Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-08-26
COST OF COTTON
FOR Sd DISTRICT
PUT AT 40 CENTS
This Figure Based on
Seed Bringing sos
Per Ton

If price of $65 per ton for cot
ton for seed can be obtained, 40l
cents per pound represents the cost
of producing pound of cotton in
the Third congressional district, it'll
was decided by a committee of a
/ called district meeting of members
of the American Cotton association
held at the city hall today, and this
decision, embodied in a report, was
adopted by the meeting without
change. This figure of 40 cents was
| declared to be the minimum cost
price under any circumstances, and
does not represent profit. If seed
brings less than $65 the. cost of cot
ton per pound will be higher, of
course and vice versa.
The meeting was one of the most
important ever held in this section.
although only few were present
from other counties. The meeting
was presided over by A. F. Hodges,
chairman of the Sumter county
branch of the Georgia Division, and
was called for the purpose of dis
cussing and determining a fair tig-
ure, which will be used at coming
conferences and determining fair
price for which the farmers will be
asked to hold the cotton. More than
100 farmers were present, as well as
business men. Schley, Dooly and
Ben Hill were the counties outside of
Sumter represented.
"Etrictly Business.
"This is strictly business meet
ing'' said Chairman Hodges as he
raped for order. "The situation we
are facing in The South is V ry Sc
rious. This meeting was called today
by President Mattox of the Georgia
division of the American Cotton as
sociation. All 13 counties in the
Third district are supposed to be rep
resented here to look into the subject
of cost of producing this years crop.
: 81 think in calculating your cost
you should add to all other expenses
the salary of your overseer or allow
a fair salary for yourself if you do
your own overseeing. | think, also,
you should allow 10 per cent on
: your capital invested. The merchant
, as | understand it, allows 10 per
cent and gets or turnovers a
year, but | believe we will all be sat
isfied at 10 per cent and one turn
over.
81 am glad to welcome these visit
, ing delegates. l want them to feel
that thiA is their meeting. We have
gone ahead and made what we feel
is the most expensive crop we have
ever grown. The spectators and
consumers appear to have gotten to-
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market before we get started.
"But the whole cotton belt is
, aroused now as. never before. Or
ganization has progressed and these
meetings today will send delegates to
Atlanta August 81 where reports will
be made from all parts of the state
and delegates then chosen to the
national meeting at Montgomery on
, September 1-3 where price will be
agreed upon. If we don't get together
now we had just as well quit.
Can Borrow on Cotton.
"a man can hold his cotton now in
. bonded warehouse and borrow
money on it and hold it off the mar
ket. But when we fix a price let us
be reasonable-let US live and let
I live anu LIN pIIG6 VIC Cetil GApGCJ
: to get-and then stick to it.
Joseph Perkins was asked to act
as secretary and read several COM
munications in Chairman Hodges
hands One of these was information
, from an official of the Federal Re
serve Bank that the Federal bank
would continue to make loans on cot
ton warehouse receipts.
Another communication from Pres
ident MattoX was a statement on the
value of cotton seed products. This
; statement shows that ton of seed,
at present prices, produces S6363
of marketable products. He said the
cost of milling and profit during the
war was $40. so per ton, leaving a
fair value for seed now of SAB. 10.
81 think a man who will sell his
seed at $50 per ton should have a
guardian-he should be headed for
Milledgeville, with guano selling at
$50 per ton and not as good fertil-
! izer as seed" said Chairman Hodges.
eve must stand together-the banks,
merchants and farmers must all stand
together, for they are all vitally in
terested. / wouldn't advise man to
|, hold his cotton to his creditors ruin
but l don't believe that is necessary.
/ We can turn over our warehouse
receipts, if necessary, to the banks to
be used as collateral"
S210 Bale in Ben Hill.
C. T. Ovens, county farm agent
of Ben Hill, suggested the chairman
/; proceed to compile information on
the cost of making the crop in vari-
Gus counties. 'The people Of Ben Hill
know what it costs them to make
crop, but they don't know what it
costs TO make it in Sumter or the 9TH
er counties in the district. have cal
culated that bale this year in Ben
Hill has cost from $210 to $212. This
estimate is lower than that of many
others. but | am sure it is within $40
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