Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-03-11
FARMERS WHO ARE
EXPERT BUSINESS
MEN DIRECT BODY
Continued from Page y
south's great crop that has been
devised.
Fair pVioo for PpodVronr


81 studied every detail of the
plan before I left McFaden," he
said. 81 satisfied myself that
the plan was feasible, and my
experience here has strengthened
the conviction. 1t is the only
plan ever devised that will as
sure to the producer fair and
equitable price for his cotton-a
price, by the way, THAT aver
ages much higher than the usual
street price.
LAS a general custom and
practice, the cotton producer
does not receive for his cotton
its true value, grade and sta
pie considered. BY pooling
members cotton here in even
running lots and selling as the
market demands, the cotton not
only brings it's true. value, ba-
sis middling. staple also consid-
cred. but it usually brings a
premium because the exporters
are willing to pay a premium
for a standardized, uniform
product in commercial quanti-
ties. This advantage is worth
something to them, and it is
worth something more to them
to know that in buying from
our samples they are absolute
ly assured of getting the cotton
they have contracted for.
1--WE have here, in our sam
pie rooms, the best cotton class
ers in Oklahoma, men who are
acknowledged to know more
about the grade and staple of
cotton than any other men in
the state. They do nothing but
grade and class cotton, and it is
no concern of theirs to whom
the cotton belongs. They grade
and class from samples that are
pulled at the compress and for
warded here, and after they
have graded and classed the
samples 1t is pooled with other
cotton of the same grade and
staple"
Mr.. Sparks Is anxious that
the public shall understand that
the cooperative marketing move
ment is not a holding move
ment.
1--WE are in the cotton bust
ness, as cotton men, to sell cot
ton" he said. 1--WE are not in
the holding business. We are
not trying to influence or con-
troll the price by artificial
means or by manipulation. We
propose to market our product
in an orderly manner, as the
market-the exporters and spin
ners-requires, and not to dump
it on the market the minute it
leaves the gin. This will. of
course, influence the price. and
when the industry is organized
on that basis throughout the
producing section, the price
will be more nearly stabilized,
and cotton will command a price
more nearly commensurate with
it's cost of production plus a
reasonable profit.
"Cnly once since my con-
nection with the association.
which dates from the beginning
of it's operation, have l with
held any cotton from the mar
ket, or declined to sell, and only
then after advising with the
board of directors.
"You will remember that fol-
lowing the spectacular bull
movement in September and Oc-
tober, cotton took a big slump
on government report showing
that more cotton had been gin
ned actually than the previous
estimates indicated. I hesitated
to sell any cotton on this slump,
which L believed to he due in
part to market manipulation,
but I did not want to take the
entire responsibility on my
shoulders. I felt that the price
would recover, but still there
was the danger that it might go
even lower.
"The board of directors were
called to meet, and to them l
voiced my views Of the situa-
ton. They shared my opinion,
and in consequence the Okla
homa Cotton Growers associa-
ton sold no cotton for a period
of time. The price did recover,
and since that time we have
been selling cotton in even rum
ming lots right along.
No Row With Anybody
"There isn't doubt in m mind
but that association members
will receive a premium in the
price of their cotton above the
price received by no-members
from street buyers. Right here.
however, I want it understood
that we have no row with the
street man. We are not after
them or anybody else. We are
simply trying to follow a plan
which we believe our experience
already has demonstrated to be
sound
There is still another feature
"a business feature-of the asso-
citation that deserve remark, and
that is the accounting system.
No strength of imagination is re-
quired to appreciate what a CO.
lossal undertaking it is to keep
a complete record of all the cot
ton received by the association,
of which there are $4,000 mem
bers. Obviously. it is necessary
to keep a strict account of every
bale of cotton received-its
grade, staple, the pool 20 which
it is consigned and everything.
In addition, the financial &C.
counts of all the members must
be kept, and the dealings of the
associations with the banks, the
war finance corporation, the
congresses, the railroads, and,
finally, the exporters must bbe
recorded daily.
The officers and directors of
the association, appreciating the