The Savannah morning news., 1901-11-15
COTTON SPINNERS
SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION MEETS IN
ANNUAL SESSION.
THE ATTENDANCE IS LARGE.
THIS THE FIFTH YEARLY GATHER
ING OF THE BODY.


CommerciaI Standpoint mt n KIM
ball House smoker.
Atlanta, Nov. 14.-The Southern Cot
ton Spinners' Association met in an
nual convention here to-day. This is
the fifth yearly gathering of the as
sociation, and the attendance was
large, many people from New York,
Pennsylvania and the New England
states inscriblng their names on the
register. A business session was held
given over to sightseeing. the dele
gates being the guests of the Southern
Railway on a trip around Atlanta.
After the welcoming addresses this
morning DR.. ]. H. McAden, president
of the association. delivered his annual
address. He recommended a declara-
tion by the spinners in favor of a mer-
chant marine upon a basis that will
give all American citizens an equal
chance, prevent favoritism to en-
trenched interests and recognize the
producing classes in the reduction OF
freight rates"
He also favored the building and
construction, as soon as possible, of the
isthmian canal. On reciprocity. Mr..
McAden says:
"The immense balance of trade in our
favor creates the necessity of our find
ing market for our surplus products.
We should do all that we can to ad-
vance both the letter and the spirit of
reciprocity. We especially desire closer
commercial relations with South
America and the Orient"
At a Smoker" in the Kimball House
tonight, Hon. Hoke Smith of Atlanta
spoke on Development of Our Home
Talent" and United States Senator
John L. McLaurin on Extension of
Our Foreign Trade"
Senator McLnurin's Speech.
In the course of his speech Senator
McLaurin of South Carolina, who dis.
cussed the South from a commercial
standpoint, said:
From an economic point of view
| there is every reason why the South
should desire an American Merchant
Marine. More than thirty-five per cent
of the nations exports in 1900 were
SihppCQ liOil OOuluETI NdiuGQ
S490, ,343, ,912. while but 6 per cent. of the
imports, valued at $52,413,541, entered
Southern ports. Right here we find one
of the cardinal reasons why the traffic
of our Southern sea ports is not larger
than at present.
The great bulk of our staple exports
originate either in the Mississippi Val
ley, that drains into the Gulf ports,
or in the South itself. Cotton, corn,
wheat and provisions form the bulk of
our export trade.
have gone to some pains to investi-
gate and | find that of the vessels en-
tering the ports of the United States
in 1900 from abroad, twenty per cent.
entered in ballast is North Atlantic.
2S per cent. in Pacific and 60 per cent.
in South Atlantic and Gulf ports.
You may be sure that this is a han
dlcap of the most serious nature re
strlctive of an increase in the trade of
southern ports. 1t means that so per
cent. of the vessels coming TO South
ern ports must earn enough on the ex-
port cargo to pay for the entire round
voyage. Perhaps you never thought of
that, but it is certainly worthy your
most serious consideration.
with regular steamship lines of our
own making frequent voyages to the
different parts of the world, this con-
dltlon could be in a large part over
come. But so long as our export trade
is dependent upon the migratory
tramp steamer, picking up a cargo
nrst here and then there but never
sailing regularly from and returning
10 one port Gas is so largely the case
In the SOUTH, we shall lack that com
mercial development which our geo
graphical position and the character of
our great staple products so Justly en-
title us.
Another reason why the South is in
terested in American ships Is that
when the Isthmian canal is construct
ed, we may be able to utilize II with
our ships and commerce. We do NOT
want to see the Isthmian canal be-
coms merely a foreign highway of
commerce. We do not want our mil
lions expended merely to become n
bounty to foreign shipping. 1t shouId
so develop our mercantile marine thar
with the oDening of this great canal
our own flag shall predominate at the
masthead of majority of the shins
that 1t accommodates
The South will be the Immediate
beneficiary of that great waterway
when it is constructed.
Our Gulf ports will become great
marts of trade. and our products will
iiNouS MEXICO, cOutn and Central
America, the West Indies and the
Orient in ever increasing volume.
Delieve that in time the chief CONNER
cial and maritime point of the whole
country Will center at one of our South
Atlantic or Gulf ports. And the time
TO begin is now, not when the canal is
constructed Let US be ready when
the time comes. If we hasten the con-
struction of our shipping, we shall in
tensify the necessity and thus hasten
the construction of the Isthmian canal.
SOuth American Trade.
The exports to South America are
mainly from England and Germany,
and they consist largely Of products
that could be furnished by the United
States. especially the South. This is
particularly true OF coal and all kinds
of cotton manufactures. With an
assurance of return cargoes, the
round voyage could be made extremely
profitable, once direct regular and fre-
quent sailings Of steamship lines were
established.
In a publication just issued by our
government we find that In 1897. the
last year In which complete and ac-
curate data could be collected, the
imports into Mexico, the West Indies,
Central and south America, amount
ed 20 s5i3, 3,4i6 .46s, of which but seven
teen per cent. went from the United
States. on the other hand we took
of their exports sei5. rs. .9s3. no less
than 81 a. Der cent. In other Vgorda