The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1905-01-29
THE COTTON CONVENTION.
Sunmarized-It Has Decided to Reduce
the Acreage Twenty Per Cent


Editorial in the Picayune January 81:
After three days session, replete witt,
interesting Developments and much ha;
work, the Cotton Convention finally adj
journed last evening, ard many of the
delegates have already departed for their
homes to carry into their respective
states and counties the news of what has
been accomplished, if, indeed, that news
has not already preceded them Consid-
ering the size of the gathering. the many
interests represented ana many different
opinions developed, the convention was a
most harmonious body, which is the
more remarkable, as there had been no
previous organization and no well-de-
fined basis Of representation.
If the harmony that prevailed here
among the delegates to the convention is
just criterion of the feeling prevailing
among the hundreds of thousands of cot
ton farmers throug hout the SI2 cotton
growing counties of the Southern States,
it may be accepted as certain that the
remedies decided on to correct the evils
resulting from last years overproduction
of cotton will be generally applied. Be-
fore adjournment the convention took
steps to organize the farmers in every
one of the 8I2 counties and in every po-
litical subdivision of such counties
These local organizations are to select
responsible men who will see to it that
the decisions of the convention are car
rled out everywhere and particularly that
the reduction of acreage decided upon is
made to the full limit the resolutions
call for
The work of the convention, briefly
summarized, shows that it has been de-
clded to reduce the acreage IS per cent in
1905, to use IS per cent less of fertilizer
and to refuse to sell the balance Of the
present crop for less than 10 cents at the
ports, and to take steps by local organi-
cations to discourage the granting of ad-
vances or financial assistance to any
farmer who refuses to reduce his acreage
in accordance with the plan adopted
The convention declined to adopt or
indorse any scheme of public warehous-
ing Or to depart from the main purposes
for which the convention was called 1t
declined to 60 on record as opposed to
futures, and, instead of finding fault with
the government crop reports, it cordially
approved the governments efforts, and
pledged the assistance of all farmers to
make the reports even more perfect This
and sensible course was
something of a surprise, and certainly
should prove very gratifying to the heads
Of the government bureaus having charge
of the work of collating cotton statistics.
While it is hardly to be expected that
the full programme of the convention
will be carried out to the letter every
where, and by all cotton planters, there is
every reason to hope that compliance
with it will be sufficiently general to
bring about at least the IS per cent. re-
iuction in acreage Whether or not all
will hold back the balance of their cotton
until 10 cents at the ports can be secured
IS quite a different proposition. Many
may not be able to hold for that price.
At the same time the disposition to hold
back is very strong, and it is safe to as
'tlIne that every planter will hold as. long,
is he possibly can and certainly until
prices have improved sufficiently to show
him a reasonable profit, whether the fig
ire be 10 cents or less
If nothing more than general reduc~
ion of rs per cent in acreage is secured,
t is pretty certain that. the convention
will not have met in vain, as such cut
n acreage. with the smaller resultant
.rop. is sure to make any surplus carried
'ver valuable and restore prices to nor
nal and profitable level.