The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-10-27
COTTON CONSUMPTION
IN THE UNITED STATES
New York Commercial and Financial

s9SS3X Chronicle.
SSss4SThe preliminary report of the cen
&s1S bureau on cotton consumption in
S#the United States for the year end
August 81, 1908, recently issued,
Mshowcd that during the period cover
%assd the mills of the South consumed
bales, against 2,410,993 bales
Isint. 1906-07, or a falling off Of only
&SI!l54 $50 balse (6.4 per cent?, whereas
%&in the same interval Northern estab-
exhibited decline of 1885,
assl18 bales (9.9 per cent?. This cen
&sns sn bureau report, so far as it applies
sto Southern consumption, is in ap-
$$SproXitmatc agreement with the
sSsres,lt disclosed in our an
ssnual cotton crop report issued
%Septcmbcr 4, and shows, as President
SMFinlcy of the Southern railway in ef-
eject says, that the cotton mill indus
5.try of the South suffered less during
the period Of general business de-
! preston than the mills in other see
tions Of the country, and this not
withstanding the falling off in the
trade for China, upon which many
Southern mills place large depend
cncc. With good reason Mr.. Finley
looks upon the report as furnishing
additional evidence of the superior
advantages Of the South as the loca-
tion for cotton mills.
The strides the South has taken in
cotton manufacturing in recent years
and the comparatively moderate de-
cline in the volume of consumption
last season is certainly a cause for
satisfaction and qualification. From
an average weekly consumption of
3&leSs than 5000 bales per week 80
$gcars a"o--in 1S77-7S--thcrc was n
GstcadN and quite rapid advance. until
12&in the carly part Of 1007-0S il reach
Hed nearly 10000 bales and averaged
%%{for the season Notwithstanding the
sjgcncral decline in all business in the
Gmorc recent months) almost $4,000
Tbales. In the meantime Northern
#agcd 2S.500 bales, rose to an average
;Sslightly in cvccsS of $4,000 bales in
3l9o607, and according to our figures,
was slightly more than II 900 bales
&ln l907-0S. Or, dealing in totals rath-
Fer than averages, the South consumed
8l48,00 bales in 1877-78, advancing to
&5443,373 bales 10 years later, 1927 $3.50
S3bales in 1898 and 2,234,395 bales
@in 1907~08, the aggregate in 190G-O7
$having been 2,487,088 bales. The ex-
%5cellcnt showing under adverse circum-
&stanccs made last season led us to re-
mark in our annual report that
|1 Southern cotton mills have done re-
$latively better than those at the
4 North, the decrease in the volume Of
8consl!hption having been compara-
g&tively moderate. It thus happens
that. for the first time since cotton
manufacturing became an established
$1nduStry Of the South. the mills of
&that section used more raw material
ethan was consumed by Northern cs-
Establishments The advance thus
.#far made, furthermore, can be lakcr
las indicative of the progress YET to
5be made when warranted by indus
a trial conditions. And it is not with
5$ont the range of possibilities that thc
mot very far distant future will find
}$the South, with its natural ADVANTAGE
.$Of contiguity to sources of supply
&3outrankins in cotton mamfacturi,.y .
&promlnencc most Of the world s CEN
$S3tres of activity in the industry.