Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-09-16
OUTLOOK FOR COTTON
interesting Analysis Of Supply and De.
mand Situation.

interesting Analysis Of Supply and De.
rnand Situation.
The Columbia Record is convinced
that the world Is confronted with q
cotton famine, and is printing letters
from different experts to uphold. its
view. Hon. John L. McLaurin con-
tributes the following to the sympo-
sium: ~
II see your paper is making an In
telligent fight for higher cotton, Con-
ditions In the western portion of the
belt undoubtedly warrant Is cents. As
a matter Of fact, consumption OF cot
ton has increased faster than produc-
ton. That is, tae consumption per
capita in highly civilized countries.
Cotton was not a commercial factor
until after Whitney invented the gin
in 1898. In 1913 the cotton crop
amounted to about 100000 bales, while
now it runs fifteen or sixteen million.
In this connection wish to direct
| your attention to an article In Cotton
and Finance, by Mr.. Theodore II.
Price, the best authority that know,
on this subject. He prints table
giving the per capita consumption OF
cotton in the United States from 1870
Ito 1911, namely: pH
1S7o-s.4s pounds per capita
1s80-14.74 pounds per capita.
1Ss0-16.7s pounds per capita. ~
;" iso0-zS5s pounds per capita.
MT, Price then goes on to make the
very significant statement that these
figures show why forehanded man
|ufacturers throughout the world have
been willing to supply themselves for
years ahead with moderate priced cot
4 ton y its1f re ,.li,,l
II have never seen any statistics
(other than guess work Of the per
capita consumption OF the world. II
is easy, however. to make the caicu-
lation by invoking the rule OF three.
II ninety million people In the United
States, as Mr.. Price says consume
6-100 Of bale to each person or 81
100000 bales, and the United States
has 1-20 Of the population OF the CIV.
ilized world, then this gives the equa-
tion. namely:
One is to 100000 as 20 is to 1os,-
100000 bales. This means tnat II IN
every country the consumption Of cot
ton per capita was as great as in the
United States. that 1t would take this
|year more than one hundred million
bales of cotton to supply the demand
"The full import of these hgures can
not be fully understood. unless one
comprehends the increase OF oniy
one pound per capita In consumption,
requires four million bales to NIL II.
Also the further fact that II cotton
goes to Is cents. 1t will mean only one
cent yard increase In the price OF
the cheaper goods, wnile IN tne hner
goods the difference In cost OF pro-
duction is hardly appreciable There
is great opportunity open TO US now
and wish we were In position 10
take advantage OF IL. II we nao tne
state warehouse Dill and WITH tne GER 'i'-t
tifcates could get money az low rates'
man could now borrow, say. II Genus
a pound and pay up all OF MS deots. = =
(The Records plan Is similar 70
this.) si - =!
III no other state was IN tnat satua-
ton. we would simply hold the soutn
Carolina crop on the market un.ii tne
other states Were tnrousn. anu 'ne
cheaper tney sen 'oh INC INC uoo''"o e''''' v
|averages) the higher price our crop
would bring. In the race OF greaty
increased consumption precedenis are
exploded. The world Is race u 10 sle'' iace
with crop that Is TWO miiion oaiess
under requirements ana tnese re-
quirements are lncreasihs' NOT ai
ishing. Let's get all out OF thas
we can. s9ar gy
about thirty-fve thousano ne"
|spindles have been put In during the
past few years. Never until TINS year
have all Of them been In operauon. :
We had snort crops IN ~ 1--we anu w"
1910, and prices Went up. inese h''S no" NO"
spindles lay idle. until the seventeen
million bale crop OF 1911. Prices Oh
cotton went far below the cost OF pro-
duction, supplies were ample ana
these new mills started up. There was
not only plenty Of cotton. bnt the
world was bare Of goods, and there
was big profit in sight for every
spindle and they have been working
night and day. Ha
New uses Of cotton spring up every
day. The automobile tire 70 an I'M
mense industry, requiring heavy DUCK
and the cushions are made from the
lighter, while most Of the top is from
cotton. Cotton Is supplanting wool,
for all arimies are now clad in khaki.
The development Of the cement In
dustry with its cotton bags is a strik-
ling example of the extension OF the
use of cotton. There must be some
thing like $50, ,000,00 spindles running
at a prof,t of full time; to keep them