Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-02-22
Friday, February ~, 1913.

have TO pay the losses. Cotton Is not
as high as the other articles. II Is
the cry Of the busted gambler seeking
10 evade the results OF his own cupid
ity and recklessness."
| asked him what he wanted the
government to do. He replied:
1t let cotton alone in 1914 and We
lost $40O, ,O00, 900. | want II let alone
now. want this 00.000.000 back,
with compound interest. l also want
some mental anguish damages and
the financial scalp Of every one OF the
buccaneers OF 1914
What do you think OF the prices
next fall? He said:
Here is the situation. the hig spot
houses are buying on every decline
at constantly advancing prices. They
are doing this because they see In
1917 on the largest acreage ever
planted q crop OF IA million bales
under the average for the five years
preceding the war. They correctly In
terpret this to mean that until normal
conditions return the cotton crop must
steadily grow smaller. The consump-
tion OF cotton Is less in Europe than
before the war. but II Is not because
Of the price, they cannot get the raw
material on account OF war conditions.
this Is At the expense OF stocks and
goods. The Central Powers. were the
war To end at once. would consume
ten millions bales in the next year II
they could get II regardless OF price.
Consumption in France and Belgium
may be less on account OF the destruc-
tion OF mills and the removal OF ma
chinery. This machinery. however. is
In Germany and the Germans and Eng
lish mills will consume enough To
atone for the decrease in France and
Belgium England Is bare TO raw ma
terial and the goods are consumed rs
fast as they can be made. ! regard
the statement in certail Wall Street
journals about the decrease OF con-
sumption TO come from the stoppaS"
of war orders as rot. emanating from
the same source that was giving out
fourteen million-ba crops estimated
last fall.
From this small crop considerable
amount OF cotton. which Is more than
half rotten, Is now in the fields. La
bor and fertilizer conditions will fur
thcr curtail the crop In 1918. The
necessity for food crops is the most
important factor in production. Heat
less Mondays are powerful object
lesson and has made us realize the
seriousness OF the situation: the re-
striction about the purchase OF -four
and other food Is giving the all-cot-
ton farmer real shock. These are
better educators than tons Of litcra-
ture. In 1918 the south will be NOR"
nearly self supporting than ever In her
history.
II feel that | dare not depend on
western meat. flour. hay and corn.
am planting wheat, hay. corn and
raising hogs with view TO supply
for both man and beast on my planta-
tion. II is the first time that I have
ever done this. II will take nj least
One-half OF my cotton land, but | am
afraid not to do so. This feeling Is
growing and II the government takes
another turn OF the screws II would
not surprise me by 1920. instead OF
food campaigns, to see one urging us
to plant cotton. | feel responsible for
the ignorant people on my land and
II Is my duty TO see that they are fed.
When you can't buy food OF what use
In money? Increased food production
Is necessary at the expense OF cotton
production. which IL now dangerously
low. regard The Manufacturers
Record. OF Baltimore. an the ablest and
most conservative publication OF itS
character In the United States and
would like to read you an extract from
ii. In a recent issue il loudly calls
attention TO the fact that We are
confronted with cotton famine. II
says: While everything that can be
done TO increase food production must
be done. we should not lose sight OF
the fact that cotton is essential To
civilization: II IL absolutely necessary
for clothing. for tenting and a thou
sand and one things for which there
IL no substitute available. Another
small crop would he q world disaster.
and yet II will be very difficult for the
south TO plant. cultivate and pick "a
larger crop than the average OF the
last two years
Senator, what would be the effect
of fixing the price Of cotton? He re-
"WeII that depends on what price
Is fixed. II the maximum was too low
As compared with other standard ar
.icles 1t would defeat the very object
II had in view and precipitate a cot
ton famine, and within five years cot
ton will 20 higher than II will ever
go naturally. | think that cotton.
considering the small crop and the ex-
pense attached. ought to he forty cents
pound now. II we are forced to go
into food production | believe we can
beat the west in raising hogs and
corn. ] want to say this In conclu-
sion. that have no use for any man
who, in an effort to force price fixing
sneers at the patriotism of the SOUTH
II IL nothing but justice that we
should make enough profit to reim-
burse US for the losses between 1911
1916. The cotton planters were practi-
cally bankrupt at the beginning OF
1916. / have as good land az there
Is In the world and | lost money every
year during the period named. II
would take five years at the present
profit for me to get even. II is natural
that should want to sop the gravy
until my jaws are greasy. ! have
been smelling the gravy seven years.
while others that had no part in fry
ing out the fat revelled in It's rich
ness. | think this Is about the way
the south feels"