Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-06-12
HARLINGEN OFFICE:
Arcadia Theater Building. Phone lOzO'
Cotton and the World Trade

arotton has always occupied a dominant position
:, ,r u,or,d trade writes William L. Clayton, one
Of the largest exporters Of cotton, "and Tor the i've
wears Immediately preceding the world war the eA-
ports OF raw cotton accounted In value Tor % per
cent of our total exports and exceeded by s2OO'OOo'OOO
the balance Of trade in our favor
To sustain his point, the writer quotes from the
testimony Of a witness before a senate committee
that during the so years between the close OF the
civil war and the outbreak Of the world war aaoee
than si3 600 600. 900 worth of cotton alone was ex-
ported. while the balance of trade in our favor was
onlv about $4,000 100000" Eliminate cotton alto
pether and the balance Of trade would have been
"a mo 600 900 against us, instead OF Sl0.00o,OOo,O00
in our favor,".is the blunt declaration OF the Hous-
ton exporter.
He tells the reader that every student Of the sub
iect has recognized that foreign growths of cotton
has for several years been gaining steadily on our
own; that figures OF consumption for the half year
ending Jan. 81, 1880. disclosed that the consumption
OF foreign cotton had risen to the figure Of $4,000
bales, being 10000 bales over the previous figure;
that the consumption OF American cotton, on the
other hand. dropped to 7,O83.0 900 bales or 100000 bales
less than during the corresponding period last year.
and this in the face Of an ample supply Of American
cotton available at the lowest prices in several years"
He quotes from a booklet entitled Facts About Cot
ton" issued by the United States department Of agri-
culture. as follows: Foreign cotton production has
been expanding in volume and improving in quality.
- $3.50 EN $500 @@A&*EA @~AN@ -111NNN@ $500
doubled. Some indication OF the competition OF for
elgn growths with America in the world marker is
shown by the fact that consumption Of American cot
ton IN the world outside OF the United States in
creased only % per cent. while consumption Of all
other cotton increased 1853 per cent from the period
l~9o6-T-s-9 TO l926-27-28-a9."
Furthermore he tells the reader as well as the cot
ton industry that 30 years ago in the American field
average yields Of 200 to $50 pounds OF line cotton 70
the acre were fairly common. For the 10 years since
the world war the yield Of lint cotton has averaged
only 156 pounds per acre. and "coincident with this
serious decline In yield has been an equally serious
deterioration in quality to the same causes and to
new strain Of early maturing seed"
William L. Clayton advocated the debenture plan OF
farm relief. SURPRISES Of staple products must be
sold abroad in the open market. A high tariff will
not find a market for surplus cotton.
A tariff system that ignores the doctrine Of reCip-
rocty works h~ardships upon the growers IL the great
American staples. and the exporter of Houston and
New York who has been a student Of cotton economy
FOR many years, asks this pertinent question:
rs there any wonder that England. France. Ger
many, italy and Japan turn for their raw cotton to
those countries which are willing to receive pay
ment In their manufactured goods7 When will we
learn that trade Is a reciprocal thing and consists both
OF buying and selling?r
Let the GrundyS Of the forward states" make ans
wer for the edification Of the growers OF things in
the backward states