Thursday, October 4, 1906.
PROGRESSIVE FAEMER AND COTTON PLANT.
11
FIGHTING COTTON OIL TRUST.
Ad ice of Presided E. A. Calvin to
Texas Farmers' Union.
One of the most arrogant and ex
acting trusts in Texas to-day is the
Oil Mill Trust. So well is this known
that the grand juries in the State
have been called on to make special
investigation ot its workings. The
territory of the State of Texas is dis
tricted and farmed out among several
oil mills and there is no longer an
competition among them in the buy
ing of seed. Last fall they fixed the
price of seed at ten dollars per ton,
and most of the crop was sold at that
price.
The trust is not satisfied with
merely owning and controlling the
oil mills and fixing the price of seed
ta about one-half their value, but they
are reaching out in every- direction
and absorbing the gins throughout
the State, the object being to better
enable them to control the price of
seed. ,
Some of the trust-owned gins gin
cotton only for custom or toll and
will not gin for money; others insist
on. buying all the cotton they gin in
the seed, thus enabling them to get
control of both cotton and seed.
So long as this practice is permit
ted to continue we need not expect to
get fair prices for our cottonseed. 1
call upon all true Union men every
where to see, if possible, that no more
cotton is sold in the seed and that
cash is paid for ginning.
With oil ranging from thirty to
thirty-five cents per gallon, and meal
$27 per ton, the products of a ton of
seed will bring in the market about
$27.50. Seven dollars and fifty cents
will cover the cost of crushing and
handling and allow a liberal margin
of profit, so the producer ought to be
receiving from eighteen to twenty
dollars per ton for his cottonseed in
'stead of ten dollars or eleven dollars
as at present.
I want this convention -to take this
matter up and agree upon a reason
able price for this fall's crop of seed.
Not a seed should be sold at such cut
throat prices as were fixed by the
trust last fall. . .
Every farmer should provide a
place for storing his seed, and keep
them at home until a fair price is of
fered; if a fair price is not offered,
they should be used for fertilizing
purposes. If we will stand firm and
ask our neighbors to stand with us,
it will not be long until fair prices
will be paid.
There is a way to solve the cotton
question and become independent of
the oil mill trust, and that is this:
The mills should be owned and con
trolled by members of the Union.
Early next year this matter must
be taken up and carried through.
Every County Union in the South
which is strong enough should buy or
build ai oil mill, and where a County
Union is not strong enough, two or
more counties should be put into a
district for this purpose. Every
Union manTlin the district or Country
should have an interest in the mill.
The profits to the stockholders should
come from the increased value of
seed, and for this reason all Union
men in any county or district should
be interested and own a small share
in the mill. This matter should have
been taken up this year, but we have
had so much on our hands that we
thought it best to devote our time
and efforts to solving other problems
and to let this rest until the begin
ning of another year.
A Mississippi Subscriber Pleased.
Messrs. Editors: The liberal in
ducement offered some months ago in
your 'endeavor to increase the circu
lation of your periodical caused my
name to be entered on your mailing
list as a subscriber. Really I have
forgotten whose names as substantial
farmers I gave you in'' this -locality
which entitled me to the codv you
have regularly sent me; but this
thought arises in my mind: I wonder
if they have found The Progressive
Parmer as interesting and valuable
to their firesides and general interest
as I have? I will say this, that every
feature and deduction presented from
time to time in its columns, no mat
ter upon what subject, seems to be
conservative and logically drawn.
This being my "debut" into your
sanctum,,! will ask only, a line or two
more on the last paragraph of "Har
row's" contribution in your last is
sue and then I'll close. The Execu
tive Committee of the Southern Cot
ton Association have placed them
selves, in the retention of Mr. Cheat
ham, in a light that will create sus
picion and operate on that line of not
fooling all the people all the time.
Bad generals have caused defeat up
on many a battle ground though the
cause they fought for was just.
"OLDREB."
Coffeeville, Miss. '
Col. Charles E. Johnson on the Cot
ton Situation.
"You ask me what I would advise
the farmers to do as to holding cot
ton. There are two courses which the
farmer could pursue which would be,
in my opinion, disastrous.
"(1) To rush all of his cotton to
market during the first few months
of the season.
"(2) To hold his cotton back so
that he would have to rush all of his
cotton on the market during a few
months later on in the season.
"Either course would depress
prices. I have always thought that
the best way to market cotton, as well
as any other commodity, was not to
over-load the market at any one time.
In other words, market it along grad
ually throughout the selling period,
rather than rush a great quantity on
the market at any one time. Any
artificial conditions produced by com
binations are obliged to bring about
disaster in the end, because the eco
nomic law of supply and demand will
prevail in the long run and must not
be lost sight of.
"As to my opinion about the gen
eral cotton situation: The crop in
the United States is much larger than
last year. This must be admitted.
Trade, however, is good, and manu
facturers are making a fair profit. I
see no reason, therefore, why cotton
should decline to a starvation price.
Ten cents seems to me, under all con
ditions, not unreasonable."
Who Can Tell?
Messrs. Editors: I want the ad
dress of a company that makes ma
chinery for manufacturing hamper
baskets. Can you give me any in
formation as to how to find it?
U. LEE LEWIS.
R. F. D. 2, Gastonia, N. C.
BFfW
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The Progressive Farmer will pay a lib
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THE PROGRESSIVE rARMER,
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