The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-10-20
ON The COTTON SITUATION.
Greenville News.

The subject OF curtailment by the cotton
| mills continues to be discussed. The News
knowing that Mr.. d. A. Tompkins had al
ways given careful study to the subject Of
the relations and cO-relations OF the farm
and factory, has asked him for an ex-
preston about the effect OF curtallment on
the price OF cotton.
Mr.. Tompkins pointed out that for the
past Is or 20 years he had been endeavor-
ing to show that the best way for farmers
to increase the price OF cotton was by the
encouragement of mill building. This i'm
proved the price of cotton in several diff
ferent ways as he has heretofore frequent
ly pointed out. 1t reduced the competition
because the operatives necessary to run
the cotton mills came off the farms. 1t in
creased the consumption and this makes a
larger demand for cotton. 1t makes new
population who are consumers OF perish
able farm products and the raising Of these
farm products tends to relieve the cotton
market. He thinks that the present move
ment in as far as the Southern spinner Is
concerned is in the interest of the cotton
farmer. There is no farmer who has not
sense enough to see that the mills cannot
be operated unless they can sell their goods
at a profit. The present movement is
simply one intended to get rid Of low price
stocks Of goods in order to try to get new
IL.
Mr.. Tompkins made the following notes
something like half generation ago
the cotton states were producing an ag-
gregate Of ten million bales Of cotton which
sold at scents pound. The aggregate
sum received was $500, ,00O, 900. Now the
crop is twelve million bales, the price is 19
cents and the aggregate receipts near
$500, 1000, 900. Twenty per cent, more cot
ton now, twice the aggregate income with
enough left over to pay for all the cotton
mills in the South. All this increase is the,
ing of the oil mills has made the seed alone
worth another S1OO,0OO,OOO. And still the
end is not yet. The market made by the
factory population for perishable farm pro-
ducts have given at least S10O O0OO, 900 value
to chickens, eggs, butter, milk, vegetables,
fruits, etc., etc. These little experiments
In diversihcation Of pursuits and crops
seem to show that prosperity on the farm
and in the factory is dependent, one upon
the other. We prosper more il we do many
things, and correlate these, than we used
to prosper when we all made cotton and
nothing but cotton at 5 and cents q pound.
The Southern cotton manufacturers
say they don't want cheap cotton. The
farmer, who gets 13 cents for his cotton
can buy more Of his cotton goods and pay
better price for them than If cotton was
at 10 cents or cents. The Southern spin
ner's interest is in cotton at good price
to justify fair price for his product. In
truth all our interests lie in well balanced
diversflication of manufactured products
and farm products here at home. 1t Is
upon that basis that we have at least
come to little prosperity. By its further
development We will prosper more. The
farmer who would hold up the price of cot
ton must first help the factory get rid Of
its goods at some proflt-and the Southern
manufacturers must in turn help the far
mer resist the spectators on the Amer
lean market and the spinners on the Euro
pean marketin their efforts to depress the
price Of cotton.
''The best way for the farmer to hold the
present price Of cotton would be for him to
go to his home town and buy his family
supply of cotton goods. This would help
get the stock of goods out of the way and
keep the mills running.
Cotton Is not now too high. The load
Of holding it up is too heavy for the mills.
The farmer should help"