The Semi-weekly leader., 1921-11-16
REGULATING COT
TON PRODUCTION
American Cotton Association
. Advises Not to Increase
Acreage Next Year.

ACiCdSC INcAt cdTs
The American Cotton Association
presents to the press, farmers, mer-
chants. bankers and other allied bu-
siness interests, the following South
wide Conference Report unanimously
adopted at the recent Birmingham
Convention for regulating cotton pro-
duction and crop diversifcation in
1922.
ITO the president and members OF
the American Cotton Association: :,
: Your Conference Committee on
Cotton Acreage and Crop Diversif-
cation begs to submit the following
unanimous reports
/. We congratulate the farmers
and business men of the South upon
the successful result of the cotton
acreage control campaign Of 1921
which has saved all interests from
grave disaster, and we point to it
with pride as evidence of the deter
mination and ability of the South to
limit the production of cotton to an
amount for which the world will pay
price which will insure a fair
measure of prosperity and mainten-
ance of American standards of living
on our cotton farms.
2. We remind all classes Of our
citizenship that as a result of the
1921 Cotton Acreage. Control Cam
paign, the South has made unprece-
dented strides towards the goal of
self-maintenance, and there is in the
South, today, larger supplies Of food
end feed and more and better live
stock than ever before, these being
the basis of prosperous and con-
tented agriculture.
3. We make appeal that the les
sons OF safe farming as taught by
the 1921 campaign and its results
be remembered now and that the
same safe program be adopted for
1922, to the end that with the pass
ing Of the financial and economic
difficulties of this reconstruction pc
riod, the South may find itself A.
nancially prosperous and economical
ly independent.
a. 1t. is the deliberate Judgment
of this Convention, representing
farmers, bankers, merchants and
other Southern interests, that the
cotton acreage of 1921 Wal. under
normal conditions, yield a supply as
large as the world can consume at
prices profitable to the producers. We
therefore admonish both farmers and
business men that it will be dan
gerous speculation to increase the
cotton acreage this year. This ad-
monlt1on is further emphasized by
the unsettled economic condition Of
the world and the imperative neces-
sit ythat cotton farmers avoid by
all means in their pewer a return of
the disastrous conditions of 1920.
o. For the accomplishment of
the things herein set forth, we sum-
mon> the farmers, the bankers. the
merchants and all others interested
IN a stable and prosperous agricul-
ture to unite in a common endeayor
TO increase the production of food
and feed crops and more and better
i've stock, and make every Southern
farm supply as nearly as soil and
climate will permit, the products
consumed upon it.
s. We declare that considerations
OF seif-interest and public welfare a.
ike demand that bankers and mer-
chants In the cotton region adopt
this program as part of their busi-
ness policy and circulate pledges for
the signature of their customers TO
abide by it, and that public-spirited
farmers exert themselves to secure
pledges of their friends and neigh
bors.
Z. In conclusion the American
Cotton Association calls upon all or
ganfzations of farmers and business
men in the Cotton States to inaugN-
rate campaigns within their member
ship to secure adherence to this pro-
gram, and that in addition they CO.
operate in their several states in a
united campaign to hold fast to the
pl ogress made in 1921 and demon
strate to the world that the South
Can and will stabilize the production
and price of cotton.
8. We bind and, pledge ourselves
to join in calling other meetings to
formulate a thorough and systemat-
ic campaign over the entire Cotton
Belt to carry to conclusion the re-
suit of these declarations.
The above carries into effect the
same plan adopted for the 1921 cam
patgn, which resulted in the present
acreage of approximately 26,0O0,-
600 acres in cotton.