The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-01-17

lper bushel, f. o. b. shipping point.
Mr.. Mills gave the farmers to under
stand that the sweet potato business
was a growing industry, and each one
could feel safe in adding to his farm
an acre or two as a money crop.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Mills
speech Mr.. John NJ. Kinard, president
of the Commercial bank rose and
made ,e:y enthusiastic and pointed
talk. Mr.. Kinard said that while mon
| ey was not as plentiful as it was when
cotton was 40 cents per pound, yet
there was plenty of money in the
banks to take care of the farming IN
terests of the county. That there
was about three million dollars on de-
post in the three banks of the city
and it was more the lack of collateral
, that stood in the way of borrowing
money than the scarcity of money.
He said that we had been talking
ABOUT the situation for long time,
but the time had come when we had
to be plain with one another. That
the able bodied men who spent half
their time or more coming to town
need not think that the bankers and
merchants were not taking notice
of them. He advocated diversified
farming, urged the farmers to plant a
limited amount of sweet potatoes as
a money crop and raise all the grain,
hogs, molasses, rice, vegetables and
all other food crops that were needed
on the farm. And he also showed the
Importance of raising our own stock.
Mr.. Kinard said that his bank had
made an effort about eight years ago
to encourage the farmers to improve
their cattle and hogs and become
more interested along this line, and
that he had ordered a fine red Pole
bull and gave his service free to the
farmers, and bought shipment of
fine heifers which he had sold just
at cost and bought a number of fine
shoats which he sold to the boys of
the different corn clubs at cost. But
all these efforts had proved of little
value as only one or two had come
back and had shown their apprecia-
ton.
Mr.. Kinard in discussing the many
things that stood in the way of our
progress and prosperity had the
Christian manhood to publicly de-
rounce common evil of his town,
ths:t is, the bucket shop-the place
where people gamble over our cotton.
He said that this place had a great
tendency to influence and lead cur
ycurg men astray and into the habit
of gambling, that when the cotton
market stood this morning, say at Is
cents, here would cc:ne a flying. re-
port over the wire in few hours
from the gamblers up North saying
that some little dissatisfaction had
occurred in the peace conference and
down would go the market sometimes
more than a hundred points. This
was so much in accord with my sent
ment until l couldn't keep my feet
still on the floor and there was feel
ing of the same kind throughout the
audience.
Mr.. T. X. Johnstone of the National
bank and Mr.. Marcus Spearnan of
the Exchange bank were called upon
and they both rose and in brief way
indoreed the speech of Mr.. Kinard,
saying that he had about outlined the
situation.
: Mr.. Walter /. Herbert spoke in
favor of adopting creamery indus
try in the county.
Mr.. James W. johnson, president
Of the chamber of commerce, made
very pointed talk upon the creamery
project saying that they had made a
great effort to get the farmers to
take hold of the matter that he felt
sure it would be a profitable move
ment. But until now they have had
very little encouragement.
About the conclusion of the meet
ing Senator Alan Johnstone rose and
in his usual way gave the farmers
to understand that there was but one
way to get out of this financial strain
and that way was by the diversified
plan of farming, that he had come to
the point himself, and that he was
feeling the benefit and he felt sure
that the farmers had begun to realize
more ard more that something else
had to be done besides depending up
on the all cotton system in the South.