New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-06-26

England and the Gotten supply of this country We
cordially refer him TO tine following extracts rom
Mr. Robert F. Porters letter from Manchester pup
lished in Mondays TRIBUNE-EdI
What hes the American protective tariff had TO
do with this migration of part of the cotton T-ne
from Manchester to New-Englandf l VIII let
English authorities tell the story. Says writer III
The London Quarterly herido
The connection of the United States is certainly
real 1t has not only virtually deprived Ne Oh us
5OOOO,O00 OF people as customers, pat ~ lhIea,ens
as with permanent active uvaly III OUTSIDE
markets.
Again
The American textile manufacturers have not
only been loud IN Their demand iGt
in high degree They have, Increased
their consumption of cotton under its influence 70
such an extent that their impOr OF cotton goods
have steadily declined from 2270OO,OOOin 1860 to
23,000O0O yards IN 1851.
On the other hand American exports oil cotton
goods reached in 1881 nearly 100000 yards 1t
has been claimed in some quarters that the export
Of American cotton goods to Manchester was merely
made TO raise money!" but this is most explicitly
denied by Mr.. James Thornley,, an Englishman,
who visited the United states a few years ago for
the express purpose of investigating the matter,
and whose report seems an impartial and exceed
ingly intelligent one.
There can be no doubt that the coJtOn lnuus-
try in England has reached its height and that
Manchester has seen her palmiest days. l have
already shown the decline in its popu-
lation. The American Consul. Colonel Shaw,
a close observer and careful stahstclan
openly SAYS that Manchester has tonched tue
height of her fame and prosperity lie thlnks the
day is not far distant when her decay Will become
apparent The fact is, the decay Is apparent now.
NV next letter will devoted to the condition OF
the operatives IN the industrial quarters OF Man
chetter and will unfold a state OF affairs that Cot
onel Shaw himself did not know existed untll ne
accompanied me To the wretched homes OF hundreds
of operatives. The explanation OF the decay ~
simple enough and unanswerable with protected
barriers TO aid them, Engiand.s Tlvals nave Deeh
making greater progress than England. The con-
sumption of Engand's goods no longer grows at us
old pace and the population OF the centre oil the cot
ton trade remains stationary, while the conultlon
of its operatiyes In Manchester and Saliord grows
worse and worse In 1912 Great Britain consumed
about $1,000 bales Of cotton the continent Oh
Europe only $4,000 bales and the United states
about 325. 900 bales. Today Great Brltalns an
uuaI ption does not greatly exceed 900 600
bales the continent OF Europe mas increased 10 IN
annual consumption of 100000 bales ana the
UntedStates 10 about /, 600 bales mus under
protective policy the European continent and the
United States have increased thelr annual consuulp-
ton OF cotton IRON l,l4l,OO0 bales IN ls4Z 10
4, 100, 900 bales at tho present time, whlle GTeat
Britain has increased from 1,375,OOO bales III ls4z
TO 900 900 bales at the present time, an increase
of ,625 900 bales against an increase OF nearly
5000. 900 bales for the European continent and the
United States. Without gong into the question as
TO whether or not a protective policy benehted
England we have here the important TACT that since
1912 the consumption of raw cotton III protective
countries has grown at much more apld rate tneh
il has In free trade England, ana that Whatever
fee trade NAV have Gone 70 benefit Ecgland, under
the influence of protection other countries nave
made greater progress Ii ~ therefore safe TO assert
that foreign competition 10 at the root OF the decne
III the cotton trade. and OF the decay OF ana de-
crease in the population OF Manchester.