The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1920-12-23
Caddo Farmer Discusses
Cotton Crop Conditions
IcoNTINUED FROM PAGE ONE. ]

to cotton farmer, The years he pro-
duces his average he barely exists, and
when he fails to do this one year, he Is
in debt for years to come. He has no
margin to operate on. no surplus fund,
10 undivided profits to tide him over
the disaster. Consequently he is just
up against It.
AS matter of fact. the price of cot
ton has always been too low; that Is,
If the producer is entitled to fair conn
pensation. l am unprepared to say who
was the original individual who named
10 cents Il pound as a good price for
cotton. He very probably was not
! producer. About the time this oracle
spoke and named fair 60 price on
the worlds greatest cloth-making ma
terial, he also touched on wheat at a
| dollar busllel, and suggested that
figure as Il fair price for the bread
! making material of the world. 1t Is
really wonderful how his opinion Of
values has been supported by the pop
ulation us II whole. those engaged in
| cotton culture and wheat. growing alone
in the nation standing against him.
| FINANCIAL RUIN FOE MANY.
If production costs are ignored and
the pricing of agricultural products is
| to lie left to the fancy Of the chalk
markers " financial ruin is staring the
turner's of this whole country in the
| face No BUSINESS can live without
Il legitimate profit. and If there is Il
practical. fair-minded individual in the
country who doubts the statements
| made in this article he has hut to visit
/ the great cotton belt Of the country or
/ any part of it and find ample proof at
! every hand that the cotton producer
is being starved out of existence.
i Now. is there II remedy for this con-
tlition and. if 80. What is it! We are
told there is Int limited demand for
cotton. due to overprodmction and for
eign conditions. and yet in the next
breath we are told to increase Ou! pro-
duction. save and bring the country
hack to normal. For the love Of Mike.
IL there is 10 demand for cotton now
and we follow the national advice hy
bending every energy to produce more.
how much will We have to give in dol
lars and cents to induce the mills to
| take a few thousand bales of our cotton
free of any cost ut all? 1t is evident
then that an increase in production will
not remedy matters. What then? 4
decrease? Yes. guess that is it. or
part Of it. There is no other line Of
business that know Of. however. that
'.ursues that method to make money.
/ 1t has ever been the spirit Of Amer
ica to obtain maximum in everything
The great industrial corporations are
4 vying with each other to enlarge their
outputs. The railroads are trying to In
crease their tonnage. The hanks want
larger deposits The merchants Ill
over the country are spending millions
to raise their volume. The newspapers
hope to add to their subscription lists
in order to sell their advertising space
for more money to make more money
IL striving to do more business in order
to make greater returns OH their i'll
vestmentS. and yet the reverse Of al
of this seems to fit the farmers case
exactly. To make Il decent living hi
must curtail his operations in order te
produce less that he may he able t.
sell his products for more. Funny ISM,
it. hut he is going to try it, He believe.
the lahorer is worthy Of his hire.
The Savior said so. and most farmers
believe in him.