The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-01-26

was Z So eeDta per pound, $37 81
per bale. or $242 939, $50
This year 7.260,033 bales were
marketed TO January let. the average
price realized was sos cents pei
pound, $50 49 per bale, or 1921 35S
4O6
The planters shipped to market
SOL ,841 bales of cotton more by Jan
nary lst this year than last, and re
ceived for them $21.5s0. .944 less
money In other words, owing to
the lower price, induced by over
production, the people Of the south
have lost on cotton shipped to mar
ket by January 1st this year, the to
tai value of 861, ,84l bales. namely,
SS2, 724.lo2. and S2l.5s0,s44 be-
sides. making a grand total loss OF
S54. 305, ,O46
To further illustrate the ruinous ct.
feet of over. planting, we make the
following summary of crops and
prices
Crop Av'age
Bales. Price Proceeds
lS93-94 7.549, ,8l7 I SO 1922 932. .899
1s94-95 9 9,901, ISL S 70 2S8. .918,504
1886 7.l57,346 500 292, ,234 ,437
ls86-97 S.757, 1854 I AZ 327, ,547, 1854
I, will be seen that 10 1884 q
crop of 7 549, ,617 bales sold for $4.-
Ola 395 more than the large crop OF
9 90l. PSI bales the next year; in
1895 96 CROP Of only ! ISL 346 bales
brought So, 315, 1888 more sh.o ths9.-
901, PSI crop, aad that the crop Of 81
7S7 ,954 bsles brought S38, ,629. $50
more ,haa vas received for 1901, ,251
bales marketed in 1894 95
Sucb incootestable facts show what
enormous losses the south has sustained
by over production, and are sufficient
to cause radical change in planting
oper atiops.
It is conceded on every hand that
the price thus far received for this
years crop has yielded no profit to the
plao,er, aud even though more sbao
two thirds Of the crop have been sold
to this date. prices are even jet below
the cost Of prodootion.
90 scoouDt Of the large crop aud
Low prices resulting sbereform. it is Of
vital i'm portaoce. not ooly to the south,
but the whole conn,ry. that the cotton
acresge for next gear be ma.eriatly re-
dooed, 10 order 80 adssoce the price Of
the greatest product Of the United
States to paying basis
IL the planters of the south suffer
loss, the people Of the whole country
muss share IN it
The .ou.h caapot stand another cot.
ton crop of the same dimensions as
this years. without bringing about dir
aster and bankruptey to planters aud
baodlers OF costoo, and relative harm to
the geoersl mero.ntile interest Of that
section
TIE price Of cotton is more readily
..,auenced by the inexorabie Law OF cup.
ply aud demand than any other article
of oammmerce, for no comodity is so.
secsi,ive to Aac,uaticos. and wbep .
sopeeabuodaDce is hAnxipg over the
market. cotton trade 10 all its branches
is adversely affected
Cotton raising in this country is vir-
tu.lly q monopol7-tvo- thirds of the
entire production each year is
readily saken by buyers 10 foreign
countries. sod the planters in the
south are justly entitled to fair remu
nsration for the;r labor Au over
supply is the only reason why they
have to sell 5000, 900 to 1000 600
bales Of cotton 20 foreign spinners.
witbous profit.
The ooston crop can aud should be
made the most profitable 10 this couo-
try. ltis wholly the planters fault
that such is not the ease. as she figures
in this letter clearly show.
The cotsoc interest Of every kind.
everywhere. would prefer 30 advaoc-
log market to declining one. good
prices 20 poor ones. because trade 10
all Of its rami6catioos is quickened
thereby Even the consumers Of cot
ton goods sre SO .iigbtly affected BY
an advance Of even two or three ceots
per pound 10 the raw material shat
they are not unwilling that the plaoter
be veil paid for his labor. But. if the
planting interests Of tbe south continue
to Increase cotton acreage year after
year continual loss is inevitable
The mere fact that large crop has
been planted affects the price adversely
q. once, snd continues to effect it until
the crop has been marketed, aud if the
planters Of The south would deterpine
to largely reduce the acreage. fayora-
hlo IN Amor "a nnon rrices and the cottnn