Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-10-17
NEEDED
 IN THE LOCAL
 COTTON MARKET
(Continued from Page One)

son, little calculating shows that the seed money alone amounts to $1,- 050,0O0 at present prices. Pine Bluff IS losing trade of $600,000 or more each year.
 Pine Bluff cannot and does not ex- pect all wagon cotton will come to this city. The growth of Altheimer, Sherrill, Tucker, Wabbaseka, Humph- rey and other communities in the county is pointed to as partly ex- blaming the decrease in wagon re- ceipts in Pine Bluff. But the busi- ness done by these communities-a business Pine Bluff business men are careful to explain they would not seek to injure in the least-does not account for the great decrease in wagon receipts as compared with the big increase in production. In the old days, wagon cotton from adjoin- ing counties was marketed in Pine Bluff. Now, much of this cotton is going elsewhere.
 Farmers Displeased.
 Some other explanations are offer ed-such as the increase in railroad shipments-but the glaring fact re- mains that Pine Bluff is not receiving the wagon cotton it should receive
 A complaint of the farmers is that they cannot ascertain what cotton is bringing in Pine Bluff. Some of them point out that prices paid in other big cotton centers are published daily, and the grower is thus fortified with lnforma ation concerning the value of his product. The Graphic has unsuc- cessfully sought to obtain this infor- nation on several occasions in this and past years. It seems impossible at present to get figures, because sales are not recorded. To obtain information about each transaction is practically impossible. Even, if it were possible, this information would not be satisfactory, due to reluctance upon the part of buyers to announce accurate figures.
 The grower, it is stated, can ob- tain as much if not more for his cot ton in Pine Bluff than in other cen- ters, if he will act with judgment. The course for the grower with one or more bales he desires to sell im- mediately is to take his samples to the different buyers and obtain bids. Few of the farmers can grade their own cotton, it is declared, and be- cause of this fact it behooves them to obtain offers for their cotton from different buyers.
 The Pine Bluff Cotton Exchange re- gently declared for competitive bid ding on cotton, but under present cir cumstances the success of this plan depends upon the cooperation of the farmer as we'll as the cotton buyers. There always will be men who will buy as cheaply as possible; there al- ways will be men who will indulge in sharp practices if given the oppor- tunity. If the farmer will seek to help himself, it is declared, he will receive full value for his cotton. Members of the exchange are said to be anxious to have opportunity to bid on wagon receipts, but as yet few, if any, of these buyers have been able to put men on the streets.
 Consequently, it is stated, when the grower sells his cotton to other than a shipper he sells to some one who must make profit, and therefore, is unable to pay as large price as the shipper. The farmer, until the Cot ton Exchange establishes a better system, should get bids from shippers if he would obtain the best price for his product, say men familiar with the local situation.
 No Definite Prices.
 Because of the daily fluctuation of the local cotton market, cotton men explain that no binding figures can be given as an estimate, even, of what cotton "brings" in Pine Bluff. However, several cotton men here have announced a scale which might be taken for the approximate aver age price cotton is bringing.
 One-inch uplands range from ap- proximately 35 3-4 cents, ito 36 1-2 cents per pound, it is said. One and one-sixteenth, from 37 1-2 cents to 38 cents per pound;. one and one- eighth, bender, from 43 to 45 cents per pound. This estimate is placed higher by some cotton men, who state the range is from A to 50 cents per pound. One and three-six- teenths, from 49 to 51 cents per pound. One and one-fourth, from 53 to 55 cents per pound. One and three eighths, 60 cents per pound.
 "We can and will pay the best prices for cotton," declared an off