Yazoo City herald., 1914-10-23
CURTAL CROP NOW
And NOT NEXT YEAR
Former Yazoo Countian Gives
His Views on the Cotton
Situation.

Editor Herald: Thinking that
the readers of your paper
may be interested in remarks
on the present unprecedented and de-
plorable condition of the cotton mar
ket by one, who for many years, lived
in your midst, and therefore sympa-
thizes, ont only with the people In
Yazoo City, but the entire South as
well, / take the liberty of sending you
this, leaving it to your judgment as
to whether it is worth space in you
publication.
To begin with, the South has never
before been brought face to face with
such conditions as prevail at present
and in all probability will continue to
exist during the entire year. Spin
ners and producers know, beyond a
doubt, that the supply of cotton this
year is far in excess of any demand
that can be reasonably expected under
most favorable conditions. Then, too,
regardless of whether the crop is H.
100000 bales or 15,OOO,O 900 bales. There
is unquestionably no hope for the ex-
port business, possibly rs per cent OF
what is usually exported during nor
NAL year.
Therefore if the South, as a whole
does not arrive at some plan, and thai
soon, to dispose of large part OF this
crop, we are almost sure to see lowel
prices than we have seen for many
wears. Middling short cotton has solo
this week for &c delivered to the mill
This establishes value for such cot
ton, until some poor, distressed fel
low comes along who sells lot at
1-2c. And so it goes, from day T.
day. There is too much cotton TO sell
and too much cotton being otfere'
daily for any one to have hopes 0
better values, or for even the presen
nrices to be sustained. The outlook, q
present, is certainly gloomy, to say tn
least, and from any sensible point Q
view, will, sooner or later, deveio
into complete decentralization unles
some radical steps are taken. In
"buy a bale" movement is simple
makeshift and has only a sentiments
and temporary effect. The manufa'
turers laugh at the plan, and correc
" so, too, for there are 2 Suai salt
being made daily on lower basis
values than prevailed before the "br
"a baleD movement was started. IL
very probable that any and all cott'
that is held will sell six months hen
far less than could be obtained toda
II would have been far better to ha'
left it in the field, thereby saving u
expense of picking and ginning, ct
which certainly amounts to somewhe
near $40 per bale. 1t would keep
the fields, too. for six months wit
out any great depreciation as to valr
A radical decrease in production
the only thing that will bring abO
a strong and substantial advance.
the people who have bought cott
had invested their money in colt
goods, the finished article instead
the raw cotton, this would have be
logical and would certainly hs
brought better results. Cotton, in
self is of no value; cotton cloth
useful and can be worn. With
many different articles that are p
duced from cotton, rs per cent. OF
population could we'll afford to ;
a years supply in advance. Such
movement would soon have an efft
especially following the "buy ba
movement.
There are two sides to the gu
ton. the consumer sand the prod
ers. The domestic spinning indus
is as badly demoralized and in v
little better condition, in so far as
ture business is concerned, as
planters themselves. Very few m
have prospered during recent ye'
Cotton mill stocks are very much
er than they were few years b'
this, too, even before war was
clared in Europe. With such rs
and enormous decline in cotton,
demand for cotton goods is ain
nil. Such a decline in the raw
duct means a heavy decline in
finished article. All new BUSH
taken on by mill has to be fg'
on a new basis Of value. Nine