Evening star., 1914-10-11
American Cotton.

Out of the war has come at least one
good result In this country, the realiza-
tion that the American public does not
sufficiently appreciate one Of its own
great agricultural productions. which
has a most important use. The stoppage
Of European commerce due to the hos
tilities deprived the cotton growers and
manufacturers Of a considerable per-
centage of the normal market and caused
a serious check of consumption that
menaced several of the states with
grave financial stress. Then it occurred
to somebody in the south that the neces-
sary market to absorb the American
cotton supply lay right here at home.
and a movement was started to absorb
the surplus by domestic buying. First
the plea was to buy a bale" and thus
absorb the raw cotton output. But this
did not really solve the problem because
cotton. even though
transferred from growers and brokers
to private hands, remained actually un-
consumed and stood as an Offset against
the market when the restoration Of
peace permitted a resumption of trade.
Then 1T was that the suggestion was ad-
vanced that the American people buy
manufactured cotton, and this week
throughout the United States cotton
goods are being pushed for sale and, ac-
cording to present reports. are being
taken IN quantities to indicate that the
problem is at least for the present
solved.
Economically there Is no advantage in
any spasmodic, sympathetic stimulation
Of cotton purchases. Such a movement
could only be palliative Of present dis
tress. just as the buy a bale plan
would merely relieve immediate difficult
ties and store up trouble for the future.
The cotton growers and manufacturers
of this country can be helped per-
manently only by a continuous increase
in the domestic consumption of cotton
fabrics. and the present hope is that
through the immediate stimulation of
the market to meet the emergency will
come a more habitual use of cotton and
perhaps its substitution for other fab
RIGS not Of domestic production. There
would be. Of course. no gain in the use
of cotton az against some other Ameri-
can product. -
The individual buying of cotton bales
for investment. while meeting the i'm
mediate situation, does not promise sub
stantial relief to the cotton growers and
factors unless next seasons crop is
short either through natural causes or
as result of design. 1t will be difficult
to persuade the southern cotton growers
to curtail their acreage. for they have
been raising cotton so long that they
are IN many cases unprepared to turn
to general diversified farming at short
notice. Furthermore, In many parts of
the south. small farmers are able to
maintain themselves only on the "stak-
ing plan, which is virtually the mort
sasing of their crop to pay for the seed
and in many cases to pay for family
sustenance through the winter. This
system is possible because the cotton
crop Is regarded as sound security,
whereas a small farmer would find diff
Guilty raising a loan on a prospective
general crop.
The arousing Of national interest in
the cotton situation. however, cannot
fall to be advantageous, and 1t Is alto
sether probable that the various move
nents for the relief of the emergency
through the stimulation of trade in raw
and manufactured cotton will lead to
permanent good. Desirable as foreign
trade may be, the domestic consumption
Of our own products when not at the ex-
pense Of some other item of home
growth or manufacture, Is always to be
preferred And perhaps the present cot
ton buying enterprise will leave per-
manent results for the benefit of the
American producers and manufacturers.