Evening star., 1922-12-16
W0RLD|SFAC|NG
COTTON SHORTAGE
Weather Next Summer Vital
to Future Prosperity of
Great Industry.
BY }. 4. ROYLE.
Special Dispatch to Tn. star.

SpfFial Dispatrh To The Star.
NEW YORK. December 16.-Tha
barometer. the thermometer and thu
| weather man will determine the IA
ture OF the textile industry Of the
United States in 1928. Dispatches re-
ceived today from the cotton growing
sections leave not the slightest doubt in
i the world that at least 10000. 900 acres
Of land will be planted to cotton next
year. A world shortage exists in the
| cotton trades. II textile mills run as
| they are running now. there will bs
two months next summer when there
will be no cotton to supply their
| needs.
A tremendous crop is necessary TO
fill not only immediate needs. Ut TO
provide reserves for this country ana
for foreign nationA The acreage will
| be planted to assure such a crob, but
only the weather will determine
whether it is possible for the United
states again to raise crop adequate
for world requirements.
Weather Conditions Vital.
Back in 1916. when Pershinss
wild young Mexican fanatics banded
| themselves In TO an organization
| vo~ing to transmit an incur
able disease to citizens Of the United
States Their efforts were neither
successful nor necessary. even from
their own distorted point of view, for
nature already had done work Of
destruction for them. The boil weevil
| crossed into the United States from
| the southern side of the Rio Grande.
| With favorable weather conditions
and with proper care and an adequate
supply Of Insecticides. 1923 will see
| the elimination OF the boil weevil. at
! least so far as it menaces the great
cotton trades. If the supply of cal
| cium arsenate. now supposed to bs
cornered. or at least subject of acute
market manipulation. Is inadequate. II
the weather conditions are unpropi-
| tious. the United States will face
crisis not experiencef since the civi'
war stopped the spindles of the world
| The land planted will be intensivelA
cultivated The supply Of fertilizers
will be adequate and fully employed.
but the weather man Will have the
1 final say.
| New Wage Demands Planned.
Further danger for the textile trade7
and for every other Industry lies ia
the unmistakable trend toward hishe,
wages The cotton mill operatives OF
New England. having defeated an ef-
| fort to reduce their wages after
| long struggle. are preparing to de-
mand an increase over the present
scale.
| United States are demanding higher
wager The majority of them VIII be
granted their demands on January !.
| But urgent as is the demand Tor
housing facilities there are points al
which II can and will be checked. and
contractors today are estimating the
| height Of wage and material costs
which will mark the demise OF me
golden goose which has supported the
business world throughout 1922
| To merchants and business men W
general. however. this is all in the
future. For the present they are en-
! toying a holiday trade which has not
been equaled since the war. Better
and more Significant than that. the
manufacturers of work garments Gre
! running their factories at capacity
and are finding a market tor every
work shirt and pair OF overalis that
they can turn out.
Great Buying Wave.
The men who wear the YORK shirts
and overalls in the daytime. however
are the nainstay of the market. for
SIS overcoats and $40 silk shirts for
evening wear and expensive garments
are selling at rate equaled ohiN
during the reign of extravaganza
which Immediately followed the arn'i-
stice.
The latest wooden lines open to pr
chasers record an increase of TO -
per cent in prices, as compared with
a year ago. Wool growers VITO have
been asked to contract their un-
grown woods for next season are de
per cent over last seasons price.
But in wool as in cotton, the
weather man will have the final Say.
(Copyrirht 1922