The farmer and mechanic., 1911-11-07
COTTON CONFERENCE ON RIGHT LINE

ers at New Orleans made recommen-
dations that point the way toward the
only solution in the cotton question
possible to the South. They did not
fold their hands and ask the govern
nent to adopt the Brazil yalorization
plan or the McCue sub-treasury
plan or for the government to come
to their assistance by advancing them
money. There is nothing paternal in
the spirit or letter Of their resolu-
ton or Of their actions. They under
stand that if they are to get any re-
lief they must work it out themselves
and borrow money upon it to pay their
sistance.
The present price Of cotton is di-
sastrous and ruinous to the farmer
of the South. It has been made al
a high cost and because the farmers
are in debt they have been compelled
to hurry their cotton to the market
and to take any old price offered
thus their necessities have compelled
them to work against themselves.
The Conference adopted a resolution
favoring the establishment of a chain
of warehouses in all the cotton States,
in which to store cotton. In that
resolution they gave as their opinion
that within ninety days over five
million bales Of cotton would be stored
in warehouses in various sections OF
the South so that 1t could be held for
q rise in price. The Conference held
that from thirteen to fifteen cents
was what the farmers ought to get
for the balance Of this years crop. Ii
the crop is over fourteen million
bales. Of course the price should be
smaller than if the crop is around
thirteen million bales. In the matter
of warehousing the crops the Farmers
are Of course dependent upon the as
sistance and cooperation Of the mer-
chants and bankers and men Of CAPT
tai If this cooperation is fOrthcom-
ing, as it will be in many places. ano
if the farmers will store their cotton
borrow money upon it to pay their
debts and living expenses, there
should be no reasonable doubt thai
they could force the price OF cotton
up to figure where it will be en-
tireiy reasonable, and it would give
the farmers living price for the
product of their years labor. But
here is a place where the business
man, the banker and the capltans'
must come In and help the farmer
They must provide warehouses, they
must lend money, and it can De IN
sured. because the insurance com
panies will insure the cotton in any
part Of the South SO as to make Il
perfectly safe.
Two other propositions that the
Conference suggested are IargelS
within the hands OF the farmers
themselves. and they alone can carry
them out. These propositions are
first. to reduce the crop next year "a
per cent: second. for the farmers &c
diversity their crops so as to proouce
everything for consumption on the
farm and let cotton be the surplus
crop. Experience shows that the cot
ton farmers Of the South get more
money for small crops than for large
crops The world will pay the Soutn
more dollars for ten million bales o.
cotton than they will pay for thirteen
million bales of cotton. AS long as
the South raises just the bare quan-
tity needed it can demand good prices
but the minute it raises one million
bales more than is needed for i'm
mediate use then the price of the
whole crop is Systematically depressed
. and the farmers are forced to sell
their cotton at loss; that the farmer