The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-02-24

- NNO 41k41AeOH 0M448 Q6GE &0& CU41&0NUY~
tive demand u present bale&
The abie men who guided the DELHI
!. creations OF the convention. fully real
lied that when fhey Too Steps 60 make
ten cen cotton next . chat the price
would In 1907 again stimulate q large
acreage. a that unless we could be-
fore that time md wider market for our
! products that we would have q repeti-
ton OF the difficulties ina now confront
US. No one familiar with the uses Of
cotton doubts that this Is possible. We
can point to an export trade In n Sec
ton OF North China that with compan-
lively little effort was increased Co over
twenty million dollars in q few years
I have no hesitation in saying that in
China, Morocco. Abyssinia and other
portions OF the eaSt we can with prop
er effort develop markets that VIII
speedily put cotton and cotton products
on a permanently prosperous basis. The
balance OF the country Is deeply inter
ested in the prosperity OF the cotton
planter. When cotton can be produc-
ed at q profit, we draw our supplies
of -four. corn. mules and meat from the
west. When il gets below the cost OF
production we raise these supplies at
home. n the effect of decreased con
sumption Is speedily felt in the grain
and toe belt.
Last year, h exports of cotton
amounted to nearly $500. 600. 900. and
when you remember we keep at home
four million bales. valued at nearly
$3.50, 1000, 900 TO supply the mills of the
south You realize the enormous value
of the cotton ~ In settling the trade
balance of the world in favor of the
United States.
The convention adopted a resolution
appointing a committee to ask you, as
the President of the whole country,
and the friend of all its people to en-
power your great office to assist us in
this undertaking. We were directed to
confer with the leading exporters, and
fer with the leading exporters, and
among them, I requested the co-opera-
ton of John Foord, and Silas d. Webb,
president and secretary of the Ameri-
can Asiatic Association, of New York.
After a full conference, we have agreed
and committed our requests to writing,
which we will submit for your con-
sheraton"
THE ADDRESS OF THE COMMIT
TEE
Senator McLaurin then submitted the
address of the committee, which is in
part as follows:
"Mr. President: We are here to ex-
press regret that the recommendation
in your last annual message for the
appointment of a commission to study
and report on the resources of the great
foreign markets as a field for Ameri-
can trade and enterprise has not receiv-
ed the attention it deserved from Con-
gress.
w beg that the recommendation be
renewed in a special message to Con-
greSS and we do this as the spokesman
of the Southern Interstate Cotton Con-
vention held in New Orleans, last
month, which unanimously adopted a
resolution directing this committee to
submit the question of how to enlarge
the markets for our cotton products
to our attention.
1.-THE interest of no two classes are
more closely allied. nor so mutually
dependent as the cotton producers
and cotton manufacturers. One can
not long thrive at the expense Of the
other. Mr.. President, the full value
of a raw material is only obtained
when manufactured nearest the point
where that raw material is produced.
We are producing far more food and
clothing material than we need for
home consumption, and we must
either curtail production or find out
side markets for the surplus; the lat
ter we believe can be done with profit
and Justice to all and with injury to
none. We believe that the south is
NOT n icfa6 with nvnr nrn6nofinn in
its cotton industry, but that under
| proper methods of distribution there
is a market for all that We can pro-
u Take as an example China.
which imported in 1909, cotton man.
features to the value of $50, 200, 900.
to which the contribution of the
United States amounted to only S.
900, 1000, or a little over one-tenth.
For the calendar year 1904, there was
a considerable improvement, the
amount Of u exports of cotton cloth
to China reaching $4,000 900. Dur
ing the las months of the rear the
value of these exports was 100000
900 and If this standard could be
maintained, as it SEEM likely to be,
the figures for the present year would
obviously be as much in excess of
those of 1904 as the latter exceeded
those of 1903. Tt may seem that a
trade which grows at the rate of SO
per cent. per mum Is not in much
need OF special encouragement or
promotion. But rapidly as the de-
mand for American cotton is growing
in China. that demand still represents
an Insignificant fraction of the con-
Stunning capacity of the asst popula-
ton Of the empire. Even at the
present rate OF export W. are sending
but little more than the equivalent
of one yard of our cotton fabrics TO
every inhabitant in China. II the o n
sumption of cotton cloth per head OF
the Chinese population was equal to
that Of the United States, there would
not be cotton enough grown in h
world to supply it. You, Mr.. Pres!-