Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-09-22
lime 20 Curtail.

| With lard selling at II cents whole
sale, ribs 112c, fat back at 10c, and
flour at $40 a barrel, how the cotton
producer is going to make both ends
meet with cents cotton is a puzzling
proposition.
! The situation is one for serious con-
sideration; but there should be very
little difficulty in arriving at the cor
rect answer, which is curtaiment.
And now is the time to curtail.
In these columns we have already
told our readers that we believed the
stringency of the times was due large
ly to a fear on the part Of eastern and
European money centres that the bot
| tom rail was about to get on top.
Lest we be misunderstood, we will
briefly explain again. The sudden and
unexpected rise in cotton a few years
back, lifted the south out Of debt and
put the farmers where they could make
a profit. That If this condition should
continue the cotton raising section
would soon become independently rich,
was too plain to warrant dispute. 1t
was equally plain that If the south
should become rich 1t would be at the
expense of revenues previously enjoyed
by other sections of this country or
other parts Of the world. There was
nothing more natural then, that there
should be a wirld-wide campaign look
| ing to the restoration of former condi-
tionS.
With the joining of the issue, the
people Of the south began to fight, and
with the progress Of that fight, all con-
cerned directly and indirectly are pretty
| familiar. AS to who has the best Of it
at this particular writing, it is not al
| together certain who has the advan-
tage. The figures quoted above indi-
cate that the advantage Is against the
cotton producer; but that is not alto
gether certain. On the contrary, we
| believe the cotton producer has made
distinct gains, and If he will only con-
tinue in the pursuance Of as wise and
conservative policy as he has been
pursuing he will certainly win.
Curtailment is the thing.
There has been a restriction Of con-
sumption. The restriction has been
largely legitimate, as the result Of
stringency brought about through a
combination of complications. This re-
striction has also been encouraged in
various quarters. AS the result Of re-
stricted consumption of manufactured
goods, there has been restricted pro-
duction This restricted production mas
| been necessary In the case Of hundreds
Of mills they had to either restrict their
production or go into bankruptcy.
There is absolutely no just reason to
complain against our local mills, and 1t
is doubtful as to whether there Is just
| ground to complain against the spin
ners anywhere. It is we'll not to forget
that fact.
1t would have been silly for the mills
to snin when the public would not buy.
Those mills that have been piling up
surplus stocks on borrowed money
have only been adding to the weakness
of the situation. Goods that are forced
on the market are always cheaper and
the forced goods fix the present price
Of the goods that cannot be forced.
But after all there is brighter side
to the whole situation. 1t is easy
enough to dam the creek for a time;
but the dam must eventually either
overflow or break. In either case the
current must resume its normal vol
ume, and in the latter case the normal
volume is preceded by flood.
We have an idea that there is to be
a flood in the present instance. The
stringency that has been on for so long,
cannot last always. The world is COM
| PEELED to have cotton. 1t can wear its
| old clothes for time; but when it gets
| to putting on new clothes, there must
necessarily be a lining up Of the sit
uation. The demand will be strong
| enough to make prices what they ought
| to be.
There should not be too much bank
ing on future higher prices, however,
Instead, every farmer should begin to
make his future plans to fit the pres
ent situation. 1t must not be mat
ter of bluff: but of actual performance.
Now is the time to put real good land
in oats, wheat and other crops that will
reduce the cotton acreage.
We are not advising that this action
be taken for the purpose of reducing
the acreage to raise the price Of cotton.
To make the plan really effective, every
farmer must go in with the determine
ton of doing the best he can with all
other crops, regardless of the price Of
cotton.
| Now is the time to curtail.