Americus times-recorder., 1919-12-18
SUMTER unit OF
COTTON ASSOC. IS
PUT UNDER WAY
Farmers Hear Of Organi-
zation - Committees
To Be Named

The organization of a Sumter
county unit of the Georgia branch
OF the American Cotton Association
was put actively under way at a
meeting of few farmers and busi-
ness men at the Carnegie Library
this morning, gathering at the call
OF A. F. Hodges, who had been ap-
pointed chairman for Sumter coun.
ty. Although the meeting was small
ler than had been expected and de-
sired, the men present represented
the best farming interests of the
county and heartily put themselves
behind the movement.
After listening to a talk explain
ing the association, its aims and pur-
poses, it was agreed that Chairman
Hodges should appoint an organiza-
ton committee in each militia dis
trict in Sumter county, after the
naming of which the members of
these committees will be called to-
gether to map out plan of cam
paign for organizing the county. 1t
is planned to organize the rural dis
tricts first, then canvass the city for
memberships.
Only Organized Industry.
The state organization was repre-
sented at the meeting by R. W. Mat
toX, of Newman, who has been in
the movement heart and soul since
its inception and who has already
organized Coweta county almost
solidly and with greater success than
had been expected. He declared that
the cotton industry was the only
great industry in the world morgan
lied, and that it was necessary for
the growers, banded together with
the bankers, warehousemen, and
merchants, to organize for their own
protection. He illustrated the need
by asking the audience what they
would think of big automobile COM
pany if it should make large num-
Der of cars and then inform the pub
lie that they were for sale and ask
what they were offered for them.
you'd say they were a set of
fools-and they would be-" he de-
clared. "They know before they
make a bolt just how much the fin
ished machine is going to sell for.
And with the cotton farmer it should
be the same. But unless he is or
ganized he must raise his cotton and
then, regardless of what it costs, ask
the world how much it will give him.
It is ridiculous"
He went into the financial end of
the plan, stating that the federal re-
serve bank and the recently enacted
banking law made the fruition of
such an organization possible for the
first time since the Civil War.
To Sell to Spinners.
He stated that an export corpora
tion was to be organized immediate
ly after completion Of the permanent
organization of the cotton associa-
ton, which would handle the market
ing of the cotton, selling directly to
the spinners Of the world. He said
both these organizations would be
completed and in operation before
the next crop came in, according to
indications at present. The propos-
ed new cotton bank is to handle the
financial problems in connection with
the association, being an adjunct to
the association.
He stated that the memberships
were divided into four classes as fol-
lows:
1-Charter members, composed of
the larger farmers and business me-
who can afford it, costing S1OO,
which pays all dues until 1923.
2-Memberships, paying 25c per
bale produced for 1919 and 1920,
and 10 cents per bale for 1921 and
1922, with a minimum of 50.
3-Merchants' memberships, pay
ing 25 cents per $1,000 of business
done.
professional men, paying SO
per year.