The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-09-02
no COTTON PRODUCERS.
President Harris OF the Farancrs' Un-
ION Urges Farmers to Hold Their
Cotton for Sixty Days.


Why Is II that cotton has not reach
ed the minimum price set, Is cents?
Is II too late? answer, No. What
then. Is the cause Of II 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 cot
ton, but fails to look into the true
situation OF the condition Of the
crop. He does not realize that cot
ton Is now scarcer than II has been In
25 years. while the demand Is just as
great, when We consider the supply OF
raw material. It must be remember
ed that last years crop was short
moro than four million bales. in
view Of this we can reach no other
conclusion but that the producer him
self b to blame for our not reaching
the minimum before this. He has be-
come frightened at the bluffs OF the
bear element. the spinner and specu-
istor. and has taken their assertions
% facts.
! Their nrst blum was the mills run
ming on short time. II was necessary
for them to do this. a. II was impossi-
BILE for them TO secure suflicient raw
material TO run on. Last years crop
forced them to curtail. not their pro-
duction but their consumption. Cot
ton was not to Be had. They next
bluffed you In making you believe
that they could not sell their goods.
and frightened you again. While they
have goods stored in their own ware
housea the commission houses In
New York and other csnters have less
goods than they have had In years.
Not until the entire surplus IL con-
sdmed In these centers Win the goods
be taken from the local warehouses.
On August 1st the mills found II
necessary to close down for ten days.
but this was not from choice. 1t was
for the want Of cotton. I know II to
be q fact that most Of the mills
which were closed down were out of
cotton to spin. They knew that there
vas not enough cotton to run them
until the new crop comes in. They
must have old cotton to work with
the new when It hrst comes in. It 10
the old cotton that they want to get
hold Of now.
I want to impress upon the farm
ers that now 10 the time to hold your
old cotton. as well a. your new. II
cotton h held on OF the market
throughout the South for the next
sixty days the brokers and spectators
will bs compelled TO give the price in
order to all contracts sold to the spin
ners ahead. You can do this by put
ting your cotton In bonded warehouses
and borrowing money on It. Money
70 now plentiful for legitimate purpos-
%.
The continental mills are short OF
cotton and there 10 demand for ac-
tuai cotton from this source, while
the offerings are small. It 10 getting
harder every day 20 buy cotton for
prompt shipment. The supply In the
American mills 10 not suficient for
20 days. II that long. The New Eng
land mills will soon have to buy cot
ton or close down. They have been
buying from hand to mouth for the
last three months. I,know OF one
hundred bales of cotton sold last week
by one mill. Fifty bales Of this went
to mill that was closed down, while
the other nifty went to another mill.
These two mills had to have this cot
ton to begin work with on the 18th
Instant All the mills which have
been closed down resumed operations
last Monday. From this We assume
that trade conditions must be setting
better. ! hear from good authority
that al the mills In this section will
soon begin operating on full time. It
ID understood that q number OF mills
have sold their output ahead for sew
eral montha Altogether the situa-
ton In milling circles IL not az bad az
II 10 reported to be. Generally
throughout the country the mills
would be running on full time II they
could get cotton to spin.
Now. az to the condition of the
growing crop. We hear II 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 big blum. and It
will frighten some producers. It is
my honest belief. based upon the In
M