Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-10-21
Two Major Groups in Cotton
Industry Brought Closer
Together Fuller CaIIa-
way u. S, Vice President
BY ROGERS WINTER
(The Journals Staff Correspondent

ton industry closer together than
they ever were before and cordially
aware that the foundations laid in
the session here shall not be thrown
aside but shall be made the basis of
a permanent organization for an an
nual conference to bring all inter
ests into thorough cooperation.
Leading British spinners, leE ding
American spinners, leading southern
growers, leading ginners and ware
hoUsemen, as well as leaders of all
Of the groups, today expressed the
opinion that the cotton conference is
likely to bring about results Of the
most far-feaching importance and
the highest benefit.
. Taking the spinners and producers
as the two main groups of the cot
ton conference, the groups repre-
senring what might be termed the
pillars of the arch of the cotton in
dustry. there is no gainsaying the
fact that they have got an under
standing of each other in the meet
ings here that never existed at any
time in the previous history of the
feecy staple. They know each other
better, they understand each others
anxious than ever before to deal di-
rectly with each other, they are more
convinced than ever before that their
interests run parallel with each oth
err and should not conflict. One of
the most significant utterances OF
the whole cotton conference was the
speech made Thursday by Prof.
John A. Todd, of the British board
of trade, at the concluding session
of the series of informal confer
ences held by twenty leading grow
ers and twenty leading spinners OF
the United States and foreign coun-
ries.
Price to be Just
eve might as we'll be frank with
you gentlemen" said Prof. Todd,
speaking for the spinners. "The
world today is hopelessly short of
cotton and probably will be so for
many years. 1 have no idea that
pre-war prices will ever be restored,
at least TO ra very long time. We
are willing to pay you what it costs
to produce your cotton plus salts
factory profit. We could not ask you
to produce it for less and certainly
we nave no idea that you are going
to produce it unless you have that
assurance.
Not only this, but we do not ex-
pect you to continue producing cot
ton under such conditions as have
surrounded it's production in the
past. By this I do not mean the
long-ago past, but the recent past.
Three years ago I made a tour of the
whole cotton belt. 1 must confess
that l was amazed and Mortified by
conditions on the harms of this Sec
ton. 1 was not willing to trust my
first impressions, so this year I made
another tour of the entire belt Con-
ditions were the same as I found
them on my first trip. Here at this
conference my judgment concerning
those conditions has been verified by
such men as Mr.. Wannamaker Gre
ferring to J. S. Wannamaker, pres
ident of the American Cotton asso-
ciation)
Do not worry about the / ce. We
Will pay you a satisfactory price.
That is a minor consideration so far
as we are concerned. What we want
is more cotton"
The position of the growers may
be summed up as follows:
1--WE are going to make our farms
self-sustaining by food and feed
crops produced in our own fields,
instead of purchased from other Sec
tions. We are going to organize our
selves into a bigger and stronger
farmers organization than was ever
formed before, taking into it with
us the merchants and bankers and
ether business interests whose
prosperity depends upon ours. We
are going to enlarge and improve our
warehouse arrangements to such an
extent that we can take full adj
vantage of the facilities afforded us
by the federal reserve bank. We
are going to ascertain as accurately
as possible with assistance from the
government the cost of producing
each years crop. Then We are 60
ing to establish our minimum price
and you gentlemen can buy when
you please, knowing that the price is
a stable price that cannot be shak-
en- by the fluctuations Of a specula-
tive market
To what extent the spinners in
dorse the position taken by the
growers was indicated Thursday by
the action of the spinners' group in
approving every one of the resolu-
lions offered by growers group. These
numbered twelve or more AMI COW
cred practically every phase of the
great south-Wide movement to or
ganize the farmers and place their
business on more reliable and prof
table basis. The spinners declared
through their representative on the
several executive committee that they
heartily favored each and every one
Of the proposals advanced by the
growers.
Permanent Organization
Permanent organization of the
conference went through unanimous
" and with great enthusiasm. Any
thing short of permanent organiza-
ton would have been a disappoint-
ment to the leaders of every i'm
portant group. None would have felt
more disappointed than the repre-
sentative growers attending the con-
ference. In certain agricultural
quarters there was a disposition
some months ago to view with sus-
picion the world conference. Some
states failed to send as many dele
gates as they were invited to send.
Today, very forward looking grow
erS in the conference feel that the
results of immense benefit to the
south are going to come out Of it.
The next world cotton conference
will meet N Manchester. in the fall
of 1921. There in the heart of Eng
lands great textile district, where
cotton was made the worlds major
staple, another assembly will be held
like the one held here. an assembly
of every component group in the
cotton industry. with producers and
spinners playing the main roles.
Galloway Vice President
The conference, on the eve of it's
adjournment. elected the following
officers:
Sir A. Herbert Dixon, of England
president.