The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-06-13
COTTON
STILL IS
KING
In Eleven Months the Raw Ma.
teridI to the Value Of Over
S308,00O,000 Was Exported

Cotton is still king in the export rec
ords Of the United States. and its record
In the present year is likely to surpass
that OF any preceding year The value OF
raw cotton exported in the IL months
ending with May is. according to the
preliminary figures OF the treasury bu-
reau OF statistics. s3os. .747, ,o95. which is
five million dollars in excess OF the high
est IL months figures heretofore re-
corded by this preliminary statement.
The highest IL months record for
any earlier year was that for the eleven
months ending with May 1901. when the
total stood at $303. .497,617. Should the
figures for June OF this year equal those
OF June In the Immediately preceding
years the total for the fiscal year would
be BIZ million dollars. or 4 millions In
excess Of. the banner year. 1901.
The quantity exported this year is not
as great as that OF the years 1898 and
1899. but owing to the higher prices re-
ceived, the value Is very much greater
than that of those years; and. as already
Indicated. larger than that OF the corre-
spending months OF any preceding year.
The total quantity exported In the IL
months ending with May. according to
the preliminary statement, is 3.4s1. asa. .2s7
pounds; against S.20s. .s2l.47s pounds in
the corresponding months OF 1901. when
the value was Ave million dollars less
than at the present time. and s.72l. $40 o0s
pounds In IL months Of 1885, when the
value was but s222.4l41s0
Thus the total quantity at the present
time is 240 million pounds less than that
OF the corresponding IL months OF 1898.
but the value is So million dollars in ex-
cess OF the value OF the corresponding
ia 49,
per pound Of the cotton exported, de-
termined by dividing the number OF
pounds into the value stated by the bu-
reau OF statistics records. Is. for the IL
months ending with May. 1903, ss7 cents
and for the IL months ending with May
1898, 5.97 cents.
Comparing the total value OF cotton
exported with those Of preceding years.
IL may be said that 1903 seems likely to
show the largest total value In raw cot
ton exports Of any year In the history
of our commerce. In 1s4s the total value
Of raw cotton exported was. In round
terms, SO million dollars In 1860. 1872 mil
lions in 1870. 227 millions In paper. but
lS millions, stated in gold: In 1880 2ii
millions; In 1890. ESQ millions: in 1900.
242 millions; in 1901. 3l3 millions: and.
as already indicated. seems likely TO be.
for 1903. 3l7 millions.
ported in manufactured form has also in
creased. and will make its highest record
In the present fiscal year The total
value OF cotton manufactures exported
in the 10 months ending with April is
s27. .932b59. indicating that the total for
the full fiscal year will probably be about
"a millions. against 3S millions in 1902,
~ millions In 1900. 10 millions In 1890.
10 millions in 1850 and millions in 1870.
Al the same tome the cotton manu-
facturers Of the United States have in
creased and are still increasing their
consumption Of cotton both from our own
fields and from abroad The total num-
ber Of bales taken by the mills of the
United States last year for the first time
passed the 1000. 900 line. the figures being
A.Os3 600 bales. against 3.su 900 In 1900:
3.s25. 600 bales In 1890; i.7eS. 900 bales In
1850: and sS7 600 bales In 1870.
Meanwhile the importations OF foreign
cotton chiefly Egyptian, are growing
with remarkable rapidity. the importa-
tions in the present year being likely
10 reach 30 miuion pounds. 10 which
may be added 20 million pounds Of
"nocks" or cotton waste. with a total
valuation of about ~ million dollars:
against a. million pounds of raw cotton
and Is thousand pounds Of waste i'm.
ported in 1898. valued at less than Ave