Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-09
AMERICAN COTTON ABROAD.
Consul Boyle Reports ON the Imports
at Liverpool.

consul Boyle Reports on the Imports
at Liverpool.
Consul James Boyle reports to the State
department that Liverpool imports more
American cotton than any other port in
me world. For number of years past"
he says, "the annual importations have
been nearly 3OOO.0OO bales. There is Just
now discussion in both American and
English cotton centers as to baling This
| subject has for many years been discussed
on and on, everybody interested in the cot
| ton trade being agreed as to the great need
or an improvement in the baling. What
caused revival of the discussion here was
the arrival from the United States, some
TWO months ago. of several hundred round
bales of cotton. The claim is made by
those interested that the cylindrical bale
as now put up, Is a very great Improvement
| on the samples sent over two years ago.
'One OF the most annoying features of
the OLD system of baling is that the into
covering of number of the bales becomes
so torn that marks indicating the place of
origin, the quality and the consignee are
absolutely undecipherabe.
1t IS noted here" says Consul Boyle,
that the American manufa cturers have
started an agitation for an Improvement in
the baling Of cotton but 1t must be admit
Ted that their grievance is a small one COM
pared with that of the British cotton brok-
ers and spinners. The coarse lutte covering
Is nearly always torn and in a large ner
centage of the bales. one-third or one half
VI the COTTON is exposed, and many bales
nave the covering almost entirely off
some or the bales are known as .caulihoWer
heads. because of their likeness to huge
caul1howers There Is an enormous loss.
ooth to the American shipper and to the
british consigned. through the present de-
receive system of baling, as much of the
cotton becomes loose, and great deal of
the outside of the bales gets damaged.
LION brokers. spinners, insurance men
ana snip owners here all unite in declaring
the urgent need of an improved system of
Daling. AS to whether the cylindrical bale
IuIiy meets the requirements of the trade
l am not prepared to say. Certain it is
however that the cylindrically- baled cot
feet condition, there not only being no
loose cotton, but not q single case of no
marks 0
one of the most serious incidents of the
cotton export trade Is that of fire In the
cargo. Cotton fires are especially dreaded
by ship owners and by the dock authorities
Tor the reason that cotton fire is harder
10 eXtinguish than almost any other kind
OF fire. A leading official of the Liyerpool
oock board remarked to me the other dav
that they dreaded cotton fire almost as
much as they did an oil fire. There have
Deen some very disastrous cotton fires In
Liverpool For the last two years. how
eVer there has been freedom from these
connaSrat1ons, owing, it should be said to
the extra precautions of the dock authori-
f flss, VINO have been employing large
Iorce OF men, In addition to the regular
dock lire brigade, whose special duty 1t is to
prevent and to extinguish fires in the cot
ION warehouses;. and to examine the holds
OF arriving cotton ships. One Of the strong
est claims put forward in behalf of the
cylindrical bale is that 1t is much less like
~ to catch and hold fire than the old-style
American bale"