The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1908-10-23
National Cotton Committee Issues
Address.

cotton producer should sell his pro-
duct today for three cents per pound
less than he did three months ago?
we 90 not think there is. We are
further removed from the panic now
IMAM we were then. Business COndi.
lions have improved in all lines. The
demand for cotton goods has increased
Wonderfully in that time. While cot.
! ton Is too cheap to sell the unusual
mas happened in the price Of grain and
meat. Corn has maintained its high
| level up to harvest time. and is now
| selling for 500 per bushel. Wheat
Is worth $l.O0 and -four has advanced
h1teen cents per barrel this week.
Meat is selling at midsummer prices.
SO it is with everything except cot.
ton. There is no legitimate cause for |
TINS lethargy and consequent loss OF |
many millions to the South South |
Carolina and Georgia will produce |
much less cotton than last year. Ala. |
bama, Mississippi. Louisiana and Ar
kansas are short, and Oklahoma crops
are late and very much less than one
year ago. Texas alone shows a small
incre;s;e, but her gains cannot make
up the loss in other States. The visi-
bic supply was considerably less Sep
TENDER list. 1908, than it was Septem-
Der LIST, 1907. The invisible supply
and mill stocks are smaller thaA for
years. The amount of old cotton still
in the hands of the farmers has been
in their hands to figure materially in
|. the worlds supply The stocks Of
goods are depleted all along the line
from the local merchant to the factory
floors. A small visible supply, a re-
duced invisible supply, crop no larg'
er # as large as last year, the re
d tail merchants shelves bare, the job.
bers shelves bare, the mill stocks de-
peted combined make a good showing
for higher prices. To make the sltua'
ton more acute, we have an Increased
demand for all kinds Of cotton goods
In our opinion this is the opportunity
of the South to assert herself and
bring general prosperity to her cltl-
Il. zens This is time when concert or
action will count for much. Cotton
today should be selling for y II cents
if natural conditions had anything to
do with its price 1t is now selling for
- less because growers are pesslmlstlc
= about the price and sell too freely. The
=, slow marketing of the crop will Ger
:, tainly advance the price. Fair values
:. will benefit every interest in the South
49, as much as it will the cotton produ
=, GERS themselves. We feel that every
-. patriotic citizen should and will coop
~ crate with us in our effort to marke
49, this crop as the world needs it, in
stead of following that most senseles:
20 policy of giving the world a twelve
w months supply in three months. Th
farmers who are not members OF ou
80 organization, the supply merchants, tn
=" cotton commission merchants, tn
a. country and city banks, and the pre-
n, fessional men should cooperate wit
ou us, but they cannot do so effectlVel
without organization. We therefor
~ appeal to all these interests to cooper
~ ate with our holding agencies or fror
~, organizations of their own, appoln
- committees to confer with like con
49,. n mittees from other bodies and let tina
III general conference be known as co
ea ton congress. This would unity ever
neo interest in the South in one harmon
w GUS cooperative plan for general pro
10 Z, perity of our common country. Fac
farmer, each business man, each pr
'o" fessional man, each commission CO
NJ. ton house, and each bank could inVe
o0' in a few bales of cotton at the pre-
ce' emf low price and put such cotton In
a dead cotton account, thus taking
in' off the market indefinitely. Such a
W tion would result in advancing q
"on price of the remainder OF the crop u
u'e I'll if will sell for more than the who
pint III IL "''' '''' -
ave-, crop.
eis With the price advanced, this de-
supply of cotton could be sold Tor
ing nroft on the investment. Sucn
'eif- suits can be secured by cooperate
III, and we urge upon every southern nj
anu who loves his home and his country
' get busy. We believe that not D'
,ins of this crop should sell for less tn
u 1.2 cents.
no" The Farmers Union
as National Cotton Commit
arm G.. R. Hightower, Sec
!. - Memphis, Tenn.
anu The next annual meeting OF
mere American Association of Farmers
ever stitute Workers will be held in wa
nc ington. D. c., Nov. 1911.
cot lns'oA'