The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-03-03
Explaining the Warehouse.

/ farmers. gathered in the Cherokee
court house at Galfncy last Saturday.
To hear Hon. John l.. McI.aurin cX-
plain the operation Of the state ware
/ house system and the benefits that
will accrue To the cotton producers of
the state and other interests gcncr-
! ally, as result of just and cqui-
/ table reform OF economic conditions
along scientific lines.
! The meeting hal been called hy
Mcssrs j. Whitncr Reid, state socro-
,ary of the Farmers Union, and Mr..
Harris of the executive committee,
and the main purpose Of course, was
to organize Il branch with a view to
bringing about complete rCOrGan-
ization Of the county. Mir. McLaurin.
who is in full sympathy with this pur-
pose, and who recognizes the cstab-
lishment OF q warehouse system as be-
ing in line with the purposes and prin-
Ciples of tho Union, had accepted an
invitation to explain to the farmers
directly the work in which he is en-
gagged. The audience listened to Mr..
McLaurin with the closest attention,
lapplauded him quito frequently, and
when he finished, Mr.. Reid easily Sc
cured enough applications for NOM
bership to- warrant the issuance of a
charter for IL local union.
Mr.. McLaurin told the farmers how
from information secured from Editor
DeCamp and from personal observa-
tiOn, he had been impressed with the
comfortable condition of the rarmr rs
OF Cherokee as compared with those
ovcr in the eastern part Of the state
Cherokee. York, Union, Lancaster and
lSpartanburg farmers diversified their
crops. and in addition 10 cotton raised
something to eat, while over in the
eastern part Of the State they raised
very little else than cotton. and while
under conditions that have followed
the breaking out of the European war
there has been much depression under
both systems; the Piedmont peo.
pie are much better Oft for the reason
, that they have not experienced great
deal of actual suffering.
But the speaker was unwilling t.
admit that crop dlversihcotion was Z
complete solution OF the trouble Di
versifcaton, he said, was wise as 8
lprecaution; and farmers should al
. ways produce plenty to eat. Plenty e
esc, however, is not sufficient Thc
fullest enjoyment of life in comfor
md content, calls for more thar
something to cat, and whatever ma,
he the merits or demerits OF the al
, cotton system. compared with the cot,
, ton as a surplus system the fact re
mains that cotton is the only crop We
have to depend upon to get money FOL
our own needs, or TO bring none,
from abroad to supply the needs o
the community generally.
) There is no escape from the fa ct
Mr.. Mcl.aurin asserted. hat the maiI
, question to be solved in connection
t with the most profitable marketing O
the crop is finance There never ha
been crop the whole years suppl,
of which could be marketed within
three months without loss to the pro
duccr, and that is one of the handica D
+ on cotton. People other than farm
+ ers understand this situation thor
! ouSh.y and they make the most OF i
4 the cotton buyers tho banks, tn
= spectators and others. 1t is up I,
D the farmers TO bring about some re
e forms along here in order to secur
D for themselves Il fuller share of tn
products of their labor, and the stat
G warehouse system, he declared wi,
, II properly managed, backed up an,
= utilized, furnish the key to the situa
= ton.
= BY way of illustrating tho necessit
Tor the warehouse, he cited the previ
ously published case of the Tcxa
farmer who Il few years ago place
In n bale of cotton a letter in whicl
he stated that he bad sold the cotto,
at cents pound and asked tn
spinner to advise him what he ha,
&, paid for it. In the letter was a rcturI
envelope, stamped and addressed. an,
in the course of time came the roui
I from a German manufacturer. statin
Is that he had paid 16 cents pound 70
the cotton. The difference i'm the pric
i had gone TO pay numerous proI.
10 "hich under better system coul
" nave been avoided. He went on to sa
% that in 1911 when on account or tb