The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-13
r.s2> ON IMPORTS
IS LARGE INDUSTRY
Special Agents viii Investigate
Conditions
JAPAN A STRONG RIVAL
Government is Advertising for Fatal
Diseases That Will Exterminate
Various Farm Pests-Epidemic
is Wanted
JAPAN A STRONG RIVAL
BY WATTERsoN sTEALEY.

BY WATTERSoN STEALEY.
Washington, August 12-(Special.)-
Japan as a rival to the United States as a
cotton manufacturer is expected to be
dealt with extensively by the special
agents of the department of commerce
and labor, who are now making investi-
cations of foreign cotton markets. Already
the largest single item in the imports of
Japan is raw cotton and It's manufacture
is the most important industry of the
country. Japan having seen that Great
Britain, though not a cotton producing
country, spins and weaves the staple for
nearly 50 per cent of the people of the
world, and knowing that 4nany of her
conditions are similar to those of the Uni
ted Kingdom. has taken the hint and
proposes to prosper by the example of her
prosperous ally
Cotton mills have been established
throughout the dominion of the Mikado.
particularly In the Kobe district, and in
these American and other cottons are
being transformed by cheap labor into
fabrics which not only contribute to sup
ply the home demand, but In certain
lines are already largely exported.
The quality of cotton imported by Japan
is mostly middling and inferior. and the
greater part of it comes from India,
America and China, while Egypt supplies
the reiativelyr small amount required for
the high-grade yarns. Yarn for home con-
sumption is composed almost entirely of
American cotton, but In that intended
Z. l.. H.,
extent of from 10 to 20 per cent.
The imports of raw cotton ginned and
ungnned, from all countries to Japan In
1905 amounted in value to over $55, 100000,
of which amount Kobe received over
$44, 900 and Osaka nearly one-half mill
lion. The imports have almost doubled
since 1901, when they amounted to about
S26,0 600 Nearly 80 per cent of the raw
cotton imported is ginned
Steamship Line.
In reference to the possible competition
with American cotton In the markets of
Japan, Consul Sharp of Kobe says that
prominent Japanese steamship company
started a line of steamers to South Amer
lean ports at the beginning of the year,
one of the prime objects being to utilize
Peruvian cotton as a return cargo. This
expectation of opening up new source
of supply for raw cotton has not been
realized, the Peruvian staple having been
found to be of too fine a quality for the
Japanese market
The prosperity of the cotton-spinning In
dustry in Koke last year was exceptional.
One factor in its aid was a greatly in
creased demand for yarn. caused by the
war with Russia. Another was the ac-
tivity of the export trade, caused by
the high prices realized on the finished
product while the cost of raw cotton
remained at a lower figure than usual.
The twenty-elght cotton mills in the Kobe
district had at the end of the year nearly
S14, 900 900 paid-up capital. a reserve fund
of over s. 900, 900, over one million spindles
and seven thousand looms.
In Japan, as elsewhere In the CONNER
cial world, there Is a notable tendency to
the concentration of business energy by
the uniting of the smaller cotton mills
by the larger Is progressing rapidly. and
another movement on foot is for the
utiliza tion of water power for the gem
Grafton of electricity as a substitute for
steam. There is little doubt that the I'M
portation of raw cotton into Japan will
Increase largely in the near future on ac-
count of the great effort Japan is now
making to extend her cotton trade into
China and other Asiatic countries
Cotton Industry.
r. NJ earns, a well-known cotton man.
ufacturer in Lancashire, England. recent
ly returned from tour OF India. made
for the purpose Of inspecting the cotton
Industry in that country. He reports 1t
as being In a particularly fourishing con-
H.
and night. The India mills run twenty
four hours a day with two shifts.
Mr. earns says that fine weaving Is an
obsolute failure. and that two or three
firms which have experimental with
American cotton did not achieve success
Hand looms are largely used. and In the
province of Bengal alone, populated by
so. OOOO 900 people. there are no fewer than
100000 of these looms-all of a very an
tiauated style.
Mr. earns says that English manufac-
turers should make finer goods for India,
as II is no use to compete In the coarser
class Of goods because Of the low wages
in India What Mr.. earns says for the
benefit of the British manufacturers
would also apply to American producers.
Diseases In Demand.
In these days when the energies are
all devoted to the eradicate of disease in
man and beast 1t Ia a little queer to find
the government advertising for fatal
malady in order to propagate and spread
IT, But that is what the department OF
agriculture Is now doing. 1t has sent out
a circular letter asking to be notified Of
any fatal or epidemic disease among rats.
mice, rabbits, gophers or prarie dogs. with
a view to finding the germ OF the disease
and propagating 1t so as to spread II
among these little pests In other locali-
ties.
That there are such epidemic diseases
the department knows, but the germ has
never been isolated. because when there
was such an epidemic there has never
been on hand scientist to study it. In
the present circular farmers and others
are requested to keep a sharp lookout
among these farm pests and a return en-
..ain.,n L. arcInzad NTH each circ1IIar 80