The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1915-01-01
RUSSIA TO SEEK
AMERICAN COTTON
Will Send Delegates to the United
States-Can Be Sold There.


commerce by Consul General She'd
grass of Moscow it is stated that dele
gates are shortly to visit the Unite
States with view towards purchas-
ing American cotton for Russian
mills.
Giving the reasons for this action.
which should mean much to cotton
producers, Consul Snodgrass said:
when the war made it impossible
to purchase cotton in the United
States, there was an abnormal rise
the price Of the Russian product
1t has been found possible to sell
American cotton, imported via Vladi-
vostok, at lower price than Asiatic
cotton.
"From 55 to per cent of the
requirements of the Russian cotton
industry are met by the cotton grown
in Russia, and Russian manufacturers
are trying to use domestic cotton as
much as possible instead of Ameri-
can. A local expert states that sea-
island and Egyptian cotton are the
only kinds for which no Russian sab
stitutes can be found.
The Russian crop varies consider
ably in quality, but if this years crop
in the territory of Ferghana is SINH
lar to that of 1913, 354, 900 bales Of
500 pounds, out of a total of 100000
bales, will be of first quality.
In Bad Condition.
ut might be expected therefore.
tfat 20 per cent of the kinds OF cot
tn required for the production Of
high class yarns-warp Nos. 5000
and weft Nos. 60-70-could be sup
piled by the Russian product. This !.
GC, the case, however Native grov-
crS often mix various sorts and mos
ten them to sell to dealers at gr.I,-
q" profit: and dealers, to obtain ~
more equal article, mix first ella
cotton with inferior kinds and cotton
obtained from local seed with that
grown from American seed Further-
more. the system of cleaning cotton in
TWkestan and TranScaucasia is st;il
very defective and the cotton shipped
from these parts often contains sand
earth, parts of leaves, etc, and con-
siderable amount of moisture.
In the report of an expert, nd
dressed to the Central Cotton COM
n,:ttce, it is stated that if the 1000
bales of Russian cotton were cleancl I
according to improved methods, its
W'ue would be increased by $4,000,
OO0 TO S3,000,O00, and there would
besides be considerable economy IT,
doig away with the necessity of pack
n and transporting the waste. 1t has
been proved that by careful cleaning
the standard of the cotton { accord
ing to the arbitration committee of
the Moscow eXchange) can be raised
by at least half class.
AT the present time 45 of the 300
cotton cleaning establishments of
Turkestan and Trancaucasia arc
working according to the improved
pneumatic system. 1t is too late in
the season to contemplate the con-
struction of new wowrks, but the ex-
listing concerns may increase their
production by putting up additional
~ins and by prolonging the working
day, which in several instance has al
ready been done. The success of the
'Reformator' machines is pronounced.
Price is Good.
"Of the 1,702,337 bales of cotton
consumed by the Russian cotton mills
in 1911-14, more than half, 913,633
bales of Russian cotton, was deliver
G dto the cotton mills during the
months of November. December, Jan
uary and February. This would prove
that, if necessary measures be taken
to expedite the shipment of this
years crop from Central Asia, the
Russian mills would be supplied with
the required material for the next
four or five months. But the prices
16 to 1850 rubles per pound (22.8 to
23.6 cents per pound), are so high
that the manufacturers are refusing
to buy and are arranging to import
American cotton provided credits can
be arranged with American banks.
"At meeting of the Association
of Cotton Manufacturers held recent
ly to discuss the situation of the cot,
tor industry in connection with the
war, and attended by most of the
important cotton manufacturers of
Russia, report was made on the
conference of the cotton committee of
Petrogad in regard to the establish
ment of tax on Russian cotton and
the increase Of the duty on foreign
"tton. The question of direct pur-
chase of cotton in the United States
was also discussed. In view of the
speculative rise in prices of Russian
cotton, the conference decided that it
would be desirable to send delegates
to the United States to purchase cot
ton and to ascertain the possibility of
organizing the supply of American
cotton for Russian mills on an ex-
tensive scale for the entire duration
of the war"
SHOT nv ACrTnENT