The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1914-11-26
EUROPEAN WAR
RAPED KING COTTON.

ricultural product on the American
continent The shells Of the belliger>
ents have bursted over his throne.
frightening his subjects and shatter'
ine his markets. and. panicstricken.
the nation cries out God save the
king"
People from every walk a 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 a bale:
bankers have been formulating hold
ing plans; congress and legislative
bodies have deliberated over relief
measures: statesmen and writer's
have grown eloquent expounding the
inalienahle rights Of His Majesty"
and presenting schemes nor presery.
ing the financial integrity Of the
stricken staple. but the sword ~ Eu-
rope has proved mightier than the pen
Of America in fixing value upon this
product Of the sunny south. Prices
have been bayoneied. values riddled
and markets decimated by the battling
hosts Of the eastern hemisphere until
the American farmer has suffered a
war loss Of saO0.OOO.OOO and bale
Of cotton brave enough to enter q
European port must pay a ransom Of
half liz value or go to prison until the
war Il over.
Hope Of the Future Lies In co-opera.
ton.
The Farmers Union. through the
columns % the press. wants 10 thank
the American people for the friend
ship. sympathy and assistance given
the cotton farmers IN the hour Of dis.
tress and 90 direct attention 10 CO
operative methods necessary 10 per
manently assist the marketing % all
farm products
The present emergency presents As
grave a situation a. ever confronted
the American farmer and from the
viewpoint OF the producer. would seem
10 Justify extraordinary relief meas.
ures. even 20 the point % bending tho
constitution and straining business
rules In order 10 lift a portion Of ths
burden on the backs Of the farmer.
for unless something IL done TO check
the invasion Of the war forces upon
the cotton fields. the pathway Of the
European peatilence on this continent
viii be s,rewn with mortEaged homes
ard famine and poverty viii stalk over
the southland. nllinT the Highways Of
Industry with refugees and the bank
rupicy court with prisoners
All calamitles teach as lessons and
the present crisis serves 10 illuminate
TIE frailties Of our marketing meth
ods and the weakness Of our credit
system, and out Of the financial an
elish and travail Of the cotton farmer
viii come a volume OF discussion and
mass OF suggestions and hnaliy Z
solution Of this. the biggest problem
IN the economic life Of America. N
indeed. we have not already laid the
foundation for NJ least Temporary 70
lief
Mere pharaohs Needed In Agriculture
Farm products have no credit and
perhaps can never have on perma
nent and satisfactory basis unless ",
build warehouses. cold storage plants
elevators. etc for without storage and
credit facilities. the south il com
pelled 10 dump its crop on the market
at harvest time. The Farmers unloni
In the cotton producing states hav.
for the past ten years persistenlly ad
vocated the construction OF storag,
facilities. We have built during THU
period 1000 warehouses with ca
pacity OF approximately 1000 900 ballet
and looking backward the results
would seem encouraging. but looklul
forward. we are able to house les,
than oyethird Of the crop and ware
houses without a credit system los,
30 per cent OF their usefulness Tn.
problem Ia a gigantic one-too grea
for the farmer TO solve unaided. II,
must have the assistance OF the bank
or, the merchant and the government
In production we have reached IN,
nigh water mark OF perfection IN Ii.
worlds history. but our marketing
methods are most primitive. In IN,
dawn OF history we ind agricultur,
blowing with a forked stick but will
q system OF warehouses under govern
mental supervision that made IN,
Egyptians the marvel OF civilization
for who has not admired the vision o
Joseph and applauded the wisdom o
Pharaoh for storing the surplus unit
demanded by the consumer. but II
this age we have zoo many Iosephi
who dream and not enough Pharaohl
who build