The Republican

Project of Mattress Making Being Studied

Low Income Farm People May Use Up Surplus Cotton In Mattresses

In order to witness a demonstration of constructing cotton mattresses, with the possible intention of carrying out a project in Garrett county under supervision of the U. S. Department of Agriculture and the Maryland Extension Service, John H. Carter, county agent; Miss Mildred Barton, home demonstration agent; and members of the triple-A county committee, Guy S. Stanton, Grantsville; Dorsey Guard, Friendsville, and P. H. Breunninger, Oakland, all attended a meeting in Washington, D. C., last Friday.

The purpose of this project, according to the Surplus Commodity Corporation, is to make surplus cotton available to low income farm families for mattress making and to help reduce the cotton surplus. The cotton is furnished to county people by the corporation and the plan has been made available to this county, should the Extension Service favor its inauguration here.

Mr. Carter said 120 people were needed before the project could start. These people would be furnished the cotton and ticking, the Extension Service would furnish supervision and instruction, and the county would furnish storage and working space. The people would have to furnish transportation to wherever one of these projects was set up.

Farm families receiving a cash income of $400 per year, or less, half of which must be derived from farming, would be eligible upon approval of the county committee, to obtain fifty pounds of cotton and ten yards of ticking. Only one mattress could be made in each family, Mr. Carter said, and those participating in the project would have to agree not to sell the mattress after its completion.