The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-12-30
a GOOD SUGGESTION.
The Formation of Farmers Pr"tec-
tive Association Adv ltcC.


tive Association Adv cltcd.
The following letter, which we take
from the Grcenville Mountaineer: eA-
plains Itself. The author. Mr.. Snllth,
is the same gentleman, who ran 1or
congress in this district few years
since: Here is the letter and we hope
every farmer will reaG it:
You gave some notice Of my plan
to control the sale and price Of cotton
in a recent issue OF your paper. So in
terested am and yet was so fearful
that my plan would not work that be-
fore I said anything about it, l got
some farmers together. to prove it.
This proof Of it | now wish to give
along with the plan. al attempts
to organize the farmers have proven
futile, and / think one reason is that
there was no money for the farmers in
any of them. The best sticking
plaster 10 the world is dollar, as it
will stick a beautiful woman to a
miserable old 'cuSs:' Of a man. twill
stick the farmers together, and is the
best sign, password and pledge on
Gods earth, and is the basis, the
spring and inspiration Of ail effort,
both individual and corporate.
Therefore if my plan makes money
for the farmers they will stick. 1t is
as follows: In place of each farmer
carving his cotton to his local market
and selling it to the local store-keeper
or export agent, let all in nelghbor-
combine themselves into an ogranlza-
tion ard pledge themselves to sell only
through their.agent. Every man who
handles our cotton makes something
out of it, and the greater number who
handle it the less there is in it for the
man vino sells it. Therefore, my
plan is to eliminate as many of these
middlemen as possible and bring the
farmer as near as possible to those
who are the last to handle it.
At Lypchbucg, Sumter County,
where / live and where | tried my
plan we were able to get from one
eighth to one. fourth cent per pound
more than surrounding markets were
giving. Our pledge was as follows:
"We, the undersigned, pledge our
selves to sell our cotton through our
agent" We then contributed enough
to enable our agent to take the Ne"
York report and use the telegraph.
Fifteen minutes from the time went
on the cotton platform we were able
to get 3 s of a cent per pound more
than was offered US by the buyers IN
our town.
1t will be seen that by this plan
our agents business is to get all be
can for our cotton, while it is the
local buyers business to get it for as
little as possible. Our agent can
communicate with ally exporter, and
having cotton in lots can command
the best prices. Another great advant-
age is that the farmer WHO has but
one bale gets as much as the man
who has one hundred.
/ acted as their agent this year at
Lynchburg aud each day the farmers
would bring from 10 to 10 or 100 bales.
BY careful Weighing and grading !
soon built up a reputation for fair
dealing, and handling the cotton IL
such lots got better prices than any
market in that part Of the country.
The farmers gave me 25 cents per
bale as a commission, and according
to the prices which prevailed at the
markets just Eve miles away on the
same "a. lroad aud nearer the seaport
where our cotton was shipped they
made from sl.50 to 81 per bale by the
operation.
So much for the local plan. Now, |
want every shipping point in this
State to have It's farmers selling
agent. What is the use for Us to allow
other men to make from Sl.50 to 81
per bale On our cotton, when by a
little effort and concert Of action we
can save it. We make in South Caro-
lima about 100000 bales Of cotton
annually. By saving 81 per bale Woul1
make $500, 900, which would enable
US to put man in every seaport towp
within reach Of this State. This
would enable our local agents to have a
CORES pondent at the water front who
could deal directly with the exporters
and handle the cotton from as many
points as was most convenient. This
seaport agent could be on the ground
to see that we were protected in
weights and grades. This last is one
item where we are "dug up" Oui
cotton is graded by those who wish to
make money out of it and Of course II
is graded as many points off as con-
science and circumstances allow them
to do.
Now, Mr.. Editor, I want to hear
from as many farmers as possible as
soon as possible, SO that, If they ap,
prove my plan, we may get as many
organizations as possible before anoth-
er season. The figures proving oul
success could be given, but these ]
will reserve for later letter. want
to discuss this question of organiza,
ton with them. All the minute de-
tails as to handling the cash for cot
ton, that is as to the local agent get
ting the cash to pa7 for cotton-the
methods of shipping, invoicing. ETC.,
can be told later. In a word, | want
us to get together and use the
methods God had given to mankind
to enrich them to enrich US. l want
US to mix more brain with our muscle
and enjoy the greater returns from
the higher forms of business.
One other item is that we handle
our cotton seed. What in the name
Of reason is the use for us to give some
local mill agent, merchant or some
loafer Sl.15 per ton to handle our cot
ton seed, and when we exchange for
meal 81 per ton on meal, making 81. Is
per ton on meal and seed just to see
some one balance the scales and we do
the loading. Now, my plan is to turn
4 Il