The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1920-08-27
VOLUME LVI., NUMBER SO.
Agree to Hold All Cotton OF Mar
ket Until Price Advances.
Ready for Exort Corpora?
tion-Great Crowd
Present.
The State, 26th.
Resolutions Adopted.

The State, 26th.
Resolutions Adopted.
To hold every bale of cotton off
the market until the minimum price
to be fixed in Montgomery next
week is obtained.
Without a dissenting voice the
South Carolina division Of the Amerl-
can Cotton association yesterday
adopted in to the plan formulated by
the executive committee for avertlng
the financial bankrutcy which the
cotton producer faces under pres
ent marketing conditions
The plan in brief provides that
fixed in Montgomery next week IS
every bale of cotton be held Off the
market until the minimum price to be
obtained; to form an export corpora,
tion with capital stock of 500,0OO
bales. one purpose Of this corpora
ton being to ship cotton to foreign
countries; and to reduce the 1871
crop by one-third, this reduction De.
ing brought about by the signing OF
a pledge in whiEl the signer agrees
to have his acreage measured by his
neighbors. The pledge provides that
if the signer violate 1t, he may De
penalized by fine Of $500, collect
able in any of the courts of~the state
or of the United States.
The meeting yesterday was easily
the most important gathering OF cot
ton producers held in this state, and
it was featured by an air Of earnest,
ness and determination which would
seem to indicate that the farmers
are through with 'resolutlng ard
are now determined to take concrete
action to save themselves. While
there was some diversity of opinion
as to the feasibility of the export cor
poration, L. D. Jennings of Sumter
proposing another plan for tldlng
over the present crisis, as a general
thing unanimity of opinion prevailed
and when q pledge was offered to
1sretire 25 per cent. of the present
crop and to hold cotton until Hades
freezes over if need be- there was, a
burst of applause from the great
throng.
Craven Hall tco SEiaii.
When R. C. Hamer, president CT
the South Carolina division, called
the meeting TO order in Craven hall,
there was standing room in the struc-
ture. Delegates from ali sections CT
the state continued to pour IN ard
soon the place was crowded to SUI,
location. Scores Of men We're lined
up along the walls windows framed
heads and faces and the small balcony
was packed. Soon there We're IS
many people outside of the hall as IN
side and.it was seen that some change
of plan was necessary to enable al 10
hear and after some discussion It was
moved to adjourn to the campus OF
the University Of South Carolina
The great crowd, numbering per
haps $500 people, marched down
Sumter street to the university
grounds and found fairly comfort
able seats on the grass. The speak
ers mounted a truck and were easlly
heard by the throng.
Offer Resolutions.
C. L. Toole had read in Craven hail
the resolutions drawn up by the eX-
ecutive committee but hundreds had
not heard him and L. D. Jennings OF
Sumter was asked to read them
again.
The resolutions were as follows:
1T is a we'll known fact that
though the people inhabiting the cot
ton belt are the purest blooded
Americans in the United States. they
are the most illiterate. Our litter
acy is so great that it has become a
national scandal. It IS also a "eN
known fact that our public roads n
the cotton belt are the poorest in the
country. Our public school teachers
are the poorest paid of any in the
United States and a great many teach
in i'll equipped school houses which
are without any comforts. Again,
our country churches are the poorest
and the preachers are poorest paid.
sOur once naturally fertile soil
has been mined by our forefathers IN
in the past until it is now necessary
to apply vast amounts Of fertilizers
to make crops. We know these con-
ditions exist and that they were
caused by the low price obtained
since the Confederate war for our
chief money crop-cotton.
"Realizing this misfortune, be-
ing our heritage we now take oath
before the god Of justice that the
same conditions shall not be the IN
heritance of our children.
"Under the most adverse cond:-
tions we have promise OF a fair yield
of cotton for 1920. This promise of
a good crop has been the signal for
the powers that be to reduce the price
80 per cent. and below the cost OF
production, before pound is plckea.
It therefore behooves the cotton
producers, the business men and the
professional men to take prompt ac-
tion to protect their interests.
''The conditions forcing such acton
are in part as follows: -.
''The spreading Of the boil weev;l