The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-01-16
REDUCING THE CROP,
Cotton Growers Will Compare Notes
About the Reduction OF Acreage.

Cotton Growers Will Compare Notes
About tho deduction of Acreage.
Hon. Hector ID. Lane, of Alabama,
! tho president Of tho American Cotton
Growers Protective Association, has
issued the following call to the cotton
growers for q convention to assemble
ut Momphis on Tuesday, January 2Ist,
in order to formulate some rule and
plan Of action by which the problem Of
cotton acreage next season might be
solved beneficially to the planters. Mr..
Lane reviews the tactics Of the "bears"
to depress the values Of cotton to the
detriment Of the producers and con.
cludos with the offer Of plan which,
If worked out, will result in favor of
the cotton farmers :
"To the American Cotton Growers
Protective Association-The time has
arrived when ncXt years acreage in
cotton should receive most serious con-
slderatlOn. Our enemies, tue cotton
BEARS are anticipating matters by
lnduStriously circulating reports that
1T is the intention of the cotton grow
ers to enormously increase the cotton
acreage, aud double the use of COM
mercial fertilizers the coming season,
which will result in the production OF
crop OF from ten TO twelve million
bales.
lr formation comes from Texas that
Now Orleans bears are reporting that
Texas Will plant for four million bales.
These reports are circulated to induce
the Southern people to sell the balance
OF this small crop at present low prices.
According to the official data
America has exported to Europe one
million three hundred and twenty
three thousand bales less than last
year.
"Tho Northern mills have taken
four fundrcd and fifty thousand bales
less than last year.
Stocks Of cotton at American ports
and interior towns are about the same
at last year, but as the season pro-
gresses the stocks at the ports will
daily grow less as compared with last
year.
"On the other hand The mills of
England, America and the continent
are running full time and if thoy keep
up the present consumption until next
September, they will need all of your
cotton; they cannot wait for the next
crop. What then prevents your
obtaining remunerative prices for the
remaining portion OF this crop? This
js easily answered. Tho speculative
bears OF New Orleans. Now York aud
Liverpool are thoroughly Indifferent to
your condition and rock little of your
welfare. They would be glad to see
cotton selling at 4 cents and would
contribute their aid in pressing it
down to the lowest regardless of the
destitutiOn and sorrow that would en-
sue throughout the South under such
conditions.
"The Southern planter has tho power
to depose these reckless despOts and
Wholesale despoilers of our prosperity,
destroy the annual surplus, their able
coadiutor, by judiCious decrease OF
acreage, and these gentlemen will be
cut out OF job. Plant only moder-
ate crop and you will be better Off with
q seven to o seven and half million
bale crop, selling at 10 TO II cents, than
o ten million bale crop, selling at S to
6 cents.
"Do not be led into tho error hat
you can deceive the great firms that
buy your product. They have their
in evory town and village !;
hey are ever scrutiniZ. ng your actions,
and know more In regard TO tho general
acreage than You can possibly find out
yourselves.
"Conceivlng this TO be q matter OF
paramount Importance to the material