Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-12-11


editorial column please urge its i'm
nCrtance. Will the editors of the
weekly newspapers especially call 70
the attention of their home bankers
and farmers the necessity Of concerted
action on their part
To tell a farmer TO hold his cotton
for ten cents without having a uni
form system for doing it is almost as
hard as Pharoah's calling on the He
brews to make bricks without prOyi-
ding them with straw. But the He
brews provided themselves with straw
producers must sooner or later pro-
+; vide themselves with a cotton ware
house system for safely storing their
cotton so as to hold il for better pri-
ces The three great farmers organ
izations. the Southern Cotton Grow
ers association, section OF the Far
mers' National Congress of which
Hon. fiarvie Jordan, of Monticello.
Georgia, is president The Farmers
Educational and Cooperative Union.
of which Hon. n. C. Murray, of
Greenylle Texas is president, and
the American Society of Equity. o.
which Hon. J. a. Everett of Indianap-
oils. Ind. is president have advised
cotton growers to hold their cotton
and market it slowly, as needed for
actual consumption by spinners. The
decline in prices shows that the far
mers nave not been abl to act upon
this advice, for it goes without say
ig that if they had held their cotton
for ten cents they would have re-
ceived this price, since the world
must have cotton,
They have held back some cotton.
but not enough to effect this great
purpose. The government report OF
December 3rd. found the cotton grow
ers wholly unprepared to resist the
fall in prices of cotton as the logical
result which followed and will con
tinue to feel the thret of dumping
tupon the market during this cotton
season 121G2.ooO bales of cotton, and
about 100000 bales of linters.
Present prices for cotton are ruin
Gus. What is the remedy?
Farmers and bankers must set=ta=
Gether Immediately and prepare TO
carry over until Sepjember 1905, one
millions and half bales OF cotton.
Every farmer must hold over nearly
twenty per cent of his 190f crop 70
prevent ruin. and as many viii not
de th $. every farmer Who reads tbs
suggestion and can 10 30 should hold
back all the present uaseid portion
of his crop If he cannot hold all,
then hold as much as il is possible
TO hold. If the man who reads tins
can hold only one bale let him hold
il. for cooperation of the small far
n,er. as we'll as the wealthy planter.
must be invoked.
Make up your mind to hold that
one bale or that ten bales for one
year. Carry it to town where there
is a local bank Do this at once.
Look uD an abandoned storehouse
that carries insurance if possible. Put
the cotton in there. Insure it. Get
the lowest rate for storage and insur
ance possible. If you cannot do this
haul it into the back lot of your
home banker You may count on him
as your friend. This talk about ban
kers being against the farmer is all
wrong. and absolutely untrue. Get
the bankers consent to store this ono
bale or ten bales in his back yard.
If Won can do no better. Protect It
by keeping il off the ground and by
covering it, Then go to the bank and
get all the money on it the banker
will let you have up to your needs.
He ought to let YOU have il at SIX
per cent. if YOU put the cotton in MS
possession. In this way every Tar
mer can get from his home banker
nearly as much money as he could sell
his cotton for today, To make the
cotton available. however, it must be
brought to town and safely stored
where the banker must know that II
is safe. An effort at increasing ltS
value by keeping it hid on the farm
is shown to be impossible. The gov
ernment reports render such pollcy
futile. Publicity is the only fair BUS
inesslike course. When brought TO
town and stored the banker will loan
money on it. Do not borrow he money
unless you are compelled to do so
Go hungry first. But if you must
raise money on your cotton borrow it
rather than to sell it at or below