The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-17
To Protect Cotton Grow
erS.
BY Hon. NJ. C. Butler.

10 the Editor: 1t occurs to me it is
about time that those of us engaged
in the production of raw cotton should
come to some understanding among
ourselves-if such thing is possible
and with those who buy the raw
material either for specializing pur-
poses or manufacture. l predict that
from now on there will be combined
effort between the bear spectators
and manufacturers to depress the
price of cotton 1t is natural they
| should combine and move on common
lines for common purpose.
Every cotton planter rejoices to see
the mills prosper especially those
nearest our fields. Il proportion as
! they multiply and prosper the de-
mand for raw cotton increases, to say
nothing of the increased disburse-
ment and circulation of money in their
respective communities, but, for one,
l am not willing that the prosperity
of the cotton mills shall be accom-
plished at the expense of the cotton
producer.
In my judgment the manufacturers
| in this country and in Europe have
not paid a fair price for cotton for
years, except perhaps for last years
crop. Let me illustrate by a very
! homely, but it seems to me a satisfac-
| tory, experience. If l am in error l
| trust some one better Informed will
| correct me.
Early last fall, and before the price
! began to advance very materially, l
| CHANGED to be at country store near
my place in Edgefield. l enquired of
the clerk the price of piece of un-
bleached oSnabuTg lying on the coun-
ter. He replied, Five cents per yard
| then requested him to see how many
yards it would take to make a pound.
He tried his scales and reported Just
seven yards Seven times five make
thirty-five. The price of that pound
| of manufactured cotton was 35 cents.
Estimate the price of raw cotton at
! cents per pound; that must have been
about the price paid for it by the man
ufacturer. Deduct cents from 35
cents and we have 81 cents. Deduct
| from this the cost of manufacture,
the profits to the jobber and retail
| merchant and what will we have left
as profit for the manufacturers?
| Would it be 20 cents a pound? If not,
| l would feel very much instructed il
somebody would cipher it out and
show us what the probable profit was
| how much stronger would it be if APP
piled to the finer class of manufactur-
ed cotton goods thinner and lighter
where, perhaps, it would take 10 or
| II yards to make a pound, selling at
a price higher than the coarse un-
| bleached osnaburgs.
You scarcely pick up paper now
! a-days i'm which you do not see grave
! prognostications that we shall have
fyn.r1 "a 1ifaCy ORC N laC
! Some go as high as 100000 600 bales
that the present high price will slim
| ulate an enormous increase of acre
! age, etc, This is all done, of course,
to depress the price, and we are like
| ly to be blind enough to walk into the
! trap. Doubtless there will be large
| ~ increased acreage, for we never
seem to learn by experience. An in
| creased acreage does necessarily i'm
! ply increased production.
There are several reasons why a
| 2O,0O0,000 or 100000 bale crop is
out of the question under present con-
! ditions:
First. Because the supply of avail
able labor is limited, and a good deal
! of that is becoming more unreliable
| and inefficient every year. In that
! connection it may be well to bear in
| mind that thousands of white farmers
| have left the fields and moved to the
| factory villages. In this class of our
! farmers are (many of them) those
who made the largest crops per acre.
Second. Because no device has yet
| been discovered, and for that matter
/ don't believe ever will be, to take the
place Of the human fingers for pick
! ing cotton. IT is well known that in
! Mississippi, Arkansas, Red River del
tas and i'm Texas it is not uncommon
| for the planters to make more cotton
| than they can have picked out. So
| there is another limitation on the size
| of the crop.
! Third. Because I don't believe any
man can accurately estimate the size
| of the crop until after the autumnal
! equnoctial storms, when the crop
| may be said to be in its most critica!
! stage Besides this an early or late
/ frost affects the yield.
! If these suggestions have any force
! do not see how under the most faV-
! 0rable circumstances the crop can OK
| coed 10000 900 or at the most l2.OO,-
! 600 bales. If it does not exceed the
latter, this years crop ought to sell
at least at from 10 to Il cents pound.
| possibly more.
| Now if we could acC1lire prudence
! enough to diversity our crops, make
enough to eat at home and thus get
| financial strong enough to mold our
! cotton, we could compel the buyers to
pay a fair, remunerative price for II,
| and still leave a fair margin OF profit
! for the manufacturers. In 10 years
we would be the richest agricultural
people in the world. am not un-
mindful of the fact that England,
France, Germany, Spain and Russia
are scurrying all over the world to
| find a place where they can produce
cotton in competition with us AS yet
they have not found that pace 10 any
alarming extent. Ana IL they Shoulu
discover it. it will require years for de-
| VelOpment.
The demand for raw cotton is in
creasing year by year, not oIly 10 be
manufactured into cloth, put Tor va
rious other purposes, such as max
ing bed comforts, quilts paooih8 Tor