The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-05-15
NATIONAL COTTON
MANUFACTURERS
ARE IN SESSION

Philadelphia, May 15.-With an attend
ance Of nearly 1000 members. the 11th an
nual convention of the National Cotton
Manufacturers association opened today
at the Bellevue -stratford hotel. The cot
ton men are exhibiting all the branches OF
their business at First Regiment armory,
where the great floor space is covered
with many kinds of machinery used ir the
industry. The association held a session
this forenoon and they will hold another
tomorrow. the afternoon and evening ses-
sions being given over to the exhibition
and TO entertainments. Today's session
was devoted almost entirely to the read
ing OF papers. After the opening formal
tiles. Arthur II. Lowe. president OF the
association, delivered his annual address
He devoted considerable time TO labor
questions. and said II was TO be regretted
that the honest efforts made by some OF
the cotton manufacturers TO divert the
flow OF immigrants from the cities where
they are not wanted TO the south. where
there is need OF labor. should have offer
ed opportunity to the government offi-
cals at the behest OF the labor organiZa-
tions, to prosecute the manufacturers
Il have never heard a word" he
said. ''or seen anything that would
suggest that any manufacturer OF the
north was in sympathy with the effort
to discourage immigration 70 the south
/ firmly believe that all the opposition
that the movement has had has come
from the labor agftators and poll
ticians
"The labor situation is the most i'm
portant problem before the cotton
today. The shortage OF
la bE Ia h..
the shortage In the south. This short
age Is 80 great that cotton mill build
Ing Ia almost at "A standstiil, com
pared with what IL Is in England"
T.. j. Watson, commissioner OF i'm
migration OF South Carolina, cor
roborated President Lowe on the scar
city OF labor and told OF the need OF
a desirable class OF immigrants. He
said the time has come for the "Ameri-
can manufacturer and the American
laborer, without regard to section, to
join hands and eliminate the political
demagogue. whose mission in life seems
to be TO array labor against capital
and section against section. without re-
gard to any other interest than his own
petty political advancement"
lie suggested that desirable immigrants
be brought directly into the South
through a Southern port OF entry.
James w. Burke, OF the National Ex-
facturers of New York, I'm an address on
the export OF cotton. said the United
States today furnished only per cent OF
the worlds exports OF cotton goods or
about per cent OF the total quantity
shipped by England. The principal cause
of this condition, he said. lies In the fact
that American manufacturers have not
been in direct contact with the European
in consequence OF which. the
National Export Association of American
has been formed, where
by agencies TO further American trade in
Europe are maintained
Among other speakers today were:
DR.. f. w. France. director OF the Phila-
delphia Textile school. on Qualifications
Of the Modern Textile Designer e. w.
Robertson. Columbia, s. c., on "Expan-
sion OF American Currency; ]. W. VIII
son. president Of the Philadelphia COM
mercial Museum, on Exports OF Cotton
Goods: William Whittam, Washington,
-. c.. on American Exports OF Cotton
Goods" and Edwin A. Hartshorn. tariff
appraiser. New York, on THE Tariff on
Cotton Extamines,"