The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-01-10
WILL GET TRUTH
ABOUT COTTON
Census Bureau Making lnvesti'
CATION to Determine Size
of Crop

Columbia, Jan. 6.-The census ~
reau of the department OF agr1cuitu.e'
complying with request mace py tie
American Cotton Association. has IN
structed its agents to obtain 1roha lh2
ginners The quantity of cotton RON
the 1918 crop ginned since august J.
1919 and also ,he number o. piileo
from the 1913 crop, if any, 1ncluoee
in the report OF cotton Sinaeo iioii'
the crop of 1919,
a statement given oltt from local
Headquarters, of the American Cotton
Association. yesterday tells OF this a.
ton Of the department Of agriculture
In order to obtain a correct est
mate Of cotton ginned Of the grow
ing crop, a recanyass Of the cntlf@
belt has been made by our asioc!a-
ton SAYS the statement issued mere
and. in the united judgment. of our
canvassing board the estimate as
shown by the government is too hl:sn.
We made known our feelings TO the
Department. of Agriculture ani VIC
have received a letter stating agents
will be. instructed to secure addlt.onal
information"
The following letter from the ceE-
sus bureau to officials Of the Aney1-
can. Cotton Association was made pub
lie today: "In view Of the eXtraord
nary interest attached to the presen'
cotton. situation the agents have been
Instructed to obtain from the ginners
the quantity Of cotton Of the. crop
1918 ginned since August and, sals;'
the number OF bales of this cotton /.
any which was included by reports OF
cotton ginned of the crop 1919. III
addition they have been instructed to
ascertain the number \of bales OF re
pack if any. which counted III the re-
turns of cotton ginned from the crop
Of 1919. The allotlnents will obtain
this information at the January i
canvass, refiners inserting the date of
the individual card. reports obtained
from and signed by the ginners. These
returns will be mailed to the bureau
about January s. Definite informa-
ton should be. available before the
close fof January.
In this: connection I desire. to en-
close a table from our bulletin, show
ing the percentage of cotton crop
ginned to December for each crop
since 1905 to 1918, S,{inclusive, with the.
exception OF the crops of 1906 and
1907 all Of them show a ginning per
centage' in excess Of S0,-tfat for 1916
running as higi, >as GIL per cent o.
course, we are not able to- compute
the percentage of the 1919 crop until
after the close Of the season.
IN this connection I desire to say
much Of the cotton remaining IN the
West will never be gathered. All OF
it is of very low grade. There is no
crop will be produced the smallest
amount of good cotton in proportions
to the size of the crop ever gathered IN
the past five years. The fact is the
crop has been largely over estimated
by; the government: This crop opened
,preinature!y and was more nearly
gathered and ginncd than even 'hr
crop of,1916 when 91.6 per cent, has
been ginned.
I'VE have just completed d most
careful research in both the AnerI-
can and European manufacturing
centers on supply and demand"
From the very best authority we
find that neither the matter of eX-
change or the size Of the present crop
gives them serious concern. The main
questions at issue are from whence
~ C11,oNll- fhi.
pressing demands. From one OF the
best posted authorities OF Europe we
received the information that the
worlds requirements Of cotton from
America, from the growing crop will
be more than $4,000, 900 bales. The
matter Of exchange and finance does
not receive. the consideration that u
does in America The invariable: re-
ply to our questions concerning. cotton
was:
Our experience tells us that We
are facing. world shortage in, cot
ton. The demand for manufactured
goods at enormous profits exceeds
anything in our experience. We can
arrange the finances and exchange If
America can furnish the cotton.
Labor conditions OF the South are
extremely acute, wages not only DC
ing the highest ever paid but there is
a great shortage. The boil weevil has
spread over a far larger territory
than il has ever covered in the past,
fertilizers are higher, other. crops can
be cultivated with machinery With far
less labor and with larger returns.
Hence even with favorable seasons VIC
arc, facing the absolute certainty Of
another crop. The South during the
coming year will plant more largely
Of food crops than in the last &C.
cadc.