Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-09-26
FOR AN OPEN MARKET.
Farmers Oppose Any Agreement With
. Oil Men.

Farmers Oppose Any Agreement With
Oil Men.
Farmers meeting in Columbia Tues
day at the call of B. Harris, commits
sioncr Of agriculture passed resolu-
tions expressing favor of an open
market for cotton seed in South Caro-
lima and calling upon farmers of the
state to hold their cotton seed until
the market reaches S72 per ton during
September, SIS during October, SIS
during November and sS1 during De-
ccmbcr. There were number of oil
mill men attendant upon the hearing
but the farmers did not lose much
time in letting them know that their
presence was not exactly desired.
The main features of the meeting
were the outspokcn opposition to
making any sort of an agreement with
the oil mill interests and the desire for
an open market with all encourage
mcnt possible for competition. When
the matter Of setting q minimum fig
ure for seed came up for discussion,
there was a diversity of opinion, some
expressing Aahe hope that definite
price would Be fixed, others holding
that such a reurse would be unwise.
Finally it Vas decided to urge all
farmers to ask not less than s72 for
seed during the present month with
a sliding scale for the remaining fall
months.
Two meetings were held. The first
convened at noon and was called to
order by B. Harris, commissioner of
agriculture, who stated that the vio-
lent fluctuations of the seed market
had caused c6nsidcrable uneasiness
.amopz., ,Sarmeks. = lie said That the
meeting was called for the purpose of
considering the seed market situation
and to devise some plan by which
better prices could be obtained. ]. Fl.
Claffy of Orangeburg, president of the
farmers union, moved that the farm
ers hold meeting to consider the Sit
uation and that an adjourned meeting
be held at o'clock when the result
of the deliberations of the farmers
might be made known at joint meet
ing of farmers and oil mill men. This
motion was carried and oil mill men
left the hall.
Adopt Resolutions.
When the meeting re-asscmbled, the
two resolutions were read. The first
was drawn up by a committee of farm
ers and was adopted at the farmers
meeting. 1t follows:
Resolved, That this meeting of
farmers is in favor of an open mar
ket for the sale of cotton seed this
season and that we all agree to return
home and encourage our farmer
friends and neighbors to hold cotton
seed until the market reaches price
of S72 per ton for the month Of Sep
tcmber, SIS per ton for October, $gS
for November and $S1 for December"
At the joint meeting the following
resolution was also submitted and
adopted:
Whereas, the farmers Of the state,
after trying out the Alabama plan of
marketing cotton seed, have expressed
Il preference to return to prc-war con-
ditions and have free and open mar
ket.
"Bc it resolved, That the present
plan of marketing cotton seed, known
as the Alabama plan, whereby a fair
price would be named from time to
time by a fair price committee, be
abandoned forthwith and that we re-
turn to the pre-war marketing
methods.
THAT the thanks of all parties he,
and are hereby rendered to b. Harris,
commissioner of agriculture, for his
fair and impartial handling of the
matter"
Captain Claffy, in his speech in favor
of an open market, said, Let the seed
buyers buy the seed. If they are not
worth more than $40 a ton, let them
give that. But we want an open mar
ket with no agreement of any sort
with the oil mills"
J. G.. l.. White of Chester spoke
along u similar line. and was in favor
>of fixing a price. "There is little mois-
ture or gum in seed this year. Let
us tell the mills that our seed Is
worth 800 ton, and if they don't want
to give that, let us put them in the
ground for fertilizer"
l.. ID. Jennings of Sumter made n
brief address in which he expressed
objection to any arrangement with oil
mills and was in favor of an open
market. Several others present spoke
along similar lines, and finally the res
olution asking farmers to cooperate
in attempting to secure S72 per ton
during September was adopted.