The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1919-12-11
SAYS COTTON CROP
BELOW 100000
CLAIMS TRiUE
DEMANDS 15,OOO,OO0.
Growers Assured of Share of Profits,
Says Cotton Association
President.

j. Skottowe Wannamaker, presi
dent of the American Cotton associa
ton, last night issued statement il
which he says the indicated y;elC
from the present cotton crop will |
9,667,000 bales. When to this is ad.
lded the cotton brought over in tbs
seed from last year, cotton f..l
samples, undersized bales and
CROP" the total yield should be TO-
10000 exclusive of linters. The .Ul
lowing is the crop estimate, supple
mented by discussion Of the labor
situation and the cost OF production
"The cotton crop has been corner,
ed by natural forces. The crop is fan
too small for the worlds require.
ments. Our Investigations, both a,
home and abroad, show that it vii
require an American crop of 15,000,-
600 bales from the present crop tc
anything like meet the absolutely
pressing demand for raw cotton. The
manufacturer could pay far higher
prices for the raw material without
increasing the price of the manufac-
tured product, and sti1 make hand
some profit. The Southern cotton pro-
ducer has the cotton consuming world
absolutely at its feet for the first
time in the history of the trade. There
is such colossal demand for goods
and such an inadequate supply o.
raw cotton, and the market is so enor-
mously over sold in both long g.
short staple cotton, that it will be abb
solutely and entirely impossible to
fill these commitments regardless OF
the price offered for the raw mater
ial. A similar condition has never ex.
listed in the cotton industry. The enor
nous profits being made, by spinners
and manufacturers, the tremendous
number of orders clamoring for cX
ecution. both at home and overs oas,
will add TO the acuteness of the sit
uation. Far higher prices under these
conditions are an inevitable certainty
The supply of good grade cotton L:
unthinkably short and is bound I
force an enormous premium for GOO
grade cotton and to raise the price
far higher for off grade.
Indicated Yield.
Investigations into the remotest
rural districts of the cotton bel
bring to light the fact that the gin
ming of the growing crop is moro
nearly completed than at the same
time at any period in the industry
There was an enormous amount
seed cotton brought over from 10
which will be added to the indicated
yield of the present crop. The II
Gated yield from the growing crop
we find to be 9,667,000. To this must
be added cotton brought over in the
seed from 1918, cotton from samples.
undersized bales and city crop, max
ing a total yield of 10, ,120, 600 bales,
exclusive of linters.
Labor shortage is more acute thar
it was in the spring of 1919, and il
was necessary to abandon an enor-
nous amount of acreage for this rea-
son, so that there is no possibility un-
der present conditions, to cultivate
an acreage for the coming year ever
as large as the acreage planted TO
this year. On account of adverse sea-
sons there will be an enormous scar
city of planting seed throughout the
Western belt.
Cost of Production.
while the present crop has been
the most costly ever produced, l9'
will show far higher cost. A syste-
matte campaign is now on throughcr
the length and breadth of the cotton
belt which is meeting with ready re
sponse for the producer to buy Octo'
Der cotton in New York at present
prices, which are far below the
of production, and planting his land
in food and feed crops, which can
produced with less labor. This in it
self will make an enormous reduc-
tion in yield for 1920, and increase
the demand. AS result Of the cam
paign conducted in every section of
the cotton belt there is absolutely no
such thing as invisible cotton exist
ing today. The previous demands
have added this source to draw from
Under these conditions with a de-
mand far in excess of the supply,
with a natural corner in the cotton
crop, the price of the manufactured
product, far higher prices should pre-
vail for raw cotton and such higher
prices are absolutely certain under
these conditions.
"The producer, being thoroughly
organized through the American Cot
ton association, absolutely controls
the raw cotton. 1t will be necessary
to pay him fair profit, based upon
supply and demand, the cost of pro-
duction, and the price being paid for
the manufactured product"
New ENTERPRISE for Dillon.