The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-04-02
ALL COTTON G!NNERS
ARE URGED TO ERECT
WAREHOUSES; FOR 1920

to erect q warehouse to be Operat-
ed under the state warehouse system
in time to store cotton for 1920, J.
Skottowe Wannamaker. president nf
the American Cotton association, said
yesterday. Every railroad will be
requested to erect sheds over their
cotton platforms so as to prevent cot
ton placed thereon from being dam
aged, he said.
The United States Department Of
Agriculture said Mr. Wannamaker,
'shows an annual loss TO the Amcri-
can cotton crop of around seventy
five millions of dollars from country
damage. All of this loss falls upon
the shoulders of the producer. In ad-
dition to this the producer pays on
every bale of cotton he sells ma
rine insurance. the cost of which Is
deducted from the original bid, 50
that the loss in country damage 10
the producer is of course far in
excess Of the seventy-five millions 3f
dollars per annum. While it is the
general conception that the careless
ness Of the producer is responsible
fer all Of this loss. for the purpose Of
ascertaining the true facts a most
painstaking inves igation has been
made by this association. the result
of this investigation has just been
Sled and i is found that the follow.
ing causes contribute largely to coun-
try damage. 1-Cotton lying on tho
ground at the gins; 2-Cotton lying
on the ground at the home of the
producer. 3-COtton lying on the
railway platform for days and weeks,
unprotected waiting for transporta-
ton. 4-Cotton standing at the COM
presses unprotected. waiting for COM
preston. 5--An enormous amount of
cotton shipped to concentration
points for storage standing for days.
weeks and even months on the
ground. unprotected. the producer
paying a large storage charge for the
same.
1.-The American Cotton association
is determined to reach the root Of this
evil and is now starting systematic
campaign to ~ Correct the first
evil urge that the ginners through
out the belt erect warehouses at
their gins where cotton can be stor-
ed and thus save the producer large
loss which he is forced to suffer on
account of his inability to secure
warehouse room. This will bring to
the ginner a revnue and will save
the producer a heavy loss; ~ The
campaign is being pushed in each and
every county in the belt TO rthe pur-
pose of securing capital for the erec-
tion of sufficient warehouses toware-
house the cotton produced therein. In
the state of South Carolina under the
new warehouse board, with the CO.
operation Of the extension forces of
Clemson College and under the lead
ership of the American Cotton asso
citation there can be no question but
that these warehouses will be erect
ed in time for the 1920 crop. (3)
The matter of the enormous damage
caused by the non-erection Of sheds
over railway platforms has been
taken up through the highest gov
ernment sources and railway Off
cials. A meeting of the railroad COM
missioners of every state in the cot
ton belt will be held in Montgomery
at the convention Of the association
there and in the meantime many Of
the railroads are agreeing to erect
sheds for the protection of cotton
(4) A bill has just been introduced
in congress which will play wonder
full part in reducing the country dam
age caused by cotton standing at
the cotton congresses. Not only
every producer but every man inter-
ested in economic reforms should
write his senator and congressman
urging that he use his influence to
have this bill passed AS a result Of
the passage of this bill the enormous
loss caused to cotton standing at the
congresses unprotected in addition
to the enormous loss and penalty paid
by the producer under the present
compress system will be eradicated.
The Southern Railway. seeing the
handwriting on the wall. has just
sold ont their enormous compress
holdings: (5t The producer must
have charge of the marketing ma
chine-y for the handling of his pro-
duct II will not I've uOSSible TO do