The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1877-03-15
KING COTTON.

Commerce In Interesting An
ro ttrv,ec qcith Judge Hilton.
L. ews flashed across the ocean yester-
'fsS from Manchester to the effect "that
n0' meeting of the chamber Of commerce
lat city the president had said that
~ Export of Manchester goods to the
my bed States, which formerly afforded
M Excellent market, were now nil, and
~ there was considerable trade in Man
her in cotton fabrics manufactured
Wy merica." A Herald reporter was
" :, Fucted to call upon sMr. Hilton, of
4. Stewart & Co., to gain his opinion
he subject, and this is what he said in
~ to questions:
j The English government limits duty
!. Ne importation of very few articles,
our goods enter British ports free.
!, IL he United States, however, the duty
~ English and French printed cotton
MI - goods and chintz will run from
stu kty-fve to sixty per cent, according
AZ, 6alue. A safe estimate of the average
,rsl lid be about fifty per cent. You see
cad we have this great advantage of
nit ii over our Manchester competitors,
,to can pour our goods into their mar
ri The English manufacturers ship
ely to Australia and the East Indies.
we are beginning to compete very
kously with them there. In several
v Rts of the world the Manchester men
\ e obtained bad name for their cot
BED goods by weighing them with size,
lon bch gives them strong solid appear
Ike De- but when washed and the size re-
lci we'd, they are seen to be light and
nc ssy and transparent enough to allow
for wv England primer to be read through
: 81 he texture. 1t is no vain boas
ind 70 say that our American cotton
tat Boeds bear the best reputation
Of ~ the east, and importers there
wo pnld not change them for the British
e Dducts. When cotton is high on the
q her side, as it is to-day, it does not pay
es to expert, although some of our larger
mp tton manufacturers are overloaded
ea ill owners do not want to stop their
e, fills, as it always has prejudicial effect.
ii hey willingly sacrifice ten or fifteen per
'e bnt. on the price OF their goods sooner
ucI ban stop manufacturing. Percale is sold
ell New York at fifteen cents yard,
hich compares favorably in appearance
'nfi th English and French prints at forty
lhf Be cents yard.
IVY ~ The last six months have been terri
~ dull in our trade, particularly the
three. The uncertainty and inse-
III kity OF the presidency has had much
10 with it, Southern trade is entire
topped, and jobbers are holding back
q falling market. / cannot tell you
sD class of communications we receive
y 20 the south, but will only say the
W lner the presidential question is set
N, the better.
West of England broadcloth we can
successfully initiate. The best quail
here realize $40 per yard, German
y oadclo.h IS and American 1920. This
mark still applies to good many other
ticles. Of course importations have to
- duties mere or less high. You see
ese samples Of wooden dress goods on
desk, made Of silk, camePs hair and
pol, and containing twenty-five, fifteen
d ten per cent. of silk respectively.
y used to buy this class of goods from
ance, where they made them Of cancels
r spun with wool. In Mr.. Stewards
time we agreed to buy up all the
nel's hair we could find in the United
ties, and cleaned out the market, OBJ
ming altogether some 10000 pounds.
.cuta long story short, we are now
nufacturing these goods and shipping
\ 20 to Paris and other European CEN
Y and sell them at half the price we
\ the same style of goods we formerly
orted from France. Another thing
cease to import is wooden blankets.
Y conclusion, maintain that since 1878
/ b country has advanced fifty per cent.
\ excellence, at least, in the manufac-
h be of wooden goods"