The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-14

Tho following Ia from the Manchester
CT ardian Of December .:
''The crop question has now reached stage
where dsputants have called n temporary
truce There appears 10 DC nothing for 1t
under the strange and abnormal circum-
stances but 10 await Inter developments. The
old guides OF port receipts seem TO be less
reliable than formerly. inasmuch as the bust
ness Is now done at interior towns, and cot
ton seems only to move toward ports when
booked for shipment The old guide OF come
into sight hgures Is also supposed TO the less
trustworthy than heretofore. because OF the
vast takings OF the Southern spiLners. which
there is reason 10 believe have powerfully
and adversely affected them. The interior re-
ceipts still show the surprising fact that
twenty-seyen OF the thirty-ope towns have
received more cotton than 10 same date last
season. and the question has been realised how
far the large buying Of the Southern spinner
may have drawn TO interior towns an undue
proportion of the crop. There are men who,
going on the old lines, insist that they sus-
pect everything that requires explanation,
aud are now earnest believers In a small
crop, There are those who prefer 10 believe
the evidence OF interior receipts. and who ara
still Of opinion that tho crop is much larger
than II looks. Evidence OF letters acoumu
lates as to the extraordinary lock up of cotton
In the interior Letters from New Orleans
ably argue that the crop is large. but even
II small would fully supply consumption,
taking into account the big surplus left over
from the two last crops. Logically. no doubt
this Is 80. But at present the market is not
disposed for logic Concerning the crons Il
.s not sure of its facts. Logically II man
believes the evidence OF the interior receipts
ne ought to be thick and thin large crop
partisan; and II man believes come into
sight bsures, he ought TO be a con WINGED short
orop man. As matter of fact, neither OF
them go the full length OF their opinions
They want strengthening In each attitude
The large crop man Ia held hack and puzzled
because the come Into sight figures throw
doubt on his Interior receipts and tho small
crop man tries hard 10 explain away largs
interior hgures which seem Ia throw grave
doubt on his theory The market has turned
there is nothing more to he said, and at last
bah got really tired Of the controversy. Ii
gives IL up for the time as hopeless puzzle
only TO r. solved by future movements and
turns rather 10 the consideration OF other ami
less uncertain matters"
csrgli ana Richardson Of Houston say OF
cotton:
High rates for money in New York. reports
OF strlngency in the financial centers OF
Europe. and severe decline in the New
York stock market. caused cotton to rule
slightly easier today. with the market quiet |
and trade Hight Receipts were somewhat
smaller than they have been running OF late
Cotton has been confined TO narrow range OF |
late duo 20 the large number OF buying or |
dtre limited below the market. and any |
marked advance has been prevented as large |
lines Of cotton are for sale at few points |
above present quotations This condition will |
Iiksly rerain until some new feature Is pre-.
sen'ed q deoldsl character. sufficient to