Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-04-03
EDITORIAL
OVER THE Top FOR GEORGI

THE gratifying news came from
- Atlanta Saturday night night
that the campaign for the organiza-
ton Of the Georgia Cotton Growers
Cooperative association, with at
least 100000 bales signed up in the
growers pool for a period of five
years as starter, had gone over the
top. Reports received through Sat-
urday showed that a total of 100000
bales had been signed by some 49,
300 Georgia farmers.
Thus a task for a long time APP
peared hopeless has been completed,
and Georgia has become the seventh
link in the chain of states in which
the cotton growers have taken mar
keting into their own hands and out
of the hands of the Spectator. With
Six states already organized, and sew
eral of them functioning last year
in a more or less successful way de-
spite the fact that they controlled too
small share of the total crop to be
really effective, all eyes had been
on Georgia, the second largest colt N
growing state. For it was realized
that it was important to have Geor-
gia organized if the cotton pool
movement as a whole were to be as
successful as was possible or as had
been planned. So, after delays and
indifferences, and discouragements
of one kind and another, an intensive
campaign was conducted during
March and the job completed and
more by April 1, the date set.
Now that the job is done and done
in fine style, and the growers pool
has become reality in Georgia,
there will probably be more or less
of scramble to grab the honors
for putting over what we believe
will come to be the biggest thing
that ever happened to the South eco
nomically. But when the claims are
all sifted down there will be one left
that will stand out above all others.
And it will be that of the Atlanta
Georgian and Sunday American, and
the men at the head of these news
papers. For they were the pioneers;
it was they who inaugurated the
movement in Georgia, they who saw
it through.
1t was fifteen months ago that the
Georgian and American sent Victor
Victor, then member of their staff,
TO interview Aaron Sapiro, the Cali
fornia lawyer who had been the
brains behind the very successful
producers cooperative associations in
the West which had brought riches
to California producers of every kind,
as well as to those Of several other
Western states. Mr. Sapiro told him
what could be done with the cotton
growing industry; how the growers
could organize among themselves for
cooperative marketing direct to the
consumers, and thus take the crop out
OF the hands of the Spectators and
place its control in The hands of the
producers. He did not promise that
the growers could so control the
market that they could hold up the
world for whatever price they want
ed for their cotton, but he did assure
them they could eliminate the gamb-
lers' repeated profits and the com
mission mems frequent turnover.
and otherwise secure for themselves
the full value of their product, some
thing the growers have never vet
been able to because they have never
yet controlled the market or even
had any voice in the marketing of
their crop.
Mr.. Victor came back and wrote
Of Sapiro's plan, and later Sapiro
himself was brought to Georgia for
several speeches. The Georgian def
nitely undertook to convn~e the peo-
pie of Georgia to the plan. 1t was
discouraging work. Scores of lead
ers of the state, after hearing the
plan, admitted it was fine theory,
and probably would work, but shook
their heads wisely and sadly and said
1t couldn't be put over in Georgia.
But that didn't stop the Georgian.
The campaign went right on. The
doctrine was preached without let
up, day after day. Finally results
began to show themselves, momen-
tum began to be acquired, snd sue