The Forrest City times., 1905-01-06

1 ndNt IbSt U ENAuiAls ioi hittt T. NV' NS
 The writer is 2 one-hnrse" farmer,
 who practices in his farming, what you editors preach, e., raises on the farm the provisions and the proyender that is consumed on that farm, and makes cotton a surplus. When tie ginners report for October was published he did not question the governments $ good faith or the g,nneis' accuracy but made haste to market his crop. Allowing fully for the early and open season, there was ample evidence in tla' Iepdrt upon which 10 predict a crop largely above eleven millions of i bal s, ard there was no reds m to ex. pect trce much above the one It siich other crops of ke ze had sold.
 ' say the eovernmf nt's r4pnrt is f no value 10 the farmers, etc. That depends upon what sort of | farmer he is. If ha bt longs to that class who do not, or can not understand that the price of every commodity is determin- ed by the supply ani demand for the same, and will plast crop of cotton l in the spring. no matter what the prOs- l then you are right as 10 him. But for iuS acc, take farmer engaged in raising cotton mules" fur sale He watches as closely the course of the co ton market as the cotton raiser himself Last fall when the Ii rst gin ners report went in, he could furesee that cotton would go very low, and in consequence. there would be 'perper. dicular dIop" in the price of inu es. If he contemplated buying from his neighbors on speculation he knew what to pay; if he went on the market with his own he knew when he had secured d fair offer The merchants of the country if they pay heed to these reports can curtail their purchases or eountermand their orders to ii the shrinkage i'll price, or vice versa. And the ll'gent cotton raiser himsfl If is benefited, because a farmer, if he is to make d change in his crops, should lay his plans and begin his preparation the fall befoIe. This he Will be enabled . do if q 2 eir of the ; 1uth make correct rep r., and they c rtalnly have information that is far more complete than any o r handlers of cotton.
 Who rroft'el by the p'n ers' report last year. Their November report for 1903 created as much consternst ion ia certain dnar CTS, as 1t ha7 tn year n c.it tin ethels Wren in c nseGnence af lhose lephits, cotten reached pr ce which 10 body ever expect, q to see again, and a St. Francis b n cot l aeld appeared to be a yerltablp go d mine, you did rot accuse u e govern ment of meddIing.
 Let Us eXamiae the course oe the co tpn ma ket during the time the bumper crop cf 1898 9q, vas beirg gathered lhat was before the e0verl . ment had cOmmef cd to "inpdd e with 1t through the ginnors. The price | that season was, at th's date. 9 per cent bel W what II IS now b cause | there was still great uncertain tg as @ the size Of the crop. Now reasona' le ;, people accept the government estlmsta as a very ciose approXimatior to the actual slze of the elop.
 Twenty years ago the gayethn nlent did not gather and publish informa tlcn about the cotton crop as it now does The only information then given to the world was gathered by | brokerage firms. trade journals, etc , from the farmers and local merchants, and year alter year the same report went up of prospect for a short crop during the summer, followed by an l increased number of bales in the fall
 The result of this WAS that crop ie. ports from ihe South were generally diScredlted You say it is all wrong from he standpoint of the cotton pro dutets interests. What good will it dt him to delay the coming of the evl
 hourF If he makes big cIop be wil put 1t on the market sooner or later and the fact vii be known. If tht crop is short and he tirds it out quick ly he can hold his cotton for the rls, that is sure to come later in the seascy
 when the spiuuers have to bur. N
 good can come of conceal ng fact il
 which all have an interest. The gCo(
 book says sometMrg about not hidint your light under a busl,el, and th,
 toVeis of darkness are classed anon
 the wicked. You state that the gin
 ners of Forrest City are taking tn, 1 lead i'll the movement tC withhold re
 ports hereafter. Should the sinners O
 tbe South all do this next year it vii
 be taken as certain evidence that ;
 mammoth crop has been made and tn,
 market vii dIag from the start. I
 the crop is really small the fact wi
 not be aSeertained until Christmas