The Parisian. (Paris, Tenn.) 1907-1962, 1914-11-27
MOST UNIQUE PLAN
"Buy-a-BaIe of Cotton" Move
ment Restored Confidence.
AID GIVEN COTTON GROWERS
Prevented Flooding Market With
Thousands Of Bales When There
Was No Demand-Atlanta Ed
itor Originator of Idea.

ment, one OF the most unique OF us
kind ever launched In the United
States, accomplished for the South
more than anything else at that time
could have done, namely, 1t restored
confidence when business in the South
was chaotic; placed standard price
of ten cents a pound on cotton, ard
prevented the flooding of the market
with thousands of bales when there
was absolutely no demand, which
would have resulted in calamity for
the southern states.
Because of the large area over which
this movement spread, and the lack OF
organization between the cities in
which the "buy-a-bale" movement was
being agitated, anything like an ac-
curate estimate of the number of
bales disposed of Is impossible, but
It has been roughly estimated at be-
tween two hundred and fifty thousand
and three hundred thousand bales, for
which cash was actually paid. Those
who were closely in touch with the
movement admit, however, that this
estimate may be greatly under the ex-
act number of bales sold.
Unfortunately for the cotton grow
ing states, the European war began to
be felt in this country just at the time
when cotton was beginning to ar
rive at the cotton markets. When the
sailing of all vessels from the United
States stopped, preventing the ship
ping of cotton to England and other
countries of the continent, the cotton
exchanges of New York, New Orleans,
Savannah, and other cities closed, and
trading came to an abrupt end.
Situation Serious.
In the meantime cotton continued
to come in from the plantations, and
was accommodating on the market with
startling rapidity. The situation was
far more serious than any that the
South had had to face since the
reclamation period following the close
of the Civil war. Everyone realized
that something must be done, and
done quickly, if disaster was to be
averted. The foremost question in
the minds of business men and states
men alike was what could be done.
and how could it be accomplished?
At an hour when the outlook was
darkest, an Atlanta manufacturer
wrote a letter to an Atlanta paper,
setting forth the plan of selling cot
ton by public subscription. He sug-
gested that the staple be sold at ten
cents a pound-the figure generally
agreed upon as the lowest at which
cotton could be raised--and that 1t
be sold in bale lots The purpose of
this plan was threefold; 1t would place
a standard price on cotton, remove a
large portion of the distress" crop
from the market, and would prevent
a ruination of the market from too
much of the product being offered at
one time.
The editor of the Atlanta paper to
whom the plan was first made known
was quick to realize the possibilities
of a campaign waged throughout the
United States. Accordingly, he called
a meeting OF Atlanta business men
in his office, at which the "buy-a-bale"
movement was formally launched.
This occurred during the first week
of September. Since then 1t has
spread to almost every state in the
Union, and an Unreasonable amount
of good was accomplished in many of
the large cities of the East, West and
North, where business men gave their
time and money to the cause.
There were two methods by which
cotton was disposed of in the "buy-a-
bale" movement. One was the out
right purchase for cash, and the other
was the taking of the staple by the
country merchants on old and new
accounts. A great many of the whole
sale dealers and manufacturers also
took cotton from southern merchants
on account
Atlanta Plan Adopted.
According to the Atlanta Plan,"
which later was adopted by all cit
les where the 'buy-a-bale' movement
took hold, cotton was purchased only
from tenant farmers. Only one bale
was bought from each farmer. Before
a bale was purchased. the farmer was
required to sign an application blank
and enter a statement thereon that he
was renter; that he and his family,
or pickers employed and paid by him.
gathered the cotton, and that he would
pledge himself to reduce his cotton
acreage so per cent In 1915.
In this way no favoritism was
shown, and distress" cotton was
purchased from the greatest possible
number of farmers. The placing of
even small amount of ready cash In
the hands of the tenant farmer of the
South gave him courage to hold his
cotton little longer in the hope that
he could sell his entire crop at ten
cents or better. Not only the farmer
from whom the cotton was purchased.
but the purchaser who furnished the
money as well, was asked to sign an
agreement that he or she would not
sell the cotton until the market price
%or