The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-01-06
rAsMElRs WAsaGps
Axainst 4 f,roEosal that wiil Keep
q ssrfae sr Cottop Down.

no the EditoF ste:
! have notied the proposlt ltloE CT Ct
Certain cotton Merchants In which
They Ilictt shipments OF cotton from
the farmers, Offering free storage with
the privilege ofsusing the cotton in.
their business and agreeing to settle
for it at any time desired by the ship,
pers at the current price at time OF
settlement.
Ihaye no critic cism to make Of the
cotton men making this proposition,
but I wish to warn farmers against
accepting 1t if they hope to realize
any bene fit from holding their cotton.
am informed that q number of mills
In this country and also in Europe
have been pursuing a hand to mouth
policy, buying only cotton for present
needs and having only a small supply
on hand. II this Is the case aud the
cotton now in farmers hands is abso-
lutely withheld from tho market a
demand will soon be created, stocks
will be depleted and splnners Will be
forced to buy cotton or close their
mills. Now II the cotton5ls consigned
TO exporters under the proposition re.
ferred to above, these exporters can
go right on supplying tho mills as
they need 1t from week to week and
month to month, there will therefore
be no withholding OF the cotton, nc
pressure on the spinner, in fact moth
Ing to create an ,ctual demand OF
cause any advance in the price, the
farmer will simply be spiking his own
gun. II any pressure Is brought to
bear on the market the cotton must
be kept at home or stored In the near
est warehouse.
To illustrate, suppose the price OF
cotton seed was down at a figue to-
tally unre emuperative and unsatisfac-
tory to the farmer and the oil mills
were to send out circulars agreeing tc
take all the seed and promising tc
settle at current prices at time re.
qufred during the season, and the seed
was delivered to them under these
conditions, ia 1t not manifest that
with the seed in their possef sion,
their mills running on full time, there
would be no incentive to force an ad
vance In price, but, suppose the seed
were hauled away from the gins, car.
ried back to the farm and deter,
mination shown to put, them in the
ground as fertilizer rather than ac
cept unsatisfactory prices, the effect
would be almost in Simultaneous, mills
would be obliged to pay'remunerative
fprices or shut down. md the chances
are that they would pay.
The same principle applies to cot
ton; 1t is true that 1t cannot be put
back In the gronnd as fertilizer as the
seed, but it will keep and it is cheap
er to keep 1t than to raise it at pres
ent prices.
The crop last year was a little ovel
fearing a cotton famine, went wild
This years crop is estimated at 20 pei
cent. over last years crop al they &c
equally wild in the other direction
There was little reescnfSr last years
extreme advance and less for this
years decline. The bears in the mar.
ket, basing their opinions on the gin.
ners' report, estimate that the CROP
will be over $4,000, 900 bales and they
act as II they thought that every bale
Of this cotton would be thrust on the
| UG uOTS
than enough to go aroundI and conse.
quently there is nc necessity for them
TO Fly even cost Of prohibition for it.
They forget that III s=Habont as
cheap to buy cotton at PRESENT prices
as e. raise it where CONNER cial ferti.
lizers are used, and while the crop
:na, equal or exceed the government
estimate, 1T won'g be sold at current
never. and probably will never be
counted in the crop OF 19O4-1 sos unless
there Is material advance in the
price, because rather than accept cur
rent prices it Will pay better to store
the cotton and borrow money on 1t.
a 500 pound bale of cotton at present
price, at initial point, 1854 cents,
equals a33-75. To carry this one year
at 8 per cent. would be less than I /.
2 for the cotton, while such action, II
at all unanimous, would advance the
price probably two or three cents per
pound.
My advice Is TO plant the lands In
tobacco, corn, oats, peas, sugar cane,
raise hogs curtail cotton acreage and
wait till the world wants cotton at
remunerative prices. B.
Marion, Deo. %, 1904.