The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-10-21
Local Warehouses Can Save Farmers.
To the Editor Of The State.

Local Warehouses Can Save Farmers.
To the Editor of The State.
Your editorial on the subject of
/ warehouses, several big warehouses
or many small warehouses, has been
carefully read. Your reasoning as to
cost per bale being less in the larger
than In many smaller warehouses is
probably true. But you have not TAX
en- into consideration some of the
things we have to meet. Human ma
ture is probably just as it always was.
, We have to deal with men as We find
them. The older cotton growers of
, South Carolina have not forgotten
tie fortunes built up at the ports by
controlling the cotton crop. The es-
tablishment of interior banks and in
terror cotton markets emancipated
the cotton growers from the thrall-
dom Of the cotton factor. You could
scarcely hope to see us invest in big
warehouses which might lead to the
old order.
Small banks have, almost without
exception. been eminently successful.
And the city banker who would today
sneer at the crossroads bank would
show his unfitness for his Office. You
have consistently urged the building
of warehouses. All your good work
along this line will be nullified if
you now undertake to say that half
dozen railroad centres of the State
are the only places where warehouses
should be located. Just as the local
banks have drawn the money out of
the stockings and wallets of the plain
people. just so will local warehouses
| cause the farmers to hold cotton. You
, need not worry about the attitude Of
| the money brokers toward local ware
| house cotton receipts no more than
you worry about the credit Of these
| small banks. The local banks can
| and will take care Of all the cotton
! their customers store in the ware
houses their customers build at their
very doors
1t will be many years before you
can educate the farmers up to the
point OF subscribing their money to-
| ward building big warehouses that
some of the subscribers may never
see. ard If noneyed men build the
warehouses you suggest many a bale
of cotton will never find them. I am
not arguing the point, am simply
stating fact.
l do not suppose for moment that
you are conscious Of it nor that your
| informant is conscious of it's effects.
but 1t looks to me as though the re-
suit Of the plan would he to throw
cold water on the efforts of the Farm
ers Union tt establish a chain Of
warehouses throughout the State.
This matter was called TO my atten-
ton before your editorial appeared.
and ! discussed it with a gentleman,
who ought to be well informed, and
your editorial Is simply a restatement
Of his views. l have also discussed
it with some Of the best informed
members of the Farmers Union, and
we are agreed that il we want ware
houses at all, our plans Of local ware
houses under local management but
| linked together by a common purpose
with our own selling agency. are the
only ones that will appeal to our peo-
pie, the only kind they will build and
|patronize-and patronage is more IS
| sental than location or size.
J ! think, Mr.. Editor when you give
due consideration to the facts as
II have stated them-the conditions
Ifrom which local banks and local
fmarkets emancipated us-the sue
cess of local banks-you will see
I that local warehouses will abundant
lly meet the situation.
T.. w. DABBS
| President state Farmers Union.
| MaYcsVillc. s. &.
|