Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1920-09-15
MONTGOMERY COTTON MEETING
County Meetings to BE Held Monday,
SeDtembor Goth. gSE

County Meetings to Be Held Monday,
September Goth.
"What did the Cotton Association
meeting at Montgomery do?,'
What can do to help get, better
prlces?" ]
These two questions are now be-
ing asked on every hand. Perhaps
the best answer to both questions is
given in the editorial review of the
work Of the Montgomery meetin,
and it's plans as given in the pro-
gressivc Farmer, Of which copy ha:,
been furnished us. This is us fol-
lows:
The Fight for Better Cotton Prices.
Six Things You Can Do.
The great meeting Of the American
Cotton Association in Montgomery,
Ala, recently discussed lot pf
things, but we believe the gist Of the
whole conference may be given in
six definite things every cotton far
mer in the South can do to helm the
fight for better prices:
1. First and foremost, hold your
cotton. We must show the bear gam
blers and their allies that they have
absolutely mistaken the spirit and
determination Of the Southern people
IL they think we will sit idly by and
be robbed Of half the fruits of this
years labor. 1t has cost between 80
and 40 cents a pound to make this
years crop. The decision of the
Montgomery meeting was that 4Oc.
should be a minimum price for mid
ding.
Not only must each man resolve TO
hold his own crop. but he must see
his neighbors and insist on their
holding. AS j. A. Brown says, eve
must shut up the market so tight
that no man can buy or beg a bale
of cotton at present prices-so that
the only way to get q bale of new
crop cotton until prices improve will
be to steal it!'
]. A. Todd, the distinguished Eng
lish authority, who came to Mont
gomery at President Wannamaler's
request. sized up the present world
situation somewhat as follows: Gn
The world will need every bale of
cotton that is produced this year.
There is no real Over-production. 90
Right now. however, there is practi-
cally no movement Of cotton goods,
| wholly abnormal temporary dull
ness in the business Of cotton man
ufacturers, and Of course they are
| not offering normal prices for cot
ton. Present prices are only ficti-
| ticuS prices, based on a temporary
demoraliZed market.
Nevertheless, If one-fourth of the
cotton farmers Of the South are such
fools as to accept this fictitious un-
LIBERALIZATION for 1920 cotton, prices
on the whole crop will be lowered.
We must keep anybody and cN,ry-
body from selling at present prices
=. Go to your county mass meet
ing on next Monday, September 20.
Every county in the South Is asked
to hold mass meeting of it's cotton
farmers OF this date, to make plans
for holding, warehousing, cutting
acreage and cooperative marketing
Go--and get your neighbors to go
both landlord and tenant, black and
white. We must educate everybody
and all classes to the Importance OF
: this fight. And see to it t.1at every.
body makes some contribution fol
supporting the Cotton Association
In It's plans. A good method will be
to have every grower authorize hi:
ginner to deduct 10 to 25 cents {
bale for the organization. Business
men should subscribe literally, fol
no one will be hurt more than they
II the South's spending power ant
debt-paying power Is cut in half.
8. Cut your cotton acreage mex
year by sowing n recOrd-breakins
grain crop this fall. Don't Just tall
about cutting down ACREAGE
negative sort of program Tell every
body to cut his cotton acreage by
} sowing more wheat, oats and rye
and by sowing more clover to enricl
the land for corn next year. This /:
the only sensible way to reduce acre
age.
4. Put your cotton in warehouse
and organize a cooperative market
Ing association. Remarkably import
ant was the comprehensive report or
cooperative marketing adopted al
Montgomery, the result Of month.
OF labor by Cotton Specialist Murpf
and others. The report tells Just how
to start cooperative selling with
ofhcial grading or CHASING in yuol
community.
AS for warehouses, IL there Is no
sufncient warehouse room in youI
section, 4 vii! pay to. hurry M the
construction Of buildings Of a cheap
er sort. In next weeks Progressive
FARMER we expect to present some
plans worked out by D. C. Walty
vice president and manager Of thu
Arkansas Cotton Association, where
by 1000 bales may be taken care o
in structure costing only $500
We do not believe, OF course, tha
every community should be conten
with such cheap and impermanen
construction, but this at least indi
Gates that no community need &C
cept the ridiculous prices now Of
fered by bear spectators on the
ground that 1t can't house its crop.
s. DO all yon can to help men wllt