The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-15
HOLD YOUR COTTON
Advice to Farmers by
President Jordan.
he Tells Farmers if They viii Hold
They Can Fix Price at Twelve
Cents and Await
Results.
Especial to News and Observer

(SDeclal TO News and Observer
Macon, Ga, Nov. 14-Hon. Harv.e
Jordan, of Monticello, Ga, president
of the Southern Cotton Growers Pro-
tectivc association, has issued an add
dress to the cotton producers of the
South in which he says, among other
things:
THE producers are to be congratu-
lated for the firm stand they have al
ready taken to market the Oh slowly,
and that fact alone has ,evented the
price from falling to eight cents dur
ing the month of October The crop
is about gathered, debts generally are
paid and it is no longer absolutely
necessary to sell the balance of the
crop. The ginnerS report recently
issued from the United States census
bureau indicated that up To Oct. 18Th
only 6,400, 900 bales Of cotton had been
ginned This report clearly indicates
that this crop will not exceed H.
900, 900 bales, if it reaches that figure.
The spinners can we'll afford to pay
the producers II cents per pound for
every sale of American short staple
cotton made this season and do a prof
liable business for the stockholders.
The price of yarns has advanced three
cents per pound within the past 80
days and an upnrecedented demand
for cotton goods exists. while stocks
generally are lower than they have
been for the past 20 years The duty
of the producers is plain and simple.
They have crowded the markets for
the past two months. congesting every
facility for handling cotton and play
ing into the hands of the bear spec
ulators and spinnerS. The thing to do
now is to give the markets and ship
pers a rest during the next 90 days
and allow present stocks of spot cot
ton to be gotten out of the way. Let
the Spinners who are living from
hand to mouth run short of cotton and
force them into the markets as active
buyers. Let the bear spectators be-
gin to feel the LASH of the bull oper-
ators when the latter call for the de-
liveries of SPOT cotton which the form
er will be unable to deliver
LET every holder of cotton abso-
mtely stop selling and sit down at
home and quietly contemplate results.
Let each holder determine to put no
more cotton on the market until prices
advance and never sell a bale on
depressed market.
LET county meetings be held all
over the belt and strong and active
steps be taken to defend this most
valuable agricultural product from the
rapacious greed of the selfish specula-
tor. Let every man who still holds a
bale of cotton in his possession join
in these county or local meetings and
agitate the Importance of this step
among his neighbors to the end that
success in the near future Will be as
sured. We have held our own well so
far. but we can do much better and
easily advance the price from two to
three cents by persistently refusin" to
sell and Tightening UP present receipts.
We fixed our minimum at 10 cents for
this season and maintained the price
within half a cent of that n~ure
through October, the heaviest month.
Now let the price be fixed at II cents
for the remainder of the crop and the
world will accept it at that price.
which will mean an additional gain of
nearly $50,000,000
"a determined stand will bring vic
tory"