Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1921-01-06

The Fort Mill Times congratulates
Mr.. w. d. Grist upon his completion
Of 35 years of service as editor of the
Yorkville Enquirer and indulges the
hope that he may live many years
longer to continue his work on that
excellent paper. However good n
newspaper The Enquirer may have
been when Mr.. Grist became it's edi-
tor n third of q century and more
ago, 1t is certain that under his guild
ance the paper is today far and away
the'best county paper in South Caro-
lima and Is an institution OF wh,...
York county is justly proud.
Unauestionably the farmers OF
this country have been deluged with
advice in the last few months. In
South Carolina and the other cottor-
growing States they were told by Of
ficials of the cotton association and
others who thought they had some
superior information to impart that
not n bale of cotton should be sold
below 60 cents the pound and that
held for a few months the market
would reach that figure. Advice OF
this character was first offered when
the market began to decline early
last fall but had not gone down to
30 cents. 1t is n fair assumption.
that n considerable number of far
mers were thus influenced to holu
their cotton. at what loss the price
they could get for 1t today is the
best evidence. Other farmers, per-
haps n majority OF those who refus-
cd to sell on declining market
felt that less than 40 cents, the price
which the staple was bringing when
the 1920 season opened. was too little
for crop that had been grown at
unusual expense, and these deter
mined to hold their Gotten in antici-
on. But the price continued to go
down in the face OF the holding
movement. and the advice of those
who talked loudest about what the
market was going to do the next day
OF the next week has cost many cot
ton growers dearly. The office OF the
state commissioner OF agriculture
has been one of the chief offenders
in this section. Mr.. b. Harris, the
commissioner, is a good man and is
represented as having made a success
OF his own farming operations. but
no could not qualify as prophet
ana knowing this he should not have
assumed to give the farmers advice
on subject about which his infor-
mation was as scant as their own.
some years ago some one asked Joe
cannon to what he attributed his
success in life. II haven't had any
success worth Dragging about" the
old fellow was reported to have re-
piled, but If 1 have been a little
more fortunate than the average
man. as some seem to think, 1t Is due
to the fact that 1 have not asked other
people how to run my own business"
Many Gotten farmers would have
been in better condition had they not
listened to the advice OF others as to
how to run their business.
Harvie Jordan, vice president OF
the American Cotton association.
does the cause Of the farmers no
good when he goes outside the facts
to state that 1t cost 40 cents
pound to raise the 1920 crop. Any
honest farmer in the South whose
cotton last year was grown under
normal conditions will admit that IL
he could today sell 1t for 40 cents
there would be margin of profit
In 1t for him at that price.
A hopeful sign that this section
OF the country has passed through
the worst of the financial depression
that began about six months ago is
found In the announcement from
various Southern towns that the
owners Of cotton mills which have
been idle for some time are planning
to resume operations at their plants
at once. 1t Is certain that these mills
would remain closed IL there were
no markets for their products, for
mill ownera like ofher caraful hnSi-