The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-06-29


w cred together these days 1t IL u
pretty safe bet that the topic they are
discussing Is the peculiar condition under
which the new cotton crop vii! be usher
ed into the market. There Is no othor
subject quite SO close to tho heart of the
southern business man, and naturally, for
there can be no overestimate Of the I'M
portance OF the relationship between the
cotton crop and southern prosperity. Each
year adds to the extent and the I'M
portance Of this relationship. 1t Is not
Only the cotton grower and the cotton
buyer who now feels the effect Of cotton
changes but since the southern states
have. become in SO great a degree the
cene of the manufacture OF cotton yarns
and cotton goods of all kinds thousands
Of mill owners mill operatives and others
directly depending upon these have a
vital interest not only in the size of the
crop and the price of the staple, but IN
all the conditions which enter into the
marketing of the crop.
Probably never before have there been
conditions similar to th9se now prevail
ing; certainly there has been nothing like
it in recent years. This is true not only
With regard to the present high price foc
spot cotton and for the future delivery in
the early months during which the new
crop will be brought TO market. but 1t is
especially true of the conditions which
face the manufacturers of cotton goods.
With the visible supply of the present
crop at a minimum which for practical
purposes means nothing at all, mills in
al. parts of the country have found 1t
necessary to shut down. Advices have
been received indicating the probability
that $1,000 spindles will be shut down III
the Fall River district during the coming
week. The same story is told on all
sizes At the present high price of cot
ton the mills cannot buy for the purposes
of manufacture, as that would mean. 1T
the present and prospective prices for
their fabrics, a direct loss. Many milling
companies which have had cotton in stock
have found that the only practical thing
to do was to SHUT down their mills and
sell their cotton to those who are willing
to pay apparently eXorbitant prices in
order to fill their contracts These shut
down necessarily entail much hardship
uron the operatives. Who are thus de-
pIived Of the opportuniy for work. upon
those directly dependent upon them, upon
these with whom they must trade-in
fact upon entire communities; but
blame can attach to the mill owners for
conditions which are III no sense their
making.
The cotton year covers the period be-
ginning with the 1st Of September and
ending the 3lst of the following August.
While a considerable portion Of the new
crop is marketed during the August pre-
ceding the records are all made from
the 1st of September. This new cotton,
under normal conditions. figures in the
visible supply of the Old crop and con
tributes to the making Up of the sur
plus which is carried over into the new
year.
This year the conditions are such that
the new crop is very backward. Com
missioner of Agriculture stevens esti-
mates that for the country at large the
crop can he said to be thirty days late.
1t is. Of course, worse in some sections
than in others The most conservative
cotton men say II is sure 70 be two or
three weeks late undeT the most favor
able Conditions chat tan prevail dGills
the coming two months. with this nee
cssary delay in the bringing IN OF any
considerable portion Of new cotton ana
with the fact that there IS practically
nothing of the old crop left the usual
surplus carried over from one season
into the next has been wiped away ms
runs as rule from five hundred pa'es
to a million and more
For all practical purposes. therefore,
there will be absolutely no surplus car
ried over this year There is steady
increase in the amount of cotton con
sumed by the mills of the world. that
having now reached something like eleV-
en- million bales
The demand for cotton goods In all
parts of the world is increasing' Ne"
markets are being opened up each year
cotton fabrics enter more and more into
the daily use of the people The de-
mand is steadily. certainly growing
greater with each passing season
is there a corresponding increase III
the supply? Commissioner stevens es
Inmates show an increased acreage TINS
voar Of about 3 per cent. but this ne
thinks has been fully offset by the
grasses and weeds that have sprung ZIP
10 rntard the growth of the staple as
tba result of the wrctched weather con-
ditions which have prevailed TINS spring
and carly summer. The greater chahce
Of increase of the crop in TINS state -
that 1t may come from the increase III
the amount of fertilizers used, the extent
of which It is difficult to estimate; D'u
ovan here If is contended that this in
crease in fertilizer consumption may pe
offset NV the fact that it is impossible
IN get as good results from fertilizers
in weather of the kind that has been
prevailing as in the more balmy wcatler
which is essential to the making OF
normal crop.
All Of these considerations conspire to
the uncertainty which must necessarily
prevail with regard TO the new crop
There are, in fact. uncertainties at every
turn Is ii possible. with highly favor
able weather conditions prevailing from
now to August to offset the present
bandfcapsp one man who knows all
about cotton will tell you that it is not
possible to make maximum crop un-
less conditions have been favorable from
the early spring. while another is posi-
tive that even with the present handcaps
it is possible to still make tull crop
With regard to prices, no man can say
The south is always bullish when con-
sidering the cotton outlook. The con-
ditions this wear certainly seem to augur
high prices even should every condition
from now be as faV0rab Die as can ne
hoped Cotton mill men say they cannot
run the mills at a proht with cotton
bringing more than cents pound, out
the increased cost of the raw material
must necessarily in time bring a rela-
tive increase in the return for the man
ufactured product. However that may
TO hp