The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-10-24
PLANTER MUST SUFFER.
Loss ON COUNTRY DAMAGED cor
TON WILL FAIL ON RAISER.
english spinners and Insurance Men
Sonfcr with View Of Regu-
lating the Matter.

washington, October as.--The United
states consul at Liverpool sends the state
department an extended report upon TIE
commercial handling OF country damaged
cotton in England. He says that "con-
ierences are being held between representa-
yves OF the Liverpool cotton trade and the
Insurance companies. to sextss upon a plan
OF action which will throw the burien OF
the loss caused by country damage to cot
eoh' where, they say, 1t properly belongs,
namely upon the American producer or
| sellor
Under the pressure Of keen compe,i-
ton the insurance companies. some years
ago. included country damage, and, in
deei, practically gave insurance from the
moment the cotton started on It's Journey
AT the interior point in the South until it
vas deposited In the warehouse at Liver
pool or Manchester.
So great, however, have been the losses
through country damage that insurance
companies are very anxious 10 relieve them
selves of this risk. 1t being claimed that
under the circumstances 1t Is not a legiti-
mate item OF insurance. American under
writers have estimated that tho claims
arising from country damage 10 cotton
delivered at Liverpool last season footed up
s5oO,OoO. Attempts have been made sew
eral times recently TO induce the spinners
o. this district to accept the cotton as re-
celved here, ami TO have an allowance made
Tor the country damage
The spinners, however, positively refuse
10 accept any cotton unfit for spinning.
When tSe cotton arrives here, the couu-
try damaged portions must be picked out
and th. hnln hn n ion,
fit for the spinner 10 use
There are two propositions Under con-
s!deration by the traie and by the nsur
ance companies The first is to advance
the rates; the second. to exclude country
damage altogether rs an item of insur
ance, leaving the trade on this side to col
iect The amount of damage from the seller
on the other. There is much discussion in
regard to the person upon whom the loss
for country damage cotton falls. The gem
eral opinion here is that in the end II
falls upon the grower. Ii Is said here.
however, that the cotton grower expresses
himself as quite Indifferent in regard to
this matter, claiming that II makes no
financial difference to him whether the cot
ton gets to Liverpool In perfect condition
or is country damaged'--that he can not
nffort to take precautions against this class
OF injury.
There are some shippers in America vino
claim that the Liverpool trade is altogether
too particular 1t should be remembered,
however, that this is the beet foreign mar
ket for American cotton In the world and
nobody familiar with the condition in which
cur cotton arrives al Liverpool can dis
pute rhe claim that there Is urgent need for
reform. There Is no other valuable product
that comes into Liverpool from anywhere
in the world so badly protected, but on
which there is such a loss because of -,
less packing and handling as American cot
ton
There Is generally. both on this side
and in the United States, a very complacent
and even confident view taken as TO the
future Of American cotton. Most people
rliicule the suggestion OF competition. while
it is worth while to consider the possible
effects of the changed conditions growing
out of recent events in the Far East. Take
Egypt. for instance The high quality OF
Eeyptlan cotton ~ testified TO both in Eng
land and the United States. by the price it
commands. Tho production OF Egyptian
cotton has. up to the present, been limited;
but fihie opening of the Nile valley and the
Soudan by the Anglo Egyptian forces, and
4 he consr quent establishment OF civilization
throughout that region. may lead to sub
stantial increase OF production of cotton
and lowering Of price.
The consul reports the total value OF
cotton imported in 1897 by Great Britain
from the United States as s1i9,34e,515