Cleveland County herald., 1921-04-28
THE SOUTH AND COTTON

IuG liSAa SVilC broken four or five times during the last half century because of low pric ed cotton, it has never stayed broke for any length of time, writes Ar cher Wall Douglas, in the May issue of The Nations Business, the offic- ial publication of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States. MT. Douglas points out that in the case of past business depressions the South has often recovered much more quickly than seemed likely.
 As Chairman of the Committee on Statistics and Standards of the Cham Der of Commerce of the United States MT. Douglas issues monthly re- port of general business conditions thruogh the country.
 'For one thing" says MT. Douglas, "the South is economizing very rigid ly. There will be much less cotton acreage planted this year than last, although this varies greatly in diff ClCiib iOIdl1IlCos l1C CIOD WILL It. ceive less fertilizer than last season. but much greater intensive culti- vation. Those unfamiliar with the situation express wonder that the South should plant cotton to any ex- tent with an enormous carry-over in sight, and no great increase in de- D1anH in r1rn irl hO fY,t Every section must have a cash crop to provide ready money for the far mers, and cotton is the logical one in the South. There is a limit set by soil and climate in many Southern States as to the production of wheat and small grains.
 -"To grow more corn and feed stuffs means to produce more live stock to consume them, and while this process is now going on, it takes time to bring it out. Besides, there would be no market for the great amount of foodstuff which the South could produce should she turn the greater part of her cotton acreage to this purposse. Nor have the South ern States the storage facilities for grains and foodstuffs that any large increase in their output would nec- essitate. Cotton can be stored in any old shed, but the South is as yet shy of her full complement of barns and elevators to protect grain from the weather and predatory insects, and from theives that break through and steal.
 Turning to the general business situation of the country, MT. Doug las says, that "the most significant and possibly most cheering, feature of the situation is that the automobile business seems to have been not dead, but sleeping. There is resumption of operations, in modest way, by some factories which were shut down, but which now have orders in hand. AL so there is increasing sale for used cars.
 ''There is a better demand for lumber and prepared roofing and paint because of somewhat more building and construction. Mining in general is very quiet with many mines shut down. Manufacturing is running mostly on short time. The percentage of how busy or quiet it is, depends upon the nature of the business, in the shoe trade, the de- mand for women's shoes is much bet ter proportionately than for mems footwear, which is apparently par dadoX when it is considered that mems shoes are very much of a nec- essity while obviously women's shoes are very much in evidence nowadays distinctly as an ornament.
 "The best general index of the situation, the volume of distribution by jobbers and retailers, showed distinct gain in March over February, 1921, though not comparable to that of March 1920, as is not yet to be ex- pected.
 "The general spirit of moderate optimism for the future is encour- aged thereby, without at the same time losing it's consciousness that much lies ahead of us were read justment be complete"