The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-12-06
MIR. ARENDELL's PLAN.


Cotton tumbled another two dollars
per bale yesterday. What is to be
done about it? The cotton planter
cannot pay prevailing wages and pre-
vailing prices for everything he buys
and grow cotton successfully at six or
seven cents per pound. The problem
is up to the farmers themselves. They
must work it out Nobody else can or
will do it for them.
In another column Of today's News
and Observer Mr.. F. B. Arendell, of
this city, outlines what appears to be
a practicable and economical plan
which. if adopted by the cotton plant
ers generally all over the South, would
solve the problem and result benefi-
cially to every department of the cot
ton trade and to every feature of
Southern commerce and industry.
Mr. ArendelPs plan is a simple one,
embracing no expensive or difficult
machinery. It proceeds upon the
idea that the Southern cotton grower
will, when his own and his sections
best interests are threatened with de-
preston, keep faith with himself and
with his associates in any legitimate
effort to ward off pecuniary disaster.
Even if the Government Bureaus eS-
innate is correct. there is not too
much cotton made for the worlds de-
nnands, if the business of cotton grow
ing, cotton selling and cotton manu-
e. ri IN nf
speculative whrlpools of uncertainty
A cooperation of cotton planters all
over the South, with only the legiti
nate purpose of protecting themselves
from the effects of wild speculation
and wilder market manipulation,
would establish healthful and whole
some conditions.
Experience has shown the Southern
cotton planter that he will get more
money for a small cotton crop than
large one. Therefore, in view Of
the present disastrous prices. it be-
hooves him to reduce his acreage, di-
versify his crons and make it impos-
sibIe for cotton spectators and fac
tors to ruin him by depressing the
price of cotton.
But" some one will say "the farm
ers have never yet carried any plan Of
crop reduction out successfully. II
reduction of acreage is agreed upon.
many will at once increase their acre
age because they think their neighbors
are going to reduce, and a plan to
reduce acreage will result in an in
creased acreage
Let's see about that. The farmers
sold their cotton crop in 1894 for five
cents and below. 1t was starvation
price. That year they made nearly
100000 bales. That fall the wisest
farmers urged reduction of the acre
age, and the newspapers advocated tn
policy of hog and hominy. What
was the result? The crop of 1895 was
reduced to about seven million bales
and some farmers got as much as nine
cents for portion of their crop.
There is another case. About two
years ago, after the war between the
American and the British Tobacco
trusts, the bloated consolidated trust
determined to make the tobacco plant
given the farmers good prices for their
tobacco. And, without rhyme or rea-
son, the trust put the price down to
a figure that meant starvation to the
farmers. What did the farmers do?
They held meetings, organized them
selves into an association, and resolved
to reduce the acreage. Did they sue
coed? The world knows that they
succeeded so well that the trust, fear
ing the farmers would quit growing
enough tobacco to meet the increased
and steadily increasing demands of the
world put the price of the weed UP.
These two instances of what farmers
have done with their two greatest
money crops in recent years proves
that they have acted together and that
cooperation for their mutual benefit
can be secured.
If the farmers in 1895 reduced the
cotton crop several million bales
because the price had been forced
down below the cost of production.
they can erect a great reuuClIoil HeAI
year. Then labor was cheap and there
was no work for farm labor except
in growing cotton and cotton farmers
felt themselves bound to raise the
leecy staple. Then, too. many farmers
were in debt, and the commission
merchants could force them to raise
cotton. Then, too, the Dingley tariff
law had not increased the price OF
everything the farmers buy. In 1895
the great Investigation of crops had,
not taken place. Now labor is high
and there is demand for it in the
truck farms and in the lumber camps.
Farmers have learned that it pays to
diversity and they know how to grow
other crops.