Imperial Valley press., 1921-06-20
PROCESS Of
E:vOL. lJT|()N
IN COTTON
WORLD
Production and Marketing
of Staple VIII Never Re-
turn to Old Conditions
That Obtained Before the
Great War.
(By W. w. Morrison.)

The whole process of producing,
! financing and marketing Of cotton is
passing through a profound and rcvo-
lutlonary change. Many things indi-
cate that the major part Of tie people
have no adequate conception of it's
meaning or Of its magnitude.
Many believe that the various forms
it has assumed, like cooperative mar
keting, the somewhat militan demand
For legislation and the move 11wards
dealing direct with manufacture rs, all
lad their origin in the depression Of
prices incident to the deflation
through which the country has Just
passed. Hence, the eNpcCia Is gen
c.ai, Among the cotton trade partcu,
larry, that a return to normal condi-
tions will also mean d return TO the
old conditions under which cotton has
been produced and marketed for many
years.
Such an Interpretation is wholly mis-
leading. This is obvious to every stu
dent at all informed as to the trend of
thought in the South, especially the
thought that has fundamentally af-
fected the South's economic life dur.
ing the last % years. TO these stu
dents it is clear that this revolution
is not a temporary effect born o. a
temporary condition, but is the logical
and permanent manifestation of a
movement that antedatcd the war and
which deflation and other after effects
of the war have only served to bring
into holder relief.
1t will be illuminating to recite that
hi INF IN, ~ hn
ginning, and has all along been d.
!rected, by the aroused moral sense Of
the South. There was, and still is, a
profound dissatisfaction with the cor
ditions of living which the production
of cotton entails upon those who per
form the labor in producing it. The
demand was. and continues to be most
urgent and most insistent, that cotton
either yield more to the laborer, or Its
production DE abandoned. Anyone at
all conversant with the history of hU-
man affairs knows how implacabic thC
aroused moral SCI Sc of the pc )plc is iii
whatever 1t demands. 1t is this that
gives to this revolutionary movement
a far-reaching and tremendous Slghi-
iicance.
What Will be the outcome The his
tory of the white race, the!r moral
sense and aptitudcs, warrant tie con
clusion that there will be no return to
the old conditions under which the cot
ton crops have been produced and mar
keted for many years. That much
seems certain. For the same reason
we are justified in concluding that
this revolution will ultimately evolute
| into some permanent change, in the
methods of marketing the crops, that
will compel far-reaching change III
the existing methods of cotton mer-
chants and spinners and in the meth
DDS also, of financing cotton.
Cooperative marketing, one OF the
more conspicuous features of the revo-
luton, has assumed many forms
Whether the methods that have been
successful in marketing fruit and
other products, now so popular, will
prove efficaeious in marketing cotton
| is doubtful. At least, its adequat. ;,
has vet to be proven. There are COM
munities, however in almost every
state where the cooperative marketing
of cotton has undoubtedly proven sue.
cessful. The number of these instances
and their success, point to some sys-
tenn being developed, in the end, tina!
will be sufficiently practical to put
the producers permanently, and de
finitely, in control of the movement OF
their cotton into consumption.
Just what form this will finally as
sumo is, of course, yet to be deter
nined There is an inclination among
the growers to deal directly with tn,
spinners. This has been done success
fully in some instances These m
stances, however, to have been isolat-
lCnntinnn1 ON Pana 81