The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-19
AMERICAN COTTON IN CHINA.


090,769 in the ten months ending Octo-
ber 1902, to $1S.S25.S1S in the same
months of 1903, a reduction of S6.7s4
951. Investigation by the Department
of Commerce and Labor, through its
bureau of statistics, shows that tba
shrinkage was in our export of cotton
cloths. The figures in that line of en-
port were:
Ten months, 1902. 633 s7o
Ten months, 1908 ......... S,516 69S
Shrinkage ........ .........$ 6,116,877
BY quantities the record is:
Yards.
Ten months, 1907 ............ 299, 124,195
Ten months, 1903 ............ III. 337 47Q
Shrlnkage ...... ........... 121, 1915
In other cotton manufactures orr
falling off was from $51,1OO in 1902 to
$26, 305 in 1903.
We do not feel as bad. about these
shrinkages as we might, when we
learn, through investigation by the bu-
| reau that other nations exporting cot
ton goods to China have suffered in
like manner. The records of British
| exports of such goods to China show
as follows:
Piece goods, gray or unbleached:
Yards
Ten months, 1902 ............ 247, 157, 800
Ten months, 1903 ............ Isl, 459,500
Shrinkage ........ ......... 65,69S,2OO
Piece goods, bleached:
Yards
Ten months, 1902 ............ 1896, 400
Ten months, 1903 ............ los, 497 400
Shrinkage ........ ......... 4,S0S.000
Or a total shrinkage of ITO, 500, 300
yards against our shrinkage of 12l,-
1861 16 yards.
Indias export of cotton goods to
China dropped from 2,6OS, 1909 yards in
the six months ending September, 1902,
to only 8S,316 yards in the similar pc
Rod of 1903.
In the nine months ending Septem-
Der, 1903 Japan sent cotton tissues" of
the value of $1,025,000 into China,
against 100000 in the same months of
1902. Japan scores by this increase
against both Great Britain and the
United States though it was an in
crease in price rather than in quantity
AS a matter of fact China's total i'm
port of cotton goods declined seriously
Figures of Chinese imports for the full
periods above named are not available,
but those received for the first three
months of 1908 port by port indicate
the fact of a general falling off. Shan
ghai is China's principal port of entry
for cotton goods imported. For that
port for the first three months named.
compared with the same quarter of
1902 the cotton goods imports footed up:
American sheetings for 1902 919 $40
pieces; for 1908 $780, 47 pieces; decrease,
31S,993 pieces. American drills for 1902,
357,120 pieces; for 1903, $50, 4S7 pieces;
decrease. rs 633 pieces
Our only cotton goods gain was
American jeans for 1902. $4,000 pieces;
for 1908, So, 760 pieces.
1t is proper to state that 1902 was
the banner year in Chinese imports
The totals for the past three calendar
years were, in American money:
I9OO '.............-.... $50, OOO,O 900
13U1 '''..''' ...'.'............. 6O,OOO,O0O
In this trade our share was IFS
cal years.:
19OO ....................... SIS, 259, 1877
19ul ...................... III, 4Oo o54
1SVI ''......''.... .............. 2l.O5o,S5O
1SO5 70, 1851
On the other hand we bought from
China:
I9OO '...................... .$26, $685.
l9OZ ..................... 2l,O55,S5O
ISUS 70, 169, OH
So far, our door has opened wider to
China than has Chinas portal to us.
1t is essential to American trade that
Russia be not allowed to keep the doors
of Manchuria closed.
Do rd