Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1908-08-26
HOLD on TO YOUR COTTON YET.
President Harris Issues Another Call
to the Farmers Of State.

interesting StdiSIleHlS TeSdTulHS the
action of the cotton mills in shutting
down at this period, and also in re-
gard to the cotton crop throughout
the cotton belt. Mr.. Harris's appeal
Is as follows:
Tu cotton Producers.
"Wry Il, 1t that cotton has not yet
reached the minimum price set-15
cents? Is it too late? l answer no.
What, then, is the cause Of its being
down? The producer alone is to
blame. He is ready at all times to
listen to all he hears about the bear
side of cotton. but fails to look into
the true situation and the condition
of the crop. Does he not realize that
cotton Is now scarcer than it has
been in twenty-five years, while the
demand Is Just as great, when we
consider the supply Of raw material?
1t must be remembered that last
years crop was short more than
four million bales. In veiw of this
We can reach no other conclusion
but that the producer hime elf Is to
blame for not reaching the minimum
before this. He has become fright
ened at the bluffs Of the bear element
and the spinner and speculator, and
has taken their assertions as true.
Their first bluff was the mills
running on short time. 1t was nee
essary for them to do this, as 1t was
impossible for them to secure suffi-
cient raw material to run on. Last
years short crop forced them to cur
tail, not their production, but their
consumption. Cotton was not to be
had. They next bluffed you in max
ing you believe that they could not
III hot, do ffiu "
again. While they have goods that
are stored in their warehouses the
commission houses in New York and
other centres have less goods than
they have had in years. Not until
the entire surplus is consumed in
these centres will the goods be taken
from the local warehouses.
"On August l the mills ftNad 1T
necessary to close down for ten days,
but this was not from choice. 1t
was for the want Of cotton. | know
1t to be a fact that most of the mills
which have closed down were out Of
cotton to spin. They knew that there
was not enough cotton to run them
until the new crop comes in. They
must have old cotton to work with
the new when it comes in. 1t Is the
old cotton that they want to get hold
OF now.
81 want to impress upon the far
mers that now Is the time to hold
your old cotton, as we'll as your new.
If cotton is held off the market
throughout the South for the next
sixty days the brokers and specu-
lators will be compelled to give the
price in order to fill contracts sold
to the spinners ahead. You can do
TO hl ,,tt In tNn In h@
ed warehouses and borrowing money
on it. Money is now plentiful for
legitimate purposes.
THE continental mills are short
of cotton and there is demand for
actual cotton from this source, while
the offerings are small. 1t rs get
ting harder every day to buy cotton
for prompt shipment. The supply
in the American mills Is not suf-
ficient for twenty days, If that long.
The New England mills will soon
have to buy cotton or close down.
They have been buying from hand
to mouth for the last three months.
| know of one hundred bales of cot
ton sold last week by one mill. Fifty
bales Of this went to a mill that was
closed down, while the other fifty
went to another mill. These two
mills had to have this cotton to be-
gin work with on the 18th instant.
All the mills which have been closed
down resumed operations last Mon
day. From this we assume that trade
conditions must be getting better.
hear from good authority that all the
mills in this section will soon begin
operating on full time. 1t is under
stood that number OF mills have
f>r
months. All together the situation
in milling circles is not so bad as it
is reported to be. Generally through
out the country the mills would be
running on full time II they could
get cotton to spin.
Now, as to the condition Of the
growing crop. We hear 1t stated
from the bear side that we will make
fourteen million bales this year, and
that cotton will decline to eight
cents. This is another great bluff
and 1t Will frighten some producers.
1T is my honest belief, based upon
the information at my hand, that
the crop Of last year will not more
than be duplicated. Another short
age like last year will produce one
Of the biggest cotton panics that the
world has ever known, and the tails
OF our shirts will have to be made
shorter to give every man a shirt.
Crop conditions in South Carolina
are not what they were two weeks
ago. The crop Is fully % per cent
off. This is due to too much rain in
June and early in July, followed by
excessive heat. 1t is impossible now
for the plant ever to recuperate and
make a top crop.
I'm Texas reports say that the
crop has been damaged I'm sections
by too much rain, while in other sec
tions the crop mas been cut off con-
siderably by drought and the devas-
tation OF the boil weevil. Texas can