The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1919-02-28
REDUCTION DAT.


tilizer. In fact it is so important and
so patent that no comment is neces-
sary. The very commercial prosperity
and life of the South depend upon a
curtailment of the crop if the farmer
is to receive a fair price for the cotton
that he made last year and what he
expects to make this year If the
world does not want to pay the cost
of producing cotton why 80 on plant
ing it. If there is more cotton than
the world wants let the production be
reduced. If cloth can be made out of
cotton bought and sold on the cotton
exchanges why go On growing it. Let
the spectators fill their contracts
made on paper out Of what they have
and save the cost of making any more
cotton. The truth is the world needs
all the cotton that is grown, but the
combination is to keep the price be-
low the cost of production. The farm
er has just as much right to get the
cost of making the raw material and
a reasonable profit, as the manufac-
turer has to get the cost of manufac-
ture and a reasonable profit. Until
the farmer arranges to live at home
and say to the buyer, this cotton cost
so much to produce and the price for
it is the cost of production plus rea-
sonable profit, he is going to be poor.
The only sensible thing is to plant
plenty of food stuff and reduce the
acreage in cotton and then sit steady
and demand a fair return fog your
cotton.
The farmers are going to stand to-
gether this time. There are those
who say the farmer will sign the
pledge and then plant big crop. We
do not believe it. We have confidence
in the farmer and we are sure that
this is one time when they are going
to stand together, do what they say,
and the fellow who does not sign the
pledge is going to feel SO lonely that
he will wish many times that he had
signed.
Meetings are ordered for today in
all the school districts Of the county
The farmers should turn out to a
man, whether he be large or small
farmer, and talk the matter over Sc
riously It is a serious time for the
cotton planter.
An business is to be suspended
from 9 to 2 o'clock and this main busi-
hess of signing the pledges is to en-
gage the people. At Newberry the
meeting will he in the court house at
II o'clock. At Whitmire the meeting
is to be at 10 o'clock and Mr. E. E..
Child and Mr.. W. r. Watson and pos
sibly some others will make short
talks to the people. We were re-
ouested to make this announcement
for Whitmire in the last issue, but
could not get the type set as we are
running now. At other places there
will be meetings, but the main pur-
Jose is to get together and sign the
pledges and not have so much talking
and speech making over it.
The speakers for the Newberry
meeting have not been announced, but
most likely the meeting will be sort
of round table talk, all the farmers
and business men present giving ex-
preston to their views briefly and
then taking the time to sign pledges.
Another thing the farmer should re-
member, and that is, that he can al
ways find a market for his corn and
his wheat and his oats and his potato
toes and anything else of the kind that
he will grow, if he will put it in
marketable shape. We heard big.
merchant say the other day that he
would buy all the corn he sold from
the local farmer, and pay him more
fer it, if the farmer would clean 1t
nicely and sack it in two bushel sacks
as the corn. he has shipped in is put
up. And the same is true of other
farm products The trouble is that
we have been so in the habit of de-
PENDING upon cotton for our money
clcp that we do not realize the fact
tnat the other crops which we can
arcw in this country at much less cost
Of production are just as good money
crops as cotton, if we would but put
them in marketable shape.
There must be a change in our
,Yethods of farming in the South and
-. .oooo, ,,,o ora made IN realize IT.