The age-herald., 1900-01-05
TESTERS STATEMENT

New Orleans, January -4.-Secretary He's ters New Orleans cotton exchange state ment. issued yesterday, covers the monthly movement to the close of December.
 Compared with last year theNmonth is behind In round figures TAI 900 bales, be- hind year before last 606, ,00O, and behind 1S96 17O00
 The total for December was 1879 695, against 2,124, 152 last year. 1885, ,446 year be- fore last, and 1,596,291 same time in 1896.
 The amount brought into sight for tine four months from September to the close of December shows decrease of 1,S34, 900 under last year, decrease of 900 un- der the year before last, and a decrease of 593.o0O under 1896.
 The movement from the first of Septem- ber to the close of December shows re- ceipts at all United States delivery ports 3,97S552 against 5,S5S,645 last year, 5,559, PTS year before last, and 4,s5S, ,s99 same time in 1896. Net overland movement by railroads across the Mississippi, Ohio and Potomac rivers, S12 997, against I'll 642 last year, 6S2,- S65 year before last and 561 PAP same time in 1S96 southern mills taking, exclusive of quantity consumed at southern outports, 573,SS7, against 525,0S7 last year, ,9O1 year before last, and 440,301 same time in 1S96 and interior stocks in excess of those held at the commencement of the season. 525, $40. against 575,175 last year. 56O,0O0 year be- fore last, and 437,75o same time in 1896.
 These make the total amount of the cot ton crop brought into sight during the four months ending with the close of December, 5,S9l,o76, against 7,725,54s last year, 72se ,53S year before last, and 6,39S, ,192 same time in 1896.
 Northern spinners took during December 4S6743 bales, against 527,271 bales last year, and 392,SS3 bales year before last, increas- ing their total for the four months to 1,434,16S bales, against 1,219,456 bales lasl year, and 1,276,3sS bales the year before. This makes their average weekly takings thus far for the season S2,969 bales, against 69,s6S bales last year, and 73,234 bales the year before.
 Foreign exports for the first four months of the season have been 2,56S,4S5 bales, showing a decrease under last season of 161619I bales, and decrease under the same period year before last of 1,199,51l bales.
 The loss in foreign exports during De- cember. compared with December last year, has been 7s2,5S5 bales, and compared with the same period year before last, b92,959 bales.
 Stocks at the seaboard and the twenty nine leading southern interior markets at the close of December were 1,S9S,939 bales. against 2,052, ,361 bales the same date last year, and 1,S63,13S bales the year before.
 Including ports and interior towns stocks left over from the previous season and the number of bales of the current crop brought into sight during the four months, the supply has been 6590,975 bales against 7,993,115 bales last year, and 7,413,0S7 bales the year before.
 Up to this date last year 6S 52-100 per cent. of the cotton crop had been market ed, and for the same four months in 1897 the percentage of the crop brought into sight was 65 15-100 per cent, and for the same time in 1896 the percentage marketed was B 6-100 per cent.