The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1920-12-02
PLAN ENORMOUS
COTTON AGENCY
Fort Smith Wholesaler Suggests $751;
100000 Company to Control the
South's Greatest Crop-S1 an
Acre is Enough.
From the Fort smith Times Record.

about $75,000,000, based on 81 an acre
for all land in the cotton belt, to mar
ket the entire cotton crop of the south
and hold the staple to a profitable
figure, was urged in a statement Civ
en- out today by Fred Browne, presi-
dent Of the Browne Hinton Wholesale
Grocery Company here.
Mr.. Browne offered to start the cap
tai fund of such an organization with
a personal subscription of $1,000.
He suggests that every land owner
in the south pay 81 an acre of every
bit of land in cultivation, and that
this fund be used by an association
to finance the crop, in cooperation
with the Federal international Bank
ing company, S6,000,000 banking cor
poration now being formed by bank
ers of the south to expedite export
trade in cotton, rice and other south
ern products.
Mr.. Browns plan is not rival of the
banking corporation, he explains, but
rather is necessary to take advantage
to the fullest of the facilities which
will be offered by the new banking
company.
Gotten at 3 Cents.
s'The situation in the south is de-
plorable," declared Mr.. Brown.
"Cotton is selling on the streets, l
am told, as low as nine cents pound,
and at that price it is a certainty many
renters desert their crops. The farm
ers are hit harder than anyone else,
but it will be felt keenly all thru the
channels of trade. We have custo-
mers right now who cannot pay us.
because of the low price OF cotton.
Everybody else has the same situation.
at is up to the south to save her
self, and | believe an organization
such as | am outlining will do it.
Mr.. Brown points to the associ-
alton marketing or oranges in Cal
fornia as a concrete example of what
proper marketing methods can do to
establish prices.
He declares for good business and
high prices" and asserts that low
prices have always meant hard. ,"
The Bankers Plan.
"The banks are subscribing stock"
said Mr.. Browne, ''to raise fund to
help finance the cotton farmer That
is fine. ! am certainly GLAD to see
move in this direction. The condition
of the cotton farmer at this time, is
certainly a deplorable one.
Last winter. he was encouraged in
every way possible from all sources,
to produce everything in his power,
and was told that there was an unlim-
tied market for all he could produce.
Encouraged by this prospect and
promise. he plunged himself in debt;
bought more high priced tools, high
priced feed and stock to make bump
er crop; and by working himself and
family twelve to fifteen hours per day,
succeeded in making good crop, but
not more than is needed.
Cotton All Needed.
Every pound Of cotton will be need
ed, and would have been bought for
twenty-five cents per pound just as
quickly as at ten cents or five cents,
had there been the necessary finan-
cial backing and some system in mar
keting.
"The farmer is just as much en-
titled to pay for his labor as any
other class of citizen. He has Just
as much right to own an automobile,
to have electric lights in his home, to
have good schools and good clothes.
and iuxuries, as any one else. If he
is a hard wrking farmer, he is enti-
tied to this much for his services, and
the fact that he is a cotton farmer
and that he and his whole family
works twelve hours day for twelve
of thirteen months in the year, to pro-
duce and harvest his crop, is no good
reason why he should not have It.
"Of course, there are sluggards of
farmers, as well as in all other lines.
have reference to the hard working
farmer.
These Men Get Price.
Listen! The fruit farmers in Cali
fornla are raising oranges. | was
there and | couldn't buy carload of
oranges at one of the small packing
plants in small town. What did
they tell me? They referred me to
the association headquarters in Los
Angeles. ! went there. They told me
what they were worth box There
was no cutting or slashing. They
were sold strictly according to grade
and every mans oranges that were
g toHe-N tftc oefifE were SQiu at the
same price. What are the conse-
quences? The oranges. all brought
the price asked. Could | have found
hundred different men with oranges
70 sell. could probably have gone
from one to the other and maybe have
gotten what | wanted for less than
half of what had to pay.
Their land is worth one thousand
dollars per acre. Their roads are
paved better than our streets.
Oranges are no more a necessity than
cotton is. The product is no more un-
animously used than cotton. The man
who lives in cotton country is in
the garden spot of the world. No
Hover garden is prettier. 1t will not
grow IN the north and on account of
the weevil. cannot be grown in manv
places in the extreme south.
Here's the Remedy.
Mr.. Farmer. listeni Organize and
organize quick! Help the banks in
their undertaking to help you. There
are over one million farmers raising
cotton There are over one million If
Them all over the country runn;no.
around trying to sell or give their cot.
lon away, two many sellers. Every
.an9 owner. should put his shoulder
70 the wheel and subscribe 81 per acre
70, aor every acre he has in cultivation
inere IS perhaps thirty or thirtv-f;xe
million acres of land ~ s-s,tttts>,7. ss,.;s
tcontinued on Page ~