Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-10-13
COTTON TOO LOW.
Watson Says Staple is Worth IA to rs
Cents a Pound.

There is no doubt In my mind that
the world today is demanding 16,000,-
900 bales Of cotton, and there Is equal
ly no doubt in my mind that the cot
ton Is worth on the market, in strict
accord with the law of supply and de-
mand, from IA to Is cents" is the
statement made by e. ]. Watson, head
Of the permanent cotton congress Of
the south, in letter to c. s. Barrett.
the president Of the National Farm
ers union. Mr.. Watson states that he
has heard within the last twenty four,
hours that the cotton manufacturers
are Of the opinion that the present
price Is detrimental to the textile
business, in that 1t creates an unsta-
BILE cloth market. In his letter Com
missioner Watson states that the
movement to hold cotton for a higher
price has been effective in South Car
olina.
The letter of Commissioner Watson
to President Barrett follows:
Il have been desirous Of writing you
ing from Montgomery, but unfor-
tunately, have been absent from the
city almost continuously.
so far as this state Is concerned,
our movement Is well in hand, and we
have bankers and business men CO.
operating to the fullest extent. Sena-
tor Smith has been lending his aid
without reserve, and have just writ
ten him today in regard to the sugges-
tion as to a whirlwind campaign
through the cotton belt states. I am
not in the least disappointed In the
present situation. Cotton simply
opened three weeks earlier than has
ever been known throughout the belt,
and the bears would have been gigan-
tic fools not to take advantage of II.
The colossal fools Of the age have
been our producers, who have not hes
itated to rush their cotton to market,
evidently with the idea that 1t was
going lower and lower, and that they
ought to get the best they could. I
can hardly blame them, but they have
simply committed suicide.
I'VE have the holding movement
well in hand in this state, and people
are even taking their furniture out
Of rooms in their homes In order to
store cotton that has been picked but
has not been sent to the gin. If all the
other states had been as active we
would not see 9a-cent cotton now.
This letter to you is to ask your
advice, in the first place, as to wheth-
eer to call another meeting in Atlanta,
for some Of the southern governors
seem to have walked up a little bit, and
wish to start a forensic movement at
this late day. / wish, further, to ask
you whether or not anything has been
accomplished definitely In regard to
the French English loan concerning
which you were quoted In the press,
and then wish to ask your advice as
to whether or not our national COM
mittee should proceed with the whirl-
wind campaign through the cotton
belt states, upon which we contem-
plated inviting Senators E. D. Smith
and John Sharp Williams to accom-
pany US.
There is no doubt in my mind
that the world today is demanding 49,
100000 bales of cotton, and there il
equally no doubt in my mind that the
cotton Is worth on the markt, In strict
accord with the law of supply and de-
mand, from IA to 15 cents, and IL
there ever was time when your or
ganization and the organization COM
posed Of your people and my people
and the bankers OF the south should
band themselves together and act as
one man for the common veal, 1t does
seem to me that this is the time.
within the last twenty-four hours
have been told by cotton manufac-
turers that the present price for cot
ton Is detrimental to their business,
in that 1t is creating an unstable cloth
market, and only last night / heard
one Of the most prominent manufac-
turers Of the south state positively
that he was willing to lend his aid to
the utmost limit to Immediately raise
the price Of cotton to IL cents, mas
much as their cloth contracts had
been based upon crude cotton at that
price.
Kindly let me hear from you i'm
mediately, inasmuch as am desirous
as president Of the Southern Cotton
congress to act in the closest co-op-
Grafton with the national farmers or
ganization in the south, Of which,
trust, you have no more loyal member
than myself" E