The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-09-23
Wrssrnan.
THE SOUTH AND HER COTTON.

~ - se.e.~a a-
southern delegates to the American,
Bankers convention to rave h cot
ton manufacturers of the word hold
a convention in some city in the cot
ton belt this fall. At a meeting they
adopted the following resolution:
Bankers from the cotton-growing
states attending the American bank-l
ers' convention, having heard that 1t
might be possible to induce the cot
ton manufacturers of Great Britain
and the continent OF Europe, eitherl
as organizations or as duly-appointedI
delegates to visit the United StatesI
ana make personal study or the cot
t~on-growing and manufacturing posi-
sibilities of the south, at n special
meeting held for that purpose, desirel
by that resolution to express their
earnest hope that the spinners of
Europe may visit this country this
fall, promising on behalf OF every
business interest a hearty welcome.
The suggestion seemed TO find favor
with every delegate present, and the
resolution was adopted by a unani-
nous vote. Mr.. John Shelton VIII
liams, who was POSTMASTER at the
Odilducl DclltS hrJO by aCiCSNNCS,
declared this to be the beginning Of a
movement to locate the cotton mills
of the world in the south.
Already are the manufacturers of
the north becoming convinced that
the south is soon to become the home
of the cotton mill. The next thing Is
to bring this fact home to the man
ufacturers of Great Britain and on
tinental Europe.
Another thing h south has got to
do. and that is to increase her output
of raw cotton. The deman for this
staple is growing faster h the sup
ply. 1t must be produced somewhere.
Here at the south is the natural place
for this increase. Mr.. Edmonds, of
The Manufacturers Record, in speak
ing on this subject at the meeting of
the southern bankers said:
Sc great is the demand for cotton
today, so far is the consumption of
cotton ahead of production that the
most vital, the broadcast question in
m today is whether cotton
production can be increased to keep
pace with the demand. We of the
south say it can, in spite of boll-weevil
anu ldDOT SCdTCIlN, anu llOIS dSSuISO-
~ so if our English friends will join
with us in the effort. Civilization it
self rests on the cotton crop of the
south. We may find n substitute for
wheat or for corn, but nowhere on
earth is there a substitute for cotton.
Destroy cotton, and civilization itself
will be destroyed. The cotton indus
try is the largest industry on earth.
The day is not far distant when 49,
900, 900 bales of cotton will be re-
quired. England has about one-half
the capital hat is invested in cotton
spinning. She has 100000 coo spin
dies, or about six times as many as
the south has. The south is SO far
from being developed a she hould be
hat Massachusetts has more money
invested in cottcn-Spinning than all OF
the fourteen states of h south. This
movement to bring the cotton spinners
of the world together has received the
hearty Endorsement of manufacturers,
of cotton-growers, governors of south
ern states and commercial bodies
generally. who see the greatest posi-
BILE benefit to come from a visit of
European cotton spinners TO the
south to study conditions here for
themselves.
other speeches along the line of
those by Messrs. Williams and Ed
monds were made. From The Manu-
facturers' Record, from which We get
a full ard interesting account of this
meeting, we take the following syrop-
sis of two of them:
Robert Donald, managing editor OF
The Daily Chronicle, of London. de-
clared that the market for cotton
goods is only just opening up. With
the building of railroads in Africa
there are millions of people
-
is the only material that can be sup
piled. The same condition exists in
Asia. English spinners are convinced
as are Americans, that cotton spin
ming is only in its beginning. English
cotton spinners will be greatly bene-
flied by meeting with American man
~ufacturers, whose business methods
for improvement.
Henry w. King, of Worcester
Mass. a New England mill man, de-
clared that the Massachusetts, spin
ners will welcome the English spin
ners and will uphold the lands of the
southern people in their attempts Il
advance the interests of the cotton
industry. Clients of the were
glad to make Investments in tbs
south, believing in the prosperity o.
the south and that the interests o
Massachusetts and of the south are
identical.
When the south gets to producin:
her fifteen million bales a year anC
shipping-not the raw cotton-bu
the manufactured goods from most o
it to the markets of the world, theI
will h become h mistress of TIL
universe.
Europe is now looking for othe
sources of supply for her mills. Ex
periments are being made in Africa
Asia and southeast Europe. Thes
ventures are costly, and even if finall,