Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1922-04-06
: SUNRISE IN THE SOUTH.
Northern Paper Discusses Pros
pect of Cotton Famine.

A few weeks ago Senator Dial
OF South Carolina rose in his place
in the United States senate and
inforiacd tie country thai we are
iacing IL cotton famine. He pre-
scnted letter from the secretary
q. . .grIculture and sheet of cen
sus figures according to which
the world S normal needs during
the next six months will be 6,532,-
UUO bales. There are only 4,316,-
700 bales i'll Sight, says The Coun-
try Gentleman.
Twelve months ago every ware
house in the South. was bulgmg
with cotton. There was no mar
kc, for tins potential wealth at
any price; the planters We're des-
pcralc. The banks were desperate.
Bui many things cam happen with
in ii year, and many things have
happened. There was a consider
able reduction in acreage last
spring; little fertilizer was pur-
chased; the weather was unfa-
vorablc; the boil wcevil invaded
great new areas. The crop amoun
ted to only S.34O,UUO bales, and
the price shot upward.
Now there is talk of cotton
famine. both here and i'll England.
Whether Il real famine develops
or not. we are certain there is no
overwhelming surplus to plague
the growers as there was last
year. We know also that just as
soon as the people of Europe be-
come able to supply even part Of
their needs for cotton cloth the
spindleS of the world will be
worked TO their capacity, the mills
will Scour the world for raw
cotton.
Prior to 1914 it was thought
that two pounds of cotton per
capita was the absolute minimum
upon which Il civilized community
could subSidc. But for seven
years. the cotton experts declare.
Europe has consumed little more
than a quarter OF IA pound per
cnpi!n for domestic needs. What
will happen when the continent
starts to make up the accumulat-
eel deficiency?
No one knows the possibility OF
cotton consumption. but this coun-
try reveals some of them. That
is W hat is worrying the Man
chester mill owners. Our require
mcntS are now close to million
bales annually, and our pOpula-
tion is increasing. We are find
ing new uses for cotton and eX-
tending old ones. The automobile
industry uses 100000 bales of the
best cotton every year for its out
put Of 30 million tires. Millions
OF yards of cotton cloth goes into
betting. An immense quantity is
used for shoe Innings. Flour mills
and cement factories pack their
products in cotton sacks.
Cotton has largely displaced
linen for table cloths, napkins,
sheets. pillowcases and toweling.
Fine cotton fabrics are campet-
ing with silks for women s and
children wear. Even blankets
are now made of cotton. a noted
inventor recently declared it
would be possible to make car
wheels and automobile frames of
cotton that would be stronger
and better than those made from
steel.
The time is in sight when Amer
lean mills will be able to consume
ali the cotton grown in America.
The time is rapidly approaching
when the South will have Difficult
ty in supplying the needs OF the
world.
Our cotton planters have had
their troubles and their worries,
but if the world comes to enjoy a
long period of peace, as seems
likely, they may confidently look
forward to an active market for
their product.
The sun is rising over Dixie.
Speaker j. B. Atkinson of the