The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1914-12-10
A Plan to Aid
Southern Farmers

Mr.. Editor: [ am personally
interested in farming. therefore
I have watched closely the pub
lie efforts of the farmers to bet
ter their conditions. There are
two conditions the farmers have
been making efforts to attain
for the last thirty-fve years.
First-An absolute permanent
plan by: which they can get a
loan on their cotton when de-
sired.
Second-An absolute certain
ty of securing in the fall and all
the year a high price for their
cotton. The farmers by this
time should realize that calling
meetings and passing resolutions
do not help them and that reso-
lutions will not compete with
capital, that any, method to
make them absolutely independ-
ent that is not based on capital
is a failure for the reason that
capital is necessary to compete
with capital.
There is a plan that, if the
farmers will adopt it strictly,
will cause them to be completely
Independent of the wars of Eu-
rope, the wars of the Orient,
wars in America, spectators in
Europe and in America and
place them in an everlasting
and permanent position to be
independent, and when attained
will put the farmer on the road
to prosperity and success. This
plan I advocated very concisely
about two years ago, (this one
being more elaborate.) The
former was published in a week
ly paper in South Georgia, The
Pickens Sentinel, the Easley
Progress and the Daily State.
Whenever the farmer is al
ways absolutely certain of the
loan when be needs it on his
cotton, and always certain of a
profitable price for his cotton, he
has reached two positions Of
great desiderata, and this they
have aspired for a long time and
which plan, when put into oper-
alton, will be the greatest
achievement in marketing cot
ton in the history of the world.
The question naturally is, what
is the plan, and can it be adopt
ed2 The answer is, yes, if fol-
lowed strictly. It is as follows:
First-The farmers in each
cotton county in the South or
ganize a Farmers Cotton Bank
and Warehouse to be discon-
nected from each other by TAX
ing shares of one hundred dol
lars a share, one may take as
many shares as he wishes. Ali
Share. holders to share alike, no
preferred stock, and raise five
hundred thousand or one million
dollars or as much as is neces-
Sary for each county.
Second-This money to be
loaned on cotton only to farmers
at five per cent interest and said
interest and insurance to be paid
monthly in advance, no charge
for storage, so that the debt will
not get larger than the value Of
the cotton collateral.
Third-The farmer deposits
his cotton in the warehouse,
draws on his cotton warehouse
weights twelve cents per, pound
on middling grade, or four -fifths
value of the bale. When cotton
advances to a price that suits
him he sells the deposited cotton
and pays the debt to the above
named bank. His transaction
is strictly an individual matter
and does not act in combination
with any one; therefore, this
takes it out of the operation OF
the Sherman antitrust law.
Fourth-This bank can be
closed when the cotton season
is over each year to avoid the
expenses of paying bank Off
GERS, including the weigher and
grader Of cotton.
Fifth-The bank officers to
be selected like all other bank
officers and be required to fur
nish a bond and to get for their
services adequate salaries, said
farrners's cotton bank and ware
house to be chartered and man
aged on strict business princi-
pies, like all first class banks.
Sixth-This bank not allowed
to buy cotton at all, not loan
money only to farmers on cot
ton collateral.
Seventh If the farmer fails
to pay interest and insurance
monthly in advance, the bank,
by agreement, is authorized to
sell his cotton and apply the
proceeds to his, debt.
Eighth-This bank to loan to
any farmer on his cotton who is
not a stock-holder.
This will furnish them money
and at the same time keep cot
ton off of the market in large
amounts in the fall and force up
the price.
The president Of the different
State Farmers unions should
call the farmers of their respec-
tive c&o+ac +ooo4bar and opn0int