The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-09-21
BUSINESS HAS TAKEN ON BETTER ASPECT DURING LAST WEEK
Cotton Mill Men Have to Pay 9 Cents for Cotton. Farmers Inclined
 to Hold
Ry ROBERT MORAN


 Atlanta, September 2O.-(Special) Business conditions have taken on decidedly better tone within the last week. and there has been an upward trend ever since cotton apparently re- covered itself and began to go up in price.
 An Atlanta cotton mill man who had been paying around eight cents and even slightly under that price, said this week the best. he could do was nine cents and he was not getting much at that price. This is evidence of the fact that the backbone of the farmer has been stiffened, and he is getting to the point of demanding 10 crop
 Another Atlanta cotton mill man has adopted the plan of advancing eight cents a pound on cotton using it in his plant and entering into agreement with the farmers who furnish it to him that if the price is higher than eight cents ion Janury l, he will pay them the difference. In other words he has adopted the plan of buying now on the basis of the January market, although in the event anything should cause slump, he will have to stand the loss Individual Buying
 Altogether it looks as if the ''buy-a- bale -of-cotton" movement and the ae- itation that has been coupled with it. has done its work. and if the existing oppression is, as some put it, psycho- logical. the talk and the action of many In buying cotton at 10 cents for the purpose of holding 1t has effectively be- gun to counteract it. If it succeeds in turning the psychological aspect entire is' around, it is possible that good times may return even before the close of the European war.
 The buy -a-bale" movement has had thls effect because it has attracted att tention not only at home, but through ouf the north and east. Big business houses in these sections which have extensive trade in the south, have seen that it was to their own direct interest to take hand, and these concerns have bought anywhere from few bales up to 10000
 As d natural corralary to this move nent, there has come the widely adver- tlsed plan with merchants, schools and other institutions of taking cotton at 10 cents per pound in payment of bills. Some of them have even agreed to take it at price as high as 12 cents. English Mills in Market Another thing, is has been pretty well advertised around that represen- tatives of the Englis mills are around and about in the cotton country try- a fro< England, 1t is said, has on hand a supply of cotton to last pretty we'll into October. and naturally under pres ert conditions, 1t is not going heavily into the market until the last minute. although some considerable purchases fer English spinners are reported to ha>re been made at the seasons bottom prices It Is now generally understood that England's consumption will be pretty nearly, if not equal to normal, and that within a short time she will have to begin to buy
 All of these things and some others have had a most encouraging effect on the situation as a result of which spot cotton in local markets has gone up anywhere from one to two cents a pound within the last 10 days. And there are not many farmers, apparently who are willing to sell at nine cents. The farmer seems to have been en- coufaged by the trend or events and Is holding on. Reports from some sections are that farmers are hauling their cot ten to gins and after 1t is baled they |are hauling it back home again in- stead of taking it to the market. In other instances they are selling small portions of their crop to meet pressing obligations and purchase food. and are holding onto the balance like grim death.
 Thus the south has practically taken care of its own problem without aid from the federal government. since it has been announced in Washington that the government has done all it can do, and that practically nothing more need be expected.
 The sum and substance of it all is that. depending on the cotton situation es 1t does. business in the south has begun to look up and there Is bet ter feeling all along the line. Bank CTS here say things are much easier than they were a month ago. There are some lines which will not recover Immediately. but the feeling is that everything will grow steadily better from now on in every line of trade. IF YOU FAVOR COMPASSION GOV