The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-18

! sion, in making its report, while it had
nothing encouraging to offer as to cher
| sources of supply insisted that it was in-
| portant and necessary that the selling
price of cotton should be continued IN Il
very low basis.
mot long ago, when a commission of
| English mill men visited this country
with a view of ascertaining the cmdi-
| lions attending the cultivation of cotton,
and later, the gathering and handling "a
same for the market, they stated o a
| friend that it was very wrong on the
| part of the southern farmer to be asl.nS
| SO much, as ii would take the clothing off
| the backs of some of the poor peoIle in
| India or elsewhere and he replied that
| he thought it was about time the s)uth-
ern farmer should have some clothing on
mis- own back. 1t is about time that the
| burden of the southern farmer sholld be
| shifted to other backs for a while, IL
| any are to suffer. All of these cfcum-
stances and conditions go to shov that
the southern farmer producing cotton
| need not expect any help or sympathy
from the manufacturer who. for SO Ions
time has been getting his cotton ut
cost, or less than cost. As Il halter of
| fact, in answer to his cries against Zoe
| cotton. which the farmer has contended for
| some time that he Is entitled to- with
the exception of a period hetReen 1910
and 1850 and 1890 and 1900 in avery de-
cade In the history of the Production
and selling of cotton the price has aver
| aged Zoe. or more but it is important
| to note That for many, many Years, or
! until within a very short tm3 the ad-
| vance generally took place after eottuH
passed from the hands of the farmer.
Advice Plentiful and Cheap.
"Of course advice is plentiful and
cheap, but If the farmer exploits to Sc
cure, in the end his share of prbhts in the
great cotton industry, he mus, to some
! extent, heed the suggestions of those
! friends of his who cannot only see, from
| a viewpoint, the wrongs that would be
inflicted upon him by the ussrs of cot
/ ton, but can see the shortcomings of the
farmers in their plans and methods for
achieving their independence 1t is GER
tain, in the course of time-ahl perhaps
not far distant--that If the tanners will
put forth their best efforts, applying all
possible intelligence and enerty in the
cultivation of their crops. and eo-operat-
! ing with fidelity and zeal with ZACH other
in maintaining their rights aleng legiti-
| mate lines they will reap the reward
which is awaiting them. With this re-
ward will come greater comforts of liv-
ing, better schools throughout the coun-
| try, restoration of the county church
| to its former state of usefulness, and
greater comforts for his family. and a
surplus to support them when they pass
to their final reward"
John D. Walker introduced.
President Jordan thanked Coonel Bush
for his address. He said: "Coonel Bush
comes to us fresh from the development
of another great industry in the south.
He is a man of strength and sornd iudg-
ment."
President jordan then Introduced John
D. Walker of Sparta, Ga. IN presenting
Mr. Walker the president stated that Mr..
! Walker had been one of .he best friends
| that the Southern Cotton association had
had: that Mr.. Walker had raised $4,000
| for the benefit of the association and had
been otherwise helpful o the organza-
| ton.
| Mr.. Walker stated in he beginning of
/ his address that he vas indebted to
Bernard Suttler, editor of the Cotton
Journal, and R. II. Fdmonds. of the
| Manufacturers Record. for much of the
information contained il his address.
Banker and Cotton Producer.
The speaker discussed the close rela-
tionshp that exists between the southern
banker and the cotton lsoducer He said
in part:
"If the southern farmer prospers, the
banker receives blessings and if the far
mer suffers adversely the banker also
| suffers.
1.-THE bankers of the south are very
much interested in th success of the
Southern Cotton ASSOCIATION, and have,
money to assist in the GOOD work of the