The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-11-08
VISIONARY SCHEMES
MUST Be DISMISSED
COTTON GROWERS THROUGHOUT
SOUTH HAVE BIG PROBLEM
ON HANDS. .

The sooner the South dismisses from
consideration the wholly visionary and
impractical schemes advanced by bus
iness men or by men In public life
to eliminate all cotton production next
year. the sooner viii this section come
to = proper understanding OF how to
handle tho present situation. 1t is
dificuit to conceive or any greater alb
surdity from any Intelligent point of
view than that OF forbidding the rails
ing OF cotton during the coming year
by legislative enactment. National or
state. From every point of view II Is
unwise. There are millions of acres
Of land in the South better adapted
to cotton raising than TO anything else
There are tens of thousands Of farmers
who, by raising their foodstuffs, can
produce cotton at price low enough
to Justify a continued cultivation of
this staple without calling on bankers
or merchants for financial assistance.
These bankers and merchants should
for their own protection land II they
have not business Judgment enough to
do this, then they are not At to be In
bushes see that they do not advance
money or merchandise for the raising
Oh n crop next year S1GCpt W SH9 AitVSt
limited extent, or unless the narrower
makes a binding contract to devote a
considerable proportion Of his land to
foodstufs. Any banker or merchant
who. during the coming year. operates
on any other basis would have no right
TO appeal to to the public for sym
patty. and we have confidence enough
In the busiess ability of the bankers
and the merchants Of tho South to
take care OF themselves in such q
situation to see that another large crop
IN not produced at their expense. A
very considerable acreage will OF me-
cessity have to be put into cotton next
year. because 1t would be impossible
to entirely readjust tho farming in
terests Of the South in one season
without causing q greater loss to In
dividuals and to the section than the
raising of cotton crop of moderate
sixe-sAy one-haif OF the present pro-
duction.
There are other facts TO be taken into
consideration. AS hard upon the grower
and the merchants and the bankers as
this present low price Is. II viii bring
sumption. It win result In demand
for cotton products for many purposes
for which II has never before been
used. 1t will bring about 4 very much
enlarged consumption Of cotton goods
through tho production of new lines.
and many cotton mills will ind II
necessary to put In now equipment to
moot this demand. or to run to their
fullest capacity II their present equip
mont 10 sufficient. Every business man
in the country 10 studying the cot
ton situation and considering new
ways for using cotton. Millions of dol
lars worth OF cotton win 20 into
bagging for a variety OF purpose for
which 3ute bagginG has heretofore been
used. Millions Of dollars worth OF
cotton win 20 into dress goods beyond
former requirements. because lower
price cotton viii stimulate consumption
even II the spirit Of charging tho de-
mand for cotton goods had not been de-
velopad by tho present condition. All
Of these things will help very greatly
to increase the consumption require
msnts Of cotton during the present sea-
son. Evidence Of this 10 seen in every
direction.