Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-09-21
Optimism Supplants Pessimism

There has been a marvellous change
in the atmosphere of the business
world during the past few weeks. The
first of August came in with every
body detected, with a poor outlook
for a crop and price. Now everything
is changed. Despite the recent slump
in cotton the price is now almost
twice as much as it was about a
month ago.
Despite the further fact that the
cotton crop in this section is the
worst failure in the history of East
ern Georgia and Western South Caro-
lima, there is a great deal of opti-
mism, of confidence in this section.
There are certain conditions that are
true and that will naturally stimu-
late business, aside from a large cot
ton crap at a good price. In the first
place there is a large carry over and
though many farmers had to sacri-
flee their cotton, still many others
held on and are getting the benefit
of the better prices. Then, too, the
cotton mills are running full time
and, with the indications of big or
ders ahead for many months to come,
there will be hundreds of thousands
paid out in wages.
There will be an immense amount
of construction activity in this Vi
cinity this fall and winter which will
mean hundreds of thousands of dol
lars paid out for material and wages.
The little cotton that is being raised
is expected to bring about 500 per
bale or better and while this will not
begin to pay the cost of raising it,
still there are lots of peas and corn
and potatoes and sugar cane being
raised and the farmers are living at
home more than ever before and rext
year there will be less goods in the
way of provisions bought from the
West than in the history Of this sec
ton of the South. So much for local
conditions.
AS for general conditions in the
South the Manufacturers Record
points our that the recent rise in the
price of cotton will make the carry
over in cotton and this years crop
worth $500, o00, 900 more than a few
weeks ago.
The Record has this TO say:
"In the last 60 days the advance
in cotton has made the new crop and
the carry-over worth nearly $780,
O00, 900 more than they would have
been worth at the prices then prevail
ing. Moreover, the gambling bears
were bent On beating prices still low
er, but fortunately they have been
caught in their own trap and are be-
ing gloriously punished.
AsThis $500, 100000 mean a
change difficult to e~xaggerate it. 1t
will wonderfully affect the whole at
mosphere of the South's business and
agricultural interests; it will save
many a man and many a business
from bankruptcy; it will revive trade;
it will nourish every industry with
new life blood; it will quicken tie
hopes af the disheartened; it will put
new courage into all the people; it
will show the tremendous blunder
committed when the former admins
tration curtailed the credit and killed
the War Finance Corporation, and
it will prove the power for good of
the freer credit and the r~e-establish-
ment of the War Finance Corpora
ton by the present administration.
'This advance will also show the
wisdom of reduced cotton acreage,
with an increase in food stuff produc-
ton. In this lesson the South should
find the road to permanent prosper
ity, greater than it has ever known.
eff the South will, now and for
ever, be INDEPENDENT and rich, let
it curtail its cotton acreage heavily
for all time to come and intensity
the acreage it does cultivate in order
to reduce the cost of production and
then concentrate on foodstuffs for
itself and for the country. Then
homemade fertilizers will enrich its
soils, grains, grasses and cattle and
hogs will diversity its agriculture,
enlarge the horizon of its farmers and
add enormously to their prosperity.
Loro bot4ar ohioot loo