New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-09-30
THE BRITISH COTTON TRADE,

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While America has been the great cot.
ton producer of the world England has
hitherto been the great cotton manufac.
turer. In the skill, industry and capital
they represented, the English factories
were far in advance of all others, and fol-
a time held partial if not complete con-
troll of the entire cotton trade. Gradually,
however, the people of the United States
began to manufacture for themselves, and,
before the commencement of our domestic
war, competed to some extent with Eng
glish producers in their own and other
markets.
But even up to the present time, cotton
constitutes one of the most important
elements of British commerce. OF the
total of British exports in 1875, amount
ing to e232, 800, 900, fully one-third were
of cotton goods, and of this third not less
than ETA, 1884, 95 in value were sent to
the distant Indian dependency. OF late
years, however, there has been marked
decline in the Indian demand, and this
arises, first, from the fact that during our
domestic troubles the growth of cotton in
India was largely stimulated through
British agencies, the American supply
being at that time interrupted; and second,
because the British settlers in India be-
gan to avail themselves of British ma
chinery and skill in order to supply their
own home market.
In former times India was a considera-
bic producer of cotton and manufacturer
of cotton goods, but when she became to
so large an extent British dependency,
native hand labor found it impossible to
compete with British machinery, and the
industry declined. Now, through the
adoption of the very machinery which
crushed it out, it is beginning to revive,
and there is demand in England for the
repeal of the slight tax of five per cent
which, it is contended, operates as pro-
lection to the Indian cotton mills. To
show how rapidly these mills have in
creased, it is sufficient to state that the
first was constructed in 1868, and in De-
cember, 1875, there were no less than
forty of them in operation, representing
one million spindles, Of which four hun
dred thousand were first put in motion in
1875, and the total value of the works is
set down at thirty-eight millions of ru-
PEGS, or about nineteen millions of our
money.
According to an article in the Fort,aiqht-
ly Recieao, half million of English oper.
atives and a hundred and twenty millions
of English capital are directly employed
in the cotton trade, and not only the in
dustries thus represented, but various
others of cognate character, including
the shipping interests, depend largely for
their prosperity on the foreign and do
nestle demand for cotton goods. The
foreign demand is, however, that which
chiefly affects the measure of this pros
perity, for of the total average product of
British cloths and yarns only sixteen per
cent is required for home consumption.
In the facts and figures above given we
find curious evidence of how the indus
trial interests of the world are stimulated.
England supplies herself with mechanical
and labor-saving appliances, and is thus
enabled to secure the control of foreign
markets; this done, she supplies other
countries with manufacturing machinery
md teaches them its use, and thereby loses
he very markets she before controlled. |
She, however, has faith in her own des-
my under all circumstances, feeling as
'ured that in the changes Of the future
he will find full compensation for ell her
eaaak When TIE relied fozee Of the |