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THE FARMERS’ UNION ‘DEPARTMENT.
WORK OF FARMERS’ UNION.
(The Telegram, Ft. Worth, Texas.)
There can be no questioning the
fact that the Farmers’ Union of
Texas is a growing power in this state
and there can be no denying the
fact that has been established
throughout that it is accomplishing
a great work for its members
and the agricultural interests gen
erally. That such is the ease
is abundantly reflected in the hand
ling of the Texas cotton crop this
last season, which was marketed to
a better advantage than ever before
in the history of the state. While it
is a matter of fact that the Farm
ers’ Union did not control the mar
keting of the entire cotton crop, yet
tbiTough the. system of warehouses
that has been established throughout
the state, enough cotton was handled
to thoroughly demonstrate what can
be accomplished through organized
effort, and, at the same time, mate
rially affect the general result. The
farmers of Texas obtained better
prices and nearer uniform prices this
year than ever before, and in the
face of the apparent fact that the
total cotton crop of the country is
in excess of 12,000,000 bales.
The executive committee of the or
ganization has just finished its an
nual meeting, which covered a pe
riod of about one week, and the af
fairs of the organization were care
fully gone over and found to be in
the very best condition. At this an
nual meeting of the executive com
mittee it was determined that >a
Farmers’ Union cotton school shall
be opened in Dallas, July 1, and con
tinue in operation for a period of
three months. The object of this
cotton school is to thoroughly drill
its attendants in all that pertains to
the raising and marketing of the
South’s great agricultural staple and
qualify them for successful cotton
raisers in all the term implies. It
is intended to provide extensive and
elaborate quarters for this cotton
school, and these quarters will be
elaborately furnished for the work in
hand. The matter of a competent
faculty will be taken up and arrang
ed at the next quarterly meeting, and
some of the best talent in the state
will be engaged for the purpose.
At Houston the Farmers’ Union
Iras its head warehouse as Houston is
the greatest cotton market in the
world, and reports to the executive
committee show a large and steady
business at that point. The bulk of
the cotton now stored at that point
is being held for a minimum price of
11 cents, but in cases where instruc
tions have been given to close out
holdings at 10 cents, President Cal
vin says orders have been faithfully
carried out. While the Union favors
the 11 cents minimum, it respects the
wishes of its members and pen aits
them to sell at a lower price if they
desire. It is estimated that 98 per
cent of the cotton consigned to the
Farmers’ Union warehouses is being
held for the minimum .price of 11
cents. This is the state of affairs
at Houston, and the same condition
applies to the other 250 warehouses
scattered over the sit ate. It is be
lieved that the warehouse work ac
complished during the period of cot-
ton depression for the last season
will be a most efficient object lesson
for the members of the Union and re
sult in much practical good for the
coming season. The executive com
mittee of the Union constitutes the
advisory board of the Texas Farmers’
Union Cotton Company. In this ca
pacity it has approved of the gen
eral plan of organization and of the
plan outlined for the broader work
that is under contemplation for the
coming season.
The manner in which the affairs of
this organization has been conducted
is truly remarkable. There are now
more than 200,000 members in Texas,
and so far there has been but little
friction developed in the ranks. In a
small section of West Texas there is
some agitation of the matter of con
fining membership to farmers exclu
sively. It is contended by some of
the West Texas membership that
there is being manifested something
of a disposition to admit others than
actual farmers into the organization,
and a meeting is to be held at Tmo
raine, in Mitchell county, January 17,
to consider this feature of the situa
tion. President Calvin has announc
ed his intention of attending this
meeting, and it is probable that other
leading members of the organization
will be present. It is intended to
meet the opposition with clean and
clear-cut explanations which, it is
believed, will exert a pacificatory ef
fect upon the situation and result in
the restoration of complete harmony
within the ranks.
The state legislature of Texas is now
in session at Austin, and many meas
ures are expected to come up during
the session of direct moment and in
terest to the organization. Tn the
matter of a legislative committee to
look after these matters, President
Calvin has heen appointed as the rep
resentative of the Union, and will re
main. in Austin during the greater
part of the time the legislature is in
session. If the situation should de
mand such action, he is empowered
to call to his assistance any members
of the organization, and for these rea
sons no regular legislative commit
tee will be maintained at the state
capital.
CO-OPERATOR CLIPPINGS.
Let’s rely on ourselves.
Put a warehouse wherever it is
needed this year.
Let’s go to work with the New
Year to build grander and stronger
than ever.
There is plenty of work for us all
to do. Let’s be “up and doing, with
a heart for any fate.”
Let us not think that the other fel
low will help us. If he does our
thinking he will certainly get our
money. We must defend ourselves.
Tn times of peace, prepare for
war. There will be a great warfare
in the marketing of the next crop.
Get ready for it.
Let the war-cry of the Farmers’
Union from this day forward be
“Warehouses,” “Grain Elevators,”
‘ 1 Cold Storages. ’ ’
Education, agitation, co-operation.
Ry these the farmer will win his
emancipation and throw off the yoke
of bondage now on him.
THE WEEKLY JEFFERSONIAN.
Industrial development is ever on
ward and upward. Controlled mar
keting is the next great step to take.
Let’s prepare ourselves and take it.
A perfect understanding of the
producers means everything to them.
Prices will be stable and certain
whenever we get ready for the
change.
Do you believe that our cause is
just? If so, go to work for it in a
business way. Do not expect the oth
er fellow to help you. Rely on your
self.
If the producers are to be free and
independent American citizens as
they should be, they must themselves
strike the blow. They must change
the present system of marketing.
Let us not charge the other fellow
with what we do ourselves. It is no
trouble to speculate on the markets
if we do as we have always done.—
Casa (Ark.) Democrat.
TO MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLA
TURE.
We are sending all the members of
the legislature of Alabama copies of
The Farmers Union Guide of this is
sue, January 2. We respectfully call
your attention to the contents. Read
over our suggestions for a general
road law, also, the tag tax discus
sion.
The injustice of making the farmers
pay a SPECIAL TAX to run their
department is sufficient to condemn
any legislative body. But to take
their tax money and appropriate it to
sustain schools for the rich while
their children are deprived of even a
common school education, is robbery
to say the best of it, and then on
top of this, to turn the surplus of this
special tax into the general fund of
the state is almost criminal. —Farmers’
Union Guide, Pell City, Ala.
*
FARMERS’ UNION NOTES.
From the Casa Democrat, Casa, Ark.
Keep your dues paid, but if you
must neglect something, it would be
absolutely better to let the dues go
than to miss the meeting.
*
How is the garden spot by this
time? It is not going to be long un
til the time for planting gardens. All
respectable Union men have a garden.
*
Get scared right now’ of the mort
gage and stay scared until next Au
gust, and than you will be safe for
this year.
Now’ that the schools are all open
again, it is a good time for the fath
ers and mothers to get acquainted
with the teachers and do something
to help make the schools better by
sympathy if nothing more.
•e
Well, how have you started the
new year? It is your duty to live
this year as if you knew that it was
to be your last. It may be your
last, and if it were to be, there is no
doubt that it w’ould be your best. So
make it the best any way.
*
Those fields that were overrun this
vear with poultry of any sort were
free from boll weevils. The poultry
made a good crop and the cotton made
a good crop at the same time, and
the cotton patch is a mighty handy
place for the young fellows.
*
Don’t let a meeting of the Union
take place without your being there!
There is something for each of us
to do at all meetings, and we cannot
do it by proxy, besides proxy meet
ings are mighty poor help to those
who are represented by proxy.
•t
The pig is a mighty good thing to
plant heavily on all sorts of farms.
He is the hoss mortgage lifter, and
it has been ascertained that, pron
erlv cured, he makes mighty good
filling for the smoke-house, and from
there it is a short route to the table.
See!
The success that has been attained
by the use of the split log drag in
many places in Texas and in Mis
souri, where it was first used in the
making and keeping of the public
roads in fair condition ait all times,
ought to inspire every Union to take
up the matter and put the log to
work every time it rains. The thing
is so simple and so cheap that it
ought to go like wildfire.
The handling of the cotton crop in
the sensible w r ay is not yet an ac
complished fact. Much progress has
been ?nade. All sensible people who
have watched the good work done by
the Union are gratified at the ad
vance made. It is this class that
realizes the tremendous amount of
“co-operation, education and union
izing” of efforts that yet remains to
be done.
There is no sense in building
$500,000 court houses for the official
class and for the comfort of the law
yers, when you have to pull the cot
ton to pay for them through the mud
belly-deep to ithe mules. Don’t do
it: get good roads first, or at least in
sist that there shall be an even and
symmetrical development of roads
with the public buildings. That’s
common sense, and common sense is
a thing that is needed on the farms,
and should be sprinkled freely into
all sorts of politics.
Co-operation, education and union
of effort along the line of sensible
packing of cotton is one of the essen
tial tilings that ought to engage the
attention of all the Unions this year.
Several years ago a movement was
put on foot to introduce the use of
heavy cotton wrapping for cotton
bales. It was proposed to use the
cheap and dirty grades of cotton for
this purpose. Considerable of this
new packing was used for a year or
two, but it seems that the matter has
been dropped. There is no reason
for using any other sort of packing
because this sort of stuff is right at
hand in the cotton field, and after
the coarse cotton bagging has been
used as a wrapper for the bale, it is
available for packing the finished
cloth at the mill. Give this matter
some attention at your meetings, and
get it into practicable shape and heln
the market for your cotton.