The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-04-06
COTTON MILLS AND PRICES.
Apparently misunderstanding Exists
AS TO Attitude of Manufacturers.

Columbia. March 31.--There is evil
IDENTIFY some misunderstanding about
the attitude of the cotton mill author
critics relative to the price of cotton.
The cotton mills, above all else.
want prices to remain steady and
they can command better and more
regular prices for their goods when
cotton is high and prices remain
steady than on a sagging or low price
market.
The Barnwell People recently pub
lished an article on why "the next
cotton crop may bring in the neigh
borhood of eight cents per pound"
This. of course, is a mere supposti-
ton. but to sustain the view the
BarnYell People gives as the third
reason why the price of cotton may
go down to eight cents, the following:
Because the greed Of the cotton
mill lords grow. They want more
profit. They mean to get profit. They
mean to get even with and ahead Of
the farmers for having had to pay
fourteen cents for cotton this year.
BY September they will be organized
as one big. strong force, while the
farmers are single and scattered"
The article from the Barnwell Peo-
pie has been generally republished
In the weekly press. and it may be
understood that such a drop in the
price of cotton would be most disas-
trous, not only to the farmers Of the
State, but also to the cotton mills.
The drop In futures more than any
thing else is now regarded as respon-
sible for the fall of from four to five
cents per pound for print cloth. The
staple and chief product Of the cot
ton mills Of South Carolina is print
cloth, and with such drop in prices
IL can readily be seen that there is
no profit In cotton manufacturing at
present prices and the prevailing
prices Of cotton. The manufacturers
do not want the raw material to 60
lower. but they would prefer II to 60
higher, and above all. for prices to
be maintained and then, and then
only, can they sell their product or
realize profits.
AS a matter Of fact, the situation in
the South Is that: Cotton mills as
rule, are supplied with cotton at
around Ia 1~2 to Is cents, to last un-
til fall. They have also stocks of
goods that have accumulated, made
OF high priced cotton and they are
unable to sell these, except at a very
heavy loss, and they are much inter-
ested In the price of cotton, both this
summer and next fall, being main
tanned and not reduced, for If they
cannot work off their stocks of goods
and stocks of cotton when manufac-
tured into goods, there will be a very
heavy loss. Curtailment is the last
resort to the cotton manufacturers. II
increases the cost Of goods made, dis
organizes help and, unless 1t Is uni
formly done, 1t leaves the mill cur
failing at a decided disadvantage as
to the mills that are running full
time.
The cotton mills would rather see
the fall months put up to a nearer
parity with the summer months than
to feel that paper cotton, due next
iali' Is sold at two or three cents per
pound below it's actual value, as the
mill people expect comparatively high
priced cotton to continue next sea-
SON."
1T Is we'll in figuring on the price
OF cotton and the attitude of the mill
people to appreciate the actual effect
that cheap cotton for next fall would
have, not giving them any credit
whatever for a patriotic desire, COM
mon to all South Carolinians, to see
the State prosper, as it must with
high price cotton.