Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-29
COTTON PRICE-FIXING
MAY BRING ON FIGHT
GeorgianS and South Caro-
linianS in Congress Will
OIunu ny dIIIl6IS

" AShlNtE los. jan -o.--l 'rlCe-llNlnS
uu cotton and uincr stable productions
- one vI tau IMPORTANT features which
must suOn re reached. and wnIIe MEM
GERS OF both the house ami senate prefer
10 say little regarding the matter until
the rIgnI umc comes, from what -
learned they fear cotton may come
under the ban. There are two prIncl-
pal reasons Tor this belief. II Is not
concealed, or can be concealed any lon
ser as il has been in the past, that
northern democrats Will insist mat II
steel. iron and other prOducJs DC handled
hereafter with maximum price nNed
by the government, that cotton share
the same fate. As a matter of fact
this situation does not pertain entirely
10 northern democrats. There are demo-
Gratis also from the south who, when
this subject was nrst brought up some
time ago, came out with the state
ment that southern farmers should not
be exempt from price-ixing, one OF the
wars burdens, while people elsewhere
producing other things, feel its heavy
hand
In addition TO this, from a purely po-
htical standpoint. there is no denying
the fact that the friction in congress
over operations of the war department,
the Chamberlain letter from the presi-
dent, and the visit of former President
Roosevelt to Washington, have stirred
the O. o. P. to a point where they are
ready to fight for anything which will
give them an opportunity of making adj
vance in the next congressional cleo
lions. Whether or not they progress is
another matter. but they are in lighting
mood and will oppose cotton or any
other interests if it appears to be to
their advantaAs to do it.
Fortunately Tor the cotton growers
there are several members of congress.
among them Senator Hoke Smith, of
Georgia and Senator +. ID. Smith, Of
South Carolina who will stand by them
10 the end, IL is known that there will
be no halfway measures with them
when il comes TO action on this ques-
ton. They have always been cotton
men from the ground up. and they say
they are ready now to urge the fight Il
a fight il must be.
With the Georgia and the South Caro-
lima senators will be arraigned enough
votes in the senate possibly to prevent
cotton-ixing plan, but the damage
will come in the house. where there is
always an unruly element more or less
hostile. 70 the souths best interests. To
stem this tide Georgia and South Caro-
lima would again stand side by side, in
asmuch as South Carolina has Congress
man Lever. raised in the sand hills CT
Lexington county, as chairman of the
house agricultural committee, and Geor-
gia has Representative Gordom Lee as
his confidential aid.
Naturally, as chairman of this impor-
tant committee, Mr.. Lever is reluctant
to state his position before time for ac-
ton comes 1t might embarrass him
to do so. not only with regard to cotton
but other products as well. Therefore
he is saying little. but IT may be as
sumed from all existing facts that he
will stand by the cotton growers.
There are others who will be in &C
ton and oppose price fixing for cotton.
but the four mentioned, because Of the
positions they occupy, will be expected
to be in the vanguard of protection.