The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-09-25
TO the PRODUCERS.
PRESIDENT HARRIS OF THE
FARMERS UNION. WRITES.
Says the Farmers Should 1nves rate

Says the Farmers Should Inves rate
Conditions and Use Good judy
men in Selling.
The great money-producing crop
of the South-cotton-is now being
harvested. The farmers should in
vestigate conditions and use good
judgment in selling this great money
crop of the South.
BY so doing many million dol
lars will be added to her wealth.
First We will look into conditions.
The supply of cotton is less today
than it has been in twenty-five years
The merchants shelves are scant
OF goods. The population of tho
world is increasing every day, and
they have to be clothed. Again,
! the output of manufactured goods
have greatly decreased this year
from the fact the 1907 crop was
100000 bales short. This shortage
will have to be made good. as the
world needs the goods. AS to the
condition of the 1908 crop. We
have heard nothing for the last eight
weeks but bumper crop. Who is
it that circulates these reports? 1
see in Europe. 5000 miles away,
statisticians are freely predicting q
crop Of American cotton this year
of 100000 bales, while many OF
the knowing ones on this side are
sending out literature forecasting
the crop at 100000 bales.
| The South Is now being flooded
with circulars OF bear dope by specu-
lators and manipulators who are try
ing to sell the market down under
the influence Of these bearish argu-
ments.
The wholesale jobber in the cot
ton trade are demanding concessions
from the manufacturer in the price
of goods, as long as possible in hold
ing back as long as possible in order
to be able to lay in their supply as
low as possible.
Never before have so many inter-
ests combined to hammer down the
price of spot cotton. There never
was time that the growers will be
called upon to exercise the full limit
Of their strength In resisting the ef-
forts to depress prices as at the
present time.
/ There was never time that CO.
operation was needed as badly as 1t
Is today.
| Our annual meeting of The
Farmers Educational and Co-opera-
tive Union Of America" met at Fort
Worth, Tex. on the first and was
in session four days. The attea-
dance was large. all the cotton-groH-
ing States were well represented by
delegates.
The unanimous consent of the del
egates was to keep the minimum
price secret within the membership
A national cotton committee was
formed, with a delegate, from each
State, for the purpose OF handling
cotton,
President Barrett will call meet
ing the first Of January. as by thHt
time We will know the true condition
of the crop.
AS to the condition of the growing
crop. Every cotton-producing State
was represented and there we had
the opportunity OF getting a true re-
port as to the condition of the grow
ing crop. Not a. single State reported
anything like an average crop. Some
reported 40 per cent off. some 80
iper cent, some 20 per cent, some
15 per cent.
1t will be impossible for us to
make an accurate report at this
time. To begin with. we had floods
and wet weather up to the lst OF
July. then hot. dry weather. Rust
and blight and a dozen other pests
we had never heard of before.
East of the Mississippi river you
hear that Texas and Louisiana are
going to make bumper crop.
When you get west of the Mississippi
they tell you: Mississippi, Alabama
and Georgia are going 20 max:
bumper crops When you investi-
gate 1t you find It Is false. In the
last three weeks have been in seven
OF the leading cotton belt States.
and in no place did | find anything
like an average crop. From thu
time | left home until reached tn.
Lone Star" State did not see :,
single field of cotton that did not
have blight. either rust or black
rot. and was poorly fruited.
Farmers, all you have to do now
is to just sit steady in the boat and
not put bale of cotton on the mar
ket until the price gets right. Re-
member, it all depends on you as to
what 1t brings. We cannot blame
the other fellow for getting 1t as
low as he can. There are plenty OF
good warehouses; and advise ware
housing it and borrowing money Oh
your receipts to satisfy your in
debtednesS.
AS cotton is the great money crop
of the South | want to urge our
bankers. merchants and other mou-
eyed men of the South to help the
| b,lb thair tDttOn