The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-05-12
COTTON SEED OIL INDUSTRY.
A Correspondent Believes That The
Business Is In Dire Extremity.
To the Editor of The State.

Inc present UNSATISFACTORY >OAoi
ION OF the cotton seed oil business
sails for some very serious thought
IA the part OF those now engaged in
ne business and also deserves the
close scrutiny OF those about to en-
bark in the business. The growth Of
his industry has indeed been most
remarkable and up until the present
time there has been unusually, with
we'll conducted and we'll located mills.
>pendid returns from the same.
Because OF the superiority OF the cot
ton seed oil over most other fats. ana
in spite OF great deal OF prejudice
against its use. its high intrinsic value
has forced it prominently upon the
markets OF the world. Hundreds of
thousands OF pounds OF this oil are
how used in the manufacture OF cleo
margarine. butter. compound lards,
etc. while millions OF pounds Of oil
have been shipped annually from the
United States to foreign countries,
and used there principally as an edible
oil. Only a year or two ago there was
shipped alone from America to Mar
settles, France. oil worth to the Amer
lean manufacturers about $4,000, 900:
SO you can realize something of the
enormous expor; from this country to
this one port. France is the home OF
the olive. consequently it was there
that the olive industry flourished more
than in any other country. Because
OF the superiority and cheapness OF the
American cotton seed oil the olive
orchards of southern Europe have al
most been annihilated. This of course
brought great hardship to this par
ticular industry. especially in France.
The French government. realizing
this fact. felt that something must be
done to save the industry and has
lately imposed an import tax OF some
thing like 10 cents gallon upon
American cotton oil products. SO tha,
today the French market is almost
entirely closed to the cotton seed oil
business. Other foreign countries
are doing the same, so that today our
exports in the cotton seed oil busi-
ness are almost nil.
As an incident to the falling off OF
our foreign trade in oil will quote
some figures. In 1901 Italy took
something over 100000 gallons OF
oil: now she takes 100000 or less.
Austria at the same time took about
100000 gallons of oil; now she takes
less than 100000. France took at the
same time about 100000 gallons OF
oil: now about 100000. This leaves
a tremendous amount to be absorbed
by the United States. as with other
countries there is like falling off
also. Thus it can easily be seen why
it is the cotton seed oil is now selling
so far below its usual price.
While this is a great blow at the
cotton sed oil business, OUR own coun-
try has given the industry its greatest
blow. There has been enacted lately
by the United States congress law
taxing cotton sed oil to the amount
OF 10 cents per pound for all oil used
in the manufacture of butter. This
law was enacted at the instigation OF
those in this country who were in the
dairy business. We have no fight to
make with the butter makers. but
would simply say that it is hard for
one to realize why this prejudice
agaist butter made partly or entirely
of cotton seed oil. Especially is this
true when the department of agricul-
ture and chemistry has repeatedly
stated that for purity and healthful-
ness there IS rothng 10 h. compared
witt, cotton seed oil. This taxing OF
oil that is used in butter has struck
another great blow at the industry.
The third great demand for the oil
is for the manufacture of comp ound
lard. Tremendous quantities of this
oil are used in the manufacture OF
lard. and even this demand for oil
has slackened off very largely. |
would respectfully submit the fact to
the consumers of all pure food pro-