Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-02-23
COTTON IS WORTH Is CENTS
Mr. Barnett Gives Figures to Show
the Cost of Raising 1t.

Editor Keowee Courier: | prom
ised through The Courier that I
would try to show and prove that
cotton IS worth at least fifteen cents
per pound to produce it, allowing
the producer a reasonable comp ensa-
ton for his labor.
The price OF cotton Is d momentous
question In which the whole South
is interested, for cotton is our money
crop and affects all lines of business
as we'll as the farmer himself. Now
is the proper time to try to control
the price for this years crop, and
the farmers can control It to q GER
tain extent by the quantity they
plant and produce, and 1t Is duty
we owe to ourselves, our country,
our wives and children, because they
help to make 1t, and it Is the pro-
duct of our soil, produced by our own
sweat and toll, and If we do not try
10 control the price we are neglecting
our duty, and the greatest funda-
mental principle that leads to sue
cess In any business OF any kind.
NOW, | Will try to show and prove
to any fair-minded man, whether he
De farmer, merchant, doctor, law
yer, banker or minister Of the Cos
pei, that fifteen cents Is not 100 uch
Tor cotton, unless we produce more
than the world needs: and ! believe
that 1f our Northern farmers had to
produce the cotton with their toll
and sweat they would demand not
less than thirty cents pound for 1t.
Here is my example and proof:
Let young man who Is energetic
and industrious go to farming. He
will buy farm worth thousand dol
lars, and the best mule or horse the
dealer has, worth $500, and the best
farming implements on the market.
He will work full time, and puts In
full years work himself, and also
his wife and children. Now to prove
to YOU that he is good farmer as
we'll as good worker, | will show
you what he produces. He raises his
own bread and meat, corn and rough
ness for his stock, and plenty Of
everything to live on, buys nothing
for home consumption except his
sugar, coffee and salt and such neces
have, but he sells enough butter,
uses, so that he does not have to
buy anything, and the cotton seed
pays for his fertilizer.
So, you see, he will have his cot
ton crop for the labor Of himself, his
wife and children and the investment
on the place, stock and farming i'm
plements. He makes six bales of cot
i<h hi,r 1h
5000 pounds Of lint. which Is a much
better crop than most farmers make
but this Is good farmer--he
makes his own supplies and six bales
of cotton. But let us consider what
this mans labor is worth. think
one dollar per day, including board
for himself and horse, is very rea-
sonable for his labor and horse and
farming implements, which will give
him $500 for his years work.
think his wife, who does all the
house work and helps him pick the
cotton, is cheap at $3.50 per month,
which would be $50 year for her
work. and the little children's work
thrown in. Thus, you see, they are
industrious and Woodworking, and
do NOT think that $3.50 is too muCn
ioi ll'S ldDol VI a Idlu-WOEklnB man,
wife and children, besides the invest
ment OF a thousand dollars for the
farm, three hundred dollars for the
mule and two hundred dollars for tho
Farming implements. lie will have
TO get fifteen cents per pound for his
5000 pounds Of cotton to give them
$3.50 for their labor.
Certainly | do not think $3.50 is
too much for the labor Of a hard.
working man and his wife, including
good mule, farm and farming i'm
plemcnts.
Brother farmer. let us raise our
own supplies for home consumption
for the next ten years. and you will
see this Southland OF ours flourish
and the people prosper and grow
richer and more independent and we
Will increase in wisdom and knowl-
edge II we do our part well as farm
ers should do
DO not let us blame any one but
ourselves for our condition, and If
we Will only do our duty, and do our
part we'll, be true to ourselves, our
families and our cause, the sun will
never set on more prosperous and
| Independent people than we can be.
Cotton Is worth fifteen cents to
produce IT.. Yours truly
n