The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-20
MONOPOLY IN COTTON
CONGRESS AT ZURICH DIsCUssEs
 WAYS AND MEANS.
Concert of Action Among the Countries of the old World to Cheek the
 Rule of the South.
Advertiser Bureau.
 Colorado Building. Washington. Au9. 19.

at concert or acton among oio-Wofiu countries to check the American mos nopoly in the royal staple.- United States Consul Thomas Willing Peters tells of it in a communication from St. Gall to the Department of Commerce and Labor, which today publishes t as a bulletin as below:
 An interesting event in the industrial movement toward concentration was the International Cotton Congress in Zurich. The idea of the Congress was started in England. which. generally speaking. maintains a repellant atti- tude toward other countries in matters of this kind. But the English giant industry. with its 47,000.000 spindles, which is dependent on a constant sup ply of raw material. was the first and the hardest hit by the prices dictated by American cotton factors. She has, therefore found herself compelled to undertake operations in which she would gladly see the continental cotton industry participate.
 On the 31st of May there were as- sembled In Zurich. at the instance of England, representatives of the cotton industry from nine different States for
  prove the conditions of the cotton mar ket. This step shows how much, in spite of opposition of individuals. the feeling of a common interest among the different countries has spread. Whether, however, the Congress will have a practical result is by no means sure. as the means whereby such re- suit could be brought about are extra ordinarily difficult to put Into opera tion.
 The cotton industry Is subject to a number of adverse conditions. It is the most mobile of all the great industries, and can be more easily developed than almost any other. wherever moderate wage rates prevail and freight condi- tions are not too poor. Consequently. in most countries. an independent cot- ton manufacture has been developed by protection, and the worlds manufac- turing capacity has become so great in proportion to its production of raw cotton that bad harvests bring about a cotton famine. From this has arisen A wild form of speculation, and an un- sound forcing up of prices in the United States, which has been most unfavor- able to the manufacturers of raw cot ton.
 The International Congress of the cotton industrial world will now take measures to guard against such disad- vantages. The means to attain such an end appeared to the Congress to be a temporary reduction of the manufac- ture and an increase in the culture of cotton; in other words. smaller con- sumption and larger production. with the establishing of factories and re- serve supplies of raw cotton. It Is cer- tainly to be feared that this reduction in the manufacture of cotton Will not be helped by the cotton planter. It Is A fact that the extension or cotton planting in some parts of the world has already been carried out without, as yet, producing any notable results. The development of cotton planting in the East Indies has not resulted in any great exportation from those countries. for the East Indies had, between 1900 and 1903 alone, increased It's spindles from TOO. 900 to over 5.000.o00. and al- ways consumes more raw cotton than it produces.
 still the want of raw material Tn the cotton industry will strongly favor an increase In cotton planting, Tor In the end men will get for themselves the material they stand most In need or
 At the Zurich congress 1t was de- cided that better reports on the market conditions were necessary, and, De- sides, the formation of an association of buyers of raw cotton Iand regula- tions against payment on delivery al some future date (Termin HanoeL) Better market reports than those now existing through the press and the pri- vate stock exchange reports to inter- ested circles are certainly much to be desired. and should be very useful.
 No binding resolution concerning the attitude to be taken regard to specula- ton has yet been adopted by the con- gress. Further proposals in this con- nection are declared to be necessary. In the light of the experiences which the cotton industry has passed through 1t Is a question if the ruling out t-f this were possible) of the speculative trade would improve matters. or if. through this pressure. the actual exe- cution of which must be very doubt full a still wilder and more dangerous set of conditions would be called into existence Arbitary interference from outside will certainly not have such beneficial effect as a commons sense adoption of production and consump- tion, good and reliable market reports. and the attempt to create capable or ganlzations controlling large capital and commercial ability.
 The five days conference at the first international congress of the cotton industrial world, which represents. perhaps, S0,000 900 spindles. has in general exercised a favorable influ- ence on those who took part in it. They believe that at this first congress they have set foot on the way toward mutual understanding. and hope to have found a position whence they can introduce order and ameliorats the present conditions of the industry, en- dangered by speculation.
 In spite of all this. we must not al- low ourselves 10 be led away by illu- sions in this direction. for everything In the world Is subject to change, and the manufacturers' ideal-to get sta. ble prices-will remain absolutely un' attainable.
 Great efforts are being made to cul tivate cotton in Asia Minor where, b, means of German capital. the Anatoi ian railways are being used by Ger. many to open up countries which wer, formerly almost closed and to pene, trate Into the heart of Arabia
 In the German and Belgian colonle, of Africa also active measures are be- ing taken for the cultivation of cotton and the enormous plateau of Abyssi mia. with its fruitful climate and it, own great demand for cotton cloth will be one of the countries of the flu ture for cotton planting. King Meme lik and his Minister Ilg are pursuinJ this idea consistently. and once tn railway communication already begu, Is established to the interior of in thtckly populated country and tb coast Is connected with the highlands Abbyssinia will. in all probability. de Velop into an exporter of raw cotton