The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1920-09-09
BETTER COTTON
PRICES AT STAKE
In the Fight Growers Must Unite for
f-Protection--Six Things That
They Can Do Outlined by Con-
ference at Montgomery, Ala.
from The Progressive Farmer.

From The Progressive Farmer.
The great meeting of the American
Cotton Association in Montgomery,
Ala. last week. discussed a lot of
things, but we believe the gist of the
whole conference may be given in six
definite things every cotton farmer in
the south can do to help the fight for
better prices:
l. 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 if they think we will sit idly
by and be robbed of half the fruits of
this years labor. 1t has cost between
30 and 40 cents pound to make this
years crop. The decision of the
Montgomery meeting was that 40
cents should be a minimum price for
middling.
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 a bale of new-crop cotton until
prices improve will be to steal it,"
Mr.. j. A. Todd. the distinguished
English authority, who came to
Montgomery at President Wanamak-
er's request. sized up the present
world situation somewhat as follows:
"a The world will need every bale of
cotton that is produced this year
There is no real overproduction. (2)
Right now, however, there is practi-
cally no movement Of cotton goods,
wholly abnormal temporary dullness
in the business of cotton manufactur-
ers, and of course they are not offer
ing normal prices for cotton. Present
prices are only fictitious prices based
on a temporary demoralized market
Nevertheless if one-fourth of the
cotton farmers Of the south are such
fools ac to accept this fictitious I'M
LIBERALIZATION for 1920 cotton, prices
on the whole crop will be lowered We
must keep anybody and everybody
from selling at present prices.
2. Go to your county mass meet
ing next Wednesday, September Is.
Every SViilty III tHc SOutH IL dShcu
to hold a mass meeting of it's cotton
farmers on 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 that every
body makes some contribution for
supporting the Cotton Association in
its plans. A good method will be to !
have every grower authorize his gin /
ner to deduct 10 to rs cents bale for
the organization. Business men
should subscribe literally, for no one
will be hurt more than if the south's
spending power and debt-paying pow
er is cut in half.
3. Cut your cotton acreage next
year by sowing a record-breaking
grain crop this fall. Don't just talk
about cutting down acreage neg
ative sort of program. Tell every
body to cut his cotton acreage by SOW
ing more wheat, oats and rye, and by
sowing more clover to enrich the land
for corn next year. This is the only
sensible way to reduce the acreage.
4. Put your cotton in warehouse.
and organize cooperative marketing
association. Remarkably important
was the comprehensive report on CO.
operative marketing adopted Mt
Montgomery, the result of months of
labor by Cotton Specialist Murph and
others. The report tells just how to
start cooperative selling with official
grading or chasing in your commun-
ity.
AS for warehouses, if there is not
sufficient warehouse room in your sec
ton, it will pay to hurry up the con-
struction of buildings Of a cheaper
sort. In next weeks Progressive Far
mer we expect to present some plans
worked out by Mr.. d. G. Walty, vice
president and manager of the Arkan-
sas Cotton Association, whereby 900
bales may be taken care of in a struc-
ture costing only $1,000. We do not
believe, of course, that every COM
munity should be content with such
cheap and impermanent construction,
but this at least indicates that no !
community need accept the ridiculous
prices now offered by bear specula-
tors on the ground that it can't house !
its crop. !
II. Ill - L.l-. 1