The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-05-29
GREAT SERVICE
RENDERED SOUTH
Southern Cotton Association Has
Changed Viewpoint of the
World Concerning Cot
ton Production

ton Production
Columbia. May 25-J. Skottowe
Wannamaker, president Of the AM,
erican Cotton Association, in a state
pnent issued today says that officers
of the American Cotton Association.
while on a recent visit to a number Of.
leading cities of the North conferred,
upon invitation, with. business organ.
izations and commercial bodies, in.
cluding the association Of New Eng
land Spinners., and that as a result
the work Of the association is now
much better understood and appre-.
.ciated in the North and East.
"In the various conferences. held, :
says Mr.. Wannamaker, 1T scented TO
be the consensus of opinion that ths
American Cotton Association contr1-
buted a far greater service than we
realized. The statement was made
time and time again that the Assocla-
ton had given to the South almost
unthinkable advantages; benefits both
ats home and abroad, by advertising
through the press the true conditions
concerning the South, the wonderSni
offered for investment and
that as a result of this it .is realized
today that the South is; the golden,
field Of opportunity. Time and time
again it was stated in these, confer
ences by leading business men thai
on account Of literature sent out by
the Association they had made large
inyestmentssin the South and they con-;
ceded the fact that the South was the,
coming part OF the nation. They nrge
ed that a great national journal
would prove Of unthinkable value to:
the entire South as an advertising
medium to show to the world it's Won.
,derful resources. They stated that
the American Cotton Association had
not only brought tremendous economic,
reforms to the cotton industry but.
that it had changed the entire view
point OF the nation concerning our
AGRICULTURAL interests, attracting the;
attention of thinking men everywhere
to the vital necessity and importance,
of the protection and upbuilding OF
the same, as it's, the foundasionsstone
of our, civilization. hese sentirn nents
were echoed and are- echped - in : the
various: conferences. They iuahesitat- :.
inglys stated that the sSAssoeiat lons had.
changed the viewpoint of the world
concerning the rrod duction of cotton
that 1T was thesres,lH OF the work OF.
the Anerican Cotton oeaatton that
the world reversed its Judgment
concerning this great product and,
that they were thoroughly convinced,
that the South would mo- longer con-:
tinue to produce cotton under the con-
ditions that had existed for the past
sixty years, and that twas absolutely
necessary to pay the, producer pro-
fitabIe price, that would enable him
TO rehabiiitate the rural South SO as
to at least have the same comforts,
conyeniences and necessities that hs
would secure In other lines Of indus
try, so as to enable. him so compete
with these tines, Of industry
..sIt was conceded that from the pro-
.duction of cotton in the South the
producer had failed to receive any
thing like fair price, and that he had
enriched. every section Of the world
where cotton was used commercially
except the cotton producing section,
to which the production Of cotton had
only brought poverty followed by vas
rious other unecononic. conditions.
..It was conceded that the work OF
the American Cotton Association in
promoting economic reforms would
result in the saving OF one years cot
ton crop, out Of every ten, or around
5000. .00O. 600 per annnm which now
goes as loss, and would result in plac-
ing the cotton industry upon an eco
nomic basis, placing the marketing
in the hands Of the cotton
producer, where IT rfghtfully belongs.
warehousing cotton and selling same
only when the manufacturers VIII pay
a profitable price. thus bringing ben
efits nationwide
..It was conceded In the conference
with the spinners that the only part
the South had played in the cotton
industry was the producing end of the
business and that they had no voice
in the marketing of the same and that
the successful organization Of the i
American Cotton Association meant
an absolute revolution in the handling !
and marketing of Americas great cot
ton crop, and that this change would
bring tremerd dous. unthinkable bene- !!
fits to both the producer OF cottoni
and consumer Of cotton goods. 1
..The great National Association OF
of Finished Products |.
from Cotton Goods urge in the strong
est terms that the interests of the pro-j
ducer and themselves are largely mu-
tual and that in Justice to both the
producer and themselves and to the
consumer Of cotton goods, these two
Associations should form joint plans
for the purpose Of removing every
possible loss in the handling OF the