The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-07-29

Pie W meduS VI tue niPn IdIllI law.
So that we are ourselves paying a good
deal more for our cotton goods than
any other people do upon earth, al.
| though we furnish the world with the
raw cotton from which the cotton
| goods are made, It would seem as
though we ought to be able to manu-.
facture our own cotton stuffs, but
through the tariff fostering of trusts
and combines, which are easily built up
under our bogus tariff law. we are los
ing the cotton trade, not only of the
world, but of our own people.
Very probably our foreign shipments
are lost to consid derable extent be-
cause Of the indifference of the
American manufacturers and packers
to the local demands abroad British
and German manufacturers, in max
ing their shipments to foreign coun-
tries, consult the desires Of those coun.
tries, and put up the goods in pack
ages and in methods desired by the
trade to which the shipments are made.
The United States, however, pays lit
tie or no regard IN this respect to the
local demand in foreign ports, but puts
up Its shipments in the way that the
independent American shipper sees
best to suit himself. The result is dis.
content, recrimination, and loss of for.
eign trade. ....
But the general trouble goes deeper
than that, since the foreign cotton
manufacturers are invading our own
country, and selling two dollars worth
of cotton goods to us. to one dollars
worth sold by our own manufacturers
abroad. The tariff is undoubtedly re,
sponsible for a good deal of this, by
reason Of its unscientific and cnude
methods of classification and fixing of
duties These evils were pointed out
emphatically to the Senate when the
present tariff bill was up for consid.
Grafton. But the only reply that could
be got was sneeriug question from
Smoot whether the person criticising
understood the process of merceriZinp
threads. And that is as deep as the
consideration of the question reached
in the Senate.
IT is evident, however. that some-
thing Is radically wrong in our cot
ton trade, and it ought not to be diff |
ficut for Congress, aided by the cx-
pert advice Of the Tariff Board. to find
out what it is that is wrong, and urge
the remedy.
Not only have the English cotton |
manufacturers stolen away from us the |
cotton markets of the world to a very
large extent, and invaded our own home
market in the sale of their cotton fab
rlcs, they are about TO engage in the
raising of cotton in this country on
their own account. The word is, that
English cotton manufacturing interests
have Just concluded the purchase of
cotton lands in Mississippi to the value
of S3,O0O,O0 and Memphis report
says that payment has been made by
the actual shipment of gold to that
the gold being lodged in one
of the banks Of that city. This indl-
Gates that the purchase is in the north \
conditions are favorable for gold i'm L
ports, otherwise paper exchange would H
have been used in making the 'pay. l|
mcnts. The South is said to look with
favor upon this invasion of the cotton
growing district by the English. as
likely to have considerable effect in i'm.
proving The cultivation and produc
ton of cotton, through the Investment
Of ample money and getting sufficient II
amount of land for au economic cy
pertinent on a large scale. The pro.
drcers hope TO be able. TO effect such
economies and improvements in the
planting, care, and harvesting of the
crop as materially to reduce the price
70 them. A legitimate outgrowth Of !.
this industry would be the establish. ?
mcnt of cotton mills by the English :
contiguous TO this pur. I
chase Of land, SO as to use up the got.