The Republican journal., 1911-09-28
THE IMPORTS OF COTTON.

WASHINGTON, D. c., September rs. 1t
seems strange to see the greatest cotton
producing country of the world bringing
raw cotton half way around the globe
and importing it for use in her own
manufacturing industries. 1t is never
theless a fact that the United States,
which produces practically twothirds of
the worlds cotton, brought from China
during the last fiscal year Q9lD more
than million pounds of raw cotton, at a
cost in that country Of more than mil
lion dollars and from India in 1910 about
1-2 million pounds, at a valuation of
more than half million dollars. Other
distant sections of the world were also
drawn upon-Peru, 4 ga million pounds
in 1911; Dutch East Indies, in 1909, near
ly half million pounds; Haiti in 1911,
nearly half million pounds, while other
contributors include Venezuela, Ecuador,
British West Indies, Santo Domingo,
Mexico, Panama, Nicaragua and Costa
Rica, while from Egypt, the chief source
of supply of long stapled, high grade
cotton, the imports in 1911 were larger
than in any earlier year, amounting to
SO million pounds. In addition to this
there was imported from England about
Z 1-2 million pounds, presumably chiefly
East Indian, Egyptian and West African,
since England, of course, produces no
cotton. Raw cotton importations in 1911
were larger than in any earlier year,
amounting to 113, 76s, 313 pounds, valued
at $24, 776, 800.
High prices of domestic cotton are the
cause of the large increase in importa-
ton of cotton, especially that from China
and India. The quantity of cotton inn
ported from China never reached quar-
ter of million pounds prior to 1908, and
in 1909 was practically l IL million
pounds in 1910 1-2 million and in 1911,
9 million pounds. From India the guam
tity imported seldom reached half mil
lion pounds prior to 1908, in which year
the total was over three-quarters of
million pounds; IN 1910, l-2 millions and
in 1911, 2 1-2 millions. The Chinese and
Indian cottons are as rule of shorter
staple than that of the United States,
and as a consequence are rated at
somewhat lower price in the worlds
markets, a fact which accounts for the
large growth in the importation OF these
L. yxyh1
American cotton has commanded excep-
tionally high prices. On the other hand,
Egyptian cotton which is of longer
staple, higher quality, and therefore
higher in price than that of the United
States, still forms large proportion of
the imports, the quantity imported di-
rect from Egypt in 1911 being SO million
pounds out of a total of ia million
pounds imported in that year, and its
value 20 1-2 million dollars, out of the
"a "a million dollars worth of cotton i'm
ported.
Cotton importation has shown steady
if not rapid growth, especially during
the last 20 years. Prior to the Civil
War the quantity imported seldom reach
ed more than l million pounds per an
mum. During the war the quantity i'm
ported was quite large, ranging as high
as SO million pounds in 1865, but drop
ping to million pounds in 1866 and less
than l million in 1867. By 1870 the total
importation of cotton was % million
pounds; in 1880, 8 IL millions; in 1890,
8 IL millions; in 1900, 81 millions; in
1910, sc millions and in 1911, 113 3-4 mill
lion pounds.
children Crv