The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-02-11

@THE TRUTH ABOUT COTTON

f"l he iNO1 n AoooA
| 9 9
O. 8 @ o o o o o 8 o o o 9 o @ o @
Declaring that the time has come
! when the truth regarding the cotton
situation must be driven home to ev-
, cry farmer in the state, the South
Carolina division Of the American
! Cotton association has issued state
ment appealing to every organization
in South Carolina to assist it In its
efforts to secure an acreage ,eductlon
in the state this year.
! Statistics are given which tend to
show that on the first of next Aug
ust, before bale Of the 1921 crop is
picked, there will be on hand sur
plus of over 100000 bales, or al
most a one-third crop. It is declared
that the planting Of anything like a
normal acreage in cotton this year
WILDE simple suicidal business poll
cy not alone for the farmers but Tor
every business interest in the south.
For this reason it is declared that the
business and professional men should
! be active in the movement to secure
| acreage reduction.
''The gravity Of the situation con-
fronting the south as regards the
planting Of another cotton crop and
the apprehension on our part that
there are thousands Of people in our
! state who do not comprehend just
what we are up against impels US to
issue this appeal to the farmers, bus
mess and professional men of South
Carolina" says the statement issued
by the South Carolina division of the
! American cotton association. 1--WE
: feel that it is our duty to place the
facts squarely before them, as start
/, ling as they are, in order that every
organized agency in the state may
| Join with US in our efforts to see to
! it that no farmer in South Carolina
/ plants over one-third of his cultivated
land in cotton this year. To do other
wise viii be to invite disaster and fin
anciaI bankruptcy.
zone Of the most alarming fea-
lures Of the. present situation is that
there are so many who contend that
they cannot meet the requirements
| of the association that theysplant only
one-third of their land in cotton. They
seem not to stop to consider that 1T
would perhaps DE better that they
plant no cotton at all than to plant
st and be forced to sell next fall at a
price far below the cost of produc-
tion, which we believe they will sure
ly have to dc if over one-half crop is
raised this year. TO those who still
have their last years crop on hand
we should say that present indications
are that they would profit by not
planting a bale because half-crop
this year would mean that they would
get more for their last years crop
and this years crop combined if over
k'1f-crop is planted this year.
wv what are the facts about the
cotton situation? Here they are, and
we hope every farmer in South Car
olina, white and colored, who can
read, will read them and that some
body will read them to every one that
cannot read:
,"On August /, 1920, there was a
surplus of American cotton on hand,
according to Hester, of 6,0SG,000
bales.
ssThe ten-year average amount OF
American cotton on hand August !
is 100000 bales.
''It is thus seen that thc surplus on
hand on last August l was almost six
times larger than :hc average amount
on hand at that time.
"The probable amount of surplus
cctft1 On hand on August |, 1921, is
estimated by those wh0 are III good
position to know, at over 100000
bales, or almost ona-year crop.
s'The greatest consumption OF ey-
ery American cotton ever Known mi
one year was 100000 bales. Ten