Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1917-01-12
Cotton: Americas Neglected Opportunity
George Hahn in New York Mail.

| One of the abnormal features of
| the cotton situation has been that
| despite tine nearness OF American
mills to the cotton fields and the
handicaps under which foreign man
ufacturers have labored owing to
higher freight charges, the American
manufacturers have required a pro-
tective tariff against the importation
Of cotton goods made in foreign coun-
tries out of American cotton. The
basis of this claim for protection has
been that the labor of the foreign
mills was so cheap that it more than
offset the freight and other differ
ences and that the cotton industry
could no. be maintained in this coun-
try witt, its higher-priced labor with
cut a tariff.
Various men in the cotton trade
have cCmbatted this idea. Among
them was Lewis w. Parker, head OF
the Parker Cotton Corporation. the
largest combination of cotton mills
in America. He wrote the cotton
schedules of the Underwood tariff,
and by so doing earned the enmity OF
many cotton spinners and financial
concerns interested in cotton manu-
featuring. This enmity is said to
have been carried to the point that
when, following the collapse in cot
ton values in 1914 owing to the war.
his corporation was in money straits
he was refused financial aid and had
to put his properties in bankruptcy.
He died within the last year. a COM
paratively young man. and it is a
FASTENED bv his worries over this dis
aster.
Mr.. Parker had a vision and
courage greater than the average
cotton manufacturer. He sought to
develop a foreign market for Ameri-
can made cotton goods.
Usually the American manufacture
er gave attention to the foreign
market only in periods OF depression
in America When prosperity return
ed to America and the domestic trade
revived the foreign trade was aban-
Goned.
There is a story told in the cotton
trade of an American manufacturer
sending agents abroad in period OF
depression and Of one of these agents
developing in one Of the out-of-the-
wav spots of the earth-Abyssinia-
orders sufficient to keep that mill
working to capacity throughout tbs
year. The orders were filled for
time, but Abyssinia was left to Shift
for itself when the more profitable
domestic trade revived
The Steel corporation developed
foreign market as safeguard ana
has maintained it regardless of how
great the local demand might be.
/ That is the sound and sensible course
to pursue.
| It has been commended that protec-
ton of the textile industry OF Ameri-
ca has been abused that it has tenG-
ed to dull enterprise and initiative;
that manufacturers have not kept
abreast of the progress in the in
Custry in other lands, because they
did not have the spur of necessity.
In this connection statement
made by Mr.. Redfeld, now secretary
+! of commerce, when he was a mem
| Der of congress, is quoted. He told
of one of the cotton mills in New
England being equipped with machln-
erv a considerable part of which wal
made by concern that had gone out
OF business quarter of century
ago. The age of the machinery could
not be determined definitely, but the
impression conveyed by Mr.. Redfeld's
declaration was that New England
J mills would not need protection II
they brought their properties up to
Gate. and that they were content to
he antiquated so long as it was profit
able, with the assistance of the tarlff.
The war has created new conditions
and new opportunities. During the
war America has had chance to en-
ter foreign fields which previously
were closed 70 it. Whatever the
shortcomings, the animoslties. the
chickering's of old were. over tariff or
others matters, they must be relegat-
ed to the past. The wage question
takes on new phase now. 1t is pos
sible that some of the European ma
tons. and not America will be urging
protective tariffs for labor. The war
| mas revolutiOnized the labor situation.
The financial center of the world
has shifted from Europe to the Unit
ed States. The textile industry no
longer can plead poverty. There have
been immense profits in the business
in the last year. Mills have been able
to command any price they chose to
charge.
Their prosperity will avail little if
they do not use it as means to bulld
I'm trade on a broader sounder, more
comprehensive basis than formerly.
America never will get its just protlt
out of its cotton crop until the bulk
of the cotton is spun into goods IN
American mills and a goodly share
sold in the market of the world TO
the profit of all America.
This is not the concern of the cot
ton manufacturers alone, but of all
the people. No branch of industry
! can profit without all sections of the
nation bcnefit!ns, and no industry can
fail to take advantage of its full OPP
| nort,,nities without the whole nation