The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-08
OPPOSED TO COTTON TARIFF.
Cotton Mans Reasons why PrOtec
ton Might Not he Beneficial.

tAOn might Not He Beneficial.
There is great of interest
here in the movement to secure
a protective duty for sea island
cotton in the shape of a tariff
on the imports of Egyptian cotton. As
Savannah handles more of the long staple
cotton than all the other cotton markets
put together it is natural that there should
be considerable interest in the subject
here.
As mentioned in the Morning News sew
eral days ago, a petition favoring sucn
duty was handed around on the Bay, and
was generally signed by cotton merchants.
Many of those who signed did so on the
idea that # protection is to be the policy
of the next administration, the south may
as well get it's share of it, along with
the other sections of the country, ana
sea island cotton might just as we'll have
protection as rice and lumber.
There were some who did not sign, how
ever. One gentleman who declined to
sign gave as his reasons for his refusal to
a Morning News reporter yesterday. This
gentleman has made study of the sea
island cotton business, and has full knowl-
edge of his subject
Il am unalterably opposed to a duty on
Egyptian cotton he said, because it
would be detrimental to the interests of the
growers of long staple cotton in this coun-
try In my opinion it would be nothing
more nor less than cutting our own throats
While 1t might have a temporary effect
in advancing prices this would be of but
short duration. The mills of this country
only consume about one-half of the long
staple crop and the other half is taken by
the spinners OF Europe. 1t is well known
that the price of an article is determined
by the price at which it's surplus must be
sold and as our surplus must be disposed
of in Europe the price will be made there
and the tariff duty on Egyptians will be
of no effect. The American manufacturer
VIII certainly not pay more for his cotton
than his competitor in Europe. My main
reason for opposing the tariff is this:
Within the last few years several large
mills for the consumption of Egyptian
cotton have been built in this country
These mills are now gradually changing
their machinery to use the sea island cot
ton. If we let the mills alone they will
all soon change their machienry so as to
use sea islands instead of Egyptians and
more mills of the same kind will be built
thus providing for the rapid increase in the
production of this crop, which is the main
point to be considered in this industry. 1t
is due to this change on the part of the
mills that we have been able to dispose of
the large crop of this year as easily as
we disposed of half the amount a few years
ago.
There are certain reasons" he said
why the mills prefer the Egyptian cotton
chiefly because it is easier to work and
the operatives prefer to use it on that ac-
count. But the American long staple is
so superior in many ways, it's greater
strength being one of its chief recommen-
dations, that it has no difficulty in COM
peting with the Egyptian and securing a
higher price in the latters own market
When there was a considerable difference
in the price of the two cottons it was to
the interest of the mills to use Egyptian
cotton, but with the prices brought nearer
together, as has been the case for the last
two or three seasons, it is to the interest
of the manufacturer to use the American
product because of it's superior qualities
The lower prices prevailing for sea Islands,
together with the new uses to which it has
been put, account for the large increase
in consumption.
with Texas driving the Atlantic states
out of the business of producing short
staple cotton by reason of her ability to
produce 1t at much lower cost the sea
island cotton crop must be looked to as
the future cotton crop of the Savannah
territory. We can easily produce twice
the amount of the large crop
VI JoJO, bul II WOulu De disastrous TO DO
so unless we can find a market for it, For
one thing the Georgia and Florida pro-
dueers of sea islands can afford to sell
their cotton at a lower price than in form
er years for the reason that a more pro-
life variety of seed is now used by reason
of which they now obtain one pound of
lint to three pounds Of seed cotton where
as formerly they secured only one pound
OF lint to five pounds of seed cotton
while the American manufacturers
would be debarred, to a certain extent. |
from using Egyptian cotton by a pro-
tective duty the surplus of sea islands
thus debarred from our market would
come in competition with the American
sea islands in the European markets and |
thus reduce the price of both products in |
the markets of the world, and as the |
American manufacturer would buy his |
supplies at European prices the producer |
would be injured and not benefited To |
sum it all up, in my opinion, to place a |
protective duty on sea island cotton would !
be TO kill the goose that lays the golden |
eggs"