Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1919-03-13
THE present GOT
TON SITUATION
A Suggested Program For.
Dealing With It

ticularly, wrought wonderfully well
during the war period. Large crops,
except cotton, have been made, par
ticularly food crops. The cotton crops
of the country for the four years Of
the war-1915 to 1s1S-were 11,7O0,.
600 bales, 11,302,00O. 11,450,0OO and
11,192,0O0, or an average of 11,411 900
bales, against the four pre-war crops
Of 1911-14 Of 1s.1s5,0o0, 14,156,OOO, 49,.
703,000, 15,693,000, or an average Of
14,922,000 bales, which is an average
Of 3,511,000 bales more annually prior
to, than during the war period.
The acreage Of last year was but
$4,000 less than for 1914 when the
bumper crop of 16,135,000 bales was
produced. The low production for
the past four years has been due
mainly to bad seasonal conditions in
Texas and Oklahoma. Good winter
rains already have been had in these
States, and with the same acreage as
in 1918, near 36,000,000-and good sea-
sons, a crop well nigh as large as our
largest can and likely would be made,
which is far beyond what there are
any reasons to think the world will
consume.
Big Crop, Low Price.
Our bumper cotton crop of 10000
600 bales in 1914 brought $500, 900 900
and our 11,5Oo,O0O bale crop of 1917
brought the South $500, 100000 or
twice as much as the bumper crop.
We know what this means-"big crop,
low price" Cotton at present prices
is at, If not below, the cost of produc-
ton, and not an inconsiderable num-
Der Of North Carolina farmers have
cotton of two years on hand.
1t would seem that the world needs
and will consume at cost of produc-
ton, plus fair profit, the small crop
Of 1918, especially as this is one of
four small crops in succession, the av-
erage for the four years being HAIL.
900 bales. or 100000 less for the
four year war period than for the
four year pre-war period.
To Make This Effective.
What can be done to make this ef-
fective?
1. A well-defined cooperative pro-
gram on the part of the banker. the
merchant and the farmer for holding
and selling should bring results.
2. Along with the movement to en-.
q 1o tho for tho r,arobopt ond ~ n
banker or whoever has cotton. to
hold It till the right time to sell, must
go program to house the staple.
8. What is perhaps more important
when measured in terms of its effect
upon the future Of our farming in
dustry. Is plan for preventing the
production of cotton crop this year
greater than the world will require. A
reduction in acreage of from one-tfth
to one-third has been suggested as
the method of doing this. This would
mean for North Carolina in round
numbers, million acres instead of a
million and half of cotton. This
would leave half million acres here
tofore devoted to cotton available for
food, feed and soil-improving crops.
Better Land for Cotton.
Cotton should likely, in most cases.
be put on the better land, including
some at least Of the land planted to
soil improving crops during the past
year. 1t should be fortified with the
x{avw ~ aaopo rnu an aa IN vroat ~
needs of the land thus used and the
crop. and increasing the acreage pro.
duction and reducing the cost so as to
meet the almost certain lower price
for cotton next fall.
4. Another matter of serious con.
Germ is the price of fertilizers. The
prices Of fertilizers are the highest
we have ever known. and while the
cotton grower cannot afford, II uossi.
BILE, to allow his acreage yields to
decline, fertilizers must he used, as to
quantity and kind, to best meet the
needs Of the soil and the crop.
Food and Feed Crops.
&. It will be easily agreed that all
reduction in cotton should 20 into
food and feed crops and pasture in
an effort to make all the food and
feed for the State on the farms of
the State, so as to save transportation
charges and intervening profits, to
make easy the holding Of cotton, to
bacco, peanuts and other money crops
and to encourage and support our
growing livestock industry-beef cat
tie, hogs, poultry, sheep and dairy
cows for the family COW, our diaries
and creameries and for our new
cheese industry-these. together with
our farm and townspeople and our an
imals, make a practically sure mar
ket at remunerative prices, for ain the
food and feed crops and roughage
that can b grown.
EatstiSd 10 Better Living Conditions
6. Finally. we must hsxe In mind
aG whole people readjustment Of
eur wage and living scale. We should
not waat to 90 back 10 the cid cen
ditions as regards these. Cotton, pea
nuts, tobacco and other meHey and
general crops in the whole South have
bssn produced with low-pricsd labor
with much child labor, unpaid OF
Il .rdnrnniH Thcan ornnW hava hna~