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10 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.