Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1914-07-22
BUYERS MAKE HALF OF PROFIT.
Will Cotton BE Fairly Graded IN
Your Market this Fall ?
Progressive Farmer.)

we must never let up on tnlS COT
ton grading question until the farm
ers get into a position to get the real
worth of their grades above mid
ding; and in a position also to
know whether or not the buyer is
right when he claims that a grade is
below middling.
Only a few days ago one of the
most thoughtful agricultural leaders
in the South said to the writer: 81
am convinced that cotton buyers get
half of the increased prices that the
mills pay for grades above ordinary
quality" IN other words, under our
present system half the h~ard~earned
wealth the farmer creates in quality
OF staple is confiscated by buyers in
stead Of going to the growers needy
wife and children. Our friend then
gave us an illustrations: Twas in a
cotton buyers office last fall" he
said, when a farmer came in with a
few bales to sell. Ordinary cotton
was going at II cents and a fraction,
but the buyer told the farmer that as
these bales were Of superior staple
he would pay IA cents, or two cents
extra per pound. And then Mr..
Buyer told me hat the cotton was
really worth IS cents or nearly six
cents extra in the pound.
In other words on each 5O0-pound
1o1 10 thN human ,,nID 700 alo,, ,- q 4
by two minutes sharp practice or
about one-third as much as the far
mer m his family had made
through a year Of weary toiling and
misunderstanding the land in win
Ser's cold; preparing, fertilizing,
planting in spring; hocing and cult
waiting under summer suns, and labo-
riously picking the crop in the fall.
How long will a free people sub
nit to such a system? How long will
our cotton growers be content to be
mere laborerS, surrendering all the
business~side of farming to alien in
terests? "Who makes himself a
worm must not complain If he is
trodden on" If cotton farmers shut
their eyes and invite buyers to do
their worst, what may the expect?
1t is true Of scores Of markets all
over the South that there is no real
competition among the buyers. The
writer has himself witnessed the pri-
vate signalling by means of which
buyers 'diride the spoils" as the far
mer's cotton comes in sight. Buyer
A makes his bid and Buyers B, C, d
and L do not Interfere, for they will
take their turns with later bales.
And with such a system it is always
possible for The shrewG buyer to get
the farmers cotton for much less
than it's real worth. We know, of
course, that many honest buyers will
not take advantage of the weak, but
it is not fair for the laborer to be
thrown bound and helpless before
whomsoever wishes to plumber him.
And it is not fair to honest cotton
buyers for them to have to compete
with dishonest ones when conditions
give such an advantage to dishon-
esty.
Well, then, Mr.. Farmer, let us put
the question squarely to you: "DO
you know that cotton will be prop
erly graded on your market this
fall?" And if not, what are you go
ing to do about it? Take up the sub
ject in your County Farmers Union.
Or if you haven't a county union or
other farmers organization, just re-
member that this Is only one OF a
hundred problems affecting the far
mers' welfare which can be solved
only through organization and coop
Grafton. Talk it over with your bro
Their cotton growers. 1t is high time
for something to be done.