The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-10-31
ORGANIZATION OF
COTTON GROWERS
THE PLAN URGED BY MR.. w. K.
SLIGH.
After Talking to Many Cotton Plant
ters in this and Other
Counties.

ers with whom he has talked during
the past several days, Mr.. w K.
Sigh has consented to give to the
public plan which he has had in
mind for the more perfect organiza-
ton of the cotton growers, and con-
sequent increase in the price of cot
ton which will make its growth prof
liable to the south. The cotton plant
ers with whom Mr.. Sigh has talked
think the plan if properly carried out,
would work great advantage to the
south. When seen yesterday by rep
resenlative of The Herald and News,
Prof. Sigh, in talking of his plan said:
''That the Southern Cotton Growers
association has rendered valuable SER
vices in behalf Of the cotton farmers
is conceded by all who are familiar
with the facts and unbiased in their
Judgment That it has failed as yet to
raise the price to eleven cents per
pound, the price demanded by the
Ashevil1e convention, is no reason
why its efforts should not be seconded
further by every well-wisher of the
south, but on the contrary, this is the
very reason why every one should ral-
ly to its support at this time. What
is the situation today? Representa-
tives Of the cotton growers after ma
ture del5beration and in view of the
responsibility resting upon them have
sole1nnly declared that eleven cents is
a reasonable MINIMUM price for cot
ton this year and they have asked the
cotton growers to hold their cotton
for this price. Have the farmers done
it? Yes, few here and there have
complied with the request, many have
sold to satisfy pressing obligations
and the great majority have sold all
or some part of their crop simply be-
cause they have though it under the
circumstances, good business to do so.
'And what are the circumstances
under which the farmer finds himself
and under which he considers it pru-
dent to sell his cotton at current
prices? First, the current prices are
good when compared with prices that
he has received some other years. At
current prices he can make some mon
'ey and that is more than he is accus-
toned to do. So he takes his small
profit while he may, and that from
his viewpoint is not bad thing to do.
Second, he knows that the South
ern association demanded eleven cents
and he knows that his own state and
county convention passed resolutions
to hold for eleven cents. He is con-
vinced that eleven cents can be had
if enough cotton is held for that price
and he himself would be willing to
hold if he could have positive assur-
ance that enough others would also
hold. But righ- here is the trouble.
He does not know what others will
do, neither can he know. 1t is not so
much lack of confidence in his fel-
lows that is the trouble as it is lack
of information upon which to base
confidence Under present conditions
the farmers in our county cannot
know what the farmers even in the
adjacent counties are doing with their
cotton. South iCarolina would like to
know what Texas is doing and Texas
is equally anxious to learn the true
conditions in South Carolina and
Georgia and Alabama and the rest of
the states. Cotton growers in South
Carolina, for instance, can't be expect
ed to withhold their cotton from the
market at ten cents unless they have
positive, tangible proof that definite
number of growers in other states are
doing likewise. To expect them to
hold on the mere strength OF resolu-
tons passed under the influence Of a