The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-08-22
The Work Of the Southern Cotton AS
s0ciatiOn.

published by request Of Mr.. I. A.
Keller, President Cotton Association
of Abbeville County.
The value of the Southern Cotton
Association to the cotton planters of
the South is apparent from the follow
ing statement:
In the two years ending September
1st, 1905, two crops of cotton, aggrega-
ting practically 25,0OO,O00 bales, will
have been marketed at an average
to Southern producers Of nearly lO IL
cents per pound.
In the two years ending September
lst, 1898, 22,50O, 900 bales OF cotton
bales of cotton were produced and
and marketed at an average price Of
1-8 cents.
This increase in price is an aggre-
gate of about $3.50, ,0OO, 900, and Is very
largely the work of the Southern Cot
ton Association. In comparison with
such an achievement the cost OF main
tanning its organization is but lnnn-
tesimal, and 1t enters upon the coming
cotton season with the greatest conn.
dence in the ultimate realization OF
its purpose, namely: fair prices
for the product of Southern
Labor; the avoidance OF
over-production ofcottoD; and the pro-
lection 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 ana the
trained intelligence employed in pro-
ducing it.
The Southern Cotton Association
has made its mistakes and has had its
enemies to fight. The mistakes have
not, however, been important, as
shown by the result, and It's enemies
have for the most part al,
mitted its power and have been forced
ultimately to align themselves with
it's purposes.
The ist of September, 1906, will find
the world absolutely bare Of cot
ton. The visible supply will be tne
smallest on record. The 25,OOO,OU
bales of cotton with which the South
has supplied civilization during the
past two years are all consumed. Thel
United States Department of Agrlcul-
ture estimates that it will require A.,
100000 bales of cotton to Adequately
clothe the worlds population, and the
civilization is rapidly progress OF
~Yorld's population to'a advancing the
point it will require to be adequately
at which clothed.
{ Whatever the size of the coming
cotton crop, there is no reason why 1t
should be sold at anything less than
the average price obtained for the last
crop, though the efforts of the south
ern Cotton Association, namely: IL "a
cents and II cents pound. Interest
edand self-constituted authorities have
of late been endeavoring to stampede
! Southern holders and producers OBJ
cotton into the belief that the coming
crop was likely to be an abnormally
large one, produced from an acreage
very much in excess of any previous
~ 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 themsel-
YES from the maIadroit influences
which resulted in the scand-
al which the efforts of the Southern
Cotton Association last year disclosed.
That the cotton crop of 1867 is like
~ to be superabundant, or even q
large one the Southern Cotton Asso-
citation does not believe. Its reports
from its thousands of members and1
correspondents throughout the entire
cotto belt indicate that the increase in
acreage over last year Is only 2.52 per
cent, and the scarcity Of labor; the
lateness of development; the excessive
rains in many sections and drought in
the region west of the Mississippi Val
ley foreshadow anything b5t full
yield for the season commencing Sep
tember 1st next.
The published opinion of $50 mem.
/ bers of the New York, Liverpool and
Southern Cotton Exchanges is that
q crop of about II, 100000 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 needlessly curtail-
ing the hard-earned profits of their toll
and depreciating the value of their
fellow producers crop.
ls it not the purpose of the Fouth-
ern Cotton Association to advance cot
ton to an exorbitant price, nor one not
justified by conditions. 1t is its pur-
pose to keep it's constituency in the
South fully informed as to the outlook
and at the end that it may have the
] best possible information upon this
subject, for the purpose of more intell-
igently reaching correct conclusion
and to be accurately informed as to|
conditions at the Association meeting
to be held at Hot Springs, Ark, Sept.
D 9Th, 1906, 1t requests every Southern
cotton planter to whose eye this may
come to fill out at once, detach the &C
companying blank and enclose it in
an envelop and mail to The Southern
Cotton Association, Atlanta, Ga.
e. d. Smith, President S. c. Division
Southern Cotton Association.
Richard Cheatham
Secretary.
Harvie Jordan,
a President.
z The undersigned harvested for season
ending September Isl, 1906 ...... ...........
bales of cotton from acres.
The undersigned expects to harvest
for the season ending September lst,
1907, .. ...............
..,. bales of cotton from ..... ....... acres
planted. ...............
Name. .......... ..
Business........y..