The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1905-08-30
SPINNERS WILL
FIGHT ASSOCIATION.
President Harvie Jordan Urges Farmers
to Stand Firm---Asheville Meeting
Sept 8, Will Fix q Minimum Price.


A recent meeting of the international
Cotton Spinners held at London, Eng
land, on August 1st, indicates very
clearly that the products are to be bit
terly fought by the spinners during the
next three months. AT the meeting
above referred to foreign spinners were
advised to buy no more cotton for 80
days except in such cases where the
raw material was absolutely needed.
The effort will be made to depress the
cotton market here by reducing the
demand for the raw material as far as
possible in order to break down the
demand fair prices for their staple.
The present plan for theforeign SPIN
ners, it now appears, is to crush the
Southern Cotton Association and its
efforts at the opening of the fall season
and force the farmers to sacrifice
their cotton on a depressed market
brought about by combination and con-
cert of action among the spinners and
Bear" spectators. Every imaginable
device known to human ingenuity will
be brought to bear to depress prices
during the next four months.
ASSOCIATION TO FIX PRICE.
The Southern Cotton Association will
meet at Asheville, N. c., September
9th, and at that time will fix minimum
price OH the present crop which will be
fair and just to both the producers and
spinners, based upon carefully pre-
pared report up to August 25th, and
the estimated percentage of yield, as
compared with 1904. When this mini
mum price for spot cotton is fixed by
the representatives of the different
States on September 9th at Asheville
every producer of cotton in the South
will be called upon to stand by the ac-
tion of the Association and force the
consuming world to pay fair price for
the staple. There will be no surplus of
raw cotton from the crop of 1904. What
is left over unconsumed on September
The mills are now consuming 270, 900
bales per week, and the demand for
cotton goods is enormous at high prices.
The farmers are in good financial
shape to protect their staple and if
money is needed Southern bankers are
amply able and quite willing to finance
the situation.
MUST STAND FIRM.
The producers have just won nota-
BILE victory in the face of the largest
crop ever produced in this country and
by concert of action forced prices up
from six cents in January to ten cents
on July 3rd, encountering each day the
most intense opposition.
The present crop indicates a short
yield compared with 1904, while the
consumption of cotton will go forwad
unebated for the next eighteen months.
Present prices for spot cotton are not
high. They present only small profit
to the producer.
If the fight must come it will be for
ced by the spinners and will be met by
determination and effective opposition
on the part of the producers. The
crop of 1905 must not be sacrificed. Let
every man measure up to the highest
standard of Southern manhood and do
his full duty. The mills have got to
have our cotton, and if they want to
stop buying at present prices we can
stop selling and see whose corn crib and
smoke house will last the longest On
the eve of the crisis which threatens
the south and the southern press is
earnestly called upon to publish this arti-
Gle and comment upon the same editor
lily. The farmers all over the south are
rapidly organizing and the Association
has no fear of the final outcome in the
struggle which lies just ahead.
Very respectfully,
HARVIE JORDAN,
President Southern Cotton Association,
Monticello, Ga.