The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-11-16
b. Henry s. Reed. Editor The Cotton Journal

A View of the Situation in Cotton.
The movement of cotton since the
new crop came in has been remark
able in some ways, showing especially
plain the foresight Of foreign spin
ners. The expectation of cotton from
September / to November 8 has ag-
gregated nearly two hundred thous-
and bales more than during a like pc
riod in 1908. This in itself ID re-
markable when the price of the two
years are compared. The price OF
spot cotton November 6 in New York
was 14.7O "a falling off of a few days
prior of some thirty points,. The price
one year ago was $50, a difference OF
nearly five and a half cents e pound.
When one takes into consideration the
weight Of 2,2O2,741 bales. that being
the number exported between Sep
TENDER 1 and November 6, at an aver
age Of 500 pounds each, this increase
in price over 1908 means much to
the foreign buyer. The man abroad,
however, is in the habit Of keeping
we'll informed on cotton conditions
and is seldom left with the small end
Of the proposition, but buys literally
to the extent of his needs, irrespective
Of price. This is not always true OF
the New England spinner, and on
more than one occasion he has been
put to considerable trouble and ex-
ira expense in carrying out his hand
to-mouth program in supplying his
spindles with raw material, and this
season may be another one Of those
annoying years for him.
Northern mills, between Septetn-
Der and November 6. tool $4,000
bales, against $4,000 bales a year
ago; Southern mills $4,000 bales,
against 465,ooo in 1908. ssld foreign
mills $4,000, against ~1,O45,000 in
1908.
It is estimated the Visible supply
OF cotton in the world on November
6 was 3,959,651 bales, Of which grand
total all but AIT, 900 bales were grown
in the cotton States of America. This
fact digested and fixed in the minds
OF our people must impress n and
all with the vast importance Dixie cot
ton is to the spinning and consuming
world.
We have recently heard Of South
ern people bringing over Indian cotton
at a cost of eleven and a half cents
a pound, for consumption in Carolina
mills. OF course the report, like the
one relating to the spinning Of tree
cotton, Is an attempt to spring a
practical joke on the men who grow
the l1nL ana 90 not keep well IN
formed. The visible supply of cot
ton in India November 6 amounted
to nfnety-three thousand bales, or less
thar European mills would spin in
a single week by ten thousand bales,
provided it was good spinnable lint,
which it is not.
The visible supply in Egypt on the
day named above was one
and forty-three thousand bales, or
not enough to keep the spindles Of
Europe fed with raw material for a
fortnight. Indeed. the visible supply
Of cotton In Egypt and India, the only
rivals the United States has in the
production Of cotton, is not enough to
keep the European mills supplied for
three weeks. and yet there are people
who should have better sense be1iev-
ing the American-grown cotton has
actual competitors in the markets Of
the world; who actually took notice
Of c. W. Macara's threat at the Chi
cago banquet a couple Of years ago
when he said English spinners would
take their rad elsewhere if Ameri-
cans placed too high a price on their
crop. The price is too high right
now. according to English views, but
h English are buying here just the
same, and more than they did last
year, and the price this year is about
five cents a pound higher tina a year
ago.
Some day the Southern people will
awaken, polish their spectac.es, and
scan the picture representing cotton