The spectator., 1920-11-02
Russellville Jottings
I believe I said I would tell yo

several times before, If th peo- pie will remember, have always advocated the cooperation of the farmers For this purpose l tried to get the farmers to go into the F. E. & c. U. of A. when we were doing our hardest struggling for markets and they wouldn't. l also advocated the cooperative holding of crops and they would not hear to it.
 Many times the thought has been spread over the country that prices are coming down, so don't plant so much cotton and raise more food-stuff. Now is the time to say, T told you o!' The prices are now SO low on cotton that not a farmer in Frank n County can make back his pro. duction costs and it is the same way all over the State. Do you think it was an accident that they so happened ? Never! The prices on automobiles and cotton drop ped most and all for a reason The first reason for the drop in both is the over abundant supply. Now many of you don't believe what am telling you about this, especially as to the cars. No man ever did have too much cotton himself. His neighbor might have too much but always needs a little bit more.
 Any people can be excused for not seeing the drop in prices con- ing and some can be excused for taking the chances on the drop, but no man is excusable for not taking care of himself first. The second reason for the drop in both cars and cotton is that the makers of cars and the growers of cotton are not now and never have been really orgalized. Taking the cot ton growers there are tco msny Henry Fords among them. Ford saw the drop coming and ran to meet it. thereby getting a lot Q
 free advertising. Mir. Farmer sees the drop coming and sells his crop very early and thereby provide> the WherewiIhal for the cotton manufacturer to squeeze out hi- fellow farmer, What is the diff ference between the two men? Only about $5, 900, 900. The prin- ciple is as despicabie from hi> fellow salesman's viewpoint in the one as in the other.
 One of the first things that a farmer should learn out of the predicament he is in now is tha in dlsunion there is weakne S; therefore. in union there should be strength. 1 am referring ,o he Sou hern Cotton Growers Associatio right at present, and which seems to have a workable plan of cooperative marketing for the cotton farmer. l knoa all your arguments on this sub ject, such as, What are you goina 10 do with the tenant farmer ?' Why, help him too hold his cotton as long as is necessary to get price that at least halfway pays for the time and money he ha, been out on 1t. l think the s. C. G. A has good plan on his Now as 10 holding your cotton otherwise 1 cannot advise you and you probably wouldn't take if if 1 should. However, l will say there is little use to think that even 1,000.000 bales are going to affect the market to any appre- ciable extent.
 If you do decide to hold be sure and place Nour cotton in dry place up eff tie ground and pro- tect it from stock. Cotton stored in the seed has two disadvan- tages: The one is that it~takes up room and the other that you are much more liable to include damaged cotton with it when you do gin it. Now don't let any of the hotheads convince you that the way to bring the price of cot ton up is to stop the gins as they are doing in some parts of the country. That only works incon- venience on the ginners and on the man that has to store several bales of cotton in the seed or leave 1t in the field. Either way he is likely to lose money.
 But enough on this.
 Iwant to say a few things about the raising of .enough food-stutf.