The Savannah morning news., 1904-04-29
COMPLAINT OF THE COTTON MILL
MEN.

DetOre tne New England OoItpll manu-
facturers' Association. Mr.. Herbert
f. Walmsley. president Of the asso-
citation, said that the cotton trade was
likely to be the victim frequently OF
just such disasters as that Of the past
year as long as the supply of cotton
was insufficient. The short cotton
crop, he said, opened the way for the
widest kind of speculation in cotton
and the result was that prices were
pushed up so high that the cotton
trade was jeopardized.
In the course of his address he dis
cussed the labor problem in the
South He pointed out that the mar
| gin of profit in the manufacture of
cotton goods was so small that the
| Southern mills could make a profit
when the Northern mills would lose
! money, simply because the hours of la
Dor We're longer in the South. But
! the point on which Mr.. Walmsley dwelt
! chiefly was the need OF a larger crop
| of cotton, and he discussed the ways
and means of developing the resources
! of the cotton belt to its fullest extent.
| He said that the economic demand
might become so pressing that it would
be necessary to bring labor from Asia
and suggested that the Japanese would
make good workers in the cotton fields
1t is hardly probable that the Japa
nese would be welcomed in this coun-
try as labOrers. There would soon be
Inc ~,
there was against the Chinese, but
why shouldn't the Italians answer the
needs of the South for additional labor
in her cotton fields? There is no doubt
of course that the South. with suffi-
cient labor, could produce 10000, 900
bales of cotton a year just as easily
as she produces 100000 There are
millions of acres of good cotton lands
that are unoccupied, and those that
are under cultivation do not yield more
than half what they are capable of
yielding. Most of the lands are not
cultivated as they should be-that is,
they are not properly fortified. If the
intensive system of farming were gem
orally practiced the output of cotton
would be far greater than it is, even
if the acreage were reduced.
1t is true of course that the labor
problem at present is one that is CIV
ing the cotton farmers a great deal of
trouble. A very large percentage of
the negro labor has gone to the rail-
roads, the mines, the turpentine. farms
been called into existence by the
steady increase in the South's pros
perity.
As matter of fact, however, the
greater part of the cotton crop is now
made by white labor, and the increase
in this kind of labor is very steady.
The time isn't distant, if present in
dications are to be relied upon, when
pretty near the entire cotton crop will
be the product of white labor.
Some weeks ago we called attention
to the movement of Italians to Louis
lana. That movement isn't confined
to that state. In an article in the
current number of the Southern Farm
Magazine it is stated that Italians are
extensively employed on the cotton
plantations of Arkansas and Mssis-
sippi. Hon. LIE Roy Percy, a lawyer
and planter of Greenville, Miss, who
has large planting interests in those
states, is quoted in the foregoing arti-
Gle as saying that the available labor
in his section is entirely insufficient,
Notwithstanding the fact that there
is an increase in the number of the
negro laborers. In the course of his
talk he said
My observation is that Italians i'm
ported, not from the Southern part of
Italy or from Sicily, but from the
northern agricultural districts of Italy,
are excellently adapted to the needs
of the delta. In conjunction with my
partner, Mr. o. B. Crittenden, l have
had for six years the management and
control Of what is known as the Aus
tin Corbin planting property, situated
in Chicot county. Arkansas. of which
something more than 1000 acres are in
cultivation, and more than one-half of
this property is worked by italian la
Dor. Some of them have been upon
the property for years, and the number
has increased each year during our
connection with the property, we adj
vancing to the Italians upon the prop
erty during the past year $4,000 or $5,-
600, with which they brought over
friends and relatives from Italy and
all of which was paid back by them out
of the past crop.
Mr. Percy is of the opinion that the
italian is very much superior to the
negro as worker in the cotton field.
This being the case there isn't any
reason why an abundance of labor
shouldn't be obtained from Northern
Italy. The Italians would eventually
become acceptable citizens. The Japa-
nese couldn't be assimilated, and
hence would be source of irritation
There is no doubt that this country
has got to consider seriously the
question OF increasing the supply of
cotton. The cotton manufacturing
countries of Europe are making I'M
precedented efforts to open cotton
fields in their own domains, and it is
by no means certain they will not sue
coed. New fields and cheap labor
| might make the situation very I'M
pleasant for the cotton farmer of the
Southern States.
THE WORK OF CONGRESS-.
The President doubtless feels very
much more comfortable now that Con-