The National Co-operator and Farm Journal (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 30, No. 11, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 7, 1909 Page: 2 of 12
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2
— NATIONAL CO-OPERATOR AND FARM JOURNAL
JANUARY 7, 1909
weight, with instruction as to when the
coton shall be sold.
The central agent shall sell the cot-
ton only as authorized and order the
cotton shipped out by the local ware-
house man when sold.
The local warehouse man shall ship
out the cotton when sold as directed
by the central agent and draw draft on
the purchaser for the full amount of
the value of the cotton.
If the cotton does not come up, to
• the class and weight as represented by
the local warehouse man, the central
agent, shall be responsible to the pur-
chaser, the warehouse man shall be
responsible to the purchaser, the ware-
house man shall be responsible to the
central agent, and the farmer to whom
the cotton belonged shall be responsi-
ble to the warehouse man.
A small commission shall be paid on
all cotton sold by the central selling
agent
The responsibility of the farmer
whose cotton Is sold shall extend only
to sandies and mix packs, where they
are not discovered by the warehouse
man before the cotton is shipped.
We have not undertaken to go into
all the details of the above plan, be-
lieving that the details can better be
worked out by the executive commit-
tee and the agent selected to sell the
cotton. We recognize the necessity for
early action and preparation in ad-
vance so as to have a plan fully equip-
ped in every particular for the com-
ing season.
Respectfully submitted,
J W WINTERS, President,
J. A KINARD,
R. H. REED,
W. A. McKEE,
HOLLAND.
APPEAL TO BETTER JUDGMENT
OF LABORING MEN
Writing to President D. J. Neill of
the Farmers’ Union, Bro. F. B. Kimbler
of Mazeland, Texas, suggests that this
is a most opportune time for Union
lecturers to appeal to the better sense
Of the laboring men in towns and
Cities, as the price of farm products is
below cost of production, especially
cotton. The small farmers are drift-
ing to the towns and public works, at
least that’s the case in all this west-
ern country, and they come directly
in competition with the day laborer,
some of whom have knocked the Union
On every opportunity. It seems the
only way to reach some of this class
is through the stomach, and if present
low prices continue to prevail it will be
a near route. I have heard day la-
borers criticising the Union in such
a way that proved their hostility, ap-
pearing to have never realized that
prosperity on the farm means better
wages to the laborer in the factory.
It looks now as if In a short while
there will be two men for each job on
public works and then perhaps some of
these knockers will see the point. The
Union lecturers have been trying to
show them but now they will give bet-
ter attention.
Evans local near Moody, Texas, has
passed resolutions pledging its mem-
bers to stay out of debt as much, as
possible this year and to co-operate
with the Union plan in marketing
their crops.
Antioch Local Union, at Tolar, Tex-
ag, has passed a resolution condemning
In the strongest terms the present * the South’s great staple crop-has been
state school board and favoring the
adoption of Text books to be used for
a period of twenty five years and ask-
ing other locals of the Farmers' Union
to take similar action.
An Exchange for New Ideas.
THE FARMERS’ UNION AND THE
PRICE OF COTTON.
Editor Co-Operator:
As I have had occasion before to
say, the fixing of an arbitrary mini-
mum price on cotton and attempting
to force the price up to that point,
simply by holding it off the market, is
contrary to sound economic principles,
and in so far as it has been used by
the Union, was simply a temporary
expedient, which, however, served an
excellent purpose, while the Union was
preparing to put into operation a plan
which is destined to revolutionize the
system of marketing cotton. But this
expedient has accomplished all that
can be expected of it and it is now up
to the cotton growers to protect and
put into operation a system of mar-
keting which will secure to them a just
remuneration for the labor and money
expended in the production of their
cotton crops. Such a system has been
devised and is being put into opera-
tion as fast as the people can be ed-
ucated up to it Briefly stated, this
plan is to sell the cotton directly to
the spinners, thus eliminating the
speculator, into whose pockets too
great a part of the money paid for
the cotton crop finds its way. To
some this seems an Impossibility,
while to others it seems to be quite a
simple and easy thing to do. However,
both of these ideas are erroneous.
While it may be a very simple mat-
ter to sell directly to the spinner, it
is not such an easy thing to do, be-
cause the spinner is an “up-to-date"
business man, who is doing his busi-
ness under a system that is at least
satisfactory to him, and he will not
readily change to a system which is
new to him, until he is convinced that
it is to his interest to make the change,
or until he is compelled to do so by
force of circumstances which the seller , pay that price for the luxury of hav-
must create.
Instead of dumping the entire cot-
ton crop on the market in three or
four months, whereby the speculator
has been enabled to pocket the lion’s
share of the proceeds, the Union pro-
poses, by the warehouse system, to put
the cotton on the market only as the
demands of the trade will force the
spinners to pay at least a reasonably
remunerative price for it. To easily
carry this plan to complete success, a
thorough and compact organization is
necessary, because, on the part of the
speculator this is a fight for his life,
and he will put up a desperate one;
and unless the farmers are brought to-
gether in a close organization to coun-
sel, strengthen and educate each oth-
er, they will be placed at a great dis-
advantage in this fierce contest.
Hence we see that the two great es-
sentials, in this contest are educa-
tion, and organization to secure co-
operation. To the man, ignorant of the
real situation and of business methods,
the effort seems useless. He doesn't
know the extent of the evils of the
system under which he suffers such
injustice and is equally ignorant of
the fact that he is to blame for the
out removing the cause would be ex-
treme folly, and to remove the cause,
means to change the system by which
existence of this iniquitous system
and that he must change it if it is
changed. And it is a patent fact that
without organization and co-operation
this system cannot be changed.
To attempt to remedy the evil with-
marketed from time immemorial. When
I said that this change involved a
revolution, I had reference more to the
effect the change would produce, than
to the nature of the change made, in
the manner of doing our business. The
system must remain the same in
many essential features. The great
change, and practically the only
change, needed, is to remove the spec-
ulator altogether and manage the busi-
ness through agencies of our own cre-
ation, and entirely under our control.
True there are improvements to be
made in many of the details of this
method, but they are of minor im-
portance, and will easily work out
when this dead weight, on our body
economic, has been removed, and no
one is allowed to share in the pro-
ceeds of our great crop who has not
done something' that adds to its value.
But why dispense with the speculator?
My answer is that he adds nothing to
the value of the staple and is entirely
too expensive a luxury. •‘According
to bulletin No. 76 on cotton production
embracing five years, from 1902 to
1906 inclusive, we find that the av-
erage price received by the farmer for
upland cotton was 10 cents a pound,
or $50.50 for a bale of 500 pounds."
The wholesale price to the spinner of
upland cotton is indicated in bulletin
No. 75, department of commerce and
labor, page 454. Here we find that the
average wholesale price for the same
period, was 13-61 cents a pound or called boll weevil. The name has not
$68.05 for a bale of 500 pounds, a dif-
ference of $17.50 a bale or 3-51 cents
a pound.
When the reader is informed that
"$6.20 a bale will cover every item of
expense, even to placing the cotton in
Europan ports,” he can do his own
figuring and draw his own conclus-
ions. If he thinks he can afford to
ing a speculator to handle his crop
he may go on his way rejoicing, un-
molested by the Union. But to the
members of the Farmers’ Union the
luxury seems entirely too expensive,
and while we wish no man any harm
and hope the speculator and his will-
ing tools may have a happy and pros-
perous time, we ask to be excused
from further subserviency to such task
masters, and intend to do business for
ourselves in a manner dictated by
common sense and guided by sound
business principles.
To the doubting Thomas, I wish to
say that this much the Union can and
will do, wether he- lends a helping
hand or not, but there are other abuses
which should be, and could easily be
remedied, by the co-operation of all
parties interested.
C. NETTERVILLE.
Woodville, Miss.
NIGHT RIDERS IN SOUTH TEXAS
They have caused a reduction in
the cotton acreage, they have also
caused that our gins have run on
half time in the business season and
some of them did not even put half
time at the best.
When these night riders first put
in their appearance they have been the
terror of this country, but after we be-
come used to them we do not dread
them so very much. Of course they
have reduced the production of cot-
ton to a great extent and have in-
creased the acreage of corn and other
crops; taught us to raise such crops
that we did not think could be raised
here. Consequently every thrifty
farmer has his erib filled with corn,
a pen of fat hogs, abundance of po-
tatoes, both sweet and Irish; a yard
of fine poultry, a nice patch of tur-
nips, cabbage, etc, all of which as-
sures him a good living at home.
From all accounts these night rid-
ers are steadily advancing to the
northern part of the cotton belt, have
already crossed the Red and the Mis-
sissippi rivers. There have been
strenuous efforts made to check their
invarion, but without the least suc-
cess. It is certainly a question of
time when they will have full control
of the entire cotton belt.
Let me admonish you, in time of
peace is the time to prepare for war.
Had we here in south Texas been i
warned of their coming we could have
fortified ourselves against them, then
we would have not been hurt as we
have been at first. It has taken sev-
eral years to overcome the hardship
they brought on us, but after a hard
struggle we are on our feet again, as
you will have seen from the above. If
the farmers of that part of the cotton
belt will take lesson (you may be sure
they are coming sooner or later) they
can protect themselves in practicing
diversification so that they will not
have to feel the pain as we did.
Now I don’t know whether I am
using the term night rider properly.
They don’t ride altogether, they walk
and some times fly; they don’t ride
horseback but they ride the cotton
bolls to beat the band, and especially
the young forms on the cotton stalks.
They are in the shape of an elephant,
not near as large, and are sometimes
so much to do with them as they are
great educators of diversification. The
means they are using to educate com-
pulsory and discrimination conse-
quently very unpleasant. In case the
farmer who have so far not made any
acquaintance with them will practice
in diversifying their crops and raise
such necessities of life as they can
raise on their farms, they will find
themselves protected against the boll
weevil and also against the bale
weevils.
I expect to do some "riding" myself;
hope at the same time that the au-
thorities will be lenient with me for
my open confession. It will soon be
necessary for me to replenish my
farming implements and expect to pat-
ronize such implement companies that
are running an advertisement in our
official organ, the Co-Operator, and do
reansonably expect that a respectful
number of my Union brothers will
"ride” with me. I am in need of a
mowing machine. Would have bought
one before now had I seen one adver-
tised in the Co-Operator.
Wishing all of your readers a Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year, I
am yours for co-operation and diver-
sification.
(4
a
H. LAAS.
COMPULSORY EDUCATION
I find in my travels over the coun-
try a good many people who favor, a
law for compulsory education. I have
been opposed to such a law believing
it w ould be too hard on some poor men
who are renters and some who own
land. But any thinking man who is
watching the progress of the south
will be compelled to say that some-
thing will have to be done to save
the farmers, for it is impossible for
us to raise cotton at the present price.
The great cry has been, “Reduce the
cotton acreage.” For the last four or
five years the Farmers’ Union has
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Smith, Aaron. The National Co-operator and Farm Journal (Fort Worth, Tex.), Vol. 30, No. 11, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 7, 1909, newspaper, January 7, 1909; Fort Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1636863/m1/2/: accessed July 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; .