The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-02-25
ALL IN THE SAME BOAT

ALL IN THE SAME BOAT
Practically every merchant in
this section is complaining about
the shrinkage in the volume OF busi-
ness and most of them are finding
it difficult-cut expenses as they
may-to realize sufficient profit on
the turnover to pay the overhead.
Few are making any profit on their
Investment. This condition is due
to the fact that there has been no
prifit in cotton growing the past
two years. The nineteen twenty
crop was large. one Of the largest
ever produced in this section of the
state, but it was produced at such
great eosf. owing to hish-priced-
fertilizers and labor. that when the
tremendous slump in prices occur
red in The fall Of 1920, the crop
Ecould not lie sold for sufficient to
pay the expenses and leave the
margin of profit that the farmers
had reasonable anticipation of re-
ceivins when the crop was planted.
Those who sold barely broke even
! or got out at a loss; those who held
{N expectation of an advance in the
market have sustained an even
greater loss. The crop Of nineteen
i twenty-one was the smallest in
many years. due to the unprece-
dented1y unfavorable weather con-
ditions and the ravages Of the boil
weevil. In consequence of these
crop disasters and the financial de-
preston that has prostrated busi-
ness throughout the country. little
money has come into this section
for our products-in fact it is safe
to say that more money has been
(; sent out Of this county to pay for
fertilizers, food stuffs that we do
not produce, clothing. shoes and
other necessities, than has been rea-
lized from The sale Of cotton and
other products that we have to
sell. We cannot continue to spend
more money than this county pro-
duces for any length Of time, with
out involving the whole business ia
brio in bankruptcy. There will
come q time. and in a measure it
has already arrived. when the rank
and file of the buying public will
have exhausted all their reserve
capital and they will be unable to
buy even the very necessities. The
direct consequence of this condition
will be collapse of business. The
merchants will feel it in the ab-
sence of demand for their wares,
I the banks will feel it in the fall
ing off of deposits and in the vol
ume of profitable business, and
every line of business and profes-
sion will suffer from the scarcity
of money in circulation. This is
not fine spun theory, but hard
and distressing fact that we all
realize from personal experience.
We all know, also. that cotton,
as the sole dependence as wealth
producing product for this section.
has forever lost it's preeminence and
dependability. The boil wcevil is
with US to stay. and even under the
most favorable weather conditions
cotton cannot be produced except
at great expense OF money and Ia
Dor. These are facts that are ad-
mitted by all. Therefore. the only
possible remedy for the situation
is to find other farm products to
supplement cotton, from which pro-
fit may be derived.
There is not one but several
crops that can be produced at d
profit. Sweet potatoes can be pro-
duced more cheaply than almost
any other crop that is adapted to
our soil and climate. Every farm
er knows how TO produce potatoes.
There is only one problem-mar-
keting. This has been solved by
potato curing and storage ware
house and the cooperative market
ing association Thus far Sumter
county has done little toward get
ting in line 10 turn sweet potatoes