The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1920-09-24
o o o o Q o 3 . Q o o Q o Q 9
A REASONABLE PRICE FOR
COTTON.
New York Commercial.

expressed by manufacturers that
they are willing to pay reasonable
price for raw cotton. They are try
ing to combat the impression that
manufacturers are out to force cot
ton prices down. One large manu-
facturer said that the popular I'M
preston that they were trying to
force prices to 20 cents or even 25
cents a pound was erroneous, but
that, on the contrary, they were will
ing to pay as high as 80 cents, if By
so doing it yields fail profit to the
producers, the latter figure lingering
in the minds of manufacturers, bank
ers and some others as being the
price at which the producer can sell
to advantage.
Naturally. the manufacturer need
not concern himself particularly with
the price of raw cotton, as he can
pass it along to the consumer, the
only point being whether or not the
manufacturers profit will be too
large, thus increasing the consumers
cost unduly. The probability is that
not only the manufacturer, but the
consumer also, will be willing 30 pay
a fair price to the producer, if he
can be assured that he is paying that
and nothing more.
AS for the question whether 30
cents is the right price for the manu-
facturer to pay, there is grave doup::.
Statistics. submitted by the American
Cotton association do not bear out
that theory, while investigations made
by the department of agriculture
seem to place the cost Of Production
above that price. Some economists
who have made an intensiye study of
the subject place the cost OF prcduc-
ton nearer 40 cents pound, bIt
wi atever it is, the price paid to the
producer should be sufficient to cover
the cost Of production and yield
reasonable profit. If thereby, it IS
necessary to advance the price Of
cotton goods, then such price will
have to be paid, and the consume
will have to make up his mind that
such levels must De maintained.
1t is really broader question than
whether the manufacturer is to pay
20 or 80 or even 40 cents pound
for his raw cotton. 1t is PROPOSE
ton that vitally affects the economic
life of a very large part of the COM
munity, and the prosperity of that
portion necessarily must affect the
whole. II the South be prosperous,
it means the development of an enor-
NOUS buying power that will react
upon industry and put more money
IN the pockets of the people where
with TO pay the increased prices for
the finished product.
More than that, it Will mean the
release of whole populations from q
form of economic slavery that is diff
ferent only in form from real slav-
cry. Northern women who wear and
admire fine cotton goods do not know
that the cotton has been produced by
the toll Of Southern women who
have. as. much right to the joys and
comforts of life as their Northern sis
tiers; daughters of families, many
Of them prominent before the war,
but who, of the second and third
generations, have been deprived Of
the comforts of life for so long that
they no longer know Of their exist
ence.
These small tenant farmers which
compose the greater part of the cot
ION producers of the South have no
idea Of how to figure the cost Of pro-
duction., All that they know is, that
IL they work hard during the day.
light hours, seven days week, they
viii probably come out even at the
end Of the year and will have dis
the debt into which they
were forced in order to obtain the
wherewithal to produce their cotton
and the bare necessities of life while
the cotton was growing. Their ideas
Of prosperity are not the same as
ours. The present writer, during
visit to the South, received very
pressing invitation to visit the plan
tation of one who was supposed to be
among the more prosperous, but
which, unfortunately, could not be
accepted. Through newspaper
friend it was learned that the refusal
caused Keen disappointment because
the farmer wanted to show the writer
a house that had electric lights, run
ming water and bathroom, the only