The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-11-16
GOVERNOR MANN
ADVISES FARMERS
Effect WNKd Be to Increase
Prices AT Once and Leave Land
Free for the Production
of Other Crops Next
Year.
II NJ O Nd VA

r c II NJ o Nd, VA-Special.-
This weeks Manufacturers Rec
ord, which reached here today. pub
nshes the following under a Richmond
date-line:
IF it be legal to convict bulls IN
der the Sherman law for conspiracy
10 ADVANCE the price of cotton or
other commodities. the bears on the
exchanges who conspire to sell cotton
or other commodities which they do
not possess, with the expectation of a
decline i'm prices or for the purpose
OF ehecting a decline, should be like
wise prosecuted said Governor Will
nam Hodges Mann. OF Virginia. to the
MAI e.s,,l;.l'. Hiacturers q. !I Record in a very
Striklng interview that would have de-
ilghted the heart OF e~ery man in
tereSted IN the country's progress
depressing prices to the injury of
the producer" he said. may be Just
as wrong as raising prices to con-
suiners. indeed, deprcssin the price
or raw material below the cost of
production may result i'm such reduc-
ton in crop planted as to cause Sc
rious consequences.
one very serious trouble with the
COTTON situation. as IL appears to me
and one which manufacturers and
business people are beginning to see
rs that, in view of the increased cost
OF producing cotton, the world needs
to be educated along the line of pay
The last Government estimate on
tnls crop. as am informed, based on
the quantity ginned and the condition
or the crop at the time OF the esti-
mate, puts the crop at 13,SOO.OOO
bales. while the trade estimate is IA
500. 600 bales. which is 2.4OO. 600 bales
in excess Of the crop of 1910. And
yet with this excess of 2,4OO. 600
bales, the crop of 1911 at present
prices VIII sell in the aggregate for
SSOO'OOo, 600 less than the smaller
crop OF 1910, and the credit balance
OF the United States will be S21O.-
100000 less than last year
The information obtained by the
Secretary OF State at the request of
Governor Colquitt puts the demand
ing September 1, 1912, foreign and
domestic, at 13.73e,916, which. even
at the trade estimate of the crop for
this year, will only leave a small sur
plus. which, it is fair to assume. will
be freely used up under the stimulus
Of the low price of the crop 70 this
date. AS set out in the address of
the Governors at the New Orleans
conference, these statements. which
cannot be successfully DISPUTED. will
show that there must either be
gross misunderstanding Of the facts
or some powerful combination OF
manipulation which has taken advan-
tage or hasty selling and early mar
keting to create a false impression
which interferes. for the time, with
the law OF supply and demand. and
which cannot be maintained II the
cotton planters shall decline to mar
ket their crops until a reasonable
price, certainly at an advance over
the cost of production. can be OBJ
tanned.
South Preparing to Hold.
And this brings up another thought
that was advanced at the recent con-
ference OF Governors at New Orleans.
The Southern farmer is getting in bet
ter position every year to hold his crop.
think Governor Sanders. ofLouisiana.
said that eighty per cent. of the far
mers or his State could do so; that the
boil weevil had been a blessing in dis
guise to the people OF Louisiana. as
the planters were driven to diversified
farming. which has practically made
cotton their surplus crop. When the
farmers or other Southern States fol-
low this example the cotton situation
viii be solved. as they can then market
their product as the manufacturers
call for il, instead OF disposing of a
crop which requires a year for it's
production. in sixty or ninety days.
His Suggestion to Planters.
MY advice to the planters of the
below the cost of production, for such
of them as can do so to buy the num-
Der or bales they expect to make next
year and put them away, and not TO
plant any cotton in 1912. This action
would secure this crop at a small cost
Withdraw enough cotton from the
market to Increase its present price
ana give them the use OF their land
next year for other crops. which would