New-York tribune., 1918-02-09
May Prove Cotton Cost
On Planters Behalf
Necessary, New Orleans Man
Says, to Offset Price-Fixing
Propa9anda Here

For some time a propaganda has
been promoted with the evident pur-
pose of having the government fix
maximum price on cotton. Eighteen
cents has been advocated. 1t has been
mostly confined to some cotton future
brokers in New York, w. w. Morrison,
Of New Orleans, asserts in "The Manu-
facturers' Record" to some manufact-
urers scattered about the country, and
to some newspapers in both New York
and in the New England States. The
vlndictive spirit manifested by many
of these propagandists has changed
what would have been most useful
discussion Of an economic question
into most harmful sectional issue.
The Southern people should chal-
lenge this propaganda. Southern Con-
gressmen should see to it that Con-
gress investigate the whole matter
The profits of the spinning industry
should be rrobed to the bottom and the
cost Of growing cotton should be
probed to the bottom. The investiga-
ton should seek to find also the rela-
ton between the cost of other staple
products and the prices at which these
products arc selling. In other words,
an authoritative basis should be estab-
for determining just in what
staples, if any at all, rrofiteering has
appeared.
AS it concerns cotton, such an in
vestigation, by officially settling the
questions raised by these propagan-
dists, would neutralize the really dan
gerous influence they are having upon
very large section Of the uninformed
public through the wild statements
that many of them have been making.
1T would have been much better for
every interest concerned if this had
been done long ago. Early last spring
the writer advocated an official in
vestigation of the kind when it became
evident that this vindctive spirit re-
ferred to would lead to a bitter sec
tlonal issue. BY all means let US have
an investigation and settle this ques-
ton by getting at the real facts.
There is really nothing new about
giving the President authority to fix
the price of domestic products. This
has been expected all along Having
the authority, however, does not mean
that it will be used, nor does the fixing
of the price of other products neces-
sarily mean that the price of cotton
VIII be flxed also. The probability is
that it will not be. The fact is no
product is likely to be interfered with
war. In that case cotton and every
other product should be regulated, and
we are perfectly confident that such a
course would meet with the unqualified
approval of the Southern people.
In dealing with cotton it is prac-
tically certain that the government
will consider the economic efficiency of
the nation after the war comes to a
close. as we'll as it's military efficiency
while the war is going on. 1t is clear
that this can only be met by keeping
up. sufficient supply Of cotton, not
only to meet military requirements.
but to keep American mills constantly
in position to supply every demand
made upon them during the war, espe-
cially every foreign demand. 1t is
obvious that this is the best, and in
deed the only, adequate preparation
that can be made against the strenu-
Gus competition which peace is certain
to bring. 1t is significant that through.
out the war England has carefully
fOStered her trade in cotton cloth