The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-09
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ATION
Blu REAU
FREDERIC J. AAsKIN. Director.
wazhinsten. q. C I
THE CASE OF COTTON.

Washington, D. c., Jan. 6.-The
world rarely, if ever, produces as
much cotton as it needs. and now,
with the Russian crop somewhere
around the zero mark, the Indian
crop smaller than usual, and the
United States crop depleted by the
summer drought. there is distinct
ly-outlined cotton situation.
The extent of the shortage in the
United States crop is shown by the
fact that 5000, 600 bales were count
ed upon and only 11,700,oOo survived
drought, pests and disease. Or tins
crop and past crops the cotton grow
ers are holding between four and six
million bales in the hope Of securing
what they term fair price for their
product.
The cotton growers attribute their
present situation to the government
method of reporting the cotton crop.
The growers are firm in their bel1ef
that no l..ortal, however much he may
know about cotton, can predict with
| earlier than September. In July, when
| the department of agriculture looks
| over the crop and estimates the
amount and value, the cotton is
young. 1t has not stood the dry
| weather of the later summer, and it
| has several months yet to be exposed
to the attacks of the boil weevil, and
all the other insects which can, and
| often do, cut down promising crop
| by half.
| This year, they point out, the es-
| innate was sixteen million bales-a
| greater crop than the United States
| has ever produced. The prospect OF
so large a crop lowered the price of
| cotton in the market. the record
| breaking crop did not materfalize and
| the planters are still holding on.
The case Of the southern cotton
| growers is summed up by them about
as follows: There have been elabor-
ate rules for price fixing and distribu-
| ton of wheat and corn crops, because
| of war conditions, and the success of
! these rules has inspired some officials
| to fit them to the cotton situation,
| without regard for the fact that cot
| ton is a totally differe,It product, pro-
| duced under different conditions.
For one thing, say the growers. the
cost of growing and picking a bale
| OF cotton is so much greater than the
| cost of raising the same value OF
wheat, that what would seem fair
| price for a bale of cotton in COMPARE
| son with wheat prices is really loss
to the planter. A statistician of the
| department of agriculture OF Texas
| estimates the minimum of raising a
| pound of cotton in war time at 26
| cents. This figure, being the mini
mum, is not the average cost of produce
| ton under present unfavorable cir
| cumstances.
The main reason for the high cost
of production is the enormous amount
| of hand labor required in picking and
| treating cotton. There have been
! wonderful advances in cotton machin1
cry since the Whitney gin, bat no one
has ever evolved an engine with suffi-
cient intelligence to pick cotton. Other
| factors making for greater expense
are similar to those experienced by
| other industries, such as higher wages.
labor shortage and higher cost Of
machinery.
To offset their soaring expenses and
safeguard the demanded margin of
| profit, the growers are holding the
bulk of their crops for a minimum
price of 35 cents a pound. That the
growers can and will hold the crop
until the price rises there is not much
| doubt. Cotton, unlike wheat and corn,
is in no danger of deterioration, and
altho it cannot be eaten by the grow
ers. the support of bankers strength
| ems the growers hand. The serious
ness of the growers attitude is indi-
Gated by the case of an ex-senator
| from a southern state who is holding
his crop for the past three years, and
| announces his purpose % hold out I'M
til he gets what he considers rea-
| sOnable rate.
/. The result of the cotton growers
| stand is that very little cotton is being
sold. while the factories are working
| with material already on hand. Part
of the demand is removed by the end
ing of hostilities. Millions of bales
of cotton have been used by the gov
eminent in airplane wings, tents, uni
forms, munitions and automobile tires.
The sudden slackening of the army s
demand for these things is releasing
cotton for civilian use, but unfortu-
nately for manufacturers and public,
the amount released by the ending
of the war cannot make up for that
which is being held by the. owners
With not enough cotton in the mar
ket for home consumption, the United
States can scarcely expect to export
in the near future the amount of cot
ton desired by European nations. Al
present England, italy and Belgium
have no cotton for their spindles,
and the amount in other countries
of Europe is negligible. The United
States, as the greatest cotton pro-
ducing nation of the world, is ex-
pected to keep these facts in mind
and to export as much cotton as can
be spared and at the earliest possible
time.
Shipping deficiencies and our own
heavy demands on the southern cot
ton crop cut our exports by one-hal1
during the four years of war. Every
nation at war has felt the seriousness
of the lack of cotton turnout Europe
!, Cotton is prominent in that nearly
endless list of materials, each. OF
which is said to have controlled the
: fate of the war. An abundant supply
of cotton in Germany or a greater
shortage in England at the beginning
of the war. would, in the opinion OF
many people. have turned the tide
of war so strongly as to insure ar
eaEly German victory. The European
cotton situation is summed up in the
fact that six months ago there were
$4,000 bales of cotton in European
mills, as compared with S,175, 900 just
, before the war.
! Placing the five or six million bales
held by southern growers on the mar
ket would not. of course, relieve tbs
, European situation entirely. But il
, | would bring the United States supply
, up to normal, and mako possible
larger shipments to allied nations