The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-10-03
CHIEF AUSTIN'S ADDRESS.
Head OF Statistical Bureau Talks 90
Cotton Manufacturers.


The following is a brief summary OF
portions of an address. delivered by o.
P. Austin, chief of the Bureau of Sta
tistics, United States Treasury Depart
ment, before the New England Cotton
Manufacturers Association at New
York, this evening:
Up to this time the cotton manufac-
turers of the United States have ap-
parently contented themselves with
supplying the home market. In this
they have been extremely successful.
Practically all of the cotton goods con-
sumed in the United States is produced
by its own manufacturers, impOrta-
tons of manufactured cotton amount
ing to less than 10 per cent. of the
home consumption. The consumption
of cotton manufactures in the United
States has increased enormously, and
the manufacturers have fully kept
pace with that consumption. The
value of the cotton manufactures Of
the United States was stated by the
census of 1870 at Sl77 900, 900, and in
1900 at $339 900 900. or an average Of
%.65 per capita in 1870. and 4.46 per
capita in 1900 But the fact that prices
have fallen more than one-half in
the meantime, while the per capita con-
sumption has not materially changed,
indicates that the quantity con-
sumed per individual has greatly in
creased. and this is sustained by the
fact that the amount of cotton annual
ly consumed by American mills has
more than quadrupled since 1870.
Up to this time the great cotton
markets of the world have been chiefly
supplied by manufacturers located in
countries which produce no cotton. and
which draw their raw cotton from the
United States The value of the cot
ton goods imported by those countries,
having statistical records. amounts to
nearly S600,0 900 annually, and of this
the United States supplies at present,
but about $50, 900 per annum, or less
than per cent, nearly all of the re-
mainder being supplied by countries
which do not produce cotton, and which
draw practically all of their raw cot
ton from the United States. The fact
that the United States produces three
fourths of the raw cotton of the world
and has so developed the art of man.
ufacture that its manufacturers are
able to fully supply the enormous home
market and to begin supplying their
surplus to other parts of the world.
suggests, in Mr.. Austin's opinion, that
such country should be able to make
for itself permanent position among
S4cSC SUPPLY iHB the worlds growing
demand for manufactured cotton
goods. The annual importations of
cotton goods, considering the world by
grand divisions, are: Asia, 1920. OO0,-
900; Europe, S172, 900 900; North Amer
lea. $69.0O00OO; South America. s4s. OOO.-
600; Africa, $42, 900. 600; Oceanic, SO. OOO.-
900; and to this must be added proba-
DIy 10000, 900 for those countries having
no statistical record of their importa-
DO. a..
countries, the most important import |
ers are India, with annual imports to
the value of S107,0OO,000, and China, |
S72. 900 900.
AT the present time this market for |
over $500, 100000 worth of cotton manu- |
factures is supplied chiefly by Europe. |
which exported $544. OOO, 600 worth of cot |
ton manufactures in 1901; Asia, S49.- |
100000, and North America. S31 600 000 |
OF this total exports of cotton man |
ufactured no less than $3.50 100000 worth |
was exported by the United Kingdom |
alone; $50, 000,0 900 by Germany. s36 O0O |
coo by France, 49,. 600 600 by India. and |
$S2, 900 by the United States. OF the |
S4OO 100000 worth of cotton cloths ex-
ported, 1865 100000 worth was sent from |
Europe, which produces no cotton. and |
but $26.OOO,OO0 worth from the United |
States, which produces three-fourths of |
the worlds cotton; while of the 1927
OOO,OOO worth of miscellaneous cotton |
manufactures exported, $120 900 900 |
worth was from Europe and but So
100000 from the United States. OF the
$lOO,OOOO 600 worth of yarns exported, the
value of $5S,O0O.000 was from Europe, /
$50, 600. COO from India and none from the |
United States. Thus of the $625 DOC. 900 !
worth of exports of cotton manufac-
lures entering into international com
merce last year, the value of 1914. 00O-
600 was from Europe, which imports all
of the cotton which it utilities, and s31.-
100000 from the country which produces
about three-fourths of the worlds cot
ton-the United States.
The suggestion that the United
States may henceforward obtain a
l1rger share in supplying the cotton
manufactures imported by the world
is strengthened by the evident fact
that the industry of cotton manufac-
turing is gradually moving toward the
cotton producing countries, and that
the United States, the worlds greatest
producer of cotton, is outrunning the
European countries in the manufac ture
of cotton goods. In 1890 the United
Kingdom manufactured 3.227.000 bales
of cotton and the United States 2.1S9.-
900 bales, or about 66 per cent. of the
number manufactured by the United
In 1901, however, the United
Kingdom manufactured 3269 600 bales
and the United States 3,4S50OO bales.
In 1890 the number of spindles in oper-
alton in the United States was only
about one-third of the number in the
United Kingdom, now it is 43 per cent.
of the number in the United Kingdom.
In 1890 the quantity of cotton manu-
on the continent of Europe ex-
ceeded that in the United States by
Of per cent, noW 1t exceeds our manu-
facture by only SO per cent. From 1890
TO 1901 the consumption of cotton in the
United Kingdom and on the continent
OF Europe has increased but 10 per
cent; that of the United States, 81 per
cent. and that of India, also a cotton
producing country. Sc per cent These
facts, in Mr.. Austin's opinion, ind Gated
that the trend of the cotton manufac-
turing Industry is now toward the cot
countries, and this fact
added to the other conditions already
named, seems to justify the opinion
that the United States may now sue
cessfully enter the field of supplying
the cotton manufactures required by
other countries.