Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1862-12-31
Tn. In.sr.s, Of tho west in su}..oo''on.

/The Interest OF the West In SUB .. Cctt,n.
-----.----- Bosros, DeS ~, 1859.
@. ". WESTON, Esq.--Dcar Sir; notice that
q motion has been made by Senator Anthony
to remove the duty of ten per cent, now levied
upon surst cotton when imported from Liver
pool.
During the past year we have purchased for
mills represented In my once, sbout 1000 bales
of surat cotton. OF this amount 1900 bales
has been used In factories under my direct SUI
peryision, and 1t has been spun pure into yarns
ranging from No. IL to No. 80, and woven Into
cloth from 81 to 81 yards 10 the pound. en-
close sample of cloth made exclusively from
surat cotton which is No. % warp, No. 30 all
Ing, and Gs by 20 threads to the inch, or, as de-
fined In our tariff, l4O threads to the square
Inch.
surat cotton Il much more available for use
In this country than In England, as our average
number Of yarn is about No. 90, while theirs Is
aboIt No. 20.
/ With slight changes In our machinery We can
! spin Surais into all numbers from 0 TO 80. II
can hardly he used from No. 30 TO No. 40, and
| for all numbers above 10 may be considered as
/ practically useless. ....
! believe. from rs thorough an examination
as / have been able to make, that surat cotton
can never he made to displace American In the
English market. II IL produced upon differ
cnt variety Of the cotton plant, In different
soil and climate and however much the
methods of cultivation may he improved, II
must remain an inferior article, unavailable for
/ fine work.
! England cannot change her work to adapt
her spindlcs TO SurRt cotton, for she would have
! no demand for such O quantity Of coarse goods;
and also for tho reason that no sufficient sup
ply of Surats could he had In 20 years, II oil her
splndles were on No. 20 instead Of No. 40-the
requirements of No. 20 spindle being 80
pounds of cotton per annum; OF No. 10 spin
die, only 81 pounds.
! With an absolute dearth of American cotton
In Liverpool. surats now bring in that market
but little over one half the price. Whenever
fair supply of American cotton can he fur
nishcd with certainty and regularity, Surats
will be thrown aside by English spinncrs and
neglected, as they have been for years past.
In the meantime the product in India will have
been enormously increased, and then comes onr
opportunity.
We manufacture our heavy domesiics for ex-
port at a less cost per yard for labor than the
English, Uhis statement can he proyed,) and
with success on even terms tOthe great market
al lsNcrpOOl tOttOn, NtCun
nav, increase our export trade very largely.
The import of Surats from Bombay 10 not a
business In which manufacturers can readily
engage; II Ia in the hands of merchants in Liy-
erpool and Bombay, and the great centre Of the
trade must be at Liverpool, and to that market
we ought to have free access.
The Western States have larger interest In
this question than any others, on account Of
their immense consumption Of grain hags.
This ] will demonstrate from my own expert
euce as hag manufacturer.
Few can doubt that for some years 10 come
American cotton must rule very high we will
assume that IL will average ~ cents per pound
for five years. But at that price, If tho supply
Is regular, England must take and neglect
Surats, the character of her spindlcs and goods
leaving her no option. Surats must decline to
less than one half the price of American, say
i2l cents per pound, and even that price will
he nearly twice what II has averaged for some
years past, and will draw large quantity.
Al % cents for American cotton, a two
bushel grain bag will cost 33 cents and cannot
be retaled at less than 30 cents. Al i2i cents
for Surats, lwo-bushol bag can be made for 2f
cents and rctailed for 90 cents, the common
price for past years.
Yours, very truly.