The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-02-17
FIFTEEN CENT COTTON.
What a Sparcanbure County Mill
Man Says About It.


Man Says About It.
The Spartanburg Journal says: In
discussing the cotton question Satur-
day prominent manufacturer said,
fifteen cents cotton is not a menace
to cotton mills. There are many peo-
pie who hold opposite views but to
save my life 1 cannot coincide with
them. In times past cotton has been
manufactured protltably at Is cents.
The principal question involved is
the advanced price Of the goods. FIT
teen cents cotton is no5 hurtful, but
wide fluctuations in its value is more
hurtful than a mere uniform price,
though that price should be Is cents.
"A few wealthy men constitute
themselves as bulls OF the cotton
market, can vary quickly the price
OF cotton, and from Ibis the hurt
comes to the mill: but we cannot so
quickly vary the price Of the manu-
factured product. Where we have to
consider the connections OF distribu-
tors, such as garment makers, tent
makers, and other conertors, and they
in turn have to deal with the distrib-
uting trade who have to reckon with
the mills when the ad vance is made to
the consumer, and they brought to
realize new condition and new
level OF prices, the mill is not hurt if
the Level Of prices is maintained with
any degree OF regularity"
What effect will Is cent cotton
have upon the farmers generally?"
well, Is cents a pound is not too
much for a farmer to receive for the
product Of his labor, and at Is cents
bis earnings cannot be equivalent to
that OF a fair mechanic. 70 illustrate
what | mean: II farmer with one
mule should produce eight bales OF
cotton and should sell it at is cents
that would be approximately $500 for
his crop; and If he made eight bales
of cotton the average farmer would
not make anything else, as it would
consume bis whole time to produce
and gather this only amount to about
50 day for bis labor, while an ordi-
nary mechanic can get from sl:5 to
81 a day, and skilled one can get
from SO to IS per day for his labor
and why should not the farmer re-
ceive about the same amount for his
work?
For these reasons l favor Is cent
cotton. l know many business men
Of my experience to not agree with
me on this idea but at the same time
I can see no reason why level OF l 5
cents cotton should not be maintained.
What Of the future price OF cot
ton?"
In my judgment We are at the limit
of production. Based upon labor con-
ditionS, 1 think labor cannot be pro-
cured in the South to make more
cotton than we are now producing,
namely, a minimum Of 100000 OF
a maximum Of $1,000, 900, varying
with weather conditions.
This labor problem is what con-
fronts the cotton growers OF the
South. Farm hands cannot be paid
as things exist today, more than s12
per month, out Of which be must
board himself and family, while at
public works and private industries
such as railroads, mining, etc., they
get from 81 to 50 day. This dis
crepancy is fast taking the hands
from the farms, and without an ad-
vance in price Of cotton that will en-
able the farmer to pay more for labor.
do not see how it can be offset.
In this connection I will state that
the cotton lands of the South are
degenerating and will rot produce to-
day what they would Eve years ago;
being planted and replanted in cotton
until they are exhausted.