The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-17

section ever received in one year for
cetton and cottoEseed.
But with cotton now bringing 2
cents or 3 cents a pound more than
at the same time last year. 1t Is safe
to estimate that the crop which is now
beginning to move will bring to the
south from $850,0o0,000 to $780,
100000. Is is difficult to exaggerate
the tremendous Importance Of such
an inflow of money. Europe viii pay
to this section during the next II
months between s500,o0O,0Oo and
$500, 100000 for cotton. or not far
from 100000 for every working day
of the year.
The worlds total production Of
gold is now at the rate of S425, 5,o00,-
600 a year. If Europe could gather
together every ounce Of gold mined
on earth during the next IL months
and dump it into the south, it would
still be froms75,0 100000 to $150,0oO.-
600 short Of paying its Indebtedness
to the south for the raw cotton with
which TO operate it's mills.
"Legisla4ive action and agitation
against railroads have unquestionably
halted the investment of outside
money in the expansion Of the rail-
road facilities so much needed in the
south: but there can be no return to
the business dulIness and poverty of
that section even under these cond1-
tions. in the light of the tremendous
wealth to be secured out Of cotton
If to this phenomenal sum. which the
cotton crop will this year bring, and
the prosperity which will come there
outside capital sufficient to meet the
demands for increased railroad facil-
tiles. the south would see such pros
perity as no other section of this
country has ever known"
Just think of it! The world pouring
nine hundred million dollars annually
into the lap of the south in payment of
one of the many products Of her farms,
and the demand for this product in
creasing year by year. The capacity
! for consumption Of raw cotton by the
mills in the Lancashire district OF
England has recently been increased
by the installation of thousands OF
new spindles At the south there is a
steady increase in the demand by the
mills because of. the continual building
of new mills and enlarging Of old
Cnes New machinery is being invent
! ed and electric plants are being estaO-
| lisfied to furnish motive power for the
| mills, all of which tends to decrease
| the cost of manufacture, thereby
| broadening the market and increasing
| the demand for the manufactured
goods Even in the far east the demand
| for raw cotton from the south is grow
| ing rapidly because of the increase In
! the number of mills there.
| While, Japan, India, Egypt, South Af-
RIGA are striving to become competi-
| tors of the south in the production OF
| the raw material the demand for the
| article outside or the United States is
| increasing far more rapidly than these
| countries can increase their output.
| The rapid increase in demand from
| foreign mills more than counter-bal
ances the larger production of the raw
material in those countries, while the
| wonderful growth of manufacture in
| the south threatens to cut short the
| supply of foreign mills from this Sec
| ton. We cannot see why the world
| is not destined to become more and
more dependent On the south for its
supply of raw cotton year by year and
| why the south is not going to continue
to be the producer of the worlds sup
| ply and also to become it's chief source
of supply for the manufactured goods.
This statement of fact will show the
immensity of the value of the south's
cotton crop: If all the gold produced
in the world was used to pay for the
cotton that Europe takes from the
south annually it would fall short OF
footing the bill by from $75,00O,0OO to
$3.50 ,0OO,O That gives some idea Of
it's value.