The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-11-27
FARMERS WANT
QUICK ACTION
Cotton Holding Com
mittee Will Meet
Wednesday
Manager of Orangeburg Mar
keting Association Suggests
Plan for Financing Farmers
and Holding Cotton Off the
Market.

Market.
Columbia, Nov 25.-A meeting of
the committee of Is on the cotton
holding movement in South Carolina
will be held in the Office of Governor
Manning Wednesday morning at $50
o'clock, at which time the governor
will give a report of his efforts IN
Washington Friday and Saturday to
ascertain just what procedure Will be
necessary to have the cotton commit
tees in the national capital, which in
fuence the cotton market, abolished
at once Governor Manning was in
slructed by the committee at its meet
ing last Thursday to go to Washing
ton for this purpose. He returned to
Columbia yesterday.
The committee is also asking for g
definite statement from the Washing
ton authorities if they intend to fix
the prices of either cotton or cotton
goods.
Several hundred farmers OF the
State met in Columbia last Monday
and pledged themselves to hold their
cotton until the price advanced to 3;
cents middling basis. Simultaneous
ly a central committee of Is was ere
ated to direct the movement. The
committee met again last Thursday
and directed several agencies 20 help
in carrying the message to the farm
ers. The agencies which are to help
in the movement are the State Coun-
| ell of Defense, the State Farmers In
! ion, the extension forces OF Clemson
| College and the department Of agri-
culture
The personnel of the central COM
mittee are: Gov. Manning, chairman:
A. C. Summers. commissioner of ag-
riculture; w CT. Smith, State ware
house commissioner; Capt. J. Fl
Claffy, president of the State Farm
ers' Union; w. NJ. Riggs. president
/ Of Clemson College: ". w. Long, di-
rector of farm extension forces o.
Clemson College; J. Skottowe Wan
namaker, president Of State Bankers
Association; V. NJ. Montgomery, pres
| ident Of South Carolina Manufac-
! turers' Association; D. r. Coker.
i1artsville; Paul Sanders. Ritter; W.
| I. Johns, AlIendale; DR.. w. C. Brown
NcwbeSry; J. D. Harris. Greenvll1e;
G. a. Sheriff., Cheraw; a. j. A. Per-
ritt. Lamar, and E. w. Dabbs, Msyes-
vile.
In connection with the holding
movement, John F. Blanche. 1nanag-
er OF the Farmers Cooperative Mar
! keting Association Of Oranseburg
has submitted to the committee :
plan for q $5,G00,000 corporation t.
| finance the farmers, which plan, he
says, is applicable to every Southern
State. He explains the plan as fol
! lows:
My plan is that there be formed {;
stock company with capital o.
s.. 900. eco. divided into $4,000 share:
of the par value OF 500 each, ane
! t;l;.t this capital be raised by selling
the stock among the farmers and
! business men throughout each coun
", who are interested in sustaining
the price Of cotton. If the farmers
who have cotton, and those over the
entire State. who are vitality interested
in stahili5ing the price Of cotton
would each subscri e for a few shares
in proportion to II respective inter
ests. there should be no trouble ir
raising this amount OF cash capital
formed for the purpose of assistins
and financing the holders Of cotton
together with the borrowing capacity
Of such large corporation, in my
opinion. would prove factor of yer,
great strength.
THE proposed capital stock of S5.-
O0O,0 900 will only amount to about 81
per bale for all Of the cotton raised
in South Carolina, and with the mar
let fuctuation of more than this
amount per day at times, it seems tf
me that all of our farmers should b
willing to invest this amount in ar
undertaking which would have such
vital influence upon not only thei'
personal welfare but upon the fnan-
cial strength of the entire South.
The people OF South Carolina have
already invested in Liberty Bonds
about $SO,0O0,C00 and have purchased
1T least $4,000, 900 worth Of war saw
inSs stamps. and III addition lacss
amounts have been raised for all the
other undertakings connected with
the war matters. I only mention this
fact to emphasize that after all, in
view of the wealth and financial re-
sources of South Carolina. it is not
such big thing to undertake g cor
poration with capital Of $4,000, 900.
We have all learned within the last
year or two to think and deal in sum:
of large figures"