Cotton Futures Act

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Cotton Futures Act
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Other short titlesCotton Futures Act of 1914
Long titleAn Act to tax the privilege of dealing on exchanges, boards of trade, and similar places in contracts of sale of cotton for future delivery, and for other purposes.
Enacted bythe 63rd United States Congress
EffectiveAugust 18, 1914
Citations
Public law Pub. L.   63–174
Statutes at Large 38  Stat.   693
Codification
Titles amended 7 U.S.C.: Agriculture
U.S.C. sections created 7 U.S.C. ch. 1 § 15b
Legislative history

The Cotton Futures Act of 1914 (also known as the Smith-Lever law) authorized the United States Department of Agriculture to establish physical standards as a means of determining color grade, staple length and strength, and other qualities and properties for cotton. [1] [2] It was intended to minimize speculative manipulation of the cotton market.

The Act was rendered unconstitutional in Federal district court because it originated in the Senate. As a revenue act, it should have been drafted in the House. It was replaced by the Cotton Futures Act of 1916. [3]

References

  1. Hoffmann, I. Newton (1915). "The Cotton Futures Act" . Journal of Political Economy. 23 (5): 465–489. doi:10.1086/252663. ISSN   0022-3808.
  2. Conant, Luther (1915). "The United States Cotton Futures Act". The American Economic Review. 5 (1): 2–11. ISSN   0002-8282.
  3. Markham, Jerry W. (2002). A Financial History of the United States. M.E. Sharpe. p. 96. Retrieved 19 January 2020.