The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-02-26
Tire gotton T rsde
Is Demoraliz|ed

Market Conditions and Ad-
vises Reduction of Acre
age.
Clemson College, Feb. 1a.-The fol
loving letter from Mr.: David Il. Co
ker, is self. explanatory and will b'
read .with interest and profit by al
who see it..
:. 81 note in your issue OF February
1st, you have. quoted the part OF ny
report as {: member Of the Agricul:
trual Commission. which. deals with
the cotton situation. That report
was written before the close OF The
war and represented my opinion OF
the situation as it then existed My
views of the ultimate situation are
still represented by that report, pu'
many temporary factors were
brought in blythe close OF nostlll'ics .ll
AID other causes; and. these-haVe so1
to be considered by the farmers In
forecasting the near future. Can
collation. eof war contracts, both here
and aSroad upset the whole spinning
industry and destroyed commence IA
the entire dry goods situation, and
the spinning and distribution Of cot
ton goods has net:s:yset gotten nacK
upon 4 normal basis Then, TOO,
labor troubles in England and de-
ii1or, lization on the continent OF
Europe CAS- well as Inadequate ocean
tonyaral has curtailed the expected
post24wars demand for cotton. 'Ine
influenza epidemic prevented the
prompt gathering of q large part OF
TIE cotton crop and this has. 'eddea
tremendously to the stock OF unde=
syirable low grades This large STOCK
Of sunnlerchantaile cotton has been
one of the principal reasons Cor the
depression In future contracts in
New ors and New orleans.
.,.r feel quite confident that the de-
ma,li FOR cotton IS going TO grad
" increase as legitimate trade con-
ditions are restored throughout the
world rand that as SOON as there is
.normal world demand for cotton
goods there will be- sale for: z very slc
large amount Of cotton at profitable
prices. It is Tneanwhdle, evident,
however, that the present crop pius
the surplus carried over. is going TO
be more than jHe world needs be-
fore the, newzcrop comes in and there ere.
is but one program Y by which the
farmer can protect himself and as
sure fair prices for the cotton he
now-hoFds and the crop II cts about
to raise. It S>ca1l be expressed IN q
short sentence. .eut cotton acreage
and raise more food -anlHfeed.
.If. the iii CURES for acreage = and
fertilizer consumption are very large
this spring, Z can see no hope that Ia
the southern farmer Will be able TO
sell his present holdings and new ',
crop for as much as it cost toepro-
duce, for it looks now as if the re-
covery Of world trade from the ef-.
fects or wac is going to be gradual. !.
ana that a very heavy world de-
ndand for cotton may be postponed
for year or more.
mere Is another thing every
farmer ought to do to protect his in.
teresfs. He shoud write our con-
gressss and senator's and insist
that something be done to force the
New York. and New Orleans cotton
furures markets to represent actual
values for nerchantabie cotton of
that they Be closed up. 1t is q self
evident proposition that no unmer-
grade or any commodity
Should be allowed to be delivered on
a. future contract for that. connod-
ity, for If this IS allowed the entire
stock OF such unrnercilantab grade;
no other market than futare
contract delivery. win eventually G,fd
its way to these markets and destroy
values completely. Germany and
Austria were formerly our principal
customers for low grade cotton slhd
there zis going to be no adequate
market for low grades until these
countries are again allowed to iin-
port. Cntil that time. not Il single
bale of low grade should be sold. L
rnitidling cotton, is made the lowest
grade deliverable on the New YORK
and New Orleans markets, I 1air1
satisfied we should see q big recov-
cry in values and We would have q
contract which both buyers and sci
lers could use. freely in hedging ops
erations to the great benefit OF ;rll
cotton interests"
NEGRO REGIMENT PARADE:s.
<.r..xI WV. x,,.x,..S.c,. Nfo,,cy, ~ Tcrtru-