Pocahontas star herald., 1914-11-20
c0TTCn C70P
Over l5,OO0ooO Bales in Fields
Wheh War Began.
Southern People Working Problem Of
Carrying over Surplus Until There
Is Demand for lt-varlous
Plans Advocated.


bolt from blue sky, on August /.
the cotton tields OF the South were
hred with pickers well started on the
task OF harvesting the largest crop In
the history OF cotton growing. except
the phenomenal crop OF 1911.
Based on the acreage and produc.
ton of 1913. there were when the war
began considerably over 100000
bales In the fields The stopping OF
the mills In Europe meant a cut In
the consumption OF at least one.third.
or 5000, 0O0 bales This surplus must
be- financed and carried over until
there ls a demand for e: and. logi.
oally, unless the crop to be planted
next spring Is sufficiently curtailed TO
absorb this surplus and any decreased
demand next year, the price OF cot
ton will be- accordingly low. The South
Is still faced with this problem, which
has not been solved In It's entirety. but
Is working toward a solution through
the energy and resourcefulness OF the
southern people.
As soon as transportation across the
Atlantic became dangerous, and the
demand from Europe ceased. a cry
went up from the South for federal
aid. Thousands Of plans, and varia
tlOns OF plans. we're advanced for the
solution OF the problem OF financing
the surplus Of the crop. Everything
from federal valorlzation To state
bonds issued against cotton warehouse
receipts WIS suggested. Southern con
grCssional delegations attempted 10
secure the passage OF a number OF
bills for the relief Of the South. which
were foredoomed To failure because Of
the charge OF sectional favoritism.
Various Plsrs Advocated.
Then the Afternoon oi many was
turned to securing state legislative
action. aud the same measures were
advocated. Attempts were made To
have the states prohibit the planting
Of more than 50 per cent OF the usual
acreage for 1915. Because OF the con
stitutional obstacles and the difficulty
Of securing uniform and synchronous
action BY the states, with such d.
versity OF opinion OF the needs pre-
yailing. II soon became evident that
concerted and uniform action by the
state was impossIble-at least In time
TO be OF benefit
Convinced at last that the problem
Of caring for the surplus OF 1914 and
preventing a surplus being raised In
1915 must BE- solved by the peoplc-ot
the South without legislative OF con.
grcsslanal aid, they are coming to-
gpther- bankers. merchants and farm,
ers-to carry through the only plans
left, that Of taking care Of themselves
and preventing oyerproduction by the
weight OF cooperative, unified action.
II seems probable that the Lee
county plan" so called because ii was
first adopted by the farmers OF Lee
county. Georgia, will spread all over
the cotton states and prove the main
feature in the final solution. On Sat
urday, October II, in accordance with
proclamation Of the governor, the
people OF Georgia met in their respec-
tive counties and signed agreements
10 curtail the cotton acreage OF 1915
one-half They formed tentative or
ganizations. which are to be legalized
as soon as possible by incorporation.
through which the problem Of provid-
ing grain and other seed for the 2 $780,
600 acres In Georgia that must be
planted IN foodstuffs this fall and next
spring and the financing and market
ing OF these food crops will be handled
by the cooperation of bankers, mer.
! chants and farmers, as well as the
landlords who rent to 20 per cent OF
the farmers of Georgia the lands they
plant.
As long ago as 1911 Charles J. Ha-
den! now president of the Georgia
| chamber OF commerce, as chairman OF
! the legislation committee of the South
| eru Cotton congress, presented 20 the
convention of that organization plan
| for either federal bonded warehouses
or state bonded warehouses, II the for
mer could not be secured, TO be safe
| guarded TO as great an extent as the
bonded warehouses licensed by the
federal goFernment for the customs
| and internal revenue services. II this
plan, which was approved by the
Southern Cotton congress, had been in
effect, it is possible the severity Of
the cotton emergency would have been
| greatly lesscned. Until such system
of warehouses is in eject throughout
! the cotton states there will always be
dr.tger from oyerproductiOn or the
sudden stoppage Of exports by great
war. because Of the insecurity OF cot.
ton as . basis for longtime bank
credit under any other gygtem Of
I storing.
Unqucr ionably enc OF the strongest
! Influences TO force the reduction OF
acreage in 1915 win be the refusal Of
bankcrs and merchants to finance
/ more L an half a crop OF cotton next
spring. On the other hand, many Of
them will do everything possible to
induce the farmers to plant the land
taken from cotton ia food crops. They