Evening star., 1922-11-13
COTTON
IS NOW POSSIBLE
World Faces Greatest Short
age in Supplies Since
Civil War Days.
BY J. c. ROYLE.
Special Dispatch 10 The Star.

Special Dispatch 10 The Star
NEW YORK, November l3.-The
world is faced today with a shotare
OF cotton supplies unparalleled since
the civil war.
III supply and demand continue to
make their laws felt for the remain
der OF this season as they have In the
last month. 30-cents-a-poupd cotton
is certainty In the near future, and
price of from s5 to 40 cents is prob.
able before the next crop become.
available That is the general opir-
ION or the best informed cotton men
IN tne south and in New England as
expressed In reports received hy wire
"ithih the last twenty-four hours.
OF Universal Interest.
The cotton situation is of pressing
interest TO every man and woman In
, the United States, for each is affected
to a greater or less degree by tN
price and supply of this basic COM
modify.
,Foreien-grown cotton is estimated
this year at 100000 bales. or 1000
900 bales less than normal The
American crop according to the mos,
accurate authorities, Is, in the neigh
borhood of 100000 bales Of lint, D.,
about 10.000,060 bales. including lint
ers There will be. therefore. approx
imafely 100000 bales of American
cotton. including the carry-over from
last year of 100000 bales. available
for the twelve months ending nexl
August 1.
Consumption in the last cotton year
was l2.s00,600 bales. There is every
reason to believe it will be greater
this year. but, assuming that oniN
100000 bales will be consumed this
twelve months. there would remain
on August !: 1929. but 100000 bales.
Another million bales would be re-
quired in August before the new crop
began TO make its appearance.
Big Shortage Predicted.
This would reduce the stock 20
100000 bales or far less than the
American mills would need as reserve
stocks. Europe, facing a shortage o.
100000 bales of foreign grown cot
ton, will be even more dependent than
ever on the American supply. Thres
months ago an eminent British ad
thority expressed the belief that an
100000 bale American crop meant
Is cent cotton at southern ports
dwindled by 100000 bales, and the
American crop even more.
Such an outlook makes any price
possible. especially as large part of
the current crop has passed into the
lands of cooperative associations
and strong holders. who declared to-
day they would not sell under 30
cents. ANYTHING that tends toward
uncertainty as to next years crop
may lift the price above that figure.
for il will take two good crops 10
supply the needs of the world and
provide an adequate surplus.
Mills Heavy Buyers.
Feverish activity of cotton mills 10
lay i'm heavy stocks is reported
Southern mills have been heavy buy
ers from the time the crop started
to move and textile men In the south
to undersell the world on cotton
goods. They have all the business
they can handle, and many of the
orders recently booked would Eieia
profit even with cotton higher thit
it is. Southern employers declare
they are menaced by no labor tron-
bles.
Boston reported today that cotton
goods manufacturers recognized the
serious shortage of cotton. and
brokers who have made tours OF the
south are advising their clients TO
like present prices. The feeling il.
New England Is that cotton may go
to 30 cents or higher. Present prices
for cotton goods. they say. have not
shown advances equal to those of
raw cotton. although they have
jumped from Is to 25 per cent in the
last few weeks. Manufacturers are
anxious over whether consumers will
pay prices for cotton goods com
mensurate with higher costs of The
raw staple.
Plan Full Acreage Next Yent.
Farmers generally in the cotton
states will plant every available acre
next year. but the largest acreage
ever planted is not likely to produce
more than 100000 bales unless the
production per acre increases greatly
from what it has been in the last
two years. The size of the next crop
is dependent largely on the amount
of calcium arsenate available. That
cil emical Is said to be the most practi-
cal weapon yet discovered against tia