The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-01-04
PLAN TO BOOST COTTON.
BROWN TELLS GROWERS TO Or
CAME AND CUT ACREAGE.
New Orleans Man Would Have Farm
ers Sign Agreement Not to Sell
Under Named Price and Fine.
Them for Failure to Keep
Their Pledge.

New Orleans, Dec. 28.-W. +.
Brown outlines a new and original
plan by which he believes the south
ern planters can hold theirgcotton and
force up the price. He said:
ION the 5th Of this month I wrote
letter to the farmers, merchants and
bankers Of the south, advising them
to stand together and hold their cot
ton for higher prices. Since that date
the market has declined $3.50 per bale
and the price stands now at 3-l6
cents for middling in the New Or
leans market, yet all sorts of pres
sure has been brought to bear to IN
! dermine the holders of spot cotton,
and force them to sell their holdings
at these give-away prices.
'sThe ginners' report has been hang
ing over the market like a wet blan-
ket ever since the agricultural bu-
Ireau issued their estimate on the Sd
inst. In fact, it has had demoraliz-
ing influence over the entire cotton
trade, including the spinning interest.
cit will suggest plan that be-
live would be the proper one for the
cotton growers to adopt, and that is
to get up an organization and cir
culate petitions in every voting pre-
cinct in every county in the cotton
belt and get the signature of every
| man that raises a bale of cotton
pledging himself not to sell another
bale of this years crop until much
higher prices are reached, and price
to be agreed upon by the organization;
and at the same time, sign an agree
ment to reduce their acreage another
season 20 per cent, and fix a penalty
of SIS a bale for any man falling to re-
| duce his acreage 20 per cent as agreed
| upon. If this plan wont work adopt
one that will work. You don't want to
form a combination against spinners
and customers should be your
friends; you simply want to form a
com bination to protect yourselves
against the bear speculators.
ST do not think it is to the interest
| of the cotton milling industry to see
prices decline to this low level; if you
will stand together and not market
YOUR cotton, except at much higher
| prices, and convince the world you
are going to reduce your acreage at
least 20 per cent, the bears will soon
find out how badly mistaken they are.
| They don't believe you are going
| to hold, neither do they think you are
going to reduce your acreage. Show
them once that the producers of cot
ton will do what they say they will.
|. What is the use of selling this crop be-
| low the cost Of production and plant
ing another one when you know you
| will get less than it will cost you to
raise it, unless you reduce your acre
age largely. OF course, this is an ab-
! surd proposition, but if you wculd
| hold the balance of this crop and not
| plant an acre Of cotton, another year
| YOU would make more money on that
YOU have yet to market than you
would if you were to sell your present
holdings. and the next crop at any
thing like today's prices.
"The whole proposition is right up
| to the holders Of spot cotton. Your
only salvation is to hold for higher
! prices and reduce your acreage 20
per cent and to convince the world
as quickly as possible of your inten-
| ton.
"To the spinners, I think it would
be splendid business proposition for
every spinner. both in America and
Europe, that can do so to buy around
present prices enough to run them un-
| til January 1, 1906. New York
Commercial