The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1905-01-20
INTERESTING COTTON TALK.
Meeting Of Farmers, Bankers and
Merchants Last Saturday in the
Court House.

call that had been made by farm
crs, bankers and merchants. At
noon the meeting was called to Or
der and Mr.. w. T. Jcter called to
the chair and Rev. Jno. G. Farr re-
quested to act as secretary. Judge
j. NJ. Greer explained the object of
the meeting. The chairman called
first those who had signed the call
for this meeting. Mr.. Emslie Mich
olson said that he had signed the
call, that he was no farmer, but a
banker, but none the less in SYM
pathy with the farmers in this the
hour of low price cotton, that he
was willing and ready to render any
financial assistance by lending mon
cy to the farmers that wished to
hold their cotton for better price,
was willing to subscribe to a fund
to defray the expenses of sending a
delegate to New Orleans. He then,
to precipitatc a discussion upon
the main question for which
the meeting was called, offered
resolution that it was the
sense of this meeting, that the farm
ers of Union county, reduce the
cotton acreage 25 per cent. J. NJ.
Greer offered an amendment by ad-
ding, and fertilizer SO per cent.
Capt. Farr said he was heartily in
sympathy with the farmers and
willing to do anything he could to
relieve the situation, that he recog-
nized, as he had always done. A
failure on the part of farmers, was
failure in every other business.
Mr.. A. G.. Lylcs said he had studied
the cotton question n good deal,
could see no use for the farmers of
South Carolina to reduce acreage
unless all the cotton states did SO,
that he had for the past 4 or 5
years reduced this acreage to Is
acres to the mule, that he with 9TH
ers who had done this ought not be
asked to further reduce 25 per cent.
that this reduction should only ap-
ply to those who planted 25, 35 and
50 acres to the mule. That he fa-
vored n pledge on the part of the
farmers to use no fertilizer, and
plant only Is acres to the mule and
not buy any more mules. Rev.
Jno. G. Farr made an eloquent ap-
peal for the reduction of acreage and
fertilizer. Sheriff Sanders agreed
with Rev. Farr and thought the Is
acre man ought to be asked to re-
duee his acreage. Mr.. John john
son believes in the farmers cxercis-
ing their best Judgment, and in in
tensive farming. Mr.. s. S. Farrar
said he was one farmer who had al
ready reduced his acreage, had not
planted over IL or Is acres to the
mule in S years. Mr.. Sawyer off
cred an amended resolution, that
all farmers who planted 25 or more
acres to the mule reduce their acre
age 25 per cent, and those who
planted less would not be expected
to reduce. That delegates to the
convention to such plan, and if
not carried in the convention, Union
county would not be bound by this
agreement. Mr.. Farrar moved to
plant not more than Is acres to the
mule and reduce fertilizers SO per.
cent. After much discussion we
believe motion was made and
carried, that all of the farmers who
planted more than Is acres to the
plow, reduce the acreage 25 pei
cent and use so per cent less fer
tilizers. By the time this motion
was finally put to vote we noticed
that the crowd had thinned out
considerably. The names of several
men were put in nomination as
delegates to the New Orleans Cot.
ton Growers Convention which
meets January "a, 25 and 26. Rev
Jno. G. Farr, B. F. Arthur and
A. c. Lyles were chosen delegates
to New Orleans and to the state
convention whenever it met. Many
questions of importance were dis.
cussed during this meeting, and
there was much diversity of opinion
expressed by the different farmers
present, among which was that ol
renting land for so much cotton,
that where renter had to pay rem,
in cotton only, he was obliged tc
plant cotton not only to pay the
rent, but in addition, to pay 70,
supplies, fertilizers, >etc. 1t was
suggested that to relieve this diff
Guilty the land owner would rem
for so much of the entire crop, ol
so much cotton, corn, peas anC
fodder. There was less enthusiasm
than we would like to have seer
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