The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-03-24
THE OUTLOOK
FOR THE SOUTH
President Harrison Thinks the South
VIII Rise Above the Past Depres-
sion. Prosperity is Coming
Again.
(From The New York American
March 15th.)
(By Fairfax Harrison, President

Because OF the decentralization of
the cotton market which it brought
about, no part of the United States
was so seriously affected by the
breaking out of the European war as
was the South. AS a large part of the
cotton grown in the South must seek
foreign markets, and as one of the
largest crops ever grown was matur-
ing when the war broke out, practi-
cally suspending cotton exports tenn
porarily, the collapse in price which
resulted, was inevitable. For time
the price was below the cost of pro-
duction. Many farmers were unable
to pay their bills and every line of
business throughout the South was
seriously affected.
However, the world must have
cotton.
The war itself is bringing about an
enormous consumption of cotton in
various forms, and there is no reason
to expect that this will increase as
the weather grows warmer and the
armies and navies are put into sum-
mer uniforms. The consumption
by American mills is now about nor
NAL, and for some time the exports
have been in excess of last year, al
though exports since the 1st of Sep
tember are still nearly 100000
bales below last years record for
the corresponding period.
Cotton Movement Grows.
Prices have now risen to a level
probably a little higher than the aver
age cost of production and, while
many farmers are still selling cotton
only as they need money for their i'm
mediate necessities and to pay their
debts, the. aggregate move
ment of cotton is large and the re-
suit is a gradual improvement in
business conditions throughout the
South.
One of the beneficial effects of the
war has been to direct the attention
of the southern farmers to the advan
tages of diversified agriculture over
the one-crop system of cotton farm
ing and larger areas than ever be-
fore will be devoted to grain crops,
meadows and pastures.
The United States agricultural de-
partment has estimated that the acre
age of fall-seeded grain in the cotton
belt this year is 4,1ss,GOO acres
greater than last year. This is equiv
alent to ia per cent of the cotton
acreage in 1914, and reports from
the agricultural agents of the South
ern Railway Compc ny indicate that
the acreage planted in corn this
spring will be substantially greater
than last year, and that farmers
throughout the South will give more
to livestock.
The more general practice of di-
versifed farming and raising live
stock, will bring about a tempol a.y
reduction in the total cotton crop,
but ultimately it will bring about
such an increase in soil productivity
that the South will maintain and
even increase its aggregate praduc-
ton of cotton from a smaller acre
age.
This will greatly strengthen The
economic condition of the SOU :lcl n
farmer, and there is every reason to
believe that after southern farmers
have gotten through their temporary
we will witness resump-
ton of industrial progress in the
South which depends So much on the
of the farmers.
Manufacturing ,nGustrlc; in the
South are doing fully az well IS
those engaged in similar lines in
other parts of the United States.
AS they are chiefly engaged in
the manufacture of southern raw
they have the advantage
of location in proximity to their
sources of supply and may expect to
benefit in full measure from the
gradual improvement in business