The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-11-11
MARKET THE CROP SLOWLY.

At the annual session of the Southern
Cotton Growers Protective association,
held on the Worlds fair grounds, st.
Louis. September 26, 1904. where several
hundred progressive cotton planters were
present, representing every cotton grow
ing state in the south, the following res
olutions were introduced and unanimous
ly passed.
Resolved by the Southern Cotton
Growers association, in convention at
st. Louis September 26, 1904, that we
urge as fully as 1t is our power to do so,
that every cotton producer of the south
place a minimum price of 10 cents per
pound on all cotton to be hereafter
marketed this season; that no cotton OF
middling grade be put on the market, II
the market at any time, due to the f1uc-
tuating influences of speculation, falls
below the minimum price Of 10 cents;
that each and every producer is urged to
market his crop as slowly as possible,
believing that If the crop Is marketed
slowly through the months of October
and November the price of cotton can
be maintained at IL cents per pound Its
value at the present time, the balance of
the season.
your committee further recommends
that this association Insist upon the bet
ter handling of cotton to the end that
our cotton when prepared for the market
may be placed in more acceptable, mer-
charitable condition, thereby eliminating
many of the abuses to which the staple
is now subjected"
Up to the present time the producers
have stood firm from North Carolina to
the Brazos river, Texas, holding a part
of their crop and refusing to throw 1t
upon the market at prices under 10 cents
per pound. with the most determined
efforts on the part of the bear specula-
tors and other combinations formed to
depress prices, the market has only been
forced down fifty points below our min
imum price of 10 cents per pound, during
the month when most of the farmers
obligations fell due and an unprecedent-
ed season for gathering and ginning the
crop. The ginners' report Issued Octo-
Der 25 indicated that a little more than
five millions bales had been ginned.
while Secretary Testers report for the
same length of time shows that only
about two million bales had been placed
on the market, showing that over 60
per cent was being held In the hands of
the producers. If only five and quarter
million bales had been ginned on Oc-
tober IT, 1t must be clear to every farmer
that the high estimate placed upon this
crop by the bear spectators will never
materiallze. They are using the same
devices adopted last year to break the
nerve of the producers. Note their fig
ures of last year compared with the
facts. Theodore Price, on September %
1903, issued circular estimating the cror
for 1904 to be 11,744,S55 bales; A. ]. Bus
ton, the palace car statistician of Liver
pool, England on October %, figured the
crop at 11250,000 bales: Neil Bros. Of
England, on November a. 1903, estimated
the crop at 100000 bales; and II. c
Gorst of Liverpool, on the same date
issued the estimate of II, 10000 bales
Now let us look at the estimates of dis
Interested parties: The United States
department of agriculture on December
8. 1903, estimated the crop at 1862, OBJ
bales; the Southern Commissioners oi
Agriculture on October g. at Montgom-
cry, Ala, fixed the yield at 10471,O0l
bales Now let us see the actual crop
The actual commercial crop for 19O3-
was 1904. 3H bales. Note the comparison
of bear and government estimates. The
United States department of agriculture
was under the actual figures only about
49, 900 bales. and Mr.. Price missed Il
1,734000 bales. and the rest of the beal
element all the way from million to 6
million and a half bales Mr.. Price II
pushing the same course this season and
calls on the producers to dump their cot
ton on the market, so as to depresi
| prices and let Mr.. Bear Price coin hi
millions at the expense of hundreds O.
| thousands of farmers through the south
Present Crop Short.
The recent estimate of the Southern
Commissioners of Agriculture, in con
vention at Baton Rouge, La, on DC
tober %. estimated the crop for this sea
son at 10, III, 600 bales. The commissioner
overestimated the crop 100000 bales las
year, and the Indications are that the
are not so far wrong this year. Even J
the crop Is II, 100000 bales the world want
every bale of 1t, and the spifners ar
better able to pay high prices than las
year. for yarns have advanced cents pc
pound this season and heavy deman
for cotton goods exists.
therefore call upon each and ever,
producer to stand firm and refuse t
throw any cotton on the market at pres
ent prices. Heavy receipts depress tn
market The spectators have sold mil
lions of bales and they want to bu
that cotton at less than 1t is worth. Tn
producers should demand from IL to
| cents for the balance of this crop. The,
are In a position to force prices by sell
| ing slowly Debts have been paid as
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