The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1914-10-16
capitalist Tenders Aid TO Protect
Small Cotton Producer From
Ruin---State Must Back the
Storage Receipt Guar
anty by Agent of Aqri
cultural Department
is Sufficient.

Wv euneSuaNS : Statc.)
, T.. J. watson, president Of the
southern Cotton congress and com
missioner of agriculture. commprr,
and industries for South CnroIina
made brief and guarded announce
ment yesterday as to efforts he i
making in the East to care for the
small farmer in South Carolina
against the meeting of his fall obliga.
IlonS and the passing Of his crop of
COTTON INTO the hands of speculation
Mr.. Watson left Columbia Saturday
evening and returned to the city vrS-
terday morning, having spent every
moment of his time during his ab-
Sencc in the prosecution of the effort
to accomplish something speedily,
During his brief absence he spent a
portion of Sunday in Washington.
consulting with Congressman Lever
and others, and again spent a portion
Oh MONDAY at the national capital
Statement by Mr.. Watson.
:, CPon ms return yesterday morning,
Mr.. Watson said:
For several weeks | have mos,
anXiously watched the situation and
have realized that the financial net !,
beng hourly drawn more closely. with
no further aid in sight from the fed
eral government or from the banks OF.
elsewhere. All of the efforts hereto
lore made have been directed to aid
ing the banks in the South, but cyery
one of those efforts is along such
!lneS that should they be successful
IN the end, they would not come in
time to save the small farmer. who i
about to be forced to sell his cotton.
l nave no war to make, nor have
made any, on any of these very laud-
able efforts, but | have felt deeplv
1or the man who could not help him
self-the man who after November |
would not be able, perhaps, even to
puy the seed TO put IN a grain crop.
AS the time to save him was pass
ing so rapidly and had reduced Itself
10 a matter of days, | determined To
make last desperate effort to pro
vide the help that we all know is so
sorely needed at this moment. | wen.
10 washington first and talked with
our leaders there, but could not see
where any material aid was going 70
come in time.
i then went direct to man emf
nent IN the world of influence. one
who Is noted for his altruistic nc!in1-
tons. and plainly laid the real truth
OF the situation before him. The jdna
appealed to him Immediately. and he
mas taken his coat off to develop tha,
idea Already he has the wheels mo-
ing IN New York. and he has already
taken up the matter with some o..
MS strongest friends in England.
neither we can accomplish .rv
desired end IN time or at all. do rrt
know. | have reached the point with
the cotton fight that am certain Of
nothing until il is an ACCOMPLISHED
fact. have every reason TO hone rn,
success. The man | refer To decline,
at present I" permit me to make his
name public, but he is willing for mo
TO give to the press a copy of a letter
II" mas written to me, which speak,
Tor itself. This letter with ii, sjrna-
turr | viii hand to the proper com
mttccS of the South Carolina lrni~-
lature. lnasmuch as the effort involve,
the passage of Il simple warehouse
measure which will hc essential.
Quick Action Requisite.
do not wish to hold out any false
hope, and really hesitate i'm maxim.
TINS matter public at all for that rra-
son. 1t Is necessary. however. to call
the attention of the general assembly
to the specifications indicated In the
letter. and the enactment quickly Of
the measure suggested is essential to
anything that can hc done.
Since my arrival in Columbia this
morning. | have had encouraging talc-
graphic information from the writer
of the letter i'm New York. IN rnway6
to the matter of securing the npc,,-
Sary cash. This morning. | am ad-
vlSed that fertilizer manufactures and
others are beginning to make their de
mands on obligations falling due Or-
tober -. and if anything is to be ac.
comphshcd by this effort. which is di-
rected to care partially for the South
Carolina situation alone, it is abso-
lutcly necessary to do 1t at once.
feel that | have done the best that
can to get the matter as far advanc-
ed as it has gonc in the IS hours that
| have devoted to it.