Arizona republican., 1903-12-21
FAILING CROP
Cotton Production of the
 United States Falling Off
THE LESSENING INDUSTRY
All the European Countries Engaged
 in Experiments Which They Hope Will Enable Them to do Without
 American Cotton Altogether.

Washington, Dec. 20.-The steady re- auction in the cotton production of the United States in recent years is result ing in vigorous and systematic efforts by European countries to establish e 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 cotton production of the United States steadily increased. and this country became the great cotton producer of the world, supplying fully three-fourths. and in many cases four fifths. of the worlds cotton. Tn 1898 the crop was the unprecedented figure of 1i,199.994 bales, and in 1899 had reached 11,274,S40 bales. From that pc riod began a reduction of cotton pre- duction, the figures for 1909 being s,436.- 416 bales; for 1O1, 1O.3s3422 bales; for 102. 1O6S0,eS0 bales and the depart ment of agriculture now announces an estimate of 9,962, 900 bales for 1903. Ire total value of cotton exported from the United States since 1870 is g., ,339, ,65S,- 392. and from JS00 down to the present time. s11, ,237. 926, ,O92.
 Thus while in nearly all the othsr great productions of the country the years from 1899 to 1903 have shown a steady advance. that of cotton has shown a steady decline. Coal produc- tion, for example, has increased from 226 GOO 900 tons in 1899 to PSI 00O. .0Co in 19U2: pig iron, from 13.000, ,O00 tons in 1899 to nearly 1S.O00.O00 in 1902; steel. from 10 500, 900 tons in 1899 to F. 900 in 1902: copper. from R53.,OO tons in 1889 to 2S6,O0O tons in 1902; silver. from s7O, ,O00. .G0G value in 1899 to S75.OJO.O il 1902. gold, from T, ,OOO, 900 in 1899 to So.- OOn, GOO in 1902; wool, from 272. d,COO pounds in 1899 to 316,OOOOO in 1902; wheat from 5i7 900 900 bushas in 1899 to 67o, COG, 900 in 1902: corn. from 2OO0.- OOO. coo bushels in 1899 to 2.5O0. GOO 900 in 1902: while cotton has fallen from H. 274 On0 bales in 1899 to an estimated g., 9e2. OG0 bales in 1903.
 The effect Of this reduction in our production of the clothing material for which the world relies almost exclus- 1 lively upon the. United States and the consequent high prices resulting from the decrease of production has be as above indicated, a vigorous and syS- ternatic attempt in the European coun- tries having colonial possessions in cotton climate to establish cotton producing industry in those poss sions. The English the French, the ! Germans. the Portuguese, the Russians. the Belgians-in fact, practically all the European countries having territory | with 8 climate which suggests. the pra ctica bflity of-cotton production-are now actively at work attempting to es- tablish cotton growing industries in some parts of their tropical or sub- i trcpical areas. This includes, in the | case of England, her colonial posses ! sions in east Africa, west Africa. Indic. 1 the West Indian islands, and her Cos- sessions on the mainland of tropical
 America: Germany. her possessions in Africa, Russia, her southern territory.
 while the Portuguese and Belgian pos l sessions in Africa are also being sub
 iected to careful examination with ref
 erence to their cotton-producing pcssi-
 bilities.
 This subject of possible and osrhsps
 probable serious competition in cotton
 production from other parts of the
 world has resulted in the publication ! by the department of commerce and la | hor. through it's bureau of stat stics, ! of series of statements from the | United States consuls and from com
 mercial, industrial, and agricultural | publications in various parts of the
 world regarding the steps being taken
 to develop and promote a permanent
 cotton industry in territory controlled | by other countries.
 The prime movers in the promotion
 of an adequate cotton supply out<ids
 of the United States are the ''BritiSh | Cotton Growing association" the "ko-
 lonial- rtschaftliche-C -Comitee,'' of
 Berlin, and the Colonial Cotton asso-
 citation" in France. Consul General
 Evans of London, reports that the Brit