The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1908-10-17
BETTER PRICES
DEMANDED
GENERAL MOVEMENT TO HOLD COT
TON OF THE MARKET FOR
RISE.
General Mass Meeting Called at Memphis
by Harvey Jordan.

mass meeting of cotton growers
and allied interests of the South
generally will be held in Memphis
Nov. 10, II and IL. 1t is expected
from 5000 to 5000 delegates and
visitors will attend.
The determination to hold the
Convention at Memphis, and the
dates were decided upon at con
ference between Harvie Jordan,
head of the Cotton Association, and
representatives of various CONNER
cial and civic bodies of the city
held here today.
The prime reason for calling the
meeting as given by Mr.. Jordan is
to check the downward tendency of
the market price of cotton, for
which, he says, the growers are di-
rectly responsible by marketing the
staple too fast.
Memphis, Tenn, Oct. lathe
Farmers Union National Cotton
Committee, issues the following:
''It is an accepted fact that the
1908 cotton crop will fall short of
the spinner's desires, and equally
we'll known that stocks Of raw cot
ton and manufactured cotton cloth
are very low. Add to this the
gradual betterment that is shown
in the worlds trade budget and
then ask yourself this question, why
should cotton sell at and 9 cents
when the manufactured cotton
goods are selling at the same prices
as they did when raw cotton was
selling at IL to IA cents?
Thoughtful people see in the
Lancashire strike an effort to de-
press American cotton more than a
purpose to lower wages. A very
strong argument in favor of the
above fact is that foreign spinners
have this season taken much more
cotton than for the same period
last year, while American mills
have also taken more. These with
many other facts clearly show the
folly of farmers turning their cot.
ton loose at the present prices.
We believe all of you will agree to
this.
"The people should Withhold their
cotton from the markets until there
is real need for their staple. Let
us profit by the example of the
buyers who are now in the market.
Most of them are stacking up for
better prices.
Remember that the fall has
been unusually favorable for gather
ing cotton, and the real needs of
the mills are being met by those
who run in the old way; rushing
their cotton to the market regard
less of the prices. We know this
supply will soon be exhausted.
Every one must realize that the
forces tending to depress the mar
ket have reached the climax, and
that the one thing necessary to
make cotton take an upward turn
is to stop selling it.
The business men of the coun-
try have time and again expressed
their readiness to aid us in holding
for the reaction which will bring a
common blessing to every one of
every interest in the South. Let
every one face about and stand by
ours and our country's cause, as is
being done in many sections of tn e
South by both farmer and merchant
acting in harmonious concert for a
common end storing their cotton
in union warehouses and handling
through union channels with the
common aim of securing better
prices and more satisfactory and
economical handling.
'The chief thing just now is a
perfect and harmonious understand
ing between merchants, bankers
and farmers in a cooperation that
will best serve their common
cause. !"