The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-10
DECLINE IN ooTroN vARRIos.


It was announced in the dispatches
yesterday that the Cotton Manufac-
turers of Fail River, Mass, are about
to reduce the wages of their employees
10 per cent. The reduction viii affect
$4,000 operators. The owners of the
mills declare that they are forced to
this move in self-defense. Print cloths
they say, are lower than ever before
known and their stocks on hand are
growing all the time.
A reduction Of wages to this extent
and a lowering of prices under the
operations of the new tariff law will
doubtless be a surprise to many. 1t is
apparent that other Influences are at
work paramount to the tariff.
A partial explanation of the decline
in cotton goods may be found in the
fact that a formidable competitor with
this country has arisen in the Orient.
The following extract from a commu-
nication of William E. Curtis to the
Chicago Record may throw some light
on the subject:
There is to be a fifth steamship line
between the ports of Japan and those
of the United States taking cotton and
flour and iron from us in exchange for
silk and tea of the land of fans and
flowers. 1t is to be established by ia
panese capitalists Mr.. Asana, presi-
dent Of the Tokyo board of trade is the
president and manager of the company,
and it is to be called the Tokyo Kisson
Kaisha. The steamers were built and
leased in England, but if the enterprise
proves a success the company will con
struct a fleet of it's own. The first
steamer is expecting to leave Yokoha-
ma in January for San Francisco and
follow the same route as those of the
Pacific Mail line. This will be the third
line to San Francisco, the Pacific Mail
and the Oriental & Occidental being the
other two. The latter have pooled their
issues and are now under practically
the same management, and it is ex-
pected that the Tokyo Kisson Kaisha
viii join the pool. There is a fourth line
to Tacoma. in connection with the
Northern Pacific; a fifth to Seattle in
connection with the Great Northern
railway, and the Empress line to Van
couver, in connection with the Canadi-
an Pacific. The Seattle steamers are
also owned and operated by the ia
panese, and belong to the famous Nip
pom Yusen Kaisha, in which the en-
peror is a large stockholder and which
has a heavy subsidy from the govern
Inent. That line is getting a very large
carrying trade in raw cotton. It's man
ayers have entered into a contract with
the cotton manufacturers association
of Osaka-the Chicago. of .Japan-under
which they have agreed to deliver a
certain number of baIes-reachfng into
the tens of thousands annually for a
term of years at a stated price over
and above the market price of the var
ious grades. The cost of the cotton
may fuctuate, but the transportation
rates are fixed.
The managers of the Nippon Yusen
Kaisha came tc ~che United States and
made a contract with the Great North
ern Railroad company to deliver the
cotton at Seattle on similar terms The
cotton comes up the Mississippi valley
from St. Louis and Memphis by rail
and by boat to St. Paul Hitherto the
Osaka mills have received their supply
via Liverpool, when the cotton was
transshipped and brought on tramp
steamers through the Suez canal It is
said that better rate has been secur-
ed via Seattle
The Tokyo Kisson Kaisha has made
Similar contracts with other cotton
manufacturers for term of years, and
will get its cotton via the Southern Pa
cific from San Antonio and New Or
leans. The new arrangement is already
beginning to have an effect upon the
export statistics. The shipments via
Liverpool have been included in the ex-
ports to England. Now they are in
cluded in those to Japan. In September.
1896, only 400 bales were credited to
Japan; in September, 1897, the returns
showed an export of 1900 bales The
exports in October, 1896, were 2,e2s
bales; in October. 1897, 10, ,3s5 bales.
During the ten months ended Oct. 81.
last year, 2s645 bales were shipped to
Japan. During the corresponding. per-
4od of 1897 we shipped so, 1863 bales.