The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1912-02-14
IS 8 8 IS 8 8 8 8 8 8 s 8 SIS
STATE PRESS COMMENT.

oN@Se"iS W carry out the ROCK
Hill plan to reduce cotton acreage we
do not believe 1t will be very effective
unless the renters are required to re-
ouce their acreage in cotton. There
are number of big land owners in
Aobeville that raise practically no
cotton who can very easily ag.ce to
reduce but If the agreement does not
cover their renters it will amour. To
nothing. The only practical plan to
reuuce cotton acreage is for all of the
iand owners to rent as Mr.. w. A. Ste
Venson has, that is, take a certain
part of the rent in corn, peas. wheat
and oats. These have market yalue
at all times. If there is no demand
Tor them in Abbeyille there can NJ,
ways be found markets elsewhere and
II the Produce Exchange is establish
ed there will be no trouble to sell
such products any time. The Rock
Hill Plan is for each individual farm
er TO sign an agreement to reduce his
acreage In cotton certain per cent.
we KNOW OF a certain man in Able
Vllle, for instance, who owne two or
three thousand acres of land. and who
VIII probably cultivate 200 of it him
sell. He will agree to reduce his
acreage in cotton, but will he REQUIRE
his renters who will work the balance
OF his land to reduce their acreage? (?
If not his signing the pledge will not
amount to much. Let all the land own
ers adopt Mr.. Stevenson's plan. That
will be the surest way to reduce the
acreage in cotton. Medium |
In spite of the fact that the cotton
crop of l9i1-l2 is the largest on rec |
ord-estimated by the government at |
over l4,S00,00O running bales of 500
pounds each-the price has steadily |
advanced during the past two weeks. |
and although determined efforts have
been made by the bear" element in
the future market to depress them.
prices have gone but little below the
innocent level during the entire mar
keting season. Not only has the cron
been record-breaking one in num-
Der OF bales, but the actual weights.
according to official figures, are al
most three pounds above those of last
year. being 519 64-10O for the present
season, agaist 516 S4-1O0 last wear
That the price of cotton has held
up so we'll under such pressure is a
remarkable one, when one recalls
the fluctuations of the market during
the hrst big crop year" of 19O4-o5
when the crop was over two million
oales under the one of the present
season When the official estimate
OF the government was issued on De-
cember 4, 1904, placing the amount
or cotton grown at about I3 900 600 |
bales, the market Immediately broke |
almost cent a pound and the bot
tom was not reached until prices had |
gone below six cents.
There has been a large increase in
spinners takings during the present |
yeS.g, exports alone exceeding those of |
last year by more than 1.4OO 600 /
bales, but the strength of the market
cannot be attributed to the increase
In consumption alone. A big factor |
and one that has been overlooked by |
great many, has been the farmers
organizations that have come into ex-
istence since 1904. A determination |
to hold cotton for fair price. and a
gradual movement toward a more
systematic marketing of the crop has
undoubtedly had It's effect.
In view of the wild scramble tn sell
cotton at any figure obtainable in |
1904 when such a thing as an or
ganization of farmers had been little
more than considered, 1t is dufRcult to |
imagine what would have occurred
during the past winter with such an
unprecedented yield had the farmers
not made determined stand for a |
Just price for their cotton.
H. The. period for planting the coming
crop win soon be at hand and II, is
up to every, farmer to not only sub |
scribe to the plan originated by MIR. |
Anderson, of Rock Hnl, for reduction
OF acreage, but to live up to the
agreement to the letter. The farmer
VIII not have to wait for years to see
the benefits that will accrue from the |
adoption Of this plan, but the effects
VIII be apparent within a year.-spar-
tanburg Herald
1ermany has the fastest battle