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PAGE SIX Os Interest to the Wealth Creators NEW YORK COTTON EXCHANGE BOUND TO WANE. Os course, the crowd favoring poker-chip cotton won out in the New York Cotton Exchange election. A reform ticket was in the field, but not a man on it was elected. The New York contract will continue to permit the delivery of low grade cot ton at more than its real market value. Such performances as were seen last month, when May contracts were quoted at 10.78, and spot mid dlings at 11.95, will be repeated. In view of the grass and undeniable abuses, all working against the cotton grower, which this exchange counte nances, it is no matter for wonder that the entire New York system has been denounced as a scheme of New England spinners to depress prices. This charge, of course, can have small foundation. Much more rea sonable was the contention of Mr. Mac Call, retiring president of the National Association of Cotton Man ufacturers, when he declared in his recent address that New England spinners, as a class, favor high-priced cotton, in order that the resulting prosperity of this section may make it a hungry market for their goods. Those few who have had the nerve to attempt any public defence, how ever weak and evasive, of New York Cotton Exchange methods offer an excuse with which New England spin ners have nothing to do. New York is at such a geographical disadvan tage in handling cotton, say these apologists—to the extent of $1.50 a bale, says one —that the expedients complained of are necessary if it is to hold its place; it must counter balance this disadvantage by cheating the customer a little, giving him a grade not so good as he contracted for and expected to recieve. Ne'w York, according to these writers, simply cannot afford to do business on an equal footing with New Or leans, backed by the cotton fields, and Liverpool, backed by two-fifths of the world’s spindles. If such is the case —and this pro-fraud argument is an admission containing at least a large kernel of truth —the sooner New York abandons a position-tena ble only by such methods the better for all concerned in legitimate cotton trade. New York is not a natural cotton market of any •'large propor tions; it is important only because it has more speculators and more money to speculate with than its rivals. Its activities make the entire cotton trade much more highly spec ulative than need be. Bales of cot ton —many of them stuff such as no other exchange would think of foist ing upon spinners—are used as mere counters rather than as articles of merchandise. The sum of the whole « matter appears to be that a large majority of the New York Exchange prefers a large gambling business to a small necessarily speculative but legitimate business. Fortunately, this stale of affairs offers its own remedy. Before long New York will be compelled to real ize that it cannot continue to control the price of actual, spinnable cotton WATSON’S WEEKLY JEFFERSONIAN. by gambling in poker chips. More and more, New Orleans- and Liverpool are going about their business and leaving New York to name fictitious prices for fictitious cotton. Soon no body concerned in the actual saple will care what the New’ York quota tion is. The day is at hand when cotton will be to New Orleans what wheat has long been to Chicago.— Charlotte Observer. FARMERS SHOULD TAKE AN ANNUAL VACATION. We have frequently urged upon farmers the value of an occasional rest from their labors. We do not agree with many writers that the farmer is the most down-trodden and least appreciated of all other profes sions or callings of man. We take no stock in, nor have we any respect for, any man who goes about the country bewailing the conditions of the tillers of the soil and trying to make the farmers believe the balance of the world, the flesh and the devil are against him. Such a one is a malefactor and an enemy to the best interests of all, but principally and chiefly he is the enemy of the farmer, whose good opinion he is trying to get hy trying to damage others, the farmers’ real friends. But this is not what we were talking about. This year is a good time for the farmers to break the habit oF staying at home all the time and not trying to find out a little something about what is going on in the outside world. The Jamestown Exposition is now on, and in a little while the railreads will be selling round-trip tickets so cheap that people can go to the Ex position almost cheaper than they can stay at home, and every one w 7 ho can should avail himself of the oppor tunity and go to the Exposition for a few days at least. You can see more there in a few days than you could see in years of travel, and see it so cheap, too, and only be away from home and your business a few days. No other such opportunity will likely come in a lifetime, there fore, again, we say, see the James town Exposition.—Plantation Life. FARMERS AND TRUSTS. The New York World says: U IT. IT. Rogers professes to be astonished that Mr. Roosevelt should advise farmers to combine. But he will please notice that the president did not advise the farmers to demand rebates or to drive the small pro ducer out of business.” This serves to point the difference between the good and the pernicious combine and also between a proper . combination and a trust. If the farmers get together for mutual pro tection their union will have little analogy to a grasping monopoly that boats down competition by al! pos sible means, fair or foul. Mr. Rog ers’ suggestion of a comparison be tween the farmers* organization and a trust was not a happy one from his point of view, and does not serve to prove the virtues of the Stan dard Oil Company. A farmers’ organization for legit imate aims pertaining to agriculture and the farmers’ interest is com mendable and has no sinister pur pose akin to that of the gigantic cor porations that have endeavored to place important products under the control of a few individuals for their profit and to the detriment of the general public. A farmers’ trust is impossible. A combination of farm ers for the purpose of placing the price of staple products beyond their true value would be utterly imprac ticable. But there are many things that farmers can do by intelligent co-operation to promote their inter ests, and when the farmers prosper, the country generally shares in their good fortune. A farmers’ organiza tion that will keep cut of politics and devote itself exclusively to the advancement of agriculture is al ways to be commended. —Nashville Banner. CROP ESTIMATES. The government cotton crop report has been pretty well digested, and its general tendency in the markets has been to depress the price of new crop cotton. Better weather has pull ed in a like direction, and between the two, new-crop cotton is settling down to about 12 cents. The general opinion seems to be that the government has not overes timated the acreage. When a farmer sees in sight a chance to get S6O a bale, he will not cut down his acreage except upon actual and overwhelming compulsion. On an unchanged acreage the best expert opinion points to a crop of 12,000,000 bales, provided the rest of the season be generally favorable. An acreage that produced in 1906 about 13,500,000 bales, when the initial offi cial condition was but 16.4 points be low an ideal stand, may grow 12,000,- 000 bales even when the initial con dition is 29.5 points below the ideal. Very many are, however, inclined to say that 32,000,000 acres will not, af ter long lains and chilly weather, make more than 11,000,000 bales. The world will demand from us 13,- 000,000, and even a 12,000,000-bale crop will be worth more than 12 cents. An eleven-million-bale crop would point straight to 15-cent cotton and a cotton famine. The increased con sumption of the world should not bo overlooked when the probable price is considered. A bull year in cotton is the pres ent outlook, and the effects of good weather upon a large acreage will be pitted against unfavorable weather conditions and the inroads of the boll weevil. It is a good guess that the latter may cut the outturn down to 11,000,000 bales, while the former cannot at this late time in the season carry the crop beyond 12,000,000 bales. THE FARMERS’ BATTERY. The Farcers’ Union is a veritaVe battery of thought—a great educa tional and moral force, which radiates from center to circumference, bring- ing the farmers together in a mighty unity on the grand principles of jus tice and fraternity. The awakened farmers of America have become con scious of the untold wrongs commit ted against their class, and realize that an injury to one is an injury to all. They have set about to correct the evils and right the wrongs from which they suffer. The mighty hosts of out raged farmers, speaking as one man speaks, will be recognized and re spected by all thoughtful people, and feared by the marauding cohorts of self-appointed gamblers and ex changes. That the crops of a great nation, the property of a nation of fanners, should be arbitrarily valued and priced by a lot of self-appointed gambling speculators and so-called exchanges who assume to be guar dians of a nation of farmers, and then-dashed on the market without a protest is enough to cause all thoughtful citizens to stand abashed. Unorganized, w r e are sure to suffer crushing defeat, when our fine crops are sold. But with organization, and farmers co-operating, the gambling speculators will be forced to take their foul hands out of the affairs of farmers. The rising spirit of education and intelligent co-operation, backed by the great moral force which results from the organization of the greatest class in the world, the farmers, will ulti mately force the world to treat the farmer equitably. The farmers have combined for a good and holy purpose, and the bond of unity that holds them together is found in the adjustment of equitable relations, in the betterment of their material conditions, which has its ba sis in love of God and the neigh bors This battery of thought is destined to envelop the earth, and the evil forces are already feeling the power of this mighty battery, and every time the machines of evil come in contact with the battery of the farm ers they writhe and squirm and drop it like the negro dropped the tur tle. We are proud of the inspiring hosts of united farmers, and the sur prising growth of this great unicn is giving increasing confidence and cour age, instilling new hope and life ev erywhere. The local unions are the pillars of strength of this mighty movement. To strengthen them should be the de sire of every member. The material of this great organi zation consists of the units at the school-house. Therefore, building lo cals. ought to be the concern of all. Each local should keep en rapport with the heart of the movement, and feel the vibrating influence of the union in every state. This done we cannot be over whelmed, but the machines of evil will be overwhelmed by us. Join the union. Make the battery strong! Turn on the current! Let every member clasp hands and feel the impulse!—National Co-operator.