The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-15
HAS HELD ITS COTTON
ABILITY OF THE SOUTH TO DO S'
 DEMONSTRATED.
Bjg Massachusetts Purchaser Says That This Section Knows How To
 Finance a Crop So Valuable.

Baltimore, April 15.-(Special.) )-speciai correspondence from Fall River, Mass, Tn this weeks issue of The Manuracturers Record, dealing with the gradual approach of New England cotton mills to better misunderstanding conditions than they have enjoyed for more than two years. quotes manufacturer who purchases nearly 4Oooe bales of cotton a year as follows:
 .aThe South has done something this year have not known before in my twenty two years experience. It has held It's cotton and demonstrated its ability to hold 1t at a figure profitable to the planter The South has become rich. and 1t has also become wise to the possibilities of financing a crop that is valuable. It has been harder this year to get desirable offers from Southern points than at any time in my experience. despite the acknowledged fact that the crop is exceedingly large.
 This feature has undoubtedly given much stability to the manufacturing situa- tion. and I have fault to find with 1t now. The time has gone by when We might look for an unloading for the purpose of paying debts, securing fertilizers, and so on I do not think cotton will go much below 7h cents for New York spots. Our mills in New England purchased freely in the early months of the crop year. save in Fall River. I think the South's atti- tude on cotton will do much to maintain prices on cloth in the few weak spots that
  ward till the new crop comes in.
 "The abnormal demand for coarse goods will help to keep prices at their present level. and 1t will also give rise to large requirements for actual use There will be plenty of cotton to so around and enough to spare to provide against a small crop next year. My own opinion is that the farmers as a whole will do little to prevent the growing of a normal crop. and the con- ditions seem to assure us at least a fair priced cotton for next year. If 1t should turn out that crop of I1.500.o0o bales is grown next year. and the fact becomes reasonably certain before the first of De- cember. I believe the year 1906 will be the greatest year for cotton manufacturers they have seen since tho South became a factor in the production of goods"
 The correspondence continues:
 The increased demand for coarse goods for export and for domestic has ma terially benefited the New England mills wound up to make them. This is particu- larly true of the mills in Maine. which stil manufacture export products largely. It has also strengthened the position of many of the older mills in central and northeast ern Massachusetts, and they are running more machinery than for three years past Throughout Rhode Island and northeastern Connecticut the mills have been picking up steadily. The cotton yarn business in New England is showing steady improve ment. The hosiery-yarV end Is very good and some of the depare ements in the finer lines are being run ovN time. Additions to the plants are being made at Fall River The fancy gingham and fancy weaving mills are all finding better demand for their goods. The one weak spot is in print clotGs. The print works are not being run in full and some of the print goods mills have turned their machinery ont ocoarse goods Some of the bleacheries have not been running in full, but there has been an improvement in this direction within two three weeks. All through New Eng lan6 in the past two years a great deal of Money has been expended for renewals ot machinery. On the whole New England finds a better prospect ahead of 1t in view of the present condition of trade, and if Is certainly not finding much fault with the Soushern planter who wants to get cost or a little better for his product"