The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-23
Major Lnne,s Conventions.

hHJOF Lanes conventions.
( Mai. Hector D. Lane, president Of the
/ Cotton Growers Association. believes that
/ cotton production can be so greatly re
( duced by means Of a thorough organiza-
{ ton Of the cotton growers and an agree
ment TO reduce the cotton acreage as to
materially increase the price Of cotton.
/ Acting upon this belief. he has. through
I the association of which he is president.
I called three conventions Of cotton growers.
+ One is to be held in Waco. Tex, March
8. and Is to include the cotton growers OF
( Texas, another is to be held in Memphis.
March 10. and is to include the cotton
growers Of the Mississippi valley, and still
another in Augusta. on March Is. and is
to include the cotton growers Of the
South Atlantic states
The efforts which Mai. Lane is making
to bring about a reduction in the cotton
output are commendable. There is no
doubt that every cotton grower hopes his
efforts will be successful. But will they2
That is a question concerning which
there is quite a difference Of opinion. For
our part we believe there is only one
way in which a reduction of the cotton
acreage can be accomplished, and that is
by a fall in the price Of cotton to point
at which cotton farming in many parts
Of the cotton belt will be Improbable. In
parts Of some of the states it is I'M
profitable now, and would be abandoned
if the farmers knew what to cultivate
in the place of it that would yield them
a better return.
1t seems to US that the Cotton Growers
Association would accomplish more for
the cotton farmers if it should encour-
age the cultivation of tobacco and hay,
and endeavor to introduce the cultivation
of the sugar beet.
1T is practically Impossible to reach one
tenth Of the cotton farmers by means of
cotton conventions and resolutions pass
ed by such conventions As long as the
cotton planters know that each one of
their number is going to plant just as
much cotton as he thinks he can cul-
| tivate profitably. there isn't going to be
any reduction in the cotton acreage.
Even those who attend the conventions
and assist in adopting resolutions urging
the reduction of the cotton acreages are
going to be guided by what they think is
for their own interests, rather than by
the action Of the cotton conventions.
IL it were possible to get all the cotton
growers to unite in an agreement to re-
duce cotton production something might
be accomplished in the direction in which
Mr.. Lane is trying to lead the cotton
| growers, but a thousand or two cotton
growers are not going to throw away their
chances for a big cotton crop when they
have every reason to believe that many
thousands OF other growers will plant
even a larger acreage than they did last
year or the year before.
Still, we have no objection to the pro-
posed cotton conventions. They will
doubtless do some good. but not nearly
the amount of good those who are pro-
noting them think they will, and we
probability of their disappointment for
the purpose of emphasizing our belief
that the only relief from big cotton crops
in favorable seasons is to introduce some
other money crops which promise better
results than cotton. 1t is a good thing,
however, for the cotton farmers to meet
in conventions and exchange views on
the cotton situation.