The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1920-09-21
FARMERS ENTHUSIASTIC
AND DETERMINED IN FIGHT
Decide to Hold Cotton for Forty
Cents and to Reduce Acreage.
Quiet and Determined Meeting.

There was a large attendance at
the meeting of the farmers in the
court house on Monday to discuss
the cotton situation and to take ac,
ton. There was no display and nc
harsh word said of any one but q
more determined looking set of men
you rarely see gather. They listened
attentively at all that was said and
you could very we'll read in the ex'
preston that their minds are made
up that they are not going to sell the
cotton for less than the minimum
fixed by the Southern Cotton assocla-
tion and also that they are going to
reduce acreage. There seems to be
little doubt that they have their
minds made up that the acreage will
be reduced. They are now realizing
the necessity of such action and be-
sides it is more expensive to make
cotton now than it was some years
ago when these meetings were being
held and resolutions adopted ard
then every one go along and plant
a big crop. Labor is scarce and costs
a lot more than it did and besides the
boil weevil is here and Mr.. Mills ex-
planned that the one way to fight the
animal was to plant small acreage
fertilize it we'll and then work fas:
and thus get a fair crop before the
gentleman arrived.
Mr.. J. L. Keitt as president Of the
Newberry branch of the American
Cotton association called the meet
ing to order and explained in some
detail the working of the association
and what was done at the convention
at Montgomery.
The object of the meeting is three
fold.
l. Plans for holding the cotto3
off the. market in Newoerry county
until a fair. and just price could be
obtained, together for plans for CO.
operative marketing.
2. Plans for fully utilizing exist
ing warehouses and erecting add'-
tional warehouses and practical plans
for financing the corp.
8. Plans for increasing grain
and other crops and reducing the
cotton acreage.
Mr.. B. C. Matthews said he had
lust returned from New York and
other financial centers and il reply
to question he was satisfied, ne said,
that the crop could be financed If the
farmers would stick together and
agree not to plant too big crop the
coming year.
Mr.. T. M. Mills made practica!
talk on the boil weevil and what 1t
is doing in other places and ne SAID
that we had the warning now that
we might expect it to do damage to
every cotton fidd in Newaerry coun-
ty another year and we had just as
well take warning and be prepared
to meet the situation. And the one
thing to do was to reduce the acre
age and fertilize and work we'll and
make the crop before the boil weevl!
had an opportunity to get in his work
and this could not be done with a
big acreage.
DR.. w. C. Brown offered a reso-
luton that the acreage be reduced
33 per cent. Mr.. Alan Jhonstone Of
fered an amendment that this reduc-
ton be made and that in no event
more than eight acres to the plow
be planted. Mr.. Johnstone made a
very very strong appeal to the farm
ers that this was the time to act and
that in his opinion the farmers
should not only pass the resolution
but should act the part Of men and
live up to it and if by the first of
April the price had not increase to
something like the cost Of production
the decrease be made even more than
that and that no cotton be sold be-
low the minimum fixed, 40 cents.
The resolution as amended was
adopted.
DR.. Brown then offered a resolu-
ton that no cotton be sold below 4O
over it seemed to hang feeling OF
awe and horror. At the commands OF