The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-09


interests of Lancashire, England,
marked by reports of the sale of out
put of many mills for months ahead
and by the construction of 30 new
mills with an aggregate of S,OOO,0OO
spindles, have pointed to conditions IN
the foreign cotton goods trade reflected
in the fact that in the eight months
ended with February, 1905, the United
states exported 276,I66 yards of cot
ton cloths valued at SIS, 445.94S, re-
cord breaker, against 53.713,13 yards
valued at $2,762,07S in the same eight
months of the preceding fiscal year
In view of these facts, the Manufac-
turers' Record asked the cotton. manu-
facturerS of the South for their views
on the general cotton manufacturing
situation, the outlook for trade and
any features of the business, whether
related to last years crop, the preb-
able acreage of the new crop, or the
condition of the trade generally. Let
tiers received in reply fill three or four
pages of this weeks issue and consti-
tute an interesting contribution to the
study of the somewhat complicated
cotton situation. They are summarize
ed as follows:
Manufacturers of print cloths and
other like material are described as be-
ing in the uncertain and unpleasant
condition of the heavy goods manufac
turers of the past few years, with lit
tie margin of profit on print cloths and
medium fine colored goods. But it has
been some years since there has been
such general activity as at present
among the large exporters of cotton
goods, and there is a big demand a.
good prices for coarse plain exports.
The best yarn mills are sold fairly
well ahead, and cotton yarns and hos
iery, which have been dull for six
fhc ~ NiOlyf Facr IN
ing daily with prospect of consider
ably higher prices One concern oper-
ating two mills is sold we'll ahead at
good prices. and the outlook is report
ed as first rate Another has all the
orders it can fill. and reports that il
could sell a great deal more if it had
the equipment. A third finds the mar
ket for hosiery and hard yarns in the
coarse and medium counts healthy
with the mills well engaged for months
ahead, but that fine yarns of the card
ed and combed variety from long
staple American and Egyptian cottons
are not so active, though the situation
in that particular is regarded as but
temporary, because the world is bare
of goods. farmers arc able to hold
their cotton, wages are satisfactory
and the demand for goods improvine
so that the next two years should
prove exceptionally profitable. One
mill which was enlarged during the
year andNwhich works exclusively upon
colored goods is sold ahead for four
months. sharing the condition of ali
mills of reputation in the South, es-
pecially those making plain gray goods
The coarse goods mills which had
been inclined through the compare
tive Stagnation Of the foreign trade to
enter the domestic field now have all
they can do to meet the foreign de-
mand. and thus the prospect for mills
combining themselves to the domestic
trade have brirhtened and they look
for a share in the general prosperity
as soon as the jobbers of domestics
wake up to the scarcity of goods and
the manufacturers to the knowledge
that prices for cotton goods are en-
tirely too low. Consequently. the ex-
pectation is expressed that cotton from
the farmers hands to the jobbers'
warehouses will remain in a very
healthy condition for some years
Friendly feeling for the growers is
generally manifested, and there is a
marked desire that for the benefit of
grower and spinner alike, the price of
raw cotton should have no wide varia-
ton. The suggestion is made by one
that the surplus cotton brought over
from last years crop, with an average
crop this year, will tend to steady and |
strengthen the market and thus give
farmers and manufacturers reasonable |
profit. Another believes that while the |
price of cotton for the next year or |
two will not be too low to discourage
the producer, it will be sufficient to |
encourage the manufacturer. A third
thinks that IL cents cotton would |
give a steady market for months to
come. A fourth takes the ground that
if prices could be put upon a stable |
basis 1t would not concern manufac-
turers, whether the level were high or |
low, and one of the leading mill men |
of Georgia regards as a misfortune, in |
that it tends to prevent stability in
prices the report that the farmers that |
State will not reduce their acreage as
much as IS per cent.
Estimates of the reduction of acre |
age from the manufacturers view !,
point vary. From three different points |
in North Carolina, for instance, are |
that a reduction of hardly |
5 per cent. may be expected, that the |
reduction will be from 20 to 80 per
cent, and that the cut in acreage will |
be from IS to rs per cent, with con
record broken by at least |
5000 bales Some farmers in South
Carolina seem disposed to plant with |
in 10 per cent. of last years acreage.
though a manufacturer in that State
who is also d grower and who does not
expect to see a crop of more than TO-
100000 to 100000 bales, has re-
duced his wage farm acreage about
80 per cent. and his troopers from 20
to rs per cent, and so the estimates
vary in different States from IL per
cent, Is to 20 per cent. 20 to Is per
cent, and even 33 per cent, while from
Texas comes the statement that though
there is uncertainty about planting on
account of the weather, the acreage
will be reduced 10 per cent. 1t is ar
gued by more than one that the ex
ceptional weather of last season. which
made it possible to gather a great
crop in spite of the shortage of labor.
be expected again, whether or
not the acreage is reduced, SO that
even with a 10000, 900 acreage the
chances will be against the next crop
to more than 10000 |
0ales. while some look for q. consump-
ion of IL 900, 900 bales around cents
/ pound. Again, it is thought that the
worlds requirements will be the lar
rest ever known, that neither goods
Tor cotton are likely to be much below
he present prices, though if there be
my setback for the crop, especially
With reduction of acreage, there will
"a a oonSidnrq hIa advance i'm Dricp.