Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-02-25
The Assault on Cotton.

1t is of course recognized among
those who would break the price Of
raw cotton at this juncture that as a
part Of the operation it Is necessary to
break the price Of cotton goods, espe-
cially to the American consumer.
Following the legitimate channels
Of trade, the price Of cotton goods Is
presumably contingent to greater or
less extent on the price Of raw cotton,
and the price Of raw cotton is also con-
tingent upon the price Of cotton goods
This, understand, Is following the
line of legitimate and natural relations.
From the gin the cotton goes to the
cotton factor or to the mill through the
local buyer, paying as it goes all the
expenses along the line.
From the cotton manufacturer the
cotton goes to the wholesaler, some
times straight, but most generally
through various Intermediates, and
from the wholesaler to the retailer,
through other intermediates.
To the manufactured goods in the
hands of the retailer is added all the
costs that have been incurred in pro-
duction, ginning, handling, manufac-
turing and selling and of course these
costs are numerous and heavy.
The main object ofithe great battle
now on is to reduce the price of raw
material to the pre-war basis, and the
reason underlying that object is of tre-
mendous and far-reaching conse-
quence.
For instance, for each million that
can be taken away from the south
and distributed in other parts Of the
country, other parts of the country are
lust that much richer and the south
Just that much poorer. while for each
million that can be held in the south
the south is just that much richer and
its economic independence of the bal
ance of the country is just that much
more pronounced.
The preponderance Of the wealth
and power Of this country-these Unit
ed States-are now concentrated In the
northern states, and broadly speaking
the main present and future objects OF
these northern states are to hold on
to and increase those advantages.
That the south produces the bulk OF
the wealth Of this country there Is no
question; but suppose the south should
acquire financial power in proportion
to the wealth it produces, imagine how
the north would fare and feel with
present conditions reversed, as rightly
and properly they should be.
Unless the financial captains of the
north can reduce the price Of the pres
ent cotton crop far below the cost Of
production, the south will be in Won
derfully fair way to come to its own.
This fact has much to do with the
present onslaught against the price of
raw cotton.
This explains in large measure why
the big northern wholesalers Of cotton
goods are now offering those goods at
a less price than that at which for the
moment they can be replaced.
One man who is now standing out
against the big wholesaler Is he little
retailer. He has stocks VI cotton goods
that he bought at war prices and al
though he can now buy the same goods
at greatly reduced prices, he Is un-
willing as yet to take more goods at
less prices until he can get rid OF what
he still has on hand, and for which he
paid the old prices. The wholesaler is
urging him to buy at 15 cents more
of the same goods he already has on
hand at a cost of 20 cents, and save
himself from heavier loss by calling
the average II 1-2 but as yet he has
not been willing to bring himself to
that to any considerable extent
The spinner cannot sell anything
much right now, because the whole
saler won't buy; but the spinner must
60 on spinning his cotton and storing
It. because, in the first place, there Is
no way of realizing as much on his
cotton as he paid for it, and in the Sec
ond place he must keep his organiza-
ton together as long as possible
against a return to better times.
1t is the wholesaler who Is pressing
hardest for reduced prices at more or
less direct loss to himself; but with
certainty of ultimate advantage in case
he succeeds in his present aims.
On the other hand everything de-
pends on the will and ability of the
farmer to hold, because since the peo-
pie must eventually have cotton, II the
farmer can hold the wholesaler will be
compelled to surrender.