The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-22
WHAT FAIR PRICES FOR COTTON
DOES FOR THE SOUTH.

1.-The injury of one is the concern of
ALL" was never so we'll illustrated as
in the production of cotton in the
South. Primarily the man who plows
the fields, plants the cotton, picks it,,
and sends it tC the market and those
employed to help in it's cultivation,
have the greatest interest in securing
good prices for cotton. In the period
of five and siX-cent cotton these men
could not make a dollar. Those who
did not live on the savings of former
years either denied themselves the
ordinary comforts of life or went in
debt, many of them being forced to
live hard and to go in debt, too.
The price of cotton is the guage OF
Southern life. Given good prices for
cotton, every industry thrives. To-
bacco manufacturers and makers OF
buggies in North Carolina. if they had
no other standard to judge by, can
tell whether cotton is low or high in
Mississippi by the trade they have
from that cotton State. Showing the
importance of this source of wealth,
and contrasting present better condl-
tons with The ruinous conditions that
afflicted the South six years ago. the
Manufacturers Record says: -
'',The total value of the last six got
ton crops, not counting the seeG has
paid to the farmers was 1ust~a lttle
over $4,000, 100000, while for the pre-
ceding six years the total, seed ike
wise not included was 81 500, 0OO,oOO,
a difference in the last SIX years over
the preceding siX-year period in favor
of Southern farmers of $1,2OG,00O,OOO.
1t is quite uncertain whether during
the six years of low prices, in which
the crop averaged only $500, 100000 a
year, there was not an actual loss to
the producerS-certainly IL there was
no loss it was simply swapping dollars
without profit-but during the last SIX
years of higher prices the Southern
farmers have gotten on their feet fin
ancially. They have received an aver
age of $500,000,000 a year for their
cotton, and to this might be added, in
round figures, about $50, 900. 600 year
from the seed. The increase of ST.
600 900, 600 during the last six years
over the preceding six is nearly twice
as much as the entire national bank
ing capital of the United States; ii Is
more than the total savings bank de-
posits of all New England. For the
first few years of this period the profit
on cotton-growing at these better
prices was absorbed in paying up the
debts which had accumulated during
the low priced period but. with debts
out of the way and the farmers in
good shape, they have been stimulated
into making many improvements as TO
better homes, better farm machinery
and more of the conVenlenceS Whlcn
add to the comfort and happiness or
life. The towns and villages ana
cities of the South have shared in the
prosperity of the farmers, and added
to the prosperity brought about by
the higher price of cotton has been
the great increase in the production
of food stuffs-grain and meats, fruits
and yegetables-and a vast expansion
I'm railroad and Industrial interests. 1t
is no wonder, in view of these facts.
that, as recently pointed out in the
Manufacturers Record, The assessed
value of Southern property is now IN
creasing at the rate of 25O,OOO,0 600 a
year, while the true value OF southern
property is probably increasing at more
than double that
If cotton brings what it is worth
this year-judged by the small crop,
the worlds need and the high price
of everything else grown upon the
farm except tobacco-the farmers this
years ought to get the highest average
price for cotton that has been paid in
twenty years, and fhe total money
coming into the South for cotton ought
to give a new stimulus to industry of
every kind