Imperial Valley press., 1921-07-08
s | 7 j 4 7 | 0 n
CHALLENGE
TO White
R A [; {
Must Be Radical Change in
Economic Conditions or
Cotton Growing Will Be
Abandoned Says Writer.
BY w. w. MORRISON

The current price of cotton is less
than half what it will cost to grow the
present crop. This situation is a di-
rect challenge to he white race of the
South. 1t challenges their prestige
today and, unless changed, it will chal-
lenge their civilization tomorrow. 1t
means nothing less than this.
1t has been said that the cost of
the crop this year will be approxi-
mately II 1-2 cents per pound. This,
however, is based solely upon gener-
alities and geenralities are worth but
little anywhere and especially so in
the instant case. AS a matter Of fact,
an itemized accounting, in which all
the expenses and returns are carefully
set down in accordance with sound
business usage and where the item of
labor is counted at only one dollar per
day, shows the cost of production to
be well above zoe per pound.
For the South to produce cotton on
this basis means that the standard Of
living Of one-third of our population,
rs per cent of whom are white, it
must be remembered, will be brought
on level not only with the pauper
labor of Europe, but in very many in
stances on a level with the degraded
labor of the Orient, of which the
Chinese coolie is classic example.
Some may not believe this. but it is
supported by history which shows the
infinite despair and the infinite devil
try which low standards of living have
always injected into the mood and the
morale of the masses.
The chance of the white race of the
South ever coming to such level is
admittedly too remote to be consid-
cred. What then can be expected? It
is obvious that either there must be
very great and radical change in
prices within the year, or within two
years at furthest the spinning industry
of the world will be menaced from the
lack of an adequate supply of Ameri-
can cotton. Such prospect more in
timately concerns Sc industry in this
country and in England than in any
other on account of their greater de-
pendence on the cotton produced in the
South.
Some people think that, pending the
time when the logical results of this
situation will be worked out, the cot
ton farmers in the hope of change
as much cotton as the world will need
and take the chance of having to sell
at loss. There was time when this
was to some extent true, but vast
change has taken place since that day
and the chance of the farmers doing
such thing is now hardly worth con-
sdering.
1t is we'll to remember that the
farmers reduced the acreage this year
approximately 80 per cent and fertil-
izer so per cent, which indicates a
potential reduction of something more
than one-third of a normal yield. If
they should have to sell this crop, in
spite of such a reduction at half what
it costs a general abandoning of cot
ton production can be expected two
years hence. This is the common
sense of it.
When the war began consumption of
American cotton was we'll established
on a basis of ID and half million
bales with well defined tendency to
expand. 1t is entirely reasonable with
restoration of normal conditions the
basis will be established at Is million
bales, with the tendency to expand as
equally well defined. Just such ~ de-
velopment can happen during the cot
ton year 1929 or 1923-24. Such, an
expectation is justiefid by the increase
which the momentum of the move to-
wards normal conditions can be expect
ed to gather the further we get away
from the war. ~
In such an event it is certainly well
for the world to consider the question
what WOulA happen if the cotton
grown this year has to be sold at such
an enormous loss as current prices
would entail? Could the big carry
over about which we hear so much,
even by the remotest stretch of the
imagination, save the cotton trade