The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1866-11-14
Cotton Past and Present.

SO1Uon l. dSU tuu T0SSuC,
. The subjoincd article is from the London
Pail Mall Gazete, and will be read with
interest:
The cotton famine is now over; supply
and consumption nro fast reSumipg the po.
| sition they occupied before the great de-
rangcmcnt canscl by the American civil
WBr cntailcd such severe suffering upon our
artizans, anu such heavy losses upon our
master manufactures; the aggregate amount
! Of our imports has grown 20 DO rs large as
ever, and every prices arc tending rapidly
toward an approach at least Of their former
level. 1t is q fitting timo, therefore, TO tako
sort Of birds eye view of the terrible dis-
iurbancc, and to form somo conception Of
the consequences which arc likely to re-
main after the storm that swept over our
staple industry shall have altogether sub
sided.
In 1860, our cotton imports. and our oon..
sumption Of the raw material, reached the
highest figure they have ever attained. The
total supply was 3,3G7 900 bales, and the
5000 bales. This year, if the proportion
Of the frs. eight months arc preserved till
the ond Of December, the importations will
amount to upward Of 4, 400, 900 bales, and
the weekly consumption to about $4,000
bales. Already we hnve received zorro than
three million of bnIos. but tuu remnrka-
bic differences are 10 be noticed, viz: tho
sources from which we obtained our sup
rlies, md the prices we pay for them. Let
lis look at these in turn.
Previous to the war tho United States
habitually furnished about rs per cent. Of
our entire importation. In 1859 and 1850
they sent us 100000 bales out of 8, 1876.
00O In 1862 they sent us only 8 per c,5nt.
Of our supply In 1885, thus far, they have
sent us only ono million out Of three, or
about 80 per cent Next year, of course,
their proportion will be far larger. AS soon
ds it became clear that some years must
elapso before tho cotton C, op of America
could resume its old position and extent,
the whole world was ransacked for the nrti.
Gle, and every country that produced cotton
increased its production rs much as posi-.
BILE. India, that used TO sond us 5000
bales year, has sent on an average l, 200,-
600 since the war hogan, and this year will
least. In tho same manner Egypt and Bra
xii respectively troblcd their production,
and last year suppled 680,000 bales be-
tween them. This year the Egyptian crop
| failed to n considerable eItout, bit the fail
uro is not expected to be moro than tempo.
rary. Ecsidea these sources Of supply; tho
Wcst Indies, Turkey and China made great
excrtions to meet our demand, and their
contributions for a while wore by no means
despicahlc. Thus it will 10 seen that VIC
wore fast becoming, es far as moro quality
was concerned, tolGrably independent Of the
! United States. But this indcpcndenoe did
not extend either to quality or prico. No
other country was able to furnish SO pre-
ciscly tho sort Of cotton could furnish tho
| right quality at so low rate. Tho East
India articles was cheaper, but inforior, the
Egyptian was longer and stronger, but cost
moro, ind was inferior in color.
Scarcely ever in any article OF general
consumption have manufactures had to On
dure such grevious and perplcxing variations
in prico rs havo occurred in raw cotton
since 1860. For long series Of years
mddling Orleans (American) used to be
purchased at Cd. por b., ard Middling Surat
| Cast Indian) at 4a. per lb. TO this range
tho ideas and habits Of consumers had ac-
cusomcd themselves, and it was no cnsy
matter to persuade thcm that any higher
prices could be general or long sustained.
But during the severcst pressure OF the
scarcity, namely, in 1864, tho first men-
tioped quality reached 80d. per To-, and the
| latter 24d., or fvo and six times their ordi.
| Eary cost. Now mattorshaye so far subsid
ed that Orleans cotton is quoted at I'D,
and the Surat at Sd. 1t is easy to conceive
tho disturbance and confusion created in
the minds Of both buyers and sellers by
such fluctuations, as we'll es the alarm ant
distress they caused to tho ultimate con
sumcrs Of tho manufactured article.
The question for tho future--indecd, ir
great measure tho practical question fol
I tho present-now is, whence shall we hciioe
forth, that is, next year and afterward
draw our principal supplies of cotton Ant
what prices shall we te called npon' to pa.
for them? No doubt at all exists as to th
extent Of our supply; we arc certain to OBJ
tain as much rs we need; mills will gstol
for, want of tho raw material our consamp
tion will soon DO as great, indeed greater
than ever. But shall wo use American, o
| Egyptian, or lndn cotton, and in what re
lativc amounts One thing appears Ger
tain-at least all our former experienc
tpoints in this .dircction--the cotton of tn
United States will always, in the main, b
preferred TO every other quality If 1t can' b
supplied to us in ample quantity and at
, sufficiently low price. This being the case
VIC shall only purchase that furnished TO u
by India and Egypt, either as suppiemcn
tary, or in case they can tempt US either
pricc or quality for there arc certain cha,
$ acteristics in which tho Egyptian staple
. preferable even TO American.
Hitherto the United States, owing
their singular combination Of capital, into
gcnce, bonndl ss water facilities fer tran,
, port, aud unlimited supply of labor, hay
I beon able TO surpass and nearly drive ava