The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-03-09
MUST STAND FIRM
Cotton Farmers Can Win
By Holding Out.
Little Movement About Raleigh, Bit
President Jordan Sounds a Warn
ing to Fa Who Are Hurt
ina Themselves.

While the movement of cotton
throughout the Southern States is be.
ing accelerated by heavy receipts there
is very little doing in Raleigh. The
entire southeast seems standing firm
The heavy receipts at other points
it is stated, is caused by merchants
selling their accumulated cotton, and
the sales are not by the farmers, who
are selling but little.
I'VE ought to be buying now at
least a hundred bales of cotton a
day." said prominent dealer here
yesterday. but the fact is we are not
averaging. a fifth of this. The farm
ers are storing cotton here and it is
only the little fellows who are selling
to get some extra cash. The sales to-
day were principally by negro farm
ers and there is none reported as COM
ing from merchants
Investigation showed that there are
now in storage houses here between
1900 and 1900 bales of cotton. This
is stored by men who are waiting for
ten cents a pound, some of whom have
borrowed money on the cotton stored
These say that they will hold for bet
ter prices.
There is some leaking in cotton sales
in this section, but all in all the farm
ers are holding back their present
crop in great accord with each other.
As things are now the movement over
the country is too heavy to start the
price up, and the best Informed lead
ers of the cotton growers urge that
cotton be kept off the market or there
VIII be no increase in the price of the
present crop.
1t is stated by Mr.. Harvie Jordan,
president of the Southern Cotton AS
ISOLATION that 1.-THE farmers east of
the Mississippi river are standing firm.
and but little or no cotton is going
forward to the South Atlantic ports.
The whole South is deeply interested
in this matter No break in the line
anywhere should take place. We have
held firmly since December 3. and now
that the exporters who are short are
on their last legs. it would be a fatal
mistake to sell cotton at the present
time. Contracts have been transferred
from month to month until stocks of
cotton at the mills are becoming eX-
hauSted The statement is now made
that nearly all the cotton in New York
has been recently purchased. for ex-
port and that unless stocks there are
accumulated New York in the next
few weeks will b ertirly bare of cot
ton. This shows the eXtremeties ex-
porters are being driven to. Farmers
must continue to stand firm. Their
whole future depends upon it. Mer-
chants should stand by the farmers in
this fight and sell no cotton in the next
sixty days.
The acreage must be reduced or the
fight will fail and the hard efforts al
ready made will not avail anything
The guano will be reduced, as fac
tories are beginning to shut down.
This condition never happened be-
20, r.
farmrS in the old states are doing
what they agreed to do.
Let the southwest act at once.
Stand Loyalty together and in from
sixty to ninety days we will have
won the greatest victory eyer under
taken by the cotton growers of the
South. We have victory in sight. The
exporters are on the run. They must
have cotton and they will pay the
price to get it. Let there be no break
ing of promises CT failure TO measure
up to the highest standard of man
hood.
stop that cotton from moving at
present prices. We can just as easy
advance the price two cents higher as
to sacrifice what We hold at present
prices. All that is needed is courage
and backbone. Plans will be put into
operation on March 10 to take charge
the acreage and use of guano reduced
% per cent and the surplus out of the
way, there will be 80 trouble in get
ting our price for the balance needed
for actual consumption, which is to-
day in the hands Of the producers.
Every man interested in protecting the
price of the great money staple of the
South should exert his voice. influence
and co-operationN in making the pres
IN t0 q
holding for higher prices complete
victory for the South. 1t can and
must be DONE
In presenting the conditions as they
appear to him Mr.. Jordan SAYS:
During the past ten days the port
receipts at Houston, Galveston and
New Orleans have indicated a larger
movement of cotton than has taken
place previously in several weeks. Re-
ports are somewhat conflicting as to
who is responsible for this increased
movement in the southwest. State-
mentS received by me of the situation
make it appear that a considerable
amount of this increased movement
to the ports is due TO the shipment
of cotton to the ports to secure better
warehouse facilities on cotton used as
collateral for loans from banks by
farmers. Also that some merchants
are selling cotton which has accumu-
lated on hand and which is now being
sold around cents per pound in 100
bale lots SO that the owners can get
cash 60 lay in spring supplies with.
Whatever the cause. it remains a fact
that too much cotton is now moving to
the southwestern ports. and it is tend
ing to depress cotton, the bears using
the argument that farmers are firing
of the holding movement and that a
general selling all along the line in the
near future will take place. 1t is inn
perative that the present movement
of spot cotton be checked Immediate
~ 1t is also imperative that the spot
holders of cotton in the South refuse
to sell cotton on temporary advances
at local interior points"
WANTS BUT ONE PHONE SYSTEM
Council of Sheffield, Ala, Declines To