- Transcription
ROWAN COUNTY DIVISION
Farmers' Educational and Co-Operative Union
OF AMERICA.
F. D. PATTERSON, Business Agent.
China Grove, N. C., Route 2,
Oct-1-1917,
Gov. T. W. Bicket,
Raleigh, N. C.
My dear Govenor:-
I am coming to you with a personal appeal al tho not for a personal favor, but for what appears to me to be for the best interests of our great State and Nation.
We would understand from your speech at China Grove and also at Salisbury that you are in sympathy with the views expressed in Rowan Co. Rural communities.
We are very fearful that a grave mistake is being made by taking so many of the farm boys to the training camp, those who have figured the percentage, say that 70% of the accepted drafted boys are from the farm. It appears that there is no chance for the boy on the farm but go.
The whole cry is for more “Bread, Bacon and Butter Milk” and yet how can we hope to produce it if the dependable farm trained and efficient farm boys are taken from us, there has been enough of them already taken that sufficient help is scarcely available to gather the crop now ripe and how can we expect to plant enough and harvest it to fill extra demands of the government. We read almost every day of the alarming condition of our nation and Allies from the shortage of feed and food stuff. We are constantly reminded of the fact that the success or failure in Europe of our armies and our allies, largely depend upon the American farms.
Now then if so much is expected of the farmers, is it not natural that we would ask for a halt in the drawing of the boys. If we protest and then the failure comes at harvest time we will feel that we are not so much to blame. Will our government expect us to feed the world after taking the best labor away from us.
I said to start with that it was not a personal favor that I was asking for. I do not have a son, brother or close relative who even registered, therefore all the object I have is just to lay this matter before you as it is showing up in Rowan Co. I would like very much to hear from you on the subject if your time is not too much taken up.
We are extremely proud of our Govenor for many reasons, one is that We Have One “Agricultural Govenor”
With very best wishes and kindest regards, I am,
Yours very truly,
