Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1920-03-31
COTTON SHORTAGE
WORRIES ENGLAND
Increased Production Now
Chief Problem.

of the Empire Cotton Growing COM
mission of England, arrived at st.
Matthews yesterday for conference
with j. Skottowe Wannamaker, pres
ident of the American Cotton asso-
citation. He will stay at St. Matthews
until Monday or Tuesday and may
visit Columbia.
Professor Todd says that he has re-
signed from the cotton gowing COM
mittee of England and that he is now
devoting his entire time to his busi-
ness as a consulting economist.
.'I am keen on cotton" said Pro-
fessor Todd, "and want to know all
about the American, situation. l have
always been interested in the prob
lens of the Southern cotton growers
and am in sympathy with their pres
ent efforts. The greatest benefit
would come to the cotton industry in
America through reform of the
present system of marketing. The
growers have always been at disad-
vantage in this respect, and have for
years been urging the necessity of
change. I certainly hope that the
movement this time, through the
American Cotton association will be
successful"
Professor Todd admitted that the
British cotton interests were frankly
worried over the tendency toward
decrease in cotton production in
America. "Our manufacturers" he
said, "can do nothing fo the present
but wait anxiously for information
as to the possible size of the next cot
ton crop. They have been hoping for
and expecting figures which would
point to production of at least 49,
100000 bales. l have warned them
that this figure was maximum, and
from recent information fear that it
may be much smaller. This lessened
production, and the great increase in
the consumption of cotton by the
American industries worries US. 1t
makes us wonder where our supply
is coming from. l believe that the
amount of cotton which will be used
right here in this country is consid-
erably larger than you anticipate"
When asked about the activities of
the japanese in purchasing large lots
of cotton machinery in this country,
Professor Todd said that it was TO be
expected. "The japanese" he said,
care the Scotchmen of the East. They
are on the lookout for every promis-
ing opportunity. They besought our
Indian cotton at high prices when no
one else showed any interest in it.
They will undoubtedly become an i'm
portant factor in the future cotton
industry"
The Empire Cotton Growing COM
mittee, according to Professor Todd,
is now we'll organized, after the inter
ruption caused by the war and it will
use all the means in its power to
bring about large cotton production
throughout the British empire.
''The committee" he explained,
"will receive substantial contribu-
tions from the government and the
trade. The plan to levy six pence per
bale on all cotton imported into
Great Britain will almost certainly
go through, which will furnish $780,
900 a year to further the work. This
amount, of course, is not sufficient
to do anything in the way of running
plantations or actually growing cot
ton, but it will be used entirely to
pay the expenses of the administra-
ton, education and research. Our on
ly hope toward production must come
from educational work among the
native agricultural populations. We
must teach them how to grow cotton,
furnish them with the proper seed
and prove to them that it will be
worth while financially. This will
take a great many years and there
is no chance or immediate relief.
Even though we increase poduction
in the regions where cotton is al
ready grown, the manufacturers
could absorb more than the largest
increase we can reasonably expect"
The State.