The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-08-16
TO ADVANCE COTTON PRICES.
JOINT MEETING OF FARMERS
UNION DELEGATION AID EN-
ECUTIvE COMMITTEE
OF CHAMBER OF
COMMERCE.
Pass Resolution to Ask Aid OF Cham
bers of Commerce I'm Other Cities
and Of Secretary of Agriculture.

from the county Farmers Union an(
the executive committee Of the Cham
ber of Commerce. held Monday after,
noon. i'm the Chamber Of Commerce
hall. resolution was passed to the
effect that circular letters DE sent tc
all OF the Chambers Of Commerce
| throughout the cotton States asking
| the aid OF these various bodies in sc
curing reliable information concern.
ing the cotton crop and asking for
| cooperation with the farmers in
having the cotton put on the mar
ket gradually. SO as not to depress
the price, and to do all In their
power to help the farmers market
| their cotton crop so that 1t would be
to their own best interests as we'll as
to the interests Of the merchants and
bankers.
This resolution was adopted follow
ing statement made by Mr.. f. w.
Dahbs, President of the State Farm
ers' Union. supported by statements
of a number Of other prominent farm
ers. that interests were at work try
ing to depress the price Of cotton by
issuing statements of a bumper crop
when conditions were everywhere un-
favorable for a large yield of cotton
and at this particular time, which
| etc tvx
the cotton, conditions caused by
drought made 1t certainty that not
near full crop Of cotton would be
harvested. A resolution was also
passed to the effect that telegram
be sent Senator E. d. Smith asking
him to get Secretary Wilson to Coz
operate with the farmers in finding
out the exact conditions. SO that the
reports which are now being issued
to the press can be corrected, II they
are incorrect. as the members Of the
Sumter County Farmers Union be-
lieve are.
The meeting was called at the re-
quest Of President Dabbs. who stated
In short speecl. what it had been
called for. He said. in part, that
this was critical time for the farm
er and. realizing that the interests Of
the merchant. the banker and busi-
ness man, depended upon the farm
er who owned him for his years sup
plies. ne had come TO ask the bust
ness meu OF Sumter. through the
chaInher Of Commerce. 20 cooper
ate with the farmers Of the county, i,
and throughout the State. in getting
their cotton crop marketed. He said
that In this city certain merchants
were giving out information to the
uniformed farmers Of the county
that bumper crop was going to be
raised and that cotton would not be
as high as ten cents by the first Of
January. This was misleading, as by
rushing the crop on the market. the
price would certainly be depressed.
which was exactly what the farmers
did not want. He had been through
out the whole State and had never
seen prospects worse than they were
at present He said that they had
been good a month ago. but the
drought had ruined the prospects of
a good crop.
Mr.. s. N. welch of Lee county
| made a speech. stating in detail the
same thing. He thought that the
| farmers and the merchants should
cooperate as II was to the best in
terests OF both to do so. He thought
that the farmers ought to get at leas,
as much for their cotton as they did
last year.
| Mr.. j. "A. Gambler. prominent
merchant Of the city. stated that he
had been so much impressed by the
recent address OF the committee from
the county union that he had sent II
on To the paper printed by the mil
men of the country In which 1t had
been reproduced.
After number Of others, includ.
ing Secretary Smell of the Chamber
OF Commerce, Hon. II. l. Manninl
and number Of farmers and bust
ness men. had made short statement!
concerning their views Of the stu
auon the resolution that the circular
letters be sent out and that nigh
letter be sent To Senator Smith wa.
proposed and passed unanimously.