The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-09-21
NEW YORK COTTON MARKET.
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How Much Per Pound Did it Cost to
Raise This Cotton?
Especial to Dallas News. }

Coleman, Texas, Sept 9.--We have,
for the last year. gone through one or
the severest drouths ever known in
this part Of the country. For many
years Coleman county has held her
own, as q farming and stock raising
county; in fact, this county has com
pared favorably with the best farming
belt of Texas. Where, as rule, many
hundreds Of thousand bushels OF
grain are thrashed, not one bushei
has been thrashed this year. The same
may be said of cotton. The county
has produced as high as $4,000 bales
of cotton in one year, but in all prob
ability l0C bales Will cover the pro-
duct for this year. Some rains have
fallen in spots but a general soaking
IS necessary, so that farmers can SOW
their fall grain. The county is prac-
tically rid Of all live stock, which had
to be moved for pasturage or ship
ped to market. WHAT few, stock are
left are dependent on fall oats and
wheat grazing for pasturage.
We would like TO call the atten-
ton of Mr.. Barney Baruch OF the
War Purchasing Board to the above
and ask him if he feels like price
should be fixed Oh the above cotton
in order to prevent the producers OF
same from getting too much for it.
This county is only fair sample OF
an area nearly as large a. the State OF |
every bale of cotton grown has COS:
the producers $40 per pound to. pro-
duce it.
We shall go further. If the entire
crop of the South of the 1918 planting
is sold at 100000 per bale, including
seed (and much Of it will bring high
er prices), and each farmer was PAID !
$500 per acre rent for the land, rent |.
for his teams, pay for himself, wife
and children at the same wages pait
unskilled labor in any Northern city
have produced it. t
In the face Of this appalling fact,
we have men in Congress and in the
department like Mr.. Baruch seeking I
to limit the meager profits coming to
those who have toiled in the cotton
fields this year, when only 25 per cent
of that product is used in this coun- /
try. Isn't it amazing that any class I
of people should be SO short-sighteGS4iI> 81
as to want to rob the cotton planter.
or at least limit his niggardly profits
to build up and enrich foreign coun-
tries, who buy our cotton, say at 30c
per pound and sell it back in thread
or mercerized cotton goods, ETC., ar
$500 per pound? Then, too, don't
overlook the heart-breaking years IN
which the cotton planters OF the
South took 4c to SC for their cotton.
We are quite sure that those whe
seek to lin,i; the price of that which |
costs so 72".iy to propagate have moi /
we'll considered this question. The /
cotton States Of America must be de-
pended on to c]othe the world, an" |
for all exports Of cotton we draw golG |
from all the world and keep the bal I
ances of trade in our favor. That
balance will shrink or expand as the |
price of cotton shrinks or expands /
Do we want to keep that balance
healthy and the cotton growers hap
py and prosperous, Or do we want TO {
stabilize cotton prices. impoverlsh the /
producer and make the fortune OF .
alien spinners?
Ponder this question seriously.