The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1920-09-22
COTTON MEETING
HELD MONDAY
Holding Movement EndOrs-
ed by Farmers
LARGE CROWD
ATTENDS MEETING

Crop Where Possible and Reduce
Acreage Next Year. Minimum Prize
cS Recommended for Ginning and
Picking.
Plcdgng themselves to reduce acre
age in cotton next year by onc-third
and TO plant this in small grain, farm
crs Of the county started the campaign
Monday to boost the price OF cotton
and fight the boil weevil The meeting
was largely attended and farmers ab-
pcarcd to be deeply in earnest over
the cotton situation.
While the meeting was called pri.
marily in the interest Of the Ameri-
can Cotton Association, concrete re-
suits were along different lines. Be
sides the agreement to reduce acre
age, much Of the time Of the meeting
was taken up in the discussion of To-
cal problems. The meeting went on
record as favoring $3.50 as a fair gin
ming price for cotton and 100 per
hundred as a fair price for picking.
Ginncrs over the county were report
ed as charging from $3.50 to $500.
Short speeches were made by w. D.
Byrd Jack Fl. Davis, o. p. Goodwin,
NJ. a. Sumcrel, o. l.. Long, DR.. III. X.
Aiken and j. A. Goats DR.. Aiken
spoke upon the invitation Of the pre-
siding officer, Mr.. o. l.. Long. and
dealt with the cotton situation from
financial standpoint. He said that
the banks were willing to do all in
their power to aid the farmers in their
fight for a fair price for cotton, but
that the present acute financial strin-
sency must be partly relieved before
the banks could extend much addi-
tional aid. He said that the banks
had loaned to the limit Of their ability
and that the farmers must sell at least
small part Of their crop to relieve
the stringcncy. Comparing the pres
cnt situation to n water wheel, he said
that somebody must put water in the
wheel to start it in notion There is
no possibility, he said, Of holding all
the cotton off the market.
Following the speech of DR.. Aiken
and short remarks by several others,
the meeting adopted a resolution to
the effect that no cotton would be sold
for less than 40 cents a pound unless
it was absolutely necessary.
Messrs. W. ID. Byrd, o. l.. Long, NJ.
a. Sumerel, Hayne Workman and
oh
mittce to interview oil mills concern
ing moro advantageous exchange OF,
cotton seed and meal. 1t was prevail
ing opinion that the oil mills were
not allowing enough for cotton seed
toward the latter part of the meet
ing Mr.. Goats called attention to the
fact that practically no reference had
been made to the main object OF the
meeting, viz, to organize the cotton
association more thoroughly. He and
several other speakers urged the i'm
portancc Of this, declaring that it
had already been Of great benefit to
port to be Of moro benefit A poll or
the meeting developed that only about
thirty out Of the audience had joined
the association and on a rising vote
about thirty more agreed to join. At
ter the meeting five men entered their
names and paid their dues, $61.75 be-
ing paid in by these five men.
Mcssrs. Dial Gray NJ. L. Copeland
and ~ Taoolo ,Iuo
a committee to interview the bankers
Of the county in order to ascertain Just
what help the farmers could count on
in the holding movement.