The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-09-09
FARMERS
UNION NEWS
Practical Thoughts for Practical
Farmers.
conducted by Il. ". Dabbs, Pres
ident 8. G. Farmers Union.)


AN Couilty union Is TO meet ut
Sumter court house next Saturday in
special session to hear reports from
school district canvasscrs and from
the national union. l regret that
will not be able to be present on ac-
count OF being appointed to go to
washington as the advance guard of
u big national committee to press up
on congress the need Of immediate
aid from the government.
l accepted this mission in the hope
that l may yet secure such govern
ment control of acreage as will be
fair to everybody that is in the cot
ton growing business, and as will also
protect the government in its mr.
chase OF cotton, or advance upon cot
ton. l do not mean that we should
not do all we can to secure plcdpes
10 reduce acreage. We can not af-
iord to let up OH this, but l wish to sec
these pledges made effective by law.
The best thing l have seen since I
left home is the move that is we'll un-
der way in Georgia to have every one
VINO can do So purchase bale or
more, according to his or her re-
sources at 1Oc per pound from farm
crs who are so situated that they must
sell. And to hold this cotton off the
market for one year This can be
made to take million bales, and will
dc strong argument for securing
trow the government the purchase of
million bales more or the advance of
~ or As dollars per bale on that
much direct to the farmers.
We ought then not have any trou-
Die to sell for 10 cents and maybe
IL 1-2 cents the remaining or Il
million bales of this crop. If we could
secure legislation that would cut out
the crop entirely next year l believe
we could sell right away half this crop
ut IA cents. and next year we could
sell the balance at 16 to 20 cents. But
IL we can not secure such drastic
legislation we should strive to reduce
the acreage to Is million acres in the
entire country that not more than 8
million bales be added to this crop for
the two years supply. This would
mean that the government would bc
absolutely safe at 1Oc per pound.
Unless something that will be cf-
fectire to really reduce acreage is
done l think getting the government
TO lend money on cotton, or to buy cot
ton is not an ''irrcdcsccnt dream"
Among the matters we have under
mutual insurance of the
cotton we will hold under either the
direct purchase plan or under any
loan system. is a most important one.
III we today were carrying our own in
surance or If we had the money i'm
South Carolina that we have invested
for us outside the State to make good
our losses from fire and death. we
could retire SO many bales of our cot
ton that it would be no trouble to
handle the balance.
L trust our next meeting will take
this matter up in earnest. l am writ
ing to ask Commissioner McMaster to
meet with the county union next Sat
urday and discuss this matter with
our people. Maybe sometime our
people will sec the importance of do
ing something. l have letters from
the Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance
Company of York County and am
writing that they send man to our
meeting next Saturday. Proper insur-
ancc is vital part of any loan sys-
tenn or any purchase and holding sys-
ten. And should be secured at the
lowest possible safe rate.
- i: n
One of my canvasscrs for holding
cotton and reducing acreage found
the small farmers toward Pudding
swamp resolved not to sell. and their
tobacco has enabled Them to be in
dependent about selling. Hope all the
districts in the county will be able to
report ut the Saturday meeting.
T.. w. ID.
The Meeting of the National Union.