The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1914-10-30
COmrade MuN'S
Washington Letter
The Leader Enterprise,
Fitzgerald, Georgia,

third Congress has just adjourned
Oct. 9th, without giving anv re-
lief to the cotton situation, Just as
| expected. 1t seems to me to be
a very difficult problem to deal
with the cotton question. 1t seems
to be local matter in the sense,
and it Is a national question, be-
cause it effects the whole United
States in a financial way by not
having market for our cotton
products. The Manufacture sells
the manufactured products to all
the Southern Jobbing trade on
time. The Jobbers sell to the re-
tail trade and the retail trade sells
to the farmer on time till fall, till
} the farmers gather their cotton and
sell it to pay their time bills. Now
if the farmers don't have a market
for their cotton and can't sell it
then it effects the whole financial
machinery of the whole country
because the farmers owe the mer-
chants, and the merchants owe the
banks, and the jobbers owe the
manufacturers and the manufac-
turerS owe the banks so the in
dustries links all the commercial
business of the United States to-
gether, SO it is a chain of CONNER
cial interest jointly one with che
other, so if there are not some
provisions made so the farmers can
hold their cotton and get reason
able advance on the cotton, it will
tare up great deal of the financial
machinery which has been running
so smoothly for the last years. We
Southerners owe to the Eastern
and Northern markets millions OF
dollars out of our cotton products.
We can't pay them unless we get
market or some relief in the cot
ton situation.
We have now all over the Unit
ed States fine market for all
other commodities. The foreign
wars seems to be a blessing to the
country in financial way except
ing the cotton situation in the
South. We Southern planters have
the situation in our own hands, if
we will Only plant just half what
we planted last year. Let US not
walt till the minute to make our
plans for the next year. Make
them now let the world and the
Cotton Exchange know that we
are going to reduce our cotton
crops so per cent next year. 1t is
reported that the New York and
Liverpool Exchange will open up
by the first Of November. If they
do | look for very low market
on account of the bumper crop on
hand end the low market price at
the present time. If the South
will just convince the factors and
the Exchanges that they are not
going to produce another large
crop of cotton next year, then the
cotton will advance.
The South has great future
before her by raising our OWE sup
plies and our surplus crops in cot
ton. If you will find me a man in
the South who don't plant a seed
of cotton and con6ne himself to
corn, oats, rye, wheat, and pota-
toes and all kinds of food products,
/ will find you a man that has not
got his farm mortgaged, and you
will find him Ioaning his neighbors
money and selling them his farm
products. I have seen that demons
strated in Georgia in the cotton
section. We have the best coun-
try in the South for producing
everything that man and beast
lives on. One person can produce
more than he can gather and store.
Why should we worry? So let the
South adjust themselves and grasp
the situation at once.
l have tried to express my views
in regard to Southern conditions.
Very truly yours,
Copt n u Mill