Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-12-20
North Carolina Tobacco
Farmers, Particularly Are
Attracted to Land of Prom
Use - Cooperative Spirit
ReignS
BY RALPH SMITH

BY RALPH SMITH
MOULTRIE, Ga, Dec. 17.-See-
ing is believing, and by that token
eve believe in Colquitt county"
just as firmly and proudly as do the
stalWart business men in Moultrie.
Norman Park and Doerun, whose
men are today engaged in the most
unique and successful immigration
campaign ever attempted in Geor.
gia-a campaign founded on a trim.
ity of elements, faith, devotion and
altruism.
The faith is born of conviction
that Colquitt county is in fact the
home-owners' paradise, and these
home-owners are devotedly deter
mined and united in d purpose to
share their blessings with desirable
home-seekers from other sections.
The utter absence of selfishness
from the movement makes it unique
in the annals of such developments.
1t is a community undertaking, in
which the individual is entirely eff
faced from the equation. The ele-
ment of personal profit or gain is
wholly eliminated. No man is seek
ing an advantage over his neighbor
in the big settlement work, and no
prospective settler is in the remotest
danger of being gouged or victim
lied.
"AlI for One, One for All"
"All for one, and one for all, >"
that's the CoIQuitt county motto.
l. holds good in Moultrie, in Doe
run, in Norman Park, whittier pros
pective home-seekers are turning in
increasing numbers.
The stranger within Colquitt's
gates is assured Of the same fair,
courteous terms and treatment as
apply in trades between natives; in
deed the stranger has the advan-
tage over the local citizen right
now, because, under the agreement,
the stranger is relieved of the pay
ment Of the usual fees, commits
sions, costs, ETC., of real estate
transactions In a word, brokers'
commissions have been eliminated,
ard only lands are being offered for
sale to which the titles have been
perfected.
Every available parcel of distress
or salable land in the county is
under option to the ColQuitt Cham
Der of Commerce, and the options
continue for a year. All of it is
priced in plain figures and all of It
is priced below the usual average
that has obtained heretofore in Col
quit county for lands of the char
acter being offered for sale.
The prospective buyer deals only
with the chamber of commerce. lie
has no interest in the immediate
owner of the land, and, as remarke+.
between the owners of the various
lands that are listed at the chamber
of commerce, there IS no rivalry
whatever. Of course. if a prospec-
tive buyer desires to confer with
the owner of a piece of land that
appeals to him he is afforded every
opportunity for such conference and,
obviously, the chamber of com
merce has no concern over the terms
of settlement that may be concluded
between the buyer and seller.
Opportunity for Trial
A singular and persuasive feature
of the ColQuitt county plan is Il
provision in the land options that
in the event a prospect" doesn' t
care to buy, for one reason or an
other, he may rent the land as a
share crCpper, or FOR straight rental,
with an option to purchase next
year with no advance in price. This
is a highly important provision,
since it enables the man who has
any misgivinSs about the fertility of
t.,lN 10
ticular crop, or it's productivity, to
give it a thorough test.
From the foregoing outline it IS
obvious that COlquitt county is not
engaged in a real estate promotion,
but that the underlying object is
the development of the county
through the attraction as perma-
nent residents of persons who viii
tefial prosperity of the community
in return for the comforts and hap.
piness they derive from their resi-
dence.
1t is well enough to discuss the
altruism of the motives that under
lie the development here, but that
doesn't explain how and why the
prospects are induced to visit Col
quit county, yet the methods that
are being used to attract settlers
are perhaps the strongest recommel-
dation of the entire plan.
Tobacco Growers Attracted
Colquitt county stands out as a
pioneer in the use Of motion pic
lures as a means of advertising its
advantages, and just now the imrii-
tracing scores of successful tobac-
CO growers from North Casolina anG
many mixed crop farmers from
ta9 middle west, particularly iowa.
At Moultrie Tuesday there were
thirty five or forty North Carolina
farmers who had arrived the Gay
before in a motor bus one of several
that The COluuit, Ount C.rTn.Ler
of Commerce is operating between
the tobacco 'bsit If the Tar Heel
STATE and Mo- trie, bringing here
men who are anxious to see for
themselves lands that are more prof
liable for bright tobacco than those
of their native heath.
The interest of these North Caro-.
linians was first intrigued by the
exhibition in the public schoolhouses
of the Piedmont section of Colquitt
county's moving picture This pic
ture. by the way, inspired the sug-
sestion at the outset that seeing
is believing for yesterday it was
my privilege to view this picture,
and having seen it, it is not diff
cult TO understand why farmers from
afar are flocking to Colquitt.
Carolinians Convinced
The picture was shown scores and
scores of times in North Carolina.
and on nine different occasions the
two reels were run a second time
by special request of audiences that
lid M l.L.alaA 1t liz rornd,1n t-i.-it--. .,f