The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1903-09-30
MARKET IT SLOWLY.
That Is the Advice Given the
Farmers by Mr.. Jordan
IN HANDLING THE COTTON CROP
He Thinks They Should Take Ad.
vantage of the Cotton Situa-
ton and Protect Their
Own Interest.

own Interest.
Hon. 1Iarvie Jordan, OF Georgia
president OF the Southern Cotton
Growers Protective Association, has
issued the following address to the
farmers of the cotton growing States
The cotton producers or the South
have long wished to realize good prices
for their staple and the opportune
time has now arrived If proper judg-
ment is exercised I'm marketing the
present maturing crop. To make a
success OF any business, Il thorough
knowledge OF every department con
nected with it, and a judiciUus exer-
else of sound judgment must be dis
played. We have now reached the
stage in the worlds production and
use OF cotton where the laws OF supply
and demand can be fixed and regulat-
ed upon a legitimate basis. We are
no longer faced with an enormous sur
plus as was the case each year until
quite recently, giving the mills and
the speculators an opportunity TO de.
press prices by claiming the existence
OF heavy stocks on hand.
Since the organization OF the South
ern Cotton Growers association in
1900, strong efforts have been put for.
ward each year by the members and
officers Of the association in each
State looking to the adoption OF more
systematic and business like methods
in selling the crop. The rapidity with
which the great staple crop of the
South has been rushed on the market
in past years has been ruiuouS to the
producers. An enormous overSupply
has been created during short period
OF time when no legitimate demand
has existed. In the early fall spinuers
have been in the habit OF buying SUI.
plies to last for 30 and 60 DAYS only.
after which they retire from the mar
ket and the producers are then left in
the hands spectators who continue
to buy up the crop, making contracts
with mills for future deliveries as the
staple may be needed for actual con-
sumption. To force the sale OF a
twelve-month's supply OF any com
modify within the short space of
three or four months will necessarily
place the seller at a great disadvant-
age in the market.
The great object and purpose OF our
association has been to, first, place in
to active operation a scheme by which
correct and reliable statistics could be
gathered regarding the yield OF each
years crop, and put that information
into the hands Of the producers, man
uiacturerS, and the legitimate trade
as rapidly and as early i'm the season
as possible. This is now being perfect
ed through the cooperation or the
United States census and agricultural
department at Washington, by the
reports OF ginnerS on the one hand
and the reports OF fully 81, 900 active
correspondents through the other.
| may safely be predicted now that
the time is near at hand when com
mercial reports, often gotten up for
selfish purposes, will become thing
of The past, and will exercise but little
or no influence npon the crop from the
standpoint of statistical report COM
manding serious consideration.
Our second great aim, equally i'm
portant as the first, is TO educate the
producers upon the high Importance
OF moving the crop slowly. To market
one-tenth OF the crop each month in.
stead OF Onefourth as has been the
rule In the past. If the growers OF
cotton will cooperate To break up the
present bad system 10y which nearly
one-tourth OF our cotton crop i, con
tracted for in October deliveries, a
giant stride in the right direction Will
have been gained. The legitinat e
market for spot cotton can nv and is
as easily gutted as with any other
farm product. Two important essen
tialS are necessary to Il solution OF this
problem: make our fall accounts due
IN October, Unc-third, January, one
thlrd, and the balance April lSt the
following year, then begin to raise
more supplies at home and cut the
strong band or the supply merchant
which dictates the sale or the IN JSt Of
the crop as fast as gathered
This season the producers occupy
the strongest position i'm the regula-
tion OF prices for the crop which will
soon be ready for market. Supplies
for the raw staple have been more
completely exhausted within the past
year that at any time within the past
four decades. The present high prices
for spot cotton is due to scarcity of
raw cotton, and Il denial OF this fact
cannot be unloaded on the shoulders
.of the Brown, Sully bull" cliUue
The mills have shut down because
they have no cotton TO spin, and be-
cause they cannot find in the market
such grades as are tit for spinning
purposes. Stocks are exhausted and
the active operation of spindleS in this
country and IN Europe can only be un-
derLaken after the present crop begins
To move TO market. This fact is clear
ly emphasized by the activity OF mills
in pushing their orders for new cotton
at this time. This state OF affairs
could not exist il the mills were shut
down simply because the present
prices were higher than usual. Tho ;e
reports arc being sent broadcast over
tile the country at this time to de
press prices and to enable the mills to
get their supplies at greatly reduced
rates
Aside from the exhaustion nf cup