The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1922-04-21
COOPERATIVE MARKETING.

Last tall Wnen LHe III
this state for cooperative marketing
of the cotton crop was begun this
paper Immediately endorsed the
movement and advised the farmers of
Abbeville County to join it. So far
as we were then able we advised the
readers of. the paper of the advant-
ages of selling their cotton by the
cooperative plan, and we would not
now, after all that has been said and
published on the subject, have any
thing else to say but for the fact that
we believe it of the highest import
ance to the farming interests of the
state that the movement succeed.
Farming is the biggest business in
this country. The farming of cotton
is one of the largest of the business
enterprises of the world. The cotton
farmer so far as we know produces
for sale a larger amount of his prod
uct than does any other business. And
vet the small automobile manufac-
turer has his selling force, the boil
weevil killer has his plan of market
ing his product, the Abbeville Cot
ton Mill has a selling agent, and
every well regulated business which
produces for sale has at the same
time a highly organized plan of dis
posing of the product-a way to Sc
cure a full and fair price for all that
is offered. But the cotton farmer has
no such organization. He makes more
than does any other seller, but he
makes no, effort to dominate the mar
ket in his own product. While the
automobile dealer comes on the street
and tells you that his automobile
cannot be bought except for a GER
tain price, while the banker tells you
that the interest rate is so much,
while the seller of farm implements
sells out of a catalogue at a fixed
price which justifes a profit, while
the merchant offers his goods at his
own price, it is left to the cotton far
mer to haul his goods to town, stand
them up on the street and beg a
cotton buyer to offer him something
for his product.
1t is to remedy this unjust and
highly destructive way of doing bust
ness that the present plan Of coop
erative marketing and every other
plan of cooperative marketing is
formed. We do not say that the pres
ent plan is complete or without OBJ
jections. There are objections which
we might urge. There r some
which we believe must be corrected,
but they are administrative rather
than fundamental, and they can be
corrected and will be corrected. We
may not always be able to devise
plans which will work out for the
best except by experience, and we
will never get experience except
through practice.
1t is true that this state has been
over-ridden always by schemes said
to be for the benefit of the farmers
but which were horses on which GER
tain people tried to ride into Office.
But this is no such scheme, and the
farmers of the state and of the
South. because they have already
gone into the movement in most of
the other cotton producing states,
are determined that this shall be no
political scheme by which any mar
can get into high Office. One of the
first amendments which should be
proposed to the plan is that no man
who is in Office, no man who has held
office within Ave years, or who ex-
poets to run for Office can be a men,
Der of any of the governing boards.
The sooner that is done the better.
The scheme may at times work
some hardships. 1t may not suit
everybody. 1t may not suit your
banker, or he may think it does not
when in fact it does. We believe it
to be to the interest Of the farming,
banking and business interests of the
whole South, mainly because it will
kill speculation by the individual far
mer, will be a selling rather than
a holding agency. BY controlling the
entire output of the cotton growers,