The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-18
DETAILED ACCOUNT OF
FIRST DAYS PROCEEDINGS
(coNTrNuED FROM PAGE 81

considered sectional, but that in it's mar
keting and manufacture in this country,
1t should have the cooperative support of
all legitimate interests in the United
States and especially all banking institu-
tons. So long as the south's cotton crop
can be annually converted into $700,000,000
of gold, with two-thirds of this amount
coming in from foreign countries, there
can be no fear of financial panic in
vading the agricultural and industrial de-
velopment of America. The association
believes that 1t Is as necessary for the
farmers, a class, to organize for mu-
tual protection and the solution of those
problems which specifically apply to the
avocation in which they are engaged, just
do the bankers and manufacturers, the
association has therefore endorsed the
objects and purposes Of the Farmers Edu-
cational and Cooperative Union in its
efforts to uplift and protect it's members
along legitimate and conservative lines
But the solution of high prices for cotton
can only be secured and maintained
through the effective cooperation and
support of the whole people uniting I'M
der the broad and liberal constitution of
the Southern Cotton association. The
members and officials of the Farmers
union of those of the Southern Cotton
association, realizing the objects for which
both movements are organized should CO.
for the sole purpose of fixing and main
tanning the price of American cotton at
profitable figures to the growers.
Greater Success Possible.
Great victories have been achieved dur
ing the past two years, even without per-
feet organization or sufficient funds to
meet the requirements of the situation,
nevertheless the foundation has been laid
and the pathway to permanent successes
in the future is being blazed out. The
consumptive requirements of American
cotton have kept pace with the abnor-
NAL production during the past three
years. The supplies from the two crops
of 1904-5. aggregatng 25,50O,OO0 bales, have
already passed into consumption with an
undated demand for every bale that
has been produced in 1906 While the
average annual consumption of American
cotton has now reached the tremendous
total of 1250O,000 bales. yet l warn you
that any production for 1907 materially
exceeding that figure will to a certain ex-
tent, at least, prove disastrous to the
growers. I therefore urge and appeal to
you, with all the power at my command,
and with a full knowledge of the cotton
situation, to be conservative and mod
crate in planting the cotton area this
year, and to increase as far as possible
the acreage in necessary food supply
crops. 1t is a we'll known fact that manu-
featured cotton goods are selling at higher
prices than for many years and that the
demand for the jobbing and retail trade
cannot be supplied by the number of
spndles now in active operation. II our
systems Of warehousing, financing and
marketing slowly the cotton crop were
perfected, we could have sold the present
crop on basis of u cents as easily as 10
cents, and netted to the south $685. 900
more than we will receive without detri-
ment to the sipnners or the cotton trade
of the world. 1t is not wise to supply the
trade with a surplus of any commodity
and this is especially true of cotton. 1t is
therefore of the highest Importance to
press forward the building of adequate
warehouses and the preparation of feas-
ible plans by which the crop can be pro-
tected and placed on the markets in such
quantities as to meet the legitimate and
necessary demands of the mills.
The association has no desire to maui
vurate any system which would jeopardze
the cotton milling interests of the coun-
try. We invite the cooperation of our
milling interest to secure an abatement
Of many of those evils from which the
r,roducers and the spinners are jointly
suffering today, and to aid in the estab-
ltshment of stable prices that will he
profitable to tine growers. What our peo-
nile need above all things else is thorough
education upon the intrinsic value of their
staple in its relation TO the cost of pro-
duction, and the needs of the consuming
world The percentage of the increase In
the price of cotton should be kept on
parity with the increasing percentages in
prices of other staple. commodities. Cot
ton is the most staple crop in the world.
and as the cost of production increases
the price of the staple must also adj
vance correspondence or else the grow
ers must suffer the lash OF poverty In
producing worlds necessity.
The association is committed to the pol
fey of gradually bringing about direct
trade between the growers and spinners
and eliminating nearly as possibly all
conflicting interests. which are detrimen
tan to or present obstacles to the best and
eurest means of handling the souths cot
ton crop to the best possible advantage to
the productive and consumptive interests
Of the legitimate cotton trade. The time
has come when the farmers of the south
ahould be educated to demand a higher