The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-08-09
The Work of the Southern Cotton Association.

statement.
In the two years ending September 1st,
1906, two crops Of cotton, aggregating
practically q, 600, 900 bales, will have been
marketed at an average price to Southern
producers of nearly 104 cents per pound.
In the two years ending September 1st,
1898, 22,50O,OOO bales of cotton were pro-
duced and marketed at an average price
of 81 cents.
This increase in price is an aggregate
of about $780, 900, and is very largely
the work of the Southern Cotton Associa.
ton. In comparison with such an
achievement the cost of maintaining its
organization is but in6nitesimal, and it
enters upon the coming cotton season
with the greatest confidence in the ulti-
mate realization of its purpose, namely:
fair prices for the product of Southern
labor; the avoidance of over-production
of cotton; and the protection of the South
in its God-given privilege of furnishing
the world with the cheapest clothing ever
known at prices which will repay the
Southern farmers for their arduous toll
and the trained intelligence employed in
produciugit.
The Southern Cotton Association has
made it's mistakes and has had its enemies
to fight. The mistakes have not: how
ever, been important, as shown by the re-
suit, and its enemies have for the most
part admitted its power and have been
forced ultimately to align themselves with
its purposes.
The 1st of September, 1905, will find
the world absolutely bare of cotton. The
visible supply will be the smallest on rec
ord. The %, 100000 bales Of cotton with
which the South has supplied civilization
during the past two years are all consum.
ed. The United States Department of
Agriculture estimates that it will require
AZ, ,OOO, 900 bales of cotton to adequately
clothe the worlds population, and the
progress of civilization is rapidly advanc-
ing the worlds population to a point
at which it will require to be adequately
clothed.
Whatever the size of the coming cotton
crop, there is no reason why it should be
sold at anything less than the average
price obtained for the last crop, through
the efforts of the Southern Cotton Asso-
citation, namely; III cents and ~ cents
a pound. Interested and self-constituted
authorities have of late been endeavoring
to stampede Southern holders and pro-
ducers of cotton into the belief that the
coming crop was likely to be an abnorm-
ally large one, produced from an acreage
very much in excess Of any previously
planted. This disposition seems to have
penetrated even into the Crop Estimating
Board of the United States Government,
who apparently have not as yet fully
emancipated themselves from the mala-
droit influences which resulted in the
scandal which the efforts of the Southern
Cotton Association last year disclosed.
That the cotton crop for the season of
1867 is likely to be superabundant, or
even large one, the Southern Cotton
Association does not believe. Its reports
from its thousands of members and CORE
spondents Throughout the entire cotton
belt indicate that the increase in acreage
over last year is only 2.52 per cent, and
the scarcity of labor; the lateness of de-
velopment; the excessive rains in many
sections and drought in the region west
of the Mississippi Valley foreshadow any,
thing but full yield for the season COM
mencing September 1st next.
The published opinion of $50 members
of the New York, Liverpool and Southern
Cotton Exchanges is that crop of about
II 900 900 bales will be worth during the
coming season 1887 cents per pound, and
those producers who part with their
product for less than this figure are need
lessly curtailing the hard-earned profits
of their toll and depreciating the value OF
their fellow-producer's crop.
1t is not the purpose of the Southern
Cotton Association to advance cotton to
an exorbitant price, nor one not justified
by conditions. 1t is its purpose to keep
its constituency in the South fully inform
ed as to the outlook and crop prospects,
and to the end that it may have the best
possible information upon this subject,
for the purpose of more intelligently
reaching correct conclusion and to be
accurately Informed as to conditions at
the Association meeting to be held at Hot
Springs, Ark, Sept. 5th, 1906, it requests
every Southern cotton planter to whose
eye this may come to fill out at once, de-
tach the accompanying blank and enclose
it in an envelop and mail TO the Southern
Cotton Association, Atlanta, Ga.
The undersigned harvested for the sea.
son ending September 1st, 1906. .........