The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-08-22

COTTON CROP
Secretary Wilson Is Hard on
Spectators.
H URT MANUFACTURERS
Head ofAgricultural Department Says
Harm Done by Gamblers in Cotton
Is Observation-Disclosures Insrease
the Crop.
HURT MANUFACTURE E F
\ (By Associated Press.)

.tls eGstt (By ASSOClaLeu fEeSSc l.f..-4 ~
WASHINGTON, August H.-sccretary
Wilson OF the Agricultural Department,
In an Interview to-day, declared that In
finite mischief is being done to the cotton
manufacturing industry and TO the cotton
growing industry BY the speculative move
rnent In cotton.
.,rhe spectators hav9 cornered the
market" said the Secretary, '.and put
up the price so high that manufacturers
cannot use raw cotton. at existing prices
there Is no profit to them. The price
of manufactured goods cannot be manipu-
lated MS can be the price OF cotton.
THE manufacturer found It more profit
q ble to sell his cotton to the gamblers
Mills were closed down because Of there
being no raw material left, and IN some
Instances cotton which WAS sold to Eu-
, ropcan manufacturers has been brought
ba ok 10 this country and used In the gam
bling operations
Secretary Wilson. continuing, said that
most European nations which manufac-
ture cotton and also own lands In out
lying provinces where cotton might be
grown are anxious to become !ndepen'
dent Of our speculat tors, and so are organ"
izlng and holding out inducements Tor the
try. The British. the French. the Ger
mans the Belgians and others own lands
in Africa and they have been for some
time organizing to produce cotton.
WILL BE INCREASED.
"They know" said Secretary Wilson,
chat we are training scientists here to
study the cotton plant, and they haVo
been anxious to get our high class men m.
over there to organize for them. Tho
United states sent ss.OOo,ooo to Egypt last
year to pay for long staple Egyptian
cotton. The Department of Agriculture
Is trying to grow as good staple AT
home by hybridizing and creating ne"
varieties The Secretary OF Agriculture
for Egypt paid me n visit not. long ago
and said that, with the irrigation, or en-
larged areas along the Nile valley, grow
ing out OF the completion Of the great
dam the production Of Egypt would be
greatly Increased They pay fifteen cents
a day for labor. there. There Is breed
OF cattle which does all the work ana
stands the heat better than mules.
These European nations. owning terri
tory In Africa, have been coming to our
Southern States and engaging expert ne
gro labor to go over there and orsahi1e
the natives.
Twelve cent cotton in the United states
Is great encoura cement TO all those
people to increase their output. Inc
nations in Asia are doing everything TO
increa Sc the cotton production to become
independent 4 OF 3us There has been a
feeling for some time that It would be
wiser for lis to grow more cotton, nut
gambling operations this summer had the
Immediate effect Of stimulating efforts
for increased production. 45
TO HELP GROWERS.
The secretary said that every effort Is
hnJng made by the Department of Agri-
culture to help the cotton growers OF the
Southern States to a better system OF
agriculture through which larger yield
o. cotton can be had, but that increased
OUTPUT necessarily would come slowly.
The United States had not been increa s.
Ing It's output for several years, the
Texas crop having suffered considerably
last year on account OF the ravages OF
tile cotton boil weevil.. Mr.eWilson said
the prospect Of the present crop mad
nothing whatever to do with the opera
lions of the spectators. The shortage OF
raw cotton to the manufacturer. he de-
clarod, Is not due to shorta ge In the crop,
but to the fact that the corner In cotton
has put the price of the raw material
10 a point where the manufacturer can
not prohtably use It, The producer has
not prohted by these high prices, as the
cotton practicallyis all out Of his hands.
In conclusion Secretary Wilson said he
saw no prospect OF relief for the work
,rgmen who are thrown out OF employ
mcnt by the mills closing down because
OF the scarcity Of raw cotton until the
corner In cotton bursts and the price OF
tho raw material Is reduced, The new
crop of cotton will soon begin to como In.
"Ct course" he said. ''the corner can
continue if the gamblers have enough
money to buy In the new crop