The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-11-26
WYATT AIKEN TALKS
OF COTTON QUESTION
ATTITUDE OF CONGRESS ON
MATTER OF LENDING AID
T0 FARMERS
SEES LITTLE HELP
Takes Step Which lie Believes
Night Eislp q Boosting Price
Of Staple.
SEES LITTLE HELP

from the third district, is visiting in
Anderson for a few days. Asked yes
terday for q statement as to the atti-
tude OF Congress, on the question of
lending aid TO the cotton growers of
the South. Mr.. Aiken gave out the
foltowing.. g.fslf1
While Southern congressman have
from the beginning felt the sincerest
sympathy with the cotton grower in
his extremity and almost without ex-
| ception they have voted and worked
for every measure OF relief offered, 1t
has been apparent from the begin
ming thai little help could be expect
ed from the National Government
even! DamocrsssS CoasTessmen irun,
non-cottop growing sections coald not
be, bronglit toysea, the question excent
as o sect ional, measure and the Re-
publicans generally were against any
legislation. of sthe Character SOUGHT.
There are phases of this ,,otton
tauestio ion that should be, we'll consid-
iered before being, adopted. Thu, Unit
Ell States still has practical moro-
poly OF cotton production bat. that
ni0nonpoly is falling away year BY
year. 5t ~ =
Varying stgtements OF the world
snpply,of IswsInaterialf places the for
eign production ct ubo'it AZ per cent,
| averaged. No.
Cotton is san ID crop In the
United States while, III is indigenous
10 the soils OF Jndia an | South Ameri-
ca. II grew wild In Indi., 2. ..s..:, the ear
liest recorded times and as early as
800 ye"s.S before the Christian err
cotton syts cultivated there and the
sfas. ::syFen iitto cloth that cssns.;-
entef tie principal article of clothing
Worn by, the natives.
when Cortez conquered Mexico he
found the natives clothed In cotton
garments OF their own weaving.
unauestionabfy the temperate sec
tion OF South America. a great part of
India and Egypt. and the temperate
section OF Africa are as we'll suited
to cotton raising as is the United
states. and European interests arS de-
veloping the cultivation of cotton In
these sections; The drst great impetus
that was givenS.o cotton production,
by foreign countries came as q result
orSthe war or secession. From NOM
linaf production In previous years. Eg-
Dc gTo1neet * lsss, Iat. .:s5 Da:eH e:sd
in 1875. sA2.575 bales. In 1914 abe
producel $4,000 bales weighing 700
poun6s. Last year she produced few
hore than one million weighing TOO
pounds.
The same growth is noted in the
producti0 in India. That country pro-
duced In 1856. 1857 900 bales and In
1910. 6,3i7 .0e0 bales. India now. pro-,
duees more than six million bales
Whlle the idea Of diversifcation
and reduction of cotton acreage is rn-
doubtediy q good once this reduction
snould not be radical. The cotton crop
% sHd siscI.ie siRASs SO Tie floney
crop OF tho South, and radical reduc-
tton OF acreage means to turn 1t over
70 the, foreigner f0TeissaeTT. 2 - - !! q
Cotton spinning has undergone
perhaps even greater changes OF To-
caiity than cotton production. It MAY
surprise some to know that 300 years
ago Spain was the center of cotton
manufacturing In the world, Today
England holds that honor with the
United States second and all other
countries we'll distanced. Japan IA
coming into importance in the manu-
tacture OF cotton, aud owing to her
proximity to eastern markets, bids
fair to become formidable competi-
tor z - >
This country should not take "a
step backward either In the prcduc-
tior os CT manufacture OF cotton and
the safest way to guard against this
danger is produce enough. and Just
enough. cotton for the worlds supply
under extraordinary war conditions.
In guarding against present disaster
OF which every true Eoutherner must
approve. the cotton grower should NOT
incur the greater danger Of losing his
sa:iS Ca the greatest money crop
known to ihe industry OF the world.
Though the Southern farmers present
ordeal may be chargeable to cotton ft
must not be forgottee that the South
cannot compete successfully y7iss,, the
West and Northwest on an extensiys:
scale In the production OF grain and
cattle. while under normal conditions
the cotton crop should grow more end
more valuable with each recurring
year. The supply now Is barely equal
TO the demand.
The public should understand thai
c,otton ia not listed as contraband
either absolute or conditional. nv auy
OF the belligerents; On the contrary.
- s &c : - ..
tTne department s0f 1tsts 70 Focoi,tfv !, I,1i
receives statement from the British
ambassador. In Washington, In eject
that as cotton is mot listed as; contra
band by his government. the British
authorities have no intention OF inter-
fering with shipments OF cotton on
neutral vessels 10 any Of the .ccun-
tries OF Enrope. The cotton situation
Is practically free from ipiicaffoiis.
and nt difficulty should Be expefien-
.red with shipments OF cotton TO any
.of the European countries, inclndines
those 81 the belligerezits. when ship
ped IN American OF fother neutral yes-
shipments OF articles which may m.
golye fAe question Of cantrahand.
~ have recently requested the n4cl