The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-10
ENORMOUS SUMS
POURED INTO SOUTH
FROM COTTON CROP
Averages $40 Per Capita for
Entire Population of the
Southern States
COULD BE RICHEST
SECTION OF EARTH
If Southern States Would Produce
Own FoOdstuffs and Let Cash Re-
turns From Cotton Accumu-
late
nv C. IL. sTEwARt

Washington, July 9-(Special )-Thurs-
days government report of the situation
with the south's cotton crop is susceptible
to several analysis all of which must in
the nature of things, be purely specula-
tive.
So-called competent authorities" pro-
fess to see another big crop running close
to the banner crop of 1911 of 16,000090
bales In the event of 150O0,0 90 bale crop
for 1913, the last three years would give
a total cotton production of IL cotton pro-
ducing states of 45.O00,0oO bales. The crop
of 1912, totall.ng fully 100000 bales than
that of 1911, nevertheless brought to the
farmers of the s, nth s1OO, 100000 more
money than the record crop, due, OF
course, to The much higher values pre-
vailing for tho smaller crop.
There is a much larger acreage this
year than last. The figures are given 81
81 200, COO acres. Texas leading all other
states with t2,O00O00 acres planted in the
fleecy staple. If the farmers of the south
were in position to hold their cotton, as
the coffee planters of Brazil hold their
coffee, until a price could be obtained
that would iisure satisfactory profit
over the cost of production-say 12 cents
of 1918, exclusive Of the seed, would bring
them 5000 900, close to a billion dol
lars all told. Two-thirds of this vast sum
is new money; being obtained from for
eign countries, where the raw cotton is
sold, and is one of the greatest factors in
Uncle Sans trade in keeping the balance
favorable to our side of the ledger. Surely
with such natural monopoly as this,
which no power legislative or otherwise
can ever hope to remove, the south must
eventually become alive to it's oportu-
mites and finally become the empire
which nature has cecreed it should.
Forty Dollars Per Capita
The total population of the 10 principal
cotton producing states. according to the
1910 census returns. are just a little in
excess of 20,000,000 people all told. The
entire cotton producing area of the south
has less than 250c0,00o people. The an
nuaI return in cash from this single crop,
therefore, will average close to $40 for
every man. woman and child, white and
colored, living within these states. This
Is equal to, or in excess Of the circula-
IlOn III money pei Cdpitd tne OnlIDu
States. With this source of annual in
come definitely assured to it, 1t would
appear to any reasonable person that ell
the south has to de-, and the only prob
lem confronting it is to develop its other
possibilities to the point of producing a
living for its 25.O00.000 people, and in less
than a decade 1t will become the richest
country under the sun.
Experiments by the department of agri-
culture have demonstrated hevond a
doubt that the south stands convicted Of
neglecting its agricultural possibilities In
many and varied lines of profit. 1t mas
stuck to cotton, which was perfectly
proper. but it has disregarled the major
ity of other agricultural pursuits, and
annually exhausts its income from cotton
In the purchase of supplies which its own