Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1911-09-20
HOLD COTTON FOR 10 CENTS.
Convention OF Planters at MOntgoln-
cry Declare Staple Worth That.

every cotton growing State in Amer
lea, declared in convention to-day
| that the farmers cotton Is worth Is
cents a pound, and resolved that the
farmer should hold his cotton for
| that price. The resolution followed
Il committee report that the crop in
| America would not exceed - 800 900
bales.
For financing the crop OF this year,
resolution was adopted to the effect
that the farmer should deposit his
| cotton In a warehouse and use his re-
| ceipts as collateral until he could sell
his cotton at not less than - cents.
There was also resolution urging
that the several State Legislatures
should provide for system Of bond
ed warehouses.
Organization and Cooperation.
Declaring that organization among
the farmers and cooperation among
them with the bankers and financiers
was the solution of the problem, the
convention resolved itself into
permanent organization to be known
as the Southern Cotton Congress, and
adjourned to meet in Atlanta at the
call Of the president, E. J. Watson,
Commissioner Of Agriculture Of South
Carolina.
The meeting in Montgomery is to
be followed by a similar convention
in every Southern State, to be called
by the Commissioner OF Agriculture
OF each State. BY these conventions
the action Of the Congress is to be
ratified and reinforced by further
steps toward securing better price
for cotton.
Senator Smith Speaks.
Among the speakers at the conven-
tion to-day were Senator e. d. Smith,
of South Carolina, who received the
thanks Of the Congress for his atti-
tude in Congress toward the govern
ment cotton report; Congressman J.
T. HeRin. of Alabama; Congressman
II. D. Clayton of Alabama, and D.
M. Hughes. Congressman from the
Third District Of Georgia: Oscar w.
Underwood, majority leader of the
House of Representatives, chairman
OF the ways and means committee.
sat In the audience.
1t was Senator Smith who perhaps
| made the speech which decided the
congress in its naming the price of
cotton at 10 cents, for Congressman
Hefin wanted to make the price Is
| or IA cents, with Ia cents at the
minimum. Congressman Clayton, in
his speech, declared his belief that in
ten years time the world would be
using 25,000,000 or 10000, 900 bales
Of American cotton.
No Bumper Crop.
President c. S. Barrett, Of the
Farmers Educational and Co-oDera-
tive Union, delivered an address on
cooperation. He denounced as base
less the reports OF bumper crop,
denied the charge that the Farmers
Union was a combine to hold up civil
ization, and asserted that there is a
combination for the purpose Of ham
mering down the price Of cotton.
w. p. G. Harding, president Of the
First National Bank OF Birmingham,
spoke on Financing the Cotton
Crop. During his speech he de-
clarcd that the present crop could at
hnSt N
viscd against fixing a minimum price
at which cotton should be sold, but
urged farmers to maket their cotton
slowly and gradually.
Heated Debate.
a resolution, reported to the con-
vcntion from the committee on leg
islation aroused prolonged discussion
and heated debate. This resolution
provided for the establishment OF
State bonded warehouses where cot
ton could be stored and held and
receipts issued which would be hon
orcd the same as currency, not only
in this country, but abroad.
1t was a good resolution, all ad-
mittcd, but a majority thought that
such resolution should have rcceiv-
ed more consideration.
Congressman II. B. Clayton stated
that the resolution was too big n
thing to settle right away and asked
that it be laid aside temporarily. On
vote Of the convention 1t was laid
aside. 1t was the consensus Of opin-
ion Of the convention that only mat