The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1923-06-28
Pleads for Progress


,,or spoke here yesterday to
.rse audience which listened at
.ntiyely. The outstanding feature
his statesmanlike address was his
meal for closer cooperation and
b development of the states re-
|ources. On this he said in part:
4But after all my fellow citizens
|esl relief from your burden of
sxation must come not only through
ibid economy and the application
I business principles to the conduct
/ the government, but also through
he development of our state in an
AGRICULTURAL and business way. We
puss encourage manufactures to
ome here so that there will be five
obs for one man instead of one
nan for five jobs, and SO that there
Eill be a home market for the pro-
ucts of the farm.
AT present the freight eats up all
he profit, and often there is no
erainty of finding a market when
tuff is grown and ready. The folks
the middle west and in Califor-
ia are organized and are co-operat-
bp with one another while we have
.en playing peanut politics, voting
or coat tail riders, and getting in
be habit of distrusting one another.
Farmer Must Gamble.
"The farmer is the greatest gamb-
pr Of all the ages. He CANDLES on
be weather, he CANDLES on the sea-
on, he CANDLES on the seed, ne
anbles on the size of his crop, he
smbles on the boil weevil, and then,
6nally when he goes to market, he
|asnt even a gamblers chance
gainst the speculator. The great
st movement in recent years is that
Il cooperation between the farmer
md the rest Of the community 1t
bdicates a better day for us all. 1t
las been the business of the peanut
olitican in Mississippi to array the
Armer and the merchant and the
anker against each other and get
lected by appealing to passion and
rejudice. But the small town mer-
hant and the small town banker
re not primarily responsible Tor
be price paid for the farmers pro-
ucts. My friends, the basic price
| determined outside of Mississippi.
we quit fighting each other and
rganize on cooperative basis to
box after our interest, we can have
great deal more to say about
THAT we will get for our stuff than
each class in the population dis
Fusts the other.
California's Progress.
"A California fruit grower ten
ears ago was getting from S6o.oo
$4,000 ton for his raisins. 1Now
e is getting $4,000 ton. Stand
rdizing and advertising did it. DO
ou know that 85 per cent OF the
often growers of the South sleep
mortgaged homes tonight. -or have
p title whatever? Before the CO.
perative movement started in Call
Ornia so per cent of the property
Fas under mortgage. Today 1T mas
Popped to 2 per cent. 1t is only
Trough modern, up-to-date, CO.
perative effort in standardizing, ad-
ertising and marketing our pro-
ncts that we Mississippians can get
way from this horrible burden OF
portgage. Instead of advertising
ur products, Mississippi never gets
print unless the big river over
lows, or we lynch a negro, or nave
political scandal. My fellow cltl-
ems, why not quit fiddling while
Eome burns and get together on a
obstructive program that will aio
IS all.
Conner's Record.
"But you say, How about the
ecord?' All Right. At the lszz
ession of the legislature | introeuc-
bill for cooperative marketing
mich even Russell signed! 1oi-
pwed that with an appropriation
IL granting $203,oOO.O0 to enable
he provision of the first bill to Dc
srried out and to make its terms
iactically available to the farmer
ms bill passed the House but was
efeated in the Senate and defeatec
peanut politics. ! charge fiati'
nat it was said on the floor Of tns
enate, Pass this bill. and you hell
\. - III -