The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-11-24
Meaning Of High-Priced Cotton to the
South.

Meaning Of Hish-Priesd Cotton to the
South.
Manufacturers Record.
II present prices prevail through the
crop season, it is possible that the cotton
$500, 000, 900 to 81, ZOO, 000, 900. Last years
cotton crop was valued at ,$683, OO0, 900, not
including the seed, and,if 10 this be added
the value OF the seed, it was about $3.50, 900,
600. With cotton selling at about present
prices and the fine grades Of long staple
selling In many cases as high as IS or %
cents and over, it is possible that this
years crop, counting the seed, which are
selling relatively as high as cotton, may
yield 15o, 0O0, 900 to $500, 900, 900 in excess Of
last years value.
Wonderful, indeed are these figures. II
realized, as it now seems altogether prob.
will be worth largely more than double the
worlds production Of gold, great as that
Is, or, stated in another way, it will exceed
In value the aggregate capital Of all the
national banks in the United States.
The high price now ruling for cotton
means that the farmers in the Southwest,
whose cotton crops were short, will receive
for the smaller yield equally as much as
they received last year, and in some cases
even more, and thus be fully compensated
by the increased value. The farmers O fthe
central South, however, where the cotton
crop Is a. large asst was last year will
reap such q harvest Of prosperity as they
have never known. In Georgia the in
creased value Of the cotton crop this year
over last. should present prices hold, will
be about $50, 0OO,0 900, giving that State
probably sl75, DOC, 900 or more for its cotton
and cottonseed. The Carolinas will do
proporionately az well, and Alabama and
Mississippi although their crops may be
less than last year, will receive in the ag-
than they did last.
These wonderful facts are Of tremendous
import to the South. They will give to
that section q surplus Of wealth such as it
has not had before since 1860. The $50,
DOC, 1000 Of profit on cotton over and above
the profit made last year by the farmers
Of Georgia Is nitself q vast wealth which
ought to be productive of limitless good to
that State. This bilion-dollar cotton crop
may be made to do great things for the
South II this wealth be wisely utilized.
Out OF the surplus profits many thousands
OF new and better homes can be built,
many thousands Of new and better schools
and churches should be built, many thou
n OF miles Of good roads should be
constructed and every avenue Of business
activity should feel the thrill of the new
life that comes from this great influx Of
money.
And then, too, it Is not cotton alone that
is this year blessing the South. The grain
crops as q whole have been good; the
orange crop OF Florida will probably run
to 100000 boxes, or 80 per cent more than
last year; the apple orchards are yielding
In many sections a harvest to their fortu-
nate owners, while fruit and trucking,
dairying and kindred pursuits are all
helping to enrich the South with large
yields and good prices which have this
year prevailed.
Moreover, to the prosperity of the farm
ers Is to be added the increasing prosper
ity Of industrial interests. The railroads
are once more crowded with business, and
everywhere there are indications of COM
ing car shortages and Of inadequate facili-
ties to meet the growth Of traffic. Coal
mines are becoming crowded to their ca
peeity at advancing prices for their output;
the consumptive demand for iron is ex-
ceeding the producing capacity Of the fur
naces. In the lumber regions there is q
gradual trend to better things, and though
at the moment cotton mills claim that there
sno margin of profit between the raw ma
tertal n the finished product, the cotton
goods trade 1.-THE world must adjust itself
to the higher range Of values and give to
spinners q fair measure Of profit.
Into Texas thousands Of well-to-do Wes-
tern farmers and investors from many Sec
lions are pouring, blessing that State with
q great influx Of additional energy and
capital, while In Florida the same move
ment ID under way on a somewhat smaller
scale. Into other Southern States here and
there new settlers are coming, although
The movement ls no on such a scale aSin
Texas or Florida. The whole South, how
must soon become the center Of i'm
migration activity, just as Texas and Flor
ida and Oklahoma now are. The outlook
is cheering; 1t Is optimistic in the highest
degree,
The South is on the high road to prosper
ity. Let 1t utilize It's great wealth wisely:
let its people avoid speculative dangers
which are sure to come; for wherever
great wealth suddenly develops the un-
wary are sure to be led into many wildcat
enterprises byx men who make a business
Of living on the hard learned profits Of
others.
With all this wonderful wealth which is
coming upon the South, with this billion
dollar cotton crop now being gathered, let
us forever Danish from every mind the
thouhgt OF the South being a poor country;
let us forever cease to talk poverty. Let
US, on the contrary, rejoice In the bound
less wealth that is coming upon the South;
that has already come upon it, and let US
come into q full realization Of the fact that
In the light OF such wealth no greater dis
grace could come upon this section than to
permit any Of it's people to pose before the
world as seekers after either charity of
philanthropy from outsiders for school or
churches, or even for the eradication OF
the bugaboo of the hookworm from the
South; let us forever Danish the hookworm
Of mendicancy which has been used by
many outside people, and, unfortunately,
by some Southern people, to give to the
world the impression that the South is a
land OF laz1ness and Of poverty. What q
travesty upon land Of such boundless
wealth . creating, wealth producing re-
sources!
II we could Danish the mendicant mind
from many people who for the sake of no.
torietyor the desire to share in the pap
are forever prating about the South's pow
erty or about sickness in the South, with
out exception the healthiest part of Amer
lea, or about lack Of energy, this section
would stand erect before the world, with q
backbone that neither asked nor received
the patronizing gifts of the rich, and,
thrilled with b strength of it's Owl posi-
bilittes, the South would lead the world In
manhood and In wealth