The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-03-28
FOOD OFFICER IS
ASKED TO HANDLE
COTTON BUSINESS
Richard |. Manning Goes
Over to England to Place Is
sue Up to Hoover and Food
Administration.

NEW tOhk, MarCh Eb.-hlcharu 1.
Manning, retired governor Of South
Carolina. has sailed with his wife on
the steamship Adriatic Of the White
Star line for England on a twofold
mission. He went as the last represen-
tative OF the committee under Oscar S.
straus as chairman. which has been
sent by the league 70 enforce peace TO
h peace conference. In addition, while
in Paris Gov. Manning on behalf OF the
cotton growers Of the South plans TO
confer with Food Administrator Hoover
With regard to stabllising the price Of
~cottonseed by having the food admin
tstration cNport IL.
During the war" said ex-Gov, Man
ming before he left, cotton growers had
conferences with the food administra-
tlon, as a result Of which ~cottonseed.
which had heen quoted at $50 a ton, was
put at SIS 70 s7l by the government.
The farmers and seed crushers all
accepted these figures with the under
standing that the prices were to be
stabilized at them and the ~oottonseed
produots were to he sold according 70
this rate.
New Competition Appears.
with the signing OF the nrmistice,
Oriental oils and peanut oils came into
competition with the cottonseed prod
uct. The cotton mills Of the South
couldn't sell the oil, on the one side,
nor take the seed off the hands OF the
farmers on the other, But they have
felt tina the government had assumed
3 moral obligation TO dispose OF their
products.
THE bin which has been signed by
the president for the food administra-
tlon places in the hands OF Mr.. Hoover
slOO, oOo, o0o as an emergency fund. The
c~ot1onseed producers Of the South feel
that with part OF that fund he can take
over the cotton oils and export them TO
foreign countries. This Is necessary,
not only 10 fulfil the governments
moral obligation, but in order TO pre-
vent the loss OF 30 per cent of cotton
seed In the hands Of the farmers.
This stock is perishable, and Its loss
would be not only a p~ecuniary but also
a food loss. since the oil Is used In
compounds OF lard and similar products.
MIR. Hoover has spoken Of the neces-
sity Of conserving oils n fats for the
sake of their food values during the
next two years, and | expect 40 see
him about this as soon as / arrive in
Paris" "
MIR. Manning also touched upon the
surplus of cotton and the reduction OF
acreage planted with this staple fol-
next summer.
Plan to Reduce Acreage.
THE whole SOUTH he declared. III
affecting an organization, from Virginia
70 Texas, TO insure the reduction oI
acreage. They arc adopting n system
similar to that used in the Liberty loat
eanlpaigns and going to the schools
1ect OF obtaining from the farmers
signed returns showing the number o
acres plnnted In cotton In 1918 and tn,
number intended for 1919.
I'm this way they win get exact fig.
ures on the reduction, and they ain
TO make this reduction 80 1-3 per cen
of the total acreage. ! have just re-
ceived a telegram from the cottoI
growers OF my state informing me tina
the organization is proceeding success,
fully and that the farmers are show,
ing a lively interest. Such a raising o
the price OF cotton Ia necessary BY low,
ering the supply because last season tn,
cotton growers had to sell cotton a
less b q cost,
There was moreover a large surplul
left over, and unless this stabiliginl
takes place this year II would be neces
Nary to lower the price OF cotton stil
further below the cost OF production
This would be necessitated. moreover
by two other important factors--the In
creased cost of fertilizers and OF labor
Higher Wages Demanded.
''The telegram | received from IN
cotton growers also states hat the re
turned negro soldiers are no longer win
ing TO work on the cotton farms at tn
Old wage scale and under the poo
housing conditions that prevailed be
fore the war. The message stated tina
the negroes were being stirred up b
agttations TO move TO other states"
Mr.. Manning, however, did not expec
any Bolshevism or revolutionary sahot
n In the South from the unrest. aprin
cipally because the percentage OF for
elEners there was very small. Refor
going he wrote a letter OF regret {
Mai. Gen. John r. organ at being un
able to review the Esd division befor
departing. as he had been invited to de
He commended the division highly |
hts letter, having taken a personal In
ierest from the fact that II trained |
south Carolina while he was governc
q that state and also because Il fougt
alongside the S0th division, which can
from South Carolina.
The governor had six SONS In III
service, one of whom, Maj Willial
Sinkler Manning, OF the 3ls infantr,