The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-05-02
COTTON MEN IN
 FIRST SESSION
(continued from First Paae)

-~~>~~~-~~~-~~~~~~~-~~- answer the question as to what the con- sumption of cotton would be for the year 1906. None of them was in a position to say J. R. Montgomery of the National Association of Cotton Manufacturers ex- pressed sympathy with the desire of the growers to get profit from their pro- duct.
 He said that if the growers had an as- scciation that was strong enough and powerful enough to fix the price of cot ton and maintain it, he would guarantee that the manufacturers of the world would adjust the price of their goods to that of the raw material. He gave as an illustration the fact that he had known cotton to sell as high as sl.s3 per pound and that the manufacturers made profit under those conditions,
 Mr. Hickman of the American Manu- facttrers' association said that the ques- tion of Mir. Jordan could not possibly be answered because the mills consumed a different quantity of cotton each year according to the sale of the goods they were making The trade, he said, varied considerably.
 Messrs McAllister and Gregg of Eng land entertained similar view. The for mer maintained that the spinners or the world were not making enormous pronts but on the interest on their capital in- vested In England he said they were sat isfed with 4 or per cent, whereas III the southern states there were making more than per cent on their capital
 Jordan Presldes.
 The afternoon session was presided over by Harvie Jordan, president or the South- ern Cotton association, who addressed the conference on the cotton industry gen erally. He gave credit to the spinners and manufacturers for initiating the con ference, and said that in consideration the relations between the growers and spin ners whatever affected the cotton pro- duction would react disastrously upon the spinning industry and vice versa. The growers and spinners. he addeds had been strangers too long. Divided they have been the prey of, and have had to sub nit to the dominating and disastrous ef- fleets of the buying and speculating infiu- ences of the world
 This unsatisfactory condition, he de- clared would continue so long as 1t was permitted.
 The south he said, has awakened to the realization that at present. and in deed for all time, it controlled, and can continue to control, the practical monop- oly of the worlds cotton production With only one-tenth of Its cotton area under cultivation he argued tne south- ern people can under an intelligent inten- sifed system of culture. annually pro duce\ 300, 100000 bales of cotton should the worlds requirements demand that amount, and he insisted this could De helS successfully against competition Of other countries owing to the peculiar ell. matic conditions of the south influenced by the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. He emphasized the fact. however. that there was no disposition to abuse this monopoly or unrighteously take advantage or so splendid an endowment. But he asserted that the cotton growers of the soutn would henceforth insist upon and en- force the payment of a fair and profit able price for cotton.
 .rhe day of producing cheap raw cot ton.r he declared. lat from to cents per pound Is passing.
 Can Supply All Demands. If he said, through the cooperation of the growers and the spinners the fu- ture prices of cotton can be maintained on a stable basis. showing fair pront 10 the growers and manufacturers as We'll the south was prepared to guarantee the production of sufficient quantity or