The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-01-06
VOL. AZ NO. 5S.

an slavery days, and that lesson vas
consideration for his hands / see
that Yet all through the South The
old master the man who had his
bunch of negroes before emancipa-
ton days. is a considerable old chap.
and his darkies appeal to him in
their old age as a friend and coun-
selor. There is still visible that
strong tie of friendship and Depend
ence between the two, and that same
kindly and patriarchal feeling is
shown at the mills l believe tina. IL
one of the reasons labor troubles are
fewer in the South than in the North
1t is not the extreme OF paternalism
that the worker resents SO strongly
was the case in the big strike some
years ago at Pullman, H., where the
workers struck although they were
surrounded by every convenience tina,
paternalism could provide. It is rath-
er at the North Carolina mill settle
ments the friendiiness OF democracy
which tries to AFFORD the encourage
ment that brings opportunity. leav-
ing the right to embrace it or to
stand on the extreme Of indivi d ia lism
if the individual desires
The Big Work Ahead
The North Carolina cotton mill has
its big task ahead of it yet but for
tunately it is working automatically
in its developing influences. None of
US can forecast the future very far
| except to see that the records Of the
! past and the needs Of mankind as
| sure US that progress will be infinitely
! greater in the next thirty years than
! it has been in the past thirty years.
| simply because capital and experience
| together are more effective now for Il
| start on a thirty years step than they
| were at the beginning Of the period
| which has gone. Men have become
| n a nd hay
| ulated a greater force in their much
| greater capital.
| 1t is hardly likely that SO rluch cot
/ ton was ever spun in a Year as wilt
| be spun this coming year of 1914
| The crop just harvested is third III
! point Of size ever made. 1t is not any
too big, as is shown by the price Of
| cotton.
In 1897 the cotton crop for the
| first time exceeded ten million bales
The price held under seven cents for
such a big crop. Six years later the
bale crop and pay for it over fTeive
cents. In 1909 the world wsz vilf-
ing TO pay almost fourteen cents foT
a ten million bale crop, which feIt ST.
far short Of being big enough tn, tne
twelve million bale crop the year FOL.
| lowing brought fourteen cents.
The world is willing to pay now
more than twice as much for crop
running between fourteen and fifteen
| million bales as it was for ten mill
lion bale crop sixteen years ago, which
| shows how much cotton is needed in
these days. The cotton crop Of this
year is worth somewhat less than
three times what the crop was worth
sixteen years ago.
This is a tremendous increase.
do not believe such an increase will
, be witnessed in the next sixteen years.
| because it looks to me like physical
TnpOSSibility. But / cannoA see but
that a great increase is certain The
increase will be limited by the ability
of the people to raise and spin the
cotton. The world has used six
t teen million bale crop Of American
cotton 1t paid more for it per pound
l than for a nine million bale crop IN
1899. It is evident it needed the six
teen million bales worse in 1911 than
it needed the nine million 5ales
twelve years earlier, or else il had
more to pay with. At any rate Il
t used a sixteen million bale crop That
| is evidence that sixteen million bales
f is not more than is wanted, although
} it may be more than can be paid fcI
} at high price.
Demand OutrunS Production.
The limit Of the want has not been
s satisfied. The limit of the ability to
pay is evidently rising each gear. The
7 limit OF the dDillty TO prodCce ; not
! rising as fast as the limit Of want n
: as fast as the limit OF ability % pay
e | From which it may be conclude d that
: the cotton mill settlement ont =
0 | it's infancy in North Carolina, and Cha,
: the industrial influence is to be cx-
e tended much more widely in the next
e few years.
f MIR. Seates is much gratiried with
e the product of the cotton n '.o-o -
Il Raeford. He is gratified not only
with the goods packed and shtpp q
s each week to the markets, but ne Is
also gratifed with the progress .is
people are making in the Dig str :.
s gle with life. And that is the >
r valuable product Of all OF the nd e
t tries of the State.
s Until North Carolina IS more 49, H.
n ~ settled one of the disadvantage
e farm life will be want Of con
n Eeighbofs and the advarta &c
n populouS communities brins te r. n
/ LII IN