Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1917-06-13
The Stat" Warehouse System,

l'H " oSSIcHl lOI lUc Ola &c
OF South Carolina" was passed at
the extraordinary session of the Ten
cral Assembly in October, 1914. 1t
storing, Grading and Marketing OF
Cotton"
Its purpose was "to protect the peO-
pie Of this state from irrcparable
loss. to provide some general plan for
warchousing, and to finance the crop
by converting cotton into neg0tia-
bio security which will command re-
spcct in the money markets OF the
world.' 1t was designed to cstab-
liSh Il cotton warehouse system
"within the police powers Of the
state and for the general welfare"
| The administration Of the system
wAs placed in the hands OF the State
/: Warehouse Commissioner, who was
elected by the General Assembly for
term Of two years. The Ware
house Commissioner is required to
give "A bond to the State Of Sout h
Carolina in the sum Of 500 to
. guarantee the faithful performance @
Of his duties"
The commissioner is empowered Il
= TO acquire property for the ware
housing Of cotton" and to supewisc G
! the operation OF warehouses through
! bonded managers. The ccttcn store d
, in warehouse connected with the
state warehouse system is at all
times and automatically covered BY
, insurance.
! 'The Warehouse Commissioner l.
shall accept rs authoritative the
standards and classifications Of cot
ton established by the Federal GOV
crnmcnt. For all cotton stored in
state warehouse the commissioner
shall issue Il receipt under the seal
and In the name Of the State Of
South Carolina"
Every bale of cotton stored in a
state warehouse must carry tag
showing that it has been legally
weighed by the manager Of the
warehouse and that it has been grad
cd by "a Federal or State inspector"
i The warehouse receipt issued for the
cotton must state the location Of
warehouse, name OF manager, or
agent Of the warehouse, the mark on
! the bale. weight. grade and whether
, long or short staple, so AS to be able
. to deliver on surrender Of the re-
ceipt the identical cotton for which
! 1t was given. The said receipt car
, ries the absolute title Of the cotton;
the receipt Is transferable by writ
| ten assignment and actual delivery.
The weights. classes and grades of
, cotton on storage are under this
| act only guaranteed by the State in
favor OF those who loan money or
buy cotton stored in warehouses"
Cotton represented by warehouse
| receipt is deliverable only on
physical presentation Of the receipt,
which is to be marked 'cancelled'
when the cotton is taken from the
warehouse
ANY manager or other employee
or State warehouse who shall
fraudulently issue receipt or a du-
pllcate receipt for cotton. or who
shall "deliver cotton from a ware
house without the production of the
receipt therefor. or who fails to mark
such receipt cancelled on the de-
livery Of the cotton" shall be heavily
fined or imprisoned. or both fined
and imprisoned. ANY person who
snail deposit or attempt to deposit
cotton upon which a lien or mort
gage exists. without notifying the
manager OF the warehouse, shall be
punished by fine and Imprisonment
| for period OF not more than one
year, and fine OF not more than one
thousand dollars"
Benefits to Farmers.
Under the unusual conditions
which have prevailed during the past
three years the State warehouse sys-
tom has been subjected to the sever
est tests and has proven success
great blessing to the cotton farm
ers OF South Carolina. The benefits
nave been manifold:
|. The building OF a warehouse in
Il community has aroused the spirit
OF cooperation among the farmers of
that community. Mutual hclDfulness
leads to unsclfish service and to the
actual practice Of the great motto of
agricultural cO-OpcratiOn: "All for
each, and each for ALL"
:. Thc concentration OF all cotton
grown in community in local
warehouse has made ii possible and
easy for the farmers to make COM
hincd sales. selling in hundrnd-ba
lots rather than by single bales or in
small lots.
3. Every bale as it is stored in
state warehouse is illegally weighed
ana carefully graded by Federal or
state INSPECTOR. The owner OF the
cotton is given a warehouse recent
which accurately describes each bale,
so that "the identical cotton can
and must always be delivered upon
| the surrender Of the recent. Thus
the owner can intelligently market
his cotton in and through a Stale
| warehouse and always sell at ton-
| notch prices.
H.. 'rhe said receipt carries the
absolute title OF the cotton" and is
transferable by written assignment
and actual delivery" such receipt