The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1912-10-23
BETTER COTTON PRICES
FARMERS ARE IN A POSITION TO
BRING THEM ABOUT.
II Necessary Farmers Should Make
Sacrifices to Feed Their Cotton
Gradually to the Market,


There is much talk of prosperous
times and great volume Of business
that is being done over the country,
This may be true as to spectators
ard wholesale merchants, but it is
not true as to the farmers, who
should be the very ones that should
be prosperous. The present price OF
cotton hardly pays the cost of pro-
duction, and as consequence those
who make it cannot be prosperous.
Mr.. Charles S. Barrett, President
of the National Farmers Union, ad.
vises the farmers to market their
cotton slowly if they want to get bet.
ter prices. He is right. Those who
buy cotton will not pay one cent more
for it than they can buy it for. Nc
one can blame them. That is sim.
pie business and we would all do the
same thing. The way to raise the
price Of cotton is for the farmers tc
| feed it to the market slowly. Here is
what Mr.. Barrett says:
To the Officers and Members Of the
Farmers Union:
The farmers Of the southern states
are this year in an excellent position
to obtain reasonable price for cot
ton if they market the crop gradually
and employ business methods.
Admittedly, the yield is much
smaller than that Of last year. Al
the same time, world consumption
has taken on a wider range. The
cotton goods market is in healthy
! condition and business the world ov'
er, according to reports received b!
the International Institute Of Agri,
| culture at Rome, Italy, promises
| during the forthcoming season tc
reach encouraging proportions.
The cotton producer will not
However, secure anything resembling
tie worth Of his staple to civilization
| unless he markets it with care and
does not overwhelm the buyers with
| offerings.
In many Of the states the Farmers
Union has established warehouses
which will handle the product ano
enable the farmer to hold.
The old system of glutting the
market by rushing cotton upon 1t as
soon as picked has not only robbed
the farmer Of millions OF dollars
which was his due, but it has as wei
hampered down prices paid the far
mer who was more far-sighted anc
! willing to hold his output.
II necessary, make sacrifices tc
feed your cotton gradually to the
market. You owe it to your family
and yourself, and to your fellow far
| mers, to get the price civilization Is
able and willing to pay. 1t Is a Ger
tainty that if you do not secure 1t
| others will.
No other class Of business, no sci
| Of producers strain the market oS
| congesting it during a brlef three
months Of the year with the entire
yield. 1t is high time the farmer who
! p1 1oduces cotton ceased this extraV'
agant practice.
The fact that diversi6cation has
been practiced recently more thar
ever in the cotton belt will facilitate
the practice, since more farmers are
provided with feed-stuffs in payment
:or which they previously had to sell
| their cotton at sacrifice.
The present season is an excellent
time for the cotton farmer to pursue
the gradual marketing process as
never in his career. That way lies
in independence and good prices.
Charles S. Barrett.
Union City, Ca, Sept. 27, 1912.