The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1919-09-11
TEXAS ASK FIFTY
CENTS FOR COTTON
COMMITTEE NAMED At NEW OR
LEANS TO FIX PRICE.
President Wannamaker Declares that
Cotton is Selling Below
Cost.

New Orleans, Sept. S.-Five hun
dred delegates, representing ten lead
ing cotton States, gathered in the
Grunewald assembly room, hearc
President J. S. Wannamaker open the
meeting of the American Cotton AS
sociation this morning by reading a
personal letter from President VIII
son in which he commended its 'eX-
cellent purpose" and said, Il conf
dently look for helpful results from
it,"
President Wannamaker launched
at once into organization and called
on each State to appoint two mem
bers on several important committees.
Welcoming addresses were made D!
Mayor Behrman, Governor Pleasant,
of Louisiana, and others and in re-
plying in an eloquent address, after
which he was compelled to rise and
respond to continued applause. Thos,
!. Shackelford, OF Athens, Ga, chair
man of the finance committee, de-
clared that whoever solves the PROB
lens of a fair price for cotton has
solved all the problems of the South.
Commissioner of Agriculture, J. j.
Brown, of Georgia, was named b.!
President Wannamaker chairman o.
the committee On recommending a
minimum price for cotton. This COM
mittea will report Tuesday morning
and predictions vary as to the figure
that will be fixed. Georgia delegates
are talking 37I5 cents, while Texas
is shooting as high as so cents. DIS
cussion in this committee is expected
to be quite warm.
Governor Dorsey on Hand.
Governor Hugh NJ. Dorsey and Sen
ator Hoke Smith came in on the
morning train and both were cordial
ly received. Senator Smith, charter
member of the association, spoke at
the afternoon session and gave some
good suggestions in connection with
organization. Governor Dorsey, by
special invitation will preside at all
sessions of the association Tuesday.
In a keynote speech, President
Wannamaker said he proposed to send
a commission direct from this meet
ing to President Wilson to ask him
to call a meeting Of representative
bankers, merchants and producers in
Washington, from all sections of the
country, to devise ways and means
Of extending the needed European
credits to prevent calamity.
This committee, has been named
with John S. Holder, Of Georgia, as
chairman. President Wannamaker
declared cotton is today selling below
= the cost of production, and quoted
figures cost of production, and qout-
ed figures prepared by w. W. Nor
rison, of New Orleans, showing that
it cost 34.56 per pound average, to
grow this seasons crop; and that If
cotton today were selling at the same
relative value as other products, ii
would be bringing 4S.06 cents a
pound. He showed Europe must have
prompt credits 10 avoid calamity and
is willing to take American cotton at
a fair price. The association, he said,
is pushing a bill in Congress to re-
quire the Department of Agriculture
to make periodic reports on acreage
abandonment, as this is vital fac
tor in determining the supply.
Another law sought is to provide
for the designation in the South OF
warehouses OF delivery so that
purchasers of future contracts can
demand delivery at southern ware
houses.
Many letters and kilograms were
read among them being one from P.
H. Fletcher, of Forsyth, Ga, read at
the afternoon session, in which he
said: Cotton is going down every
day. Europe is not able to buy.
will sell half of my cotton through
the American Cotton Association to
foreign spinners on one years cred
it. Get everyone who is able to dc
this and we can whip the fight. The
half we keep at home will be worth
as much as the entire crop"
There were many other kilograms
along similar lines; some declaring
cotton should bring so cents or more
and others suggesting the prompt ex-
change of American cotton for Ger
man potash.
Following Senator Smith this af-
ternoon, speeches were also made b.!
Editor D. D. Moore, of The Times
Picaynne; Col. w. B. Thompson, OF
New Orleans, and Philip c. Wads'
worth, of New York, an authority or
the handling and compression of cot
ton.
A special committee will be SEN
to Washington to confer with w. P
Hardin, chairman of the federal re-
serve board, to take up the matte
of reviving and establishing an eF
port financing corporation to handle
export cotton.