The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-10-15
FARMERS
UNION NEWS
Practical Thoughts for Practical
Farmers.
Conducted by e. w. Dabbs, Pres.
ident 8. G. Farmers Union.)
Some Random Thoughts.

SOulc ItdnUOm luOuSIltS.
Not only to the Dalzell scribe, but
wish to advise a careful reading Of
the account S. H. Hobbs of Clinton,
n. c., gives Of the reception Of the
Farmers Union committee by Presi-
dent Wilson and Secretary McAdoo.
AS chairman of that committee and
it's chief spokesman at the confer
ence, l. did not feel at liberty to give
out more than the dictated statement
in the Charleston News and Courier
until our report was in the hands Of
National President Barrett. But 1
am glad Committeeman Hobbs felt
moved to publish his statement i'll
such a widely read journal as the
Progressive Farmer and l congratu-
late him on the accuracy with which
he quoted both the president and the
secretary.
AS l wrote recently it lies with the
farmers and the bankers in the cot
ton counties Of the State as to how
much direct use is made Of these gov
ernment deposits. There is no ques-
ton, however, OF the wonderful ef-
feet the mere proposal of such de-
posts by the secretary had on open
ing up the money bags of the coun-
try. In July and early August the
banks were talking about letting the
farmers scuffle for themselves, and
no little harm was done to the finan-
cial interests Of some individuals and
the country generally by such talk.
When I began the agitation which
resulted in a committee of the Nat
ional Union being sent to Washington,
depository banks in this State were
demanding per cent for this fund
and asserting that no part Of it could
be used for holding cotton. BY rea-
son of the general loosening up in
consequence of the secretary's an
n0uncement, local banks were soon
able to say to the depository banks
what O'Shannasy said to the general
manager of a railroad as related to
US by President Wilson: You can
go to the devil, l don't need your aid"
Tn ho loo hax
letters from two entirely separate
sources offering to loan money Oh cot
ton to the amount Of 10 or II cents
per pound at 6 per cent in one in
stance and 1-2 in the other. may
be mistaken, for I often am, but it
looks to me like good time to
hold cotton for 4, 6 or 8 months, and
If done on a large enough scale TO re-
duce the pressure on the market it
would bring about a substantial ad-
vance. The decline Of the past few
days is due solely to the heavy
movement by farmers who regard
13 1-2 cents fine price.
often wonder if the business men
and farmers who so frequently speak
Of 12c or 13c or las as fine price,
give any thought to the losses of
Southern farmers and to the business
Of the country by the starvation
prices that have prevailed during
half of the time since 1890. A steady
priceof Is cents per pound for 10
years, with occasional bulges to 16,
Is or 20 cents would not more than
make up for the losses on A. S, 6, 7,
8 and Sc cotton of the 20 years from
1890 to 1910.
We can get it too. But it must be
by a more widespread campaign of q
live at home, feed the towns peo-
pie policy, coupled with closer af-
fliatiOn between the or yanized farm
ers and the organized ccnkers for
better system of finance. President
Wilson told the committee he hoped
the new currency measure will pre-
vent the need Of special deposits at
any time, or in any section. But ur-
less there is organization to make it
effective, do not expect to see much
difference. T.. w. d.
VISIT OF THE FARMERS UNION
COAINlIIvCI,Ic 10 pRICSIlL,Nr