The Prescott daily news., 1919-10-14
MUST HAVE MORE
 COTTON PRODUCED
J. A. Todd Declares it Would be Calamity" to Further Re- duce Acreage Wannamaker Says Better Prices Needed.

Says Better Prices Needed.
 New Orleans, Oct. 13.-Declaratio by John A. Todd, professor of eco monies and Oxford lecturer, that fur ther restriction of cotton acreage in the United States would be nothing short of a calamity" and demand that cotton consumers pay enough to make cotton as profitable as other crops,' by J. Skottowe Wannamaker, of St. Matthews, S. C., president of the American Cotton Association, fea- tured the second general session here. late today of delegates to the world cotton cnoference.
 MT. Todd's declaration was made in the cours eof an address in which he presented figures showing future needs of the world for cotton, past crops and the present prospects.
 "The worlds requirements" said MT. Todd, "are practically unlimited. Europe and Asia are bare of cotton goods. The position today is the same as before the war, only worse. The world wants more cotton than it is getting and must have it. The more financially embarrassed the people of the world are the more cotton they will use. In America an increased acreage is improbable, the boil weeyil and scarcity of labor are serious handicapps. The only solution here is an increased yield per acre The aver age cotton yield. in the south to say the least is discreditable. More cot ton is wasted annually in America than it has been possible to raise in Africa outside of Egypt.
 Further restriction of cotton acre age in America would be nothing short of calamity. There now is and always will be "a demand for all the cotton that can be raised any, where. There is no need to restrict the supply, but rather it should be increased. ,ss ga
 "Of course the first necessity is to assure the planter a reasonably re- r1unerative price. Despite the great increase in the cost of cotton today, it is still. one of the cheapest products, it has not increased in proportion to other other irrioda;;ttiiss' irrioda;;ttiisss.' 7 = ass'sl. MT. Wannamaker prefaced his ad- dress with the declaration that cotton has been curse to the southern states. .H
 "f it had not been for the raising of cotton in the south this section would have been thickly settled with whites and there would not be the great percentage of illiterates in the rural communities, he declared. Got ton brought slavery, resulting in the war between the states followed by the terrible days of reconstruction, bankruptcy, and poverty. Cotton has enriched every land where it has been used commercially, it has blessed man kind everywhere the sun shines but. the south; it has been curse. Cotton is why there are white women and little children working in the fields
 "There won't be an increased acre. age of cotton until price is paid for the product which will justify it's be- ing raised by we'll paid man labor. It must be price which will bring our southern negroes back to the cotton fields. The price must enable the sone horse' farmer to make more than bare living. The men returning from war, white and black, do not have any intention of going to the cotton fields again; they know better.
 "But if this conference adjourns without taking steps to increase the yield per acre it is lodging the issue. There will not be any increased acre. ages but there must be an increased yield and the price must take care of the gamblers chance the grower has to take.''