The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-19
SOUTHERN PRODUCERS
 ARE WORST SUFFERERS
MT. Hefln Demands Fair Treatment and Justice To Cotton Producers Of the South In the Fight
 Against Gambling.

Washington March 1S.-(SpeciaL)-
 The bucket shop is merely the craps
 shooter in the cotton game, while your
 exchange is the stud poker place with
 fixed hand in the crime against the
 producer"
 Representative Hefin of Alabama
 House today in the course of a plea
 for the producer of cotton. "The pro-
 ducer." added MT. Hefin. lis entitled
 to fair prices and profits. All that he
 asks Congress to do is remove the
 licensed obstruction that stands be-
 tween him and an open market-open
 at all times to. everybody who wants
 cotton.
 This high licensed close corporation
 gather around the pit of the exchange
 and there, behind closed doors and in
 secret conclave, the southern people are
 robbed, systematically robbed of
 product upon whose fair price depends
 the happiness and well being of 26,
 900 of people. I repeat, these men are cotton gamblers pure and simple
 The cost of production, the happiness and wellbeing of the great body of cot ton producers in the south do not en- ter into their remorseless and thieving game.
 Basis of Sound Credit. Cotton deserves better treatment than it is now receiving at the hands of the federal government. Cotton has done more to maintain American credit abroad and keep 1t on sound finan- cial basis than all other commodities combined. Cotton is the only com modity in the Kingdom of agriculture every pound of which is converted into money and every dollars worth of which contributes to the financial wealth of the United States.
 "In view of the great service that cotton Is now rendering to the United States in bringing gold into our coun- try and giving to us the balance of trade I submit to this House that the cotton industry is entitled to fair treat ment and justice at the hands of Con- gress. Grant this and the day will come when the United States will be not only first in the production of cot ton, but first as 1t should be, in the manufacture and sale of cotton goods the world over."
 Falling of In Trade.
 MT. Hefin referred to the falling off of the cotton trade in this country. He declared that the south was not only the greatest region in the world for cotton but had demonstrated that there
 was no other place in the world where cotton could be manufactured so cheap ly and profitably. And yet, he said, i England, China and Japan were get < ting most of the trade In cotton goods. TTpit od wanted A share of that trade it must go after it.
 He pleaded that the cotton producers should be put upon the same basis as any manufacturer or mercantile business. The one obstacle that stood in the way of buying and selling cotton in the open, he declared, was the New York cotton ex- change, which was the ''rottenest on earth.'' and the various bucket shops v He called upon Congress to act and not be deceived by suggestion from the 4 White House that at some time Tn the pale and distant future commission { may be appointed to look into the specu- lators hands.
 fered the horrors that come from the gambling exchange year after year. There was, he said an army of producers in the west and an army of producers Tn the south marching, through their rep resentatives in this chamber, asking you H gamblers in the exchanges In Chicago and New York"
 Heartless Game.
 Replying to question by Mir Fitzger- ala of New York as to whether there had been any complaints of injustice done by the exchange in grading cotton, MT. Hefiin charged that the exchange had discriminated against the southern nroducer "a thousand times over" The k New York cotton exchange, he declared. was the only institution that could sell i 10D. GOO GOO bales of cotton in one season. N The output of cotton. he said, ''has noth- N ing to do with this heartless and thieving H game" | Price who, he charged. had substitute f on the floor of the exchange, notwith- f standing he had resigned his membership. H He referred to the case of Assistant Sta H tistician Holmes of the agricultural de- H nartment. who was indicted on the N charge of giving out departmental infor- N nation. and said that Price was the man k who made a government report tell lie H +o the world and closed by insisting that |t the time had come ito eliminate the gam. II hlin9 exchange from the cotton business.