The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-07-09
FARMERS WANT
!. !. COTTON GRADER

Al MEETING OF FAKMERS.:O OF
THE COUNTY HELD IN COURT
HOUSE THIS MORNING MOTION
PREVAILED TO EMPLOY COT.
TON GRADER THIS SEASON.
MR.. sEIFERT MAKES ADDRESS
A meeting Of the farmers of Able
vile County was held at noon today
in the court house and was well at
tended by farmers from every town.
ship in the county. The farmers had
been called together by county dem
onstration agent w. A. Rowell to
hear AN address by E. Z. Seifert,
head of the bureau of markets Of
this state. Mr.. Seifert delivered g.
timely address to the farmers and
urged them to employ an official cot
ton grader or classer for the next sea-
son. Mr.. Seifert is native OF Geo
gia but for the past three years has
been employed as the official cotton
grader for Orangeburg County
where he has made statewide reputa-
Ntion for himself as the farmers
friend. Recently Mr.. Seifert has been
appointed the head Of the bureau Of
markets in this state which has en-
tire control of the appointment of
licensed cotton graders Tor counties
within the state. These graders who
are sent out to counties desiring them
are under the civil service commits
sion and have qualified by competitive
examination as official graders of
cotton. ...' 7.. y .-..-
County demonstration agent Row
ell who was chairman Of the meeting
put the question up to the farmers
present whether. or not they desired
to employ an official grader for Alb
beville County and whether they were
willing to 60 down Unto their pockets
to pay for such a man. There was
practically unanimous vote for the
employment of an official grader and
Messrs W. A. Rowell. R. E. Cox and
j. S. Stark were appointed to can
vass the city and Messls. w. M. Ag-
new and o. S. Cochran were appoint
ed to canvass their sections of the
county. Other appointments will be
made tomorrow by the county agent.
The plan on which these commit
tees are working is to secure so
men who raise cotton or who are in
terested in the marketing of cotton
to sign joint note for $500, the
responsibility of each indorser being
limited to $40. 1t is their idea to pay,
the official grader a salary of $1,000.
for twelve months of his time and the
balance of $500 with the appropria-
ton of $3.50 which the government
and Clemson College makes will COW
er whatever expenses are incurred
during the year.
There will be charge OF 35 cents.
per bale fer grading the cotton
brought to this market anc If 10000
bales are graded during the coming
year the note will be Cancelled by this
income. Last year there were $4,000
bales of cotton marketed in the coun-
ty. At least $4,000 of these bales
were marketed in Abbeville. So the
estimate Of 10000 bales for the next
season is quite conservative and it
really is to be expected that a sur.
plus will be created by the charge of
IS cents per bale.
Much interest was manifested on
the part of the farmers present and
the whole question was thoroughly
threshed out before they made the
decision that an official grader for the
county was what they wanted.
The first of these meetings will be
held at Donalds Monday evening at
8 o'clock. The second at Central
school house Tuesday afternoon at 4
o'clock, and at Antreville Wednes-
day.