The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1916-11-04
SPEECH OF MIR.
ALEX. FITZHUGH
Facts About Cotton and Greenwo0d's 3
Opportunity" Delivered at Last
Nights Banquet.

Mr. Alex. FltZhugh, OF VIckSburg
one of the best business men of Mis-
sissippi, delivered a fine speech at tn,
Prosperity Banquet given by tn,
Greenwood Travellers Association las
night. His speech was full of con.
crete facts and good advice to the
planters of the Delta, and was as fol.
lows:
Mr.. Fitzhugh's Speech.
In selecting cotton as the subject
of my remarks tonight, feel that
have chosen the most important fac.
tor in the economic life Of the South
in general, and of Greenwood ane
vicinity in particular. For this reason
the subject seems appropriate to this
occasion, even though the audience
happen to be neither cotton growers
nor cotton merchants.
Because Of the importance of cotton
to us all in this section, I sometimes
think that we do not devote enough
study to the facts about it, to the his
tory of its growth and culture, dis
tribution and consumption.
When we consider that the southern
cotton states produce about seventy
per cent Of the worlds cotton crop,
and that cotton furnishes probably
over seventy per cent of the supply of
clothes for the civilized world, we are
impressed with the potential wealth
and economic influence Of our section,
which so largely clothes mankind.
I use the word "clothes" in broad
sense, as including house-furnishings
and ornaments, and cotton's usage in
all the many arts and industries which
multiply daily with the advance of the
material wealth. and civilization Of
man.
The Cotton States have a popula-
tion of about 20,O0O,0O0 people, Of
whom about 100000 are engaged in
the production of cotton, which, with
the seed, is valued this year at ST.
250 100000, or at the rate of $4,000
per capita. These 100000 people
furnish clothes to the extent Of prob
ably 10 per cent of the needs Of the
civilized world. Perhaps in no other
instance, does such comparatively
small part Of the worlds population
produce such a large part of a worlds
great necessity. The corn crop of
his country is the only crop that ex-
leeds the value of the cotton crop, but
many more people are engaged in the
production of the corn crop. Further
more, the Cotton States themselves
produce about 80 per cent of it.
What has already been said about
is sufficient to emphasize the posi-
ion of cotton as one of mans great
necessities and it's Importance to us,
he chief producers Of that necessity. i
The scope of this address does not ad-
nit Of any extended treatment Of the F,
history Of the cotton industry, of the I
taple's introduction into the Southern j
'tates from Mexico and the West In 9
les in the early periods Of our his
Dry, Of the progress of cultivation up s
0 the time of the Civil War, and of t
he great increase in production since, q
nd Of the still greater increase in
onsumption.
However, before passing from the c
ubject Of cotton history, wish to s
all attention to the fact that the best y
ield Of cotton, both from the stand
oint of quantity and quality, has been :.
btained in the two countries where
,e staple was an exotic, and was not
ldigenous to the soil, namely the .
outhern States Of America and
gypt. The average yield per acre in :
lie Southern States is about 1856
ounds to the acre, or 3-8 Of a bale,
nd in Egypt a little less than 500 y
ounds to the acre, or about bale, y
lille in India, in which country cot
m growing dates back over 1000 .
ears, the yield per acre is only about '
pounds, and the length of the fibre :
short, and otherwise inferior to our
'tton and the Egyptian product. 9
Those who wish to learn more about 6
,tton history will find the publica- t
ons Of the United States Census Bu- a
,au, as well as the article on cotton n
the Encyclopedia Britannica, exceed b
lgly interesting and instructive. {
I shall now confne myself mainly b
} some consideration Of present con- 9
tions Of production, consumption, .
nd prices, and shall briefly discuss b
hat, to 1me, seems the great oppor- 8
nifty Of Greenwood and Of the Delts g
'suea tributary " " y . acqttsa ssar