New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-10

COTTON WOiENFhT iND NtNFt'II RE.
For thirty years or more the cotton records Of
Tile Financial GArouiele' have been regarded
~ tho end of dis"ln Sot un that subject. II j.
pleasant 10 note that there has never been tn"
least suspicion of Interested ar speculative trad
ing affecting these returnS. ana IN That respect
they differ widely from those of some other
trade Journals. During all this time Mr. w. Il.
Dana has devoted time and large resources to
this branch Of Investigation, with others. ana
with neither South African. kaiiir nor Austria
Ian interests 10 disturb his mind. IA the minds
81 editors Of financial Journals on the other SD"
Of the water appear to b" disturbed. h" has
made what will stand a. record "i cotton
movement and manufacture. His statement
HIS year differs little from that Of the New
Orleans Cotton Exchange recently noticed. and
long experience warrants the conclusion that II
is likely Ia bc. on ia" whole, more accurate.
Tho Financial Chronicle makes the com
mcrcial crop of the last year lllNo96o bales
and makes no estimate Of the quantity grown
IN 1891. bu, not marketed" which the Ncw-Or-
leans Cotton Exchange puts ~ 10000 bales
more than n year ago Ia other respects the
two returns compare fnirly well. and it Is only
tust 10 say that a vague statement of 33oOD
bales remaining somewhere. til" location not de
fined. casts some doubt over the \"w-Orleans
report. II is quite posslbl" that it is correct.
bni the trade would l." much Interested 10
know where this lnrg" quantity * and whether
wholly owned by Southern mills or how largely
ly cotton factors or planters. In the absence OF
any definite report the item is APT to bc dropped
from consideration ~ scarcely worthy Of entire
confidence.
The best that THE Financial Chronicle" can
tell us of Northern consumption OF cotton is
that II has been $4,000 bales against 81
$50 bales consumed in Southern mills This is n
shrinkagc of lsi.oVo bales In Northern con
SUMPTION since lN!li-'9,, or per cent, while the
same authority makes TN" Southern consump-
ton larger by 31iJSI bales. Everybody who
has watched thcs" returns l. aware that the
Northc consumption has been decreasing and
that great Southern increase was 10 be cx-
pcctcd. but not many looked for decrease so
great at the North. II would he instructive
if the return could give us an approximate rec
ord Of the number of yards produced in each
section because the Northern consumption I'M
doubicdly represents more yards per bale than
il did when tho southern competition was Of
no account, and it is quite possible that there
has been no decrease since lS9I-'9J IL the guam
tiiy or value Of goods produced al the Northern
mills. although Il considerable decrease appears
in the quantity of cotton consumed.
For ten years more the Northern mills have
| been adjusting their work 10 meet the new com
| petition from the South. AMI have changed their
| II achinrry materially and the quality of goods
produced. II may bc noticed That Tie heavy
| ovcrproducion in prntcoths NJ Fall River does
not now represent the real condition Of all the
mills aud everything tends to snow that The
works producing goods Of The finer grades moi
! yet largely produced at the South, have been
making satisfactory progress. Perhaps il might
| appear were the figures available. that he pro
duciiou Of such mills In yards had actually in
creased. If the statistics could he extended
| ms To cover this point and give tho public each
| year "A fair IDEA Of the quantity of goods pro
| dUced above AMI below n certain grade they
would have far greater value than they have
now and would probably help materially the
manufacturers and dealers In such lines.