Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1916-03-28
WAR RHASBROUGHT.
RESOURCES FOR
SOUTH To FRONT

W. w. Morrison, of New Orleans, d
representative of the cotton firm oi
Hermann &, Wolff, of that city, was in
Americus today and talked very inter-
eStingly of economic conditions in the
South, the status before the war and
the effect of the European war on this
condition.
Mr.. Morrison was enthusiastic in his
discussion, and said:
Everywhere the people are feeling
surer Of themselves and surer of the
culture. The improvement has been
steadily going forward and conditions
have about returned to normal. This
improvement has especially been very
marked in the cotton industry which,
on account of its more intimate rela
tons with international affairs, suffer-
ed more, perhaps, than any other in
industry in the country by the break
ing out of the war"
Continuing, Mr. Morrison said: The
strength of the South reflected in the
whole scheme of her economic life,
is one of the most notable develop
ments of the last two years. 1t con-
spicuously dominates every other in
fuence in controlling the price of the
cotton crop. 1t is practically certain
that the South will never produce a
c;op that she cannot market as may
best suit her interests, or in other
words, ON which she cannot wait for
the money longer than the consuming
word can wait for the cotton The
fine eGuipoise of the spot cotton mar
kct during the last five or six years
and especially do the records of 1914
and 1915 sustain this view. For not
withstanding the formidable difficulties
surrounding the cotton producing in
dustry during these years they were at
tended by less distressed cotton and
less enforced liquidation than have
been any years since the close of the
civil war.
Consumption last season was above
I4.0fC,J0G bales and it is now fairly
certainly certain that consumption this
eason will also run above that amount.
When we consider the abnormal condi-
tions IL at have prevailed, it seems a
reasonable assumption that no condi-
tions are likely to arise in Europe that
will kill the value of American cotton
as a profit-earning product for the ma II
who produces it. The Mexican situa
tion will likelysstimulate the price, f.
l hardly think it will mate =
rally interfere with the labor in max
ing the crop, but the Mexicans are GER
tainly a most important agent in gath
ering it. Beginning at Brownsville
early in the season, they go through
the whole state, ending at Denison
when the season closes. Our getting
involved in affairs abroad looks more
remote than it has at any time since
the war began. So the forecast, so far
as politics is concerned, is most favor
able"
Discussing conditions further, Mr..
Morrison, said: The public. as is
usual at this time of the year, are
attaching too much importance to the
acreage to be put in cotton. This IS
due to the constant and more or less
distorted references to the matter in
current market news. 1t is reasonable
to expect some increase in the acreage
over what was planted last year since
the area last year was abnormally
small. There is nothing dependable so
far indicating an excessive increase. II
is claimed, and is being repeated with
varying emphasis, that the cold wealth
er by killing small grain, and the dry
weather by preventing the planting and
termination of corn and other cereals,
would cause an extensive increase in
Continued on Page 3D.