Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1911-09-22
| Imports of Cotton into the United
States.

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 nevertheless fact that the United
States, which produces practically two
thirds of the worlds cotton, brought
from China during the last fiscal year
Q91D more than million pounds of
raw cotton, at a cost in that country of
more than l million dollars and from
India in 1910 about 1-2 million pounds.
at valuation of more than half
million dollars. Other distant sections
of the world were also drawn upon
Peru, "a million pounds in 1911;
Dutch East Indies, in 1909, nearly a
half million pounds; Haiti in 1911,
nearly half million pounds, while
other contributors include Venezuela,
Ecucador, 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 IS million pounds. In
addition to this there was imported
from England about TIP million
pounds, presumably chiefly East In
dian, Egyptian and West African, since
England, of course, produces no cotton.
Raw cotton importations in 1911 were
larger than in any earlier year, amount
ing to 113, 768, 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 cot
ton imported from China never reached
a quarter of million pounds prior to
1905 and in 1909 was practically l ID
million pounds, in 1910 41-2 million and
in 1911 9 million pounds. From India
the quantity imported seldom reached a
half million pounds prior to 1908, in
which year the total was over three
quarters of a million pounds; in 1910,
) IL millions and in 1911, 2 1-2 millions.
The Chinese and Indian cottons are as
a rule of shorter staple than that of
the United States, and as a consequence
are rated at a somewhat lower price in
the worlds mark cts, fact which ac-
counts for the large growth in the i'm
portation of these cottons in the recent
years in which American cotton has
commanded exceptionally high prices.
On the other hand, Egyptian cotton
which is of longer staple, higher quail
ity, and therefore higher in price than
that of the United States, still forms a
large proportion of the imports, the
quantity imported direct from Egypt in
1911 being SO million pounds out of a
total of Ia million pounds imported in
that year, and its value 201-2 million
dollars, out of the 243-4 million dollars
worth of cotton imported.
Cotton importation has shown a
steady if not rapid growth, especially
during the last 20 years. Prior to the
Civil War the quantity imported seldom
reached more than million pounds per
annum. During the war the quantity
imported was quite large, ranging as
high as &c million pounds in 1865, but
dropping to million pounds in 1866
and less than l million in 1867 By 1870
the total importation of cotton was
2-3 million pounds; in 1880, 31-2 mil
lions; in 1890, 1-2 millions; in 1900, 67
millions; in 1910, Sc millions and in 1911,
l13 3-4 million pounds.