The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1919-09-11
MIR. MLAURIN'S VIEWS.
Agrees With Capt. Claffy on Cotton
Seed Situation.

; Seed Situation.
To the Editor of the News and COu-
rier: l thoroughly agreee with Capt.
I Claffy in his open letter expressing
dissatisfaction with the cotton seed
situation. l think, however, that the
real motive inspiring the mills is not
so much the price of seed as the de-
termination to get rid of independent
buyers and absolutely control the cot
ton seed market. The conference is
camouflaged behind price fixing"
The object of the mills is 10 eliminate
the independent buyer and then they
can parcel out territory and control
price of both seed and meal.
1t is the independent buyer who in
jects life into the seed market. Cut
him out and you destroy all competi-
tion, leaving the farmer at the mercy
of the mills, who will fix the price OF
his seed and give him no voice in Tx
ing the price of their meal. 1t means
an immediate return to the conditions
of last winter, when there was no
market for car seed. The mills will
speed up their ginneries, which, to-
gether with wagon seed. will enable
them to run at SO less than car lois.
We sell many seed TO mills outside Of
the State; these will be forced to with
draw or enter into this 'Sentleman's
agreement" The farmer does not
keep posted on the products OF seed;
the independent buyer does, and for
that reason is "thorn in the flesh. y
If the price fixing committee does not
remain in constant session, how can
it make accurate and prompt changes
in prices?
If the price on seeed products ad-
vances the mills can buy seeed at pre-
vailing prices. If, 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 joker in the d
who put him there? What the far
mer needs is competitive market,
not a few self constituted guardians.
| know of one firm OF independent
buyers who have already contracted
for seed and placed them with mill
at $83.33 per ton. If this Independent
mill can pay S1.25 per bushei what
about the Oil Mill Trust? If this
mill has sold for future delivery its
products on the above basis is it not
fair to presume that other mills
have done the same thing? The gov
ernment fixed the contract price last
year at $1O2 per bushel for SEED
and s53.25 per ton for meal. Now
is it not a fact that as soon as the
government restrictions were remov-
ed meal was advanced to $65 per ton
while there was no advance in the
price Of the seed?
Furthermore, why did this confer
ence fix the price of seed and leave
the price of meal unfixed?
!, Pardon a few post-bellum reflec-
tions. There is now in progress q con-
solidation of manufacturing indus
tries on a scale never known before.
If unchecked this will pile up un-
dreamed of wealth, to the preJudlce
OF the producer and the consumer
The interest on tremendous war debts
must be paid by labor and the pro-
duction of raw material. Labor Il
organized and can protect itself. Ihe
producer of raw material is unor
ganized and at the mercy of both cap
ital and labor. | lost faith twenty
years ago in the effectiveness or vol
.untary organizations for farmers. IL
lacks the cohesive force. / advocat-
ed the State warehouse system III
South Carolina and l believe that the
farmers in every agricultural state
should seize the reins of political
power and protect themselves
through their State Government.
What chances have the unorSanized
and ignorant, scattered through rural
districts, against corporate greed,
backed by unlimited capital and eX'
pert financial strategy. Look at the
price of cotton as an illustration. The
principles upon which the State
warehouse system is founded is the
soution of the problem. They have
side-tracked it, but the farmers will
be taught by distress; they learn
naught from prosperity. When they
are educated to go to the ballot-boN
and establish for themselves through
their State Government comprehen-
sive 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.
Bennettsville, Sept. 8.