The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-01
Secretary Hester Sa]s Crop Is
 Hh Biggest Ever Made
SOUTHERN MILLS ACTIVE
Records Are Also Broken in the Cor sumption of Cotton in Southern States By Several Hundred
 Thousand Bales.

New Orleans, August 31-Statistics showing that more cotton was handled during the commercial year ending at midnight tonight than ever before and that all records had been broken in the matter of the amount of cotton consumed by southern mills, were the features of the annual crop statement of Secretary Hester of the New Orleans Cotton Ex- change. The document published on the floor of the exchange today forms the preliminary report of Secretary Hester annual review of the commercial year. It proved one of the most remarkable reports the local cotton trade has ever received.
 The count of the commercial crop showed 1t to be the largest on record. 13.S25, 457 bales. The previous largest com mercial crop was 13,565,sS5. marketed in 1s04-o5. The only other crop that stands with these two crops in size was that of t1906-7. when it counted up to 13,51O, ,9s2 bales. Last seasons total was only H. 57L966 The very large total for this years crop was a. surprise to the trade, in- cluding both the bulls and the bears, and if the figures had been issued while trad ing was going on 1t Is probable that they would have had depressing effect on prices. It was announced early in he afternoon that the crop total would be made known before the day was over and much guessing was done over what the figures would be. The highest Kuesses were around IS, 100000. while not a few swere below 100000, and some traders were of the opinion that no record would be broken in the point of the size of tho crop marketed.
 The most important feature in the ie- port next to the size of the crop itself was the statement of the amount of cot ton consumed by southern mills during the season, which closed today Here all the records were again broken, the total being 2,559,S7S bales. This point was re- garded by the bulls as being even of more importance than the size of the crop itself. It was taken as official conflrma tion of the many stories floating about the market of late in connection with the great expansion of cotton manufac- turing in the south. The figures on con- sumption compared with 2,193,00o last sea son. 2,439, 900 two seasons ago and 2374.G00 three seasons ago.
 While the report was far from being complete, enough udtd WdS luiuiSHou ti'c traders to allow interesting opinions to be drawn regarding total consumption of American cotton this season. eavorite estimate among the bulls was 1S3O0,000 bales, which, If informed by the com plete sreport, will also break all records, the previous largest consumption of American cotton being only 127OO,OoO bales.
 In the point of port receipts another record was broken. Net receipts at all ports of the season were put at 10O62,S45 bales, against only sB79,s<8 last year and 9,919,555 two years ago.
 The trade had no chance to discount the figures, since they were issued after trading had ceased and there Is no longer any curb market In New Orleans. Liver pool will have the first chance to trade on the report. Tonight the trade is about equally divided in opinion over the effect of the total, bulls claiming the bea-ish- ness of the big crop is more than offset by the bullishness of the big consump- t,on. in spite of the claims of the bears that it is a decidedly bearish document