The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-05
Congressman Shows Steps to Be Taken for Main
 tenance of Prices
FINE START MADE
 BUT AID IS NEEDED
C..ange In Fertilizer Obligations and Rural Credits System Will Be of Greatest
 Assistance

Annston, August 4.-(Special)-Con- gressman ]. Thomas Heflin spoke to a large audience at Scheuks Springs, in Calhoun county, today on the occasion of the annual reunion of the Confederate Vet erans of north Alabama He euogized the Confederate soldier and declared the cause for which he fought was just. He then discussed the agricultural interests of the south and spoke in part as follows
 Why should the farmers of Ala bama buy corn from the western farmer when Alabama holds the record for producing more corn on one acre of ground than any other state in the union? And this record yield was produced in Tallapoosa county, in my district. by Walter Dun son, 15-year-old boy. Let me say just here, that the largest sweet potato grown in the United States was produced in Au- tauga county, in my district, last year.
 At last it has dawned upon US that 1t is foolish to produce cotton with which to buy wheat when we can grow that wheat successfully; and we acknowledge wi*n embarrassment that we have toiled to pro- duce cotton with which to buy oats and peas and hay when we can produce all of them cheapy and in abundance on the southern farm We have produced, at great expense, cotton with which to buy mutton pork and beef when we can pro- duce them all on every cotton plantation has realized that when he has labored to increase the production of cotton with which to pay for all his farm necessities he has placed in the hands of others club with which to beat down the price of cotton.
 The cotton farmer who would protect himself against the evil darts of the bear speculator must build his Notifications with corn and oats, peas and hay, with meat and potatoes. And here encamped at the base of these supplies and speak ing from his stronghold the southern farmer and will dictate cotton prices to the world. Then will the producer use the power derived through diversified farming to give King Cotton his rightful place in the markets of the world.
 Time Debts Become Due
 T want to suggest that no debts should be due in October and November. There Is another change necessary in the con duct of the cotton producers business. He has fallen into the habit of allowing his fertilizer debts to be made due and pay able in october and November Yes, they are payable at the time when the cotton producer should not be pressed from any source to sell his cotton. These papers should not be made payable before the middle of December.
 From the time the cotton opens until the middle of December the farmer should be absolutely free to do as he thinks best with regard to selling his cotton. He ought not to be tied up with guano notes and mortgages coming due right in the heart of the cotton selling season, when somebody else can force him to sell his cotton whether he wants 10 sell or not This system in vogue al lover the south forces upon the market hundreds of thou sands of bales of cotton at time when it may not be wise to sell and when the farmer would not sell if he were not com pelled to do so to meet obligations co ing due at such an unreasonable time. When the farmers are forced by this un- wist custom to unload upon the market vast quantities of cotton, regardless of whether the price suits them or not they are injured and the bear specualtor takes advantage of the cotton coming in from all over the south at these stated times when the farmer is settling for his fer tilizers, and he immediately uses this to depress the price.
 If the farmer were free to do as he saw fit with his cotton from August 15 to December 15. and he should sell when the price suited him, cotton would be on stable basis by that time and the farmer would have some say in the matter of fix ing the price, and the law of supply and demand would govern.
 Farm Credit System
 The democratic platform demands a banking system suited to the business of the farmer, and l rejoice that the Presi- dent has included in his legislative pro-