The Semi-weekly leader., 1922-01-14
SUBSCRIPTION PRICE s2.5O BY THE YEAR.
JAMES DISCUSSES
BUSINESS OUTLOOK
co-operatiOn In Improving Crop Yields
Advocated by Memphis Banker In
Jackson.

/ geSAbOha
Jackson, Miss, Jan. 11.-George r.
James, banker and merchant Of Mem
| phis. addressed large audience at Rep
eesentatiyes Hall last night, his subject
being THE Business Outlook in Missis-
sippi." a subject he has discussed at
various times and places in the state.
Mr. James said that he had been stu
dying business conditions in Mississippi
| as part of the Memphis trade territory
for ten years for the protection of his
own business interests. He had looked
at the conditions in Mississippi from
many angles, he said. One was the loss
| Of population to which Barney Eaton OF
| Gulfport had called attention some
weeks ago. The negro population had
decreased $4,000 between 1910 and 1920.
and while the white population had
gained $1,000 and yet the census of
1920 showed the population Of Missis-
sippi to be smaller than in 191O-that
is for whites between 20 and As years
If age. Naturally. he asked "why?" He
found that wage earners Jared better
in other states.
The speaker expressed great faith in
the work Of the federal demonstration
agents. the salaries Of whom are paid
one-half by the government. He said
they spread the knowledge that has
been gained from the experiment sta
tions, and he advised eevrybody to do
what they can do to help the demon
stration agents, and see that the neigh
bors attend the meetings and learn all
they can as to the development of soil
and crops. The same was true as to
81,
He continued by saying he had heard
it said that corn could not be raised
in the Delta, and yet last year Roy Ross
a Bolivar county club boy. had produced
1925 bushels on one acre at a cost Of
$21.67, or less than Is cents per bush
ell The average farmer made fifteen
bushels per acre. Suppose he was one
fourth as efficient as Roy Rossl" said
the speaker.
This corn raising incident was mem
toned TO show that Mississippi farm
ers have got to change their methods
If they would prosper - Just as the
demonstration agents have been telling
them.
"Just think" said Mr.. James what
the girls poultry and garden clubs
are doing, then imagine what would
happen in Mississippi If all of the
farm women were doing half as well.
Remember that more money goes into
Missouri each year for poultry and
eggs than Mississippi gets for her cot
ton. Let's ask ourselves those kinds Of
questions and quit talking about taxes
being too high. And want to say also
that any man on earth who makes soil
rich Will get rich making 1t so Do you
realize that II you treat the soil as it
should be treated, and can get the peo-
pie to raise what they eat, and eat what
they raise at home, in one years time
you can double your deposits just as
easy as breaking sticks?
There is more waste going on in
Mississippi today in any one county
than there is in the entire state of IL
linois and Iowa put together"
The speaker said that he recently
made a trip to Iowa just to see upon
what meat doth our Caesar feed that
he. has grown so great" He knew
they were the richest people on earth
and wanted to see how they got that
way. 1t was because they keep the
corn cribs and smokehouses for the
South.
Many items of carelessness and waste
were then enumerated. especially as to
the way cotton is handled, being left
in the weather and losing $500 per bale
every time it rains, and after 1t gets
to foreign markets is penalized about
two cents per pound, simply because OF
careless handling.
Comparing Iowa and Mississippi, both
purely agricultural states, Mr.. James
said that Iowa averages 3S.4 bushels Of
corn per acre, while Mississippf's aver
age is less than Is bushels. At the
same time he said. 5000 corn club boys
had averaged SIS bushels, and one 13-
yeaF-ofd boy had made 205 bushels on
one acre thus demonstrating that Mis-
sissippi can produce more corn per acre
than can Iowa. He also told of the
great wealth that had come to the peo-
pie of Wisconsin through her dairy in
terests, another branch of agriculture
that paid handsomely in Mississippi.
There are just two things. said the
speaker, which prevent Mississippi
from gaining it's proper place and pro-
curing for its people the comforts and
wealth which its natural resources war
rant. The first is adverse legislation,
against capital. The second retarding
factor is the credit system" He said
that he thought this credit system had
prevented development in Mississippi
more than any other one factor.