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FRIDAY. JULY 12, 1948 -x. 1218 College Street NEWBERRY, SOUTH CAROLINA ~ O. F. ARMFIELD ~ Editor and Publisher Published Erery Friday In The Year Entered as second-class matter December 6, 1937, at tht postoffice at Newberry, South Carolina, under the Act of Congress of March 3, 1879. Farmer Better-Off Than Wage Earner By SPECTATOR Old Sol, the cotton man’s friend, bore down on us recently. All the prophets who have predicted a loss of vigor, were put to shame, for never was the sun hotter. The old boy laid aside rurves and slow balls and burned ’em over the plate in sizzling fashion. Still, jf we in lander swould go about nearly nak ed, as they do at the seashore, the sun wouldn’t seem to hot, huh ? ? The Sumter Item recently carried an account of the so-called Lend- Lease operations. As of December 31, 1945 the total amount was fif ty billion dollars, lacking four mil lions. And there are still ship ments under Lend-Lease, so that the total as of today is considerably more than fifty billions. As a met ier of fact Congress has let this get completely out of hand. Under this and various other powers, the Presi dent can spend many billions with out regard to Congiess, and does so. It should be remembered that American army supplies amounting to several billion dollars have been given away. Furthermore, hun dreds of millions of dollars more have been sent over in the form of foodstuffs. Of all the Lend-Lease, nearly thutay one billions were sent to the British; Russia received eleven bil lions; France two billions; China, Holland, and others, came in for large grants. We should ilke to know what part of this fifty billion was a “loan” and what part was a “lease”. As a matter of exactitude, when is a '•lease" a “loan”, or what distin guishes a “lease” from a “loan”? Do the words ‘lease” and “loan” imply repayment ? Of course we might study /Jhe record carefully and come to this general definition; “Lend-Lease—a practice of giving away the taxpayers’ money, with a mild smearing of salve, t 0 allay the irritation”. What an enormous amount of salve! Dr. George Wilds of Hartsville, President of The Coker Pedigreed Sefd Oo., thinks that farming of the future will require fewer people because of mechanical appliances. One may wonder about that. Farm ing is not only a business, but it is a mode of living which appeals to many and may appeal to even greater numbers. The large scale introduction of machinery requires capital, fairly sizeable investment at that. It im plies a degree of mechanical skill which is not common. It presup poses thait fewer men will own the land, fewer will manage it, and the others—the overwhelming ma jority, will be wage-hands. The real greatness of America requires more independent operators. One may wonder, I repeat. What has a farm bo offer to the individual, the small farmer Can he make a living on the farm, the small farm ? Are men doing that today? Usually some one tells about cotton and the disastrous plight of the cotton farmer. Well, must we plant cotton? Should we eliminate cotton ? Or should we plant cotton on a liberal scale, seeking more pro fitable methods of making the “crop”? We think the average income for a family in the United States is judt above a subsistence point, with little or nothing saved, in normal times. A farmer i n about equal circumstances has more food, but less money. The money of the wage earner will not buy the food of the farmer. Let us jmagine a farm planned on a subsistence basis, a live-at-home affair instead pf a producer of mo ney crops. In industry capital pro vides a n outlay of four or five thousand dollars for each person eployed. The capital of the own ers provides grrounds, buildings, machinery, ready wages and raw products for conversion. All this investment figures out as an ex penditure of thousands of dollars for each worker. We may some day make some arrangement like t|hat for the farmer, financing the individual farmer, from the ground up. That is the farmer who has nothing but strength and a will to work—as i n industry. Can the farmer earn for himself as much with the same Capital in vestment as the textile operative? I think he can. And the greatest concern of the nation must be to encourage small, individual farm ers, as well as to avoid congestion of people in towns. Let us assume a capital invesb- ment of five thousand dollars for a farmer. He can buy, even now, forty acres and a house for S3,000’. Mule, plows and other equipment need not exceed SI,000; i n fact, I’m a little too liberal, jf it be a work ing farmer we are planning for, not a town man luxuriating as an agri culturist. If the farmer comes to his job as the industrial operator does, with nothing but his strength and will to work, what can he do? He can probably find a land-owner willing to get a tenant who wants to work. The F.S.A, will help him to start, though his local banker may do it. What can he hope to earn ? That, of course, is the milk of the cocoa- nut. What can he earn ? He never will have much money, but how many salaried and wage people have any money, after they pay for rent, water, lights, fuel, clothing, gro ceries, vegetables and fruits ? Let’s lay this 40-acre farm, with woodland and permanent pas ture of ten acres, 2 acres for home, garden, orchard and barn. That is fairly large—209 feet by 209 feet for home, yard and, flower garden; 209 by 209 also for vegetable garden orchard and “lot”. Twenty-eight acres remain. If he were a Fee Dee, Williamsburg or Clarendon farmer he would want two acres for tobacco.- I do not include to bacco, however, for not all can have ilhat. If he can get two acres ti would be worth while. But let’s keep within the probabilities, for some farmers read this who are far from the tobacco territory. We still have the 28 acres. Let us use 12 acres for corn, 1 acre for wheat, 4 acres in oats, 9 acres in cotton, 1 acre in sweet potatoes, 1 acre in Watermelons. Within the year two crops may be made on some of the land. Farmers usually sow peas in the corn rows—when peas are available. Following the cutting of wheat and oats hay may be made on that land. So the plan is to see what can be done by farmers who are average producers—not the top, nor yet tihe bottom. 30 bushels of wheat per acre gives a surplus of flour, something to sell. The oats, corn, potatoes may be consumed on the farm, sustain ing the family, the work stock, the cows, the chickens, and the hogs. If you harvest thirty bushels of corn per acre, one hundred bushels of potatoes and fifty sound water melons you will hardly take any prizes. There are many farmers whose harvest at least doubles the figures I’ve given. The eight acres of cotton should produce six bales, under ordinary conditions. So that farmer, young and strong and working, working now, should have grits, meal, flour (full strength and flavor) potatoes, fruit, vege tables, chickens, eggs, meat, milk, butter (butter, mark you) .water melons. And along with that he phould have three or four hundreds dollars clear, not counting sales of meat, potatoes, milk, butter and vegetables. The farmer can go along quietly several months in the year in order to compensate for the months of ar duous toil. Can the average wage-earner do as' well? Spectator attended the Campaign meeting in Barnwell. Men were there from many counties because of the expected explosion of a super- political bomb. Senator Edgar Brown a nd Speaker Solomon Blatt were present, listen ing to the speakers and joining in the general good humor of the meet ing. Winchester Smith, the reput ed third member of the Barnwell collaborationists, known as the “Ring”, was not there i n person, but Win was very present in spirit, since he provided the barbecue— and a very excellent one it was, and generously and graciously serv ed. The “Barnwell Ring”, seems to be the big majority which main tains Messrs Brown and Blatt in office. There is no escape from that. The candidates had an attemtave audience in Barnwell: Dr. Carl Epps of Sumter and Judge Strom Thur mond of Edgefield arraigned the Barnwell Ring i n strong language, as they had promised to do. Dr. Epps is for Prohibition, straight-out, clear-cut. Judge Thurmond seems to make his major plank a reform in political control and political methods. Two of the candidates for Gover nor devoted their time entirely to impersonal matters, general issues: Due To Removal of Government Sub' sidy June 30th, also to Cost of Feed, Labor, Equipment and 5 The Price of IV Be Increa Effective July 15th Supplies DLK Win sed as Follows GRADE A MILK 20c PER QUART BUTTERMILK 15c PER QUART COFFEE CREAM 20c PER V2 PINT The Price of Grade A Milk to Consumers is the only Major Food Item Not Increased during the War. We Assure You, Our Customers, of our Sincere Appreciation of Your Patronage and Hope To Be Able to Serve You More Efficiently in the Future. SANITARY DAIRY DENNIS’ DAIRY SENN’S DAIRY R. E. BURTON NEEL’S DAIRY S. M. GARY SONNY LAINE DAIRY JOHN BARRE GRIFFIN John Barre Griffin, 74, a promin ent citizen and former merchant of Newberry, died Sunday morning at his home on McKibben street follow ing several weeks of critical illness. Mr. Griffin was the son of the late Bluford E. and Lillie Barre Griffin of Newberry county. Mr. Griffin worked as a clerk for Summer Brothers company here for about 20 years an d later operated the M grocery store on Main street for twelve years, selling out two years ago on account of ill health. He was a member of the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Lillie Mae Whittle Griffin and one nephew, Griffin Langford. - Funeral services were held at 5 o’clock Monday afternoon from the residence, conducted by the Rev. E. Bryan Keisler, assisted by the Rev. J. B. Harman. Interment was in Rosemont cemetery. Dr. James McLeod of Florence spoke of the need for a higher level of education as an economic factor of first importance; Mr. John C.Tay- lor of Anderson spoke for freedom to work freedom to decide one’s own course of action, without com pulsion by arbitary groups. He de nounced the P. A. C. which has de clared its purpose to defeat him. Governor Williams seemed to re gard the question of liquor profits as vitally important, though he claims credit for the increases grant ed the teachers. Mr. Beatty spoke of his know ledge of the whole State govern ment, based on his long experience as Comptroller General. No candi date can cover the ground in twelve minutes. There are issues, or there should be issues. South Carolina should not devote all the time to li quor discussion whe n urgent prob lems are disregarded. We need in this State some meas ure which will attract favorable at tention to us. Relations between Management and workers a re usual ly pleasant. That good feeling is probably an asset of great value. Our State government is friendly to both the workers and the owners; our Labor Department is directed by a man of good judgement and good spirit; our Legislature is very desirous to attract new enterprises. Let us study what we have and de cide what we can offer in a field of great competition. 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