The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1920-10-19
u0IIsTON AND HARDING STAND PAT
ON THEIR REFUSAL TO AID THE FARMERS

ment is against him." after he had
been asked to produce and feed the
world, resolutions strongly indicted
federal officials.
1t was stated that farmers were
urged to produce as a duty "to pre-
vent untold horrors or starvation and
nakedness among the nations of the
world, especially those which had
been exhausted by the ravages of
war" These farmers, it was declar-
ed, had been led to believe that no
matter how much they produced
they could not possibly over-produce
and that prices might be expected to
repay the farmer for labor, cost of
equipment and materials.
I'm our judgment" said the reso-
lutions, it is wrong as matter of
policy artificially to press down the
prices of commodities and it is par
ticularly wrong to begin with the
raw commodities, for such program
inevitably forces upon the. producer
the heaviest burden of reconstruc-
struction and readjustment. Prices
now current in the market Ton all
farm products generally are below
the cost of production, and unless
some remedy be found to relieve the
situation general bankruptcy and
ruin are inevitable"
One of the striking passages in the
critical resolutions adopted by the
conference was:
"The fact that we are facing
prices today that are below the cost
of production arises out of the fact
that while the federal reserve system
was found adequate to finance our
allies and ourselves during the great
est upheaval the world has ever seen,
it is arbitrarily withheld from assist
ing the basic industry of this coun-
try to maintain level of prices that
at least meets the cost of produc-
ton"
Ruinous prices, the cotton confer
ence voted, were not confined to the
cotton industry, but prevailed in all
branches of farming.
Cut the Acreage.
The resolutions of the cotton con-
ference committee declare that:
eff the present conditions con-
fronting the cotton producers are not
materially improved he should not
jeopardize the agricultural and COM
mercial interests of the country by
planting large crops next year. II the
cotton acreage is materially reduced
the market will be re-established at
a price that will justify the produc-
tin of cotton as a business PROPOSE
ton. This reduction ought to be Sc
cured not by pledge, but by legal
binding contract.
Couldn't See President.
Failing to hear from the president
their request for special
session of the cabinet to receive their
complaints, following an unsatisfac-
tory conference with Governor w.
P. G. Harding, of the federal reserve
board, the delegates to the cotton
conference were in an unsettled and
indignant frame of mind.
Senator Hoke Smith, of Georgia,
and Senator Overman, of North Car
DINA, called at the white house and
laid the request before Secretary
Tumulty, who transmitted it to Pres
ident Wilson.
81 knew, when the committee was
that we would not be able to
see the president, said Senator
Smith. "The president has seen only
three senators since he became i'll
year ago. He did not even see Sena-
tor Simmons, selected by the demo-
Gratis of the senate to confer with
him about reservations to the peace
treaty
A National Body.
A resolution providing for the
calling of a national agricultural
congress, to be made up of all the
agricultural interests of the United
States, was adopted by the confer
ence. The officers of the present con-
vention were made temporary officers
of the proposed national congress,
and it was suggested that this meet
ing be called in time to pass any rec
concentrations to the United States
congress to pass on.