The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-05-13


Sotton Manufacturers Association con-
vened here today for its S0th annual
session. The meetings are being held
in the banquet hall OF the Arlington
Hotel, and Will last two days.
About 200 members OF the association
morning session included addresses by
w. c. Heath. of Monroe North Carroll
ma, president Of the association; Secre-
tary Cortelyou. of the department OF
commerce and labor; r. N. Miller, Jr
of Charlotte. North Carolina: Professor
r. Z. Carpenter. OF Ithaca, n. Y. and
]. w. Norwood, OF Greenville, South
Carolina
president Heath in his address said
that the most serious condition now
confronting the cotton manufacturers
rs the high price OF raw cotton, coupled
with the small returns for the manu-.
factured product. The manufa cturers
are largely responsible for this condf-
ton, he said When the price OF raw
cotton began to go up recently, they
crease was due to speculation. This he
asserted was not the case. The high
price Of raw cotton was due solely to a
response to the law OF supply and de-
mand. The scarcity OF farm laborers
in the South, due to the migration of
the negro to the cities, is one OF the
serious conditions to be met Touching
on the labor problem, Mr.. Heath assert
ed that while the right of labor to or
ganize was unQueS toned, why should
the right of capital to comb bine be Ques-
toned. The power of labor organiza-
tions. he said. was being put at the
present time to dangerous uses. It was
menac!ng individual rights; Il was even
asking the government to fix the hours
ct labor The developments he conclud-
ed, threatened the very principles o. tbs
government.
Secretary Cortelyou VINO followed
Mr.. Heath spoke in part as follows:
This country produces three-fourths
OF the cotton of the world. It has :
much larger BILE coal supply than
any other country 1t has shown Itself
sapable OF producing the most ingenious
and most successful machinery. Its
transportation facilities and it's oppor-
tunities for supplying it's products in
the manufactured form are unsurpass-
ed. Cotton manufactures are required
by larger number of people than per
haps any other single article OF manu-
faoture. Only one other great class o.
ranufactures-iron and steel-compares
favorably IN value with them. They
form an important part OF the require
u1ents OF the worlds population. The
demand for them is weli-nigh universal.
UP TO this time the cotton manu-
factLrers OF the United States have
been occupied almost exclusively in sup
plying the demands OF the home mar
ket. or the 1888, ,0CO G00 worth of cotton
goods manufactured in the UniteI
States IN 1900 over $500 100000 worth
We're sold in the home market and onlv
$25. 100000 worth We're sent to other
countries. With the progress which
American manufacturers are now max
ing, however, in their power to trans
form raw cotton into the manufactured
article, and to do this in competition
with countries having lower priced Ia
Dor, / feel constrained to congrat atulate
you upon the opportunities which await
you in extending your industry to other
lands while maintaining your eontro.
over the home market.
The value OF cotton goods imported
into the various countries of the world
amounts to more than $500, GOO 00a an
nualfy, or practically double the valus
of the cotton manufactures OF the Unit
ed States in 1900. SO it may be sad that
the field which is before you in Other
countries is almost unlimited. These
facts, IT seems to me. are worthy Of Sc
rious consideration by the cotton maui
facturers of the United States, and b.
all who desire to see American manu-
facturers supplying the markets OF tn:
world. Our cotton mills manufacture.
less than one million bales of cotton 'r
1870: only two million bales in 1880
about two and one-half million bale.
in 1890; three and one-f1af million bales
in 1890 and over four million bales i
1902 In 1903 the amount was s:ghtl.
reduced by reason of the unusuall
high price of the raw ma teriai.
''In 1919 the quantity consumed b. OF
mills was % per cent. or our dcrnest
production: in 1880, 81 per cent; in 1890
30 per cent; in fs00 80 per cent. and i
oonf - 10 rot prndllCfs