The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1905-09-20
ELEVEN CENTS eoTToa.
THAT N1N1aluM SEEMED NECEs-
SARY FOR CONSISTENCY.
Argued That Association Would ssaa-
tisy Itself by Naming Ten Cents
After Making o.ooe-Baie
Prediction-Likeiy to Dis
continue Condition
Report.

4
continue Condition
Report.
The meeting OF the executive com
snittee Of the Southern Cotton Asso-
clation at Asheville. \. c., last week,
was a most interesting one in every
wax There were brought together
men from all patss of the belt and
men outside of the cotton business, as
well as inside, There are lawyers and
doctors, ana bankers and newspaper
men on the executive committee, ann
men who hold mill stock, as we'll as
men who actually raise cotton
There was axMide difference in IDEAS
when the members of the committee
drst got together, and among other
things upon which there was differ
sence OF opinion was the condition CT
the crop. The estimate Of the total
Yield was made from the figures re-
ceived from over $4,000 correspond
ents. There was no doctoring Of the
returns, there was no allowance
made for prejudice and exaggera-
ton, such as Hyde used to make. The
executive committee had nothing to
do with the making Of the estimate OF
WELD except to total up the returns
received.
1t is hardly probable that the mem
kbers OF the committee would have
placed the total as low as it was
shown by the returns, although there
was no disposition to dispute the re-
turns. Just from casual conversation
with the members Of the committee
it seemed that the popular idea was
FOR a crop between 1O,o00,000 and TO-
500, 600 bales.
Tt is very doubtful if the associa-
ton viii ever try to get out another
Der centage condition report. Most Of
the members Of the executive COM
srnittee expressed themselves against
it. but as the report had been pre-
pared it was promulgated. There
was no disposition to hold anything
back.
Comparison Was With Last Year.
The report was comparison with
the condition Of the same time last
year. The argument being that
farmer reporting could not make an
accurate estimate OF the average con-
dition for a period Of 10 years, and
would quite naturally in his compar1-
son be governed by the condition OF
the previous year any way. If such
plan should be followed. and the crop
this season should be small, next sea-
son there would probably be condi-
ton reports running away up over 100.
Each year it is probable that the as
sociation will have new committees.
Each committee would probably haye
its own ideas as to how q condition
report should be got up, and as the
only possible value Of such reports IS
in furnishing a comparison, there
seems many reasons why the plan
should be given up.
It was after great deal Of discus
sion that the price for which farmers
were to be asked to hold for was fixed
at Il cents. Many of,,the members
argued like this: sThe farmers are
going to hold for. 10 cents. and the
association does not want to advise
ANYTHING that Wiz not be done; there
fore let us fix the price at 10 cents,
I and then we know that our advice will
be carried CUT
The answer to this argument was:
<sIf this is the situation, what is the
use of offering any advice?" did not
seem to satisfy the 10 cent men, and
it was with reluctance that they gave
up the idea.
Won on Low Crop Estimate.
- No &c 1ON SAOP C@SA1AAS~>$ VA ~~-~
probable yield that finally won the
victory for. those in favor of a higher
minimum price than 10 cents.
1t was argued that to fix the. price
at 10 cents and say that the crop
would be less than s,so0,0oo would
be either to suggest that the commit
tee cid not have confidence in the
crop estimate, or that il thought 10
cents was enough for cotton no mat
ter how.sman the yield.
"you must remember" said one OF
the members Of the committee, that
we consider 10 cents pretty big price
for cotton" This member is law
yer. and he is interested in mill. His
remark was made in the corridor Of
the hotel ind there were some in the