The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1906-03-30
CRITICISMS OF
BRITISH COTTON
MANUFACT CTURERS

Boston, March 30-English cotton manu-
facturers are dissatisfied with American
methods OF handling cotton. That In
nutshell Is the gist or a statement made
by III. w. MacAlister OF Oldham. England.
one OF six English manufacturers VINO ar
rived on the Cunard liner Saxonia from
Liverpool and Queenstown.
Why there should be ground for this
dissatisfaction and what the possible rem
edies may be are what brings the party
to this country. The ak are accredited
with being "A committee appointed by the
English cotton spinners and manufac-
turers 10 investigate the cotton supply OF
the world Mr. MacAlister stated that
they came, not as the representatives OF
any trade body. but as individual manu-
facturers desirous OF investigating for
themselves the cotton situation OF
America
In the party are George Moores OF Man
chester, who is acting as secretary OF the
group: w j. orr of Rochdale, Henry p
Greg OF Manchester, Thomas ID. Barlow
OF Manchester. c. Lennard Bolden or
Manchester and Mr. MacAlister.
When seen I'm the Parker House, M.
MacAl'ster spoke freely OF some OF the
complaints which the English manufac-
turers have 10 make on the American
methods OF handling cotton. although he
impressed II upon the correspondent that
his Views were merely those or prl-
vate Individual here in a private capacity.
He said he had been here before about 20
years ago, al which time he had toured
the south and had made an investigation
similtar 60 that which the party will mate
in the next month
I'm that 30 years. he said. lit was
natural 10 look for a marked improve
ment in the methods OF handling one ~
the worlds greatest staples. the growth
OF which is such an important industry
I'm the United States. but the Improvement
has been so slight. viewed with other
modern advances. that IL was to learn the
cause OF this lack OF progress that he and
his fellow manufacturers came across
the water
They are liberal buyers OF cotton. they
are it's final consignees In it's crude form.
therefore the additional expense resultant
from the unsatisfactory handling falls up
on them. IL Is money I'm their pockets
therefore. If they can locate the causes
and do something toward starting move
pent In remedy"
American cotton IS baled crudely for
one thing" said Mr. MacAlister. 1T
comes out OF the press packed loosely.
perhaps with one end thin and the other
thick The result II that when YOU come
10 put Il I'm the hold of n steamship II
Will not pack compactly. taking up much
more space than is necessary. AS COM
parison, three bales OF Egyptian cotton
will At into the space needed for two
bales OF American cotton. The ratio may
not be that exactly, but IL is near enough
as a comparison.
Then the Egyptian cotton Is pressed
so much more compactly that a bale
Weighing about 75o pounds is no larger
than the average bale OF 500 pounds Fur
thermore, your American cotton often
times comes TO us half spoiled by having
been left out where II has become wet.
Your grower perhaps has stored his crop
I'm barn, which is not large enough TO
hold the entire crop.
THAT which he is unable TO store is
left out, where IL Ia exposed TO the ele-
ments The result IL that when it reaches
England much OF It has TO be picked over.
sorted out and the damaged and the gooi
separated. Another thing. the canvas
that you use in packing the cotton is
about five times as heavy as that used for
Egyptian cotton.
"All these things In one way or another
mean larger money outlay than seems
TO us necessary. There is the extra cost
OF insurance of storage of space taken UP
In steamships. We in England. have cast
about for an explanation OF the causes
for this unsatisfactory state OF affairs,
and we can only conclude that the ma
chinery will cost a lot OF money, but
II would not take long before the saving,
both to the American growers and manu-
facturers and the manufacturers OF Eng
land. would put the balance right.
Your American manufacturers, like us,
are dissa tisfied with the methods involved
That is the basis for the coming confer
ence I'm Washington which we hope TO
attend"
Later they will attend the conference o.
growers and manufacturers OF cotton in
Washington on May / and 2.