The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1920-09-30
FIGHT FOR BETTER
D COTTON PRICES
THE FIGHT FOR BETTER COTTON
PRICES: SIX THINGS YOU
CAN DO.

The great meeting Oh tne AIheliSon
Cotton Association in Montgomery
Ala, last week, discussed a lot OF
things, but we believe the gist of the
whole conference may be given in siX
definite things every cotton farmer
in the South can do to help the fight
for better prices:
l. First and foremost, hold your
Ntton. We must show the bear gam
3ers and their allies that they have
nsolutely mistaken the spirit and de-
lrmination of the southern people II
hey think we will sit idly by and be
robbed of half the fruits of this years
crop. The decision of the Montgom-
cry meeting was that 40 cents should
be the minimum price for middling.
Not only must each man resolve to
hold his own crop, but he must see
his neighbors, and insist on their hold
ing. As J. A. Brown says, 1--WE must
shut up the market so tight that no
man can buy or beg bale of cotton
at present prices-so that the only
way to get bale of new-crop cotton
until prices improve will be to steal
it" -
Mr., ]. A. Todd, the distinguished
Enol;sb authority. who came to Mont
Yomery at President Wannamakers
request, sized up the present world
situation somewhat as follows: Q)
The world will need every bale OF cot
ton that is produced this year. III:
is no real overproduction, (2) Right
now, however, there is practically nc
movement of cotton goods, a wholly
abnormal temporary dullness in the
business of cotton manufacturers, ano
of course they are not offering nor
NAL prices for cotton. Present prices
are only fictitious prices based on g
temporarily demoraized market.
Nevertheless, if one-fourth Of the
cotton farmers of the South are such
fools as 10 accept this fictitious un'
LIBERALIZATION for 1920 cotton, prices
on the whole crop will be lowered
We must keep anybody from selling
at present prices.
2. Go to your county mass meeting
next Monday, September 20. Every
county in the South is asked to hold g
mass meeting of its cotton farmers or
this date, to make plans for holding
warehousing, cutting acreage and CO.
operative marketing. Go, and gel
your neighbors to go, both landlord
and tenant, black and white. We
must educate everybody and al
classes to the importance of this
fight. And see to it that everybody
makes some contribution for support
siRg the Cotton Association in its
plans. A good method will be to have
every grower authorize his ginner te
deduct 10 to 25 cents bale for the
organization. Business men shoulc
subscribe literally, for no one will be
hurt more thanl they if the South's
spending power and debt-paying pow
er is cut in half.
3. Cut your cotton acreage next
year by sowing a record-breakine
grain crop this fall. Don't just talk
about cutting down acreage neg
ative sort of program. Tell everybody
to cut his cotton acreage by sowing
more wheat, oats and rye, and by
sowing more clover to enrich the lano
for corn next year. This is the only
sensible-way to reduce acreage.
~~Put your cotton in warehouse
and organize cooperative market
ing association. Remarkably import,
ant was the comprehensive report or
cooperative marketing adopted al