The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-09-23
MR.. B. C.. MATHEWS TELLS
OF NEW ORLEANS CONVENTION
Tells Interestingly of the. Work of
the Cotton Convention-Cotton
Growers Unanimous and
Determined.

ne leEdlu dllu NEWS caohSu NIL
B. C. Matthews who attended the
New Orleans Cotton Convention
something of the work done and his
| impressions of the results. He is
very much interested in the cotton
situation and is doing everything that
he can to help the cotton growers to
get fair price for their cotton, and
was largely instrumental in the steps
that are being taken to organize the
local association to take care of the
distress cotton.
He was very strongly impressed
with the determination OF the dele
gates present at the convention to
win the fight, and says that partic-
ularly in Texas, as stated by the del
egates, will a strong effort be made
to hold cotton for the minimum price
suggested by the convention. He
mentions Texas especially on account
of the fact that this State grows so
much more cotton than any Of the
cotton growing states.
In response to our request for a
statement of his impressions of the
work done Mr.. Matthews said:
AS delegate along with county
chairman, Joesph L. Keitt, who at
tended the American Cotton Associ-
alton recently held in New Orleans
on the 9th and 9th of this month, we
found every cotton growing state in
the South fully represented. We
were addressed by Senator Hoke
Smith of Georgia, Senator Ed Smith,
of South Carolina, and Congressman
Heflin, of Alabama, besides others
not necessary to mention. We were
told by these gentlemen that every
port in the world was wide open; that
there were plenty of ships to export
cotton, and it was up to the pro-
ducers themselves to fix minimum
! price for their cotton; furthermore,
Germany has already received one
hundred and fifty thousand bales OF
cotton during the last six weeks, and
they were using linters to make what
some people call silk. This shows the
wonderful resourcefulness of these
people. It also shows the further
anxiety of these people for the great
commodity which we have in the
South
do not think l have ever seen a
more determined body of men than
we found at this convention They
all stated unhesitatingly that the cot
ton crop in their respective states
was particularly poor and they were
very anxious to cooperate with every
other state to secure. minimum
price. It was finally agreed that
each county should form it's own or
ganization as a part of the State or
ganization. All of this was agreed
upon after having had personal in
terviews with the various and sun
dry representatives from the cotton
growing states and not from any
speech making.
All Of the delegates were very anx-
ious indeed to find out what the at
titude of Texas would be, and we
were told by the Texas delegates that
we might rely upon them absolutely
to cooperate with us and hold their
! cotton for the minimum price, and
we are today informed that good
work is going on rapidly in Texas.
! We realize there would be a GER
tain amount of what is termed dis
tress cotton trown upon the
| market and to be able to- take care
of this distress cotton it was agreed
that each county would organize with
suffice Mt capital to take care of this
distress cotton. Numbers of coun-
ties in South Carolina have already
organized and others are being Or
ganized, not only in South Carolina
but in every county in the cotton
growing states.
Following up this plan, Newberry
county had meeting on Thursday,
the 18th, at which time it was agreed
to Immediately apply to the Secre-
tary of State for a charter to organ
ize corporation with a capital of
s15O,O0O with the privilege of in
creasing it to 100000, par value
$40 per share, and as soon as the
commission is received we will i'm
mediately open books for subscrip-
i .I hot