The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-01-14
SHEPPERSON'S ESTIMATE
He SAYS CONSUMPTION IS ON
TIE HEELS OF PRODUCTION.
SoIN$ERS WOEFULLY SHORT
Held Back Depending on Big Crop That Did
Not Pan Out. The Increase in Gotten
Consumption in the Various
Coan' rieS.

lHCtTeSC not only Ill the south, DuI
| throughout the manufacturing and spec
ulatiye centers of the North continues to
run largely to cotton. The bulls and
bears still bold tenaciOusly to their re-
| sDectiye views, though it must be adj
united that the situation is becoming
more and more against the latter.
Cotton Facts" an annual ISSUED by
Mr.. Alfred Il. ShepperSOn, of New York,
one of the most reliable and unspecula-
tive of our cotton statisticians, contains
much valuable information both as to
| cotton and cotton milling. OF this. seasons
crop he says: "Advices sent me i'll De-
cember by reliable correspondents
throughout the South indicate CONNER
cial crop of 9.J00000 bales, composed of
about 100000 bales carried over from
the previous crop and yield this season
of 100000 bales distributed as follows:
North Carolina, $4,000; South Carolina,
100000; Georgia, 100000: Florida, 90
600; Alabama 100000; Mississippi, L.
800 coo; Louisiana, 10000; Texas, In
diam Territory and Oklahoma, 300, 600;
Arkansas, 100000; Tennessee, 240, 900;
Missouri and Virginia, 10000"
Mr.. Shepperson does not believe that
the advance in the price of cotton Will
operate to- reduce consumption by the
mills. European spinners have bought
sparingly of cotton, depending on Il large
crop to force down prices, and in many
eases have contracts ahead which they
must fill. European manufacturers are
short ON goods and yarns ard spectators
are short on futures.
The exports Of cotton this season are
about 100000 bales less than at Il cor
responding date last year. Last season
about 10,S00,000 bales Of cotton were
consumed by American and EOrpean
mills The mills are now spinning much
more cotton per week than last year and
their total increase of consumption for
the season is put at 100000. The visible
supply of American cotton on September
LIST was 1908, 600 bales which added to
100000 bale crop gives only IL 100000
bales to meet a probable demand of H.,
100000 bales. This" says Mr., Shep-
person, lis not suggestive of lower price
for spot cotton during the season"
So much for the American crop. When
we come to India the situation is still
worse. for the bears Mr.. Shepperson'
Bombay correspondent inform Hmm that
the Indian crop is largely failure, the
receipts in Bombay this season being only
$4,000 bales as against 2.019,000 last
year and the average for the last nine
seasons of 1877 600. In additions the
Indian mills are said to be in a bad
way and only working four hours out of
the seven" The only relief III the situa-
ton must come from Egype which pro-
duceS 100000 bales more this year than
last.
Asto acreage. acc0rdn gto the reports of
the government issued Dee. II, 1899, the
total cotton acreage in the United States
last year was 23,521 900 as against 80,
656956 acres in 1893.
The consumption of cotton by the va
rious countries Of the world during the
season of 1S9S-'99 was as follows: Great
Britain. 3,519,000; Continental Europe,
4. 1886. 00O Northern United States, ..
21S,0C0; Southern States. 1854 600; total
in United States, 3,5S2,000 India. l.
10000 This is an increase since 1889
Of 206.5 per cent in the Southern States,
the next largest increase being $50 per
cent for India.
The number of spindleS now in opera
ton in the same countries is as follows:
Great Britain, 45,400,000; Continental
Europe 32,500.00O; Northern States of
the United States, IA 100000; Southern
States. 3,950,000; total in United States.
Is. 100000: India, Alps. 600. The increase
in the number of spindleS in the South
for the past ten years IS 2,390,OCO or
1903 per cent.