Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-02-28

the greatest thing ever under
taken for the southern farmer,
or any other farmer, for that
matter.
Purpose of Investigation
"Mr. Williams" said I, by way
Of introduction, 1T am here rep
resenting The Atlanta Journal
to get the low-down on the cot
ton cooperative movement.
am neither a booster nor
knocker of the association. The
Atlanta Journal wants the facts,
and only the facts, Of the organi-
zation and operation of your as
ISOLATION in Oklahoma. Person
ally, I am open to conviction
either way. 1 expect to inter-
view your bankers, for, frankly,
many of our Georgia bankers
haven't waxed very enthusiastic
about the cooperative marketing
Of cotton"
"Our cards are on the table,
face up" replied Mr.. Williams.
1.-The books of our association
are open to your inspection,
or OF the inspection of anyone
else. Our employees are at your
service. Go as far as you like
and form your own conclusions.
We are pleased with the prog
ress we have made, and we fell
that any intelligent person will
convince himself of the sound
~ 1,a
only investigate it in detail"
At my suggestion, Mr.. Williams
proceeded with an outline of the
Oklahoma association. "It is"
he said, IAN organization of
$4,000 Oklahoma cotton growers.
1t is a marketing organization,
composed only of actual cotton
growers, landlords AMI tenants,
operated directly by and for the
growers through the best tech
nical cotton specialists that
money can employ"
Mr.. Williams paused in his
outline here and remarked that
he hoped INwould check him up
on every statement he made and
fire away with whatever ques-
ton might occur to me.
1--WE are not social nor fra
ternal order" he continued.
Ours is not a dues-collecting
club. We have no concern with
politics-and we mean it. from
the bottom up. None of our Of
t1cers are in politics. When one
gets in politics, he gets out of
the association. 1t is a business
organization, chartered under
the laws of Oklahoma and the
United States government. The
membership of the association
pools us cotton through the as
ISOLATION for a period of five
years.
"What Association Does
specifically, we do the fol-
lowing things for the associa-
ton members, as we pointed
out in our prospectus:
81. Grade. class, staple and
weigh each bale, which places
a true. value on the cotton in
terms, of quality.
"2. We warehouse and store
cotton wherever necessary,
thus reducing the tremendous
loss from country damage.
SO. We sell the cotton in
even running lots, each grade,
class and staple within it's own
pool. Thus insuring a higher
price than can otherwise be
obtained.
~. We sell on samples and
warehouse certificates, saving
the heavy loss from what is
known as the 'cfty-crop.'
SO. We sell collectively and
only when the market demands
it, in this way reducing specu.
lation.
sc. We sell cotton as directly
as possible, eliminating many
wasteful and costly operations.
'7. We intend to attempt to
determine the cost of cotton
production and will assist in
asking a price that will satisfy
both the producer and con-
sumner.
"S. We intend to encourage
and develop the cooperative
production of uniform and
standard varieties, which will
assist further in pool selling.
"9. We will advise with grow
ers, on production methods and
problems"
After having outlined what
the association has done for it's
members during the nine
months period of it's existence,
Mr.. Williams invited questions
and, in this connection, told in
detail the methods adopted by
the organization for financing
the 81 200 bales of cotton it
actually received from it's mem
bers. He told of the money
advanced by the war finance
board, and he put me in touch
with executives in the cotton
association offices who explain
cd in detail the difficulties that
have been met and overcome.
In Mondays Journal, ex-
pect TO discuss in detail the
finances of the association and
TO quote some of the Oklahoma
City bankers on the operation
and future of the association.
In subsequent articles, the
methods followed in organizing
the farmers will be related, in
the belief that every one who
follows the series through will
be in a position to form a fair
estimate of the success or fail
,,co Of +I,o oo-nnora tive market