The Washington times., 1930-09-19
FARMER,
MERCHANTS
SUFFER
Jobs and Credit Gone and No
Relief in Sight, Starvation
And Bankruptcy Threaten


SILVER SPRING, Md. Sept. 10
The people of Montgomery coum-
ty, which for years has stood in
the forefront as one of the 10
leading money producing counties
in farming, daiTying. chicken
raising and fruit growing IN the
United States. are facing me
most drastic hardships they have
ever experienced as the result OF
the crop destruction during the
drought period.
Farm day laborers, small truck
farmers, tenant farmers and
country merchants are said to ne
facing unemployment, probably
famine and bankruptcy. Their
Jobs are gone. their credit is gone
and they have no visible way out
Of their dilemma.
The evact condition Of the farm
ers. dairymen, poultry ralsers ana
country merchants in this section
of the county is shown by f1rst
hand survey made by The WASH
ington Times.
Speaking for the Colesvile dis
trict, Truman r. C1Ssel, mer-
chant and farmer, yesterday salo
"Corn in this section will not
average two barrels to the acre
as against eight to 10 barrels
in normal years. All truck
farms are total failures, crops
being about 25 per cent Of nor
NAL. Late potatoes, turnips,
rutabagaS, hereto fore good
money crops, are a dead loss.
The worst situation Is that Of
the day labOrerS, who have only
had a little wheat threShing tn
do, and they now have nothing
more to do until spring. They
cannot go to cities on account
of the unemployment there. !
won't be surprised If potatoes
sell from 8 to 10 cents pound
retail by December"
Morris j. Stabler, a leading
dairyman, who lives in the Ash
ton district. said:
"a man who has to 'Suy mill
feed for his stock will be lucky
to break even from June l,
1880, to June l. 1881. There are
no pastures left. What feed that
was grown In the summer for
winter use has been consumed.
Ninety-five per cent of the
dairymen in the county will
have to buy winter feed. We are
using New Hampshire hay and
California alfalfa. both Of
which can be obtained If one
has the money or credit. Per
sOnally, I think the price of
milk will advance 2 cents per
gallon to the producer, which
must be absorbed by the middle
men. as the consumers are pay.
ing enough now for milk.
81 don't expect anything bet
ter next year, for next years
hay crop will be less than this
years because all the grass has
been killed"
Francis Miller, cashier of the
First National Bank of Sandy
Spring, expressing his personal
opinion of conditions in that vi
cinity, said:
"My opinion is that the farm
ers in this locality will not be
compelled to dispose of their
live stock on account of lack of
feed, although many will have
to buy their winter supply.
There is no doubt that many
farmers are discouraged, but
they seem to be disposed to
make the best of the situation.
The main trouble Is that they
have had to use their winter
feed during the summer, and it
was scarce anyway. The corn
crop Is about Is per cent of the
average. The tenant farmer is
naturally in bad shape"
Robert p. Soper, merchant and
farmer of Olney, said:
81 am trying to get out of
business. Things are very crit
ical in this section. The worst
is yet to come. 1 planted
enough corn to supply every
family around here, but didn't
get enough to make one good
meal,