The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-11-27
w WarehOuse Room Is
The Great Need
Adequate Storage Facilities
Must Be Provided If Cotton
is to Be Held.

At no time since the creation of
,, the State warehouse system has there
been such a demand for warehouses
IN which farmers wish to place their
cotton. 1t is not question whether
the farmers will or will not store
their cotton, w. G. Smith, State ware
house commissioner says, but rather
one OF suitable buildings for storage"
More cotton is now in storage than
ever before and throughout the State
every building available is being con-
verted into cotton warehouse. The
State warehouse Offices Will be glad
to furnish simple rules for the con-
structlon of these warehouses, which
will comply with insurance regula-
tions. A very cheap rate of insur-
ance can be supplied, and with ware
house receipts, reasonable amount
OF money may be borrowed on the re-
ceipts, while the farmer is holding for
higher prices. The following state
ment was made yesterday by Mr.
Smith:
Beyond question the cotton pro
ducers of South Carolina are deter
mined to hold their cotton until they
secure satisfactory price, and have
decided that this price must not be
less than 35c pound. More cot
ton has been stored up to this date
than ever before in the history of the
State warehouse system, and every
building that is available for ware
house purposes is being utilized by
the farmers in the various counties. 1t
is not question whether the farmers
will store their cotton, but rather Of
suitable buildings for storage. Dur
ing the past two weeks individual
farmers have been building ware
houses and hope to have these in op
Grafton not later than November rs.
At the same towns where cotton IS
now marketed warehouses should be
built at once. Such houses can be
cleaply constructed, the sides and
ends wood, planked up and down with
strip to cover the seam, dirt floor,
and metal Or composition roof. This
ments for the insurance Of ware
houses in the country districts and on
farms, and at very reasonable rates.
The bankers and business men are
aiding the farmers in every way pos
sib!e, and South Carolina producers
seem determined to fight the specula-
tors and market manipulators to the
end. There is no valid reason for the
recent decline in the price of cotton,
and those responsible for this depres-
sion in prices should be made to suf-
fer the consequence of their illegal
acts.
'This office is using every effort to
meet the farmers requirements, and
is cooperating with the Cotton Mar
keting Clubs, which have recently
been oragnized in about 80 counties
in the State, in grading and stapllns
cotton for the members, free of all
cost. This grading of cotton by the
official grader, furnished by the bu-
reau of markets, enables the members
of these marketing clubs to sell their
cotton on grade and staple and to
realize highest market prices. The
other Is counties in the State will be
visited early in December and COM
munity marketing clubs formed. There
should be at least one club or5anlZ-
ed in every community where there is
a warehouse in operation. The South
Carolina Cotton Marketing Organiza-
ton is determined to try to hold up
the price of cotton during this season,
and the prospect is that there will be
about $50 clubs in the State. I wish
to urge the farmers in the State to
place their cotton in warehouses and
protect it against country damage
against loss of exposure to weather
and fire. Let every interest in the
State that is friendly to the farmer
teade~ wholehearted cooperation al
this critical time and the battle viii
be won"