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^ COKER GIVES COST OF MAKING COTTON. Facta and Figures All Should Know Concerning South's Great Crop. | The Coker Cotton Company, of Hartsville, of which Mr. David R. Coker is president, has Just sent out to its customers a cotton news letter which in comparatively brief space covers the sttuatiou of the South to ' day 1q a way that is exceptionally in-^ forming and comprehensive. Mr. Coker discusses the cost of making cotton and the effect upon the South and the country of the present low prices and gives facts and figures which ought to'be known to all. His letter follows: As the staple situation has shown very little change since dur letter of December 1, we thought that our, customers might like to have us discuss the cost of the production of cotton and its relation to the present and future situation. We believe that few outside of the South, and by no means all m the South, realize the distressing features of the present situation or are able to diagnose their effect upon the civilizution of the South and the future ot the cotton industry. A brief consideration: of the facts, however, will promptly convince everyone interested in the ^ (industry, whether in the North or f *- -** the South, that there is 110 future for it at present prices and that a continuation of present conditions would threaten the civilization of the South. Government statistics show that the everage production of lint cotton in the South is between one-third and four-tenths bales per acre, but in order to show how impossible the present situation is we are going to first discuss production figures under the ideal conditions of a bale per acre production at 15 cents?a price abo\e the present market. Tl-e bulk of the crop of the South is produced on a share crop system, the most popular share contract in this section being one under which the landowner furnishes the land, buildings, planting seed and fertilizers and the tenant furnishes the livestock, tools and labor. Ginning and baling expenses are divided. Land lord and tenant divide the cotton equally, but the landlord receives all of the seed. Under this plan let us; see what would be the returns to; landlord and tenaut on a tewenty -j acre crop of cotton producing one bale per acre. Returns of an Ideal Furni. The farm will contain about thirty acres including a little woodland and a few acres for corn and other minor crops. If the land is good enough to produce a bale per acre a fair valuation for the farm including buildings will be between $6000 and: $10,000. A minimum charge for rent on the cotton land, therefore, to cover interest, repairs and taxes would be not less than $25 per acre. The landlord expecting a bale of cotton per acre would buy not less than $20 wort!, of fertilizer per acre for the cotton and, as he must exercise supervision over his croppers, a charge of $5 per acre for supervision should be made. The total of these expenses is $51 per acre. His returns will be uu?~ uuu uuie 01 cotton at ia cents? $37.50; seed, $10; total $47.50; less one-half ginning. $3. Gross income, $4 4.50 per acre. These figures show a net loss to the laud owner of $5.50 per acre. Some may object to the; charging of rent and supervision toi crop expenses. To this we answer! that these are necessary preliminary j expenses for ciop production with-' out which capital cannot be secured. To make this crop the tenant furnishes u mule and'feed costing per, year $125; depreciation on implements, taxes, etc., $25; hire for pick-; ing ten bales of cotton, $150; onehalf ginning, $60; total, $360, besides tlie labor of himself, wife and throe children. Receipts from ten bales of cotton at 15 cents per pound $760 Expenses besides labor of family 360 ! I.nlanPA Divide this amount by 305 and you get the magnificent sum of $1.07 per lay Willi which the tenant must pur-, chase clothing, shoes and household ' equipment and must supply a large; part of the food for tlie family and besides must pay the doctor and! tbe preacher if they are paid. It is j true that the tenant raises some corn I a few vegetables, and sometimes has! a pig or a few chickens. The pitiful poverty under which most of them live, however, keeps them moving from place to place, the average term of farm tenancy being about i two years, and it is the exception ra-j ther than the rule for the tenant to have any livestock besides his mule or any poultry. Please note that with cotton at 15 cents per pound $1.07 is the maximum amount that a tenant can receive for the labor of himself, his wife and three children in producing the ideal yield of one bal? of cotton per acre on twenty acres and this isi a larger acreage than the average one-horse crop in this section and must be further curtailed this year. The item for picking ten hales is absolutely necessary for the tenant and his family cannot gather more than half the crop in time to prevent seri-; our deterioration of the grade. Please remember that the average production in the South is less than four-tenths bales per acre. The production in this State, however, for; the past year has slightly exceeded! one-half bale per acre. Based on one-, half bale production, the tenant far-j nier's expenses would be reduced by, fhn Item of ni/.hln? ? 1 C A rwl l.Alf i.(*v item v? pivaiufj, yi ou, unci nan > of the ginning, $30, making his ex-j penses $180 instead of $360. He would receive for his half share of ten bales $375, leaving $185, or 51 cents per day for the sustenance of his family. But at least half Uie ten-i ant farmers make less than one-half bale per acre in South Carolina or less than one-third bale per acre in the rest of the cotton belt except In North Carolina. How can these i? THE DILLON MKRA1 I people keep body and soul together much leas maintain a decent a tan-' dard of citizenship. If cotton does not advance materially? Aftermath of War "Prosperity" During the years 1917. 1918 and 1919 we had a period of comparative prosperity in the South during which! both the landowner and tenant class-1 en made more money than they ever! dreamed of. Many, however, never! having Been a hundred dollar bill be-! fore, ha^ no training in thrift and' spent their money without thought of the morrow. Many are poorer citizens today than they would have beeu if we had not had this period of prosperity, for, having hud a glimpse of financial heaven and being again plunged into the hell of nbject pover-; ty, they are naturally bitter and discouraged. The only remedy for the present, situation upon which all seem to be ugreed is acreage reduction. Most cotton sections know no money crop except cotton. How can the hindowner or tenant figure to keep body and soul together on a greatly reduced acreage of cotton even if the present price is doubled? Yet they must somehow do this if better pric-! es are to be hoped for. What the South needs is a steady' price for cotton which will allow a fair return to the landowner and de-| cent wages to the tenant. At the. piesent costs of the commodities they must buy for crop making purposes. 30 cents is, we believe, the lowest price which the industry ( snouut consider. Thirty cents will1 not pay the landowner or tenant on the very restricted acreage that must I) planted this year. It will give the tenant farmer producing a bale to the acre on ten acres only a little! o\er $1.50 per day for the support j of hi s family or about half of this if hp makes a normal yield of one-half bale per acre. A few weeks ago the writer was talking with a banker from West Virginia who told him that he had just O. K.'d a payroll for small coal mine and that the average daily pay of the laborers was over $17.40 per day. remarking that these laborers were working six hours per day i but that they were employed only 60 | per cent of their time on account of | car shortage. I have other evidence! to show that the coal 'miners are receiving at least ten times as much as the cotton laborers, who are also paid | far less than the laborers in the Western wheat farms or in the mills of ar.y section of the country. o Orchard Demonstrations This Week. Editor Herald: ? Since sending out my schedule for orchard work for next week I find that Mr. Musser. from Clemson can be with'me two days instead of only one as first plan-| ? ? S g] ? H H S ffl @5 ! ! ffl H i' Wa | 5000 P a y to attend Big 41 Half Price S | GOODS, SHC izi inc pto d. i"wi Ail x# q U JLIC a | FRIDAY, J a 1 WARD KcLADJ a a Rowland, N. C. a a aaaaaaaaaas THE "OLD REUA THEDFORITC White Haired Alabama Lady Say: and Go Bat The ''Old Reliab Came am Dutton, Ala.?In recommending Thedford's Black-Draught to her friends and neighbors here, Mrs. T. F. Parks, a welltnown Jackson County lady, said: "I am getting up in years; my head is pretty ...UUA 1 nunc. > nave accu meuiuncs ana remedies come and go but the old reliable came and stayed. I am talking of BlackDraught, a liver medicine we have used for years?one th?i can be depended upon and one that will do the work. "Black-Draught will relieve indigestion and constipation if taken right, and I know for I tried It. It is the best thing I have ever found for the full, uncomfortable U), Dm/NT. SOUTH OAHOUX1, 1 ??^???? ned. This will giro me a chance to put on on? more demonatratlona in the county. 80 Instead of the datee and places stated in my letter of Jan. 10th we will be at the following places Instead: Tuesday. Jan. 18. at 10:00 e. m. at Mr. R. J. Dew"s orchard one mile west of Latta. The same day at 2:30 p. m. at Mr. L. L?. Stephens' place In the Bermuda section: Wednesday, Jan. 19, at 2:00 p. m. at Mr. H. M. Rogers' place Just above Little Rock. Thursday, Jen. 20. at 10:00 a. m. at Mr. Hiniard Rogers' place near Lake View. The sum0 day at 2:30 p. m. at Mr. B. R. Roberts' place near'Fork. At these demonstrations we will bike up pruning, spraying, and worming, and will b? glad to help any one place orders for fruit trees or spray pumps. If you are interested in' orchard work I hope you will attend one of the above demonstrations. Yours very truly, S. W. EPPS, County Agent. o The War Finance Board. Yorkville Enquirer. As to whether the revival of the v^ar finance corporation of the government is going to tend to relieve the situation in which the agricultural interests of the country find themselves, will depend largely upon the manner in which the activities of, the board are administered. The activities of the war finance) board have been revived over the! i>i nn-iii s \eiu nnu aireaay tn^ indications are that, having failed in ! its efforts to prevent the passage of| the bill, the administration is going! to see '? " that the benefits it hoped J foi are not going to be realized. For instance we are told that two of the original five members have I resigned and although the remaining three constitute a quorum, Mr. Houston, the chairman, is so "busy with his other duties as secretary of the treasury," that he will not have time to look after the business of the board and of course it is doubtful as to whether the senate will confirm the nomination of such new appointees as the president may select. That is not exactly the state of affairs that the Yorkville Enquirer anticipated; but the general effect is exactly what was anticipated. This administration has never been especially noted for its respect for con gross, or for the constitution either, for that matter. The Yorkville Enquirer recognizes the desirability, even the absolute necessity for deflation, and readjustment as much as does President Wilson or Secretary Houston; but at the same time it believes that it has a higher regard for common justice and the eternal fitness of things in this ibhbsbbbbsw m EB nted I 'EOPLE 1 S3 I?l a ; Auction and g ale of DRY lES, CLOTH- | jginning a a i AN. 21, at 11 a UN COMPANY, 1 Opposite Post Office gj a a iiaaaaaaaaaa. iBLE" BLACK-DRAUGHT 5 She Has Seen Medicines Come le" Thedford's Black-Draught 1 Stayed. feeling after meals. Soar stomach and sick headache can be relieved by taking Black-Draught. It aids digestion, also ssists the liver in throwing off impurities. 1 am glad to recommend BlackDraught, and do, to my friends and neighbors." Thedford's Black-Draught is a standard household remedv with i ? - w...?j U IVW1U Vf over seventy years of successful use. Every one occasionally needs something to help cleanse the system of impurities. Try Black-Draught. Insist upon Thedford's, the genuine. At all druggists. u. 13 I m^Ti i ^ - teMi; - THURSDAY MORNING, JANUARY connection. If, instead of beginning a year with a nation wide propaganda to the farmers to produce and produce on a basis of then inflated prices, all gov-* ernmental and controlling financial powers had sounded warnings of their intentions and told the farmers what to except, there 'would be no reasonable ground for quarrel. Everybody with a grain of sense knew that the conditions of a year ago could not go on indefinitely; but nobody except the federal reserve board and the most powerful centers of organized finance could know whether it would be this vear or nevf TTnrter th# <<ir. cumstances the farmers have a right to feel that they have been caught in a deliberately laid trap. But of course if the grain growers, cotton farmers and stock raisers had been honestly warned a year ago as to what was coming, we would not be having any deflation now, because in the face of tremendously reduced production, the country would be paying for things about what they are worth. Also, those people would be in a position to pay what they owe and continue business on their own resources. As the thing stands now it looks to the Yorkville Enquirer as if big busi-l ness is merely playing to wrest the farmer's produce from his hands CITATION. The State of South Carolina County of Dillon, by Joe Cabell Davis, Probate Judge: Whereas, B. A. Harrelson, Jr., has made suit to me to grant unto him letters of administration of the estate and effects of B. A. Harrelson, Sr. These are, therefore, to cite and admonish all and singular the kin died and creditors of the said B. A. Harrelson, Sr., deceased, that they be and appear before me, in the Court of Probate, to be held at Dillon on Tuesday, January 25 next, after publication hereof, at 10 o'clock j in the forenoon, to show cause, if any they have, why the said administration should not be granted. Given under my hand this 10th day of January, Anno Domini, 1921. JOE CABELL DAVIS, Judge of Probate, 1 13 2t. Dillon County. FINAL. DISCHARGE NOTICE Notice is hereby given that S. D. Graham, Executor of the estate of Estha Scott, deceased, has made application unto me for final discharge as Executor and that Thursday, January 27th, 10 a. m. in the forenoon has been appointed for the hearing of the said petition. All persons holding claims against the said estate are requested to file them with the Executor on or befor 10 a. m. in the forenoon on January 27th, or this notice will be plead in bar of their recovery. JOE CABELL. DAVIS. Judge of Probate, 1 6 4t. Dillon County. HISS???????? ? f?l i w a a 1 GO( I On Fe sn 1 ^ I m ? ? ? Such as ? ? Acid phosph ? We also ? ? cultural Che ? ? to. name pr ? H ? 8-4-4, 8-4? other brand: i a I McLai a a a a a aaaaaaaaaaai to'. . > . iinli u ? " f V ? M. 1M1. at less than half Its value and then make the ultimate consumer pay the price that should have originally gone to the farmer, leaving the profit in hands of "big business" and leaving the farmer flat on his back, poorer than he was In 1914. The revival of the activities of the war finance board, directed in good faith, can easily restore a good part of the losseB that are now in prospect for the, farmer. If the farmer rF==C^^!^ r fT"? i You need only your eyes to b< the Paige se "Lakewood" mc ly beautiful mo But go just o please, and take stration behind that is capable miles per hour. Then you will car represents important deve field of six-cylii 6-66 l.akfuood 7~Po*iMQet 7 6-6ft Lurch nwnt III- /"winfl 6-66 Fit*- Pueeenjer Coup* 6-6C Set m I'tLteenQcr Sedan All ?nodrl: k-ifl & weahtle Shorn* tht FAIGE-DETKOIT MO M amnfteatteeert ctf Prntf* h \ J. EARLI I Dilloi THE MOST BEAUTIF 0??????? ??E E HA1 3D PRI rtihzer M Nitrate of Soda, 1 ate and Kainit. represent The Am mical Company and ice on mixed goc 0. 8-3-3. and ft-l 3. I1IIMMI llllh II mi mi 111 IIP irin & Thoi ??@??????fflffl! < 1 ' can hold out for some sixty or ninety days longer, he can probably recover those losses regardless of whether the w*r finance board functions or not. Whatever happens, however, the farmer should take waring now that^^p under no circumstances must he rais^^Kr this,year one pound or bushei mpr of anything than he can raise tly/' his own individual resources f and cash, without having recot^ t' extended credit. <v| r mm 1/2 C?. 1 -< 1 the evidence of 5 convinced that ^ ven passenger * del is a supreme- ~ tor car. ne step farther, 5 a single demonthe power plant I of seventy-fivo 1 realize that this , one of the most *,k., ilopments in the j fXn\ ider engineering. J t /h4 i Ijd be ) i?v^i , : 'ourino ^ ir, $+7V*f.O. b. Drtroxt * ' _/lfi tffcblC* irr Sport Yj,pc 2X9fi f.o.b. Detroit L# y JC75/.0.b. Dtiroil . / 37 Hi J. a. 6. UftiuU ^ f rxkibiirH at A uio- j m tsufkjul ike conwtrj/ i ? 1 iTOH CAR CO.. DRTROIT (uWt Cmrt omd UUar truck* 2 BETHEA l, S. C. ' '" J i UL CAR. I'M AMERICA * *** SHI IS IS IS EE issisis^ m i B c v B <r - ' 1 F& at^riais gpl is i IS 2 IS * ? IS 6 per cent ? m * K Ax A * erican Agri- Si 1 will be glad jl * a i- - - m 'us sucn as a 3-0 or any ' ? IS a a a n~> r; mpsoii t s is IS IS - ffl I-? ?BSHIEisaIIIs . i ^ ' "!?'