The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-08-28
How to Market a Cotton Crop.

COLUMBIA, August o3i.--Commissionnr
Hector d. Lane, of Alabama, was in Tho
city to- day. He is making tour of tho
Soutl. as president of the American Cot
ton Growers Protective Association. 1t
will be remembered that this organiza-
ton was formed last January in Jackson,
Mississippi, and Mr.. Lane to-day, III
talking about the work Of the Assocla-
ton, said that there was a worry good Or
ganZation in Texas, and that he made
thirty-two speeches in Texas advising
reduction of cotton acreage and distrlbu-
ton of sales. He said that the acreage IN
Texas has been reduced fully 25 per cent.
and from his visit he comes to the con-
clusion, aided by the figures he has col.
lected, that the present cotton crop will
not run over 1850, 900 bales and regards
this as an outside figure. He thinks
that on this basis cotton ought this year
to bring about S cents per pound. MIR.
Lane was asked to give for publication
the purposes and scope of his work, and
he spoke interestingly as follows:
''My purpose is to look over the cotton
crop and advise with the farmers. The
most important thing 10 be done, if it
can be accomplished, is for farmers to
organize 10 meet this systematized move
ment to depress values of the staple. II
they cannot perfect organization, then
they should act independently and lndl-
vidually. The purpose Of the bear ele-
ment now is to terrorize farmers into
rushing their crop into the market in the
early months. This they are undertake
ing to do through fictitious reports that
are being sent through the country, fab
ricated by that arch enemy of the South
ern Gotten grower, her Maiesty's subject,
III. NJ. NeilI, of New Orleans, who is the
hireling of coterie of speculative gam
blers and of the English dealers. Neill
has recently predicted a crop of between
eight million and nine million bales.
This is done to induce farmers into
repetition of the folly of last season, to
fail pell nell over themselves to get rid
of their product irrespective OF intelligent
action or prices. A repetition of this
course will be simply accomplishing the
purpose of their enemies and IS sulcldal
to their own interests. Such action upon
their part will cause congestion OF the
product in the early months, creating
competition between themselves ard
allowing the dealers to dictate prices,
whereas by intelligent action on their
part. by a iudicious distribution of the
marketing of the crop over the selling
season, they will create a competition
among buyers, the farmers will dictate
the price and we will thus receive some
thing like the commercial value OF our
product.
"It is we'll remem bered fact that pre-
yious to the civil war on account of the
lacl; of transportation facilities the mar
keting Of the crop extended over eight or
nine months, now we market about three
times the amount we then did within the
limited period Of ninety days. would
advise farmers to withhold their cotton
as far as they can do so without violating
their contracts, or to make an equitable
distribution of it over the selling season.
If through propitious gathering season
we should be able to gather and deliver
our crops in the market in the early
months, and the receipts in any wise JUS
tify reports Of an average yield we can
look for them to be greatly exaggerated,
and. we will thus assist Mr.. Neill and his
English coufreres in again depressing
values to starvation figures as they did
last year, the farmers not receiving upon
an average five cents a pound for their
cotton, which means less than ten cents
day, for their labor. And unless the
farmers of this country are desirous OF
emnlating the character of the inhabi-
tants of the West Indies in wearing
breech clout for clothing and living upon
rice and bread fruit, they will have to un-
dertake more intelligent action in the
marketing of their crops. I feel no hesi-
tation in stating to the farmers of the At
lantic States that trip Of twenty days in
Texas through the cotton belt, accom-
panied by two cotton experts, leads me
to believe that Texas cannot possibly
market this year more than two and
quarter millions of bales, with the indi-
cations at this time pointing to not
than two millions. I hope the farmers
will consider deeply this important mat
ter that is to the material interest of the
entire South and be guided intelligently
in their actions in regard to the market
ing Of their crops."-NewS and Courier.