TO the list of industrial plants in South
Carolina; it is helping to fight the
battle against the boil wcevil; it is
putting up fight for better freight
rates and it is helping to advertise
Sumter and South Carolina.
Work Started in April.
Ihe Sumter Canning company, the
concern operating the plant was or
ganized late in 1921 and started op-
Grating in April Of this year. The
plant occupies an old cotton mil,
building on the edge of Sumter. 1t is
equipped with modern machinery and
turns out an excellent product. A
number of Sumter business men and
farmers are interested in the move
ment. Mr.. H. j. Hardy, retired cap
italist and public-spiritcd citizen, is
- president of the company. Mr.. Hardy
is credited by his associates as being
the moving force behind this new de
velopment. Mr.. R. A. Bradham, pres
ident of a Sumter bank, farmer and
man who is greatly interested in
the agricultural development of South
Carolina. is vice president. MIR. Brad
ham is an untiring worker in the in
terest of agriculture and livestock
movements and, he cooperated with
the writer in securing valuable data
on the canning industry as it affects
Sumter county. Mr.. f. M. Hall is
secretary and treasurer of the con-
Germ.
The active worker behind the un-
dertaking is Mr.. H. A. Shaver, man
ager. Mr.. Shaver is an experienced
man in the canning industry, he hav-
ing been born and reared in Virginia,
"hcTc WOEh VI CllS IldIuTc has DctIl
carried on for many years. Ms.
Shaver, who is also experienced in
this work, devotes her time to the
plant, and is deserving of much credit
for the success attained.
$4,000 to $4,000 Weekly.
The great value of the plant can
be better understood when it is point
ed out that four to five carloads of
finished products are being shipped to
market weekly This means an in
come of from $4,000 to $4,000 per
week. Twenty-nine carloads of canned
beans have been sold in New York,
Kansas City, st. Louis, Atlanta and
other cities, says Mr.. Shaver, who
points out that one of the greatest
handicaps to be overcome is that of
freight rates. The products from the
Sumter factory must of necessity be
shipped to large distributing points
for sale. In comparing rates with
other points Mr. Shaver said:
"The greatest handicap we have
in making a success with a canning
factory in this section is freight
rates; we started last December to
have a commodity rate established
telling the acreage we had contracted,
but while we have had some promises
what We think are very exorbitant
rates and, in, fact, no canning factory
can exist doing a large volume Of
business which they have to ship to
the much populated districts and pay
the rate of freight which we are now
having to pay; for instance, the can
ming section around Baltimore has a
freight rate to Pittsburgh of 35 cents
against our rate of $1.O1, 70 Chicago.
42 cents against our SO cents, and
other points in proportion. The can
ming section of East Tennessee. Mor-
ristown and Newport have freight
rate to Cincinnati of 31h cents
against our 80 cents, to Birmingham
and Atlanta CT 81 cents against our
621a cents, also Virginia cities can
ship tomatoes to Columbia and Au-
gusta for 47R cents against our al "
cents, and Baltimore can ship to Char
lesion for 81 cents per hundred while
we have a rate of 40R cents per hun
dred"
Cuts Down Profit.
1t will be seen from figures quoted
by Mr.. Shaver that Sumter is being
Disseminated against in the matter
of rates and until this matter can be
adjusted the South Carolina plant will
not be able to show the profit it would
under fair conditions.
At the time Of my visit to the plant,
June Is, everyone was going at top
speed to take care of the bean crop.
Hundreds and hundreds of bushels of
beans were being received at the plant
daily. Men, women and children in
wagons, cars, bugg les, trucks and
automobiles came in in great numbers
, to bring the fresh, green beans. AS
the bean-laden wagon drives into the
factory yard it is placed on the scales
and weighed. From here the produce
was delivered on the platform, and
the wagon reweighed and the driver
paid for the beans. This means that
The farmers around Sumter can grow
a vegetable crop in few months, har-
vest and deliver it to the canning
plant and get paid for their work in
stead of. being forced by one-crop
system to work all year on borrowed
money or be carried by some mer-
chant until cotton marketing time.
In commenting on this feature OF
the undertaking, Mr.. Bradham said:
"I see in this new industry way to
break the credit system built ur
NJ. .I..aR