The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-08-11

- "A'A tiSiSttt- liz tstA alftnIutu
subject 10 the call OF the president.
and With n understanding that such
next meeting uould be held In At
lanta. Ga.
Since 1911 there has BEEN no ne
cesslty for the congress 10 meet. and
hence l have issued no call. for no
great disaster has been imminent at
any time.
though the iniQuitous methods OF
marketing that have been permitted
10 prevail have not yet been cured by
national governmental action. and
TINS has become a vital matter 10
cotton growers, almost necessitating
the calling of the congress Ia wrcstle
with the problem. we have preferred
70 wait the action of the United
states Congress in that regard.
Cotton is not alone the South's CHIEF
asset; 1t is the chief asset Of the ma
ton, preserving the world balance OF
trade in favor OF the United States
and bringing to America her golden
stream.
In the past days the European cot
ton consuming countries have been
plunged into 1. war, which, IL now ap-
pears, brings the grower and handlier
Of cotton face to face with disaster.
In two days the price of cotton has
begun to fall s~tartlingly. Cotton is
about to move to the markets; the
markets are about TO be curtailed by
millions of bales and closed. From
the standpoint OF the financial stabil-
lty and integrity of the n. ion itself
or the producers, of the banks and
bankers OF the merchants and bust
ness men, OF every commercial inter-
est, Of our own textile plants, il is
vital that the 1914 crop of Ameri-
can cotton shall not be sacrificed TO
the 1rfeparabIe damage of a prosper
Gus and rapidly developing section Of
the Union and Of the nation.
L 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-
date suspension Of hostilities. Wheth-
er the danger of a total financial loss
Tor one year at least to growers of
cotton is impending is immaterial.
the danger is sufficiently manifest TO
show that the time for concerted ac-
ton between w merchants
business men, bankers, cotton manu-
facturers, and even the national gov
eminent itself has come.
l am, therefore,, exercising the au-
thority vested in me by the Southern
Cotton Congress, and, after consulta-
ton with officials of the Farmers
Union, the most important regular or
ganization of Southern cotton grow
5 ers, and with business men, issuing
this call for an extraordinary session
5 Of the Southern Cotton Congress to
be held on August 13 and IA, 1914.
In view Of the fact hat it is impor-
tant that all members of the Con-
gress of the United States should be
given the opportunity to confer direct
ly with those SO vitality affected, the
} session is hereby called to meet in
Washington, D.. c., instead of Atlanta,
Georgia.
l An invitation to attend the congress
7 is hereby extended to the President OF
the United States, Secretary of the
Treasury, and Secretary of Agricul-
l ture and other cabinet officers and al
members of both houses of the United
States Congress, the governors and
l commissioners of agriculture of the
: cotton States, the president of the
: National Farmers Union and the Of
= ficerS thereof and the president and
: officers of each of the state unions.
i The governor and commissioner 81
agriculture in each State in the cot
j ton belt and the president Of each
. state Farmers Union, each state
bankers association, each state textile
manufacturers association, each state
cotton seed cruShers' association, anC
each commercial organization arr
hereby earnestly requested to appoint
as many delegates as they may deem
proper, 10 attend this eXtraorOlnar
session of the Congress-, and all cot
ton farmers, bankers. business men
merchants and members of rad ano
commercial organizations are invited
to attend whether regularly appoint
ed as above provided or not.
The date fixed is at the time wheT
e cheap ~round-trip excursion rates ar
on sale to Washington.
Due announcement Of the hour an'
) place OF meeting will be mad
through the press.
e +. J. WATSON,