The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1922-02-14
TEXAS FARMERS
PROFITED BY POOL
HERE TO HELP IN ORGANIZ-
ING GEORGIA COTTON MAR
KETING COOPERATIVE.


The success OF cooperative cotton
marketing in Texas proves beyond a
doubt the practicability OF co-opera-
tive marketing in Georgia" says F.
R. Shanks, farmer and former county
agent OF Bee county, Texas, who is in
Georgia to assist in the cotton pool
ing movement.
Mr.. Shanks has been brought here
with a team OF about twenty other
Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas farm
ers. having been called upon to assist
the farmers in this state IN. their effort
to establish the cooperative market
ing movement
Testimony in regard to the success
of the Texas and Oklahoma assocla-
tons as given by these men is most
surprising. A number OF them have
actual cotton receipts from their as
sociations showing grades, staples,
prices and their net gains as the result
Of being members of these co-opera-
tives.
The organized cotton growers, in
Texas. according 10 Mr.. Shanks, have
been obtaining from one to three cents
per pound more than the unorganlzed
growers. during the past year. In ad-
dition to this, he says that the mem
bers have been receiving full value for
grade and staple, while non-members
have not More than this, the mem
bers have escaped all losses from Coun-
try damage, and their cotton has been
warehoused more cheaply than under
the speculative buyer plan.
Mr.. Shanks took a prominent part
in the organization of the Texas asso-
citation, and later acted as campaign
director during the Arkansas sign-up.
He is therefore we'll acquainted with
the inner workings of the cotton CO.
operative associations.
so much confidence does the feder
al government have in the Texas as
ISOLATION that a loan OF fifteen million
dollars was granted them by the war
finance corporation, at the low rate
OF six per cent interest" Mr. Shank
says.
with this money the association
advanced each of its members $50 per
bale as soon as their cotton was de-
livered at railroad points or compress
es. Then, with some further advances
made Immediately after delivery, farm
ers have been placed in a position to
allow the association to hold their cot
ton for gradual marketing from month
to month.
THE new system, although different
from the old in many ways, did not
cause any radical changes in Texas" "
Mr.. Shanks points out. The cotton
goes through practically the same
channels as before; through the same
gin: over the same railroad to the
same warehouse and compress.
A bale of cotton raised by Farmer
Jones, who is a member Of the as
ISOLATION, is carried to the railroad
station or bonded warehouse immedi-
ately after being ginned. A warehouse
receipt or bill OF lading is taken to his
local bank, draft is drawn on the
association for an amount that ap-
proximates 90 per cent Of the value
of the cotton, and this is paid imme-
diately by the banker, just as though
the cotton buyer had given the check.
when the cotton reaches the COM
press or bonded warehouses a sample
is taken. The sample is marked and
sent to the central CHASING rooms,
where it is graded and stapled by an
expert in the employ OF the associa-
ton.
After the sample is classed the bale
Of cotton is placed in pool together
with other cotton of the same grade
and the same staple. Sales are made
from this pool from time to time
throughout the year, and as the sales
are made payments are sent out to
the farmers in proportion to the
amount OF cotton they have in the
pool"