The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-01-01
PROBLEM or THE
COTTON PLANTER.
(Montgomery Journal.l


OF course burning cotton is not the
way to settle this vexed question OF
prices. A eurtailment of the crop is
future question and cannot now ba
discussed. Besides that, IL IS not pos
sible or probable. But there is one
present remedy for the farmer, and
that is to hold his cotton, or so much
Of it as he is able to hold.
The Journal believes the movement
of the ginners and the producers to
organize is the first step. The next
step is to appoint an executive COM
mhtee, or call them trustees, il you
prefer, to whom all cotton that can
be held by the large and small plant
c. can be transferred, TO be held by
them and sold at the proper time, thus
taking the matter out OF the hands OF
the farmer and placing with response
Bile persons. who will be in a position
to study the market and the condi-
lions. who can gather facts and stats
tics from the mills in this country and
In Europe. and thus determine the
amount of cotton that is being used by
the manufacturers, the supply on hand
and what they will likely need in the
future.
This is one way Of reaching the eni
desired. II Is a practical way.
To allow each farmer to control his Z
own surplus crop, who. through fear
Of lower market or a want Of knOwl-
edge of the true conditions, the de-
mands and the necessities Of the mills
and the world for cotton. dumps It on
the market at inoppoTtune times, thus
defeating the very object for which
the farmers are organizing, would
seem to be an impractieable solution
OF the problem.
There Is another point involved il
all this controversy The present
price of cotton, which Is below seven
cents, is, as was stated in an AssO-
ciated Press dispatch TO the Journal
yesterday from the New Orleans cot
ton exchange. below the cost OF pro-
Guction. "
If this is true, and it is a generally
recognized truth, why sell cotton az
the prevailing prices2
Why sell a crop at less than Il costs
to make IL. and then proceed 70 raise
/ another crop to be sold, perhaps again
at less than cost? Why not save the
cotton now on hand till another sea
son. rather than sell IL for less than
the cost of production. and save a
years labor making another crop? In
plain words. why sell a bale Of cotton
at $50 or S35 that viii cost the same
amount Of money and an equal amount
OF labor to raise another year, besides
losing a years labor?
If you had a good farm horse. and
were. offered 800 for him, would you
accept the price il it cost 500 20 re-
place the horse. with all the chances
of getting one Just as good?
The farmer in selling his surplus
cotton crop at the actual cost OF pro-
duction acts Just as big a fool as the
fellow who sells his horse for 800.
and has to go TO the trouble % replaC-
| ing that horse al the same price, TAX
/ ing and accepting all the risks invOly-
ed in the transaction.
Let the farmers look at this matter
I IT. a practical way. Let them enter
! into the spirit Of the movement for
| organization and self arotectiOn, as
other people engaged in other avOca-
] tons organize, as the Wholesale mer-
chants, retail merchants. as bankers
and lawyers and newspapers combine
! for personal profit. and they will have
/ taken the first step toward achievement
of success and the betternent Of their
condition, by. first Of all securing bet
ter prices for their cotton