, 1911-05-13
THE COTTON MARKET AND COTTON
PLANTING.

the reports on cotton i'll the Liverpool mar
ket, furnished fortnightly by Messrs VOL
stenholme and Holland, have shown that an
Indifferent demand for S-a Island cotton has
existed since the middle Of january in this
year it is also known that similar conditions
have obtained for the past few months in
the Sea Island markets OF the United States.
At the present time, in the West Indies, the
cotton planter has had already to decide the
maximum area that he will plant in cotton
during the coming season, and he Will have
5000 to ascertain definitely, how much of
this area he will actually use for cOttOngroW-
ing. In making this decision, several matters
will have to receive careful consideration, but
none of these will probably have more influence
Iii assisting HIM to arrive at q conclusion than
that relating to the prices which he is like
Iy to receive for the cotton that viii come
into his possession ut the end Of the season.
Reports from the Sea Island cotton-pro-
ducing areas Of the United States show
that suggestions for taking steps to regulate
the position have already been made. Ac-
cordmg to the Surau03ub N0YHjag Neu9
for March ii, 1911, a meeting of Sea Island
cotton growers was held in Savannah on
March 9th, and u committee was appointed
for the purpose OF considering the present
circumstances OF cotton production and sale,
III order that recommendations may be
made which would enable growers to cope
with the situation, This committee, after
drawing attention to the duh state of the
market for the ninety days preceding the
making of its report, compares the stock
Of co ton on hand, ut Savannah and Charles
ton, on March 10, 1911, with thlt for the
same date in previous years the figures in
bales are as follows 1917, 26, 1875 1910,
S,O82; 1909, 1905 1908, ll,5l6. 1t is
thus seen thai the amount OF cotton on
hand, at this period of the present season,
is far greater than any OF the quantities at
the same time IN the three preceding years.
The committee states that the unfayOur0bIe
condition is aggravated by the existence
of an estimated stock of 10000 bales in the
interior, and there is the additional unto
ward circumstance of the prevalence of q
rumour to the effect that there will be q
material increase in the area planted IN Sea
Island cotton, in the coming season. The
recommendation is therefore made that
a resolution that the area of Sea Island
cotton IN Florida, Georgia and South Caro-
linn, shall be reduced by so per cent,
which was passed at the general meet
ING March 9, shall be carried into effect
and the further suggestion is made that
the area no longer employed for the cotton
grow my ollNIt w uo6Nt 1Oi IuG pIOttiCblOR
OF peas and ground nuts, and for the rais-
ing OF pigs.
Whether this resolution will be actually
carried into effect is anothor matter, and
it behoves the West Indian cotton grower
to consider the question in relation to his
own circumstances. He may at once dis
miss the idea Of etfecting a drastic reduction
OF area III the crop, similar to that suggest
ed in the United States. The great dispar-
ity Of area for cotton-growing, in the two
cases, is sufficient to show this for whereas
more than 100000 bales Of about 400 ID.
can be obtained from that in the United
States, the area III the West Indies has
never produced Sea Island cotton amounting
to even as much as 5000 bales of a similar
size. The matter may be illustrated in
anotheE way by saying that if the West
Indies halyed its production, it would only
be equivalent to reducing that of the United
SJntcs Sea Island area by about 4 per cent
a reduction that would have virtually no
effect on the market. The question of
reduction having been thus decided, it re-
mains to consider the position i'll regard to
any proposed extension.
In a letter received recently. Mr.. J..
Hutton, Chairman Of the british Cation