The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-11
HAS COST COTTON GROWERS
FTFTY-FOUR MILLION
DOLLARS.

pean spinners, a portion of the
American spinners and the bears of
the world the price of cotton was
steadily going upwards until the
Government Report of 71,2 came out
That report turned the tide down
ward and it has been going down
ever since. In his speech in Raleigh
yesterday, Mr.. Daniel j. Sully, the
famous New York cotton man who
led the fight a few years ago that
carried cotton to seventeen cents,
said that report had put down the
price of cotton six dollars bale
and cost the farmers fifty-four mil
lion dollars unless the price goes
back to the figures that prevailed
Sully did not say that he believed
the Government Report had been
manipulated but it was plain that
he does not believe it correctly
gives the condition of the cotton
crop in the South. The News and
Observer on the seventh of October
discussing the report of the Agricul-
tural Department and the report Of
the Census Bureau. said:
1.-The Census Bureau, the day be-
fore the report of the Agricultural
Department came out, reported that
by actual count 100000 bales less
had been ginned this season than at the
same date last year. Instead of the
less than four per cent. estimate by
the Agricultural Department the
Census report makes a deduction of
the ginning of "a per cent, ginned
less than last year. The farmers
have had five weeks of perfect wealth
err without rains or storms, to gather
their crops and have il ginned. This
is one OF the years when there was
no equinoctial storm anywhere
thing that has rarely happened be-
fore.
The price has been above ten cents
all the time and that has been a stim-
illus TO the early ginning and early
marketing of the crop. And yet the
Census Report, made by men paid TO
count the bales ginned at the gins,
shows thirty-four per cent. less than
one year ago. Ii that report is true
and it represents the opinion of most
well-nformed men-the cotton crop
is about one-third Off-hOw can the
Agricultural Department report that
the condition this year is less than
four per cent. off from last year 1t
was accepted, when it was first pub
lished, and cotton went. down, but 1t
is contradicted by the opinion of
nearly every cotton dealer in Amer-
ca every newspaper printed IN the
cotton country, the testimony of
State Agricultural Departments and
farmers from Virginia to Texas, and
by the Census Reports from the
gins.
.a,rbo ux,dauolmac axnoSllra was
made when the Secretary of Agricul-
ture declared that lit is impossible for
any mistake to be made. The men
who have millions bet on the cotton
crop have no scruples against getting
new government agents to manipulate
the reports. There may be no dis
honesty about this latest report, but
| it looks as rotten as any statement
made by Holmes or Hyde. and the
| public that knows real cotton condl-
| lions put no confidence in it.
| Mr.. Sully declares his belief that
the depression in price caused by
the Government Report Is only teEl~
| porary, and that farmers this year
will get ten, eleven. twelve and th1r-
| teen cents for their cotton provided
they refuse to sell their cotton at the
low prices fixed by the powerful in
fIuences that want cheap cotton. He
| told them that the cotton manufac-
turers We're selling their product on
| the basis of thirteen cent cotton ana
that they could make a good profit
| and pay the farmers thirteen cents
| a pound for this crop; that the world
was now consuming 100000 bales
| a
year and within few years would
need a 15,0OO,0 900 bale crop to keep
the >spindles moving: that the crop
this year will probably not exceed
l1O.5OOO00 bales: and impressed upon
them the fact that the cotton growers
have the power to control because
they have the cotton which the spec
ulators and the spinners are bound
| to have end if they will store II and
keep it they are sure TO get eleven.
twelve and thirteen cents for ii. Ii
| ALI the farmers i'm the South are or
the same opinion of the scores of
farmers who heard Mr.. Sully yester-
/ day. they will not help to injure
themselves by selling cotton at the
present prices There is money
enough for all farmers to store their
cotton. borrow enough money to pay
their accounts, and tell the bear:
"You cannot have pound of cotton
until you are ready to pay us falr
price for it, If they will do that
with substantial agreement. the price
will go to eleven cents next month.
/ But if the farmers let the mills and
4 spectators have cotton at present
prices how can they hope to see the
price go up? Nobody pays higher
for commodity than the owner
charges. The farmers can win the
fight if they are united and have
the Tar Heel qualities of sticking,
DO DIRECTORS DIRECT?
! DR.. Darlington of Virginia, who
4 SayS the cOnVictS at the Virginia pcnl-