Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1949-01-01
The Tenant Farmer And The Harvest

me tenant Farmer AND 1 ne harvest
The Expense of harvesting the current cotton crop in
the Deo Areas of Arkansas and Mississippi is matter
of grave TO small ond Ioree growers Many
of the cotton growers income from this years operations
will in oil pobobty be surprisingly short of their ex
pectotions Consequently the tenant formers and some
of the large land in these areas will not moke
any money The main contributing foctor in this low
NET income to farmers this year. the fact that most of
the formers paid prices for harvesting which were incon=
sstent the voIue of the crop AS result of this un
fortunate mistoke the part of most of the cotton
growers, they will in all probability face on entirely new
situotion during the harvesting of the l949 crop
1t is contention thot production looms for lo49
will be based rather careful analysis of production
costs rather then the inconsistent Of production
and harvesting of the 1913 crop Forming is business
too and cotton growers adhere strcky to the p-
cples of sound business economics in oocuure if they
to do successful Job According to the oqrcuItur-
al brain trust cotton picking should be based on moi
more than ten percent of the length When 60 be-
yond this price committing economic suicide
When we use the word former, we of course include
tenants, shorecroppers and doy loborer for in the
no analysis they must be counted in the equation for
they play large port the Ledger especially as re-
lutes to profits and lost.
Unfortunately large number of tenants in the
Deo Sections of Arkansas and Mississippi will be victims
OF unfortunate circumstances in relation to the cur
rent expensive cotton crop Most of these people have
mode bumper crops and yet the renumerctons will be far
who %eFe obe to gather their crops Most of these
people have mode bum crops and yet the renumero-
tons will be far short of their expectations There ore
those however who able TO gather their own crops
they will do fairly well, but most of the tenants will
out the rongside of the Ledger As result of
the tenants poyng the unreasonable prices of SIS and
S. per hundred lbs for picking cotton this Fall we will
probably have mony unsosfed tenants settling time
&c
ond worked hard to gather their crops This was made
possible because of the fact that the tenant and the
landowners interest in their welfare was mutuoI When
there mutuol spirit of cooperation existing be-
tween employer and employee the Results ore invariably
good, but when such spirit lacking there is oIwoys
restessness and misunderstanding between the por
ties
Negro farm tenants of the South should be definitely
port OF economic set-up and they should be given
BROADER opportunities in agricultural system es-
pecoIy when they possess the intelligence and copobi
ty We connot raise the economic status of the South
whole until we rose the economic level of Negroes
of the South Forming primarily chief occupation
1t good place to stort roising the economic level
of the Forgotten Man We reoIize of course that our
form problems fundamentally economic and in order
better these conditions must rose and stabilize
form commodities on the level with industrial ccmmodit
les Our National Farm Organizations and Agricultural
Agencies doing good job in this respect but we
should lose sight of the foct that in proportion as we
prosper agricultural field Negroes oIso shore
in this prosperity Tho the way incur opinion to bring
the South up to level with the rest of the Nation.
Neuro and white formers must help to prevent a re-
currence of similar situation with respect to harvest
inc cost of the lo4o crop This must be done in order
To safeguard and protect agricultural future and
credit system We fear thot Banks and other lending
institutions will not hond out money for o4o production
looms TO bq or small formers without certain restrictions
and tighten credit policies For this believe
that all farmers and particularly Neero formers should
NOT be over ambitious in planning the o49 crop The
parity price for cotton saved the formers from bankruptcy
This year We have permanent guarantee of porityl
so let build hopes too high in planning our
1o4o crop