New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-01-02
GOOD YEAR IN COTTON GOODS

In no division of the textile industry have
more striking conditions prevailed than IN the
cotton goods field on this subject it is difficult
10 avoid the appearance OF exaggeration. for not
since the close OF the Civil War has the demand
been so close 10 the supply as it is to-day At
the present time mills making desirable goods
are we'll sold up while many have orders
booked which will take care Of their product for
months to come. Naturally. prices have adj
vanced considerably and at present there are
no indications that the end Is I'm sight
One thing which tends 10 strengthen the sit
uation is tho high price of cotton and the pros
pect that most of that portion of the crop which
is suitable for spinning viii be consumed before
next years yield is ready for use. The cotton
quotations I'm exchange reports do not directly
indicate the figures which manufacturers of fine
cotton fabrics are now compelled TO pay for the
grades OF cotton they require and on such quail
ties the tendency IS upward. seeing that the
present yield Of long staple cotton is believed TO
be ligh..
The scarcity Of fine cotton fabrics Is reflected
In the importatons of cotton cloths which for
the first ten months of the present year amount
ed 10 nearly 6OOO0OOO yards against A. 800
with less than "a 600 600 yards for the CORE
spending period of 1904.
What renders the situation the more serious
is the apparent impossibility OF any immediate
Increase In the output OF cotton fabrics in this
country. During the depression in the cotton
manufacturing industry OF New England two
years ago. large numbers OF skilled spinners and
weavers drifted away from that region and only
few OF these have returned. In tho South the
cotton mills have long been unable 10 obtain
anything like the amount of labor they require
These conditions afford good ground for the as
sertiOn that Of the cotton spindles and looms an
this country at the present time not more than
so per cent are In operation. OF this situation
the operatives have not been slow TO take ad-
vantage. and partly through agitation on their
side, partly through recognition by the mill
arrangements OF the futility OF a wage war at
this juncture. throughout New England wages
have been advanced by from < 70 10 per cent
and. taking the year whole. ii, some cases
by 10 per cent
Early In the year IL feared that our ex-
ports OF cotton goods 10 China would be les
sened by the boycott which had been declared
In that country against American products
Government statistics show however that this
has not been the case to any great extent True
our exports OF cotton goods TO China IN the
first ten months of the present year fell con-
siderably below those of the corresponding
period OF 1900. But comparisons OF not moro
than two years are apt 10 be misleading Thus
II we look at the exports TO China in the first
ten months OF 1904 find that a considerable
gain was made in the corresponding period Of
1906. and the same holds good IL we include the
figures of 1903, while in the first ten months of
1902 the shipments only slightly exceeded those
of the present year The figures in detail show
that the exports of cotton goods TO China for the
tea months ended October 81 were as follows: