The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-06-01
SOU1H'S OPPORTUNITY
THE WORLDS NAKED MILLIONS
AND soUTH's DUTY.

AND SOUId'S UUV4.
To Properly Clothe the 1900, 0,000,-
GOO People in the World Would
Take 100000 Bales Of Cotton.
Sometime ago The Augusta Chron-
icle commented on the statement of
President Franklin W. Hobbs of the
National Association of Cotton Man
ufacturers to the effect that 1t
would take 100000 bales of cot
ton a year to comfortably clothe all
the people of the world. Following
will be found his actual words IN
regard to the needs of the worlds
naked populations:
It is estimated that there are now
on the earth 1,50O,0Oo,OO0 persons
of whom only 5O0,OOO,o0o are com
pletely clothed, while 750,0OO,Ooo
ara only partly clothed and 2oo'-
600 practically do not possess any
clothing at all. It is farther estl-
mated that to clothe the whole OF
humanity would require 42,OO0,OoO
bales of cotton each year, instead of
about 100000, the last years
production of the world. With the
increases of machinery which nave
been made, it is evident that tne
consumption of the mills of the
world on full time would not be less
than 2O,000,O0O bales. The query
TINS arises: Where will the add1-
tional amount of cotton needed LOT
the world and it's increasing popula-
ton come from? I think am not
too optimistic to believe that from
the present acreage the American
nroduction could be doubled If pro-
ner methods were used, and 1t IS
along such lines that our friends IN
the South must work to secure the
best results for themselves and the
splnners.
The Chronicle further says the
South is producing about Two
thirds of the worlds supply OF raw
cotton. We manufacture into goods
,oout one-fif.h Of T!t:.t we produce;
tne country as a whole n:es eoou
one-third of the total domestic pro-
duction. Two-thirds Of our cotton
e exported in the raw state, and
very little of it returns to us IN
manufactured form; none OF II
sbould do so. Perhaps cne-hai1
maybe two-thirds or more, OF the
cotton goods we make, lncludins
the nroducts of cotton seed, in the
making os which We have monopo-
w. is for those people of the world
living beyond the borders OF tne
limited States. Americans as
whole wear more and better clothes
than any people in the world; they
consume more cotton for clothing;
and other purposes per capita than
anv other people. The chief reason
for this lies in the superior pros
perity and intelligence of our ranks
and file. Contributing causes are
that the product is produced and,
for our uses, largely manufactured
at home; therefore 1t is cheap ana
available. :
During many years the mind OF
the Southern farmer has been CEN
tered on some form of retrenchment.
Variations in price received for what
they produce has led them to seek
various means for using their con
troll of their chief product to over
come and outwit the natural laws OF
supply and demand. For the pur-
nose of meeting adverse conditions
due to current influences, retrencn-
ment. as embodied in reduction OF
supply by planting less and mold
ing" the product for the price de-
sired. Is a valuable weapon, anu the
use of it is altogether excusaole. IN
view of our wide acreage, less tnan
ten percent of which is planted IN
cotton. or with present labor con-
ditions could be, it Is essential 10
the full prosperity of the southern
farmer that he adopt the policy OF
Giving at home
But a little Of the energy poured
ont in the usually futile effort 10
nersuade the farmer to cut his cot
TON acreage or to hold his bales Tor
a fixed price would reap greater
benefit if directed in securing better
market for his product. Those
well-intentioned people who apostro-
phize on the theory that we nave
monopoly" of cotton production ar
que from a false premise. Al pest
we only control" the raw staple.
Today, half as much cotton as we
raise is produced outside the Unitea
States: and the major portion or IL
is CT such superior quality that our
own mills find it necessary to I'M
mort it by shiploads for mixture
with our own. :,
II Egypt, India, Ching Brazil
Mexico and Turkestan can produce
5000 900 bales of cotton annually
they can produce 20,O00,00O. Today
they are producing more than the
entire world produced in 1880.
Science has heen so co-mingled with
business in the cotton bottoms OF
tho Nile that the harvest per acre