The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1916-02-03
Number 80
A Letter From
Joel III. Miller

communication from anyIfarf1i-
er in this county, if you twill
permit T will make a break
for 1916, and bring to mind
few things that have passed and
some at present and also some
on the Goth ult., at which [ was
requested to be present, among .
representatives of the State Far y
mers Union, and other interest
ed farmers of the state, who
met on above date at Columbia.
The object of the meeting was
to draft some bills for the better
ment of the farmers of this
state. Now as space forbids, I
will not give particulars, butwill
say that if the farmers don't
ask for what they want and
need they will never get it. 4
At present we have state
warehouse system that has been
in operation for about Ia months
and during this time III bonded
warehouses have been built with
several thousand bales stored in
them and many far ners are us
inc warehouse certificates to
draw money on at S or & per
cent. Also the insurance has
been reduced from more than
So. 90 per bale to $3.50. Besides
this the cotton is kept from the
spinner. The state is guaran-
teeing the grade and weight.
Texas has nearly the same
system Of warehouses as this
state and are now arranging to
sell to Germany 100000 bales
at 27c. Our Warehouse Com
missioner, Hon. Jno. l.. McLau-
rim, informed me that he had
been offered Csc. for a large quan-
tity Of cotton by Germany thro'
the Ambassador butiMr. McLau-
rim had hesitated on account Of
the war conditions and the in
fancy Of the warehouse system.
| 1t is my belief that very soon
all the cotton states will have
this same system which was so
badly wanted twenty years ago.
The past causes the farmer to
be greatly distressed when he
reflects on being robbed Of from
$50 to $40 per bale or more than
500, 600, 600 on our cotton in this
state in 1914. Had we been in
proper condition this loss would
not have been.
| Twenty-siX years ago the Far
mers's Alliance demanded the
Sub Treasury and haven't got
it yet. Up to the present time
there have been over one hun
dred rural credit bills introduced
in the Federal Congress. The
warehouse system of this state
Iand Texas and the proper Rural
credit combined is the Sub, Treas
urv in full.
Some Of the things we want in
the way Of legislation is a sim
plified or common sense Rural
credit system that will be of
fbenefit to all, both tenant as
we'll as landlord. We want our
Legislature to staniardize the
grading of cotton in conformity
to the laws on the same subject
passed bv CONGRESS-. By doing
this everybody will get the same
for their cotton. AS It is now \
from 81 .25 to SIS. 90 is lost on each
bale by undergrading. Just
think Of the farmers of this
state losing from a million to
two million dollars in one year
by undergrading!
This is nothing less than open
daylight robbery Of the cotton
growers for no other reason than
because we have>no laws for our
protection.
| Now let us get together and
see why we are not protected
from such condition. IF the
present Legislature now in ses.
sion, does not do something to
help us we will remember them
when it comes to the polls to
select their Successors.
i Z Now, in conclusion, will add.
, that the farmers Of Pickens Go.
are called to meet at Pickens G.
H.. on the 10Th day Of February
at III O'Clock and at Easley at 3
p. M, on same day. In addi-
tlon to the Rural credit system
: and warehouse, the fertilizer
question will be ably discussed,
also the advisability of reorgan-
izing the Farmers Union.