The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1907-08-31
possible number OF white citizens
which my opportunities will permit :
MISSISSIPPI ASSOCIATION
PRESIDENT Clark Issues a Statement
to the Planters

President Walter Clark, of the
Mississippi DIVISION Of the Southern
Cotton Association, has issued the
following to all centers and circles.
II returned home from the Vienna
conference on July 22. and you have
doubtless wondered why YOU have
not heard from me. | found our peo-
pie So interested in politics and the
mail SO full Of campaign thunder that
thought 1t best to serd out nothing
Until after the primaries After 1eav-
ing the conference at Vienna. I
visited the ports OF Venice, Bremen.
Liverpool and Manchester. saw
bales of cotton from many countries
All of these bales except our own
were beautiful and symmetrical in
form and perfect packages Yours
the most detestable, contemplate
and despisable package imaginable.
held IN contempt by every one who
was forced to use If At every place
| found many bales covered with mud
dirt and slime and thousands Of bales
in the paekeries. I visited one pack
cry III Manchester where | found
after being picked, the damaged cot
ton removed varied from 10 to * per
cent and the remainder of good cot
ton contained n1ofs ture from Is to so
per cent. The bales of Egyptian and
Indian cotton are sampled one bale
out of every ten. Each and every
one of your bales are sampled from
two to- SIX times Several manufac-
turers told me they had quit using
american cotton, and were using only
Egyptian. When asked the reason
they said that for the past three years
they had so much trouble on account
OF waters daked packages, mixed
grades, mixed staples and false pack
ing that they had DISCONTINUED the
Use of American cotton Until these
elements of uncertainty were removd.
Il found the Manufacturers As
soeiations of Great Britain. Germany
France and Italy had organized cot
ton growing associations in their
colonies and were spending thous-
ands of dollars on this work This
work of growing cotton in their
colonies has succeeded beyond their
widest expectations | conclude from
my observations that your monopoly
is threatened, possibly not in the i'm
mediate future, but eventually, unless
you take steps to Garrett the many
abuses TO which your cotton has
been so long subjected
"A large number of the European
manufacturers will meet the repre-
sentatives of the Cotton Association
and the Farmers Union at Atlanta,
Ga, on Oct. 7. 8 and O.. | have been
requested by President Jordan to ap-
point delegates from the different
counties of Mississippi to this con-
ve1ftion. very much perfer that
you meet in your own county and APP
point your own delegates. I trust
that you will do this Immediately
and send one of the very best men
YOU have to this convention
Our executive committee meets
in Jackson on Sept 5 to make a
crop report and fix minimum
price. l would be very glad if you
would write me lat Jackson on Aug.
81 and. let me know what You think
of the approximate yield of your coun
ty this year as compared with last
year and what you think the mimi
mum price should be. I accepted a
few days ago appointements to make
speeches at Osyka, Brookhaven and
Hazlehurst l had good audiences at
ali three places and found much in
terest in our work. I trust that this
is the condition in your county Fail
ing to hear from you, shall conclude
that you have lost interest in our
work, and shall strike your name
from our list of respondents. The
time has come in our work when we
should know where we. are at. We
have no longer any room on our rolls
for drones and must have a positive
and active, energetic of
ficers IN every county. If you feel no
personal interest in our work. or have
not the time to attend to this, posi-
bly, you can hand this letter to some
one who is interested. If you desire
it will visit your county and dis
euss these matters with you: how
ever do not make any date for me. at
this time but let me know if | am
wanted and will arrange date with
YOU