The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-12-14
THE COTTON SENSATION.
what Decline In Price Means To
Southern Farmers.

|
course last year cotton sold at an alb.
normally high price, and while this
vas greatly to the advantage of the
planter, it was not calculated to ex-
hiiarate the spinner. A ten million
crop last year brought over 5000, ,O0O,-
600. A twelve million crop at eight
cents would amount to $3.50, 900, 900.
Ihls would be decline of $120, ,OOO,-
ooo on last years valuation. On the
face Of things, tle situation looks all
awry. 1t would appear that the hard
er the planter works and the better
the crop he raises, the least reward he
he gets for his thrift and industry.
VI course every year a great many
influences are at work to depress
prices. There is never-ending con
hict between the planter aud the spin
ner. One naturally wants high cot
ton and the other low. All those who
are allied with the spinning interests
invariably guess big for publication,
and early in the season guesscs have a
good deal to do with fixing prices.
The foreigners, Of course, are all in
terested in getting cotton cheap, and
they seldom fail to overshoot the mar
ket in their estimates. AS to whether
the government reports are impartial
and OF any real value, there are differ
enees of opinion. There is no reason
why they should not be far more &C.
curate than the estimates of the pro-
phets used to be, for the latter we're
often suspected OF prophesying for
| hire. 1t, is to our mind reasonably
certain that if the Agricultural Bu-
reau is partial, it is not partial to the
planter; for scme of its estimates
have had very quain! look. That
its estimates enjoy good repute with
the trade is shown from the effect
they have on the market. If there
was not confidence in them they would
not have caused every holder of bale
of cotton to lose s1.OO on it in fve
minutes, as was the case on Saturday.
Whether the government reports
are reliable or not, they have the same
effect as if they were reliable.
1t is very doubtful, whether 80 far
the planter has suffered much from
the uncertain market. Over 6,OO0,-
600 bales of cotton were in sight at
the beginning of December. For this
the planters probably received an
average of nine cents, or about $780,
100000 If there should be 6,OOO,-
600 more bales to come to the market,
it is purely matter of speculation as
to what price it will bring. With
this much now in view, cotton is quo
ted at 8 cents, but at that figure or the
other to sell. Yet if the remainder
could be sold at 8 cents, the crop for
the year would bring over half bill
lion dollars, and che planter would
have but little t. complain Of.
The needs of the mills, the chances
of marketing crop sof 100000
bales, and the action to be followed
by the planters all are factors in the
situation. A large crop bringing a
normal price is perhaps better for the
planting interest generally than
small crop bringing an abnormal price.
The benefits from e profitable large
crop are more widely disseminated.
So far, then, the position of the
planters seem safe. His crop will GER
tainly pay him, and it will probsbly
pay him well. The people who will
have to keep their eyes peeled are the
factors and buyers, the country
merchants and the country bauks that
finance the operations Of the mer-
chants. Many Of these are apt to see
snakes, if they are not exceedingly
careful.
There is one phase of the cotton
situation that deserves passing COM
ment. During the last few years We
have heard great deal about the raw
ages of the boil weevil; and the north
ern press has had much to say about
the labor problem in the South.
Some Of the Northern commentators
seemed to take malicious glee in the
| prospect that the boil veevil would
eventually destroy the cotton crop,
and they have likewise endeavored to
convince themselves that the day was
not far distant when tho South would
not be able to secure the labor neces-
sary to pick the cotton. Some of our
Northern contemporaries have had
learned articles on the probable cul-
ture of cotton in India, South Africa
and other places. Evidently they