The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-09-27

Columbia. 5. c.. Sept 10, 1911.
Mr. Z. w. Dabbs. President South
Carolina State Farmers Union.
Mayesville. s. C.-Dear sir: notice
In the News and Courier Of this
morning your\ communication to the
Farmers Union. county and local.
In which you state that you have
been informed. and believe 1t to be
reliable. that the market for cotton
seed and oil and by-products. and
the price Of meal. would warrant $2S
to $50 per ton for seed.
I have been watching fer a num-
Der OF years the efforts Of the Farm
ers Union to improve conditions and
to obtain better prices for their cot
ton and other products. and 1t has
often occurred to me thac the reason
that the Farmers Unior. movement
is not more popular Is or account Of
the fact that the officers and men,
bers do not seem to be well enough
Informed. and consequently. frequent
ly advise things that lead to lack Of
confidence In the Union. on account
Of mistakes. I have had considerable
experience in organizing a similar
self. was eminently successful. and
which. after i was disassocciated
with same. has continued to be sue
ce8ful. refer particularly TO the
South Carolina Cotton Seed Crush
ers Association. AZ you possibly
noticed. some time after sold my
oil mill here at Columbia, I resign
cd the position Of secretary Of the
Association. and am now simply q
member Of same.
I think that II would be advisable
for the Farmers Union to endeavor
60 get some accurate information.
and from some authoritive source
before they undertake to advise the
members to hold their products for
any particular price. This would ap-
ply the same to cotton seed. cattle.
or any product In which the farmers
are interested. The individual In
formation Of a person not conver-
SAINT with the general markets and
the manufacturing business is not to
be relied upon in making a state
mont a. to what the cotton In to be
worth. or what the cotton seed Ia to be
worth. The farmer may know what
n costs to produce II. and even the
men who are engaged In speculation
I'm cotton have to consider the de-
mand for the product as well as the
cost Of production and the prices at
which the finished goods are selling.
The same thing applies to cotton
seed oil business. and the figures CIV
en- In your open letter to the Farm
ers Unions are so far out Of line.
and II might be so disas Gus should
they follow the advice given that I
take II upon myself TO write you,
giving the facts In the case.
The condition OF the seed now be-
ine received by the oil mills is the,
worst that we have ever heard Of
ft r. almost impossible to work Il
through the mills and the seed as
received by the mills contains from
~ 10 20 per cent Of moisture. The
net available oil In the seed by
analysis does not exceed 40 gallons
Go the ton. Now. using the figures
Tor the seed that Is now coming on
the market. you can very readily see
that II the farmers hold this seed
they are going TO lose about 10 per
cent I'm weight by the drying out
OF these seed. And taking 1t on a
manufacturing basis and current
prices for the day we can obtain the
following figures based on what the
mills are getting in Columbia:
40 gallons oil at 3s.....$14.40
900 lbs. meal at b.. 11.25
$50 lbs. hulls at 3d.. 1872
30 lbs. llnters at 3....... 1.35
Total value OF products in
ton OF seed .,.....s2s.92
Now from this must be deducted
an average Of. say. So for working
cost. including salaries ard all other
necessary expenses. such as sacks.
etc. Iesvih. s2O.e2 to cover the cost
az seed. freight and profit. The ave-
rage freight rate on cotton GOOD cor,-