The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1918-07-11
PRICE EIxING-AND COTTON.

TAe recent cotton convention a
New Orleans In which. 1t is learned
sn good authority. very few pro
ducers OF raw cotton were allowed te
participate. discouraged all at.
tempts at price-fixing or acreage re-
ductiOn.
A gentleman from Atlanta whose
name We do not recall at this time
put through a resolution urging the
farmers to warehouse one bale out
Of every three in marketing this
fxil's croD.
1t does not require very vivid
imagination to conjure up a mental
picture OF the cotton spectators
shaking their sides with laughter
every time the so-called New Orleans
cotton convention meets in annual
seesiea-
The plan to retire one bale out of
every three is SO manifestly imprac-
teal that 1t is scarcely worth the
consideration Of sensible men. 1t re-
ntnds one Of those times in the past
when price-fixing was done in con-
vention by voluntary agreement and
then every member Of the conven-
don would 60 back home and sell his
cotton ut what he was offered for it.
We don't know what outside in
duences. IL any. were at work in the
New Orleans convention, but we do
know that SO far as the producer of
raw cotton is concerned the conven-
ton didn't amount to a hill of
beans.
But let US look at the other side
OF the cotton situation: The manu-
facturer knows that 15,OOO,OOO
bale crop means cheap cotton. Very
few manufacturers sell yarns more
than six months ahead. and the great
majority Of contracts sold in the ear
" spring. when cotton was bringing
from 80 to 35 cents a pound, will
have to be filled in the early fall. In
the present uncertain state of the
market yarn contracts cannot be sold
ahead.
The manufacturer was alive to
the situation. and while the New
Orleans convention was passing reso-
iutions expressing its disapproyal
OF any attempt at acreage reduction
or price-fixing a committee of manu-
facturers representing themselves as
cotton foods manufacturers" (what-
ever that may be) was at Washing
ton working with the war industries
board on schedule of prices for
goods
The reductions in the manufactur-
ed article as agreed upon by the
war industries board and the cot
ten foods manufacturers" range
from 20 to 80 per cent as compared
with quoted market prices, which. of
course. means a corresponding re-
duction in the price of raw cotton,
regardless of the cost of production.
This price-fixing agreement. which
30 vitally affects the farmer and in
which the farmer had no voice,
creates new market for the sale
or yarns on future delivery, and
thus the manufacturer has another
period of plain and easy sailing, with
fat profits practically assured until
another change is made.
We do not blame the manufactur-
er for bringing these things to pass.
He is looking out for himself and
expects the producer to do the same
but the question is, when will the
producer awake from his lethargy?
Isn't it time for the man who pro-
duces raw cotton-the man who
tolls IL hours nearly every day in
the y.ear-to begin to look out for
himself. instead of throwing him
self on the mercy of other men of
opposite interests who use him as q
tool to promote their own selfish
aims!
1t is not the purpose OF this article
70 widen the breach between manu-
facturcr and producer Its purpose
to show the producer how he is be-
ing deprived of the fruits of his
labor because he has no organization
because he does not look ahead, be.
cause OF his absolute indifference to
what Is going on around him. A
meeting of farmers-men who live or
the farms and men who live by the
farms-shoHld be held at some cen
tral southern city and committee