The Monticellonian., 1908-10-22
National Cotton Committee Issees
Add -ess


National Cotton Committee Issues
Address.
Is there any good reason why the
cotton producer should sell his pro-
duct today for three cents per pound
less than he did three months ago?
We do not think there is We are
F further removed from the panic now
than We were then. Business condi-
tons 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
/ has happened in the price of grain and
meat. Corn has maintained its high
level up to harvest time and is now
selling for Sl00 per bushel Wheat
is worth s10o and -four has advanced
/ fifteen 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
this lethargy and consequent loss Of
many millions 10 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
| increase, but her gains cannot make
up the loss in other States. The WISH
| bic supply was considerably less Sep
! TENDER 1st 1908, than il was Septem-
/ Der LIST, 1907. The invisible supply
and mill stocks are smaller than for
years. The amount of old cotton still
| in the hands of the farmers has been
much exaggerated There is not enough
| 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. re-
dueed invisible supply, crop no larg-
er if as large as last year. the re-
tail merchants shelves bare, the job
bsrs shelves bare, the mill stocks de-
/ pleted combined make good showing
fer higher prices. To make the situa-
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 citi-
Zens. This is time when concert OF
action will count for much. Cotton
t,day should be selling for u IL cents
il natural conditions had anything to
do with its price. 1t is now selling for
less because growers are pessimistic
/ a ha iaao nd Srll fraa1v Tho
slow marketing of the crop will GER
tainly advance the price. Fair values
will benefit every interest in the South
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 market
this crop as the world needs it. in
stead of following that most senseless
policy of giving the world a twelve
months supply in three months. The
farmers who are not members of our
organization. the supply merchants, the
cotton commission merchants, the
/ country and city banks. and the pro-
/ fessional men should cooperate with
u.s. but they cannot do so effectively
without organization. We therefore
appeal to all these interests to cooper
ate with our holding agencies or from
organizations of their own. appoint
committees TO confer with like COM
mittees from other bodies and let that
general conference be known as a cot
4 ton congress. This would unity every
interest in the South in one harmoni-
Gus cooperative plan for general pros
perity of our common country. Each
4 farmer, each business man, each pro-
fessional man, each commission cot
ton house, and each bank could invest
in a few bales of cotton at the pres
ent low price and put such cotton into
dead cotton account, thus taking it
off the market indefinitely. Such ae-
ton would result in advancing the
4 price of the remainder of the crop I'm.
til it will sell for more than the whole
crop.
With the price advanced, this dead
supply of cotton could be sold for
profit on the investment Such re-
suits can be secured by cooperation,
and We urge upon every southern man
who loves his home and his country TO
get busy We believe that not a bale
of this crop should sell for less than
/ Il 1-2 cents.
The Farmers Union
National Cotton Committee
G. R. Hightower, Sec.
Memphis. Tenn.
The next annual meeting of the
] American Association of Farmers In.
! stitute Workers will be held in Wash.
in OF On n q Nov 1f-17