Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-11-28
MRS. S.ELMER ARRESTED AT Fl. VALLEY
THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES
APPLIED TO COTTON
BY MARTIN v. CALVIN
Statistician Georgia Department of Agriculture

IN these crucial times, the people
need reliable information, bear
ing directly on the question in which
all of them are vitality Interested.
Conditions are trying; for the reason
that the affairs Of men hi every line
of business are in process of adjust
ment:
1t behooves everyone ut us to re-
call the fact that no man lives unto
| himself. Without controversy, we
are all inter-dependent To acknow-
ledge this fact and to live up to it,
will be. to experience a higher de-
gree of success and larger measure
of happiness. The business situa-
ton, which has aroused and put into
action the best thought of the en-
tire country, is the same everywhere.
1t is not wholly new. Speaking gen
orally, it is a recurrence We have
passed through similar crises, and
came out in pretty fair condition
That will be our experience as to the
existing situation. We shall master
it; because it is in us so to do.
You ask: ''On what do you predi-
cate so bold a statements" The
answer is, on the certainty that ev-
cry man in the boat will handle his
oar to he very best of his ability
"Will every man do that?"
"Once upon time" gentleman,
] travelling a neighborhood road, OBJ
served boy, forked stick in hand,
| tugging at an old stump.
"What are you upto, my lad?"
81 am trying to get chipmunk
that is in this stump"
"Do you think you'll get him?"
81 have got to get himp'
The travellers, a man of philoso-
phic mind, laid to heart the sturdy
reply of the boy.
In a great battle, when the tide
was sweeping against him, Napol-
con is said to have called to drum
mer boy who was quite near him;
Drummer boy, sound the re-
treatr' "Sire," replied the brave
boy, Il was never taught to sound
retreat; | can only rattle
charged Rattle a charge, then,
and quickly, niY boy.p fha order
was instantly obeyed, ard the tide
If battle was turned against the
euerly
We are on the affirmative side of
ne pending proposition. We have
| Just got to push difficulties out of
the way; we have just got to sur
mount every obstacle that confronts.
Cotton is down-away down. We
regret that; it means so much to all
our people, more particularly the
producer of the great staple. The
ablest men among the producers OF
cotton, and the ablest men among
those who sincerely sympathize with
! the farmers, are taxing to the utmost
their ingenuity and their business
experience in a determined effort
to devise a financial plan whereby
the cotton situation shall be salts
factorily and savingly compassed.
1t would seem impossible that those
wisely directed efforts should fail.
| The proposition, which we have
grappled, is many sided. Address
ing ourselves to one side, we must
not lost sight of the other sides Un-
/ der the policy of deflation, which
has for its object the prevention of
panic in money circles, prices are
/ going down all along the line. We
are gradually getting back to the
point at which one dollar will buy
one dollars worth of, as now, sixty
/ two and a half cents worth.
4 But that should not be permitted
hurtfully to affect the producers of
cotton. Trade conditions authorize.
! the demand of forty cents a pound
! for middling cotton: At the very in
ception of the world war almost, the
! government rushed to the aid of the
producers of wheat in this country.
/ Why cannot, why should not, the
government extend aid to the cotton
producer to the end that cotton may
be held until what it is worth-for-
ty cents a pound-can be realized?
England, France, Germany, Japan,
! China, each and all need cotton and
need it badly. Surely, there is abili-
ty and patriotism enough in this
country to solve the cotton problem.
1t seems to me that we are talk
ing rather than cOnferring on this
all important question. 1t occurs to
me that to get together twelve O.
fifteen cotton growers and business
men, and let them go into executive
session on the pending question,
would be to evolve a perfectly work
able plan in the interest of forty
cent cotton.
In the days of the great and glori-
Gus organization-the Farmers AL
liance-we wanted to hold cotton
for price; warehousing, money and
insurance were the prerequisites.
One day, at Augusta, | received a
wire from Col. w. L. Peek, saying
he would be in Augusta the next day
to see if satisfactory arrangements
could be affected. l went at once
to the officers of Fessrs. Phinizy &
Co., told them what we desired to
accomplish. At O'Clock the next
morning. Col. Peek and | called on
Messrs. Phinizy & Co. In less than
one hour, saving plan was agreed
on; it was accepted by the Alliance
membership, and the object in view
fully accomplished.
In those days, the government did
not have as much to do with the home
affairs of the people as it was drawn
into the habit of doing by the world
war. The government is sending
out to every county in the United
/ CEafoz a MON xykn forr a lnpo. ffx.ao