The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-05-18
COTTON EXPERT
 GIVES EXHAUSTIVE VIEWS ON GENERAL
 CROP SITUATION
w. w. Morrison Says Amer ica Is Ready and Willing to Pay the Price to Win the War
FOOD SUPPLY AMPLE NOW AND BIG CROPS
 SEEM WELL ASSURED

to do a Big Mans Part
 in the Present National
 Crisis
 w. W. Morrison, special representative of Hermann & Wolf, one of the largest and most widely known cotton firms or New Orleans, is in Birmingham for a few days. looking over conditions in this dis trict. having toured south Alabama just prior to visiting Birmingham. MT. Nor rison makes a speciality of crop surveys, and in view of the economical problem that now confronts the south on account of the war crisis, has made an exhaus- tive study of cotton and food problems. His opinion is that the south will take care of herself at the proper time ana that the opinion of those to the contrary will be proven a fallacy when the har vest time rolls around.
 In discussing the conditions as revealed by wide investigation and thorough an alysis of the existing facts, MT. Morri- son said:
 READY TO PAY PRICE
 q find everywhere the attitude of the people toward the war situation most reassurng. Those differences of one Klnd or another, which, more or less, divide communities in normal times, completely disappear wherever the interests of the country is involved. Pretty much every c1it1a np thing to patriotic obligation, some or course, are complaining about the war taxes, but they are only an unlmportant minority I am sure that the great body of the people are ready to pay whatever price it takes to win the war Ihis pa triotic spirit is rather definitely snown Tn the response that has been made 10 the governments request to increase 1000 crops and to avoid waste. Thousands of people in every part of the country are growing some sort of food crop and economizing, solely because they feel that they owe it to the government in the present emergency. They are cef- tainly under no necessity to do such thing This prompt and practically unl- yersal assumption of a mental attitude so sound and so obviously demanded by the eMgencies of the times, will add enormously to the effectiveness Of the nation and prophecies the success of the great undertaking just ahead
 FOOD SITUATION
 ..The food situation has been drama tized, so to speak, by a deal of indiscreet discussion, until the public has become, more or less, hysterical over the matter. The high prices are due to this hysteria in some measure, but in greater de- gree to boarding and to other interrup- tions of the normal processes through which food products move to the ulti- mate consumer and not to any real scarcity in the supply. This is practi- cally confirmed by the records which show that there is really surplus of some of the staple products which have been, and are still, sensationally high. It Is fairly certain that this can be quickly remedied by the government con- trolling prices, and this will likely be done. In fact, the control of the price of all staples, both manufactured and agricultural, including cotton, for the duration of the war seem wise. It is
  continuous repose of business and of the public mind so necessary to the na- tion putting forth it's greatest power in the present crisis. Business men, espe- cially those engaged in the business or growing cotton, have nothing to Tear from the regula tion of prices, since 1t is the declared policy of the government to allow reasonable profit all business.
 SOUTH WELL PREPARED
 .'The south is well prepared for the war from an economic standpoint l know the opinion is current that the southern states are likely to be burden on the balance of the country during the war, so far as food supplies are con cerned With the exception possibly of a relatively small part of the cotton belt in the Atlantic states, this is entirely misleading Had the war come two de- cades ago, the south may have been something of burden i'll the sense named For at that time perhaps so per cent of the prime necessities consumed were shipped in from other sections To- day just the reverse is true. The larger part of this 80 per cent. instead of being a tax has in recent years, really be- come d profit. For the south, with the unimportant exception named, is regu- larly shipping out a heavy tonnage of staple products to other parts of the V. loads going out of high grade live stock alone This live stock is -bringing price equal to the best in the big mar kets, and, I believe. the returns from these shipments of live stock even would go long ways toward paying the food bills of the cotton producing section. In addition to all this, we contribute enor- nous quantities of coal. iron, oil, sul- phur and other minerals of the greatest value to the country, especially under ex- isting conditions. Then there is cotton! Immensely potential in peace as well as in war. No. the south is certainly not a burden. nor will 1t likely be at any time On the contrary. 1t is doing a mans part and big mans part, too. in giving backbone to the nation in the big business just ahead
 ADJUSTMENT OF NATION
 "It is obvious that the war will make necessary a far reaching readjustment of the life of the nation. particularly, its economic and business life. Business men. however, are expecting this and are as consequence carefully digesting all undertakings before any important steps are taken Hence, 1t seems reasonable that this readjustment will not be so re- actionary as it may appear on the sur' 1 txoIs l~k