Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1914-11-10

cause they raise everything they eat at home-aL least, those do who are not improvident. Of course, they pay more for a few items, but on the ma ority of their purchases they pay lAss. 1 think I am well within the bounds of conservatism when I say thelr cost of living for fifteen years, has remained stationary while their revenue has increased at least 300 per cent. ] think this is true of thc farmers not only in our state but Ill all other southern states. Gan this be said of any other class of people on tine American continent?
 l think the farmers ought to sell their cotton on the presen, market and pay their debts. If they would do so business would move along sat isfactorily We would not have :. large volume of trade, but we would at least make our expenses. which we are not now doing. If the farmers persist in holding their cotton for three months, or until they are com- pelled to sell, and then dump it all on the market at once, they will get not over 3 cents per pound. I commend the effort of the treas- ury department to, help the cotton farmers but I question it's. wisdom.
 Nothing will impair a mans energy self-reliance, self-respect and ambi- ticn like lifting from his shoulders the responsibility which he reasonably ought to bear. The government de. stroyed the manhood of the Indians i by making them it's wards-by fur nishing them beef and blankets. A precedent has been established this year that is. going to bring discontent and trouble in the future. Next year and many more after it, a large per cent of the cotton growers, if dissat- isfied with the market, will hold their cotton and look to the philanthropists, North and South, to come to their aid l by paying a fictitious value for cot ton.
 l hope you will pardon this long communication but trust it may give you clearer conception of conditions in this section. Yours very truly,
 w. l.. SANFORD, Vice President Roberts, Sanford x
 Taylor Company. Sherman, Tex, Oct. s, 1914. Holding Cotton. 1 To the Retail Trade.
 We arc not in the cotton business, but we know enough to say that an article or commodity is only worth what it will bring when offered for sale. If 8 cents per pound, or even z cents per pound is all that farmer can get for cetton, then that is all that cotton is worth regardless of what it costs to raise it. ] It is said that a farmer cannot raise cotton at less than 10 cents per pound, yet great many thousand farmers got rich or, at least, inde- pendent, raising it at cents per pound and that was when everything else that he raised was sold at very much lower figure than is ruling to- day, and everything that he bought cost great deal more than today. Besides this he didn't get $7 per bale for seed, as he gets today.
 We give you the following compari- sons:
 He buys a hoe at 50 cents that used to cost 75 cents.
 He buys a file at 15 cents that used to cost 35 cents.
 He buys a single tree at 8 cents that used to cost 50 cents. ~
 He buys a sweep at 8 cents that used to cost 15 cents per pound. i He buys a pllcr at 75 cents that used to cost $2.00.
 He buys nails at cents that used to cost 10 cents per pound.
 lie buys wire at 312 cents that used to cost 10 cents per pound.
 He buys names at 50 cents that used to cost 75 cents.
 He buys traces at 45 cents that used to cost 75 cents.
 He buys plows and other imple gnents at 9 per cent less than he nsed to pay.
 { He pays 50 cents for picking where he used to pay $1,00.
 He borrows money at 8 per cent to 10 per cent where he used to pay F per cent and 15 per cent. He sells wheat at $1.0O that used to bring 60 cents.
 i He sells oats at 50 cents that used to bring IS cents.
 He sells corn at 75 cents that used to bring 15 cents.
 He sells hay at $14o0 that used to bring $4.0O.
 He sells turkeys at $2.25 and some times $4.O0 that used to bring 60 to 75 cents. @
 He sells chickens at $3.50 that used to sell at $1.25 and $1.50. 1 He sells "a horse at $1o0 to $22o that used to sell from $50 to $100. When he was confronted with the above conditions he bought land on