The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-05-23
SUMTER COTTON MARKET.
steps Necessary to BE Taken to Secure
Government Cotton Grader.

When Hon. John L. McIaurin spoke
In sumter last month to mass
meeting Of. Sumter county citizens
composed of about four hundred
farmers merchants. and bankers, a
resolution was adopted requesting
Congressman A. F. Lever and Mr.. T.
l. Reardon, of Sumter to take steps
TO have the Office Of markets and ru-
raj organization of the United States
Department of Agriculture station a
cotton grader in Sumter during the
1917 cotton selling season as was done
for several months last fall.
Mr.. Charles J. Brand, chief Of the
bureau of marketing has written to
Mr.. Reardon that it is impossible at
this time to say positively whether n
cotton grader can be supplied owing
to amount Of increased activities of
bureau due to the present national
emergency.
Mr.. Brand takes occasion to very
plainly emphasize, however. the part
the cotton growers should play and
will have to play il they wish any
more government classifications Of
their cotton. The value and import
ance Of n cooperative cotton market
ing association is stressed in Mr..
Brands letter as we'll as the i'm
provement and uniformity of cotton
planted.
Mr.. Brand writes in part as follows:
1.-THE work that Mr.. Killingsworth did
during the past season Gin Sumter,
was undertaken without great prep
aration on our part and very little at
tempt was made on the part of the
farmers to form any kind of an organ
ization. Since it is practically impos-
sible for this office 10 deal with the
individual farmers, in such work 1t is
imperative that the farmers should
organize cooperative association
composed Of members who are willing
to assume such responsibilities as are
necessary for effective results. These
should include:
1st. The furnishing Of a suitable
CHASING room with a skylight or win
dow facing from the north. togeth-
er with sample tables and other equip
ment necessary for proper handling
of and CHASING Of cotton.
End. An agreement on the part of
the organization to furnish clerical as
sistance since 1t is impracticable for
for the cotton classcr to do his own
recording.
3rd. The Willingness on the part Of
the farmers to organize and to con-
slider the adoption Of certain bylaws
or articles of agreement which this
office has prepared and which pro-
vide that certain methods of proce-
dure are to be followed. 1t is believ-
ed that this would result in a general
improvement in the handling and
marketing of cotton.
4th. In cooperation with the farm
ers' organization we would be able to
determine and recommend the most
desirable variety of cotton for a par
ticular community; it is believed
that this is one Of the most import
ant improvements that could be made
by the cotton producers. Such an
improvement would eliminate the nu-
merous varieties and miscellaneous
cotton with the resultant wide varia.
tion in quality of both grade ant
staple usually found in a community
and would enable the farmers to
develop reputation for the produc-
ton Of superior cotton. Naturally
this would simplify the marketing
problems and eventually would tend
toward higher prices being paid in the
primary markets.
These are a few of the matters
which demand serious conSideration
il the cotton CHASING work is to pro-
vide a maximum amount Of benefit.
In other words the mere assignment
Of a cotton classer furnishes only
temporary relief, and il permanent
improvement Is to be expected it is
necessary for the farmer to consider
seriously these suggestions.
In any event, however, it is 'prac-
tically impossible for us to make a
definite promise to assign q cotton
man for work at Sumter because Of
the pressure Of other activities caused
by the present international emer-
gency.
Very truly yours.
Charles j. Brand. Chief.