Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1896-09-17
COTTON IN MERc

Id commerce, TO Illus
trate the part played by the feecy
staple in the commerce and in
dustry of the United States, the
United Kingdom, France, Ger
many, Egypt and British India.
The New York journal of Com
merce, in reviewing these tables,
brings out their most silent fea-
lures. 1t is instructive to note
that, while the yield of the crop
increased 81 per cent. in the ten
years from 1875 to 1885, the to-
tai acreage in cotton of the ten
cotton-growing States increased
over 100 per cent, while in the
ten years from 1885 to 1895, in
which the crop increase was 81
per cent, the increase in acreage
was less than - per cent. That
is to say, while the average pro-
duct per acre for the season of
1Ss4-5 was only 155 pounds it
was 259 pounds for the season of
1994-5. The difference has a
somewhat important bearing on
the true condition of the South,
and must he held to operate as a
partial compensation for the lower
level of price.
The amount of domestic cotton
retained for consumption last
year was not greater than in1892.
but it was greater than in any
other country's history. The
quantity exported exceeded last
year all previous records by
nearly 600 200, 900 pounds. The
percentage OF exports to the
total production was SO. SO. The
distribution of the export of raw
cotton by countries for the last
crop year is not yet tabultated,
but of the 1858. 600, 900 pounds
exported in 1894, 1898, 0OO, 600
pounds.went to the Uuited kings
dom. This represented nearly
70 per cent. of the whole British
Importation, Egypt supplying
the bulk of the rest and British
India counting for only 77,OO0,~
900 pounds.
The fact is noted that the con-
of cotton in the United
States is rapidly approaching
that ofGreas Britain. In 1892 the
figures were very nearly identi-
cal, being 1888, 924, 900 pounds
for Great Britain, against 1921,
$50, 173 for the United States. In
1898 there was a much larger
falling off here than in Great
Britain, and in 1894 a still more
serious reduction, against a con
siderable gain in Great Britain.
The British figures for last year
are not given, but those for
the United States are 1 $780,
431, 800 pounds, so that the
figures of the consumption of
both countries areproba5ly not
far apait
Continental Europe has nearly |
trebled it's consumption since
having advanced from
$50, 400, 900 pounds to 1879, 2OO,-
300 pounds, and the United States
have more than trebled the |
consumption, having advanced
from 3S1, 900, 900 to 1,217, 400, 900 |
as the average of the four years |
ending with 1894.
AS a source of supply of the
raw material, the United States |
occupy a more commanding pos
than they did in for
years after the close of the
war. Then they supplied
half of the total of the
consumption indicated; in four
1891 "a, their average
annual contribution was 70 per
cent. of the whole. Egypt has
up since 1866-7O from 191,>
300, COO to 459, 900. 900 pounds, but
the quota of the East Indies has
declined from SIC, 500. 600 to
1872, 400, 900 and both the West
indies and Brazil are similarly of
even less Importance than they
we're twenty-five years ago. The
acreage of British India is
only Is per cent. less than that
Of the United States while it's ex-
ports are less than onesfifth of
hose of this country.
In the sum of its cotton ex-
ports Great Britain still has an
easy lead. Their total value does
not, of course. advance: the fall
IN price has been tnO sharp for |
that. In 1876 an export. of 232,
555 900 pounds of yarn showed a
value ofS62, 2O4, OOOwhile for 1894
an export of 236, 1876, 600. pounds
yielded only $45. 204. 900. So with
piece gooos; in 1876 1868, 4O4,
300 yards were valued at $685.
l65, 900 and in 1894 5,312, 753 900
we're worth only 1914. 41O,
300. For piece goods England
still finds its best market in the
East Indies,. 454 per cent of the
whole export going there. Amer
lea, other than the United States, |
takes 14a per cent. Of it's cotton
piece goods exported, and Tur.
key, Egypt and Africa a similar
proportion.
The United States, which in 1870
took 3.18 per cent, of the total
exports of British cotton piece
took less than / per cent.
Of them in 1894. and, against the
46, 100, 900 yards received from