Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-02-19
Diversification Only Common
Sense Policy, Wensel Tells
the Farmers in Cotton Fight

Theo. v. Wensel, president of Rum
BILE & Wensel, cotton fators of Natchez,
Miss, who has taken one of the lead
ing parts In the cotton holding acre
age reducing movements, has issued
another statement to the farmers of
the South, pointing out to them the
folly of planting big crop of cotton
this year and not raising food and feed
crops. He says
Every we'll posted cotton man
knows that cotton costs more to pro-
duce than the present market quota
| ton. Some authorities state that the
1918 cotton crop would be cheap at
Csc However this may be, the hold
ers of spot cotton should hold their
cotton until the demand for it will en-
able them to get back at least the
Greater part of the production cost.
England has just lifted the embargo
on cotton. France and Italy are eX-
pected to do so. The ocean freight
rates have just been reduced and the
export demand will develop imme-
| diately. 1t is expected that the peace
treaty will be signed soon-as early
as the first part of March. This be-
ing the case, the Central European
nations will be in the market for
large supplies of cotton. American
stocks will be the only available
source of supply. Cotton will never
again go down to its old levels. And
it never should, because the South
will not go back to the condition of
economic slavery that has existed for
generations. It's young men and wo-
men will leave the farm and go to the
i city unless farm life is made attractive
enough to hold them. This will not
happen unless the iaborer is paid the
hire ne is worthy of. Hold your cot
tom The banks and merchants can
easily finance it. There is more money
in Southern banks than ever before.
Do not be frightened by paper prices
achieved by bear spectators who are
selling short in the market Hold
your cotton and let the spinners pay
you at least what it costs to
produce"
1.-THE South is now IN a position
which might be called cotton poor;
that is to say, it has large stocks of
cotton on hand costing considerably
more than present market values to
produce and for which there is seem
ingly no demand except at these sac
rifce prices. Although there are
sound fundamental reasons why cot
ton should not be as low as the pres
ent market quotations, yet in order to
be in on the safe side it is a good
policy not to raise the usual crop of
cotton in 1919-then the world will be
sure to take the cotton it can get and
pay the Southern farmer a remuner-
ative price for raising it. Do not flood
ket will absorb. Any manufacturer
when he sees that he cannot sell the
stock of goods that he has on hand
Immediately curtails his production
Farmers are manufacturers and they
can apply the same principles on a
smaller scale. If in 1919 every farmer
will cut his normal cotton acreage by
one-third he will get more money for
his crop and get paid at least the
cost price for any 1918 cotton he might
have on hand, which is now quoted
below the cost of production.
Every one knows that small crop
years yield more money. In individ-
ual cases this might not be SO, be-
cause one farmer or one section of the
farming country or even whole state
might have ruinously short crop. In
this event they would have to suffer
while more fortunate individuals in
other sections would benefit. But as
a general rule when crop is short
everybody makes more money. 1t is
easy to see that ten bales of cotton
at $15e bale will yield more net
profit than twenty bales at SIS bale.
The total value is the same, but the
cost of handling, of making, of picking,
etc, is twice for twenty bales as it is
for ten. The same rule applies to all
crops. The slogan for 1919 should be,
Make a small crop and sell 1t for
more than it cost to raise" 1t is time
for the Southern farmer to quit do