Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1907-12-19
PRESIDENT WALTER ClfRK
kdviees Cotton orow.rs as 20 Organ
ization and Protection

HAtAHAN 81 NEAAAAA+AWaNA AAfa - -
agrr~ with me phen I -ay that there d.
NJ rroiuet in the verh .. such rnor-
mons value ~ cstton. which i handed
with 80 httlr intelligence. and where
there is - much rake OIL in its passage
from grower 10 spinner.
believe II 10 - the duty Of every
man in Mi-sissiPpi to AID IN rorrectiug
the evils and in getting from the cut
sise vorld every dollar possible for thi.
crop tine es-nt pr poun.i on the cotton
crop Of Mi-si..iPpi will pay all state.
county and municipal taNe- and give a
uin~ monts~' free school in every county
4 the state. This j. something TO work
for.
Th~ purPpse of thi. article j. to outline
briefly a way by uhich, think. the price
of cnttou can - maintainesi-
first; The m.si cs-entiAl feature of
~ . m rrv~fsg on Zach AMI every farm
It thr ns---->sry fos-i crot-. last -
bong a. the greater numt~r Of cotton
rrpuers grow cotton With which 90 huy
foa'i eruF-. Iu-t ~ bong will Ne coutinus
u -ell the cotton crop below it, market
value. ami tbe Lands will brcome les
productive each yesr.
>'cond: To Pro,svt cotton from
t-ar rails II j. essential that a large
amount II ready money be available.
do not. however. believe in the orvani-
zatiou II large banking institutions ~
the Concentration of large amounts Of
money at any on- c~nter. 90 from the
fear of GRAFT AMI incompetent manage
ment. ant iel the varying condition. in
dIders-nt enmmuuitie- For thee r~a-
s'n-. think that zach community should
oFganise icai cutton selling company.
capitalized AZ 81 pr hale for the cotton
grown in the county or community. In
erease this espital zach year a, the sane
rate for I've wears. then We hail have
The hole cotton hclt capitalized at from
sixty to seventy million dollars.
onoe orgsnizs-i. With ihe capital paid
an. taard Of directors .hauld b. s~lcc,
e'i from among the Stockholders. who
would proved;
Fir~t. Either to build or lease an up
to-'iate. tre-proof warehouse.
Sscond; To employ a competent ont
ton man to elas-. grade and >ell the cot-
ton Of the community under the direc-
;lou of the board Of directors.
Third; They shouA bald a gin plant
with a gin compress. making a hale -
inches bong by u inchss wide and pressed
to density Of from 35 10 > pounds to
ths cubic foot. a. recommended hy the
Atlanta conference.
Fourth. They -houh take step. to
set either cotton or light burlap bag
ging.
Thus organized. it does sesm that ~.
wouh naturally take step. to know in
advance OF every one what shs pro>t--c-
tive yield of the crop wss each ycar and
also TO learn something Of trzss- esrssssi-
tions aud shat the requirements we're.
With this information we could with
some degree Of inteiligsnc~ say shat est-
ton was worth. and vita the fur.ls avail
able there Wouh - little difficulty in
maintaining the Prioe against -bsar-
raidS.
For the fF-t few wears would sug-es,
that the agents of thsSe various CON-
Fanis- offer the cotton for sale through
the pFs~sut channels. at what they con
es.iyed 10 = it. market value. and lust
- long a. the buyers Wouh take II at
it, value. TO iet 1t 20. bat when bar
raid eIme and the huy~r- refused to take
It. th~s the eompany Nith it, own funds
would r. in the market to buy all they
could with the available funds at thu
prie. the huyers we're willing to pay for
IL; sueh cotton 10 - into the COMPANIES
varehouse-. 10 remain until it could h.
sold at the Price dcmande,i. the company
in this way taking the place Of the
cotton merchant who Is always wiIliny
to put hi. MONEY in cotton when b.
thinks it cheap.
1t viii take time to bring about satis-
factory direct trade relations with the
spinner; and ! think IL bsst To 90 slowly
along the~e hnes. bat With each e,sunty
organized in this Way. ami with n com
mereial rating. and selling all it, cotton
through it, own agenfs. dirert dealings
would h. the natural result. and in time
the present nees=ssity for the various
future boar'is~ wouH - eliminated. tn.
spinner heing able to hedge his sal.-~ bv
buying the actual cotton for delivery at
any season Of the year from these com
panies-
| do Eot lelieve in antasonixins hank
ing institutions by Organizing hanks or
ioaning the funds of the COMPANY to
farmers. bat think the funds should BE-
deposited in local savings hanks. at the
best obtainabie rate of interest pavable
on demand. In this way the good uiII
and cooperation Of all present banking
institutions i assured and retained.
Now, II will IL, said that il j. irnpn<-i-
hle to get the farmers to take this stock
but when We consider that Ne hav. sakl
every crop for the past twenty years for
az least s. pr bale below its market
value. and the ever-vTeSent uncertainty
about what the price viii h., and know
ing that 81 per hale annually for a pe-
riod of Ave years will protect the price
and correct all the evils Of bad balin-
poor hagging. bad handling. and cut out
30 many unnecessary middlemen. il ought
not to be such an impossible proposition.
WALTER CLARK.