The Kemper herald. (Scooba, Miss.) 1875-1908, 1906-11-29
FOR GREATER MISSISSIPPI

The following paper on BroadeA-
ING the Market for Consumption OF
Cotton and Cotton Manufactured
Goods" was read by H. E. Blakeslee,
Commissioner of Agriculture and Com
merce Of Mississippi before the South
ern States Association of Agricultural
Commissioners in the eighth annual
meeting at Jacksonville, Fla, Novem-
Der Goth.
1t is pleasure indeed for me to
meet with the. Southern States Com
missioners of Agriculture, in this their
regular annual meeting and | esteem
it great privilege to be allowed to
speak upon the important subject OF
broadening the field for the consump-
ton of cotton and cotton manufac-
tured goods, a subject>that should be
and is of vital Importance to the pep
pie of the South. Cotton is king down
here, and its importance as money
! crop of the world entities it to that
distinction. Millions Of people have
been taught the necessity for this
great staple in clothing the nations OF
the earth and others that could be IN
structed in its use would in a few
years demand a crop of twenty-five
million bales to supply their wants.
Our especial interest lies principal
ly in the monopoly we enjoy IN IT'S
production. Standard Oil would glad
" exchange today its immense Oil
interests for the cotton monopoly OF
the South with its immense posslbll-
ties in the future. That this state OF
affairs will continue to exist, is
matter about which there can be no
difference of opinion. The failure Il
other countries to develop cotton rals-
ing in the past few years greatly
strengthens this conclusion and there
is little likelihood that competition
worthy the name will ever be devel-
,oped.
With these incontrovertible facts
before us, it behooves our people to
grasp the situation firmly and IN an
intelligent manner and profit by the
possibilities that lie ut our door. 10
handle the monopoly that is ours IN
such a manner that the greatest bene-
fit will be derived to the producer. A
comprehensive and careful study Of
the matter will reveal the fact that
we have slept upon our rights and
allowed outside parties to reap bene-
fits from this staple .yop that right
fully belonged to our people. The I'M
portant item of manufacture has been
neglected and the wide difference in
price of the raw material and the
manufactured article has been going
to New England and England. Stats
tics recently made public reveal the
fact that change is taking place,
and that the South is beginning to
manufacture this crop at home and
reap a corresponding share of the
profits. So far, so good.
The subject of this paper is one
of even more Importance than that
iust mentioned, the broadening of the
market for our staple crop, both IN
the crude state and the manufactured
article. This is matter that has re-
ceiyed little or no attention at the
hands of those who should have been
more interested. Subsidies and dona-
itions without number, special legls-
,lation to foster infant industries OF
gigantic proportions, exemptions and
privileges have been granted other
interests until the enumeration has be-
come tiresome, while the cotton plan
ter has been neglected and only allow
ed to raise as much of the staple as
he could and become the prey of spec
ulators and other designing parties
or corporations. He sells his prod
ucts in an open market and IS forced
to buy whatever goods he needs IN a
protected market
The South has been confronted with
the assertion that she produces more
cotton than the world needs and that
to maintain the price and make the
business profitable it will be neces-
sary to reduce the acreage and conse-
quent production. This may be par
tally true, and in this event there
is great cause why our people should
exhaust every means to increase the
demand to insure fair price for the
staple. The oil monopoly has been
cited as an example of what the cot
ton producer should do with his crop.
When the demand slackens the wells
are capped and when it increases they
are set to running. This is not fair
parallel from the fact that the plant
er must use his land and mules to
some purpose and cannot shut down
and stop expense as does the oil mag
nate. The capital invested demands
that there be no cessation in the pro-
duction or cotton, then the remedy
is, increase the demand until every
bale produced will command good
price on the market to supply the
worlds needs.
A careful study Of the situation
will likely reveal some interesting,
even startling facts concerning this
proposition. 1t is remarkable how
little attention has been given mat
fer of so much Importance by our leg