Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-18
COTTON STABILITY
MOVE UNDER WAY
Southwide Councils Progress
Being Watched Closely
by the Industry.
BY J. C. ROYLE.
Special Dispatch to The Star

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, July 18.-Cotton grow
ers and textile manufacturers are
watching closely today the progress OF
the Southwide Cotton Council, which
has just completed its organization. 1t
has been formed to undertake for the
cotton planter, merchant and banker
the same kind of service provided for
fine manufacturer by the Textile InSt1-
t,,te and for the oil industry by the
Petroleum Institute.
The organization was promoted by a
group of IS men representing the cot
ton -growing States. There Is no doubt
that the organization will function at
least for a time since it has been guar
anteed at least $4,000 a year by
New Orleans cotton mill operator. 1ts
real support, however, will be an as
sessment of cents bale levied upon
the producers within Its ranks.
In addition, the organization wiil re-
mlest the governors of all the cotton
growing States to call meeting OF
so cotton producers within the next 80
DAYS to formulate plans to raise money
for educational work and advertising
Would Stabilize Prices.
The organization seeks to stabilize
the price and production of cotton, CO.
ordinate the activities of all agencies
and societies which might help to bring
the cotton States into accord and to
study the cotton situation from the
point of supply and demand. In addi-
ton. the council hopes to provide ade-
quate information on which the cotton
planter can base his plans and lay out
his marketing.
There is now and has been for years
bitter controversy as to the value and
propriety Of the governmental cotton
reports. 1t was charged that last year
an unwarranted Government statement
as to price movements cost the South
millions. Bitter complaints have been
made this year by men prominent in
the cotton trade to Southern Congress-
men regarding the withholding by the
Department of Agriculture of the in
formation on the prevalence Of the boil
weevil secured by the Bureau of En-
tomology. The bureau Is permitted to
give out only data on the emergence of
weevil placed in cages last Fall. What
is gathered from the fields is not made
public. Private bureaus are reporting
weevil infestation unusually large, and
the Government will issue no state
ment before Its August report when
growers say the information will be too
late
The new organization also hopes to
engineer the production of cotton on a
more restricted acreage and see that a
large part Of the fields are devoted to
the production of food and cattle feed
ing crops.
Curtailment In New England.
1t Is proposed to raise $3.50, 900 year
for five years to attain these ends. It
Is estimated that approximately i3,50o,-
600 people IN the United States are In
terested directly In the production, man
ufacture and sale of cotton In the South.
The Midatlantic and New England
States have cotton industries which
add materially to that total
Further curtailment is looked for in
New England operations. The situation
in the South Is also of paramount i'm
portance to the apparel trades and to
buyers Of garments everywhere.
The volume of apparel bought so far
this year is under that of the corre-
spending period Of 1927 and producers
have been unable to sell garments at
prices which they say should be justi-
fed by the price of raw cotton. Con-
sequently. their profit margins have
been narrow Now. however. the