The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-08-11
! HARV|E JORDAN
: CALLS BIG COTTON
MEMS CONVENTION
PRESIDENT OF SOUTHERN Asso.
C'ATloN WANTS BIG ATTEND.
ANcE AT NEW ORLEANS.
SAYS PROMPT ACTION
WILL AVERT DISASTER
When Peace Is Declared a Tremen-
oous Demand For American Cotton
At Good Prices Will Ensue, But crop
Must be Held in Storage in The
Meantime"
Special to The Neps.

special to The NewS.
Atlanta, Ga, Aug. 11.-Haryie Tor.
dan' President of the Southern Cotton
Growers Association, today issued a
call for biz cotton mems convention
70 be held in New Orleans, August q
and 2S. The purpose of the conyen.
ton is to determine upon a plan by
winch the price of coWon can be held
up pending the outcome of the Euro.
pean war. The call follows:
AS a result of the present conflict
between European Countries, the
South faces condition in the market.
Ing of the cotton crop of 1914 un-
precedented since the days of the
Civil War.
If there was ever time when the
united efforts of all the people was
lmperatively demanded in common
cause to safeguard the great staple
crop of the South from impending dis.
aster, that time now confronts us.
kilograms and letters from farm
ers, bankers and merchants coming in
to me from every cotton state during
the past week, advising a general cot
ton conference is my authority for is
suing this call.
THE convention is therefore called
to be held in the city of New Orleans,
La. on Thursday and Friday, the 9th
and 2Sth of August.
Delegations made up OF farmers,
merchants and bankers from every
cotton growing county in the South
ihould be quickly chosen and arrange
'hents perfected to attend the conven-
tion. All other allied interests are
also invited to be present.
"The railways operating throughout
the cotton states, east and west of
the Mississippi river, have been re-
quested to grant the lowest possible
round trip fares for the occasion.
Prompt and effective action must
be taken to avert impending disaster.
Systematic plans must be devised
for financing the crop through the aid
of the Federal Government and the
cooperation of Southern banks.
Each county must arrange for unity
of action in the issuance of warehouse
receipts for all cotton stored and
held, so that the whole machinery of
the system will apply Systematically
to the entire cotton belt.
'lf the present European war Is pro-
tracted the demand for American cot
ton will be quite limited owing to the
paralysis of the operation of foreign
Mills and inability to operate ocean
lrrying vessels.
I"When peace is declared, tremen-
Lous demand for American cotton at
good prices will ensue, but in the
meantime the crop must be held in
storage and financed upon a scale suf-
ficiently liberal to enable the growers
to meet their maturing obligations and
the various business industries of the
South dependent upon cotton money,
70 60 forward unhampered and unre-
stricted.
The date for the convention has
been fixed at the nearest possible time
tc enable the people to get together
in their respective communities anu
select the delegates to represent them
"The farmers, merchants and local
bankers must cooperate effectively II
the market is to be saved and the
crop safeguarded from slaughter.
with an ever abiding faith IN the
loyalty and patriotism bf the South
ern people, and full confidence in their
Shtlity to solve this problem which
per so vitality menaces the price OF
r. GNgreat staple product, / issue the
Nawr this convention and sincerely
creek that it may be largely and en-
vile, ,1stically attended,
EY "(Signed) Harvie Jordan
one .hident Southern Cotton As'socla-