The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-08-11
Strongly Endorses
Cooperative Marketing

Columbia, Aug. lift 40 years oil
marketing under the old system have
left this section impoverished, except
for abnormal prices paid during the
war, then is it not at least time to be-
sin TO look fo- sCme other system Of
marketing?" asks w. w. Bradley,
atatc bank examiner III saScme.t IS
sued today strongly endorsing coop
erative marketing of cotton and to
hacco and urging the banks of the
state to back the two associations.
Mr.. Bradley declares that the sue
cess of the association rests more
largely with the banks than with any
other force in the state The plan will
succeed, he declared, just insofar as
the banks will it to succeed.
"There is nothing in the problem
that is inimical to their interests and
s't, go nressan ms s .ta.t..is., of mateyiul
prosperity to the banks as well as the
communities they serve in promoting
this marketing plan," declared Mr..
Bradley in enumerating some Of the
reasons why the banks should supper.
the associations.
"In the past farm products have
been sold to thoroughly organized
compacts by thoroughly disintegrate
producers. The man who produces
has had no word in the conduct of pro
duce exchanges. The law of supply
and demand has been imperative ca-
ccpt in the case of extremely large OF
extremely small crops, and then has
been used mainly to the advantage OF
the speculator.
cooperative marketing, it is be-
lieved, will remedy, if not cure, this
evil by enabling Che producer to get
some advantage of the selling end of
the law or supply and demand"
"For instance, if all the cotton pro-
duced in single year were under con l..
tract agreement with the association,
cotton mills could run only until the
carry-over was exhausted and immedi-
ately producers would get the benefit
of the law of supply and demand. Ii
half the crop were tied up, mills would
then exhaust the carry over and indie
pendent cotton and would respond to
the law of supply end demand when
they were forced to call for pledged
cotton or shut down"
"If no cotton is pledged the mills
buy from hand to mouth over period
of about eight months in which time
the producers interest has been elm
mated and the mills finally pay a
profit to the speculator.
"These are facts that every inform
ed farmer has known for all time and
yet he has been impotent to remedy
the condition"
Manufacturers will not permit
their mills to lie idle and hence when
the supply of independent cotton IS
exhausted, as it soon will be with two
very short crops in succession, they
will have to come to the holders OF
pledged cotton and pay the price. The
law Of supply and demand will then
operate as certainly as does the la%
Of gravity in nature.
"In a general condition of fail
prices, the banks will be the first in.
stitutions to prosper and aside from
this, as distributing agents between
the corporation and the producer, they
will be made direct repositories OF
proceeds of crop sales. Banks, how
ever, should not expect to have these
side advantages handed them on q
silver waiter. The cooperative mar.
kcting associations are now little bet
ter than in their infancy. They need
help to enable them to grow to their
full statue. The banks should give
this help and give it ungrudgingly"