, 1934-12-08
TO The Editor:

oil, but In her many millions OF
acres Of fertile agricultural lands;
that long after the oil reServes have
disappeared this land will remain
Yielding, under the industrious and
intelligent cultivation OF our peo-
pie, a rich annual harvest of IlfeS
necessities to be distributed among
the peoples OF the earth, bringing
in return goods and treasure from
every corner Of the globe.
/ could not help thinking, as ]
read this article, OF the vast de-
Velopment which has taken place
in IexaS In the last 20 years, par
tlcularly In the western and north
western sections OF the State, due
almost entirely 70 a great influx
OF farmers attracted by the OPP
portunity Of putting millions OF
acres OF ranch lands under the ploW.
This called for the building Of high
ways, railroads. SchoolhouSeS, chul-
ches, etc. Prosperous young cities
like Abilene, Sweetwater, Lubbock
Plainview, Memphis, Vernon, qua
nah, and others too numerous 70
mention, we're a natural result.
1t may be interesting 70 examine
some OF the circumstances SUI
rounding this development.
In the 10 years, l9l5-25, p ag-
gregate cotton acreage In the older
States OF the South-Alabama,
Georgia, South Carolina, North
Carolina, stood absolutely still
IN the same 10 years the cotton
acreage in Texas almost doubled,
jumping from l0.5OOl 900 acres IN
1915 To over 1900. 900 in 1925. Most
of this huge increase occurred IN
West and Northwest Texas. II Is
perhaps no exaggeration TO say that
nowhere In the world car an acre
of cotton Dc planted, cultivated,
gathered and marketed with as lew
man-hourS OF labor as on the
prairies and plains Of Texas.
incidentally, our acreage under
the Bankhead law ana the AAA
program Is now right back where
II was 20 years ago lO,5OOiOOO
acreSl
In one year II believe il was
1921 the cotton crop OF Texas
exceeded III value the wheat crop
81 the entire United States.
In several years the Texas cot
ton crop has exceeded IN value hall
a billion dollars.
Since the farmer sells all the
cotton he raises, this huge annual
production OF new wealth served
To generate an enormous commerce.
over 30 per cent Of the Texas
cotton crop has always been eA-
ported.
Millions Of bales poured into the
great ports Of Houston and Calves
ton, 10 be weighed, claSSed, com
pressed. warehcused, merchandized
and exported 10 practically every
corner OF the civilized world. leav-
ing here millions OF dollars IN sal
aries. wages and profits.
Millions OF dollars were invested
N facilities to a r for this bust
ness.
III would be hard to exaggerate
the Importance which this vast
trade has played III the building o.
Texas and the ports and cities OF
Houston and Galveston.
AS thought OF these things, ]
wondered whether you or your
readers realized that this great in
dustry OF growing. ginning, COM
pressing. transporting. warehousing
and merchandising Of cotton for
export Is right now In grave danger
OF bleeding TO death.
This Is "A strong statement. and /
must give proof 10 back II up.
The immediate cause Of the de-
plorable condition In which the eX-
port cotton industry now finds IT.
self lies III the action Of gov
eminent in giving bonuses 10 farm
erS to curtail the growing Of cot
ton, coupled with price-pegging de-
vices dirst. the lO-cent loan and
later the l2-Cent loan. the effect
being the substantial destruction OF
normal price relationships between
American and foreign-gIOWn cot
Ton. causing the latter to sell much
cheaper than usual ID comparison
with the prices Of our cotton. IN
consequence. fOreign-groWn cotton
" being substituted for American
tp an alarming extent.
Meantime, foreign cotton
growing competitors are increasing
their production almost as fast as
We are decreasing ours.
Fifty years ago The south Vas
producing rs Der cent OF the worlds
supply Of raw cotton: five or SIX
ANANM MEO w 1NAAA AAFNA W MI VIII u
81 tho production.
Thanks 10 the Bankhead bill and
the governments policy Of paying
farmers not To produce and to deS-
troy ever a portion Of that which
they had already produced, plus
some help from the drOuth. the
South IN 1884 raised only Al per
cen OF the worlds supply OF cotton.
Foreign countries have recently
increased their production from
los COCO 10 l3.25O,0 600 bales, while
We have cut ours from 100000 to
9.500.00O bales.
Last q august |, 1888, To
July 81. 1884, We lost 80l 900 bales
in markets. while Il foreign cot
%ton-growing competitors gained
! 100000 bales.
The following statistics OF the
New Orleans Cotton Exchange on
exports and world spinnerS' takings
OF American cotton for the period
August ] To October /, 1884. make
4 graphic. If alarming. showing OF
just what Is happening In the pre-
sent season:
Total exports August / TO October
10. 1884. 1lO7l .822 bales OF cotton.
Against same period last year,
I .946.224 bales Of cotton.
Showing a decrease for the period
o. eleven weeks OF 674.502 bales OF
cotton.
CAT this rate the loss III exports |
for the entire season would be a.
$4,000 bales OF cotton
World ginnerS' takingS August 1
70 October 10. 1884. 2.182.O1O bales
OF cotton.
Against same period last year
1922 900 bales Of cotton.
Showing a Shrinkage for the
eleven weeks Of this season i.ll0,- /
600 bales OF cotton.
tAt this rate the Shrinkage for
The entire season would De $3.50