The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1921-12-21
IROTARIANS MEET
| HEAR SPEAKERS
Mr.. W. M. Garrard Addresses Club
On Staple Cotton Cooperative
Association And Its Aims.

The Rotarians, as usual, enioyed
a most delightful lunch Yesterday
noon at the Hotel Irving. Consider
ing the fact that so many of the Ro-
tarlans are in the retail business and
in the midst of the usual Christmas
rush, there was good attendance.
Rotarian Jack Quinn had with him
as his guest, Mr.. w. M. Garrard, who
Is the general manager Of the Staple
Cotton Cooperative Association. Mr.
Garrard is too well known in Green
wood to need any remarks here and
When called on he took the oppor-
tunity to discuss the Association,
which was indeed timely topic, for
Rotarians, as are all others in this
section, are interested in the Asso-
citation and were glad for him to
tell of it.
Mr.. Garrard stated that there had
been more or less criticism of the
Association, both friendly and un-
friendly, fair and unfair. He said
that the greater part of the ad-
verse criticism was about the dis
tribution of the money to its mem
bers. He showed where this criticism
in his opinion, was manifestly unfair.
He stated that the Association, had
received to date, Saturday night De-
cember 18th, 144,0D0 bales of staple
cotton, and the despite the fact that
staple cotton has been little in de-
mand this season, they had sold and
delivered Of this cotton 10000 bales
receiving therefor the sum Of $1,000
900, or an average price of 35 1-8c
per pound, and had untitled orders
amounting to 10000 bales. He said
further that all the outside staple
cotton sold amounted to only about
per cent more than that sold by
the Association. Mr.. Garrard went
ON to say that through arrangements
made with the War Finance Corpor-
alton the Association could have
loaned to its members, had they seen
fit to take advantage Of the oppor-
tunity, another S7,000,000 on their
cotton, or between 800 and sos per
bale, which he said was more than
the planter had ever before been able
to borrow on his cotton at this time
Of the year. He said that the Asso-
citation has been largely responsible
for the holding up Of the price Of sta
ple cotton and that more cotton had
been seld aB 4bstser@ prices than there
would have been had there not been
an Association.
Mr.. Gsrrard stated that the bank
ers throughout the Delta had been
very fair and that they had more
than met the Association halfway
and he took this opportunity to
thank them for their cooperation and
support.
He further stated that there been
more or less criticism about the mat
ter of the time it, took to distribute
TO the members their pro rata OF all
sales and stated that they too had
felt that their counting system was a
bit cumbersome and that they had
been and still are seeking improve
ments along this line. The Auditor
Of the Texas Association had been
here for the past few days and Mr,
Garrard stated that they had discuss
ed with him the accounting methods
in use there, and that the one IN use
here was SO superior to the Texas
system, that he felt they had not done
50 had after all. Particularly 50 in
view of the fact that there has been
no precedent to follow and this meth,
Cd Of accounting had to be worked
out from the very bottom and in q
yery short time and that ne telt wneh
all this was understood, this criticism
would lose its force.
M Garrard concluded his remarks
by expressing his pleasure at being
present and told the Rotarlans tnas
he felt that the Association was not
an Association merely for the mem
hers but that it was for the entire
Delta and that as it's members profit
al so would every other interest IN
tba Delta, He went on to say tnat
the Association was q success anu
asked for the cooperation ana sup,
bort of the business and professionai
fnterests Of Greenwood and the en-
fire Delta. He said he was glad 70 DC
hack home again~-Greenwood---a
| that he hoped hid would be here lor .
long, long time to come.
The Rotarians were glad TO nave
M, Garrard with them, they enjoyed
| his remarks and it is hoped that ne
viii soon be with them again.
Rotarian Joe Discount" Lannam a[
was then called on to explain now \ fle
made @ his first dollar, which ne did
n IN his usual comical and yet force
full manner. 1t must have been u u
exceedingly serious proposition 7 Ior I
,Ioe. this making Of his first ,L!a, dollar;
which Robert Herman was unKihu
enough to say he still has.
n i W. Storer then told Of his
first dollar, made, and stated Una.
| the remembrance is palnfal even a1,s, ~
this day. He earned his first e aollal ss.l
by ,lr riding i'm a % year old fit subject Tor for
| the bone yard two days at 0oc PEI
| day.