New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-09-03
A GIGANTIC INDUSTRY
Important Part Played by Cotton in
the Exports of the United States.
iFrom The Tribune Bureau. ]

Washington Sept. 2.-The wisdom OF the Inter-
state Commerce Commission i'm giving the most
careful consideration 10 the request OF the railway
traftic managers that the provision of the Railway
Rate law requiring thirty days notice of a change
OF freight rates DO waived in the case OF cotton
intended for export is amply demonstrated by the
latest figures on cotton exports
For the hrtt time in the history OF the nation
upward Of Sioee9ooo worth or raw cotton was ex-
ported within single year. these being the figures
for the last fiscal year When It is realized that
the aggregate expectation OF breaGstuffs amounted
10 only ass0ooo00. OF provisions 10 szll $1,000 and
OF iron and steel manufactures TO slsldoOeo the
importance Of the part played by cotton in swell
Ing the enormous exports CT the country during
the last tiscI year can well be appreciated It be
the ,,p 81 Lnat any RESTRICTION on
would be sadly III advised -
Exports OF cotton have increased rapidly in value
curing the last ave years. II was not until 1901
s 5 me value OF raw cotton exported reached
ranged between s36eoo and SSooocS5p IN nsG
SSo snee LISTS m which year il first crossed the
crossed the 100000 line and in ISL sho Ia five
F PeIIod II has sroWn to more than $c5O00Cco
OF an increase or about 3 per cent In 1--WE years
ms growth is due in part TO an Increase in the
in price. since the quantity exported IN 1sss was
2b1ut 7oo9CsooS pounds less than in 1906 but The
The expectation OF manufactured cotton was also
iS nraccs n ' s ~ any earlier year aggregat
and S25o'0o in 1914 The growth in exports OF
as in those of the material Prior TO 1877 exports
cf cotton manufactures had never Tut once
amounted 20 as much S1O.0o0e00 ami il was
not until 1871 that they passed the $4,000 900 line
In 1902 they were SS2.O00G9 in 1895 practically go
S53000O9
Europe is, OF course. our principal customer for
raw cotton The United Kingdom took last wear
sll7 0eCo0 worth. Germany SlO 600 O00 France SIS
coOe0 and Italy about &7.n00000. while the other
countries or Europe took about SS2Oe0O00 worth
Japan Is also a customer for our raw cotton bur
very Irregular in the quantity bought since She
buys largely OF American cotton only when prices
are low depending india and China in years
when American prices high. The value of cot
ton exported 10 Japan IN the fiscal year 1906 was
in round terms. 5000 600. 81 900 and IN
1904 less than 50 100000
In manufactured cottons China is by far the
largest customer. Tho total value OF all cotton
as above indicated. 100000 in round terms OF
which about sSo.00G0 went 70 China Practically
az az the cotton goods sent TO China was in the
form OF cloth the total value OF cotton cloths
ported 20 China in the year being $40 6 1sS and OF
other cotton goods aI2.sS7 The exports OF cotton
cloths 90 China in the fiscal year 1906 exceeded both
IN quantity and value those Of any other earlier
year the value IN 1906 oeing about S20NGO0 greater
than In 1875 and the number of yards about "a
one9 greater than in 1905 China's rank a
purchaser Of American cottons is indicated BY the
fact that of the nLoooooo yards Of cotton cloths
exported in 1875 4es, 900 went to China while
about lS3eoOoo yards went TO the American coun-
tries south OF the United States and q o00oaO 20
Oceania and Asia other than China