The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-06
TOM HEF[|N OPENS
 ALbERTWLLE FAIR Urges Farmers to Hold Cot ton and Predicts Twenty
 Cent Staple

Albertville, October 5.-(Special ! Congressman J. Thomas Heflin opened the Marshall County fair today with a. speech at Albertville on the cotton
 situation He complimented the farm CTS on the evidences of diversified
 farming that he saw on exhibition in
 the fair graunds, and told them that
 in order to be able to hold or sell
 cotton, when he desired. to do so, the
 farmer would have to depend upon his home supplies.
 In discussing the cotton situation he said: 'iS fhe south has a monopoly in the production of cotton and by intelligent cooperation and concerted action be- tween farmers. merchants and bankers
 the south can dictate cotton prices to the world. If the cotton crop had been lntelligently marketed for the last 10 years every farmer would own his farm, be out of debt, and have money Tn the bank. A lot of people get rich every year on the cotton crop of the south, and money that should remain
 here to buy homes and farms for the southern people and contribute to the prosperity of the south is carried to the cast, the north and to Europe. The supply of old cotton Is small and inc crop of the world is the smallest in ''Ae''J y S"iof anu lAe ueIudnQ TOT cot ton the greatest in the history of the world. With the multiplied uses to which cotton is being put, a small crop and tremendous demand the south ought to demand more than Is cents for this cotton crop"
 He mentioned the fact that he has issued statement regarding the con
 dition and the size of this cotton cron.
 and read that statement which ap
 peared in The Age-Herald today. He said that he had sent that statement
 to DO daily newspapers in the south. While he was discussing this point and predicting that cotton would go much higher J. B. Roberts of Albertyille in- terrupted Mir. Heflin by saying. since you commenced your speech a report from the cotton market has been re- ceived here, and cotton Is now selling on the streets of Albertville for n little above 13 cents."
 Mir. Heflin told the farmers that they had it in their power to enforce good prices for every pound of this crop. He urged them not to sell their cotton, but to borrow money on it. hold 1t and watch the price grow He il- frustrated how the farmer and tho south would be benefited by holding for good price. He said a farmer sold bale of cotton at cents per pound. and he received $45 for it. An other farmer had a bale of cotton and he held his until he obtained 12 cents per pound for 1t. $60 per bale and still another farmer had bale of cotton, and he sold 1t for 15 cents per pound, S75 for the bale. and his neigh Dor who had a bale of cotton held it sold it for s1O0 in gold.
 This picture" he said twill. in my Judgment, be a living reality before We celebrate another Fourth of July. Five bales of cotton at nine cents per
 pound, s45 per bale, will bring to the farmer s225. and that same five bales at 12 cents per pound, s6O perl bale, will bring to the farmer s3OO. an dthe same five bales at 15 cents per pound, $75 per bale, will bring to the farmer $S75. Ten million bales of cotton sold at 9 cents. $45 bale, will bring into the south $450. .00O, 900. Ten million bales at 12 cents, S6O bale will bring s6Oo,oO0.00O. and 10000, ,OO0 bales at 15 cents $75 a bale, will bring
 into the south $750,00O, ,0oO. Is not ~nis increase in price worth striving for? Is not this prize worth strlir- gling for by the whole people of the south? Cotton is the unfailing ther- mometer by which business conditions in the south can always be determined. If cotton prices are low we say busi- ness is dull. Cotton is not bringing 2 good price. On the other hand, we say business is good cotton Is bring ing good price,. It Is a fact that when cotton fares we'll in the market place prosperity Is felt in every aye nue of business. and 1t is the duty of every man of means to join hands with the farmer and help him to obtain the very best price possible; for in doing so he helps not only the farmer, but himself and contributes to the pros- perity of the .south.'