Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1926-10-07
A Practical Solution of Georgia's olive All
Home" Problem Available - Georgia
Bankers and Business Men Can Solve
By RAY WHITE
Editor, The Middle Georgian

ment problem is to see that Georgia
elves at home" has asked me in this
isue to point out what | consider the
practical steps to take toward the
solution.
To any one who has lived in an
average small town serving an aver
age rural community in Georgia, and
studied the problems of such COM
munity, the problem is not so diff
cult of solution as it at first may ap-
pear. Indeed, the problem is being
solved in many communities in Geor.
gia today and the solution can be
FASTENED for every rural community
in Georgia through the application of
planning and procedure, the sound
ness of which already has been
proved and demonstrated.
While the solution must necessari-
ly rest primarily and chiefly in the
hands of individuals making up the
community itself, it has also been
fully demonstrated that the bankers
and business men of the state must
furnish the leadership.
The Cow-Hog-Hen program and
the plan of rural community organi-
cation, sponsored for years by the
Georgia Association, under the lead
ership of such men as the late George
T. Belts, contain the factors essen
tial to fastening the "live-at-home"
program mentioned in my previous
discussion. Tried in the hard school
of experience and subjected to the
acid test, these plans already have
added many millions of dollars in
new wealth to the agricultural pro-
duction of Georgia and have brought
to the farmers and to the bankers
and merchants in many counties a
surplus from food and feed crops, in
! addition to the food and feed neces-
sary to maintain the home popula-
ton. Indeed, there is group of
counties in Georgia, numbering, per-
haps, Is to 25, that represent a
higher production per acre of money
income than can be found anywhere
else in the United States in a similar
number of counties. In each and
every case this prosperity is due to
the following of the CoW-Hog-Hen
program and to a local organization
among merchants and bankers and
farmers through which all work to-
gether as unit, not only along
economic lines, but where the social
and civic requirements OF an active
rural community, INCLUDING schools
churches, roads and recreational adj
vantages, are given careful and thor
oughly united and co-ordinated at
tention.
Development of our own rural
communities along these lines under
plans that give incentive and oppor-
tunity for our own native tenant
farmers gradually to become farm
owners, taken in connection with in
telligent plans for providing attrac-
tive farm homes for outside farmers
experienced in diversified farming,
are combining to build up the morale
as well as the wealth in these COM
munities.
What has been accomplished along
these lines has been due very largely
to the Georgia Association and the
propaganda which it has broadcasted
to the state and to the nation, and
these accomplishing have been due
to the support of that organization
largely by business men. One of the
best years of service rendered tt
Georgia by this organization was dur
ing the year when hundreds of mem
bers of the Atlanta Association Of
Credit Men, together with banker:
and chambers of commerce joined
hands with rural communities to pro
vide field workers to visit different
sections and counties of Georgia tt
help put across this program.
Business men of Georgia today
recognizing as never before, the com
polling Importance of this program
to all industry and to all progress il
Georgia, can do no better than tt
throw themselves as a unit behinG
this Association and help in fi1lanc
ing it so as to meet the demands Of
service in the field necessary to has
ten the 'live-at-home" goal fol
Georgia.
One of the most helpful evidences
of an awakening on the part OF
Georgia's financial and business lead
ers to this need is the recent actor
of Mr.. j. K. Orr, one of the south'S
most widely-known and successful
manufacturers. Mr.. Orr is appeal
ing to his customers throughout
Georgia and to his associates in At.
lanta to do their bit in aiding toward
the solution of this basic and import.
ant problem. The writer already has
discussed this problem with Mr.. Orr
and has frankly advised him that the
simplest and most economical way by
which the business men of Georgia
can aid in the solution of this all-lm-
portant problem is to mobilize behind
the Georgia Association, give it the
benefit of their brains and advice, as
well as ample financial assistance so