The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-11-20
MUST HOLD COTTON.

GROWERS CREATE CENTRAL
BODY TO DIRECT HOLDING
MOVEMENT.
Hundreds of Representative Citizens
Come to Columbia for Conference
Senator Smith Gives Interesting
Data on Cotton Supply Available.
Columbia, Nov. 18.-Cotton growers
from every section of South Carolina
| in conference in Columbia yesterday
pledged themselves to hold the crop
! off the market until the staple is SELL
! ing at 35 cents a pound, middling ba'
sis.
j A resolution was also adopted, au-
thorizing the executive committee OF
the State Farmers Union to call on
President Wilson to abolish at once
the two boards dealing with cotton OF
which Brand and Page are chalrmen.
This committee was also authorized
to call on Chairman Brand of the cot
/ ton purchasing committee to fur
nish the names of the parties in the
South who sold cotton short the last
| few weeks, thereby causing SUCH
disastrous slump in the cotton mark
ct.
To provide the machinery with
which to carry into effect the aims OF
the growers. a central committee Oh
Is was created. This committee is
authorized ''to study the cotton sit
uation, to establish and maintain CO.
operative action with other cotton
States, to advise farmers and other
allied interests as to what steps to
take to secure the best possible prices
for the 1918 crop and as to cotton anc
food production for 1919 and to o.
ganize the farmers and their allied
interests for their mutual protection .
Eight members of the committee
are named in the resolution. These
are to select seven others and there
are to be on the committee eight bona
fide farmers Each congressional dis
trict is to have representation. The
eight named in the resolution are:
Governor Manning, A. c., Summers.
commissioner of agriculture; DR.. w.
NJ. Riggs, president of Clemson Col
lege; w. w. Long, Capt. j. H. Claffy,
president of the State Farmers I'm
ion; w G.. Smith, State warehouse
commissioner; ]. Skottowe Wanna
maker, president of the South Caro-
lima Bankers Association, and V. M.
Montgomery, president of the South
Carolina Manufactu Association.
The meeting was unusually well
attended, there being approximately
$50 farmers from all parts of the
State, all good substantial citizens,
vita!ly interested in the present status
of the cotton market. The meeting
was called at noon in the library at
the State capitol, but the crowd
could not be accommodated IN this
room and the meeting was adjourn
ed to the court house.
Governor Manning called the con-
yention to order and referred to the
urgent necessity of those interested
in and dependent upon cotton to
meet and deliberate calmly. He had
inaugurated the movement for the
Atlanta conference when the holding
movement was initiated, and he felt
that there should be a well defined
movement in South Carolina to keep
the cotton off the market in this cri-
sis. Dr. Wade Stackhouse nominated
w. G. Smith. warehouse commission
er, permanent chairman Of the con-
yention. William Banks was elected
secretary.
D. R. Coker then introduced the
resolution embodying the sentiment
of the convention, which resolution
was thoroughly debated before being
finally adopted,
Capt. ]. H. Claffy Of Orangeburg,
president of the State Farmers I'm
ion, seconded the resolution and en-
phasized the importance of the rep
resentatives going back home and or
ganized local unions. If the State
We're we'll organized at this time, the
unions would afford the necessary
medium for getting before the farm
ers the holding movement.
R. A.. Mixson of Barnwell opposed
! the resolution, arguing that it was
too mild. Later in the day he offered
a subst tute resolution, which was
| tabled
Senator E. D. Smith made the chief
talk, reviewing in it's various ramifl-
cations the complicated problem OF
marketing cotton. He presented an
array of statistics to show that over
production was not the cause OF the
recent slump in the market. He call
ed on the members of the convention
to demand of Barney Baruch. char
man of the war industries board, ana
Brand, chairman Of the cotton pur-
chasing committee, to advise by whom
prders were issued to sell 6O0,ooo
bales of cotton two weeks ago. Dur
ing last three years only 34,ooo,ooo
bales have been produced, while 4l.-
900, 900 bales have been consumed
With such facts staring the people in
the face something was wrong. When
the war came we had big crop to
market and the price broke. Now
when peace comes we have little
crop to market and again the price
| had been