The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-06-11
Millions of Dollars Saved Cot
ton Producers
MARVELLOUS ACHIEVEMENT
UntirinG and Concerted Work Fol
lowing Montgomery and New
Orleans Meetings Has Accomplish
cd Wonderful Results.


Mr.. +. J. Watson, president Of the
Southern Cotton Congress, TO the
members Of the congress-. is filled with
interesting suggestions:
The South, since last September,
when your organization was formed
at a moment when dire disaster
threatened. has been engaged in
probably the greatest Strug-
gle in her history. and is now emery
ing from it, having attained a COM
mercial victory Of the first magni-
tude.
Millions of dollars have been saved
to the cotton producers by the time
ly action taken at Montgomery, sup
plemented by the later action at New
Orleans. and the earnest. untiring
and concerted work following both
gatherings. "A cotton crop larger
than any before produced" to quote
an eminent authority on American
cotton. was about to be wreSted
away from the Southern producers at
prices below the cost of production.
What has happened will be epoch
making. 1t Woul have been impoS-
sible ten years < and unthinkable in
1880. Undex the intelligent leader
ship Of Dublic-spirited men and news
papers, with a unity Of action that
'cS NhAia NabASs kAS oS0NA ~ AoS y "
sell at a loss" and has attained a
living price for the phenomenal 49,
600. 900 bale crop.
The South has demonstrated her
ability to increase prOductiOn-at will
to meet the increasing world demand.
and has displayed a consciousness Of
her own economic strength that
ipulatOrs and ultimate did
not suspect.
South Realizes Power.
The South has. by the bitter and
trying experience. been aroused to
a realization of her own potential
ity, to acknowledge that a monopoly
commodity bringing in a billion dol
lars "a ear is her very own: that
upon this commodity. which brings
back from Europe to this country a
half billion in gold annually, the
stability of American finance and the
balance Of world trade in favor Of
the nation depends: that without cot
ton there would be general industrial
paralysis in America n in Europe as
we'll. In a few months the individual
producer has been brought to the
point of doing more thinking for him
self than in the last half century al
together. To the potential national
Importance of American cotton the
nations government has been per
S~istently blind. and. precious little at
tention has been paid to seeing this
product reach the markets of the
world in d manner to bring to the
producer, and consequently to the n a
ton itself, the maximum of money
value. The real figh,-that for propel
marketing and greater stability OF
1t rests with the producer.
and banking and commercial
interests if the South to pusl
that fight pom sound economic lines
based on business principles applica
bic to changing international com
mercial conditions.
When Hon. r.. F. kolb, commits
sioner Of agriculture Of Alabama. tn
officers and members Of the Ma
tional Farmers Union, individual
W of cotton. State officials Of tn
South, the bankers of the South. tn
merchants and business men met il
Montgomery. with the clouds hang
ing low and threatening, and bande,
themselves together. it was NANTES
that the right step had beer taken
and willingly those whom you charge,
with conducting the battle shoulder
ed their responsibility. When. afte
the first two months Of resorting t
n expedient after another to NEE
the of the an
prevent the hammering down of tn
price Of cotton. and such expedient
seemed to have been exhausted. job
q. Anderson. one of the soundest an
most successful business men of tn
South, came forward with his Roc
Hill plan. applying business meth
DDS to securing an actual reductio
of acreage, you promptly at Ne
Orleans instantly accepted the sus
gestion and instructed you officers
put it into operation forthwith.
WAS the one thing needed to brir
the success hat 1t did bring befol
the bad Feather came and clinche
the thing finally. Between Decemb'
II. the date of the New Orleans NEE
tny. and February 20, before the rail
came. we were busy organizing eat