The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-09
HANDLES 65,000 BALES OF COTTON
Members Of Association Saved Over $20 a Bale,
 As Estimated
STATE CAPITAL BUREAU 1
 THE AGE-HERALD { Montgomery, Ala, Dec. s

tive marketing of cotton in Alabama is gaining ground Is shown in strik- ing manner by figures furnished by W. Reid Lancaster, sales manager for the Alabama Farm Bureau Cot ton association. Saturday.
 A year ago, Mir Lancaster stated, the membership of the association consisted of about 12,000 farmers, while today it has more than 21,5eo members. During the 1922-23 season, which was the first year of the asso- ciation, it marketed more than 57,000 bales of cotton for it's members. Al though the Alabama crop is much shorter this year than last the asso- citation is handling some 65,00O to 10000 bales this season.
 The Alabama Farm Bureau Cotton association appears to embody. in actual working order, the long cher ished ideal of the farmer in busi- ness, the producer selling his own product through his own agency The association has borrowed millions of dollars with which to finance it's operations, it maintains sales offices and Carolina and New England mill centers, as well as at several Euro pean markets, and is handling a con siderable percentage of the Alabama cotton crop in a fashion which. it is stated, means material saving to the organized farmers who market through the association.
 Saves SEQ Per Bale.
 MT. Lancaster estimated that in the matter of warehouse charges, insur- ance and interest charges, and coun- try damage, the association saved about s5 per bale for the cotton handled for it's members, while through the process of ordery mar keting and by making sales as di- rectly as possible to the mills, the net gain for members of the association above what the average farmer of the state received was more than $20 per bale, according to his estimate, amounting in all to over $1,140, 900.
 The association markets cotton wherever the demand may be best, and maintains its sales offices at leading American and foreign mill centers in conjunction with similar cotton marketing associations in other states. large part of the crop handled by the association last year was sold. to Alabama mills, but considerable portion was shipped to the Carolina mills, New England and Europe.
 n nAh ACtth&
 The Alabama Farm Bureau Cotton association is strictly a marketing association. IL does not take any part in the production of the crop, and does not make any profit for it. self on the cotton handled, but after paying the expenses of conducting the association, the net proceeds of the sale of cotton is returned to the members who delivered it. in accord
 
 of cotton delivered by each.
 The Alabama Farm Bureau federa- tion, which is a separate organisa- tion closely affiliated with the cot ton association, handles large quan- titles of fertilizers. Subsequently all members of the cotton association are also members of the farm bu reau, and a great saving has been made through securing low prices on cooperative purchases of fertilizers the farm bureau.
 Last season the cotton association borrowed around S4,000,000 at rates of interest from 5 to per cent to make advances on cotton delivered by it's members. All of this money, except about s500,OO0, was furnished by Alabama banks. The amount necessary to finance this seasons crop will be considerably greater than last season, partly because Of the larger amount of cotton handled and partly because of the greater value of the cotton.
 The association advances to it's members about so per cent of the market value of the cotton at the time the staple is delivered to the association.
 Last year the association 9 vanced 12 cents per pound at the beginning of the season. This year 1t began with an advance of 16 cents. put at the present time is advancing 20 cents per pound.
 Leads.
 The association has members in pra etically every county in the state, but membership is. of course, much stronger in the large cotton produc- ing counties where white farmers predominate. Limestone county has the largest membership of any, while Elmore and Marshall also rank high in membership. The holds a high place in the estimation of bankers and busl- being headed and directed by men who had demonstrated their ability in business before the foundation of the association.
 The cost of marketing cotton the association is much less than where the cotton is sold through the usual channels and various in terests make profit from it. accord ing to association officials. The en- tire cost of marketing the cotton pooled with the association last year was only $1.96 per bale, mere frac- ion of the cost when handled in the