Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-10
BY OWEN L. SCOTT.
special Dispatch to The star


PINE BLUFF, Ark, January 10
With widespread evidence of hardship
caused by the unprecedented drought
of last Summer and by the calamitous
slump in the price of cotton since then,
still there is little vocal indication in
Arkansas that any but politicians are
clamoring for Federal funds with which
to buy food for the affected population.
Some complaint is heard of the
meagerness of Red Cross credits, but
no claim is made that any are going
hungry who make known their wants
and are found upon investigation-made
under the direction of Is Red Cross
| staff workers in the State-to be en-
| titled to help. This relief agency says
| that it can continue to provide food
until May. Before that time road
| building and other sources of employ
ment will be opened and, by April,
early food crops can be providing sub
sLstence.
Temporary Breakdown Indicated.
What appears to have occurred in
this plantation country is a temporary
breakdown in a system of agriculture
somewhat feudal in its form, and, except
in labor principle. little changed from
pre-Civil War days. Out of it may
come small agricultural revolution,
other food famine in a land of almost
unlimited fertility and mild climate
The State is divided in half roughly
by the Missouri Pacific Railroad. East
of the line is the plantation country
the Black Belt-Where cotton is the one
and only crop of importance and where
the land owners farm for money. West
of the railroad is the hill country
There the land owners, principally small
n, fo- fat 1irriY,r ice
garden stuff, keep a few chickens, a
hog or two and maybe COW. When the
drouth struck them it ruined their crops,
but they had reserves to fall back upon
Their situation was summed up by
County Judge r. l.. Berry of Marion
County-and in Arkansas hill country
the county judge is czar-Who reported
conditions in his area as follows:
We'll, we've got little corn. There Is
some sorghum and we have a few po-
tatoes. And while the squirrel crop is
a bit short this year, few hogs are
running wild in the woods and if you
folks will give US ammunition, We'll
make out"
While the judge did not mention it.
this section also prides itself on the
quality of its squirrel liquor, which still
commands market.
Things are different in the plantation
section. There they have only cotton
and people can't eat cotton. Normally
very little food is raised, much to the
amaZement of any one acquainted with
farming in other sections. Instead it is
bought at the store--on credit. In the
Fall, when the cotton is sold, the bills
are paid.
Credit Difficulties.
Except for the big land owners, the
population is made up in large measure
of poor white troopers" who farm on
shares, and Negro tenants. Negroes on
the plantations normally live life Of
bare subsistence. Their dry goods box
shanty homes-often without windows
strike a Northerner as groteSque. The
planter frequently has large numbers of
colored families on his place, who de-
vote themselves solely to the cotton
crop. 1t is an exception to see a garden
spot or chicken coop or shed for
livestock Plantation owners consider
it their first obligation to feed their
Negro families-who very often are in
debt to them--on store food, and this
year credit difficulties have provided
hitch.
The choppers" or share troopers" as
they are called, farm on credit usually
supplied by the land owner. The land
owner In turn gets his credit from the
bank In the past, when he would bor-
row. the banker would demand to know
how many acres of cotton he intended
to plant Cotton was considered sure
profit crop, and banks would insist
often on what amounted to a one-crop
program. The land owner in turn would
insist similarly on a cotton program
for his tenant. Diversif1cation was dis
couraged.
Now 2 club is provid d to change that.
County agents estimate THAT over ll4,-