The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-03-13
WILL RISE IF FARMERS HOLD
Commissioner Says Mills Must Have
Staple.

Cotton-what to do with it. That
is the question that is uppermost in
many minds. B. Harris, commission
er of agriculture, has been giving
this Gustion most of his attention
all of his life, and he insists that
if other countries can fix the price of
the commodities which they grow the
South should be able to fix the price
of cotton.
Really, we have no cotton mar
ket now, and will have none until
we have world wide and unrestricted
intercourse with all other nations, y
says Mr.. Harris This, of course,
may not come until the treaty of
peace has been signed, although the
allies have lifted the blockade in the
Mediterranean. l see by the news
reports that on February II ex-
ports were $4,000 bales against
5000 for the same day last year.
The reason why such heavy exports
are not stiffening the market is be-
cause the shipments consist of cot
ton belonging to English, French,
Italian and Spanish cotton mills and
merchants and have been carried in
the American ports for the last year
| or two. and in some instances long
er.
mo new buying is in evidence,
but this stock of cotton will be ex-
| hausted soon, and somebody will
have to begin to buy. 1t is amusing
| just to think that few months ago
how enthusiastic the bulls were to
buy at 35 cents. How can they have
the heart to talk bear dope at rs
cents when there is no more cotton
now for the worlds, consumption
than when they were giving 35
cents? They will talk to you about
the great abundance of stocks of dry
goods on hand in the retail stores
and at the same time they will have
to Confess that the merchants are
buying on a hand to mouth basis. AS
soon as the armistice was signed, ev-
cry cotton mill and every bearish
cotton trader in the world set out to
convince the world that about g.
100000 bales would be all that the
world would consume, even if *
should be able to handle that
amount.
"The best authorities say now that
there is not enough cotton for the
supply of the worlds needs, but the
supply is more than the world will
take with conditions as they are.
Conditions will change, and when
they do there will be something do
ing in the market that will be inter-
esting to the man who has cotton.
So much ior the situation-here is
the remedy.
| "You farmers and bankers have it
in your hands. Hold the 1918 crop
off the market; cut acreage 33 1-3
per cent. and fertilizer anywhere
from 33 1-3 to so per cent. Don't
fail to do these things if you want
to win. You have the best hand in
the game, and don't give it away
LET US see what is to be gained
by following this program:
First, you will show the specula-
tors Of the world that we will not al
low our own God-given monopoly
which is cotton, the great money
crop of the South, and the South
raises 70 per cent. of it to clothe the
world-to be handled by bunch of
manipulators to enrich themselves
and the people who gave it to go so
poorly clad that they haves not
enough clothes to keep them warm
in winter
eve have been milking this old
cow long enough and milking and
turning the milk over to the other
fellow We are going to milk for
ourselves in the future.
Lets make a little calculation to
see what we would lose if we were
to let go the remainder of our 1918
crop at today's prices, quoted at rs
cents From the best authority we
can get we now have 100000 bales
in this State. If sold at present
spot price it would bring s93,750.-
600. If held and sold for 35 cents
the remainder of the crop would
bring s131,250,OO0. If sold at pres
ent prices we would be loser s37.-
100000. Can we afford this loss?
ANY farmer who has cotton on
hand now will make more money if
he will hold on to it and not go to
the expense of buying high priced
| or5 Il irh rr;oo5 1ob hon r,