Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-01-26
THE FARMERS IN CONVENTION
[Continued from First Page. !

1
ed endorsing a bill pending in the leg
islature to amend the present law 81
as to strike out the word immigration
and substitute therefor the word labor
but had it not been made clear tina
the bill had the endorsement Of Mr.
Watson himself the resolution woult
not have passed.
| There was a resolution for the re.
peal of the lien law, and it wen
| through after considerable discussion
The discussion however, did not indi'
cate anything like unanimity Of views
the question, and it was clear that the
average delegate was pretty doubtful
as to what was the best thing to do
Repeal was agreed to principally or
the idea that it would be fair to make
trial under proposed new conditions
The Audubon society was commended
in it's work and the Legislature was
urged to pass additional laws for the
Nearly a whole day was given to g
cotton holding plan submitted by Mr.
j. l.. Keitt. The plan was considered
section by section and discussed most
thoroughly A number of strong OBJ
jections were urged to it, and it was
finally decided to submit it back tC
the locals for endorsement or rejection
Mr. Keitt's plan is as follows:
l. AS thorough organization of the
Union in each county of the cotton
states as possible.
>. Active educational work upon
the merits of diversified farming, for
the purposes of rendering our farms
self sustaining, and thereby relieve
the cotton crop from liens imposed
by the credit system.
g. That a cumulative fund shall
be raised by each county Union with
in the cotton states. no part of which
shall at any time be used outside OF
its own borders
(a) The said fund shall be eXclu-
sively used for the purchase of cot
ton and to be loaned upon cotton
stored in bonded warehouses or 9TH
erwise satisfactorily insured.
(b) That the fund shall be raised
by 10 cents per bale upon each bale
of cotton produced by members of the
Union Of the crop of 1909 and sue.
ceeding crops until discontinued by
resolution of this body.
(c) That all cotton producers not
members of this Union, be requested
to contribute 10 cents per bale to the
fund.
(d) That all citizens Of the south
bankers. merchants and those of all
other vocations. be requested to con-
tribute donations to said fund.
(e) That each county Union shall
elect five directors. who shall have
charge of the fund and shall report
to the Union at each quarterly meet
ing. They shall be elected in such
manner that the term of one director
shall expire each year and the Vacan-
cy caused thereby shall be filled by
election at the July meeting.
4. That the directors in their dis
cretion receive from friends of the
Farmers Union, for the purposes
above stated, money in sums of SIS or
multiples of five; that a separate ac-
count shall be kept Of this fund; pri-
ority of investment shall be given to
it; all interest accruing therefrom
shall be paid to the contributors, and
the principal shall be refunded upon
demand after three months notice,
or if invested, as soon thereafter as
ii is received into the treasury.
5. Each county Union shall pro-
vide for proper administration by
the directors, but in no case shall
compensation or expenses of any kind
be permitted to entrench upon the
principal or interest Of the fund
6. That each county shall sell not
more than 1-12 of it's production of
cotton each month, unless the mini
Union is charged with the duty of
withholding from the market all cot
ton in excess Of that amount.
Following is the report Of the COM
mittee on fertilizers as adopted:
I'VE have canvassed the situation
and find that the general opinion is
that we buy all of our fertilizers
through the regular channels Of the
Union and that we do our mixing al
home and save from SO to Sc per ton,
and that we advise our members to
reduce their fertilizers in a reasona-
BILE manner so as to be on safe and
sure basis"
The report of the committee on the
good of the order was adopted without
dissent as follows:
That provision be made to press
vigorously the educational work of the
| Union, directing especial attention to
the importance Of raising home sup
plies as q means of breaking down
the credit and mortgage business OF
the state and enable us to control the
sale of our cotton"
There was Il resolution asking Con-
gressman Lever, who is now trying tc
make manufacturers give periodical
statements of the amount of cottor
they hold on hand, to endeavor also tc
require statements of the amount oi
manufactured goods they carry.
The only resolution touching the
acreage question was that offered by
the committee on diversification. The
report of this committee was adopted
as follows:
Resolved. That it is the determi-
nation of the South Carolina Farm.
ers' Union to raise home supplies sc
far as possible.
Resolved, That every local in the
state be urged to bring the matter oi
home supplies before the membership
and enlist personal pledges to co-ope'
rate and become self-sustaining
Resolved, That it is the sense OF
this convention to urge the farmer:
| of this state to plant only twelve acre!
of cotton to the plow-the balance OF
the land in grain, followed with pea!
in the summer. Also we urge cover
crops for the winter with some Of the
clover and vetch, thereby reducing
the necessity of using so much am