The age-herald., 1900-03-03
Hester's Cotton Statement

 New Orleans, La, March 2.-Secretary Hester's New Orleans cotton exchange statement issued today, covers the month- ly movement to the close of February. Compared with last year, the month is ahead in round figures 2sO0OO bales, behind the year before last 2,00O bales, and ahead of 1897 by 356, GOO bales.
 The total for February was S41, ,5SO bales, against 552,010 bales last year, S93 ,3i1 bales year before last and 4S5636 bales for the same time in 1897.
 The amount brought into sight for the six months from September to February, inclusive, shows a decrease of 1 ,755 000 bales under last year, a decrease of 1.SSS,cJJ bales under the year before 1e-. .tnd an increase of S1,0oo ha'es over 1897. The movement fro--i the first of September to the close of r'ebruary shows receipts at all United States ports to be 5,566, ,Sl6 bales, against 7,236,061 bales last year, 7,236,O61 bales last year, 7,44OS7S bales year before last and 6,012, ,692 bales the same time in 1897; net overland movement by railroads across the Mississippi, Ohio and Potomac rivers, l,O32 POP bales, against 1,0S1 ,127 bales last year, ,662 bales year before last and 720,- 1O9 bales at the same time in 1S97 southern mill takings, exclusive of consumption at southern outports, S51,906 bales, against 779,506 bales last year. 727,13 bales year be- fore last and 9,713 bales at the same time in 1897; interior stocks in excess of those heid at the commencement of the season, 242,9O6 bales, against 50S4S bales last year, 42S,015 bales year before last and 239, 5S3 bales the same time in 1897.
 These make the total amount of the cot ton crop brought into sight during the six months ending with the close of February I,6S3,01S bales against 9447,543 bales last year, 9,51S26S bales year before last and fo12O97 bales at the same time in 1885
 Northern spinners took during February 23l,S93 bales, against 209,66O last year, and 225,S16 year before last, increa sing their total for the six months to 1923 ,S1O, against 1,1S4,419 last year, and 1,S02,914 the year be- fore. This makes their average weekly takings thus far for the season 4403, against 69,010 last year, and 69,727 the year before.
 Foreign exports for the first six months of the season have been 4O57, ,246 bales show ing decrease under last season of 1,7S6,- 965, and decrease under the same period year before last of l, ,346, ,763.
 The gain in foreign exports during Feb ruary, compared with February last year has been l22,S5, and compared with the same period year before last 14,947.
 Stocks at the seaboard and the twenty- nine leading southern interior markets at the close of February were 1,436, ,064, against ,2S7,244 the same date last year, and 1743- 13a the year before.
 Including stocks left over at Dorts and interior towns from the previous season, and the number of bales of the current crop brought into sight during the six months the supply has been S,311 916 against 9715,- 1oS last year, and 9.694,S22 the year before Up to this date last year S3 79-100 per cent. of the cotton crop had been marketed and for the same six months in 1898 the per- centage of the crop brought into sight was S5 52-1OO, and for the same time in 1897 the percentage marketed was S6 92-100.
 In addition to the monthly figures Sec, e. tary Hester issued today statement of the weekly movement for the seven days end 'ng March 2, inclusive, showing the tctal brought into sight this year 1S6.S5S, against 16f. ABS for the seven days ending March 9 inclusive, last year; 22O ,421 year before last, and 129,O25 same time in 1S97