The Raymer enterprise., 1912-01-04
DAVIS TO SOUTHERN FARMER
National Secretary Urges co-opsra.
tlon In Securing Pledges for
Acreage Reduction.

~ eAC raimo1b VI Tue 0Outu.
Too much stress cannot be laid
upon the Importance Of circulating the
acreage reduction pledge in every
school district in the cotton belt and
doing this Immediately. The deter.
mination to reduce acreage is more
widespread. more general II you
please. than at any time in recent
years. The producer realizes that
there Is no profit in growing cotton
at the present prices. and whether
there is any truth in the assertion
that the supply exceeds the demand.
he knows that desperate measures
must be resorted to in order to force
prices back to remunerative basis.
We hope by convincing the bearish
operators that the acreage will be
materially reduced to obtain fair
price for the balance remaining on
hand In the south. The success OF
the reduction campaign depends large.
ly upon the enthusiasm manifested by
parties into whose hands the pledges
may fall. 1t will take but little time
for the individual to circulate them
thoroughly in each precinct or dis.
trict and this must be done else there
will be some who will be denied the
opportunity Of making the pledge.
II think there need be but little
fear that designing persons will seek
to take advantage Of the reduction
and plant more largely OF cotton.
There may be here and there such
scalawag, but their numbers are
doubtless very small. Such schemes
as that can be overcome II all inter-
ested parties will see that every pro-
ducer In the belt has an opportunity
to sign the pledge, and then II he
has any regard whatever for his word
the acreage will be reduced. Some
pledges already made that have come
to my notice show percentage OF
decrease running all the way from rs
to IS per cent. 1t makes no difier.
ence how much the signer desires to
reduce he has an opportunity to
show the exact reduction on the
pledge and l will find the general
average when the reports are filed in
the office.
Those who expect to grow cotton
at all In 1912 are confronted with
some very serious problems. In the
first place. through mad desire to
make nothing but money crop our
section neglects to provide feed stun
and this years general shortage forces
US to face the gloomy prospect Of
raising cotton In 1912 on the highest
priced feed known for years. II the
present price Of cotton is to be taken
as criterion for prices In 1912 1t
would be to our financial gain to
make no preparations whatever for a
cotton crop, because We would be
bankrupt before the crop was half
made. Every thinking producer in
the belt knows this to be true and
am Just calling attention to 1t here
to show the need of some desperate
efforts to put out staple upon a pay
ling basis.
Another factor with which we
have to reckon Is the mortgage and
credit system. This great handicap
to the progress OF the south has been
dealt some hard blows since the
Farmers Union has been preaching
diversification and waglng wars for
better prices. but 1t yet plays an i'm.
portant part In the production Of our
money crop. Thousands of farmers
have failed to realize enough from the
sale Of this years crop to free them
from debt and naturally the merchant
will expect to have some say about
the acreage which that person must
plant before he will agree to carry
him. For this very reason | have
tried to be conservative In fixing the
percentage Of reduction. In many
quarters suggestions for the reduc.
tion have ranged as high as fifty per
cent. This sounds very well when we
are shouting with enthusiasm, but It
Is better to face conditions as they
exist and not be guided entirely by
our feelings. Considerable missionary
work may have to be done among the
credit merchants to convince them
that 1t Is not always the greater acre.
age that means the greater wealth.
The present crisis teaches a great
lesson to the cotton producer which
want to drive home. and that Is II
we had pushed to completion our
warehouse system which is the only
solution to give the problem OF mar
keting. instead Of going to sleep after
having secured for q few years COM
paratiyely fair prices. We would not
now be confronted with such seri-
ous condition.
Il shall have more to say about our
warehouse plan later, In the meantime
let me urge every southerner to Join
heartily this movement to reduce