The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-05
NJ. Onion Sneaks.
A VOICE FROM SAMPSON.
Reduce the Acreage Third ami TIC
Fertilizer Kill One-uaIf.

To the Editor:-The general pros
perity OF the South is based upon cot
ton. With cotton below the cost of
production hard times are newt
able. With cotton yielding a good
profit 10 the grower, prosperity is
equally sure. Hence it is of vital mo-
ment 10 the entire South to secure a
reasonable price for cotton. Last year
, fifteen cent cotton made the South
wild. The result should have been
foreseen. Anyone. white or black,
with few acres to plant IN cotton,
could buy mules, fertilizer. etc on
credit, and the result was a crop of
over thirteen million bales All during
the year there was complaint among
the farmers throughout the South Of
the scarcity of labor and many
schemes were proposed and advocate 1
remedy their condition. With
plenty of labor the crop this wear
would have exceeded fifteen million
bales If all the land IN the South
adapted to the cultivation OF cotton
was cleared, highly fertillzed and cu!-
tivated the crop would be one hundred
million bales. Hence II is clear thai
the South is suffering from super
abundance OF farm labor. We want
discourage immigration. 1t IS d men
ace to our prosperity Any increase
IN the labor supply means an incraa52
N the production of cotton. ana +f&-
means g decrease in the value Of or
Farms, and ali our property. Cotton
s now seuung for about six cents and
this condition has been brought alb JuL
by farmers and fertilizer dealers.
What is this remedy. Hold the sur
plus and decrease the production next
year. Much Of the labor that was
employed last year in the production
of cotton must be diverted into other
h 70 me- a
town and buys a mule for $175 and
gives a mortgage on all he has or
hopes TO have then he goes and buys
ali the fertilizers that any one viii
sell MIN and gives another mortgage.
Ibis man should have brought a mule
raised on his farm with HIM to sell
20 the dealer.
IL the cotton growers shall be thor
oughlv organized the price of cotton
can be put back to ten cents in a few
months.
/ suggest the following plan: Let
the General Cotton Growers Associa-
ton make arrangements to put buy
erS on the PRINCIPAL inland markets.
and buy enc million bales, store and
insure 1t, and carry it over until after
October l. 1905. Then let the General
association induce individual growers
to hold two million bales until after
October !. 1905. To accomplish THIS.
tpportion this amount among the cot
ton growing States in proportion to
lheir production, then let each State
1ppCTtion to each county its quota.
And let each county hold a general
meeting and have the required num-
Der of bales subscribed and marked.
lhen reduce the acreage at least one
third and the fertilizer bills cne-half.
IL some such plan as this is adopted
sampson county will subscribe and
makes it quota Of the ten million
oales.
Next year the maxlmun crop ought
not to exceed nine million bales. TIE
world will not pay a living price for
more than e.even and .one-half MI
ion bales. And it is Idle to hold cot
ton unless the production is reduced.
But the general adoption of the pledge
system will secure this result.
The main purpose of the cotton
growers association should be to limit
production. Unless something is done
not only will the present crop be sold
for less than the cost Of production
but succeeding crops will meet the
same fate until the South is starved
into the necessary reduction
L. r. COOPER.
Clinton, y. C..