New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-18
REDUCING THE COTTON AREA.

An IMPORTANT convention of farmers Will DC
| held at Atlanta early next month, whose opjec.
is nothing less than a general Iestncuoh VI
the country's cotton production. 1t seems
little curious that the new agricultural party
whose birth was marked by so many denuncia-
lions of trusts and combines" should en-
liven its infancy by their strenuous advocacy
among its members. But nobody who realizes
the condition of the Southern planter will ques-
ton the wisdom and benefcence Of the present
movement. If the cotton production neXc ye,'i
should be cut down from nine million Daies "
five million the enhanced price would rehe'e
tho growers and increase the chances OF manu-
facture on the spot. In 1916, when WORMS
and drouth spoiled 10 per cent of the total
Weld. the price was nearly doubled; and Tor
many years the cotton States have been look
ing for a safe method of duplicating this result.
OF all the schemes so far offered, that OF
Harry Hammond, of South Carolina, published
approvingIy in "The Augusta Chronicle" ana
"The Atlanta Constitution" seems the least
likely to achieve lasting advantage. ms
project. in brief, contemplates the imposition
Of settled tax to the acre on all cotton-landS,
TO be paid by growers at their option INTO the
county treasures before planting, the tax 10
serve as a receipt against all other State or
county collections whatsoever, and penalty
Of $50 to be exacted for every acre sown with
out license. The alleged merits OF this system
are its simplicity the stimulus 1t would give
to other industries, and the indirect placing
of the ultimate burden on outsiders should
the reduction in the acreage not reduce the
product" says the ingenious author, " 1t would
certainly reduce the labor and consequently the
cost. If the reduction Of acreage reduced the
crop, the price would steadily rise, and could
with much certainty be kept at about 10 cents
a pound"
If this is not paterna!iSm run mad it Is some
thing very like it, and the whole plan might
Gty rank with the device for taxing bachelors
that is now worrying the brains of Georgia
legislators. 1t is true, the proposed tax is not
n tax On property But TO convert the system
of business licenses from its true purpose OF
regulating dangerous or questionable industries
would involve a harmful revolution. 10 make
the tax OPTIONAL, on the other hand, would GER
tainlv insure its being shrked, and the Atlanta
Convention will undoubtedly readily perceive
this fact. Even if all the planters in all the
cotton States agreed to limit their area and re-
fused to be moved by the rivalry OF unen-
numbered outsiders, the uncertainty that re-
duced Weld would inevitably follow should
alono be sufficient to explode the scheme,
especially as the price would be affected the
wrong way by any circumstance that cheapened
the labor without diminishing the harvest As
10 the general establishment of Southern fac
torres, the danger Of making this depend on
precarious contingencies would probably appeal
with greater force to intending investors than
70 the fornulators of bubble theories that do
not even look well on paper
The Southern planter is truly growing too
much cotton for his own profit While present
methods continue it is unlikely the conditions
will change But the remedy is in his own
hands, and may be applied without resort to
restrictive combination or the invocation OF
State aid If individual farmers would only
diversity their crops, without reference to their
neighbors' action, it is safe to assert that in
nine cases out of ten there would be a CORE
spending individual benefit. 1t stands to rea-
son that the cTtailment of a prOfitleSS specula-
ton must work good to persons as well as to
parties and the sooner the Georgia and Ala
bama planters initiate their Florida brothers
and acknowledge this, the sooner the lane will
be turned. 1t is to be hoped that the conven-
ton will dwell on these fundamental truths.