The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1911-02-10
WORK OF ONE COUNTY UNION
in South Carolina Community
Other Things Accomplished.

In an address to the Sumter county
! (South Carolina) union, by e. w.
Dobbs, vice-president of the South
Carolina union, the following state
ments of what one county union has
accomplished were made:
What have We accomplished 10
probably more important than what
we looked forward to doing in the
future. Well, first and foremost, we
have made the Farmers union a COM
mercial factor in the progress of Sum-
ter and Sumter county. Two years ago
our retiring vice-president and bust
ness agent, Brother Tirral, said the
union was handicapped for lack of
responsible financial lead. That with
out capital 1t was impossible to do
business, and we had the cooperative
idea In buying but not the machinery
nor the oil (money) to Intricate the
machine. Today we have the Union
Brokerage company with upward of
$4,000 paid up capital, and we have
done very satisfactory business to
those of us who backed our faith with
our money, and we are developing the
cooperative idea in selling as well as
buying, for Brother Brogdon has sold
not little strip, peas, oats, hams, ba-
con and other country produce for our
members. And the Union Brokerage
company is factor not to be despised
In fixing prices in this section, and as
chairman Of our cotton committee
Brother Brogdon has handled some
lots of cotton. and has other lots I'M
der his control to sell when the mar
ket warrants
Second-Two years ago the idea OF
farmers buying fertilizers direct was
laughed at as dream of he hay
seeds Last year and this large lots
were bought direct by farmers unions
and farmers outside the unions were
given rebates by dealers on purchases
already made to keep them from be-
ing dissatisfied. This season l am in
formed manufacturers and importers
are seeking the union trade.
Third-Two years ago the New York
correspondents of our Sumter banks
tried to force them not to loan money
to hold cotton. Word has gone out
mo money to hold cotton" A COM
mittee of this union waited on the
presidents of the banks of Sumter and
showed them how disastrous it would
be to the commercial interests of the
county to have to sell our cotton at
SA cents, the prevailing price. We
found the bankers anxious to help us
and the suggestions they made to us
very very valuable. The result of
that conference was that many bale
of cotton sold the next spring at 10
to II cents that would have gone to
the spectators at SA or even less
than cents If throwL on the market,
and 1t would have been but for the
Farmers union and the Sumter Coun-
ty Farmers union alone. Who knows
how far-reaching the action Of the
Sumter County union and the Sumter
banks cooperating together was at
that time? Or who can measure the
benefit to all the commercial interests
of the county by the mutual conf
dence that conference established? We
should have more such conferences.
Fourth-The appointment of legis-
lative committee is step In the right
direction, and | trust the union will
continue this committee and keep on
1t our most level-headed and conserva-
tive members, who will always keep
in touch with the officials of the coun-
ty government and with the legislative
committe of the state union. The
good that such a committee can &C
complish is incalculable. Nor should
we limit It's activities to county and
state affairs, but 1t should keep In
touch with our members of congress.
and the occasion might arrive when
such a committee could be Of Inn
mense service to our interests and
the county at large by appearing be-
fore some committee of congress to
give It at first hand our views on
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