The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-01

time of the planting of the crop until it left the gins, range from s30 to s44 per bale. The last four crops, including seed.
 have brought the people of the southern states a gross average of nearly one thousand million dollars per year. Of
 which amount about one-half has come from domestic and Canadian mills, and the remainder represents the value of exports to foreign countries.
 Addition to Trade Balance
 By lne sale of this crop the south
 has been enabled not only to discharge It's obAAat.oa4s promptly every fal, but
 has aaueu a half a billion dollars eaen year to the national trade balance. Cot
 ton production IS stimulated by high
 prices, and conversely It IS curtniled when
 prices fall below the cost of production.
 This has been particularly true in those
 years when prices were tow throughout
 the season and continued low during
 planting time in the carly spring. Never
 nave the evils of overproduction been so
 universally appreciated ill the south as
 now, nor ever before has there been such grim determination to hold cotton and to radically curtail acreage. Public senti- ment in many southern states has been so aroused that there is now a general
 clamor for legislation by the states to regulate the production of cotton, and
 some farmers have gone so far as to de- mand that the planting of any cotton whatever in 1915 be prohibited.
 "Of course, extreme action of this kind
 IS not anticipated, but it is undoubtedly true that should prices considerably be- low the average cost of production, which 1 is probably about 10 cents per pound, prevail for the next six months, cotton will be parted with only as necessity arises, and most serious curtailment in acreage for the next crop will be the inevitable sequence. Many of those who might be financially able to put their l lands in cotton would be attracted by the high prices for grain and would i plant food crops, while others less in dependent might be willing to continue
 in cotton but would find themselves un- able to secure the necessary advances. No well informed man on southern conditions will deny that further diversi- fication in southern farming is desirable, and that more attention should be paid to cattle raising and to the production of toodstuffs. But it would be most un- fortunate, if by any chance, the produc- ton of cotton next year should be so small as to make the trade dependent
 upon the present crop for the greater portion of it's two years supply. Cotton goods can compete with more expensive fabrics only up to certain price level and if a year hence the prevailing prices for raw cotton should be as abnormally high they are now abnormally low, the manufacturers of cotton goods will have their present problems aggravated, and
 would be fatally handicapped In a move l ment for trade expansion at the very time when it is probable that conditions would be ripe for efforts in that direction.
 Demand for Cotton Goods
 l 'T shall not undertake in the presence l of the foremost experts to hazard any l guesses as to the probable consumption | of cotton within the next few months 1 but l will be bold enough to predict
 that as the season progresses there will | be a steadily increasing demand for cot | ton goods by consumers, with a core l spending demand for raw cotton by the mills, with a marked increase in the de- mand for export. Of course, as long as present conditions continue the demand l from Germany, Austria Hungary, Bel 1 gium and France, will be greatly cur. | tailed, but there should be a good de. mand from Great Britain, Spain, Italy and from Russia, which can obtain its
 supplies independently of routings througY l the Baltic sea. Ship room is now avail