The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1920-11-19
WILL THE AMERICAN COTTON
ASSOCIATION GET DOWN TO
BUSINESS?

ilessdS 20 olSn CO<OpGrHtiVe G,,:i
tracts" represents, we believe. tllt
real feeling of most thoughtful mer
among the Southern cotton farmers
The American Cotton Assoc; -
in each state will miss an un~ <ASS
opportunity if it does n d rolze the
! present determined .Ses u our far.
mers. ~<cN
/ Our leaders who have appealed to
congressman, Senators, Governors
Secretary Houston, and Governor
Harding, have done the best they
knew. But We might as we'll realize
thct absolutely nothing has come of
such efforts. q
1t is time to take 10 heart, once for
all, the teaching of the ancient fa-
bic of THE Lark and Her Young
Ones" So long as the farmer re-
ported that he was going to get help
from his neighbors to cut the wheat
where her nest was, the mother lark
made no plans for moving that nest.
But when the farmer announced to
his sons, I'VE have depended long
enough on other people; get out your
whetstones and we will ourselves cut
that wheat, then the lark got busy.
= We might as well realize it, now as
later, that this is precisely the situa-
tion that confronts the Southern cot
ton growers.
Somehow we seem to be political
ly-minded people, while the Northern
and Western farmers are more busi-
ness-minded. When trouble happens
10 our markets, we get down on our
knees and wall and below and lament,
calling for help from some idol of a
Congressman or Senator or Governor
or legislature. And all our lamenta-
tionS get us nowhere. On the other
hand, when trouble hit the orange
growers, ralsin- growers, prune-grOw-
ers, almOnd-grOwers, and hOney-prO-
ducers of California, the orange-grow-
ers of Florida, and the truckers of
Eastern Virginia-what did they do?
They organized businesslike market
ing associations. Now they have re-
hef, while we cotton growers and to-
are still aiming at moth
ing better than the temporary expe-
dent of acreage reductiOn,-all the
time wondering whether even the man
who signs the pledge will keep it, and
the man who hasn't sign will
not seize the opportunity to increase
his own crop.
The writer raises cotton and is per |
fectly willing to sign a contract on the |
California plan. That is to say, we
Are willing to agree. to market all our
cotton for the next seven years !
through thoroughly systematic,
scientific cotton marketing organiza-
ion controlled by cotton growers only |
Ind managed by the best business tai |
mt to be had in the marketing world. |
furthermore we are willing to do as |
'ur present growers are dOing,-pay
N initial fee of $40, or even sos, to
lelp pay the expenses Of getting up
ueh an organization.
Even if we should get in each state
N organization controlling 100000
'ales, as is proposed in Oklahoma, we
Mould have quantity of cotton that |
would get the attention of the worlds |
'uying agencies and insure each grow
r all the advantages and save 10 him
he enormous losses now visited on
he faI nfers through undergrading
We might lose cur $40 or $25, and
t might even be possible that the
gencies now fleeing the farmers
night make success difficult. But we
iad rather lose money trying to do
omething for ourselves than live on
orever in cowardice and inactiOn, the
even of those political
.ods we have long and ignorantly
Il. Farmer, if you believe rs we do,
ont just say "Amen!" at your own
reside.
Do something.
Tell your county association and
our state cotton association leaders
D do something. Tell your county
gent. Tell your county paper. And
It The Progressive Farmer know how
ou feel. Give us your encourage
lent.
"WhO would be free. themselves /;
aust strike the blow. w.'-Progressive
'armer