The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1892-01-07
THE COTTON ACREAGE.
A CONVENTION CALLED IN AUGUSTA
TO REDUCE 1T.

the Attention of Southern Businoss Mon
Everywhere-Ieeting Held in the Au-
gusta Exchange.
AUGUSTA, GA, Dec. 3O-There was
good attendance Of representative
business men at the meeting at the Ex-
change yesterday at noon. President
Dough ty said the object of the meeting
YVES known to all. 1t had been stated
in the call, and was for the purpose of
discussing tho best means to Insure a
reduction in cotton acreage for the next
crop, and to select delegates to attend
, the convention called for the same pur-
. pose, in Mempl IS, on Jan. 6, 1892. a
letter had been written to the Memphis
Exchange asking information about
<Ne scope and poss. bilities for success
N2their meeting, but they had not yet
been heard from. 1t was deemed ad.
visable not to wait to hear from Mem
phis, but to proceed at once in the mat
ter for themselves. The meeting is
ready for business.
Hon. Patrick Walsh said any man
with any business sense can a, )reciate
the necessity OF reducing the acreage
in colt !. If something is not done
and the farmers cont, le making such
II nendous c JpS and forcing the price
OF 60 ton down below the cost OF pro.
duction it will mean the paralysis of
the South. The business men are be.
coming aroused to the necessities of
the case, and .eetings to take steps in
II is matter have been called in Mont
gomery and in Memphis. These viii
be attended perhaps by persoas in that
territory, but if 1t pos lble there
ought to be a general convention, at
which represen' atiVtS fro all >tton
growing Stat shall meet. We she I'D,
am sure, call a meeting at least for
the people Of Georgia and Carolina,
and IL it is impracticable to get gen
eral convention, Il pJmber all along the
liue might answer tie same purpose
| move the ap: tim It Of commit
tee Of tn, ee TO prC,..re resolutions fO"
adoption by this neetiug. CARRIED, and
Messrs. Patrick Walsh, w. +. AleXan-
der and Asbpry Hull appointed Oh the
committee.
'. MIR. w. j. CranStOn said it seemed to
him it was time tie South was doing
something TO protect herself. The cot
}oN C, )p of 'GC ~ was 8,Gt 1000 bales,
and this year it is expected to reach
S,0J0,CC0. Middling cotton is quoted
at ce ITS, and selling 4 sixteenth under
that. With this. of thing kept up,
as Mr.. Walsh has SO well said, paralysis
is bound to result. For hin .clf, he be-
lieved the receipts world rtainly fall
of after the hollfays and that the crop
would not exceed 1,7JD,0CO. Mr.. Gran
s,0n then read the following from the
New York Herald:
81 am capable Of neither astOnishment
nor s RI, says great modern states
mao: Il ese are the sentiments of youth.
This is all we'll Tough i'll its way, but
any man who is a bull OH cotton would
have b en- astoniShed a. the capers OF
the markc: to-day and decidedly dis
-"uSted, too. Prices eased off Il little at
It, oW ng to Il decliue in Liverpool,
at speedily rallied on local buying
a.. I'D shorts covering. Then a bombshcll
was tossed ITO TIE camp in the shape
OF au estimate on the crop by a COM
mercla' c, tenn orary OF S,490OOO bales.
1t struck the marked like dynamite,
and it fell 1S to 10 points with a crash.
While this estimate rndOubtedlv had
marked effect, old and conservative
merchants to night say that estimates
above or below 100000 bales should
either not be made at all or else should
be made with the utmost caution. "A
good deal Of sympathy IS felt here for
Southern interests, which are depressed
by the ahnormal cheapneSS Of cotton,
and anything like an overestimate Of
the crop would be greatly deprecated
by merchants of the highest standing
in this 6. eat comm ercial centre"
That estimate above referred to, said
MIR. Crauston, which has done such
damage to the South, was by Brad
street, who receives the greater part Of
his income .om the patronage of the
South in buying his books. But in
spite of this lie sCabs us on Christmas
Eye with an outrageous estimate Of
the crop which is based on nothing,
and is the widest and most untouoded
guess. But we must see to 1t that next
years crop is much smaller than last
years or this years. Fac .ors have
warehouses full of cotton now, and it
we advance on crops and bring in an
other big crop Oh top of the two last
there is no telling how low cotton will
go. We mjSt Ike some action in this
matter curse ves,a I'd also appoint three
delegate to Memphis.
!, The committee on resolutions, hay
anS retired to get up their report, re.
and Chairman Walsh made the
lowing rept I:
Whereas, The Augusta Exchange ue.
&N&B in every practical way to loSte'
% Interests OF the farmer and thereby
9bmOte the general advancement of
the South land,
Whereas, III n,lS DeCOlllC Seil cflucllG
that the production oil cotton by South
elm planters exceeds the emands of
the Worlds con- umptlon a, remunera-
tive prices; be it therefore,
Resolved, That a convention OF cot
ton, planters, cotton factors, Alliance
men, presidents aud members Of The
various agricultural societies, Com
ml,SiOnerS Of a A"r'culture for the sew
eral States, mere ants aud members Of
cotton exchanges IN Georgia, Ca"olina
and the South generally, be called TO
meet at Augusta at noon, on the 9th
day Of January, 1892, the purpose of
the conve ltion being 20 operate and
assist the plant rs and Alliancemen in
formulating some effective l'lan TO cur.
Gail the cotton acreage, and relieve The
burden DOW resting upon tue aSrlcul-
tural interests OF toe South; ohe special
rates given by the railroads at that
time offering unusu3' facilities for
making a succe' S this meeting and