Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1918-11-20
COTTON SHORTAGE.
Mr.. D. r. Coker Discussed
Price of Cotton After Re-
turning From a Trip
To Europe,

ID. R. Coker, who has just returned
from two months trip to England
and France as member of an agri-
cultural commission sent by the secre-
tarS of agriculture, was in Columbia
yesterday, says The State of Friday.
In connection with the work of the
commission Mr.. Coker made some in
vestigations as to the cotton situa-
tion abroad, and got the opinion of
proninent European economists as to
| theworld's needs of cotton and other
textile fibers. The consensus of opin-
ion iwas that there is an accumulated
deficiency of all textile materials,
both raw and manufactured, in the
world.
Prof. John A. Todd of Nottingham
onesof the worlds famous experts in
cotton economics, thinks that crop
Of 16,OO0,OO0 bales of American cot
ton is needed this year.
The stock of the American cotton
at Liverpool the last of October was
listed at about 100000 bales. Mr.. Co.
ker was informed, however, that not
more than 10000 bales of this was
unsold. Buyers for English mills were
going over the Liverpool market and
buying desirable cotton wherever
they5could find it even in one to five
balesIots. Unsold stocks of American
cotton in England are practically
nothing, although English mills are
now using only 40 per cent as much
of our cotton as before the war.
Mr.. Coker believes that large
amount of American cotton should be
shipped abroad just as promptly as
the tonnage can be had. Much is now
needed to replenish foreign stocks,
more will be needed to supply spin
dies now idle which may be expected
|to start up in few months in the
iallied countries, and a foreign reserve
for sSn,pS export to Germany and
Austria as soon as our raw materials
are allowed to go into those countries
should be maintained.
Mr.. Coker feels that numbers of
unusual features have combined to
probably depress the price of cotton.
In the first place we have the earliest
crop ever known, and also the har-
vesting period has been absolutely
ideal. This has resulted in a very
much larger proportion of the crop
than ususal being ready for the mar
ket by November 1. The unfortunate
price fixing discussion in Washington
was another unsettling feature. 1t
caused wide fluctuations and heavy
losses to legitimate cotton interests.
During the past month the influenza
epidemic has shut down large num-
Der of mills and disorganized the cot
ton marketing machinery of the
south.
Mr. Cocker does not think it strange
that these cumulative influences
should have finally resulted in a hea-
Wy decline. He feels that there is on
ly one thing that will surely check
the decline and restore values and
that is concerted holding movement
by the actual owners of cotton. He
believes that in less than six months
there will be demand for large
quantities of cotton for the use of
new spindles in England and upon
the continent, and with this years
crop only approximately equal to the
worlds consumption, he does not see
where this cotton is to come from
without reducing the worlds visible
supplies to famine figures. Whatever
the immediate course of the market
may be he feels that there is but one
sound course for the cotton farmers
and that is to refuse to accept pres
ent prices.