The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-29
Growers Have Chance
to Place Marketing of
Crop on Real Business
Basis at Last
tSTHE var should save the cot
q growing States: there
5 a; Jas; az cppc rtuni,y 81

10 arrange thai the Erowe- may. in
spite O.: himself. make money.
y. the present situation IL taken
a~dyaniAee Of and the agita,ors and
politicians suppressed, the South can
he put firmly on its feet The great
est danger TO the South Is no; the
British blockade, but the pan TO have
the entire crop bought by England.
II the main issues Ae lost s.sht Of
and England Is induced to buy. then
the south might as well Civ, Up the
production OF COTTON. FOR England will
con;?v! the marSe; fn the next twenty
years.
These are the views Of Col. Robsr,
NJ. Thompson. They were expressed
in the course II a c~onversa;!on in
which he discussed cotton production
and the world markets.
1T 1! always difficult 10 &c; a sane
view @: cotton from a srower or small
dealer in the South. because thes,
men 90 not look ar inch beyond their
10- A"t SNlA0 = kNNr-
annually n hot water ASou. cotton and
the iee!.rg : general and deep rooted
that somebody or other Is a; the bot
tom % = conspiracy 20 ruin the cotton
" Usually the brokers and
SPECTATORS are banned fer Low prices
but to-day the mantle has been shifted
10 Ea-.and and we hear I great deal
abou; The English blockade killing n.
Soaia.
This capacity for finding a goat.
To- .a" cotton prices : wonderfully
ee'..vi~a. II IS increased by the
Sn'ft '.Cc.arS n big and little Of
nc VINO say whatever they imagine
'H' .-'pe Ike - hear. The few men
"Eo -.4sp the real situation can
Iaf--! nike themselves heard in tire
'.it..7 II when they arr heard their
"''-S 80" u1aeeded because they are
I'l-->-"i - the ear. The South
~ Goes not care TO he ;oit tina;
ne dos 0"; maxi money gu; Of cot
.'h >mp.E because ne does not use
l.a3.s-
Yet the whole trouble With Cotton
- tAE' 10 brains are used IN its mar
h'"a- AZ si+@. Or OIL Mere handed
q cotton Is handled the grsa; stes!
S.- OF producers would he hank-up,
instead Il making millions
wren the ROVER haryes:s his
G.. re Tushes 10 sell. ard ~ the
"oF.- does not happen TO want his
''.''2 - his price he roundly abuses
me World instead Of taking steps TO
i''N' ne world buy Ct a higher price.
cotton l. used throughout ali the
year but II is sold by the
"1'A.n three months: IL Is simply
o-hQt1 on the market whether or no,
me H-'ket is hungry. II the marke,
positively refuses TO buy. then the
grower a little dehantly. saws. Take
my cotton or | will starve' The United
states has teco-ne accustomed TO dis
Tres ir the South and there is a dis
'nct feeling among all business men
thai cotton growers ought TO be self
supporting AID not continually Offer
ns 'her bales as a blind beggar Offers
iead pencils on the street corners.
IHe.c : no reasun why this in
trlns!cally valuable product should
no' - Profitable 10 the ROVER the
whole question is a mere matter OF
adapting the supply to h demand
But the grower refuses TO believe SO.
and therefore his agriculture becomes
q SPECIES Of gambling. Within twenty
years cotton has been below 5 cents
6 pound and above 20 cents: thai Is.
III some Years, a crop MAJ he worth
iol! times as much as in other years.
S-ch fluctuations in a staple are un-
lE'ihat.c. they are due solely to the
!eac.ess dumping Of cotton on the
naTke'. Ie-ardless of economic condi-
tons.
LHe reason for this violation Of all
tie principles Of salesmanship are not
iafa 10 ind. The Government taught
the planters 10 grow cotton, but IL has
Lot been able 10 teach them how 20
market IL The farmers know only
enc end If the business: once they
harNe>' Their work Is done. they take
Whatever i offered for the fruit Of
their labors.
The helpless position Of the grower
after harvest is d serious matter from
cotton comes more than a half OF the
Income Of South Carolina. Georgia,
Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas. Ok
lahoma and Texas. The citizens OF
these and the other cotton States do
not know from season to season
whether 81 or 81 is going TO be the
$50 -" NfsfsA At4AblAfs .
Under the present conditions the
tvera, farmer must sell at once. re-
gardless of the market, because his
only asset is a fen bales OF cotton.
Before the civil war the cotton grower
was a big planter, fully able to take
care Of himself from season 10 season.
To-da the cotton grower is "A small
holder or a enant The average
plantation in Georgia in 1850 had ass
acres. the average to-day Is only II
acres. The average production per
grower Is only eight and a half bales
and many farmers raise only three or
four bales.
These little men are always in
u'p,, they run into debt for hog and
l.m.ny' year after year; they stake
th'.r all on a good crop OF cotton.
. ,ung AT a good price. The ripe cot
tn BELONGS 10 pressing creditors. First
comes the landlord, then the man from
Nagm me mule was hired, and finally
i.e s~tJrekeeper.
The cotton must he sold 10 pay
creditors. and il would almost seem
tae, II * sold 70 the lowest bidder.
Hore than So per cent. turns over
within ninety days from the beginning
~ harvest. With the offerings com
i'g on all at once and the sellers anx-
!nls For money, II stands 10 reason that
'he seller Is at the mercy o, the mar
ket
II these growers would take counsel
ard plant other crops In addition 10