Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-09-16
UNJUST TO PRODUCER, .
Isenator McLaurln Protests Agalns
: Action Of Columbia Conference.


UUmI LItIlUN WILL Ill DhoAhS
II tho Columbia Agreement is Allow.
cd to Stand, According to Former
Senator tho Mills Will be Able to
Divide up the Territory and Have
Things their Own Way.
Editor Yorkville Enquirer:
thoroughly agree with Captain
Claffy in his open letter expressing dis
satisfaction with the cotton seed situa-
ton. / think, however, that the real
motive inspiring the mills is not SO
much the price of seed as the determi-
nation to get rid Of independent buy
ers and absolutely control the cotton
seed market. The conferences Is cam
ouilaged behind price fixing" The OBJ
object of the mills is to eliminate the
independent buyer and then they can
parcel out territory and the control OF
both seed and meal. .i
1t is the independent buyer who IN
jects life into. the seed market; cut
him out and you destroy all competi-
ton. leaving the farmer. at the mercy
of the mills who fix the price of his
seed and give him no voice in fixing
the price Of their meal. 1t means an
immediate return to the conditions OF
last winter. when there was no market
for ear seed. The mills will speed up
their ginneries, which together with
wagon seed, will enable them 70 run at
$500 less than carlots. We sell many
seed to mills outside, ,of the state; these
will be forcedsfo Withdraw or enter. IN
to this "Gentleman's agreement. The
farmer does not keep posted on the
products of seed, the, independent buy
er does. and for that reason IS a thorn
in the tlesh.r If the price :fixing COM
mittee does not remain in constant ses-
sion how can 1t make accurate 'and
prompt changes in prices?
IL the price on seed products ad-
.yances the mills can buy seed at pre-
Mailing pricesSif however. the price OF
products should decline, the mills can
withdraw from the seed market. Does
not this give the mills both ends of the
rope and the middle too? If there is a
Joker in the deck, who put him there?
What the farmer needs is a. competi-
tive market, not q few self-constituted
guardians.
I know of one firm of independent
buyers who have already contracted
for seed and placed them with mill
at ss3.33 per ton. If this independent
mill can pay s1.25 per bushel, what
about the Oil Mill Trust? If this mill
has sold for future delivery its pro-
ducts on the above basis, is it not fair
to presume that other mills have done
the same thinss The government fix
ed the contract price last year at $l.O3
Err bushel for seed and $sS.25 per ton
for meal. Now is it not q fact, that as
soon as the government restrictions
were removed. meal was advanced to
$500 per ton, while there was no ad-
vance in the price of seed?
Furthermore, why did this confer
ence fix the price of seed and leave the
price of meal gnflxed?
Pardon a few post-bellum refec-
tions. There is now in progress a con-
solidation of manufacturing industries
on scale never known before. IL un-
checked, this will pile up undreamed of
wealth to the prejudice of the producer
and the consumer. The interest on
war debts must be paid by
labor and the production of raw mate
rial. Labor orsiss6rganized and can pro-
tect itself. TfA producer of raw ma
terial is unorganized and at the mercy
of both capital and labor. lost faith
twenty years ago in the effectiveness of
organizations for farmers. 1t
lacks the cohesive force. / advocated
the state warehouse system in South
Carolina, and believe that the farm
ers in every agricultural state should
seize the reins of political power and
protect themselves through their state
What chance have the
and ignorant scattered
through rural districts against corpor-
ate greed backed by unlimited capital
and expert financial strategy? Look at
the price of cotton as an illustration.
The principles upon which the state
system is founded, is the So
luton of he-pfoblem: They have side
tracked it, but the farmers will be
taught by distress, they learn naught
from prosperity. When they are edu-
Gated to go to the ballot box and estab-
:sh for themselves through their state
government comprehensive system,
backed by law for the financing and
marketing of their crops, they will
come into their own and not until then.
John L. McLaurin.
ponnettsyille September g. 1919.