The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-07-05
Worldwide Efforts

4
CFrom Manufacturers Record, dunt
19, 1879
! Mr.. William Whittam Of New York
who Identities himself to the public as
to Great Britain for the United States
Bureau Of Foreign and Domestic
Commerce" III the Atlanta Constitu-
ton, the Baltimore Sun and other pa
pers refers 10 an address that was
made before the American Cotton
Manufacturers Association at Atlantic
! City by the editor Of the Manufac-
turers Record with the statement:
However, when the nestor OF
Southern industrial publicity becomes
SO slovenly vocal as to forget that
while democracy is always at the mer-
cy of the orator, business never is,
somebody ought to stop his harvesting
ideas from the weed bed OF delu-
sions''
1t is impossible for any ordinary
intelligent human being to extract
from that sentence even a modicum
of common sense. And as most Of
Mr. Whittam's statements i'll his crit
icisms of the discussion of fair prices
for cotton are in keeping with that
sentence, we are naturally moved 20
wonder what caused him to break
loose in this manner, and which par
ticular toe we stepped on when en-
deavoring to present to the cotton
manufacturers Of the South the rea-
%N, of q
cotton in the interest Of the grower,
Of the South, of the country, and Of
humanity
In that address the writer called at
tention to the efforts which had been
made for half century or more TO
break down the price of cotton, ana
stated that in 1904 Mr.. c. w. Macara,
president of the Federation of Master
Cotton Spinners Association OF Eng
land, cabled to all the leading cotton
manufa cturers' associations Of the
world, suggesting that they enter into
a plan for breaking down the price or
cotton.
Mr.. Whittam rushes to the defense
of Mr.. Macara ana says: NIAGARA is
one of the best friends the American
cotton planter ever had
If this be true, may heaven defend
the cotton planters from such frlenas.
Hcvever. the vigorous drubbing the
Manufacturers Record gave to Mr.
NIAGARA in 1904 when he issued that
statement may have converted him
from the error Of his ways by show
ing him the folly and wickedness of
his effort to combine the cotton spin
ners of the world in an unlawful con-
spiracy in restraint of trade to break
down the price of cotton to q starva-
ton basis for the growers. We hope
so, at least.
Mr. Whittam continues: Sir
Charles Macara has done more to
benefit the world cotton trade than
any man who has ever adorned the
industry in this generation" And IN
referring to the cable from Mr.. Ma
cara urging cotton manufacturers TO
unite in breaking down the price OF
cotton, he says that Mr.. Macara's sug-
gestion as to sfort-time working m
the worlds cotton mills was due to
the fact that the bulk Of the season S
crop had passed out Of the hands OF
the planters, and that the spinners
during that year paid some $50O,oOO,-
900 more for American cotton than
the Southern farmer received for it.
Mr.. Whittam seems to deal as
loosely with his figures as with his
other statements. The total value OF
the cotton crop of 1903-'Q4 was $617,-
500 600, as reported by official figures.
The average price of middling up
lands in New York for that year was
1912 cents per pound, and the crop
was 10,011,274 bales, and yet, accord
ing to Mr.. Whittam, the spinners PAID
$500, 100000 more than the farmers
got-a statement that is so absurd
as to be unworthy of publication by
anyone Some Spinners in this coun-
try and abroad were so determined to
break the price that they refused to
buy cotton until the price was at the
top notch; but that was their blunder
The claim, however, that they PAID
$500, 100000 more than the farmers
received is without the shadow Of ex-
cuse ALI spinners were not as short
sighted as Mr.. Macara, nor were all
of them guilty of trying to form
world combination to bear prices.
In defense of Mr.. Macara Mr.. Whit
tam quotes number of recent ar
ticles sby that gentleman. The writer
was quoting a specific statement made
py Mr. Cacara in 1904. In that state
ment he said:
ITO endeavor to secure' an interna-
tiona1 union of users of cotton is
work we'll worthy Of serious at
tempt, for no combination Of hold
ers of any raw material. can long
stand against a combination Of users
Of that raw material. In England
during the latter part Of last year,
when cornering or similar lines was
being carried on, the Federation of
Master Cotton Spinners' Association
attempted to run short time, thereby
reducing the demand for, cotton. The
result was that the prices eventually
fell, but fell not for England alone,
but for all users of cotton. This Fed
GRAFTON has always been active in deal