The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1910-03-02
GEORGIA FARMERS MEET
UNION HOLDS SENfT-AN-
NUAL MEETING IN ATLANTA.
The Exchange Is Discussed, and the
Cotton Tare Evil Condemned.
Barrett and Lee Spoke.

cotton Tare Evil Condemned.
barrett and Lee Spoke.
ATLANTA, Ga.-That the farm
ers of the state are in earnest in the
movement to increase Georgia's out
put of food products was shown by
the enthusiasm which greeted Presi-
dent j. w, Lees suggestions as to
how 1t could be accomplished, made
at the semi-annual meeting of the
Farmers Union, which was held in
the house of representatives here.
this morning.
The meeting was called by Presfk-
dent Lee. Like all other business
Of the Union, 1t was behind closed
doors, and was devoted strictly to
the transaction of business matters.
The president called the meeting to
order at ten o'clock, and adjourn7-
ment was at ten minutes after
twelve.
The chief features of the session
were speeches Of President Lee and
National President &. S. Barret4
making recommendations which they
thought would be for the benefit of
the farmers, President Lee strong
ly stressed the importance of increas.
ing the acreage devoted to the Gull
tlvation of food products, He
thought that it was fully as essen
| tai for Georgia farmers to live aft
nome as it was for them to get a
good price for their cotton.
Committee on Acreage
In order to create a proper re1a-
tlonship between the acreage de-
voted to cotton and that devoted to
| 1000 products a committee on cotton
acreage was appoined. This COM
mlttee Will cooperate with commit
tees OF the locals in each county,
and it is believed that the result
VIII be a healthy increase in the
: acreage was appointed. This COM
and other cereals.
President Lee also dwelt upon the
present fight that is being made
against certain abuses in figuring
the tare on cotton. He said that the
Union should take an active hand in
the fight, and he believed it could
secure the changes desired. The
farmers claim that the actual tare
is only six per cent. of the gross
weight of a bale of cotton. AS a
matter of fact, cotton buyers are in
the habit of deducting as much as
eight and ten per cent Mr.. Lee said
that the farmers should insist on
having only the actual tare deduct
ed, not conventional amount fixed
by buyers in their own favor.
The weight of the wrapping of a
cotton bale, he claimed, was only
about eighteen pounds. Generally
thirty-six to fifty pounds are taken
of.
Mr.. Barrett's Talk.
President G. S. Barrett. who fol-
lowed President Lee, devoted him
self entirely to the consideration of
national issues. He had recently
been in Washington pushing the leg
lslatlon demanded by the Union, and
he thought the outlook good for the
enactment of the Unions recommen-
datiOns into laws.
The farmers can get anything
they desire from congress-" he said,
provided they insist upon it. This
can be done without the organiza-
ton Of a new political party and
without the Farmers Union laying
itself open to the accusation of be-
ing either for or against any of the
existing political parties. All that
the farmer needs to do is to give
his representatives in both houses
to understand that he must have the
legislation his interests require, and
that the members opposing it wuold
be left at home next time, no matter
what their political affiliations might
have been"
President Barrett believed that by
such procedure the farmers could
easily get the gambling features of
cotton exchanges eliminated and
such other legislation as they de-
manded. With this end in view he
read a letter which is to be sent to
each member of congress, both SEN
ators and representatives embody-
ing the demands of the Farmers
Union.
Officials of the Union declined to
give out this letter for publication.
but it is known to deal largely with
alleged abuses in the management
or cotton and grain EXCHANGES