The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-12-20
Hope 81 South : Prosperity Lies
Mainly in High Cotton Prices


pense to the consumer from the cost
OF the raw produce; these goods are
largely sold to Wholesalers. who In
turn sell them to manufacturers. who
make ready made garments: the ready
made garments man In turn sells them
to jobbers Of such articles who IN turn
sells them to the retailer. Nho usually
secures about Is per cent profit. Now
what would be the result to- the con-
sumner Of say, an advance Of cents
In cotton? / am told pound OF cot
ton makes over seven yards OF calico.
and this Il one Of the cheapest grades
generally used, SO ] cent per yard adj
vance, or 10 cents for woman's dress
would be equal to cents In cotton
The ordinary 'workingman's clothes,
that would retail for Si2 TO SIS. would
weigh about four pounds; two pounds
Of wool and two pounds of COTTON, or an
advance OF IL cents on a &12 to SIS
suit of clothes. II one stops to con-
slider the weight of socks. shirts and
various wearing apparel, cotton could
advance from s to cents. in my opin-
ION, and on as per cent Of the manu-
featured goods sold by retailers the
price would be absolutely unchanged
realize In some lines there would be
quite difference in heavy goods, such
as -four sacks. at the same time. what
can be substituted for thema A cot
ton -four bag that carried zoo pounds
of -four would be cheaper for the miller
on q basis OF 20-cent cotton. than would
the present high prices Of cooperage.
Cotton Has No Substitute.
II cotton had reasonable substitute
the situation would be different, but to-
day 1t stands the only article without
q substitutes.
& Already hear talk of what big
money IL going TO be made IL the mar
ket advances further in selling the
early fall and winter months short.
Now this 10 the main point ]. think
should be circulated by the Southern
TONED about feeding his pearls to
swine. There IL no possible chance
for the South to ever become pros
porous or powerful section of this
country with low price for cotton;
prosperity and money are what create
development, and the South will never
have II. unless cotton sells at good
prices. with the small crop this year
the world Will easily require 15.o00.o00
bales next year. and should not the
Farmers Union at the present time
commence to educate the farmers not
to plant, next season, too heavy an In
crease, but about the size crop they did
last Year, II the spectators Insist on
selling the market short. anticipating
decline when the rush of cotton
reaches market, cannot the farmers De
educated to simply stand pat and NOT
sell pound below the average prices
that will rule between this coming May
and August? II this could only be
done, there would be such an enormous
demand developed for September and
october shipment that such parties who
sen this market short would be COM
PEELED to pay 50 heavily for their ex-
perience they would be afraid to con-
tinue to attempt such tactics from year
to year In the future. and with two
prosperous years the farmers should be
able to accumulate suficient money to
market their crop during the early
ginning season In such small proper
tions at the beginning OF the year they
would be sure to average about as good
prices for their crop early in the sea-
SON as they would later on.
Nature Comes TO Aid.
ut looks as II nature has come to
our assistance at last and win demon
strate to the world before this season
passes the real resources and import
ance Of the South. Why should cotton
lands. only in a limited area, be worth
so much less than wheat lands. which
product can be grown In almost every
cline? What would 20-cent cotton as
permanent basis mean to the South?
course would mean increased cost of
production, which would give hew
basis OF estimating the cost OF mar
keting cotton. Increased land values
mean increased taxation and wealth,
which means good roads. prosperity and
general development. What would 20
cent cotton mean to the remainder of
the United States? Almost as much as
II would to the South, for the follow
ing reasons: We export 5000, 900 bales
or more. and IL values could be brought
up to average 20 cents, instead of 10
cents, 1t would mean an increase of
$400, 0oo,0 900 of exports in oar foreign
commerce. with this increase of bal
ance in trade in favor of the United
States yearly in cash, would mean our
credits abroad would be vastly increas-
ed and result in enormous development
of railroads and all other Industries.
Our financial position before the world
would be so much stronger that gold
exports would hardly be necessary at
any time, and our general financial po-
sition such 1t would not require many
years to transfer to New York the
prestige now held by foreign countries
in matters of finance. 1t certainly APP
pears as II New York is as much ina
terested In maintaining high values for
cotton as the South, on account of same
being so largely exported. Low prices
for cotton mean a reduction concerning
the balance of trade. which means gold
exports and general depression in
stocks and development.
ut appears to the writer the pres.
emit opportunity is one offered only in
a generation to people. The ques-
ton is. will the Southern people grasp
the situation and educate the world to
slightly higher prices for cotton. or
will they let the present opportunity
slip from their grasp and be content
with cornbread and bacon for the flu
ture. If they do. under existing condl-
lions, they deserve no BETTER"
4 Civilized Railroad