The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-19
WARNING AGAINST HIGH-PRICED
COTTON.

The New York Sun utters warning
against high-priced cotton. The effect
in its opinion. will be to stimulate the
| cultivation of cotton in other parts OF
the world to an extent that might
| easily leave us with heavy stocks on
| hand and only the home market in
which 10 place them" The Sun calls
attention to the efforts which Great
Britain, Germany and France are max
| ing to cultivate cotton in their colo
NAL possessions. Great Britain is en-
| larging the area of her cotton territory
| in Egypt and in Africa, Germany is
| experimenting with cotton on a large
scale in her vast possessions in West
Africa and France is discussing the
| possibilities of cotton culture on a
great scale in her African possessions.
Besides, cotton can be grown success
| fully in China, India, Japan, parts of
Russia and in some of the South Amer
lean countries.
There is no doubt of course that the
high price of cotton will tend to slim
ulate experiments in the growing of
cotton in those countries where little
attention is given to it now, but where
it is believed it can be grown success
fully. But will the experiments
amount to much? That is a question
that suggests itself. 1t will be recalled
that during the years of our Civil War,
and for several years after it's close.
extraordinary efforts were made in
many parts of the world outside of the
Southern states to make a success of
the cultivation of cotton. 1t would
seem that, if ever, that was the time
to prove whether there was in all the
rest of the world a rival of the South
ern states for the growing of cotton.
Most of the experiments were aban-
doned, it being found that there was
something lacking in either the soil or
the climate where they were made.
Those who have studied the subject
thoroughly hold the opinion that there
is something in the climate in what
is known as the cotton belt of this
country that makes it possible to raise
cotton at profit year after year, and
that this climatic condition is not to
be found anywhere else in the world.
There may be something in this. But
whether there is or not the fact re-
mains that after the many expert
ments that have been made in other
parts of the world the Southern states
remain practically without a rival in
the growing of cotton.
But to whom does the Sun address
its warning? Certainly not to the cot
ton planter. He isn't running up the
price Of cotton by bulling the cotton
future market. The man who is doing
the specializing isn't a producer. He
lives a long way from the cotton fields
and he doesn't care whether Asia or
Africa or America raises the cotton
the world needs. He is interested in
cotton only to the extent of making a
fortune out of it in the quickest pos
sible time. 1t is a matter of no conse-
quence to him whether the price is
high or low, provided it moves in the
direction that leaves him a profit on
his purchases.
If the Sun addressed its warning to
the SPECTATOR, and he seems to be the
person aimed at, it is wasting its time.
The Spectator is looking out for his
own interests and not for those of his
country. Besides, the chief reason for
the high price of cotton is the scarcity
of the supply.