The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-10-27
THE COTTON SUPPLY
south and Gulf states Can
Grow Cotton More Cheaply Than
Any Other Section.

English manufacturers of cotton
goods are in earnest about looking
elsewhere than the United States for
a supply of raw cotton. They have
formed a cotton growers association
and purpose conducting experiments
and fostering efforts to raise cotton
in the British colonial possessions,
with the end in view of making Brit
ish manufacturers independent of the
American cotton crop. Sir Alfred
Jones, president of the association, told
the first meeting of the organization,
as reported in our dispatches Satur-
day, that the cotton manufacturing
industry in Lancashire was IN a crit
cal conditions: that the supply of raw
cotton from America was steadily d.
minishing, and that British Spinners
must begin to look elsewhere for their
raw material. He went on to state
that there were millions Of square
miles available in British African ter
ritory and millions of available cheap
laborers. 1t only remained for the
manufacturers to teach the blacks to
grow cotton IN order to enrich both
the natives and themselves. The West
African territory could produce a fair
factory staple. Another speaker stated
that in Nigeria there was a territory
one-third the size Of India available
for cotton growing.
Sir Alfred Jones reference to the
diminishing supply of raw cotton from
America undoubtedly had indirect ref
erence to the increased consumption
by American mills. Statistics sho"
tina the American cotton crop IS al
most twice as large now as it was in
1880. Not until 1898 did the crop reach
as much as {, 1000 900 bales. Nor does
it appear that there has been, in round
numbers, so great a falling off in the
exports of raw cotton to the Unitel
Kingdom. In 1S94-95 the exports TO
Europe were $3.50, 900 bales. while in
1910 they were 6,440,000 bales. The
relative decrease. however. was great
err han the figures indicate, because
of the larger consumption of cotton
goods by the world. In the latter COM
mercial year the consumption Of cot
ton by the world was about $780, 900
500-pound bales greater than in tle
former commercial year. The increase
In production had been in the United
States, India and Egypt, and the n
crease in consumption by manufdc-
tories had been very largely in the
United States. AS we consume more
and more Of our raw cotton in our
own mills. it follows that we have i=ss
and less to export to Europe, and ina
is what has alarmed our British cOuS-
ms.
NOT can we Dldlfe IleIu LOT lOOhllS
elsewhere for a source of supply. Un-
der similar circumstances we would
do the same thing. But will the Brit
ishers be able to develop a source of
supply in West Africa? This is not
the first time they have been put to
1t for a cotton supply and have IN
deavored to find a way of making
themselves Independent of the Ameit-
can cotton fields. During the AmcIi-
81 n civil way thp cotton famine WAS
much more severe than it has been at
any time since or is likely to be for 4
long time to come. Then the English
mill men made extraordinary efforts
to develop other sources of cotton sup
ply. They tried. if we are not mis-
taken. the West indies and various
other parts OF Africa. Many of the
experiments were promising for q
time, but none fulfilled its promise.
Senator Morgan of Alabama nee seid
that England could produce cotton
a~bundantly IN Africa. or in Asia, when
she could protect one side OF her cot
ton fields with a Gulf stream and the
other side with an Appalachian range
Of mountains. n not until then. And
sundry students Of c~limatology have
agreed with Senator Morgan. Inc
south atlantic and gulf states of the
United States seem more peculiarly
adapted to production of cotton than
any other part Of the known world.
1t may be that hereafter we shall not
have a monopoly of cotton produc-
ton. but it seems assured that we can
grow cotton more cheaply than any
other section. If We can do this, and
manufacture the cotton at home. We
have not a great deal to fear of other
possible cotton growing sections.-Sa-
Vannah News.