Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-14
"A LIGHT THAT FAILED.
Much Was Expected of Natal as
Cotton Producing Country.

From the New York Tribune.
The racial disturbances in Natal have at
tracted much attention recently to that In
teresting and promising British colony, In
which so much Of British South African
history centers. 1t is a growing and pros
porous colony, and intensely loyal to the
empire, though it is burdened with one or
the gravest problems which any state can
have to solve-namely, that of the relation
ship of the two races, where the blacks
outnumber the whites nine or ten to one.
1t may be of interest to recall. too. that
Natal has been the scene Of one of the
greatest industrial disappointnents in the
history of the British empire. in it's failure
to become the chief cotton growing country
Of the world.
was erected into a separate colony. and
very shortly thereafter, because Of the
prospects of profound political. social and
Industrial changes in the United States.
much consideration was given to its as
sumed capabilities of replacing this coun-
try as the source of Great Britain's sup
plies Of raw materials. It was thought
certain that Natal could produce sugar, TO-
bacco and other things In great quantities,
but 1T was to cotton that most attention
was paid and upon it that the greatest ex-
pectations were based. A careful British
q
sand square miles of land in Natal admir-
ably adapted for the growth Of cotton. He
estimated that 5000 plants could be grown
on an acre, producing two and q half
pounds of seed cotton. or pound and a
quarter Of clean cotton from each plant.
Thus. he concluded. Our Liverpool mer-
chants may look forward to q supply OF no
less than 100000. 900 pounds Of cotton from
Natal That was a much larger amount
than the entire product of the United States
at that time, or at any time down to few
years ago.
How painfully those roseate expectations
have been disappointed may be perceived
from the fact that Natal Is now practically
not cotton producing country at all. At
any rate, its production of cotton Is SO
small as not to figure as an item In the
industrial summaries of the year books
Instead of $4,000 acres in sea island cot
ton alone, so confidently predicted half a
century ago. only about 10000 acres are
under cultivation by Europeans in al crops.
and the only agricultural products deemed
Yearbook" are sugar, maize. wheat. oats
and tea. The chief exports from Natal to
Great Britain are wool. hides. coffee, bark
and skins and furs. OF cotton, which the
colony was SO abundantly TO supply, no
mention appears.
This is to be recalled not. Of course. to
the discredit Of Natal or of Great Britain,
but simply as an example OF the many IL
lusions which men in all lands and ages
have cherished. There are those who can
remember when people thought the United
States was soon to outstrip China. Japan.
France, Italy and all the rest put together
In the production of silk, and 1t was not
many years ago that beet sugar enthusiasts
were cocksure that before this time this
country would be not only supplying the
its own needs. but also exporting millions
of tons year. Such visions would be COM
paratively harmless If they did not lead
many into reckless investments and con-
seQuent losses.