The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-09-22

1 ol4u Xix OtItCJ pCl1Iits
| shall mention.
Fourth. there are many merchants
VINO Will a ten cents a pound for al
COTTON received on store accounts, and
DINERS Will accept one or two bales
FROM any one patron in this way. !
would have a thorough canvass of the
merchants made in behalf Of this
increment.
Fifth, not half the business and
professional men who would join the
buy a bale" movement can be reach
ed by spasmOdiC voluntary effort. and
these institute parties should either
make canVaSSeS of the towns or or
sanlze local committees to make them.
moreover. IN many cases creditors
Will accept warehouse certificates, The
cotton to be sold at the option of the
grower. Let a list Of such merchants
also be made.
SlXth, IN hundreds of communities
farmers are sacrificing c]ottonseed for
less than they are worth, and prices
vary six Or seven dollars a ton in
towns not a hundred miles apart.
These marketing institute parties
should give full information as to cCt-
tor<eed values, both for cash sales ard
for exchange as meal.
'SeN enth, let a thorough aOy3S
OF banking conditions be made il each
county, armer advised as to results,
required forms for warehouse re-
Ceipts issued. etc.
Eighth, l would have these insti-
tute parties seize the present
when the whole South is under con-
vlctlon of sin, to preach as never be-
tore the Importance Of crop diversifi-
cation n a Self-sustaining asricuI-
ture, including ten-fold more atten-
ton to live stock. Let them inaugur-
rate IN each county a campaign for a
recOrd-breaklng acreage of clover.
vetch, rape and all grain crops, and
let them give directions for co-Opera-
ton in getting purebred sires and for
cooperation in marketing live stock.
meat, poultry, eggs, etc.
AS to where the money would come
from, let me remind you that in near
ly every state a fertilizer tonnage tax
is collected, a tax collected by the fer
tlllzer companies and added to the
prices they charge the farmer for
every sack they sell. The farmers paw
the tax, as everybody knows. and the
mount collected and usually turned
over to a state agricultural depart
ment runs all the way from about
SzO,OOO a year in Louisiana, to $780,
900 in North Carolina, and the North
Farmers Union insists that
$4,000 of this should be used to HELM
cotton farmers in this crisis. And
yet though our board in June voted
$4,000 Of this farmers tax money to
be used for a California worlds fair
exhibit, nearly 5000 miles away. the
FARMERS Union leaders have been ac-
cuSed OF making an unheard of prom
ositiOn, and even as proposing some
tnlng absolutely illegal (untiI I got
n attorney generals ruling).
The duty OF the state, I should
say, therefore-the duty Of every COZ
ton growing state in this ersency-
IS to summon its state board or aer,-
culture and have it set aside $40, 900
from present fertilizer funds. or -
necessary borrow $4,000 to be- renaid
from future collections, to carry on
such a campaign as | have Indicated.
but IL this is to be done no time can
be lost. 1t must be done now.
Duties OF County Organizers and of
Bankers.
Next let us see what is the dutv OF
OF the m in each county. Their
DUTY, as l see it, is to effect complete
organizations name strong working
committees on each subject. bring
pressure on state and nation to do
tnelr parts, and prepare to make good
the states deficiency in cases where
it refuses to act. An official commit
mlttee should interview the banks and
ilnd out on what terms loans can be
mad. Holding pledges should be col
lected, warehouse building O
aged, efforts made to keep distressed
cotton or n market, and plans made
1or selling in pools whatever cotton
or cottonseed must be sold.
Especially do l believe that such
a county organization should endeavor
20 get the banks right and make them
reallze their responsibility in this
crisis.
IN conclusion 1 would say hat our
need in TT is as I see
H. IS not new plans, but organizations
IN state and county with men and
money behind them to utilize the
plans we already have for warehouse
Ing. holding and financing the crop.
ana TO compel the national govern
!neht TO come across with the relief it
IS under solemn pledge to give. Let
our people in every county and town
snip get together and work for these
results, dong their own duty locally
and putting fire behind Congressmen.
governors and Departments of Aeri-