The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1901-06-18
The N1erala ana News
OUR WONDERFUL
COTTON TRADE.
EXTENT OF PRODUCTION AND MANU-
FACTUKE IN UNITED STATES.
Tho Mills In tho SOuth-Grcat Output Inst
Ioar-Notablo Conditions In tho Two
CaroIinas-IIigh Grade OF
American Cotton

tlOnS 1t would be difficult to find on
moro instructive than the late repor
of the Agricultural Department OF
the production Of cotton in tho United
States in tho year 1899. 1900. The
statistics are alike suggestive and
eloquent. They toll the story of the
continued ascendency of the Amcri
can cotton grown over all his rivals
New countries have been explored 70,
cotton fields, old onos developed
capital science applied to build up
competition, and still America loads
in the production of tho cotton most
noeded for tho wants of civilized man.
Its cotton is indispensable to tho
worlds industry. No other country
can ever begin to supply this demand.
This, however, is hardly half the
story. In tho manufacture of cotton
goods America is sforging to tho front,
as sho ought to have done long ago.
Owing to tho great demand for
American cotton goods in tho yoar
ended August 81, 1900, tho United
States consumed moro raw cotton
than any other country of tho world,
loading Great Britain, which for tho
century previous held undisputod
supremacy. That tins lead may be
maintained ls altogcther probable
when wo consider our possession Of
the best raw product, tho inventive
skill of our people, and their superior
intelligence as operatives.
These two great telling facts
would be deemed by any political
economist to possess supreme impor-
tance, but there are other features of
the situation upon which the report
properly dwells. Among other things,
one reads Of the wide range OF price
year, how spot cotton on September
|, 1899, was worth 81 cent per pound
III New York, and on August 81, 1900,
tho last day Of the season, sold at %
cents per pound, an advance Of about
So cents, but we find also that the
price in January, 1900, was only -
cents, SO that the planters gain was
only difference of l.! cents. This
fact has not only been duly appre-
ciated in much Of tho current discus.
sion upon the advf nee in cotton. An
other feature is that this crop, though
100000 bales loss than tho previous
year, had a great aggregate value of
$29,000,0OO
A most interesting revolution is
tho light thrown On tho Increased de-
mand for cotton by the Southern
mills and their remarkable develop
mont in the past ten years. 1t is
easy to recognize here great indus
trial movement which once began IS
sure to 60 on, it may be after long
years OF trial and experiment, until
finally the problem will be solved,
namely, at what point or general To-
cality the raw cotton can be most
easily procured, economical and
skilled labor secured, and all the ele
ments Of cost in the manufacture
mlnlmized, but combined possibly
with equal facility of distribution and
shipment for the finished rroduct
Cheap food, cheap fuel, and many
other items will enter into this euua.
ton. The transfer Of cotton manu-.
facturo to the South and Southwest
will not be rapid movement, and
possibly only the bulk Of the manu-
tactures will be in that section, but
that the trend is in that direction is
obvious Nor docs it greatly matter
that the first development of the
Southern mills is in producing the
coarser grades of cotton goods. The
companies which make large divi-
dends by manufacturing coarse goods
will push on to fresh conquests by
turning their attention to the finer
grades, and here they will compete
with the Now England and European
rivals on equal or superior terms.
These persons who have only
vaguely grasped the fact of the in
crease of cotton spinning in the
South will be surprised to learn the
actual figures of the progress made
in the ten year running from 1890
to 1900. Alabama has increased her
number of spindles from 70,234 to
437,25O; Georgia from 445,452 10
$50, 1854; Mississippi from 57,OO4 to