Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1914-12-25
EUROPEAN WAR SHAT.
TIERS KING COTTONS
THRONE
ULEEcV STAPLE MUST PAY RAN.
OoM INTO THE GOLFERS OF
WAR.
Matilda RInoS With crIss Of Stricken
Industry.
~ Peter RAdford

bUSeS6y
By Peter Radford
Lecturer National Farmsrs' Union-
King Cotton has suffered more from
the European war than any other a.
r~cultural product on the American
continent The shells Of the belligeE-
ents have burstsd over his throne.
frightening his subjects and SKATER
ing his markets. and. panic-stricken.
the nation cries out God save the
kingl"
People from every walk Of life have
contributed their mite toward rescue
work. Society has danced before the
king: milady has decreed that the
family wardrobe shall contain only
cotton goods: the press has plead
with the public to buy Q bale:
bankers have been formulating hold
ing plans: congress and Legislative
bodies have deliberatsd over relief
measures; statesmen and writer's
have grown eloquent sxpoundins the
inalienable rights Of His Majesty
and presenting schemes for preserv.
ing the financial integrity Of the
stricken staple. but the sword Of Eu-
rope has proved mightier than the pen
OF America In fixing value upon this
product Of the sunny south. Prices
have been bayoneted, values riddled
and markets decimated BY the battling
hosts Of the eastern hemisphere until
the American farmer has suffered .
war loss Of $500, 00o, 900. and . bale
Of cotton brave enough to enter .
European port must pay q ransom Of
half its value or go to prison until the
war IL over.
Hope Of the Future Lies In co-opsra-
tlon.
The Farmers Union, through the
columns Of the press, wants to thank
the American people for the friend
ship. sympathy and assistance given
the cotton farmers in the hour OF dis.
tress and to direct attention to Co
operative methods necessary to per.
m~anently assist the marketing of all
farm products.
The present emergency presents as
grave a situation as ever confronted
the American farmer and from the
viewpoint Of the producer. would seem
to Justify extraordinary relief meas.
ures. even to the point Of bending the
constitution and straining business
rules in order to lift a portion Of tho
burden of the backs Of the farmer.
for unless something Is done to check
the invasion Of tho war forces upon
the cotton fields. the pathway Of the
European p%estilence On this continent
will be strewn with mortgagsd homes
and famine and poverty will stalk over
the southland. filling the highways Of
industry with refugees and the bank
ruptcy court with prisoners.
AL ,calamities teach us lessons and
the present crisis serves to illuminate
the frailties Of u marketing meth.
DDS and the weakness Of our credit
system. and out Of the financial an.
guish and travail Of the cotton farmer
will come q volume Of discussion and
a q Of suggestions and finally q
solution Of this, the biggest problem
In the economic life of America, II
indeed, we have not already laid the
foundation for at least temporary re
lief.
More Pharaohs Needed In Agriculture
Farm products have no credit and
perhaps csn never have on Q perma
nent and satisfactory basis unless ",
build warehouses, cold storage plants
elevators. ETC.. for without storage an,
credit facilities, the south IL com
PEELED to dump its crop on the marke
ct harvest time. The Farmers Union
In the cotton producing states hav'
for the past ten years p~ersistently I'D
vocated the construction Of storag
facilities. We have built during TIL
period 1000 warehouses with Q ca
pscity Of approximately 1000. 900 bale
and looking backward the result
would . encouraging, but lookin
forward. We are able 10 house lei
than ouethird Of the crop and war,
houses without . credit system los
% per cent Of their usefulness. Tn
problem Ia . gigantic ons-too grss
for the farmer to solve unaided. H
must have the assistance Of the hanl
or, the merchant and the government
In production We have reached Ii
high water mark Of perfection in Ii
worlds history. but our marketin
methods are most primitive. In Il
dawn Of history We and ~agricultul
blowing with . forked stick but VII
q system of warehouses under cover,
mental supervision that made u
Egyptians the marvel Of civilizatio,
for who has mot admired the vision
Joseph and spplauded the wisdom
Pharaoh for storing the surplus IN,
demanded By the consumer but
this age we have too many JOSEPH
who dream and nOk AnouRh pharaoI