The Hawaiian gazette., 1903-12-29
DECREASING COTTON OUTPUT.

The steady reduction in the cotton
production of the United states In re-
cent years Is resulting in vigorous and
systematic efforts by European coun-
tries to establish a cotton producing
industry in other parts OF the world
which shall render them Independent
of the United States for this important
staple, which has for many years
brought more money into this country
than any other single product of the
farm or factory. Prior to 1898 the cot
ton production of the United States
steadily increased, and this country be-
came the great cotton producer OF the
world supplying fully three-fourths,
and in many cases four-ffths, OF the
worlds cotton. In 1898 the crop was
the unprecedented figure of n,199.9s4
bales, and in 1899 had reached 11,2I4,sfU
bales. From that period began a re-
duction of cotton production, the figures
for 1900 being 9,436,416 bales; for 1901,
10, 1888 422 bales; for 1902, 10,6s0,6So bales,
and the Department of Agriculture
now announces an estimate of 100000
bales for 1908. The total value of cot
ton exported from the United States
since 1870 is 1899, 65S, 1892, and from 1900
down to the present time. $1l, 23I926, 0s2.
Thus while in nearly all the other
great productions of the country the
years from 1899 to 1903 have shown Il
steady advance, that Of cotton has
shown steady decline. Coal produce
tion,. for example, has increased from
226, 900, 900 tons in 1899 to 261 100000 In
1902; pig iron, from 100000 tons In
1899 to nearly $4,000, 900 in 1902: steel.
from 10, 500, 900 tons in 1899 to 15,0O0,00O
in 1902; copper, from 253,00O tons in 1899
to 2S6, 900 tons in 1902; silver. from sew
enty million dollars value In 1899 to
seventy-five millions in 1902; gold, from
seventy-one millions in 1899 to eighty
millions in 1902; wool, from 100000
pounds in 1899 to 316,O0O,000 in 1902:
wheat, from 547OOO,OOO bushels in 1899
to $40, 10000 in 1902; corn. from two
billion bushels in 1899 to two and one
half billions in 1902 while cotton has
fallen from 11.274OOO bales in 1899 to an
estimated 1852, 600 bales in 1908.
The effect OF this reduction in our
production of the clothing material for
which the world relies almost exclu-
sively upon the United States and the
consequent high prices resulting from
the decrease of production has been as
ABOVE l1ulCdteu, IL NlBbtouo anu ~
tematic attempt in the European coun-
tries having colonial possessions in n
cotton climate to establish n cotton
producing industry in those possessions.
The English, the French, the Germans,
the Portuguese, the Russians. the Bel,
gians-in fact, practically all the Euro
pean countries having territory with
climate which suggests the practica-
bility of cotton production-are now
actively at work attempting to establish
cotton growing industries in some parts
of their tropical or subtropical areas.
This includes, in the case of England,
her colonial possessions in East Africa,
West Africa, India, the West Indian ISL
ands, and her possessions on the main
land of tropical America; Germany,
her possessions in Africa; Russia, her
southern territory which already pro-
duces considerable quantities of cotton;
while the Portuguese and Belgian pos
sessions in Africa are also being sub
jected to careful examination with ref
erence to their cotton-producing pos
sibilities.