The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-12
President Cotton Manu-
facturers Association.
SCARCITY OF COTTON
He Holds that the immigration
Of Italian and Other Foreign
Labor Must be Encouraged
to Supply Workers for
the Farms.
lBy the Associated Press.l

Washington, May 1.-THE Ameri-
convened here today for its Sth 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 associa-
ton are present. The program of the
morning session included addresses by
w. G. Heath, of Monroe, n c., preSi-
dent of the association Secretary Cor
telyou, of the Department of Com
merce and Labor; r. M. Miller, Jr., of
Charlotte, n. c.; Prof. r. G. Carpenter,
of Ithaca, n. Y, and j. w. Norwood,
of Greenville, n. G..
President Roosevelt is to receive the
members of the association at the
House tomorrow afternoon.
President Heath in his address said
that the most serious condition now
confronting the cotton manufacturers
is the high price of raw cotton,
coupled with the small returns for the
manufactured product. The manufac-
turers are largely responsible for this
condition, he said. When the price Of
raw cotton began to go up recently,
they had told their customers that the
increase was due to speculation and
manipulation. This, he asserted was
not the case The high price of raw
cotton was due solely to response to
the law of supply and demand. The
scarcity of farm laborers in the South
due to the migration of the negro TO
the cities is one of the serious condi-
tions to be met. The immigration of
Italian and other foreign farm labor
ers will have to be encouraged. Mr..
Heath asserted that while the right of
labor to organize was not questioned,
neither should the right of capital to
combine be questioned The power of
labor organizations. he said was be-
ing put at the present time to danger
Gus uses It was menacing individual
rights; it was even asked that the
government fix the hours of labor.
These developments, he concluded,
threatened the very principles of the
government.
Secretary Cortelyou followed Mr..
Heath and was in turn followed by
Secretary C. B. Bryant. who read
letter of good wishes from the New
England Cotton Manufacturers asso-
citation announcing that Arthur H.
Lowe, of Fitchburg, Mass, would rep
resent the association at the conven-
ton. President Heath announced that
over 100 new members had been taken
into the association today
After brief recess the morning
program consisting of technical pa
pers. was concluded.
Four papers were read to the asso-
citation during the afternoon session,
including Forests and water Powers"
by f. H. Newell of the United States
Geological Survey; Conditions of the
cotton industry" by A. H. Lowe, of
Pitching. Mass; "The cost of waste
by David Clark, of Charlotte N c.
and "Rope transmission of power" by
Frederick 5. Green. of New York.
In the evening at Columbian Uni
versity hall, w. ID. A. Ryan, of Lynn.
Mass, delivered an address on Light
and Illuminating engineering.
Tomorrow the association will lis
ten to a paper on the effects of spec
ulation ION the cotton manufactures,
by Theodore H, Price, of New York.
A business session will be held for the
election of officers