Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1922-01-12

yet Deen published, stating, among
other things, that he has become con-
WINGED that Our hope for stabilized
markets and profitable prices for the
farmers of the state lies in coopera-
tive marketing associations for cot
ton. He not only urges "every far
mer who expects to grow bale of
cotton in 1922 to sign the contract"
but states that he believes it ito be
the plain duty of every citizen who
loves Georgia and the South to put
his shoulder to the wheel in this great
movement. The Governors letter
follows
To The Public:
We are now passing through siren
uous days in the economic reconstruc-
ton of our land
Many changes are taking place in
our industrial commercial and agri-
cultural life
Our country must get down to real
business and learn how to save and
make.
Many wasteful methods in all lines
OF activity in our past must be elm
mated.
I wish to call the attention to the
fact that the State of Georgia in the
main is almost wholly an agricultural
state.
1t is true our state has many re-
sources other than farming, but it
must be borne in mind that our tim
Der reserves are pretty we'll used up,
and the pillow is now taking the place
of the forest.
Our mining is limited and our man
ufacturing is small Our main resource
Is agriculture
Then let US give oul best efforts
to making a prosperous agriculture
for the State of Georgia. Let us do
our best in production, and let us ex-
ercise the utmost care in the matter
of marketing.
One of Georgia's greatest benefac-
tors is the man, or group of men,
who produces an article that the whole
world needs and must have; and l
know of no man. or set of meh who
reaches to the remotest parts of the
earth as the cotton farmer does.
The cotton farmer touches every
quarter of the civilized world, but at
that the cotton farmer has never had
voice in determining tn evalue of
this most universally needed and uni
versally used article, and it is on this
subject that I wish to talk to the cit
liens of the State of Georgia, and to
the farmers in particular.
The question of getting the right
price, and profitable price, for cot
ton to the farmers of our state, as
we'll as to the citizens of our common
wealth, is not an individual problem,
and it cannot be solved by the individ-
ual marketing system.
Individual selling of cotton only al
lows speculation and gambling to
creep in, and demoralize our markets
and our prices.
have studied the question from
many angle, and I have become thor
oughly convinced that our only hope
for a stabilized market and a profit
able price for the farmers and citizens
of our state lies in the cooperative
marketing associations for cotton.
1t is true that we may produce so
much cotton in the future as we have
in the past, but the ravages of the
boil weevil and the uncertainty of
gambling and specializing in cotton
makes it doubly important that the
farmers have a stabilized market and
a fair price. wish, to call attention
to the movement, in Georgia and in
the South, to form Cotton Growers
Cooperative Associations.
I believe it is the right move in
the right direction, and l further be-
1ieve it to be the plain duty of every
citizen who loves Georgia and the
South to put his shoulder to the wheel
ard help in this great movement that
will restore the buying power of the
farmer, and bring prosperity to our
state.
am acquainted with the person
mel of the men behind this movement,
and know them to be of the highest
type citizens of the state.
want to admonish every farmer
who expects to grow bale of cot
ton in 1922 to study this association
and movement carefully. and when he
has made up his mind, as have, to
then sign the contract and put Geor-
gia in the proper light with the other
Southern states in the movement to
get fair price for our principle pro-
duct
(Signed) Thos. w. Hardwick,
Governor