The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-21
(By the Associated Press. }


Washington, Feb. 20.-President
Roosevelt today received u committee
appointed by the recent Southern III
ter-State Cotton Convention at New
Orleans to urge the creation of a
commission to extend the foreign
markets for cotton products. The
delegation consisted of about dozen
members, headed by former Senator
McLaurin, of South Carolina. The
committee urged Immediate steps
looking to Congressional action for
this purpose in behalf of the cotton
interests The President discussed
the question with the delegation and
stated that he would take it UP with
the men who represent the cotton
belt in Congress. He assured the
committee that he would do all he
could to facilitate the movement. SEN
ator McLaurin. who introduced the
committee, spoke as follows:
MIR. President. during the last days
of January there met in New Orleans
one of the most remarkable industrial
assemblages that we have had III the
South since the war. The term Cot
ton Growers Conven tion is to some
extent misleading, for the convention
represented the merchants. bankers
and mill men to an equal extent. The
convention found itself face to face
with two phases of a situation that
called for action. First, the unrea-
sonably high prices for cotton i'll
1902 and 1908, had, while curtailing
the consumption Of cotton products,
stimulated the largest acreage on
record. which with good seasons has
produced q surplus of two million
bales over the consumDtive demand
of present bales.
''rhe able men who guided the de-
liberations of the convention, fully
realized that when they took steus to
make ten cent cotton next year, that
the price would in 1907, again stiln-
ulate a large acreage, and that unless
we could before that time find wider
market for our products, that we
would have a repetition of the diff
culties that now confront us. NO
one familiar with the uses of cot
ton doubts that this is possible. We
can point to an export trade in one
section of North China that with com
paratjvely little effort was increased
To over twenty million dollars In q
few years. l have no hesitation IN
saying that in China, Morocco.
Abyssinia and other portions OF the
East. we can, with proper effort de-
velop markets that will specially put
cotton and cotton products on q per-
mancntly prosperous basis. The
balance of the country is deeply in
tercsted i'll the prosperity of the cot
ton planter. When cotton can be
produced at profit we draw our
xupplies of flour, corn. mules and
meat from the West. When it gets
below the cost of production We raise
these supplies at home, and the ef-
feet on decreased consumption is
specially felt i'll the grain and stock
belt.
Last year the exports of cotton
amounted to enadly $400. 100000 and
when you remember we keep at home
four million bales valued at nearly
100000 to supply the mills of the
South you realize the enormous value
OF the cotton crop in settling the trade
balance of the world in favor of the
United States.
1.-The convention adopted resolu-
ton appointing a committee to ask
YOU, as the President of the whole
country and the friend of all its peo-
pie. 10 use the power of your great
Office TO assist us i'll this undertaking.
We are directed to confer with the
leading exporters. and among them. l
requested the cooperation of John
John Foord and Silas d. Webb. presi-
dent and secretary of the American
Asiatic Association of New York. At
ter full conference we have agreed
and committed our requests to writ
ing. which we will submit for your
consideration"
Senator McLaurin then submitted
the address of the committee which is
in part as follows:
MIR. President: We are here to ex-
press regret that the recommendation
in your last annual message for the
appointment of q commission to study
and report OH the resources of the
great Oriental markets as a field fol
American trade and enterprise has mol