The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1914-10-22
|M. II. Writes to
The Farmers Again

AS i see GuluSS, GIlS Edlulolo
are in a fix and cannot see the
way out. Many different plans
are mentioned, but there is all
the time a lack. I have been
hopeful all the time that war
would cease and new life would
come in business, but it does
not look that way now; so we
must make the best of things
as we can. We have no time
to build warehouses to store
cotton in now, and the fertilizer
bills and taxes are due and other
things needing. Some object to
storing in cotton mill ware
houses and allowing them to
use the cotton, as they think it
will keep the price down. Did
YOU ever know a southern mill
| to shut down for want of cotton?
The great bulk of the southern
mills are in the eastern part of
! the cotton states and the great
est amount Of cotton is made in
the western states, so they can
buy from the west at all times
as they need it and go right on
then. You can see all southern
mills are running all the time
now and no cotton selling and
the price going down all the
time. Suppose you store your
cotton in a mill warehouse now.
The price is &c. The mill uses
it and in 90 days cotton goes up
to thirteen cents. Who is the
gamer? You got s65 for a bale of
cotton by allowing the manu-
facturer to store it in the dry
for you 80 days and the manu-
facturer lost $3.50 by not let
ting you take care Of your cot
ton and borrowing $3.50 and
buying a bale of cotton and pay
interest for 90 days. When the
| farmer works against home
manufacturers he is working
against his own interest, and in
so doing is tending to drive cap
ital away from US, which would
help to build more factories, and
by so doing would help the
south to have more of a controll.
ing power of prices of our own
products. When we can gain
that power we will be the most
Independent people in all the
world. At present [ think the
best solution of our condition is
for the farmer to store the cot
ton in any warehouse so they
can borrow money enough to
meet their obligations, if it can
be done. Then set about to cut
down the next crop in acreage
at least so per cent. is the most
feasible plan I can think of.
That is, let the chairman Of the
state executive committee in
each state request all county
executive committees to request
by advertising that all land
owners notify the secretary of
the democratic club at their
voting precinct that they will
see to it that not more than SO
per cent compared with last
year cotton crop will be planted
next year. Such as may not
give in such report have some
one see them and ascertain
what per cent they will cut and
notify the county committee
and then on to the state COM
mittee.
A man who only makes one
or two bales on his farm should
not be asked to cut down his
acreage. That will not affect
the market. If we can get the
assurance from the farmers that
the acreage will be cut, then,
and not till then, will the specu-
lator want to put money in
cotton at a living price. Farm
ers themselves are afraid to
store and pay expenses and in
terest for this same reason, and
unless something can be assured
in this or some other way the
great bulk of the crop will be
thrown on the market at a price
that will leave quite a number
of farmers in a poor condition
to live, to say nothing about
making a crop. Let every land
owner use every effort to pay
and help his tenants pay all
bills and dispose Of as little cot
ton as possible at present prices.
AS 7 look at things, the price
paid for seed is selling equally as
much under value as cotton,
and we know that all feed pro-
ducts have advanced by reason
Of the war, and why not seed!
From what | Ihave learned about
the amount of meal, hulls, oil
and lint that one ton of cotton
seed makes and the price of
each, I consider the price paid
for seed is unreasonably low as
the cotton. As low as | have
seen estimated a ton of seed
will make about 800 pounds OF
meal, 300 pounds of oil, $50
pounds of hulls and so pounds
Inter. At present prices, 300
pounds oil at &c a pound SIS;
500 pounds of meal at SOS a ton
s11; 750 pounds hulls at IS a
ton So: so pounds lint at 4
cents. 50, making a total Of