The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1911-10-26
III FARMERS
HOLD MEETING
An Enthusiastic Gathering of the
Leading Farmers of Pickens
County at the Court
House Monday.

sentative gathering of farmers
and business men held in the
court house last Monday. The
was called to order by
Mr. F. Hendricks, the president
of the County Farmers Union.
Mr.. B. Harris, Of Pendleton,
was introduced who made a
speech along agricultural lines.
He said everybody looked sickly
and the cause of it was the
price of cotton. He stated that
the price OF cotton TO-DAY was
below the cost of production,
and the reason and cause Of this
was the farmer or producer him
self. He said the farmer put
the blame on tbe spectators,
the cotton mills and combina-
tions. but the farmer himself
was to blame. On the lst day
of September, 1911, the world
needed cotton wo Sc than it had
for 35 years; there was less
cotton ayaila BILE ON this date and
less manufactured goods than
in IS years, and more people to
use the goods. If. therefore,
the producers had known these
facts and held their cotton off
the market,-.it would to-day be
bringing nearer44s> cents than 8
cents. Every bale -af cotton
raised this year ought f6>have
brought Is cents according to
the law of supply and demand.
If the farmers had held their
cotton till the 1st day of Novem-
ber it would have brought this
price.
The way to remedy this stu
alton and all such future calam-
tiles is in the hands of the
farmer. It is through organiza-
ton and cooperation and diver
sifcation. He believed it was
possible for the farmers of the
South to make the price Or cot
ton so cents by raising their
supplies at home and not buy
ing them at a cost of three
fourths of their cotton crop.
He stated that the trusts and
corporations would own this
country in 80 years unless the
farmers organized; that they
already owned sixty million
acres Of the land, and if the
farmers did mot wake up they
would in a few years be tenants
of these corporations. He gave
several striking illustrations to
show the value of organizing
and cooperating. Another rem
edy was warehouses. He urged
building warehouses. He be-
lieved that men who would
warehouse their cotton would
get at least123 cents or a profit of
s14.80 after paying interest,
storage and insurance of $40
per bale on each bale ware
housed and held.
The next speaker was Mr.. j.
Whitner Reid, the secretary Of
the State Farmers Union. He
said the Farmers Union was
steadily growing in the state
but was weakest in the Pied
mont section. He confidently
expected to see the day in this
state when there would be 40
600 farmers united and standing
shoulder to shoulder.
The only way we can ever
hope for better conditions in the
cotton situation is to reach the
point when men will fix the
price for it. This cannot be
done without selling agencies
and bonded warehouses. The
only remedy for the present sit
uation is to hold the cotton.
To establish these selling agen-
cies aud warehouses will lcost
and must be put upon a
business basis before the COM
world will recognize it.
The only way the farmers
can get in shape to make the
home manufacturer take notice
of him is through bonded ware
houses and responsible foreign
sellino agencies representing di-
rectly the producer. Hewanted
to see the time when the farmer
would not sell a bushel OF corn,
potatoes, peas, cabbage or any
other produce except through
the selling agent. The Union
is now inaugurating such a plan
! Io roo