The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1920-08-13

that have heretofore prevailed. By
one course of action the producers
may lid themselves of a burdensome
liability and at the same tire place
themselves in position to name
their price for their crop. This plan
involves no individual sacrifice for
the common good and offers no IN
ducement for profteering by the IN
dividual at the expense Of the COM
mon cause. This is not like the ordl-
nary movement for crop curtallment.
It is an infalliby profitable plan to
the individual planter whether ne
produces five bales or five thousand,
or whether two million planters prac-
tice it, or one alone.
The Low-Grade incubus.
Attention:
During the past three years low
grade cotton has been grlcvous
burden upon the cotton industry.
During this period the supply OF
these damaged grades has been ab-
normally large and the demand there
;or abnormally small. The over-sup-
DIV condition was caused by bad
weather aftc~ the cotton had opened,
,rd the lack of demand has been due
to the fact that the normal low
grade markets have been closed and
20 the additional fact that during the
war the United States government IN
formulating it's contracts rankly dis
criminated against the lower grades.
AS the result of these conditions the
grades below middling have declined
to prepcsterous discounts. Low
middling is quoted at 10 34 cents
ncr pound less than middling, the
next grade above and good ordinary
at IS 1-2 cents per pound less than
nliddliIg, and even at these discounts
all the grades in question have been
and are still practically unsaleable.
1t costs more to produce these low
grades than the higher grades. Even
when they can be sold at all they are
sold at an enormous loss. Worse
than that; the presence of an accum-
ulation of understandable stock in
the market is depressing factor in
50 far as the merchantable grades
are concerned: The conclusion is that
the cotton farmer simply can not al
ford to produce and market the low
er grades. These grades not only
representNan unhearable difference
between the production cost and the
sale price but they constitute
weapon with which the producers
antagonists may assault him. Low
grade cotton under present condl-
tons is not an asset but an lnfec-
tious liability.
Therefore, the plan proposed is
simply this:
Do Not Harvest Any Grades Lowes
Than Middling.
But it will be objected that the
weather makes the grades and that
the farmer can not control the wealth
er This is true, but the farmer can
regulate the grades ne picks and puts
upon the market.
The Plan.
AS soon as cotton opens pick it as
rapidly and as carefully as possible;
have it ginned gradually; when GIN
ned store it in warehouse if the
same is available; if warehouse is not
available take the cotton home, build
a shelter for it, put it on skids ard
from time to time turn the bale over
in order that all sides may be expos
ed to the air; sell when demand calls
for it at satisfactory prices. Now:
Do not pick any rain or weather
damaged cotton. When the weather
gets bad turn the cattle into the
fields. Do not let the damaged cot
ton stay to be picked later and sold
at ruinous discounts, and in the
meantime to be used by your adver-
saries in beating down the price OF
your good grades. Destroy the low
grade cotton and through such de-
struction fatten your cattle and your
own pocketbook.
If this plan is carried out-and 1t
will be carried out by every sensible
farmer who considers the same-the
coming crop will be reduced by sew
eral million bales in quantity, Will be
increased by many million dollars Ill
value, and at the same tine the pro-