The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-12-09
COTTON GRADER TO LEAVE.
EXPERIMENT HAS PROVED A
SUCCESS IN SUMTER IN OPIN-
ION OF MANY FARMERS.
Large Number Have Had Mr.. Xii.
1in2swOrth Grade Their Cotton for
Them-Sumter in Line for Grader
If Leve Cotton Grading Bill is
Passcd-Marketing Bureaus Need
ed Among Farmers.

Summing up the results of the work
of the government cotton grader sta
toned at Sumter Chamber of Com
merce, n who will leave within the
next week, Secretary Reardon of the
Chamber of Commerce states that
Mr.. Killingsworth, the cotton grader,
seems satisfied from whae he has been
told by many farmers, that the grad
or has done the cotton some
good. A number of farmers have
confirmed Mr.. Killingsworth's opin-
ion by direct statements to the secre-
tary.
Government grading is experiment
tai to begin with, and it might be
also stated largely of an investigative
nature carried On by the bureau of
marketing and rural organization.
The marketing Of cotton is not the
only product investigated by this de-
partment. as every other farm pro-
duet, as regards the methods OF
marketing, is under investigation by
the department of agriculture.
h government, as Mr.. Lever
tersely said, has paid great attention.
to teaching the farmers how to pro-
dice more at the least possible cost,
thereby benfitting both producer and
consumer, but unfortunately only un-
til of late has the government paid
any attention to the marketing of
farm products with due regard to the
producers financial interest.
The investigation of the marketing
methods of cotton in South Carolina,
as carried on at Sumter, st. Matthews
and O~rangeburg, has brought about a
lot of information for future use in
the framing of the bill now before
congress to require licensed govern
ment cotton graders, and standard
government grading. Mr.. Lever being
the author of this bill. or joint author
with Senator E. D. Smith.
Just, what the cotton graders sta
toned in this State will report to
the bureau Of marketing after talk
ing with hundreds of South Carolina
cotton producers is hard to say, be-
cause departmental investigation re-
ports are always handed in to head
quarters and given out from there.
The lack of cooperative marketing
associations in Sumter and Orange
burg counties. with selling agencies
such as the overnment graders found
in Oklahoma, Texas, and other cot
ton growing States. Of course, oper-
ates against getting results from the
government grading in this State.
There is nothing to compel a cot
ton buyer to accept a government cot
ton graders grading, as yet. So, of
course some local buyers accepted
Mr.. Killingsworth's grades, while 9TH
ers did not. The fact, however, that
some did accept his grading placed
the Sumter market on a more or less
competitive basis. and the cotton sell
lers who had government grading
could demand that their cotton be
purchased on grades as the grades
were actually determined, and not on
an average basis.
There was not that cooperative in
terest On the part Of the masses of
the cotton growers that there should
have been, due largely to the fact,
no doubt, that most Of the small cot
ton farmers had marketed their cot
ton before Mr.. Killingsworth arrived
in Sumter. But just the same the
government has investigated the com-
plants Of under-grading in this State,
the government graders know a. lot
about whether the cotton was un-
der-graded or not, and The depart
ment of marketing will submit to
congress through the reports of the
graders much information bearing on
the matter.
What Sumter county needs most is
cooperative marketing bureaus and
more interest among the farmers in
the systematic and intelligent mar
keting Of their products. Producers
and consumers alike will benefit by
such intelligent marketing.
A number Of farmers have inform
ed Mr.. Killingsworth that they intend
to ask the government to send him
back here next fall. They claim
hey have been benefited financially.
The Sumter Chamber of Commerce
has complied with the wishes of the
farmers for a government cotton
grader by having n stationed Ill
Sumter, through courtesy Of Con-
sressman Lever. It is up to the
farmers now to show whether they