Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-02-28
COTTON PLANTERS
URGED TO REDUCE
ACREAGE FOR 1919
J. \, Mills, President of Geor-
gia Farmers Union, Issues
Appeal to Safeguard
Interests

Calling upon the farmers of the
south to work out their own saliva
ton in the matter of cotton produc-
ton by reducing cotton acreage and
making the 1919 crop on the cheap
est basis possible. J. H. Mills, prcsi-
dent of the Georgia Farmers union,
has issued a statement in which
he outlines the causes contributing
to- the present precarious situation
in the cotton market and points out
a solution of the problem.
Mr.. Mills declares that it is within
fhe power of the farmers to control
the situation by concerted effort. He
insists that unless they take I'M
mediate steps to safeguard their
will result in disaster to the agri-
cultural enterprises of the south. His
statement follows:
1.-THE all-absorbing topic that confronts
the people of the south today is, How will
the south from the predicament he finds
himself in at the present Gme?'
'Just emerging from the catastrophS OF
1914, he today finds himself confronted
with a situatio that promises more dire
results than that of 1914. When the couu-
try was plunged into war he was only be
ginning to retrieve his lost fortunes from
1914.
1.-The 1916 crop was produced at nom
inal margin of profits, plus the cost OF
production.
"The 1917 crop was set under war condi-
lions. The prices of labor and supplies
had arisen to abnormal conditions. His la
hor was drafted into the army. The cost of
fertilizers had been based upon 30~cent cot
ton, and, altogether, the price Of this crop
had been fixed by war conditions at from
% cents to 80 cents pound
'SThe 1918 crop was still further involved
in abnormal prices, insufficient labor, in
crease prices of fertilizers; and, added to
this condition was the incursion end raw
ages of the boil weevil over a large terri
tory that had hitherto been immune from
his deyastatio Added to this WAS
drouth of unusual severity over the entire
cotton belt All of these things were added
to the burden of costs and conditions under
which the crop was made and put on the
market.
''In the beginning of August, 1918. the
. representatives of the cotton specula tors
and spinners met in New Orleans and pro
ceeded to make an estimate and fix he
value of the 1918 crop of over fifteen mil
lioR bales. They figured from the 1918 crop
there would be n surplus to be carried over
of six million bales, anil, on this estimate
they said that the price of the 1918 cror
would be from 20 to % cents Il pound, Civ
ing the farmer by their estimate the in
crea sed cost of production and Il reasonable
margin of profit en- his product.
EARLY in September, the conditions OF
which 1 have spoken because apparent, The
representatives of the cotton products were
called together and careful tabularion of
statistics gathered by the various depart
ments of agriculture Of the several cotton
growing states. as we'll rs the government
experts, showed that the estimate first
made vas wrong by two million bales; that
instead of a crop Of upward of fifteen mill
ion bales, under tie most favorable condi-
tions, the crop of 1919 world only produce
about twelve milton haIeN. The continued
ravages of the boil weevil and the drouth
II, Il lp1St 800 600 bales,
thus giving the 1913 crop only eleven and
oae-half million cales.
EDUCATION BILL REPORTED
WASHINGTON Feb 27-The