The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-03-08
FUTURE OF AMERICAN COZ
TON.
Ashayillc CitiZen.)

ii Il j u I M w
TON.
Baskerville CitlzenJ
Tho United States is now producing
o,vopn nine and ten millions OF bales
az cotton annually. OF this amount ohiH
some 30 per cent is absorbed for manu-
fact1re in American mills. The balance
! exported. a. raw material. 10 supply
rhe mills of England and other nations.
While we are, by far, the largest pro
ducers of raw cotton in the world, We
have BY no means L monopoly. or even
an unshakable grip. in the cotton mar
ket. The cotton plant is an indigenous
growth. within certain ATTITUDES. practl-
t-allv throughout the world. lndI1 rals-
cd cotton five centuries before the Chr!s-
tan era, and China 10 known 10 nave
raised it at least two centuries before
the same period. Egypt produced cotton
at a very remote age. though no &c
rurate dates are given. Brazil. Turkey.
South Africa. Australia and the islands
of the Pacific, are all cotton growing
countries. Should the expedition now
operating in the Soudan. under Sir II.
Kitchener. succeed, as it undoubtedly
will. in establishing English control IN
that section. it will mean the possible es-
adjustment of 4 cotton rOWln INDUS
try which would be very likely 10 prove
u dangerous rival for the Southern plant
prs. in the English market. We have
become so accustomed TO regarding our
selves as the holders of a first mort
gage on the cotton business of the world
that we re N ID small. dagger OF falling
into serious error through orr Oyer-con-
tldence.
We are to-day probably the source Of
supply for nearly three quarters o. the
raw cotton used by English manufaC-
turprs, but England is umder no iroE
clad contract TO continue her dealings
with US i'll the article. England's pres
cnt partial supply from other countries.
and the possibility Of ready extension
of her purchases from other sources.
should be carefully weighed before the
consummatiOn of that cotton growers
trust which is now being advocated for
the purpose Of raising the price of raw
cotton TO 4 figure which,. il it could be
obtained and maintained. YOU make
American cotton raising Il vastly profit
able industry to those engaged i'll it.
There seems TO be Il fairly strong
shadow of inconsistency in this pro-
posed trust. More than those OF any
other section of the country, the PEG
pie of the South have been loud and
earnest in their dcnunciation Of :rnsis
and Combines and yet the proposals.
now made to them to organize one Of
the largest and most important trusts
in all The history of such institutions.
are meeting with Il large measure CT
general approval. 1t would seem that
trusts are Objectionable when we are
not in them, and highly desirable when
we are. All efforts to enhance tie price
OF raw cotton by artificial means.
should be governed by Il broad view OF
the market of the whole world. and not
by 4 narrow consideration of our nome
market alone. 1t lis upon the world
market and not on the homo-markat
that we are dependent, at present. for
the maintenance Of our cotton planting
industry. Further than that, it is upon
the w~orld-market that we are depend
ent for the maintenance Of our cotton
mills.
: As far back as the year 1870 the capac-
ity OF American cotton mills exceeded
tle demand Tor cotton goods for nome
consumption. Since that time the in
crease in our home product has been
enormous. 1t has far outstripDed the
increase in home demand. Every year
now marks a still wider divergence in
the ratio between the two, and the
PIopiCUL NIIlCH is 1OEC1I1S 1fEhtt lnlO
even greater prominence from year 10
tyear. is that of the disposition Of our
output. Beside this problem the Dues
ton whether goods will be made IN
i northern mills or Southern mills. be-
comes insignificant. Two solutions
readily present themselves. One Of
them is wholly unwise from any point
Of view. and is only considered here be
cause it has been proposed. 1t would
permit the establishment Of the cotton
growers trust, the curtailment of the
crop, and the fixing of a price on raw
cotton which would enrich the planter.
The result of this would be. almost III
evitably, the stimulation of cotton
planting in other countries and the ear
~ destruction of our export business.
American cotton maintains its prestige
in the world-markct to-day. not Ivy rca-
son Of any exclusive advantages. bur
through the fact that America IS mar
kpting q desirable article 1t 4 SatisfIc-
tory price to the buyers. Other COM
tries are wholly able TO &c the same
thing, and their doing SO depends only
upon their development Of the industry.
Were the price of American cotton to
be artitically raised to in undue point,
there IS little question that English
capital and English energy would be
employed to colonies the Soudan: to
utilize the labor of the Egyptian fella-
heen at beggarly prices for labor; 10
foster and develop cotton growing in
India and South Africa; and by these
means To make England wholly indie
pendent of the American product. This
would leave the American planter with
no market but the American nails. and
destroy so per cent of our cotton grow
ing industry.
Such a course is nothing short Of
suicidal, and is wholly unworthy Of any
serious consideration. Nothing save
absolute monopoly is safe in assuming.