The commonwealth., 1899-04-13
THE CHEAP CCTTON PROBLEM.

We took occasion III these columns
some time ago to commend an article
from tie pen OF Mr.. d. \. Tompklns,
of the Y. G.. Charlotte Observer, Cn the
all-important question to the South OF
the cotton industry. In this article
Mr.. Tompkins showed how the cotton
crop which is now worth in the raw
about $3OO,OCO,OOO a year, could be
made to bring a billion dollars year.
This he said was to be accomplished
by manufacturing the raw cotton in
the fields instead OF sending it to the
mills of New England and Old Eli
gland.
At the newspaper mems banquet
alght before last Mr.. Tompkins was
called upon for an address and en-
larged upon this topic. What he says
is tie more worthy consideration be-
cause he was born SO to speak, in a
cotton patch, and for the past several
years has been largely interested III
the manufacture OF cotton in North
Carolina. In his Richm end speech
Mr.. Tomkins emphasized this fact
which to us is of profound Interest,
that the very life OF Southern industry
depends upon low priced cotton.
In previous article on this subject
and in reply to the assertion from
some source that ) cent cotton had
come to stay, we said that one Or the
other Of two things must happen, If, as
the planter claimed. cotton could not
under existing conditions be profitably
produced at that price namely, that
the price OF cotton would advance, or
else the farmers OF tie South would
learn a cheaper process of producing
it. Mr. Tompk1ns is Of the opinion
hat the South will learn to make
cotton more cbeap!y, and declares that
it is to the vital interest Of the whole
Southern country that this shall be
lone He boots at the attempts that
have been made from time to time to
reduce the cotton acreage and to III
crease the price. TIE very moment
hat that is accom- p!ished, says he, that
,non,en will the cotton manufacturing
industry in The South be 1etirei. He
4; Oft fo Ho foot f,,<ii
and Egypt are nov growing cotton Oh
IN extensive scale, ard that half mil
ion bales of Egyptian cotton were
consumed IN this country during the
mast twelve months. 1t is the opinion
IF c-r. To1npkins that the South needs
10 discourage the cotton lnir>tr} OF
Egypt and India, or at least to com
pete with it by producing not 10000
900 ta!as year, but 2C,0OO,O0O bales
at lower cost than ever before. He
argues in perfectly logical way that
with great abundance OF cheap raw
cotton and enough cotton factories
produced the South can tnd employ
nent for lis surplus labor and, through
hess Industries, market for its farm
PRODUCTS, and that It would thus make
is cotton crop pay ten-iold and more
! What it now rays. Mr.. Tompkins
eyen goes go lar as to say that each
State in tie South could afford to pay
the larmer bounty OF 2 cents pound
on raw cotton in order to get all ample
supply of raw material at lowest pos
sible cost. He has been making some
calculations for himself and concludes
shat 1t is quite possible in North
Carolina by the method that be sug-
sests to make the cotton crop 0: that
State worth as much as the cotton
crop under present conditions of the
entire South.
We say that we are Intensely H.
terested in this thoughtful suggestion
Of Mr.. Tompkins, for We believe that
his idea is in keeping with the ten
.iency OF the times. This is q day OF
cheap things. 4 great deal has been
said about the disaster of low prices
but, to use an almost every day ex
preston Of this paper, OF which WE
fear our readers are tired, the giant
minds Of this country are daily exer
cised with the problem Of how to make
the best possible article at the loves
possible cost. The South has solved
that problem with reference to iron
and when it solves the problem witt
reference to cotton, the production 0
raw cotton into finished products
then we have no doubt that there will
+ be a full realization of all that Mr.
Tompklns has proph esied. We sa,
: deliberately that the Tompkins idef
, is, in our opinion, the most practica
and practicable suggestion before th
Southern people to-day.