Imperial Valley press., 1917-03-30
BY W. w. Morrison

by W. w. morrison
The prosperity of the cotton spin
ner vitality concerns the prosperity of
the cotton producer. Whatever is
harmful to one is harmful to the other.
A price for raw cotton that would not
allow healthy profit on the manu-
factured product would in the end
prove just as hurtful to the producer
as having to sell his cotton at, or
below, the cost of production.
While these facts have always been
recognized as more or less automatic,
such a statement as we make here
would have been regarded not so long
ago as merely academic and conven
tional. And this, to a large extent,
would have been true. 1t is not true
today. A great evolution has been
in ps~.ress and these axioms have
beeM -Eercising a practical and i'm
portsnt influence in the far-reaching
readjustment that has been going on in
the relations Of the cotton producer
to the cotton trade.
1t is perhaps we'll to state that
this readjustment so far has been
sound. Its most notable trend has
been to shift the price making basis
. from the cost of producing cotton to
. the cost of turning the cotton into
cloth. While this has been wholly
constructive as events have shown, it
has been no more constructive than
the growing realization on the part
of the producer that his welfare, in
the ultimate result, is intimately in
terwoven with that Of the spinner.
In recent years our representative
has had many frank interviews with
those who have to do with making
and marketing the cotton crops. What
he has seen of the general trend of
thought warrants these conclusions as
to this friendlier attitude of the pro-
ducer. The independence of spot cot
! ton and the frequent reference of late
to the profits of the manufacturer has
created the impression in many minds
that this new attitude Of the producers
was hostile to the spinning interest.
AS this impression is entirely erro-
neuos and is calculated to be entirely
harmful, it seemed well at this time
to refer to these matters at some
length.
1t is plainly to the interest of the
South to produce sufficient cotton to
keep the spindles of the world going
on full time, or as near the maximum
as possible. So long, of course, as
this is commensurate with keeping
cotton in the position of surplus
crop. AS long as cotton is in this DO.
sition there will be no danger of the
agricultural classes losing their eco
nomic freedom, even should the crops
be excessively large. Whenever it
ceases to be surplus, it is practical
ly certain that they will drift, back
into economic slavery. Of this, how
ever we have not the least fear
Hence any movement looking to small
Ter crops is to be regarded as dis
tinctly reactionary.
The momentous events in Russia
will profoundly affect mankind for
: many generations to come and can
be expected to make for an early
peace. They can be expected to mini
mize, too, the effects of war upon bus
mess should this country become in
volved. The Interpretation of the
! Adamson law seems also to definitely
+ remove condition that has long been
menace to American business. So,
upon the whole, we feel that the out
look has been decidedly improved du-
ring the week.
The economic position of raw cot
ton and the profits on the manufac-
tured product have for many months
steadily forecasted these strong ad
vances in the market. 1t is true that
over enthusiasm has led to situations
which have several times interrupted