The news & observer., 1905-08-04
CALL FOR COTTON
Reasons for Increase in
Consumption.
More Labor Needed in the English
Mills Where a Great Strike of
the Operatives is Now
Threatened.

Especial to News and Observer
Baltimore, Md, August 3.-Cotton
growers and cotton manufacturers in
csted ir the reported strike develop
ments in Lancashire, England. Bear
ing upon it is special correspondence
from England published in this
weeks issue of the Manufacturers
Record. This, written two weeks ago
and having the possibility of strike
in view, says:
Whatever the result of the nego-
tiations now afoot, there is the likeli-
hood that more labor in the industry
will be wanted. Ready half ready or
in project are building schemes which
call for 10000 work people in the
spinning mills alone, and the extern
sion of weaving departments holds out
an opportunity for 5000 other work
ers. There are As spinning mills, con-
tanning over 100000 spindles, com
ing into action Some 100000 spin
dies out of this total are already re
Volving. Nobody pretendS that these
reinforcements are to be viewed as net
additions to the productive plant OF
the industry. Their advent prepares
the death warrants of some old and
ill-equipped mills that have been in
on the balance it may be supposed
that the new mills will create fur
their demand for raw cotton. Sue
cess, if it come at all, will come partly
on the independent merits of the new
enterprises and partly at the expense
of less efficient competitors
Reviewing the movement of raw
cotton to Great Britain and it's con-
sumption there, the correspondence
notes that the gross imports for tho
half year give a most favorable com
plexion to the demand for American
cotton in comparison with Brazilian
and East Indian, and adds:
Reports of prospects and possibili-
ties of cotton culture in British terri
toriessare plenty, but thus far the re-
Ceipts are immaterial. In 27 weeks We
have received 5000 bales, being 1855
from the British West Indies and l.
676 from British West Africa. The
volume doubtless is destined to in
crease. but the present quantity con.
trasts poorly with the visible growth
of demand for American-grown
Such colonial staple as is, by reason OF
its defects unsuited to use in England
may perhaps be viewed more favor
ably in India, where production stiil
increases. Figures for the year ended
March show that for a second time
India has put forth 578,000,0O
pounds of yarn, and has beaten all rec
ords by producing 130, 100000
pounds (547,000. 900 yards) Of gray
goods, besides improving on previous
achievements in fancy and miscellane-
Gus cloths. Adding this to India's inn
port of $150,000000 worth of textiles,
american manufacturers may catch q
glimpse of India's intrinsic Importance
as a market for cotton and other
goods
so much for statistics. other con-
siderations are favorable to the con-
suRption of cotton in this country.
The high prices of wool which have
been forced upon people here by
American example are disabling
branches of the wool trade and are
making the way easier for cotton AL
ready towns in districts formerly
given over to wool goods rival Ian
cashire Industrial centers in their ne
cessities for cotton in the form of
yarn. Between coarse woods and cot
ton there is always some conflict, and
when wool prices were at their low
est a few years ago the curious spec
tacle of wool ousting cotton was seen
in some branches of business. The
drift now is in the other direction,
and the tendency is for the displace-
ment to become permanent. Half-cot-
ton goods are being replaced by all
cottons, and 'woolens. which owe
nearly all their strength to cotton are
playing havoc with the worsteds that