Imperial Valley press., 1921-04-12
MARK { 7 ING
Of COTTON
SERIOUS
PROBLEM
Cooperation of Growers to
Solve Question Must Ig-
more Recognized Rules of
Economics and Control
Movement of Supply.
By w. w. MORRISON.


The great body of people is much
concerned about cooperation. Among
other things, this concern has been re-
flected in many different plans for
cooperative buying. There has been
and continues to be-a we'll defined
tendency also towards the organized
marketing of farm products.
AS has been pointed out before in
these letters, the agricultural classes
make up about 40 per cent of the ma
tion's population. This percentage is
still greater in the south. Of this
number something more than IS per
cent are white. They are, by very
much, the largest single body of peo-
pie in the world that have been the
direct product of the traditions and
civilization of the white race.
This fact is undeniable, and 1t is OF
weighty significance considered in con-
nection with the subject under review.
1t is wise, therefore, in studying the
problem of cooperative marketing
especially, marketing the products of
Southern farms-to recognize the
white mans genius for organization
and his great love for an orderly sta
bility in his economic and industrial
life, for it seems evident ~that these
traits must in the end be the determin-
ing factors in solving this problem
which promises to change, radically
and permanently, the whole fabric Of
the South's economic life, and conse-
quently, the basic conditions of its
financial life as we'll.
AS far back as 10 years ago, there
began to be much discussion of the
conditions under which cotton had been
grown for very many years. Dissatls-
faction over these conditions steadily
increased. 1t was obvious that sooner
or later fundamental change in the
ancient system would. have to. come.
The move toward cooperative market
ing was oen of the many efforts to
bring this change about. This move
began before the war; the decline in
prices only accentuated it, The de-
cline did not bring the movement into
existence.
1t is serious problem. There is no
doubt about that. 1t means funda-
mental change and its consequences
can, therefore, be expected to endure.
What are the farmers going to do
about it? Now, they are pretty sure
to make some mistakes. but there is
no sound reason for believing that they
will make more than their fellows OF
the same race usually make when en-
gagged in other pursuits. Since 1t is
essentially the white mans RESPONSE
bility, it is reasonable that it Will be
met in a way that will be in keeping
with the traditions of the white race
in which the, white mans genius for
organization and his love for endur-
ing order will be emphasized anew.
1t is, perhaps, we'll to recall, in con
nection with this review, that 1t is
quite generally accepted that supply
and demand determine prices, the as
sumption being that the supply means
al 1.-The commodity that may be IN eX-
istence. This is undoubtedly orthodox
but is it true? There is one thing
certain. Whenever this assumption
has governed the market, the producer
has seldom ever prospered, whether ne
produce the raw or the manufactured
product, for, in almost every instance
where prices had to carry the tul
weight of all the commodity in exist
ence, it meant that the buyer IN The
end largely dictated the terms of sale
The only position of the supply II
it's relation to values, that is sount
economically for the producer, Il
where its influence on prices is meas
ured by the total amount of the com
modify that exists, but only by th'
amount that is available for consump
ton. This means that the produce
controls the movement of his produc
into the market, and, as the buye'
under such a condition ca nonly secur
such amount as the producer is dis