The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-01-25
h Cotton situation.

II
We don't think the great and sudden de-
cline In cotton Is tn result Of o~verproductiou.
The world needs at least twelve million bales,
and there is enough machinery In operation
months. Ifthe war between Japan and Rur-
STA should re brought TO a satisfactory close
soon there would be an instant demand for
q half million more bales. II there had been
no decline from the standard price, 10 cents,
there would have been an Increased demand
In the United States for half million more.
There Ia a wide margin for profit In the
manufacture OF cotton at 10 cent per pound,
without increasing the present prices OF the
finished proouct.
The decline has been brought about by q
corporation OF cotton speculatlons and manu-.
lecturers, aided by the Bureau OF Statistics In
Washington, D. e.. They have pooled their
issues and have determined 10 fleece the COT
ton producers for SIS per bale or S60.000.000
on the tour million bales thai Is still In The
have Of the producers.
The burning question is, "'what are we
going to do about it," The combine, no
doubt, think we are powerlehs to help our
bankers and everyone In favor Of a lair price
for cotton, 10 get together. Organize In every
town and county in the South 10 send dele
gates 10 Cotton Growers Convention, soon to
gates TO say to the Convention that you are
IN favor Of holding all the cotton now on
hand for 10 cents per pound.
Instruct them TO say that you are ready 10
contribute your share in cotton or money ~
the formation OF q cotton syndicate, strong
enough TO hold all cotton, now OF. hand, until
the manufactured offer 10 cent per pound for
After the Syndicate has been formed, the
c%onventio will appoint q com mittee or farm
ers, merchants and bankers to confer with the
leading cotton men In New York and Liver.
pool. Let them make this proposition:
representatives OF the cotton producers OF the
South, we have control OF all the cotton now
on land in the South. That we are INSTRUCT
ed and are EN- 10 oter 70 the cotton
mill men direct all the cotton now on hand
for 10 cent per pound for ordinary cotton" II
they decline our offer, we will inform them
that the next proposition will come from
them.
BY his time the farmers will need help to
| carry on the present years operation. The
merchants will not be able to give all the help
needed nor will the banks be able 10 give the
M erchs Its, the necessary help.
What will we do? We will Authorize and
empower our committee Of fariners, MEL
chants and BANKERS 10 go into The money
market of the North and West. Sno p them
mat we hold bona ide ware house receipts for
four million bales. Tell them We want $50
per bale Oh 1t. the present value OF the cotton.
With n thirty day 3 We Will get all the mon
~ we want. The banks Will have their
vaults flied. Tn merchants will have their
stores nlled with such supplies as their GUS
toners need
another opportunity 10 make a bumper
crop" with The assurance that le Will get III
Genus per pound for 1t.
BY tn lime The Bears will get tired suck
Ing their pa w, aud Will do something 10
start up business. The: mill men will see
their supplies rapidly diminishing. Before
the LIST = fJuIy every bale OF cotton In the
South will be In demand at 10 cents per
| pound. But 10 make assurance donbly sure,
the Cotton Growers Association Will resolve
itself into q CoLton Manufacturers tAssocia-
ton. New cotton mills will be projected ali
over the South. fhe cotton mill; association
Ill N.rn NJ. an I'M 4 Nj 4 .rnn0 M n u
with ahome capital Of less than Two million
with q capacity for working up three orr four
million bales. This establlshmenL should be
located within easy reach Of the coRLfelds OF
Alabama and the Gulf Ports where water
power rs abundant and climate healthy. BY
this time the world Will realize that the PEG
pie OF the South who have been supplying the
world with cotton at starvation prices, will
do 80 no longer. That We mean 70 establish
our financial, com mercial and industrial In
dependence. When this IL done. we will
nave peace and prosperity at home. Our
country will truly bloom and blossom as the
rose. Instead Of running after the world the
world will come 10 Us, Manchester will come
10 Birmingham, Liverpool will come TO Co
Ium Dla. E,.T
The feasibility aud praotlbility OF these
suggestions can Ue established more clearly
by y careful anAly Sis OF the present cotton
and business situation IN Green wood County.
There lie perhaps 1000 bales on hand in Green
wood County. ABOUT $500 bales ottnis 10 now
stored In ware houses. There Is about 2tO0
In the county outside ware houses This IL
about one fourth the cotton made in Green.
wood the last year, The cotton IN ware
houses can be held until next Fail by the aid
Of the Is and Z The cotton In
the country In largely In the bands Of larm-
ers who can hold. II, as long they wish. A
company cnn easily be formed under the d.
OF Farmers OF Greenwood TO buy every bale
that may be offered for less than 10 cents per
pound. So she delegates from Greenwood
can safely say that the farmers and people OF
| Green wood can hold their cotton, Abbevllle
can do the same. AS TO supplying the, farm
ers with necessary supplies for The present
year, the merchants, backed up by banks
and leading larmers, can do 30 without being
seriously embarrassed.
AS to building more cotton mills TO utilize
more cotton at home, there Is al present,
enough cotton mills in operation at Green.
wood To work up one haif The cotton pro-
.iuced In The county. The farmers in Green
wood County can duplicate the present mill
plsnts In Green wood by lst day OF January
1906. lfJhey wish 10 do SO. They can do this
without e embarrassing their arming opera.
tons. II these things can be done in Green.
word they can be done all through the South.
Green wood IL perhaps q guod deal above
the average county but what may be lacking
In the weak or counti.s, can easily be made
up, by the large cities ofthe State. We have
County is absolutely Independent, financial
~, commercially and industrialiy. This 10
true of South Carolina as a whole but strong
rs we are, unless the other aud more extern
sive portions OF the South adopt the same
| olicy that we have, the farmers OF Green
wood and South Carolina have TO share all
the misfortune Of low price cotton.