The Natchitoches enterprise., 1920-04-29
A High Cotton Price NeCeS-
Sary

WI w VIC pSii.C VI dCLOdl 1dlllIilc COI
ditions.
Close students of the situation insis
that there is already shortage tha
will make itself Increasingly apparer
as the season progresses, and that tn
tide is not far distant when som
items of cotton goods will be out O
the market entirely. Production O
cotton must be stimulated to tn
last degree. Economic laws will prob
ably take care of this, without an
special enactment such as was mad
necessary by the guaranteed price TO
wheat Food stuffs prices were arti
ficially increased during the war il
order to encourage farmers to tn
highest point of productivity, and tn
guaranteed price of the present whea
crop stimulated the heaviest acreage
sown to that staple.
President Wannamaker, of the Amer
lean Cotton Association, has recent,
had conference with DR.. John A
Todd. oe England, who came to thi!
country for the purpose. 1t was
agreed as a result of careful canvass
of the situation between these two au.
thorities that 5000, ,0OO bales of Amer.
lean cotton will be needed from the
coming crop with the greater portion
needed in the good grades; that it will
be years before England can increase
her cotton production to any extent,
and that the so-called surplus is COM
posed of an enormous amount of un-
spinable cotton. This last item is an
indictment OF the manner in which the
crop report has been conducted within
the past few years, which has allowed
to be put in the statistics cotton which
has no value other than in the manu-
facture of explosives.
There is not the remotest possibility
of the South producing Is, 900, 900 bales
of cotton this year. On the contrary,
the crop has started six weeks late,
with every thing favorable for
short crop. The labor situa-
ton is such that new conditions would
have to be reckoned with and sharp
revision made in cost accounting. AS
to the price to which the producer is
entitled, Representative Aswell de-
clared that the cotton growers have a
new vision and perspective, and are
demanding fair treatment. The merch-
ant properly bases his selling price up
on the cost price. Why should not the
cotton farmer do the same? he asks.
If the merchant does not get his price
today, he rightly holds his goods until
The merchant has the
goods the people need, and the farmer
has the cotton the world needs. In the
two cases the economic conditions are
identical.
In reply to the charges made by the
people of New England and Europe
hat cotton landowners are making-ex-
:essive> profits, as shown by the great
Increase in deposits IN Southern banks.
Ar. Aswell points out that these critics
re evidently ignorant of the fact that,
wing to the rich and versatile soil,
With it's wealth Of sunshine and climate,
he cotton crops produced last year
My one-fifth of the $40, 600, 600. 600 of
he revenue derived from the Southern
arms, and in the other four-fifths not
, the cotton crops, over 80 per cent of
'hich were produced at losses, are
,und the profits the South realized
'om its agricultural activities. The
outh is, of course, increasing in
ealth and power, but it's profits have
1t come from cotton but from agri-
lltural products which make cotton
owing possible, and from it's vast IN
easing oil, mineral and timber re-
urces.
This opens up a discussion of the
culiar attitude often taken toward
e cotton producer. Even if it were
le that his lands were increasing in
value and that be was prospering,
,y should that be matter of criti-
IN? What right has any one in New
'gland or elsewhere to even express
rprlse that the cotton producer
ould be making money? The New
gland manufacturers are certainly
king more money than they ever did
fore, and no one should find fault
tn them for making all that they
can, considering it both
IN the moral and the legal stand
mt. If the cotton farmer can make
ney, it is as much his right as it is
It Of the cotton spinner, of the cot
manufacturer, as any other Amer
n citizen.
let. as Mr.. Aswell points out, the
ton farmer has not been organized
take advantage of the prevailing -
sperity, and 80 per cent of the cot
raised has represented poverty and
dship, while goodly portion Of the =
1ainder has been just over the line.
oes not follow that the price to the
sumer will be higher if the method
marketing cotton is reorganized so
t profits are more evenly distributed;
ween the producer and the consumer
the farmer gets what is rightfully
share.
upply and demand conditions are
h that the Southern farmer will be
= to face with his chance for profit
year. reorgsnizing his business On
;ientific basis which will serve him
'ood stead in lean years that may /.
le.