The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1915-01-01
RUSSIAN FACTORIES
in NEED OF COTTON
agent OF 20 Mills Visits Columbia
Wants Insurance Reduced.
>(Tuesday's State.)

year amounted to about 1000 ,OOC
bales, has for the last several years
been increasing in quantity and quail
lty, and the South will have to. eight,
and fight hard" in 10 or Is wears in
order to gain entrance into the Rus
sian cotton market, according to J.
ii. Kaufman, who is attached to a
committee representing about 20 cot
ton mills in Moscow, Russia, and who
was in Columbia yesterday. The OBJ
Ject of the committee is to get insur-
ance on cotton shipments from the
United States to Russia, either by
way of Troutheim or Norvik, Norway.
or by Vladivostok.
About Is months ago, Mr.. Kauf-
mann of Switzerland was sent to Rus
Sia bV the Edwin G.. Seibels agency
of Columbia, which is sole representa-
tive In America of the Russia Insur-
ance company of st. Petersburg, the
largest company of its kind in Rus
sia. Mr.. Kaufman said that on his
trip through Germany and Russia he
saw nothing of the war and that it
was hard at times to. realize that
there was great conflict going on
After leaving Moscow on Novembe
20 it took him II days to arrive in
London. He was forced to 90 by
land from Moscow to Christiania,
whence he took boat to the shore
of England.
Domestic Crop Inadequate
The cotton crop of Russia, said
Mr.. Kaufman, con account Of the
large demand by Russian mills. which
are working full time in order to sup
ply the needs of the soldiers, will run
out about the end of April. These
mills require good middling or fully
good middling cotton of above 2S
miliimeter staple. They paid a hand
some price for the cotton, but the cot
ton bought abroad must be purchased
cheap as there is a duty of about 6
cents a pound on cotton, in addition
to the costs of shipment and insur-
ance.
"As years go on, Russia will be
demanding much less cotton from the
United States," continued Mr.. Kauf-
mann, "as their crop is steadily in.
creasing. 1t may be many years be-
fore they will be in position to ex-
port. cotton, but The imports haIe
been and will continue to decrease
While the South can raise cotton
more cheaply than the people of Rus
sia can raise it, yet the incidental ex-
penses to imported cotton at great
ly reduced prices, f. o. b. American
ports. in comparison with what they
pay for Russian cotton.
"Tho greatest barrier now to a re-
sumption of trade in cotton between
Russia and the United States is the
restriction of credits. Formerly nine
rouble five copecks equalled one
pound sterling, but at the present
time it takes II or moro roubles. An
other great desideratum is shipment
through 20 Moscow, which can now
be approached only by roundabout
routes"
Mr. Kaufman said that he felt il
incumbent on him to respect neutral
ity while in the United States, though
the Russians. Tho soldiers, of which
there are about 100000 on the bor-
der. explained Mr.. Kaufman, display
strong national feeling and are en-
thuslaStic; their cry is "On the l.er-
lin The war against Germany, he
said, has brought out coopcratior
of aims and ambitions that had al
ways been thought wanting.
Talks of Vodka Decree.
As to the decree of the government
prohibiting the sale of vodka and al
coholic beverages of all kinds. Mr..
Kaufman said: at is the greatest
thing in the world I have ever seen.
The change was most surprising, as it
is impossible for anyone to get
drink of vodka, wine or beer, though
the two latter may be bought in Pc
trograd, while a few short months
80" the Russian peasant would have
sold anything in his possession for a
drink. With the characteristic shrug
of the shoulders, the Russian says:
i don't worry about it, and con
tents himself with water. tea or
coffee. The order to discontinue the
sale of vodka came very suddenly
and was preceded by no prohibition
campaign. BY the majoitv of people
in Russia it is considered the greatest
increase of fortune to the country.
After the war, it is not probable that
other than private distilleries will be
in operation. 1t is estimated that this
move on the part of the government
has cost in revenue about $500. .OOO.-
600. the manufacture and sale Of
vodka having been government mo.
noDoly."
Moscow is not only the most impor-
tant railway centre OF Russia, one
sixth to one-fifth of all the goods car
ried by the railroads of European
Russia being loaded or unloaded there
but the CITY is also the principal man
ufacturing city in the empire. About
lOO,O 600 operatives are emDloyed in
her mills and factories and of these
nearly onc-half are engaged in the
textile industries, especially calico
printing.
Mr.. and Mrs. Fred w. Willard have
rntnrnnl tn Tho ..it,r hnl lo..-- l.