Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-02-25
deserve any more than they will get.


cost Of producing the present cotton
crop was close to thirty cents pound.
That is what the spinners told the war
industries board in connection with the
fixing of the price the government was
to pay for the products Of the spin
ners and 1t Is not far from right. NO
one has ever tried to dispute that the
producer is justly entitled to cost and
a reasonable profit, for to dispute such
a proposition would be absurd.
Thirteen million bales Of cotton at 36
cents a pound would amount to $2,-
|275,700, 900, which would mean prof,
it Of 1926, 100000; but 100000 bales
at 20 cents a pound would come to
only $1,000, OO0,OO which would mean
a net loss to the south Of $66,000,000.
Now up to this time the south has
received IS cents for very small per
cent of its cotton, and a great deal Of
the cotton has already been sold for
less than 80 cents; but assuming that
the farmers still have 100000 bales
on hand, the fight now is over the
question as to whether the. people Of
this section will stand out for legiti-
mate profit of say s150,000.0 900, or al
low themselves to be robbed Of sum
which bused upon present quotations
would amount to 100000 under
the actual cost Of production, and
amounting to $450,000,o00 less than
they are entitled to.
AS simply as we can explain 1t, here
is the situation. With the close Of the
war, the whole world outside Of the
south, began a raid after property Of
the southern farmer. 1t Is clear that
for each cent per pound out of which
the farmer can be beaten, the pirates
outside get $30,O0O,0O0,- and that is
enough to tempt these pirates to the
very considerable effort they are MAX
ing.
If the farmer had more cotton than
the world needed, he would be In a
bad way; but as matters stand now, 1t
is universally recognized that he has
not nearly as much cotton as the world
is absolutely obliged to have, and from
that standpoint his position Is abso-
lutely impregnable.
AS illustrating how the fight Is UP to
the farmer and the farmer alone, 1t Is
not different to explain how, If the farm
er should sell all of the cotton he has
at / cent a pound the ultimate user
would have to pay charge of not less
than 35 cents a pound, assumed to
have been allowed as the cost Of the
raw cotton. This difference will go to
the spectators, the spinners, the
brokers and the others just the same
and the only losers would be the peo-
pie who produced the raw cotton and
the people who use the manufactured
product.
Another thing. Note that while the
world is now hungrier for cotton than
for any other product Of human indus
try, not excepting food, the only in
dustrial stagnation to be found any
where at this time, especially in Amer
lea, is in cotton manufacturing.
All the existing conditions go to
show a worldwide conspiracy to prize
the raw cotton out Of the hands OF the
farmer at as much below the cost OF
production as possible in order that
the difference may be divided among
the different interests that are associ-
ated in the effort to pull off the job.
The only means the farmer has OF
defending predicting, and getting the
benefit of his own is to hold on to his
cotton until the hungry world forces
the issue against the pirates, and In
the meantime resolutely refuse to in
crease the present supply to point
that will put the whole situation IN the
hands of those who are trying to take
his property.
With the farmer it is fight
strike. IL you will, and the stake Is not
less than $3.50, 100000 this year, with
other hundreds Of millions in years 10
come.