The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-04-08

upon their cotton year i'm and year out,
nearly 5000 South Carolina farmers
have already signed cooperative cot
ton marketing contract under the So
called "Sapiro" or California" or
"Oklahoma" or "Texas" plan. An or
ganization committee of 81 leading
South Carolina farmers has been ap-
pointed, and into the hands of these
Fl men has been entrusted campaign
for the organization of the South
Carolina Cotton Growers Cooperative
association.
At least 100000 bales of cotton.
which means 10000 farmers, must be
signed, up before May 1st, under the
plan which the organization commit
tee is instructed TO follow.
The Problem.
Heretofore, We South Carolina
farmers, as well as all the others of
the South, have been raising cotton
in abundance. We have sold the cot
ton to the spectators at their price.
The spectators sold the cotton to the
mill at big advances in the price. The
mills made it into cloth, and through
the medium of the wholesalers and
retailers we bought our cotton back
again in the form of the manufactured
goods.
A pound of cotton for which we
secured IL cents last year, made 16
pairs of socks for which we paid
$500 at the dry goods store last year.
The speculator made handsome
profit, so did the mill, so did the
wholesaler and SO did the retailer, but
where did the farmer come in? He
did not come in to any great extent
During a part of the selling season
last year the farmer got almost as
much as it cost him to produce it.
During the biggest part of the selling
season, however, the cotton brought a
price SO low that it would bankrupt
any farmer in three years, if he grew
enough cotton.
We have been selling our cotton for
whatever the speculator would pay us,
and too often we have not had penny
to show for the entire years work.
Even if We were fortunate enough
to sell when the market is "up" our
cotton was always underg raded from
five to fifteen dollars per 1als-that is
according to some of Uncle Sans own
statistics.
This is the problem which faces
South Carolina cotton growers today.
1t is the problem which faces the
greater part of the farmers of the
whole South today. We have been
growing a product-raw cotton, a
product which is such staple that it
can be sold at any railroad point in
the entire world any day of the year
J for . definite fixed price.
- sa0ather zfa1gaersE >areSS thexsole
gr0Wers Of this product, yet we have
no more voice in it's price than we
have in regard to the price of clothing
or shoes or any other of the commodi-
ties which we must buy.
20 Sales to the RaIe
The average ten-year production of
cotton in the United States is about
12,000,000 bales. The annual sales on
the cotton exchange number $50, ,00O,-
900.
Thirty sales to every bale!
A profit is reaped 80 times by spec
ulators and middlemen on each bale,
before it reaches the spinner or ex-
porter.
The price of cotton is largely deter
mined on the cotton exchange-a place
as against 100000 that are actually
necessary! With such a difference in
favor of the speculator, he controls the
price.
Let Us Stop This Waste.
Let's put an end to this waste and
to this dictation by everybody but our
selves, as to the price that we get for
our cotton and as to how we run our
business.
If you will become a member of this
South Carolina Cotton Growers CO.
operative association, and will see to
it that your neighbors join with the
rest Of us, we will be in position to
handle our own business as we think
best, market our cotton in an orderly
and systematic manner so that we
nnoka a nrnfit if-nnt r,naraly
third or fourth year but every year
that rolls around.
Prosperity in California.
1t is common knowledge that the
farmers of California are more pros
porous than the farmers of any other
section of the country. This is not
due to climate, not to soil, for South
Cardinals natural resources are just
as good as those Of California; but the
reason for California's prosperity is
that the farmers there have learned to
cooperate in the sale of their farm
products. They are selling together
instead of competing with each other
There are more than a score OF
cooperative marketing associations in
California with an aggregate member,
ship Of $4,000 growers, handling q
business of more than $3.50, 900 900 an
nually They are all non-profit asso-
Citations operating under long time
delivery contract.
Nearly every commodity is organ.
ized, including berries, apples, pears
oranges, lemons, dried fruits, raisins
prunes, beans, alfalfa, barley canned
goods and even eggs.
The United States census shows
that the four richest agricultural
counties of the nation are California
counties in which cooperative market
ing is developed to its full extent.
The case of Fresno is one favored
example. Fifteen years ago wher
the individual system was followed
practically every farm was mort.
gagged. the banks were close to in.
solvency, and the business of the towr
was small indeed. After less than @
dozen years Of cooperative marketing
of their raisin crop, the county oi
which Fresno is the county seat is now
recognized as the richest agricultural
community in the world.
This cotton marketing plan is al
ready in successful operation in foul
states: Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi
and Arizona. The experience of tn,
Vtnxa. Cnttn. Crouya,et Cnnnarat ix.