The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-06-08

where. OF the tbirty-6ve coun tries represent
| ed in the cotton conference in London, several
came within the operation Of our theory Of
fibre climate. A large number OF the paItic-
| pants in that anti-American conspiracy repre-
sented lands within the basin OF the Mediter-
ranean. Taking in both cases the heat aver
ages, or, as they are called, the isothermal
physical atlas will show that the countries
| along the shores Of the Mediterrauean-except-
ing those affected by local causes enj ~ a cli-
mate similar to that Of our own cotton belt.
| The question OF value IN cotton ls not how
ever, one Of theoretical dedacuon. Those Of
Egypt, for example, had proved themselves.
| for twenty years before our owl war, to be Of
| the very choicest qualities The Turkish
| fbres-those Of the Levant-were known half
| o century sgo to be equal to the very finest
| in the market The Algerine cottons are. 1t is
true, affected by the influence OF the desert,
but those OF Morocco sheltered by Mount
Atlas, and moistened by the influence OF the
ocean currents, represent admirable fbres.
Cotton has been produced in Italy for nearly q
! thousand years. Its growth has never been
| totally given up in trat country; the plant has
continued to grow under all vlcissltudes OF
there for domestic consumption in several Of
| the provinces. In our time o,tton has been
exported from that country iu large quantities.
During the continental sys EN- Of Napoleon
BonaParte the raw material could not be OBJ
| tanned IN Europe fr m any source, and this
stimulated the growth IN the Italian peninsula
| to such an extent as to have superseded there
even the fig, thu mulberry, and the olive. Per-
fecty available. therefore, for all the purpo-es
| Of the conspiracy q. alDst Americln industry
are the 6bres OF the peninsula and islands OF
the ILallan Kingdom. Confidence in our mono
poly OF the fibre climate proves to be broken
reed. Within the limits OF that theory. as We
hall l1,kx HnI VA n0Dfr0nta6 a..
tile movements in Egypt. Turkey, Greece,
Malta. The Ionian Islands, Morocco, and Italy.
But the actual danger OF the combination
az ainsr the proudest victory OF American in
dustry has been shown to embrace, besides
these, Brazil. India and Hsyti."
THE AREA AVAILABLE FOB COTTON PRODUCTION
According to Senator Acorn the average
that may be diver ed in India to cotton, ls not
so great as is gener lily supposed. In Brazil
the quantity Of land available for cotton pro-
duction 10 set down as practically unlimited;
in E2, pt, 200. 900 acres; in aayti 5000, 600
acre.; and in Italy. 1000 600 acres. Egypt
and Italy alone are stated to De able TO occu-
py fully oCr former place IN the market OF the
world, without including India, Turkey, Hay
II, Brazil, and the West Indies, and that now
foreign cotton, which can be procured in un-
limited Quantities, is we'll suited to from fifty
to sevenly-five per oen.. OF the purposes OF
the mill owners.
THE QUESTION OF PRICE.
he then touches upon the question Of price
and shows therein another danger. Am.
is not nov in condition to produce cotton at
anything Like the prices prevailing prior to the
war, whilst, on the other hand. foreign coun-
t1les, by means OF q cheap labor system. are
producing at prices not much above the low
est that ever prevailed in this country.
"The report OF the Cotton Conference Of
London goes with precision into tue question
OF the Irice at which cotton can be proluced
In the several countries represented in that
anti-Amerlcan conspiracy. Two pence half
penny per pound will. according to DIR.
Forbes. pay for the production OF cotton IN
India And MIR. Chapman, the manufacturer
quoted in the dispatcn Of the British Secre-
tary Of Legation at Petersburg, says that the
dlsplace ,cnt from the market OF fifty per
cent. of the American tibres will follow, SO long
as those 6bres carry a price higher than the
Indian COTTON in the proportion OF fifteen per
cent. In Brazil, the proceedings OF the cotton
conference state that the planters Will reap
profit, and the cultivation will extend at prices
as low as four ponce per pound. In Ecuaior
raw cotton con, it 1s alleged, he produced Wild
profit at four pence per pound. Six pence per
pound Is said to be the lowest price at which
that culture would pay in Venezuela. at Blk
pence pound, on the spot, an increase in the
breadth Of cotton planting would. 1T is afhrm-
ed, go on continually in Hayti. From thr to
-
ing cotton in Angola, one of the African pos
sessions OF Portugal. In Greece cotton plant
lug caouot be maintained, it appears, at less
than six pence per pound, but any excess OF
prlce above that will lead in that country to it's
extension. In Italy the cost Of producing the
fibre is set down at from four 10 si1 penJe
per pound. The specifications may be sum.
med up. IN accordance with the statement OF
Dir. Nauklyn, by assuming that the contest for
the maintenance OF our cotton supremacy must
be fought ct prices not higher than six pence
per pound. The vice-chairman OF the Cotton
Supply Association lays down the precise
grouuo on which the war for the destruction OF
our prosperity s to be waged. In recon
no.sance OF our position he says: The
American planter owns he could not cultivate
cotton at the price OF four pence per pound.
But since 1915 the average price has
never been under siI pence per pound, ant
there is every probability that for some years
to come he will be unable to afford his article
at much less than eight or nine pence per
pound; 80 that the question for you to consider
is whether your country can, under any state
OF circumstances, produce cotton at Blk pence
per pound. II you can, you are perfectly safe
IN future competition with America"
THE REMEDY.
Senator Acorn says, in conclusion, that to
make the production OF cotton In the United
States profitable, in face OF the various acci-
-
terests must be made supreme and able to con-
troll the market, 80 as TO make good the short
comings by increase OF price. Without a mo-
nopoly this cannot be done. To do this, there.
fore, and to coun eract. so far as possible, the
effect of the foreign con iplracy. will require
vigorous efforts on the part Of the American
producers and extensive aid from the Govern
ment IN reconstluctlng the Mississippi
leyees. 1t will not do to strive in the bat
tie Of prices with uplands, averaging from
two to five hundred pounds per acre, for de-
feat is certain. We must fall back upon the
rich prairies and valleys OF the interior. The
prolific fats of the Mississippi, whic yield
1900 tv 5000 pounds to the acre. will able us
to bring down prices aud distance foreign IL
valry. There are 10 600 600 acres Of such lands
along the Misslssippl River, which, properly
developed and rendered useful by the con-
struction Of levees. would again give to our
country the cotton monopoly OF the world. 1t
is, therefore, urged that the construction OF
those levees is national interest, and that
Congress should be respectfully asked to enter
upon this Important work Of drainage, which
will enable us to food the cotton market at
prices to crush all rivalry, by the unapproaoh-
hlo ,oro1,, ~ the a1IuVIal Hpld Of the