The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1945-08-31
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ME- AAEAD
BY GEORGE S. BENSON
presidfnt--HardiHg college
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Competition

About 20 years ago people in all
walks of life began to notice and talk
about competition between indus
tries. 1t was new then and inter
esting. Before that, competition was
understood to exist between people
and firms in the same industry
merchant VS.. merchant, railroad VS..
railroad, sawmill VS.. saWmill, etc.
But after World War l it was a
changed business world, plain to
see.
Among the modest newcomers in
that remote era was product called
rayon. 1t was manufactured in the
form of yarn, like wool and cotton
yarns. The price to weavers was
$3.50 pound against SOC for cotton
yarn. Last year $50 pound was
the price of both rayon and cotton
yarns, and rayon was on the market
as fibre, very much like cotton
fibre, but less expensive.
Rayon Has Grown
Back in 1919 the American people
bought less than 90 as much rayon
as cotton. Last year the ratio was
20To and rayon had captured quite
a slice of cotton's export demand.
Europeans earn less than Amer
leans and they pay more attention
to a low price. If it were not for
the war using up all both industries
can produce rayon would probably
be giving cotton some tough COM
petition.
When the war ends these two big
industries are faced with a struggle
for sales in world markets. 1t is
anybody's guess now how the strug-
gle will turn out, but King Cotton is
not licked The cotton industry is
still much bigger; still employs
more people than any other Amer
lean industry. Besides, smart cot
ton men understand how rayon
made it's remarkable gains.
Volume and Wages
Rayon started out the American
way. 1t had relatively large invest
ments in machinery. With good
tools it turned out large volumes
of rayon per worker. On basis
of big results from their days work
the men who worked drew good
wages. At the same time large out
puts of rayon per man every day
made it possible for prices to go
lower and lower each year, sales to
become bigger and bigger.
Working people in America have
a right to live well. When they
earn good wages they do live well.
Money they spend is the very life
blood of national prosperity. But
before they can earn good pay they
have to turn out lots of merchan-
disc per worker. And in order to
produce goods in volume they must
have good tools. It was successful
plan with rayon and it will work with
cotton.
1t Costs Something
People say there is a practical
cotton picker ready for introduction
after the war. 1t will cost a lot
more than one big sack and string
for each member of a share-crop-
per's family; it will likewise pick
more cotton in day than they can
pick in a week. Efficient tools call
for capital investment 1t means
laying out money, but efficient tools
are worth it.
People say we will see many
mechanical cotton choppers after
the war. 1t is not impossible. This
will increase the number of acres
of cotton per worker; make more
yield per day for every man. The
picker and the chopper will create
high wages and good living for a
lot of people. But rayon can win its
war with cotton if cotton tries to
stay in the field armed with hoes
and gunny-sacks.