The Corpus Christi caller. [volume] (Corpus Christi, Tex.) 1918-1987, 1920-08-31
Tuesday, August 81, 1920
LOW GRADE COTTON.

Bankers who have extended
credit 90 cotton growers are not
the only ones TO have good reason
TO join IN the proposed holding
movement The very existence of
the business OF cotton production
is impcriled by the methods OF
manipulation IN practice today
II The growers and those related
with them stand idle and let cot
ton continue dropping la price
they viii suffer grave disaster
II must be horne IN mind. all the
time, that the cotton buyer for the
mills does not care FOR the grower
in nnv way lie does not even
have the foresight 20 realize that
if he ruins the grower there viii
be no cotton for the factory.
There is no doubt Of the cS.
seniial facts in the problem which
growers OF Texas. and particular.
~ South Texas, are facing Prices
for cotton have been dropping
steadily. II was TO he expected
that cotton would hc cheaper
when there was general recess
sion Of prices hut II is not normal
that the drop in prices should
rome first upon staple article
of necessity II was due TO hii
the luxuries first
II is needless TO argue about
the way the price Of cotton has
been hammered down The facts
are all that concern us South
Texas having raised marvellous
crop, the men who fix the prices
are shutting their eyes to the
greater territory in which there
has been bad weather aud pests
of various kinds have appeared
in quantity and done much dam
AXE, The damaged sections are
on the blind side of the market
buyer; the good crops in South
Texas are in plain view
Recourse left the South Texas
grower is simple II he cannot
sell his cotton at a fair price, he
must hold it, Simple enough, but
how about the men whose crops
were swept away In the grea,
storm of last fall They had TO
go on without either profit or
anything like It, They had to ar-
range for credit 10 carry them
To this fall when they might eN-
pcct crop which would enable
payment Now comes the period
for payment for last years losses
The season has hcen good and de-
spite the high prices paid to pick
crs the farmer stands TO get u
profit that shall enable him to
pay has debts and have something
toward next year. But the first
obligation is to pay his debts
10 square himself at the bank and
be on al even keel II prices
stand at what they have been,
he is All right Bat do they stand
AZ 40 cents or anywhere near 40
ccntsl Under the laws of pro
duction and consumption. norm
ally, the cotton price should still
be near what il was a year ago
We see the selling figure drop
steadily That means the grower
viii not have a comfortable profit
with which TO pay last years oh
legations " means that If prices
keep on downward the farmer
viii not bc even make a profit on
the magnificent crop Of This year.
OF course this Is the time for the
meeting which Is called to protect
farmers who grow cotton and
save tho situation in south TeNas
where the best crop of The year
Is produced But wc need 90 so
farther than the cotton growers
meeting We viii not he getting
what Is due from cotton crop
until wc are able 10 market all
of II as we we're able 30 do only
few years ago The sale OF nigh
grade cotton. even "a 10 cents,
would not making growing profit,
able ii we had much rain io spot
cotton aud the spotted cotton
could not he sold
So il comes down, secondarily
bat with vital import, TO the hand
ling of what is known as low
grade cotton The buyer is try
ing TO beat the grower out of a
fair profit on high grade cotton,
and we know II and also know
what we may do to meet the