The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-29
Senator Comer's Speech Before the Senate, April Y

cotton futures act should be amended to provide that deliveries on futures should average middling. I understand that the Conner amendment does this l hope you will vote for this amendment and do all in your power to influence others to
 "J. J. BROWN, "Comrnissioner of Agriculture am told that MT. Brown is one of the most prominent farm administrators In Georgia, and IS in thorough touch with the farmers.
 Here is letter from Hon. c. S Bar rett, president of the National Farmers Union; o Senator B. B. Conner Washington. D, C.
 Dear Senator: Answering regarding your proposed amendment to the cotton futures act securing that one half of contract shall be delivered mid ding arS above and one-half at the op- tion os the seller within the ten standard grades. I am sure that the cotton farm CTS of all the states are in favor of it; I am sure that it is very much to their interest and I would earnestly advise all representatives House and Senate. to se- cure it's passage. Yours very truly "C. S. BARRETT "President National Farmers Union.' Mr Barrett seems to know exactly what he is talking about and entirely compre- hends that the propaganda against the amendment is for the exchange interests and not the farmers.
 Here is a telegram from Columbia s. C.:
 "Columbia S. C., April g, 1920 Senator Conner, Washington, D. c. "Cotton buyers and commission bro kers here yesterday received telegrams from exchange sources urging them to wire their representatives and senators | to kill your amendment to cotton-futures , act"
 | I have no doubt the senator from South Carolina (Mr. Smith) is receiving many such telegrams-
 l Leroy Springs, widely known cotton manufacturer, made definite statement here yesterday that if your amendment was adopted cotton bears would be eaten alive Stick to your guns. "EDMUND A. FIELDER, .'Cotton-F Futures Broker" {, Surely it will make it hard for the bears; I mean the people who gamblingly attempt to manipulate the market, de- l pressing values. I do not mean the man who believes that cotton is going down and sells the market but the man who takes the low grades and depresses the market with them. That is what 1t means, and nothing else. I Here IS a clfcular rom DalldS, ieNdS, which was sent to the Montgomery Ex- I change, and is one of the worst I have l seen. In this circular they propose to l go back to the system prevailing before l the passage of the bill of the senator i from South Carolina, before the smith l Lever bill. and to reinstate the twenty ! one grades. They go further than that. l they want to make New Orleans, Instead of being a commercial market. partial l Nt- -oIt ,1,or at ac ia tOdaN get the i basis middling by the composite price 1 from ten spot markets. Listen, This is l their recommendation:
 l We also strongly recommend that the differences between grades for cotton l tenderable on the New Orleans Cotton Exchange be regulated in the same man l ner as those of New York, namely, by | kets.
 l Whoever heard of such nonsense as 1 that? It is swindling proposition. If they had the writing of the laws, what i would they not write?
 To the circular the Montgomery Cotton Exchange replied as follows: l Telegram received. Opinion majority our membership is favorable to Conner amendment, and it is unanimous that the present contract at least, be not weak ened. We do not believe reinstatement Icontract prevailing prior to 1919 would in anywise remedy present condition pre- Ivaiing as to low grades. but we do think it would be sure to cause further widen ing of differences between spots and futures. which would be undesirable tc all legitimate interests" | They themselves say they do not want la further widening of the differences be- tween spuots and futures. Of course, 1t is best for every legitimate interest tc get the middling.
 Here is a telegram from Jenkinsburg 1 Georgia:
 .'Tenkinsburg. Ga, April s, 1920. Hon. B. B. Conner.
 Your telegram received. have read your proposed cotton bill, Hiehlv fa- vor 1t. J. H. MILLS, State President Farmers Union of Georgia
 Here is another letter I have received l ''State of Florida, l Department of Agriculture,
 Tallahassee. April [. 193h Hon. B. B. Conner. Washington, D. c. 1 Dear Sir Replying to your telegray of the 1st instant, with reference to the amendment proposed by you to stabilize the price of cotton on the exchanges I etc, has been thoroughly gone into by me. and I am asking our entire delesa- tion in Congress to back your amend ment.
 1 ASSHflnS NQi tildt dIii Gidt tO ot anything to help the sitnation and trust Ing that the amendment may go through am, yours, very truly.
 "wM A. McRAE.
 'CommiSsioner of Agriculture
 Here is the last that I have:
 Birmingham. April 16. 1920. Senator B. B. Conner. Washington, D. c 1 "Convention (the American Cotton As Iscciation Convention indorsed youl amer frnent f6 to f.-''
 1 I am sorry it did not pass bv the whol< number, but l understand there WITS ( prominent cotton-exchange man dovr there. a smart. competent man. who go some dslegates buffaloed but it passed 1e to 15-
 ''Alabama Florida, Oklahoma. Georgia Tennessee voting for; Arkansas Missis sippi. Louisiana, and both Carolinas vot ing against"
 Now. am sure the Carolinas are fol it. are they rot9
 Mir Dial--They are
 MT. Conner (reading)-
 w. B. Thomson. ex-president Nev Orleans Cotton Exchange. led the ffgh on the floor of the convention
 DONALD COMER.' The cotton-futures act intends to SC cure that the conduct of the exchange: should be equitable and commercial: tha there should be no advantage to the buy CT nor the seller, no protective anchorag' to the junkers of trade, but the wides protection to all transactions from pro ducer to manufacturers, If the exchanges Icsnnot exist under such rules, then the ex, changes are authorizing vampires on tn, worlds greatest product. and lose the usefulness, lose the intent of their exist enoe.
 ''The proposed amendment to the cot ton-futures act is not intended to impai in the feast the purpose of the act Tn