The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-05-13
Poor Farmers St0yU-
ing TN South
BY LOUIS HINDEs.

THAT thousands upon thousands OF farmers,
both white and Negro in the sunny south find
themselves in an impossible position and are rap
idly approaching complete ruination, and that
something is going to happen" II the govern
ment does not come to their assistance, is the
general view expressed by several farmers I
talked to during my recent travel through the
state Of South Carolina.
One farmer, about 49, who said he served as
lieutenant in the U. S. army during the World
War and until recently quite prosperous, spoke
very pessimstically of the future of the farmers
in Dixie while waiting for bus in the small
town OF Edgefeld, S. c. I'VE are up in the air.
he said seriously. I'VE do not know what to
do. The bankers tell us to plant only cotton
the money crop-but when you bring the cotton
to them the brokers and buyers want it for
nothing-they offer us price much less than
it cost to produce it, and you cannot take it
back to the farm or storage it in the ware
houses, because the creditors demand their
money they advanced us on the crop: so you
must take the price offered with a good loss"
Diversificatson Failure
1.-THE newspapers and the city merchants, in
turn tell us that we would be better off if we
curtail the cotton acreage and diversity the crop.
market around here for corn, barley, potatoes
and other crop"
He paused while,r removed his broad -brimmed
black felt hat mopped his forehead and re-
sumed: 1T have farm Of three hundre acres
and cultivate only 49, the rest Of the land
is idle And right now am in danger of losing
my farm altogether as do not see where the
money to pay the mortgage and taxes will come
from. I fought in theWorld War as lieutenant
in the U. S. army, and was wounded and what
have I got? Nothing! now realize I fought
for the Main Street crowd Bankers, Brokers
and Landlords Lily, who are robbing us poor
farmers right and Left In the waiting room,
poorly dressed and unshaved, another farmer
predicted that unless the government relieves
the situation Something is going to happen"
I do not know what that something" will be-
he said, "but sure as daylight the starving farm
ers will not stand it much longer"
Other farmers present in the bus station, who
later joined the conversation spoke of the plight
of their fellow farmers in the neighboring
counties. How the 90 per cent of the farmers
in Lee County are mortgaged TO the full value
and how they are being sold per auction for
non-payment Of interest and taxes. About the
farmers in Camden County who are so poor
that they live on one meal day, and about the
ragged, barefooted and hungry workers seen on
the streets of the city Of Camden, the famous
winter resort, where the "tired" Northern capt.
talists spend the big profits and the extra money
made from wage cuts, and speeding up their
workers.
Unfortunately, like most farmers in the South,
these farmers know little Of the conditions in
the Soviet Union and regret the fact that, ow-
ing to their strained circumstances, they can
not afford to purchase any books dealing with
agricultural, industrial and political conditions
in the first workers and farmers republic, or to
subscribe for the Daily Worker" They were
overjoyed, however, when the writer took their
addresses and promised to send them occasion
ally the Daily Worker, the United Farmer and
pamphlets, free Of charge.