The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1905-02-23
PROMISES TO AL
President Roosevelt Tells Cotton Grow,
ers COMMITTEES He Will Do All He
Car for Thew


Washington, Feb. 22.-President EoOSe-
Welt today received a committee headed,
by ex-senator McLaurin, appointed by;
the recent southern interstate cotton,
convention at New Orleans, to urge the,
icreation of a commission to extend the.
foreign markets for cotton products.
The president assured the committee
that he would do all he could to facili-
tate the movement.
In his address TO the president, SEN
ator McLaurin said in part:
Senator McLaurin's Address.
Mr.. President: We are here TO eX-
press regret that the recommendation
IN our last annual message for the
appointment of Il commission to study
and report or the resources of the great:
oriental markets as a field for American.
trade II enterprise has not received
the attention which it deserved from
congress.
We beg that the recommendation be.
renewed in a special message to con-
| gresS and we do SO as the spokesman of
the southern interstate cotton conVen-
tion, held in New Orlenas last month,
which unanimously adopted Il resolu-
ton directing this committee to submit
the question of how to enlarge the mar
kets for our cotton products to your at
tentiOn.
Manufacturers and Producers.
The interest of no two classes are
more closely allied, nor SO mutually de-
pendent as the cotton producers and
cotton manufacturers. One cannot long
thrive at the expense of the other.
There is some middle ground where the
entire cottol, industry Will find a sta
bile basis and where labor with the
manufacturer n producer will find d
just remuneration for its efforts.
Mr.. President. the full value of q
No w @+l,,: =. H.: IT,
manufactured nearest the point where
that raw material is produced. We are
producing far more food and clothing
material than we need for home con-
sumption, II we must either curtail
production or find outside markets for
the surplus, the latter, we believe. can
be done with profit and justice to all
and with injury to one
We believe that the south is not af-
hicted with overproduction in it's cot.
ton industry, but that under proper
methods of distribution there is a mar
ket for all that we q produce.
China as a Market.
Take as al example China. which
imported in 1903 cotton manufactures
of the value of $4,000, 900, to which the
contribution of the United States
amounted to only $500, 900, or a little
over one-tenih. For the calendar year
1904 there was a considerable improve
ment, he amount Of our exports of
cotton cloth TO China reaching $14,-
100000. During the last six months of
the year the value of these exports
was $4,000, 900, and if this standard
could be maintained, as it seems likely
to be, the figures for the present year
would obviously be as much in excess
of those of 1904 as the latter exceeded
1903. 1t may seem that a trade which
grows at the rate Of so per cent. per
annum is not much in need Of special
encouragement or promotion. But,
rapidly as the demand for American
cottons is growing in China, that de-
mand still represents an insignificant
fraction of the consuming capacity of,
the vast population of the empire. Even
at the present rate of export we are.
sending but little more thar the equiv
alent of one yard Of our cotton fabrics
to every inhabitant in China: il the.
consumption of cotton cloth per bead
of he Chinese population was equal
to that Of the United States there
would not be cotton enough grown in,
the world to supply it..