The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-08-05
COTTON CONGRESS-


On the heels Of the announcement
| that The cotton crop this year will not
! exceed l3,50O.000 bales comes the ter
rible situation that enibrOils Europe
From moment of pleasant expec-
fancy the south is plunged into a COLI
dition OF sorrOwfuI contemplation.
long continued war in Europc
would mean the loss of millions of
dollars in the S0utll-in the descend
ing price OF cotton and would also
cause financial disaster unparalleled
because of the fact that the last few
years OF plenty have extended and in
flated rather than curtailcd the cred
it system upon which agriculture I'm
the south Is based. For instance tho
present crop was planted during a pe-
riod of comparative plenty, and will
be gathered. as indicated at present,
during Il period OF the greatest finan-
cial depression. and at time when
the price will have been cut in half.
Therefore it is imperative that the
south should nave some kind of or
ganizatlon to meet the crisis, yes the
crash. Grain producing states will be
helped by this war. but cotton IL
commodity which cannot be eaten,
and what the world will soon be de-
manding ut fabulous prices will he
something to eat, not something to
wear.
Saturday Senator e. ID. Smith is
sued call for meeting of business
men to be held in Columbia to dis
cuss the matter. We have seen no
definite date set for the meeting. But
Col. t. j. Watson. president, has call
ed an emergency meeting OF the plant
ers of the south to be held III Wash
ington on the 18th and 14th of this
month to plan some means for pro-
tecting the south against the depres-
sion which will follow The beginning
of hostilities. This meeting should
be attended by representatives from
every section Of this state. AS An
nope that some will go from here.
derson i3 the producer of the largest
number OF bales in this state, we
and in fact we suggest that the cham
her of commerce and the Farmers
Union and others call a preliminary
deemed suitable and necessary. In
issuing his call. Col. Watson says:
I'm the past few days the great Eu-
ropean cotton consuming countries
have be,n plunged into q war, which.
1t now appears, brings the grower and
handler OF cotton face to face with
disaster. In two days the price Of
cotton has begun to fall startlingly.
Cotton is about to move to the mar
kets; the markets are about to be
curtailed by millions OF bales and
closed. From the standpoint of the
finaciai stability and integrity Of tho
nation itself, of the producers, of the
banks and bankers. Of the merchants
and business men, of every CONNER
cial interest, Of our own textile
plants. /; is vital that the 1914 crop
ca American cotton shall not be sac
riiced to the irreparable damage of
a prosperous and rapidly developing
section of the Union and of the ma
tion.
Il do not believe in business hys-
terra and for several days have await
ed and watched the course OF events.
1t Is clear that great damage has al
ready been done. certainly more than
can be undone were there an imme-
dlate suspension OF hostilities. Wheth..
er the danger Of u total financial los,
for one year at least to growers ef
cotton Is impending Ia immaterial.;
the danger is sufficiently manifest to
show that the time for concerted &C.
tion between growers, merchants.
business men, bankers, cotton manu-
facturers and even the rational gov
ernment itself has come.
II am therefore exercising the au-
thority vested In me. and after con-
sultation with officials OF the Farm
ers' Union. the most important regu-
lar organization Of the Southern cot
ton growers. and with business men,
issuing this call for an extraordinary
session OF the Southern Cotton Con-
gresa to be held August 1914. 1914"
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