The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-03-10
]. |. M'lAuRln THE SPEAKER
STATE WAREHOUSE COMMITS
SlONER TELLS OF COTTON
WAREHOUSE SYSTEM.
Talks for Hour and Half to About
Fifty Farmers and Business Men.
Showing Weakness I'm Present Sys-
tenn and Need of warehousing All
Over che south.
From The Daily Item. March 5.

-.
John l.. McLaurin. warehouse com
missioner OF the South Carolina State
Cotton warehouse system. spoke for
an hour and half today to an aud
ience OF about ffty farmers and bus
iness men. who listened with attention
while he told his story of the State
81 warehouse system. what 1t was doing
and proposed to do and the need of
warehouse facilities throughout the
entire South so that minimum price
could be fixed for cotton and all staple
held until II brought the desired mar
ket price. Incidentally Mr.. McIaurin
told how the national government
had failed to come to the aid OF the
farmer last fall. when aid was so
badly needed. and how what help IL
had offered had been rendered in the
wrong way through a misconception
OF the needs OF the cotton farmer.
Commissioner McIaurin says that
nc has had his belly full" of politics
and that ne will not again enter
them. He referred TO the quantity of
abuse which had been heaped upon
him, saying that he had been more
abused probably than any other man
In the State except Senator Tillman.
he believe that Tillman had been more
abused, but at the same time he. Nc
Iaurin. had a thinner skin and the
abuse had hurt. he knew how 1t hurt
no matter how brave a front he put
up.
Mr.. McLAurin commenced by tell
ing the story OF the warehouse sys-
tenn. saying that II was n Farmers
Union measure and was not a pet bill
drawn up by himself. He stated that
the original bill drawn up by himself
and Il. w. Dabbs should have been
passed. but was not, and later an
other bill was. which did not give
the authority OF have the same effect
as the original bill. The bill had
been much abused and criticised. as
well as himself. and IL had been near
iy killed at the last session OF the
general assembly and probably would
have been killed. save for the fact that
he threatened to expose the opponents
of measure throughout the state in
s'iring their defeat IL they offered for
reelection. II they did not bet the bill
alone. He stated that the power
asked for By him % negotiate sales
direct with spinners had been grant
ed him. but he had not been given
any fund for making these negotia-
tlons.
The speaker referred to the form
er standard warehouses and their
methods Of warehousing cotton, sub
stituting cotton for cotton. in the de-
livery to the storer. lie stated that
by having the States backing he had
been able To get insurance cheaper
and he had thus paved a way for
cheaper storing OF cotton under the
state warehouse system than under
the standard warehouse system, so
that the private warehouse could not
successfully compete with State
warehouse. THE cotton crop OF the
SOUTH" ne said. "is the corner stone
of International finance and i'm order
that the Southern farmers can derive
the greatest amount OF benefit from
their crop. cotton must be changed
from a commercial commodity TO a
negotiable security" plan which
could be effected by judicious use Of
the warehouse system and getting
the government to lend money direct
on warehouse certificates.
The currency law came in for a
share of criticism from the speaker.
who stated that u was wrong I'm the
method OF dealing with the farmers.
IL confscatcd their credits and turned
them over to the banks. making the
farmers furnish both the credit and
cdlaterala Ile stated that the banks
had not dealt fairly with the national
government. when they took the mon
ey which was loaned them without
Interest and at cheap rates OF interest
last fall and used this money in pay
Ink their New York loans. when New
York was holding all the money il
had and calling It's loans to injure
other parts OF the country. so that it
could show and hold it's supremacy
Hs the money center OF the country.
The Washington officials showed that
they did not understand the cotton
situation in the South when they took
up the Wade loan plan. which any
one could zee was bound Ia end I'm
failure.
The commissioner recommended
the organization of bank by the