St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1905-03-25
INVESTIGATION
44Sonething to Sell Every Day"
BY OSWALD WILSON, Secretary
Planters Urged to Stand Firm.

| Planters Urged to Stand Firm.
The committee appointed last week
By the Mississippi State Cotton Con-
veLtion to issue an address to the
cotton planters of that State, gave out
the following:
The Mississippi organization of
the Southern Cotton Association in
vites your attention to the necessity
and method Of organized efforts on
the part Of those Affected by cotton
production.
The South, if it's opportunities are
properly utilized, will become the
most favored and prosperous agricul-
tural part OF the earth. Climate, soil
and seasons give it a practical mcnop-
oily of one Of the worlds most needed
products-cotton. During the four
years OF our civil war, wnen the price
OF cotton reached about 81 pound,
and ever since, especially when prices
were high, all other parts of the earth
endeavored to deprive us of our SUI
premacy, but only about a fifth of the
total yield, which does not appreciably
atfect Ihe price, is their utmost at
talnmert. BY proper regulations,
limiting the amount of cotton raised
to what will command a remunera-
tive price, by increasing consumption,
by cutting Off all avoidable expense OF
intermediary handling, and by judi
cious marketing, the land and labor
employed in cotton production can be
made>the most profitable OF the world.
ALI OF this can be certainly accom-
plished by sensible and we'll organ
lied effort. The cotton manufactur-
ers OF all countries are combining into
one association, which will act
through one set of buyers and utterly
destroy competition. By organization
cotton producers can treat directly
with this organized body, discussing
conditions, agreeing on prices that will
be permanently remunerative to both,
ending gambling in futures and artif-
cial fluctuations OF values.
"A crop of 100000 CT II 10000, 900
bales is now worth S100000,000 more
than crop OF 100000 bales. Had
one-siXth OF the time employed in pro-
ness, cotton producers would have
been more than $100,000,000 the gain
ers. Industry should never be pun
ished, nor is it, when properly direct
ed, nor should idleness be encouraged.
If, instead Of spending one-sixth OF the
time in idieness, the producers OF the
South had devoted that proportion of
their energy, labor and capital to 9th
er and diversified crops-corn, forage,
trucking, live stock, etc.-our section
would have been more than $200,0O0,-
900 the net gamer. This proposition
is manifest to all well Informed peO-
pie who give the subject thought.
Some contend that scent cotton is
better than 10-cent value, but this is
a delusiOn, unless poverty for cotton
producers and a starvation scale Of
wages and living constitutes a public
gooG.
"Mississippi's present crop is esti-
of l cent pc. pound, IS per bale,
mean; $7,500,t00 brought into our bor
ders, chiefly from England-a larger
amount than is needed to pay all
State. county and other taxations. An
advance of cents per pound OF a
100000 bale crop means $20,0000 900
brought to us from the outside world,
and so evenly distributed that not a
man, woman or child in our borders
would not be immensely the gamer.
With just prices for cotton the wealth
of orr State could be soon doubled
and it's prosperity become unsur- /;
passed.
Reorganization will certainly attain
all of this, and is no more difficult
than were the formation of the coal
miners, locomotive engineers and 9th
er unions which are now in success
full operation.
"Our plan of organization, promul-
gated at the New Orleans convention,
ratified at the precincts on February
II. at the county conventions on Feb
ruary 16 and at the State convention
on February 81 is modelled after our
system of civil government. Those
engaged in cotton raising and in al
lied industries associate themselves
together by signing petitions and pay
ing dues. Each supervisors district
organizes by election of officers sim
liar to those Of county and State Or
CARNATIONS, through which they act.
by reduction of acreage and Of fer
tilizers the world will be convinced
that the South knows and will uphold |
its own interests. AS soon as this is
made manifest by reliable reports of
the crop planted, there will be sub
stantial and permanent advance in the
price of cotton. If those holding cot |!
ton, who are able to do so, will con-
tinue to cooperate and to stand Shout |
der to shoulder until it is definitely |
known that the proposed reduction !
has been actually made. and then mar.
ket that cotton in the manner COM |
by our organization, the price |
will further advance permanently. |
BY organized effort surplus will |
rarely occur and can then be handled |
by our organization, when successfully |
without any depreciation OF !
price.
'sE F. NOEL.
81. C. HARDY,
IN. B. CRAWFORD,
Committee"
The Fort Worth Record, in an edi-
torial on the Advance OF Cotton"
says: Holding the surplus is only
one point in the game which the
Southern planters must play. 1t has