The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-05-03
DIR. LONGS ADDRESS
TO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE


and inefficiency in cotton marketing
was outlined by DR.. w. w. Long of
Clemson college in an address on Co.
operative Marketing before the men,
bers' forum of the chamber of COM
merce in the court house Friday
night. Cooperation through an air
tight, iron-clad association based On
"a fve-year contract with the cotton
grower, DR.. Long said, was the way
out" of the age-old condition in which
the Southern planter always was the
one who was squeezed.
1t was the first meeting of the men,
bers' forum of the chamber of COM
merce. The meeting was arranged
by the committee headed by DR.. Geo.
B. Cromer. Associated with him were
Rev. J. E. Meng, Dr.. j. B. Settler,
Phof. O. B. Cannon, Mrs. Ola. c.
Floyd, and E. S. Blease. DIR. Cromer
presided. He presented DR.. Long and
the two other speakers on the pro-
gram, Dr.. G. Y. Hunter of Prosper
1 ity and E. E. Child of Whitmire.
There was a large attendance.
{ Dr.. Longs address was the first
complete and concise presentation OF
the idea that is sweeping through the
cotton states and that has been pro-
nourced by the best minds in the
country as the only solution of the
grave problem of cotton marketing.
The outstanding feature of the ad-
dress was the statement of the terms
of the contract under which cotton as
sociations by states were being form
ed. The terms are that growers OF
cotton who join the association pledg-
ed to turn over their cotton to the as
sociation upon having it ginned and
baled. The entire crop is turned ov-
er. The contract is for period of
five wears. Not sv much as an ounce
of cotton may be put on the market
+ by a planter who is member of the
/ association.
| The Association of South Carolina
Planters in conjunction with the sim
liar associations formed in cotton
states will market the cotton pledged
!, to them in an orderly, systematic, ec-
/, onomieal way. 1t has been decided to
do this by pool-each separate grade
constituting a pool. Each member OF
the association upon the disposal OF
; the pool to which his cotton had been
consigned would be paid his pro rata
share less a proportion of the expense
! of handling. I
In the cases of farmers in distress
who turned cotton over to the asso-
citation they could receive a portion
of teh value of the cotton in ADVANCE
Of the sale, the balance to be paid
when the pool had been closed out.
/ To do this, the association would borc-
row the money with the cotton in the
: warehouse as collateral. J
DIR. Long painted a picture of the
power and influence of the association
and of the respect in which bankers
of the country would hold it. !
The reasons this method of mar5
Iketing cotton was being adopted were
because of it's demonstrated value.
"It has been tested" said DR.. Long,
"and we are having every chance to
watch it operate. The Califorpic
Fruit Growers association for years
proved it's worth. The idea and prac-
tice is old in European countries, Ire
land, Holland, Denmark all use the
cooperative idea. In our own state
! last year we marketed so car loads
I of sweet potatoes; hundreds of cars
cf asparagus; 1000 cars of melons
and next year we anticipate 5000
cars
Associations are being formed to
handle the cotton produced in Texas,
Oklahoma, North Carolina South Car
ollna, Arkansas, Mississippi and the
other states The contract under
which the association and the farmer
will bind themselves together is SIM
liar to the one used by the fruit grow
| ers associations of California.
DR.. Long tod that this effort would
not be a holding or speculative effort,
| lust one of mutual helpfulness be-
cause of the community of interests.
lit would reduce the cost of market
J ing, determined by U. S. govern
ment study in North Carolina recent
| ly to be as high as s18.75 per bale
! He announced that the South Car
olina association would be formed
.Lortl,, Of q noeetinU MANNED for Co.