The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-12

Miss Jessie Elizabeth Morton.
 octis c. Tombstone. Birmingham, to Miss Marghereta V. Carter.
 Gerald Elklink, Atlanta. to Miss Millie Mae Tidwell.
 Dalton Swann. Birmingham, to Miss Katherine Justin.
 II. Peterson. Birmingham. to Miss Ada Bailey.
 pound it would mean a revenue to the south of $75OO0o, 900. If at cents, only $GOO, 1000 and at 6 cents $450,0O0,000 or a loss of $30O,000,00o Even at 10 cents per pound the loss under prices at which the last crop sold would be approximate ly cents pound or $225,000,0o0.
 Government Should Aid
 Fully half the value of the cotton crop or say cents per pound, $450, COG, ,000 is owed by the producers to merchants and brokers for advances and it will cost an additional cents per pound to gather and market it so that failure of the producers to sell their cotton at price above cents, means tremendous, un- settled liability for the south If, under the present conditions, the consumption of the world is to be only 9.000,O00 to 1e,000,000 bales it is useless to try and ram the other 100000 bales down it's throat and the only thing that can be done is for the government, in conjunction with the banks to immediately arrive at some value at which this balance will be carried at low interest either for the producer or his merchant and bankesr to whom he delivers the cotton or collateral secur- ity for the advances that have been made him. This plan carried out means that the S,000OO0 to 10O00000 bales sold would h, tl,, thaf ha 15 o00,00o bales sold in surplus burdened war depressed markets.
 "Cotton, unlike any other agricultural product, can be carried properly stored, indefinitely without deterioration. Statis- tics show that 1t cannot now be raised at a cost of 8 cents per pound. If cents was taken as the cost basis of the pres ent crop and the surplus carried by loans at 75 per cent of thfs(or cents per pound), it would be a safe investment. because as long as this surplus remained unsold al cents more could not be pro- duced in competition except at a con tinuing loss and finally consumption would overtake the supply. and the price adjust itself to a minimum cost basis
 Our Alabama senators and represen- tatives should be urged to give the ques- tion their undivided attention. and In connection with the treasury department
  It Is vital to the south and must be de- cided quickly If the situation is to be saved.
 'Our worthy commissioner of agricul- ture has suggested to our farmers that they should hold the cotton on the farm unginned. If the farmer intends keeping his cotton in bales lying on the ground exposed to the weather the suggestion is good, because seed cotton is generally kept in house and protected, but there are several disadvantages. The danger from fire is very great, and insurance. if obtained at all. very high. In the present situation there is another serious objec- tion. If the cotton remains unginned there is no opportunity to sell the seed Practically all of our cotton seed and more than 75 per cent of our seed prod ucts of oil. meal. cake. etc. are used in this country, and therefore. unlike the bales. the seed should md ready sale at req sonable prices. The money derived by inc fa ruers from the safe of the seed will po far toward paying the cost of gather ing the crop and meeting pressing oblga- tions. thus avoiding the forced sale of their cotton
 Tn closing. let me impress upon you that the attitude of the business man at this time should not be one of waiting and inertness It is the time for action. and have called to your attention at Iaast two matters that I consider most imnortant and that l.eed immediate CO., ,v,aro tion work and plonfy of it i"