Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-02-03

Readers OF Tine journal nave
been told of the marvellous sue
cess of the Burley Tobacco
Growers Association in Ken
lucky and the border states, and
how it has brought prosperity to
it's farmer members. The story
of the Burley association, how
ever, is no more remarkable
than that of the Cane Growers
Cooperative Association of
South Georgia. Poverty and
dire necessity moved the Bur-
ley tobacco growers to assert
their economic independence.
But the condition of the Burley
growers, when they commenced
the organization of their asso-
citation, was no worse than that
of the cane growers in southwest
Georgia.
In the fall of 1921 these cane
farmers were faced with mar
keting problem that required
vision, judgment, courage and
fortitude to solve. They were
producing cane eXcelled by no
other section of the country, but
they We're being forced to sell
their product to an unknown
market" and for prices far be-
low the cost of production.
In the fall, of 1921 the quoted
price of Georgia cane syrup
was Is. cents and less a gallon.
Many growers could not get
even that pittance. There was
no market for all Of it at such
prices. When you take into con-
sideration the labor, the ferti-
lizer and barrels which cost the
growers from $3.50 to $500 each,
it is easy to see why the cane
growers of southwest Georgia i.
were discouraged, almost bank
rupt and conscious of the fact
that something must be done if
they were to continue to culti-
vate their own farms and pro-
duce cane,
So in the summer of 1921 T.
M. Chastain, president of the
Grady County Farmers union,
attended the Fourth Of July
farmers union celebration at
Union City, Ga. Mr.. Chastain
had already become interested in
the program of the Georgia Cot
ton Growers Cooperative asso-
citation and when he reached At
lanta on his way to Union City
he visited the offices of the Co
operative Cotton association,
and while there he became con-
WINGED that cooperative mar
keting was the only solution for
the marketing problems of the
care growers, as we'll as the cot
ton growers.
At the celebration in Union
City, Mr.. ChaStain had the OPP
portunity Of hearing such nation
al advocates of cooperative mar
keting as w. c. Lansdon, OF
Kansas, lecturer of the National
Farmers Union. and others who
preached the doctrine of COOP
erative effort and explained the
benefits of cooperative market
ing on the contract plan.
Meeting Is Called
On his return to Grady county,
he called a meeting of the Far
mers' Union of that county, and
presented his plan for organzi'
ing a cane growers co-opertive
marketing organization. The
plan was endorsed and full CO.
operation was pledged. Shortly
after this, a meeting was called
in Cairo, the county site of
Grady county, which produces
the larger part of the CONNER
cial cane syrup Of the state, and
considerable interest was shown
in the plan. A membership
contract was prepared and under
the leadership Of Mr.. Chastain,
who worked almost single hand
ed, the sign.up work commenced.
Subsequently, q delegation from
Grady county met with the
Brooks County Farmers Union
and this live and progressive Or
ganization Endorsed the move
ment for organization the cane
growers and pledged its coop
Grafton.
Much interest was shown in
the movement, but opposition,
Indifference and lack of under
standing, all played their part
= in retarding the progress of the
sign-up campaign. Most of the
burden rested on Mr.. Chastain,
who had been made chairman of
the organization committee and
never did he waver in his vigo.
rous work. He was convinced
only cooperative marketing
could bring prosperity to the
cane growers.
1t became evident, however,
that more help must be had, so
in January Mr.. Chastain callede
another mass meeting at Cairo,
which was attended by several
hundred cane growers. The
state bureau of markets had
been helping from the beginning
but at this junCture, it placed it,
self squareIy behind the move