The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1919-07-24
SAYS POUND COTTON
WORTH IS TO 75 CENTS.
Says Spinners Will Soon BE Glad to
Get Cotton at Any Price.

Columbia, July 1S-In statement
issued by j. Skottowe Wannamaker
president of the American Cotton As
sociation, declared that he had re-
Gently laid before the largest manu-
facturers of America and largest dry
goods houses and best experts of
America the question. What is a
pound of middling cotton worth, bas-
ed on the price of the manufactured
product today, after deducting the
price for manufacturing and fair
profit to the manufacturer? Mr..
Wannamaker says in his statement,
their answer to this inquiry is that
it is worth from 65 to rs cents per
pound basis middling."
Mr.. Wannamaker further declared
in his statement that, based on
supply and demand the world is fac
ing the greatest shortage in raw cot
ton it has ever faced since cotton
was first introduced into America.
am firmly of the opinion that the
New England and English spinners
are terribly uneasy on account of the
tremendous advantages which the
American Cotton Association is bring
ing to the entire cotton interests"
said Mr.. Wannamaker. "They are ter
ribly uneasy on account of the fact
that they realize the world is facing
a great shortage; that the producer
will never again operate his farm ex-
cept upon a business basis and will
not overproduce.
Before this time next year the
spinners will be glad to buy cotton
at any price. If their spirit and lib
erality is such as many of their
friends claim, they have a golden op-
portunity to prove this now by pay
ing a fair, just price for cotton based
On the manufactured product, which
would be 65 to rs cents per pound
basis middling, instead of continuing
to buy at present prices based on the
manipulated prices Of the New York
Cotton Exchange. The price being
paid at present is absolutely unfair.
Letter from Senator Smith.
Mr.. Wannamaker yesterday re-
ceived the following letter from Uni
ted States Senator E. D. Smith, COM
mending his recent article on supply
and demand.
II want to congratulate you on fol-
lowing up by actual States the tre-
mendous shortage in the supply Of
cotton as compared with demand, a
careful study of war conditions, pre-
war conditions and now postwar
conditions will be wonderfully in
structive to our farmers and to the
world at large. The world consumed
practically fifteen million bales of
American cotton while the embargo
was on the Central Powers and while
we were still at war. American con-
sumption rose from about five mil
lions to seven millions, now with all
embargoes lifted and with the supply
of cotton goods necessarily depleted
the world over, just what price cot
ton is going to is hard to say. The
supply of cotton goods throughout
the world is depleted from two tre-
mendous and far-reaching causes:
The drafting of operatives and labor
from mills, the decentralization Of
business and then the total made
quate supply of the raw material.
Now that employment is being sought
by those released from military duty
and the world is clamoring for cotton
goods, and no embargoes, prohibi-
tions or restrictions exist and the sup
ply so manifestly short it is only a
question of what the world is willing
to pay or rather can pay. The out
look, from all 1 can gather, is far
perhaps a shorter crop than even last
year.
1 hope in the near future to give
out an interview On this cotton ques-
ton that will be of aid in the fight