Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-04-10
BOOST AGRllCCLBIL IURE
KEYNOTE OF ADDRESS
BY JUDGE ]. A. nixon
Americas Attorney Sounds New
Note in Community De-
velopment Program
PUT PAYROLLS ON FARMS
Farms Offer Greatest OppOr
tunity for Riches, He Tells
Rotarians
PUT PAYRoLLs ON FARMS


Declaring that Americas citi-
zens should devote their efforts to-
ward building up the agricultural
possibilities of the county of Sum
ter that in so dong greater pros
petity would result for both city
and county Judge j. A. Hixon
sounded new note in community
development yesterday in an ad-
dress before the Rotary club.
For 80 years Americas has prac-
tically stood still, the speaker de-
clared, neither progressing nor re-
ceding GAS Rotafians, Lions XII
wanians and plain citizens, we are
intensely interested in anything
that will bring happiness and pros
perity to this county," said the
speaker.
1--WE have remained the same
size for 80 years. We gather in
meetings today, as we did 80 years
ago, our chests swei!ed cut, deter
mined to do something. We say
we need pay rolls, and / grant that
we do.
4 recall the time, many years
ago, when we got together and or
ganized machine shop and found.
ry, putting our good money into it.
The machine shop didn't seem to GO.
Later we organized a furniture fac
tory which languished and passed.
Then we put up as | recall $24,9dl
for the Seaboard Air Line shops,
and these have shriveled. We went
after an aviation field, and got ii.
Whether it was a good thing or
otherwise, it's not for me to say.
"The cold fact remains that
Americas is an agricultural com
munity, situated in the. midst of
one of the finest farming sections
of the world. This is our single
asset and the one we have given
least thought, support or help. It
is out there on the farms that our
pay rolls are to be found; pay
rolls the like of which We have
never dreamed of,
"They represent an asset great
er than the mills OF Columbus or
Macon. They outrank the steel
mills Of Birmingham. Pay rollsg
There they are, out there in our
county, and | can prove their SUI
perioritg in few words.
Sumter has approximately. / be-
lieve, 100000 acres of land. Let's
suppose there are only 100000 till
able acres, to stay inside a reason
able estimate. You and i
have seen a bale OF cot
ton to two acres and az to
81 bushels Of corn produced ON an
acre of Sumter land, year in and
year out. We know that is posi-.
BILE. But let us cut our possible
production of cotton to $4,000
bales.
"At 20 cents for the cotton.
that's $5,OO0,000. The seed is am
other two millions, or total Of
seven million dollars from $4,000
acres. Another $4,000 acres win
produce two million dollars worth
of corn. There's nine millions Of
dollars. From hogs, cream, hens,
eggs, cheese, pecans, peaches and
other farm products, produced on
the land We have not used for cot
ton, we can produce as much mon
ey as from the cotton and corn
grand yearly income of $18,O00,-
600 from one county.
1T can be done. I know what
am talking about. 1t means work
and brains and cooperation. It
means we must do four things
said the speaker.
First, diyersification of farm
crops.
"Second, soil Improvement, cult
waiting 10 inches deep instead Of
about two inches, as we do now.
"The third step is the acquisi-
tion of sufficient Iabors intelli-
gent labor, intelligently directed.
Sand yourth and last, work,
work, work-work spelled in capt.
tai letters. Why we don't aver
age 100 working days in the year.
This program means three times
that much work.
IF we men of Americas want
pay rolls, we can get them out
there on the farms. It's up to us
! (CContinued On Page Three)