Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1919-04-09
ALIENS FOOLISH STATEMENT.
1t Has Proved Great Stimulus to
tho Southern Farmers Cause.

| NoiuillDlt, April 1.-The bitter and
unjust and uncalled-for attack made
on the cotton acreage reduction cam
paign by Governor Henry j. Allen. of
Kansas, has stimulated the movemant
as nothing else could have done.
FROM every State in the cotton belt
letters have come to j. Skottowe
Wannamaker, chairman Of the cen
tral committee of the South Carolina
Cotton Association, assuring him that
the attack Of the Kansas executive
had but helped the campaign which
the southern farmers are making for
commercial freedom and had insured
the success Of the fight they are put
ting up to save themselves from
bankruptcy.
| Governor Allen gave out a state
ment recently in which he said that
the cotton growers Of the South, in
their efforts to limit the acreage of
cotton to maintain high prices, are
trading on the misery Of the world"
| lie declined an invitation extended
him by Chairman Wannamaker to
attend conference at which repre-
sentatives from every State in the
| cotton belt are to be present, saying
that cotton growers are making as
| much money with cotton at 35 cents
Il pound as Kansas farmers are max
ing from their wheat"
Chairman Wannamaker gave out
statement replying to Governor Al
| len, saying that the latter was either
distOrting the facts or else was very
poorly posted on the same. "rhe
Southern cotton farmer cannot sell
his cotton at 81 cents as Governor
Allen states" said MIR. Wannamaker.
''For middling cotton, if he decided
10 sell to-day at prevailing prices
which arc below cost Of production
he could get around, Is cents per
pound. The cotton farmer cannot af-
, ford to sell his cotton for less than
it cost to produce it, Many OF them
are confronted with financial ruin
unless they can get more for their
| product
Mr. Wannamakcr said that in the
| security OF Il wheat price fixe by tho
government. Governor Alien is en-
| tircly ignorant Of the conditions sur
| rounding the Southern cotton far
mers. ''lle cannot know" said Mr.
| Wannamaker, "that the Sout..,rn
farmers are not only carrying 4 large
part o! the cotton crop for which
they are offered price below the
cost Of production, but that they are
unable to sell their cotton seed sat
any price whatever. The cotton far
mer held his cotton seed as matter
OF patriotism, and in response to the
governments request placed 1t on the
market very slowly. Now he canno,
sell his seed at ALL
| Mr.. Wannamaker declared that tho
farmers Of the South, by curtailing
| their acreage, would assist in tho
production of food with which to feed
he world. Food, he said, comes ahead
Of clothes. THE poor, starving peo-
pie Of Europe are going to buy some
thing to eat even before they buy
something to wear" said Mr.. Wan
namaker. THE shortage of food Is
Just as great as the shortage of
clothes"
Governor COOpcr'S Statement.
Governor Cooper gave out state
mcnt also in reply to Governor Allen.
"lf Governor Allen will induce some
Of the wheat growers Of his State to
come South and grow cotton under
present conditions they could give
him some valuable information on
the subject about which he evidently
knows nothing at ALL" said Governor
Cooper.
The statement issued by Governor
Cooper follows in full:
"rhe people Of the cotton growing
States have not criticised the fixing
Of tho price Of wheat by the govern
ment. They are glad for the Kansas
farmers to receive a profit on their
products. Two dollars and twenty
six cents may or may not be an ade-
quate price for wheat. | CNn't know
any more about the cost OF produc-
ton Of wheat than Governor Allen
does about tho cost OF production of
cotton. do know, and every well-in-
formed man in the cotton belt knows,
that tho farmer cannot get to-day a
profit for his cotton. If Governor Al