The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-08-02
Our Threatened Cotton supply.
(News and Courierl.

(N6WS and COurler).
It is a striking and a significant
fact that almost contemporaneously
with the action of the United
States senate in imposing for the
first time a tariff Of two cents a
pound on white arsenic. the one
preparation which has proved use
full in destroying the boil weevil
and preventing it's destructive raw
ages on the cotton crop, the Brit
ish parliament, acting under pres
sure from the cotton spinners of
Manchester should have levied an
import duty of six-pence per 500
pound bale of cotton upon all cot
ton brought into England, the
money thus raised to be used to
promote cotton growing in the
British empire. The policy of the
American congress is directed. in
effect, toward rendering still more
difficult the maintenance of cotton
production in this country. The
policy of the British government
is directed towards assisting ef-
forts now under way by Lanca-
shire spinners TO create new areas
where cotton can be grown.
The British spinners, as this ac-
ton clearly indicates. are genuine
ly alarmed over the prospect Of a
cotton famine. The spokesmen for
the bill, which had only one op-
ponent in the House of Commons,
pointed out that both the Egyptian
cotton crop and the American cot
ton crop had been materially di-
minished since 1914. The British
spinners are convinced, it was de-
clared, that it is imperative to de-
velop new cotton supplies, in the
Sudan, in Tanganyika and else
where. The sixpence per bale levy
upon all imported cotton is TO be
turned over to the Empire Cotton
Growing Corporation to be used In
bringing these new sources of cot
ton supply into existence to redeem
the deficiencies of the old"
In this country, outside Of the
South, the general public does not
vet appreciate the seriousness Of The
cotton situation. AS matter OF
fact. it is questionable if the people
of the south are generally as fully
awake to the situation as they
should be. There is disposition
in some quarters to regard the talk
of a possible cotton famine as
propaganda designed to- boost the
price Of cotton. The attitude OF
the British spinners should be IL
luminative to those who incline TO
this view. The fact is, as Sir E.
Mackay Edgar, Chairman Of Cross
es and Winkworth, one Of the great
cotton authorities of the world, says
in an article published in the Lon
don Saturday Review, on July 10,
:.ti,e gravity of the present slt1la-
ton is only just beginning to be
realized" Reviewing the infornla-
ton which he has gathered, and ds-
gested in America Sir E. NJ. Edgar
says:
Next year the boil weevil will
probably increase its consumption
TO so per cent of the cotton grown
in America, which means that as
sumng the production of other
countries remains the same, the
15o-million spindles Of the world
can only get sufficient cotton for
about 70 per cent of that number,
sho,,Id they work full time. Ia Ian
cashire ~ million of the .58 mil
lion spindles spin American cotton;
and Germany, which nearly cap
tured the coarse yarn trade from
Lancashire before the war, has
about 5000. 900 spindles to employ;
the. United States have approx
mately 35 million spindles; France
has 9,900,000: Italy 100000. In
addition, India has 6,500.000 and
Japan $500, 600, both taking con-
siderable quantity Of American
cotton. Since 1920 these figures
have increased, especially in ia
nan and Germany and the q. S. p.
Russia in 1920 had 100000 spin-
dies, but for what proportion OF
these she will in future require cot
TON depends greatly on her poll
rical position. Great Britain Tor
the year ending July 31,1921, con-
sumed l,587,000 bales Of American
cotton, and during that time Lam
cashire was experiencing a depres-
sion only equalled in 1903. The
takings for the season ending July
81. 1922, according to present con-
sumption should be 1,915,000. The
United States of America consum-
ed 5,a46.000, and although they
have suffered from strikes their
takings are estimated at 6.SlS,oo0.
Similar figures for the Continent
show 2,S5S,O0o for 1921, and -
$4,000 for 1922. India, China and
Japan are also consuming more raw
cotton in proportion
In the opinion of Sir p. Al. Ed
gar, when the shortage is felt ana
the demand is urgent cotton will De
grown throughout the empire, be-
cause it will be profitable. but un-
til that hapuens the world wlh
have TO continue with a precarious
supply, and in the famine. whlch
in his, opinion will come shortly,
will have to put up with a very
reduced supply" He recalls the
predictions of some American ex-
merits that future crops in this eoun-
fry will only amount to an average
of six millions bales per annum, ana
saws: America will require TINS