Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1867-11-29
Friday, November 20, 1867.
uHE COTTON TAX.

uHE COTTON TAX.
Csu,missionsr " slls. Of tie Revenue; Burea,
has resently made a report to Secretary Mc
Enlioeh. in ahicl he recommends tlereneal Q
The cotton tax. lie urges that when tho ta'
nhon cotton was imposed by the Act pf July
1866, the rpiing prices Of the sfaple were j,
sxesss Of 20 ota per pound and for twslye n,ontl
'ssccesdne were in excess Of rs cents, ind wal
less byrden.ome than upon many oihe
branches Of industry. At the same tmeit wa,
sssumed tI,at the tax wss then only temporary
and 10 be justified only by tho existing
necessities Of the country, and 10 be repealed
ss soon as it should prove detrimental to do.
mspiic production, or furnish an undesirable
Stimulus TO foreign cultivation. Theee con
tingencies are now imminent. and the necessity
OF the repeal Of tho tax 10 evident fiom certain
fss,p and statistics adduc.d. .
nTbe principal competitor 10 the United
States iu the production of cotton is India.
and the price Of India cotton has been materi-
ally advanced during the past five years
through two agencive-frst. by improvements
IN machinery for its manufacture; ind second
j, in consequence Of an improvement in its
quality due to increased cnre in hnnling; to
the uss Of exotic seed, and to the tranefer OF
native seed from dirtricls which have hereto
fore yielded The best simple to those where the
production has been inferior. Ii is to This lat
ter agency that the recent ma, kcd improve
ment India cotton is, perhaps. more especi-
ally 10 be attributed than any .thor. But be
the eau'es what they may. it mny be affirmed
that where India cotton fsru,erly bore the rer
lation Of oneIalf TO two thirds the value Of
the American, it now bears the relation of
two-th,rds to three quarters. while portion of
the crop is fully rq ual TO midd!ing uplands
for the manufacture Of heavy fabrics.
"Evidence exists, tending to show that the
present tax Of two und half cents on the
present tpx Of two and a half cents DER
pound oil Amer ican cotton is equal TO a pre-.
H,ium Of nj least tifty rer cent. upon the cost
Of raising cotton in India. md by some au.
thnrit'es it Is alleged 10 he even greater. The
tax, therefore could with propriety he itnposed
only whi!c the aggregate supply of cotton WINS
less than the demand, and the ice was conse-
uuently far above the normal rate. The lary-
eat consumption Of cotton in Europe in any one
gear was in 1860. when il smsunied 10 4, 81, ,Gun
bales, eqnaft" ,s44 100000 pounds. or t!s
amount Lhe United 81 ntes furnished eighty We
PER cent, and there can he but little doui,t that
surplus Of cotton gou.ls vas produced 10 that
year, even with the stimulua which the low
easf Of the staple then rreuailing undoubtedly
Afforded TO consumptisn."
or the cotton crop of 1861 from the United
etat<s and all foreign countries, he estimates
that tho total available Europoan supply will
amountto 100000 hates. Such eupply
will be equal TO that Of the year 1860, when
there was a surplus but OF ,lis quantity the
Uni.edStates will now furnish lsss than Al per
cent, instead of s5 rer sent, ns in the year
rcferredto. Thus under thu sti,a,llus OF high
prices. more cotton will be produced than can
he consumed at the prices Of the day. The ef.
feet viii bs to depress the price Of the. staple
far fome,G,ne to come.
It:ths5efore becomes evi.lent concludes the
.CGmm;saioner that low. prices for cotton must
lis participated fir- considerable period, du-
ring :whieh the, domestic rroanc,ion shnuid not
- discouraged hy the continued imposition a.
q direct tax! But will, the relief that will DO
afforded 6y the prompt removal Of -theI ex;s-
ting tax the Commissioner fully believes that
santrof If tho cotton market and again sup
BY far Tie larger portion Of the total dc
mnnd sof Europe for coneuMption. In this
.ninion, moreover; he .fnds himself sustained /!
hy what may ho regarded ~ The hes. author
5Ciss on cotton in this country, aud particular
u by the late Commissiuser Of tie. United |
States to tbs Paris : Opposition, Hon.. E II.
Nudge. of Massachusetts, 20 whom as chsir
man OF cpnmittss. The .Aui,jeet OF the future
supply OF cotioa wss especially referred for |
by his eolteaguss on the COM
)nission. The conclusion sf aha report Of this /
;s5; ;SS%@i!tee. not heretofore made public Dire as
HAVING ca-.f,1}y olsorv.J ,sL.t