The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-14
IIEFLIN URGES PASSAGE OF
 WAREHOUSE BILL AT ONCE
Congressman Calls State Soon Ward Against Danger Losing Cotton Production Through Destructive Prices
 Gives Interesting Statement
By HUGH w. ROBERTS

of the United States. In times of peace the spinner wants to buy cotton as eneaply as he can and the producer wishes to sell it for the best price pos sible. Now Great Britain is ask ed by her cotton spinners to use an imple
 ment of war to do a thing that will aid them in obtaining cotton at a low prlce and this government cannot af- lord to permit such an outrageous pol icy to succeed. We should promptly
 notify Great Britain that if she does make cotton contraband of war that We. will retaliate by refusing to sell tc her supplies of any kind If this course Is not pursued then this gov ernment must meet conditions produced by war and do the extraordinary thing or helping to provide ways and means to keep this crop off the market until prices are satisfactory.
 If Great Britain does put cotton on the contraband list after declaring Iii 1909 that cotton never should be
 made contraband of war I believe that
 President Wilson will see to it that
 government aid is had in some form
 to help the producer through a crisis created by the action of the govern
 ment of Great Britain.
 Prompt Action Necessary
 Something will be done by the peo-
 pie of the south. assisted by the gov ernment, to prevent the sacrifice Of this crop by destructive prices. I un- derstand that Germany. where Amer can cotton is now worth 31 cents round. wishes to buy considerable amount of American cotton and store 1t in the warehouses of the United States. The legislature ought to en- act at the earliest day possible ware house measure. so that the warehouses of the state can begin at once to op- crate under the new system. The for l lt,,x. ,-& !. H. of this crop off the market. He must be helped to sell his cotton sparingly
 so as to keep the market keen and
 hungry In order to do this those who
 can should keep their cotton at home and those who must have money on
 their cotton should borrow on their
 warehouse receipts, but In order to be
 able to do this we must have ware
 house facilities, Merchants and bank
 CTS who have aided the farmer in mak- ing this cotton crop must now rally to
 his support and help him to market 1t to the very-best advantage. By intel ligent cooperation between merchant
 banker and farmer this cotton crop can be sold for more than 12 cents
 per pound. The crop is small The consumption of cotton is greater than
 ever before and the visible supply of
 old cotton is smaller than last year
 In spite of British interference with
 the shipments of cotton. the consump-
 tive demand abroad has been so great
 that we have already shipped the for
 elgn nations nearly as much cotton as
 We did up to this time last year l
 think that the prospects for good
 prices are bright. Let every man who lcves the south contribute toward her prosperity by rendering assistance in
 every way nossible to the cotton pro
 ducer in the coming selling season
 and let the farmer resolve that he
 Will not sell except for fair price and living profit. This can be done by united action"