Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1920-12-15
Another Estimate on Cotton
Crop.

The American Cotton association
yesterday estimated the cotton crop
of 1920 at 1927, 900 bales, exclu-
siye of linters. The report issued by
the association said that unless the
price of cotton increased much of the
low grades will be left in the field,
thus materially decreasing the total
number of bales.
sAt present prices the farmer can
not afford to pick his low grade cot
ton and gin it." says the statement.
<sWe believe that much of this cotton
viii remain unpicked, and If this
should prove to be the case, there
Will, of course, be decrease in the
total crop, as our estimate OF Sl2,-
227.OO0 bales is based on the suppo-
.sition that all of the cotton will be
picked"
To Curtail in Egypt.
The association also issued state
ment saying that information had
been received by it that the growers
of cotton in Egypt have agreed to
,curtail their acreage reduction Tor
the next crop 33 1-3 per cent, in
compliance with request from the
American Cotton association. Since
This request was transmitted to the
egyptian growers, officials of the
association said, it has been deter
! mined to decrease the acreage in the
South so per cent, and the Egyptians
will be asked to reduce their acreage
correspondingly.
"The machinery has all been set
in motion which will absolutely IN
sure a reduction of so per cent. IN
the cotton acreage" says the state
ment.
President Wannamaker has receiv-
ed the following telegram from the
Texas division of the American Cot
Ton association:
Telegram Received.
"a special meeting of every mem
Der of the house and senate OF the
general assembly of Texas will be
held in Dallas at the expense of the
Texas division of the American Cot
ton association and will remain in
/, session three days. Have assurance
of 100 per cent attendance. Texas
has decided after lapse of SO years
that it is useless to ask for or to ex-
pect the passage of necessary ma
tional legislation to place the han
ding and marketing of our great
staple crop upon an economical busi-
ness basis and we are absolutely de-
termiued to pass state Legislation
that will, beyond a shadow of doubt
place the handling of our main crop
in the hands of the people of our
state. We are determined that such
laws will be passed that will mean
not only economic handling and mar
keting but will absolutely secure for
the produced the protection and the
rights which are justly his. Cotton
acreage will be. reduced SO per cent.
but this only solves part of our
troubles. We have already passed a
law assessing every bale of cotton
ginned SO cents. This will raise quite
sum Of money and will solve our
financial troubles, but still it does
not complete the machinery. We are
determined and have taken binding
obligation to pass laws that will Gre
ate and make effective every piece OF
machinery necessary to handle, mar
ket, and control our cotton crop. We
will have warehouses, graders and
cooperative marketing and we will
have something that no other of the
cotton states has ever had. We will
furnish by legislation the necessary
profits so that cotton can be financed
and only sold when there is demand
for the same at a profitable price.
Your statement that it is useless
TO expect national legislation and
that the people of the entire South
have suffered for the last half CEN
tury not only because their cotton
was produced and handled on the ba-
sis of slave wages and an economic
antiquated method, but also because
we had failed to attend to our own
business by legislation, has convinced
Us that you are correct and, therefore
The Texas legislature will pass the
legislation necessary. Every state IN
The cotton belt should follow the
same course. Fifty per cent. acreage
reduction in cotton and SO per cent.
increase in food and feed crops Is
our slogan. The passage OF every
piece of legislation necessary to pass
The handling, the marketing and the
control of the cotton crop in the
shands of the producers and friendly
allied interests of Texas will be
sought, thus bringing to the people
of Texas the prosperity which we
should have been enjoying for the
last half century from this world
necessity, cotton, which mas orousn'
riches to other sections instead of to
our own section, because we permit
ted other people to attend to our
business instead of attending to it
ourselves. We urge that you impress
upon every cotton producing state
the necessity in justice to themselves
and Of exercising their state rights
and passing the necessary state leg
islation. These rights can not be de-