Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1908-10-27
COOPERATE URGED
AMONG COTTON men
Pres. Barrett Tells of Forth.
coming Convention.

Union City, Ga, October 26.-Char-
! les S. Barrett, national president
of the Farmers Union, has issued the
following statement regarding the in
dustrial congress he has called to
| meet at New Orleans, November 18th,
for the purpose of formulating a
campaign for advancing the price of
cotton in the south:
AS the executive head of an organ
ization of more than 10000 farm
ers in the southern states, controlling
approximately so per cent of the cot
ton grown in the United States,
feel that it is incumbent upon me to
take the initiative in practical steps
looking to stopping the downward
trend of the price for this staple, and
restoring it to a figure warranted by
the cost of its production and its
value to civilization.
1T is needless for me to state that
the prosperity of every business in
terest bteween Mason and Dixon's line
and the Rio Grande river is largely
dependent upon the return the cotton
crop is bringing to this section.
"A proper return for cotton means
prosperity to the farmer, the country
and town merchant, the city business
man, the manufacturer, the wage
worker, the sa1ary-earner, every rail
road and corporation in the southern
states.
To-day spot cotton is selling in
the neighborhood of 2 IL cents per
pound less than one year ago. In
many instances, this means that the
producer is called upon to dispose of
his output below cost.
If this price-leyel prevails during
the entire selling season of 190S-9,
the south will sustain a loss ap-
preaching $3.50, 100000.
THE significance of such a develop
ment would be sluggishness in every
southern commercial circle, constric-
ton of money in every business, a
stoppage of construction and develop
ment in each direction, and failure
| to recuperate from the panic of last
fall as rapidly as we have right to
expect
'There is no logical or necessary
reason for this slump in the price of
cotton. The output of the south will
be infinitely smaller than last year,
| when prices ranged to a higher level
American and European spinners ad-
| NIT that they expect to book the us
| prices obtaining in 1907.
'The sole excuse now standing be-
tween fair prices and the south s
cotton, is the belief of spinners that
they will be able to obtain the staple
| at their own figure In this belief
! they have been aided by exchange
manipulators, whose efforts have
been to show that the cotton belt
would make a record-breaking yield
/ AS a matter of fact, we who are in
most intimate touch with the situa-
| ton know there is not the slightest
/ ground for such an opinion.
1.-THE members of the Farmers I'm
| ion, as I have said, control in the
neighborhood of so per cent. of the
south's staple crop.
with the cooperation of the bust
ness interests, large and small, OF
every southern state, they will under
| take to secure for this crop its in
trinsic value in the markets of the
| world
1--WE are determined to win this
fight, regardless of the temporary sac
rifice it may entail upon us. 1 serve
this notice freely and frankly upor
every business man in the south.
''They can aid us materially, anG
they can shorten the time of waiting
by active cooperation in this effort.
eve are battling not alone fol
ourselves, but for the prosperity anC
the freedom from debt of every man
woman and child in the southern
| states.
1--WE have right to expect theil
assistance under these conditions.
@To this end Of arriving at defin-
lite plans, / have summoned dele
gates from every southern state tt
meet in New Orleans on November
18th. | will answer for a large at
tendance of these men, each thorough
| ly familiar with the cotton and The
financial situation in his community
Il invite the cooperation of bust
| ness man, manufacturer, professional
man, banker, and wage-earner in TIA
south | urge them to be prescG
personally urge on commercial
bodies, chambers of commerce, board!
of trade and labor organizations t
send representatives to this con