The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-05-09
Want COTTON STANDARD,
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE CALLS
FOR ADOPTION.
Recommendations Will Be Laid
Before Gathering in Augusta To-
day-Wants All Exchanges to Have
Government Grades.

the government standards by all ex-
changes represented and the adoption
by the government Of the internation-
al standard for cotton were recon-
mended in resolutions favorably acted
upon today by the executive COM
mittee Of the national cotton confer
ence which convened here for a two
days session. Recommendation of
the committee, consisting of one
representative from each authorized
delegation attending the conference,
will be presented to the organization
tomorrow.
More than 20 delegates from cot
ton exchanges and cotton organiza-
tions throughout the country attend
ed the opening session of the con-
ference today. Discussion of methods
for improving cotton trade conditions
was confined to the executive commit
tee as the conference was only in ses-
sion q short while.
Deliberations Of the executive COM
mittee today are in connection with
the spot situation. Before adjourn
ment tonight it was announced that
the perplexing problems of the futures
contract system would be considered
tomorrow.
Lengthy discussions preceded the
adoption Of the cotton standard reso-
lutions introduced by w. Gordon Nc
Cabe Of Charleston. They provided
that "the exchanges represented in
the conference adopt the government
standard for cotton" and that "the
national cotton conference reQxest
the government to adopt the interna-
tional standard for cotton"
Frank II. Barrett Of Augusta fav-
ored the formulation by the govern
ment Of three sets of standards for
cotton to include the growth in the
Texas, Gulf and upland sections. A
resolution to this effect was opposed
by Edmund J. Glenny of New Or
leans and others. Mr.. Glenny read
the resolution adopted at the National
Assembly Of Cotton Exchanges in
Washington last October, favoring the
international standard for Cotton. He
declared that the adoption of Mr..
Barrett's resolution would be a recess
sion from the action of the Wash
| ington assembly and would perplex
the government authorities. After
other objections to the Barrett resolu-
tion had been voiced the McCabe reso-
lutions were adopted as substitutes.
The international standard for cot
ton was fixed at the international con-
ference in Liverpool last year. Its
provisions are not effective until Sep
tember II, 1914. While this stand
ard has been adopted by several of
the foreign exchanges it has not been
adopted by the United States.
Interest of the Southern members
of the executive committee was CEN
tered for some time on the question of
arbitration on domestic deliveries. The
following resolution proposed by
Frank Barrett of Augusta, was adopt
cd by the convention:
I'VE recommend that the eY.
changes comprising this convention
urge their members to incorporate in
rules and regulations governing
domestic deliveries that arbitration
on grade should take place on up
land cotton either in Savannah or
Augusta and on Western cotton at
either New Orleans, Memphis or
Dallas, the point of arbitration to
be designated by the buyers"
Practically all the members of the
executive committee agreed that the
present cotton year, from Septem-
Der l to September 1, should be
changed. While it was admitted that
to change the statistical year might
cause temporary confusion r. X.
Cairne Of the New York exchange
and E. j. Glenny Of the New Orleans
exchange expressed the opinion that
1t was almost necessary. They stated
that the September date was agreed
upon before cotton was grown extern
sively in the far South. At present
the movement OF cotton in the far
Southern section begins in August,
but, according to the present statis-
tical year, 1t is listed with the old
crop instead Of the new.
The following resolution in this
connection was adopted:
I'VE recommend that statistics of
tho cotton crop, receipts, etc, be fig
ured from August l to August in
stead Of from September ! to Scptem-
Der l."