The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1919-10-22
MIR. THOMAS ATTENDS
WORLDS COTTON CONFER

Mr.. F. C. Thomas has just returned
from New Orleans, where he met
with the English and American spin
ners in the Worlds Cotton Conference
and he says this was the first time
that conference Of this kind has
ever been attempted and from the ex-
pressions of satisfaction at the re-
suits heard on every hand it will be-
come, from now on, a permanent or
ganiZation to meet once year so
discuss the questions and conditions
that each would like to improve, which
would surely result greatly to the
benefit Of each concerned.
He heard the question Of supply and
demand ably discussed by the Chair
man Of the English delegation and he
frankly admitted that cotton famine
was evidently in sight before another
cotton crop could be produced And
the strangcst thing Of all was that
Of all the spinners there we did not
meet a single one but what readily
agreed that forty cents was 4 reason
able price, but as long as farmers
would persist in selling this crop for
less they would buy their require
ments as cheap as possible and when
gladly do so rs the price of the manu-
featured goods would Justify better
price to the producer OF cotton.
Every spcach made was pcrmeated
! with the thought that cotton had al
| ways been too cheap in the South and
that they hoped the price from now on
| would be based on the cost Of .produc.
ton plus reasonable profit to the
farmers. Yet in spite of all this evil
dence the farmers are falling over
each other to try to get to town be-
fore the price declines, when, in fact
the price would have been forty cents
today if the crop had been marketed
slowly. AS to the size of the crop and
the carry over, all have agreed that
the good grades Of cotton of last sea
son is all exhausted except what is
in the hands Of the Southern people
and this crop will be less than TO-
100000 bales. This fact alarms the
spinncrs Of the world as they see the
supply of cotton exhausted by the
Summer and thousands Of idle factory
lands in Europe wanting work and
the bare, ragged population wanting
clothes.
j Some of the speakers insisted that
it was crying shame that the South
had cut short the cotton acreage anG
had forced up the cotton crop fol
when the spinners were all anxious tt
pay any price we coIlG name if they
could only get the cotton. One thing
seemed to he agreed to by all con
cerned--that was, the gambler ant
the spectators we're Il burden on tn,
producer and the spinner, and tn,
great question was what we could dt
to get clear of him and we feel sure
that we will do this to Il great cxtcn
to our mutual advantage.
Another question that was ably dis
cuSsed was gin house compression ant
we feel sure that very soon we vii
see all of the cotton that is ginned il
the South put up in compressed bale!
at the Gin house with the Unite,
States grade stamp on the bale, will
sample of the cotton, drawn Will,
being ginned, in pocket made i'm tn,
; side of the covering. Then the far
mer will not have to ask the merchan
to tell him what grade his cotton is
and what he will give him for it.
AnG last. but not least. the grca
question Of properly warehousing tn
baled cotton. The rot damage sine
last season would surprise the pcopl
, of the South if it could be tabulatc,
and why the cotton is so carelcssl,
handled and. torn is Il mystery to tn
world. Won't the farmers learn b.
experience that the only way to gc
Il reasonable price is to he able t
! demand it and to be able to dcman
= Il price they will have to be able t
enforce their demands, hence, tn
, great need of organization and a Cor
poration to take care of all the dis
= trcsscd cotton. Then we will be j
: the saddle with the whip hand and
am sure that prosperity will aboun
in the Old South rs never before.