The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-05-18
To the Editor OF the State /:

TO the Editor Of the State:
Il 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 speculating purposes OF manufac-
ture. 1 predict that from now on
there will be q combined effort be-
tween the "bear' speoulators and
manufacturers to depress the price Of
cotton. It is natural they should COM
bine and move on common lines for q
common purpose.
Every cotton planter rejc;oes to see
the mills prosper, especially those
nearest our fields. In proportion as
they multiply and prosper the de-
mand for raw cotton increases, to say
nothing Of the increased disbursement
and circulation Of money in their re-
spective communities, but, for one, I
am not willing that the prosperity
of the cotton mills shall be accom-.
plished ct the expense of the cotton
producer.
In my judgment the manufacturers
in this country and in Europe have
not paid fair price for cotton for
years, except perhaps for lest years
crop. Let me illustrate by q very
homely, but it seems to me o satis-
factory, experience. II ana in erreH
I trust some one better informed will
correct me.
EARLY last fall, sand before the price
began TO advance very materially, T
chanced to be at country store near
my place in Edgefeld. / enquired Of
the clerk the price OF piece Of un-
bleached osneburg lying on Che ooun-
ter. He replied. give cents per
yard" I then requested him TO see
how many yards it would take to make
pound. He tried his scales and re-
ported "Iust seven yards" Seven
times Eve make thirty-6ve. The price
Of that pound of manufactured cotton
was 35 cents. Estimate the price Of
raw cotton at 8 cents per pound; that
must have been about the price paid
for it by the manufacturer. Deduct
cents from 35 cents and we have 27
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 manufao-
turers? Would it be 20 cents o pound?
If not, would feel very much in
struoted If somebody would cipher it
out and show us what the probable
profit was.
IL this demonstration has any force,
how much stronger would it be IL ap-
piled to the 6ner class Of manufao~
tured cotton goods thinner and lighter,
where, perhaps, it Hould take 10 or IL
yards to make Q pound, selling at a
price higher than the coarse unbleach-
ed osnaburgs.
You scarcely pick up paper now-a-
days in which you do not see grave
representations that we shall have
from the coming crop Is, 600, 900 bales.
Some go as high as 10000, GOO bales
that the present high price will stimu-
late an enormous increase Of acre
age, etc., eto. This 10 all done, Of
course, to depress the price, and we
are likely to be blind enough to walk
into the trap Doubtless there will
be alaEgelys inoreaBed y acreage, for we
never seem 60 learn by experience.
An increased acreage does not neces.
sarily imply increased production. s3ss,
There are several reasons Why q
20,000,000 OF IL, 600, 900 bale crop ia
ont Of the question..under present con.
ditions
1st. Because the supply Of avail
able labor ID. limited, and q good deal
OF that 10 becoming more unreliable
and inefficient every year. In that
connection it may be we'll TO bear in
mind that thousands Of white far
mers have left the fields and moysd 10
thefaotory villages IN this GLASS Of
our farmers are (many Of them) those
who made the largest crops per acre.
End. Because ;no device has yet
been discovered, and FOR that matter ]
don't believe ever, will be, to take the
place Of the human iingora for picking
cotton. II is well known that in the
Mississippi, Arkansas, Red River
deltas aud in Texas ii? is not uncom-
mon for the planters TO make more
cotton than they osn have picked out.