The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-10-13
GROWERS FACE
HEAVY LOSSES
Continued from Page one.)


many cases market prices were now
below the. actual cost of growing.
The result would be greatly de-
creased production next year, he said
if means to remove the situation were
not found.
A charge by former Senator Marion
Butler of North Carolina that there
was a conspiracy" of officials to
force down the price Of agricultural
products, brought protest from John
j. McSwain, of South Carolina. Il can
not believe one of them capable of
conspiriing to rob his fellow man."
said Mr.. McSwain. Il believe, however,
they made an error of judgment. Let's
reason with them and see where they
have made mistake"
j. J. Brown, agricultural commits
sioner of Georgia, and Senator E. d.
Smith of South Carolina, also pro-
tested against a statement of Mr.. But
Ter that the country was about to face
a panic as a result of the deflation
policy. Senator Smith said that there
was "a crisis, but no panic"
A general committee composed sof
organization attending was named to
draw up a statement to the public pre-
senting the plight of the growers in
a declaration of principles to be adopt
ed by the convention. A resolution
calling for the pooling of low grade
cotton under a selling commission to
handle export sales went to a special
commission on cotton.
Senator Smith suggested that the
farmers find out their legal rights I'M
der the reserve system and demand
them.
IF 30 cent cotton is profiteering, Il
50 wheat is speculation, who says It
y" he demands. Who in America
gives anyone the legal right to fix the
price on anything?"
The senator said he did not see any
authority in the federal reserve act
for contraction of credits.
81 don't believe the law gives any
administrative officer the right to say
what kind of business shall have credit
and what shall not" he asserted.
Declaring that the New York re-
gional bank had made 200 per cent
profit, when the law allowed it only
per cent, Senator Smith said they are
robbing us in interest to pay taxes"
Just let this situation continue"
said the senator, land let the wheat
men, the cotton men and the cattle
men say, here is our price. We demand
our rights and we will not loosen up
one pound of meat. wheat or cotton
unfit we get them"
A suggestion by ]. S. Wanamaker
that a committee be appointed to work
for a federal fund of $1,000, 100000 to
be used for the economic handling and
marketing of crops was not acted upon.
Ben Marsh, of the Farmers national
council, protested against the motion,
saying no one today could be said to
represent all the American farmers, for
some were reactionaries, some reform
ers and some radicals.
Mr.. Marsh also opposed strike of
farmers, which he said was suggest ID
by Senator Smith, adding:
Everybody knows there is no pan
ic. Let us not be -bolsheviks.'
Dr. w. ]. Spillman, former chief of
the bureau of farm marketing of the
department of agriculture, charged
that Secretary Houston ana the re-
serve board were engaged in drive
to force down the price of wheat.
Those gentlemen are using authori-
ty FACED in their hands for the pur-
pose of manipulating the market, ne
asserted
Alfred Tumulin, of Cave Springs.
Ca, said not half a crop Of cotton
would be raised in his section next
year THE whole trouble" he said,
lis in Washington. There are night
riders in Georgia and day riders in
Washington
Tobacco interests from Virginia and
North Carolina reported that the av-
erage cost of producing tobacco was
50 cents a pound. and 20 cents pound
for dark tobacco. They declared that
third of the cost for the crop had
gone into fertilizer.
The committee also recommended
that the state organize tobacco ware
house system similar to that of the
cotton growers.