Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-09-15
Doctorinu Cotton.

The whole country realizes that the
cotton market is sick and in need OF
remedy and the remedies that are be-
ing prepared are so numerous and
withal some Of them so strange, 1t is
actually bewildering.
What the general assembly Is going
to do when it meets in extra session on
October 6, of course there is no pre-
dieting; but 1t Is not out Of place or
even fippant, to remark that If there
is as much diversity Of opinion among
the members Of the house and senate
as there Is among the newspapers and
cotton doctors generally, the Legislature
will find great difficulty in doing any
| thing at all.
AS we see it now, the main trouble
with the cotton market, is the demoral-
| ization that has been caused by the
war in Europe, and more especially be-
cause of the temporary stoppage of the
export trade.
The fact that there is no demand for
American cotton from Europe, OF
course leaves the American spinner the
sole buyer in the field, and while OF
course the American spinner cannot
take much over one-third Of the avail
able crop, he is not going to pay for
that portion of the crop that he can
take, one cent more than he is obliged
to, and that leaves the price to be fixed
by the necessities of the seller.
AS is very well known, The Enquirer
has for years been a staunch believer
| in the state warehouse idea as EN-
bodying the most practical plan that
has yet been conceived for the eco
nomic marketing Of the cotton crop
This plan contepplates. l. The proper
grading and classification Of cotton.
The safe and economical storing, and
| 3. The most important Of all, thor
oughly economic and scientific financ-
ing Of the crop.
AS to whether the state warehouse
plan can be gotten through in time to
be worth a great deal in the present
emergency, we do not know; but some
how, we believe that 1t is as we'll calcu-
lated to help even this emergency as
any other plan that has been suggest
ed and there will be no mistake in put
ting it through, especially since the
general assembly has already given the
whole matter thorough consideration
and was all but ready to enact it into
| law.
AS to whether any immediate good
can be accomplished by limiting the
next crop by means Of taxation, we are
doubtful. The trouble now, as we have
| already explained, is the entire absence
Of export demand AS soon as the eX
port demand is resumed, prices will &c
| up regardless of whether the next crop
is 100000 bales or 50,000,000 bales, fol-
as soon as the foreign spinner is able
to operate he will want cotton, and he
will want it right away. He will not
be in any better position to wait until
next year than is the distressed pro-
ducor to wait until he begins to furnish
competition for the domestic mills.
| But If the distressed cotton producer
| had q state warehouse in which he
could put his cotton and borrow some
of the Aldrich- -Vreeland currency or
some Of the regional reserve currency
at low rate of interest, he would be
in q much better position to discuss
with the domestic spinner the price
| that cotton should bring at least until
the exporter comes in to help re-estab-
| lish the now partially suspended law
Of supply and demand.