The Ordway new era., 1915-01-29
EUROPEAN WAR SHAT.
TIERS KING COTT0N'S
THRONE
FLgGcY STAPLE MUST PAY RAN
som INTO THE coFFERs or
hatIsa Rlnss With Cries Of Stricken
Industry.
oy pstsr Radford

oy Peter Radford
Issfurss National Farmsrs' Union.
King Cotton has suffered more from
the European war than any other az
ricultural product on tha American
continent. The shells Of the belliger.
ents have bursted over his throne.
frightening his subjects and shattef-
ing his markets, and. panic.stricken.
the nation cries out God save the
king!"
People from every walk Of life have
contributed their mite toward rescue
work. Society has danced before tho
king: milady has decresd that the
family wardrobe shall contain only
cotton goods: the press has plead
with the psblic to buy . bale:
bankers have. been formulating hold
ing plans: congress and legislative
bodies have dslibersted over relief
measures: Statesmen and writer's
have grown eloquent expounding the
inalienabls rights Of His Majesty"
and preseating schemes for preserv-
ing the financial integrity Of the
stricken staple. but the sword Of Eu-
rope has proved mightier than the PEN
Of America In fixing value upon this
product q the sunny south. Prices
have beea bayoneted. values riddled
and markets deeimated BY the battling
hosts Of the eastern hemisphere until
the American farmer has suffered .
war loss Of o4eo. 200. 900. and . bale
Of cotton brave enough to enter .
European port must pay . ransom Of
half its value or 90 to prison until the
war Il over.
Hope Of the FIXTURE Lies In co-opsra.
tlon.
The Farmers' Union. through the
columns Of the press. wants to thank
the American people for the friend
ship. sympathy and assistance given
the cotton farmers in tho hour Of dis
tress and to direct attention to CO.
operative methods necessary to per.
manently assist the marketing Of an
farm products.
The present emergency presents ~
grave . situation as ever confronted
the American farmer and from the
viewpoint Of the producer. would seem
to Justify extraordinary relief meas
ures. even to the point Of bending the
constitution and straining business
rules In order to lift . portion Of the
burden on the backs Of the farmer.
for unless something 10 done to check
the invasion of tho war forces upon
the cotton fiefas, the pathway Of the
European pestiience on this continent
will be strewn with mortgaged homes
and famine and poverty will stalk over
the southland. hlling the highways Of
industry with refugees and the bank
Tuptcy court with prisoners.
All calamities teach Us lessons and
the present crisis serves to illuminate
the frailties Of our marketing meth
DDS and the weakness Of our credit
system. and out Of the financial an.
guish an1 travail Of the cotton farmer
will come . volume Of discussion and
. mass Of suggestions and finally .
solution Of this. the biggest problem
In the economic life of America, II.
indeed. We have not already laid the
Foundation for at least temporary ~
lief.
Msrs Pharaehs Needed In Agriculture.
Farm products have no credit and
perhaps can never have on . perma.
nent and satisfactory basis unless We
build warehouses. cold storage plants,
elevators. etc. for without storage and
credit facilities. the south IL COM
PEELED to dump it, crop on the market
- T~w~~Ap
In the cotton producing states have
for the past ten years persistently ad-
vocated the construction Of storage
facilities. We haye built during this
period 1000 warehouses with . ca
pacity Of approximately 1000. 900 bales
and looking Backward the results
would seem encouraging. but looking
forward, We are able to house less
than ons-third Of the crop and ware.
houses without = credit system loss
% per cent of their usefulness. Tho
problem 10 . gigantic one-too great
for The farmer to solve unaided. He
must have the assistance Of the bank
81, the merchant and the government.
In production We have reached the
high water mark Of perfection in tho
worlds history. but our marketing
methods arc most primitive. In the
dawn Of history We nnd agriculture
plowing with forked stick but with
Q system Of warehouses under govern
mental supsrvisioa that made the
Egyptians the marvel Of civilization.
for who has not admired the vision of
Joseph and applaudsd the wisdom Of
Pharaoh for storing the surplus until
demanded by the consumer. but In
this age We have too many Josephs
vho dream and not enough Pharaohs
who build.
Aho,rt fhs Alohfinosis