Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-01-03
SAYS TENANT FARMING
is STATES WORST EVIL

the tenant in debt and consequently
under control. not through wise
personal supervision on the part of
the land owner, but by the ramifica-
tions of the tenant and renting sys-
tenn.
No use to go into all the details Of
this tenant system that has cursed
all the cotton states in greater or
less degree-Georgia probably the
worst of all. Under it getting ahead
by the individual tenant was prac-
tically out Of the question. The
whole thing is q blot on Georgia.
agricultural history, and leaves US
now in a critical time with disor-
ganized finances and soil fertility
depleted because we have mined the
soil instead Of diversified cultivating
in manner that enhances soil fertfl-
ity.
With the exception of few most
northerly counties, Georgia is fully
infested with boil weevil, and in the
light Of past experience the weevil
must be Considered a constant, ever
present factor in cotton production
in this state. Some years the weevil
will be worse than others, but so
far as can be foreseen the Weevil
will always be on the job and take
for his tell certain percentage Of
the crop.
White Tenants
Full infestation by weevil in Geor-
gia means the death knell of the
tenant system as it has been work
ed in our state. Cotton production
affording a living to landlord, sup
ply merchant, country banker and
all the rest, is no longer safe
game; in fact, it's just the opposite.
A few may hang on trying TO play
the game the old way, but they will
go broke sooner or later. 1t is i'm
possible for tenant to grow enough
cotton on depleted soil under Weevil
conditions, such cotton being sold
at wholesale price, to pay for the
subsistence of himself, his family
and his working live stock on d
top retail price basis, usually plus
fairly stiff credit or interest
charge.
These 100000 tenant farms in
Georgia are largely owned by white
men who for one reason or another
have moved either to the towns or
cities and are, or rather have been
up to now, living largely off of cot
ton rent. In most cases the super
vision OF their tenants is OF the
most nominal character. So long as
the tenant works his cotton and
brings in his rent bale or bales he
is largely left alone. Heretofore
his tenant-worlled acres have been
sort of a cotton mine from which
he drew dividends with greater or
less regularity. The dividend-paying
part of the cotton mine is now
playing out due to the boil Weevil
A critical situation confronts not
| only the land owners, but the bust
! ness interests of our towns and
cities whose business prosperity is
dependent on productive acres. Di
rectly or indirectly most Of us have
been participants in this soil de
stroy.ing and manhood destroying
tenant system that has held back
Georgia at least twenty-five years
in it's otherwise natural develop
ment.
The continuance OF the tenant
system has been dependent on cot
ton production largely unhindered
by insect enemies and plant diseases
The day of freedom from insect at
tacis is over.
Weevil Dangerous
The weevit is not only a danger
! GUS factor, but constant one. The
day of the old style tenant system
based on exclusive cotton produc
ton, practically without competent
white or landowner, supervision, is
done. The day of planting cotton tc
the limit of the tenants ability tc
tend in the old slip-shcd way is
done.
Three clear and distinct alterna
| tiVes face our farm-land-oWine
folks who have been living in town
on cotton rent. They must accept
one Of the three. Under weevil con
| ditions there is no other way out
| Cotton cannot be profitably pro
duced under boil weevil conditions
by ignorant tenants without compe
| tent supervision.
The first alternative is for the
white landowner now living in towr
| to go back on his land and stay
| there, intelligently and constantly
| giving personal supervision to the
labor engaged in crop-making. I'm
der such supervision, limiting cotton
acreage to not exceeding five acres
to the pillow. putting the other acre
| age in food and grain crops, cotton
growing can be made profitable and
if combined with live stock produc
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