The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-09-03
EXPORTS WERE 317,e40|
Comparison Of Average Prices
This Year and Last Year
Statement Shows Wilmington Is Fifth
Cotton Port in the United States
Indications are That the New Crop
Will be Late and Reduced in Size.

The cotton year ends today, but on
account OF the fact that there have
been no receipts at this port for some
! time past the yearly reports at the
chamber of commerce were ready iOr
inspection yesterday and some inter-
esting facts concerning the amount o.
WiImington's cotton business were re-
vealed.
Since last September 1St which is
the beginning of the crop year, there
have been received at this port 322,-
469 bales of cotton, compared with
324 ,7O6 bales received during the pre-
ceding year, this showing a decline III
total receipts of slightly more than
two thousand bales.
Exports of cotton from this port this
year also fell behind the figures for
last year, domestic exports amounting
to 1880 bales and the foreign exports
amounting to GAO bales, giving a
total of 319,270 bales for the year as
compared with 327,527 for the preced-
ing year, divided into 2,253 domestic,
and 325, 5,O74 foreign. The larger diff
ference between the amount exported
than the receipts is explained by the
fact that at the beginning of last
year there were several thousand bales
of cotton on hand at this port while
at the beginning of the present year
such was not the case
AS usual, during this year, the
heaviest receipts were in October No
vember and Decembed, and all through
the season, up to several weeks ago
the receipts have kept ahead of Last
years, but then the incoming ship
ments began to decline and since Au-
gust 10th, not bale of cotton has
arrived at this port, the receipts fer
the entire month of August having
amounted to less than 300 bales.
From a casual examination of th4
quotations as kept in the record book
at the chamber of commerce it would
seem that cotton this year has aver
aged higher in prices than during the
preceding year. Conservative eS:i-
mates Of the average price paid ior
Each month in the two years are as
\llows
September 1905, 10 lac: 1906, 9 1-2c
october, 1905, 10c; 1906, 10 1-2c.
November, 1905, lie; 1906, 10 1-2c.
December, 1905, lie; 1906, 10c.
January, 1906, lie; 1907, 10 lie
February, 1906, 10 1-2c; 1907, 10 Lie
March, 1906, 10 lac: 1907, 10 1-2c
April, 1906, II 1-Sc: 1907, 10 1-2 to lie.
May, 1906, II 1-8c; 1907, II 1-2 to 12c
June, 1906, 10 3-4c: 1907, II 1-2 70 ioc
July and August, 1906 10 3-4c; 1907,
II IL to IS 1-2c for spot cotton.
For the new crop year which begins
September 1st, it is difficult to give any
falr account of the prospects. The in
dications are that the crop will be
greatly reduced, probably to the ex-
tent OF million bales, but what eff
feet this will have on the local mar
ket cannot be foretold. The season
will be unusually late, the crop being
reported two or three weeks behind in
practically all the big cotton growing
states. From the present outlook it
seems probable that it will be the mid
die of the month before any new cot
|. ton arrives at this port
From the statement issued shown =
the receipts at all the ports for the
year just closing it is seen that Will
mington ranks as the fifth cotton port
in the United States, being led only by
Galveston, New Orleans, Savannah, and
Norfolk. Charleston's receipts for the
year amounted only to 149,736 bales.