The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-12
HEFL|N WANTS ID KNOW WHAT GOES
 WITH THE COTTON
Claims Spectators Juggle Market Because Detailed Figures on COnsump-
 ton Are Lacking

Washington December 10.-(Special)
 Congressman Heflin today introduced a
 bill requiring the director of the census
 to compile and publish monthly the cot
 ton consumed in the manufacture of felt,
 rope, carriage and automobile seats and
 backs, mattresses, surgical lints, and
 gunpowder and explosive shells
 Mr Heflin, in discussing his bill. de-
 clared that the failure of the govern
 nent to give such information at the
 present time served we'll the designs of
 specule tors, inasmuch as it was made
 to appear that the amount of cotton
 pi oduced remained a dead burden on the
 cotton market except for that portion
 consumed by spndles.
 On account of the European war MT Heflin states that it is his informa ton that many times more cotton has been used this season for purposes other than cloth manufacture than ever before in the history of the country. He has been told by cotton experts with tendencies favorable to the south that his bill, when enacted into law, will serve an excellent purpose.
 The bill follows:
 MIR. HEFLIN'S BILL
 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assem bled:
 That the director of the census be. and he is hereby authorized and required tc gather the statistics of cotton used in the manufacture of felts, bats, rope, buggy cushions and backs, automobile cushions and backs pillows mattresses, surgical lints, medkcated cotton gun powder and high explosive shells. Sec. 2. It shall be the duty of the director of the census to obtain statis- tics monthly of all cotton used for the purpose mentioned in section 1 of this act.
 Sec g. The director of the census shall require agents to be appointed or designated by him to visit all manufac- turing plants or establishments where cotton is used in making felts bats, buggy cushions and backs, automobile cushions and backs, pillows, mattresses, surgical lints, medicated cotton, gun powder and high explosive shells, and he shall publish the statistics with the sta l tistics now gathered and published by | the census bureau of cotton consumed by the spindles of the United States" PURPOSES OF BILL MT. HeIHn, m, ulScuSSlnS ms Dill, Sdlu. Now the government only gathers and publishes statistics of cotton consumed l by the cotton mills of the United States, | and vast amount of cotton is con- 1 sumed in the manufacture of felts, bats, l rope, buggy cushions and backs auto mobile cushions and backs, pillows mat | tresses, surgical lint, medicated cotton, gunpowder and high explosive shells. But no official report is made of the dispo- 1 eli of oil than pcp1 fnr | spinning purposes. When the supply of | cotton is once announced at the begin | ming of the season, no report is pub | lished by the government of any cotton
 consumed except that used by the spin Eers, and speculatorS have tried to ere ate the impression that all the cotton not l accounted for in the report of cotton
 consumed by the spinners had not been ! used, but was still in existence. By this 1 deception they have injured the cotton farmer and kept from the public the real ! truth of the cotton situation. For in | stance, statistics show that the world l produced 24,OO0,O00 bales of cotton last
 year, and that the spindles consumed | 20 o00,0 eco bales. Spectators have taken no account of cotton consumed other l than that used by cotton mills and they | have been claiming that all over the | 20 900. eco bales consumed by cotton mills 1 is still in the bulk of the worlds SUD- ply of old cotton. This, of course, is | not true; that cotton has been consumed. | More cotton has been used in the last | l2 months in the manufacture of medi- cated cotton, surgical lint, gunpowder and high explosive shells for use in the | European war than has ever been used | in any 25 years in the history of the l world.
 | If we are going to have statistics at | all as to cotton production and consump- | tion, we are entitled to have full and complete statistics, so that we may know the truth and the whole truth about the cotton situation. My bill. enacted into law will secure and publish this truth. Tine cotton producer and cotton spin ner gre both entitled to this informa- tion, and the public should no longer be left to misrepresentation and speculation
 as to the real supply and consumption of
 cotton My bill will give to the world
 the real facts of the cotton situation.
 1 shall urge it's speedy passage"