The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-10
W. ). NESB|TT SAYS . HOLD YOUR COTTON Disagrees With New York
 Cotton Man ELOQUENT FIGURES Says If Supply This Year Is More Than Demand the Farmer
 Should Keep the Sur
 plus Himself

W. D. Nesbitt. president and treasurer of the Warrant Warehouse company, had this to say yesterday:
 "A member of the New York Cotton Exchange has given out a short and pointed interview to the effect that the present cotton crop is at least 15,000,0O0 bales and that the worlds spinning re- quirements are but 13,0O0o0o bales, thus showing an amount produced in excess of consumption of some 100000 bales. He advises the farmers to sell their cotton rapidly while they can still get above cents for it as, in his opinion.
 keen minded bargain seeking men of large means will buy this surplus only when the price has declined to around cents'
 Admitting that this cotton bear is correct as to the crop being 15,OOOOOo bales or more, and the consumption only 100000 bales, should not the southern owner of cotton be keen minded enough to sell of this crop only the 100000 bales which the world wants and keep the balance for future needs? If any one concern or numbers of individuals should withhold absolutely from sale 2,5oO,OO0 bales of the present crop, leaving 12,5O0,- OO0 to 100000 bales to be sold this 13,00O,- COG bales would brings more money than the total 15,0OO,OO0 bales offered under present conditions.
 Eloquent Figures
 "The following figures are eloquent and convincing: There have been marketed
 to date of the present crop approximate 1 ily 100000 bales. If there still remains
 S,oo0oO0 bales unmarketed and this is
 pushed on the market at an average of ' cents per pound, the total amount re- ceived will be sSO,oO0O0o. If 100000 bales of this cotton are held by the owners in the south and no more than 6,00O,OOO off, fered, and this only when the consum- ing demand asks for it. the world would pay 10 cents per pound or $50 per bale, making the 6,O00,0O0 bales bring $3O0, ,0OO,- 000 or $20,000,O0O more than if the total S,00O,OOO bales were sold. This season, for
 the first time in my experience, the south ern owner of cotton is able to hold the surplus without serious inconvenience, and when it is a perfectly clear business prop osition that the sale of the lesser amount will produce to the country more dol lars than the sale of the greater and leave 100000 bales still on hand to be l, sold when the world needs it. it would seem that the producer would retain part of the crop he has already made for sale next year and use considerable per cent of his cotton lands for plant ing other things next spring. "The crop of Alabama last year was approximately 100000 bales. and it brought to the state ss4, Oo0000. Alabama's cotton crop this year of 100000 bales 20 per cent greater, if sold at an average of cents, will bring into the state only $60, ,00OO 600 or $24,000, O00 less than last sea- son.
 ''1s there any business or, vocation that will continue from season to season to show such conditions?
 Farmer Keep Surplus
 "The mills of the world, in buying cot ton supplies from the farmers, might be compared to a man who walks into a restaurant to buy food: He asks for dozen oysters, which the waiter serves and charges 50 cents for and advises his customer that he has another dozen that he wishes him to take also and when thes customer insists that he does not want but one dozen now. the waiter in- sists on his taking the other dozen and offers to sell him the second dozen at 25 cents, and also cut in half his price on the first dozen, making the two dozen for the price of one. Fortunately for the restaurant man this is not the meth cd of doing business, but the customer is furnished the number of oysters that he wishes at that sitting and the bal ance are held at the regular price, or cost plus a profit, until this same GUS toner is hungry again or some other one calls for the oysters.
 This principle must be applied to the selling of our cotton crop and the world must realize that we can furnish them all the cotton they need and will also preserve what they do not need until such time in the future as they wish to buy from us again.