The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1893-03-31

scope OF the investig2I ~ tcfy broad,
and covers the matter c5tiop pro3nc-
tion and consumpti II 9vtiy tountry,
with the cost Of pro3 i0a, possibilities.
OF extension Of Gu TUT etc.
The work OF Scu1pr Georges COM
mittee will be comp he'd by the next
meeting OF Congress On account of the
inn tancc Of the mi(er under coos der
alton to cotton plant aud the people
of the Soath, Scoatus23corgc, chairman
OF the committee of icultur. ucdcr the
organization of 5c Senate was re-
que to-, to pr pare d Following for pub
licntion: IT, y RAND importance calls
for the widest publid
-
ITO the Cotton Fad rs OF the Uni'ed
States: u
'In discharge of G. duty imposed by
the Unit Il States Ste on tho commit
tee on agriculture, iuve iisato the
causes of the low prl OF CO ton and the
rene iy, have m I'D ome Investigations
which, tn ugh as yekpcompletc, au hor-
iz. me to stare the .f6l|bwing conclusion:
I---.-Phcrs are calscS b this low pricS, !
coming from leg so now in force;
and there arc 9th escs coming from
nccdful legislation ITO be enacted. 1t
is certain, however, hat these cau:cs
cannot bc rcmcdied Aimc to aft ct the
pric.-of the crop no kbout to DC plant,
ed, cycn indeed, il heir force can bc
substantially dimiuishcd. TIL, cotton
farmers must thcrcfdfe for the present
resort to such rcmedi52or pal ia'ivcs for
low pric ms may cfntf { ON their own
action, inGrpcndenteI 1cgislation.
"Thc last crop (1S 03) has brought
higher price than preceding one.
This resulted from tf4<fn that it we
much small,r. Tho rice would havoI
been higher If theirs not been q largo
surplus over the necd3f consumption.
coming from the ver Sfj Jtge crop OF the
preceding year Qs9fav9.
The natural rise III, ,t%sas OF the crop
NV b ing marketed has been largely
impcded by the g: q ike among tho
op ratives in the cot1s fpciorics Of Eng.
land, Iu this ssS Ss 10 SFSs tisn
ped work The effect Of this stlikc, up
to this date, has been to decrease the
amount consumed 10y the British factories
since September 1st, 525, 900 bales and is
likely to amount in the near future to
more than 1 900, ,0G0.
.In addi ion, this decrease in the dc.
mand has by tn ccrtsia laws of trade
diminished tho pric', or, which is the
same thing, prevented the full Iise which
would otherwise have come from the
small crop. American tpinucrs. carried
over from last season an unusually large
stock of cotton. having bought heavily at
the low prices prevailing iu the spring
and summer; aud, whit doing an ex-
ceptionaliy good business, they have
taken, so far, 35@, 900 bales less than for
the s,me period curing last season.
This, ais ,, increased the surplus.
"The prospects of another large crop
coming from an increased acreage, If that
should happen, would mot only be an
effcctual bar to any r,sS in the price, but
would cause still fntthcr declinc--so
that now the cotton raiscrs of the South
are confronted with this serious question
for solution: Shall we, by increased
acreage in the crop now h, irg planted,
as com pared with the acreage of the last
season, raise a crop OF 5000, 900 or 10,-
900, 900 bales and thereby glut the mar
kets of the world, causing fall to the
low pr;c,s of 1891 G2 ana perhaps eyen
lower, or will we, by reducing the acre.
age to the extent necessary to raise all
our food and forage crops and work au-
imals. especially our meat, corn, hors.s
( and mules, increase the price of our cot.
ton crop, and at the same time diminish
the uses of the proceeds of the crop by
| a larger reduction in the amount hereto
fore applied TO buy Necessary supplies7
"There can be but one answer to this
question In the minds of thoughtful
men. If it be said that among so numer-
.,. oI,s, n, ,okko,, .,;.ors - xy;II r..
impossible to get up an agreement which
will result in combined ectioi to plant
reduced acreage in cotton, and II this be
conceded, then the situation appeals with
still stronger force to each individual
farmer to decrease his own crop to the
extent needful to raise his supplies. For
in case there shall not be such diminu-
tion in the acreage rs to affect materially
the price, so that the next crop is to be
. low-priced one, the advantage to him
who has wisely raised his own supplies
will be clear and manifest. He will not
have to buy high priced supplies with
the scant proceeds of low-priced cotton.
These procee Is will then be, in the main,
surplus or nearly SD.
"On the other hand, if there shall be
such general movement in the direction
of raising n crop so much smaller as to
raise the price, then all who contributes
| to it in the manner herein indicated will
enjoy this increased price as the result
OF their own wise action, and at the
same time be exempt from expenditures
for supplies which they have so raised.
"After much reflection upon data COL
iected from oil the countries adapted to
raising cotton, am satisfied Of this pain
full truth: That we arc never, at least
in this generation, to have generally the
high prices for cotton we once had. Cot
ton will never, except tin'cxceptlonal cases,
and for short periods, be high emo ugh to
warrant the producer in relying upon it
as means of purchasing supplies which
| can be raised at home.
Very respectfully,