The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-15
Editorial Correspondence Manufacturer,
Record

Editorial Correspondence Manufacturers
Record.
Birmingham, Ala, January S.
u BIRMINGHAM is counting upon an
@1 attendance of 1000 or 5000 al the
~ cotton convention to be held here
next week The whole south has been
awakened to the fact that the time has
come for radical changes in the market
ing of the crop both as to prices and as
to methods, and this convention promises
to be of far-reaching Importance to the
cotton world. 1t is appropriate that Br
mingham, the iron center of the south,
should entertain the cotton convention.
since iron and cotton are the south's
strongest factors for worldwide COM
mercial supremacy. A few years ago the
products of the worlds cotton mills ex-
ceeded in value the primary forms of iron
and steel, but with the tremedous expan-
sion of the last few years the latter now
lead. The south hardly appreciates its
own advantages and the strength of its
position in iron and cotton, for these are
great enough to create almost limtless
wealth, even If this section did not add
to iron and cotton it's many other won
derful resources. But consider these two
alone as they will be represented at Bir-
mingham when the cotton convention
meets.
Cotton is the most remarkable crop
which has ever been given to any section.
No other country on earth dominates and
monopilizes any such vast industry as the
south holds on cotton. This crop, which
furnishes the raw material for nearly 100,-
100000 spindles, representing in its vari-
Gus ramications an invested capital of
s., 000,0O0,000 or more engaged in manu-
featuring of Europe and New England. In
England 100000 people are dependent
upon cotton manufacturing, for which the
south furnishes the raw material, and on
the continent the number is very nearly
as large Holding such monopoly of a
trade upon which the world depends, why
should the south not reap the full benefit.
If England held mopoloy of the iron
and coal supply of the world would It's
people be urged to sell at low prices for
the benefit of Others or would England
make the world pay the highest possible
price to its boundless enrichment? To ask
such a question is to answer it. Why
should the south go on growing cotton at
the bare cost of living that Others may
fatten at our expense, when we could de-
mand a price which would make this the
richest country on earth?
When cotton commenced to advance
few years ago from the starvation prices
which ruled from 1892 to 1900 we were
told that the world would not consume
our cotton; that our policy should be to
sell cotton as low as possible or other
wise we would destroy consumption. The
fallacy of this has been demonstrated. 1t
ia now seen that the world will take our
crop at 10 to 70 cents just as readily as 1t
did at 5 or cents. Considering the in
creased cost of production, 10 and 12-cent
cotton is hardly much better for the pro-
ducer than was S1a to cents a few years
ago. With the enormous expansion in the
worlds consumption requirements now
going on there need be no fear of any
lack OF demand, even If we could hold
cotton at a uniform price of II cents or ,,
more And there need be no fear of de-
veloping any rival in cotton-growing.
That idea is simply a bugaboo which
England and the bears generally have for
seventy-five years used in order to fright
en- southern cotton-growers. Despite all
the talk of cotton-growing elsewhere for
three-quarters of a century, the souths
monopoly cotton is more firmly fixed
today than ever before England now
practically admits this, and the scheme
of English spinners to test cotton-raising
in the south for themselves is practically
an open acknowledgment of the inability
TO find any other spot on earth which
can compete with this section.
Having this moponly, we would ,be false
TO ourselves If we did not make the most
of the opportunity and secure some of the
almost limitless wealth which cotton an
nually produces With such crop we
ought to he alba to develop the highest