The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-31
THE WORLDS SUPPLY OF COTTON.


THE WORLDS SUPPLY OF COTTON
Cotton is more eagerly sought now
than gold. The great manufacturing
nations are searching the earth's sur
face for lands on which cotton can
be grown. England, Germany and
France are experimenting in cotton
growing wherever they think there is a
chance of finding soil and climate
adapted to the cultivation of the fieecy
staple. The search is being prosecuted
more eagerly than is the search for
lands that will yield gold. This is be-
cause of what is believed to be short
age in the American cotton crop and
the high price of cotton. There is also
an impression that the limit has been
reached in the American crop.
This impression is an erroneous one.
On Tuesday, in Atlanta, Col. j. w.
Eldridge of Hillhouse, Miss, said that
his crop this year was about 5000
bales, and that in good cotton years
he got about 10000 bales on the 10000
to $4,000 acres which he planted. He
also stated that If he could get sufil-
cient help he could raise all the cot
ton necessary to supply the mills of
this country. He is the largest cotton
planter in the world, and has, of course,
given a great deal of attention to the
growing of cotton.
He meant to be understood that there
was land enough in this country adapt
ed to the growing of cotton to supply
the demand of the world for cotton.
All that is needed is labor. And why
shouldn't that be forthcoming? Hun
dreds of thousands of immigrants are
coming to this country every year.
They are crowded into the sweat shops
of the great cities, and, owing to un-
sanitary surroundings, their death rate
is alarmingly large. Why shouldn't a
percentage of these immigrants be
placed upon the cotton lands of the
South, where they could soon make
comfortable homes for themselves? If
this policy were adopted they would be
better off and the world would be bene-
fitted.
In the New York Sun of Tuesday last
there is an. article giving an account
of a Pole who came to this country
for the purpose of engaging in farm
ing, in other words, of becoming a
farm hand. He was an intelligent
man, and no doubt expected as soon
as he accumulated a little money. to
| begin farming for himself. Some of his
| friends in New York city tried to per-
suade him to remain in that city,
but he persisted in going to the coun-
try, and he is now established on a
farm earning good wages, and in the
course of a few years he will be the
owner of little farm.
More than half of the cotton pro-
duced in this country is the product
of white labor. The old time idea that
only the black man can work in the
cotton field has been proven to be err
| roneous. Germany, England and
France can accomplish far more to-
wards increasing the worlds supply of
cotton by encouraging the intelligent
and thrifty men and women who leave
their shores to seek homes here to To-
cate in the cotton growing section than
they can by searching for new cotton
lands in Asia and Africa. And there
is nothing in the way of their giving
this encouragement. They have only
to have the necessary information as to
the advantages of settling in the cot
ton states scattered among the classes
of their people from whom the immi-
| grants come.
And our own government could do a
great deal to direct the class of immi-
grants to the South that would do well
in the cotton growing section. At pres
ent there isn't one immigrant in a
thousand who knows anything about
the South and her advantages.
There is no better time than the pres
ent to agitate this matter. The whole
world is talking about cotton. Almost
as many people are interested in il as
are interested In grain from which
bread is made. AS already stated, not
half our cotton lands are under cultI-
walton, and those that are could be
made 10 produce much more abund-
antly.
Elijah Dowie is no longer content
/ with anaa rHnsr - -. 4 a.