Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-06-12
Cotton and the World Trade

Cotton has always occupied a dominant position
in our world trade" writes William L. Clayton, one
Of the largest exporters Of cotton, "and for the five
years Immediately preceding the world war, the. ex-
norts Of raw cotton accounted in value for % per
cent Of our total exports and exceeded by S2OOOOo'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, more
than $13, 0OO,O 00, 900 worth Of cotton alone was ex-
ported, while the balance Of trade in our favor was
only about $4,000 0 OOO." Eliminat cotton alto
gether and the balance OF trade would have been
$1,000 600 900 against us. instead Of siO,OO0,oOO,OOO
in our favor" is the blunt declaration Of the Hous-
ton exporter.
He tells the reader that every student Of the sub
ject 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 1908, 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.
In the past 25 years. foreign cotton production has
doubled. Some indication OF the competition Of for
eign growths with America in the world market 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
1906-7-8-9 to 1926-27-2S-29."
Furthermore he tells the reader as well as the cot
ton industry that 80 years ago in the American field
average yields Of 200 to $50 pounds of line cotton to
the acre were fairly common. For the 10 years since
the world war the yield Of lint cotton has averaged
only l56 pounds per acre, and "coincident with chs
serious decline in yield has been an equally serious
deterioration in quality to the same causes ana 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 viii
not find a market for surplus cotton.
A tariff system that ignores the doctrine Of recip-
rocity works hardships upon the growers If 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 goods? When will we
learn that trade is a reciprocal thing and consists both
r OF buying and selling?'
Let the Grundys Of the forward states make ans
wer for the edification Of the growers OF things in
the backward states"