The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-12-01
(From Dun's International Review for
November.)

abundance of raw cotton. This year it
has more than an The
growing crop probably will be in ex-
cess of $4,000, 600 bales. Under ordi-
nary circumstances about half of this
would be exported for manufacture
and consumption in other countries.
But at present the cotton mills of Con-
tinental Europe are idle, while in Eng
land only about 25 per cent. of the
mills are in operation. Outside or
Japan, the United States is the only
large cotton manufacturing country In
the world where the industry has not
been di~sorganized by var
That America can supply the
worlds needs in cotton fabrics is be-
yond question. It's facilities are SO
vast that it can do SO with the utmost
promptness and efficiency. Mills bet
ter equipped, mechanically and in
every way, cannot be found any
where. They are prepared to make
any kind Of cloth that anyone wants
to buy. They are making every
weave successfully for every market.
almost at their very doors. 1t does
not have to be transported over seas
TO be manufactured and then be
shipped other thousands of miles to
the consuemrs. From the American
mill the product goes straight to its
destination. That means a great saw
ing in time and money, of which the
foreign consumer gets the benefit.
"Made i'm America"
Cotton goods made in America have
found q ready and permanent sale in
every market on the globe hat they
have entered. One reason for this is
that no fabrics are better made. The
American cottonS are sold on their
intrinsic merits. There are mills in
the United States, for instance, the
quality OF whose product is SO high
that their orders. year in and year
out, are far in excess of their pro-
duction. The outputs have to be ap-
portioned pro rata among the
buyers.
The two great mill districts Of the
Cnited States are contiguous to the
Atlantic seaboard-one in the North,
in the New England States; the other
In the South, centering in the Caro-
)inas. The northern mills, as a rule,
specialize on the finer weaves those
in the South on the cOarSer fabrics
The latter, however, are gradually
turning to a finer quality of goods
The development Of these southern
mills, in size, perfection of machinery
and the skill of their employees ha:
been especially noteworthy of late
years. Owing partly to the grade o.
tuelT pIOuuCl lIlclT ANNUAL COnSuHlp
ton of raw cotton exceeds hat O
the northern mills.
In the number Of spindleS-31, $40,
600, or 22.8 per cent. of the world
supply-the United States ranks sec
ond only to Great Britain, whose per
centage is 40.3. Prior to 1890 ex
ports Of American cotton goods onl,
In the next decade these export
more than doubled, the total amount
ing to $4,000, 900 by 1900. BY 1871
they exceeded $4,000, 900. In the las
our years the expansion has bee
greater than in any previous decade
the total, June 80, 1913, aggregatin
s53,743,977. Great as this is, how
ever. it is only about AS per cent. c
the worlds trade in cotton goods. TIL
countries at var or within the wa
zone, lave been supplying S7.3 pc
cent. of the worlds consumption. No
the world will have to look to tn
United States for a much larger pre-
portion of it's needs.
Won in Competition.
This expansion of Americas cote
manufacturing and export trade HI
been won in the face of keen compel
ton. The margin between the prit
of a pound of raw cotton and tn:
of a pound Of goods, whether val
or cloth, is so small that advantas
udS W De tdkeH OF every
device, of rising or falling marke
in the raw material of everythin
In fact, which tends to decrease IL
cost OF production and to enhance IL
quality Of the product.
An overwhelming proportion of tt
manufactures of cotton consumed
the United States and other countri
consists Of plain cloth woven fro
coarse or medium yarns. Seldom ha
n American manufacturers fall
short OF supplying the full demand +
these goods, and then only when t
crop has fallen short. This year, wi
the crop above the average, they 8
IN an especially favorable position
MI orders promptly from all the ma
kets of the world.
Generally speaking, the cotton mi
OF the United States may be divid
into two classes: Those produci
cotton goods including mills
gagged in the spinning of cotton or
~ s4~0 0O~ ON To- ~