The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-07-25
A SHORT CROP.
LITTLE CfoTToN ON HAND THIS
YEAR AND NEXT.
Mr.. Smith Calls Upon Every sub-As-
sociation to Bend Every Effort to
Make Plan a Success-Review of
Situation.

Columbia, July 19.-Mr. E. D.
Smith, president Of the South Carolina
Cotton Association, was in the city to-
day and he issued the following ad-
dress or statement, the facts in which
will be of general interest to men Of
all business callings:
On account of my sickness I have
been unablf. to keep in touch with
the people Of the State through the
press. I do not want anyone to mag
inc that th1. work of the association
has in anyy7ise lesessened.
I take this opportunity to call the
attention Of all the associations to the
fact that from every state in the union
there comes reliable information Of
material crop damage. There seems
to be little prospect Of a crop exceed
ing, eleven million bales. The world
consumed last year, 12,5Oo,000 bales,
and the consumption this year
will probably reach 12,750,00o bales.
Therefore, not only for the re-
nainder of the year but for all Of
next year, there Will be practically no
cotton in stock If there Aer was a
time when he Southern Cotton Asso,
citation as an organization could de-
monstrate its power, that time has ar
rived. A strenuous effort should be
made to keep the cotton from the
market during the months Of Septem-
Der, October and November for this is
the time when the spectators and the
mill men ley in their supplies at the
lowest possible price. Because they
recognize that this is debt paying time,
and that the small farmer, the man
who needs the help and who needs
every cent that his cotton can be made
to bring, that this is the time he will
be forced tc part with his crop.
The Southern Cotton Association
should bend every effort this Septem-
ber as soon as cotton begins to come
to the marke ct to use its organized au-
thority to keep every bale possible off
Of the market.
Year before last we began the year
with considers BILE stock carried over
from the enormous fourteen million
bale crop; this year we will begin
the cotton year of 1906 and 1907 with
practically no old cotton on hand, and
with the world demanding more cot
ton than the new cotton can supply.
Therefore, I call upon every associa-
ton in every county in the State to
meet at once and devise ways and
means by which in every county and
township they can make arrangements
to keep the cotton off the market dur
ing the first Of the cotton season by all
means available.
The prospect in South Carolina, as
1 know from personal observation, is
tht poorest for ten years.
The country is being flooded with
bear literature; every ingenuity
known to the opposition is being used
to depress the price Of cotton.
Eternal vigilance is the price Of all
success, and simply because we have
succeeded in gaining and nlaintaing
such a fine price for cotton, let no
man imagine that the opposition has
weakened its force at all, but fighting
more vigilsntly than ever before.
To show you the tremendous power
of the association, for the first time
in the history Of cotton-cotton that
is chalk and paper cotton which hert-
tofore has controlled the price Of spot
cotton-was 100 points higher in New
York than the spot cotton was in Co
lumbia,, South Carolina. Which means
|
could run paper and chalk up and
down to suit their fancy. But for one
time in the history of the cotton
grower he did not allow the spot cot
ton to be Influenced by any such
gambling gymnastics.
My health is steadily improving, and
I shall be sslad to address mass meet
ings during; the month Of August in
South Carolina.
Let every association be wide awake
up and doing; for the greatest part
Of our existence is now in our hands.
f. d. Smith.
FIRE CAUSED BY LIGHTNING.
Camperdown Mill. at Greenvillc,
Struck-Danlao $40 600