The sun., 1916-01-08
FREIGHT SCARCITY
DOMINATES COTTON
Conflicting RumOrs Cause Con.
siderable 1rregularity In
Fluctuations.
NEW ACREAGE OUTLOOK

IN spite Of more or less irregularit.
ro.;ou showed a fairly steady underton
yesterday and prices closed at ne
gan Of S to II points. traders wer
puazled by the irregularity in Liverpool
vhe,e prices advanced and recovere,
several times and finally closed unsettle,
AT a net loss Of about 4 points. Spo
sales amounted to 10000 bales al q de
cline OF ~ points.
quito naturally the ocean freight sit
uaton Is attracting more attention thar
any other feature of cotton just now
u.sh prices paid by Liverpool can hav,
only A moderate effect here unless tn,
trads sees some relief from the scut,
ssrc,y OF tonnage. A Galveston wir,
yesterday reported that the British Gov
erilmrnt had issued an order lmitins
the freight rate on cotton to 81 per lOl
pounds or SO per bale from Gulf port,
To Liverpool. in spite ~ the fact that tn.
present rate is 50. with practically nc
CON Offering at that figure. A Dalia.
message received along In the Afternoon
cast doubt on the reliability OF the Gal
weston report. II Is ono thing for thu
British Government TO limit the freish
charges 20 be paid and quite another (,
furnish the ships 10 carry the cotton
At present there seems to he very It'll,
Prospect OF any increase in available
tonnagc. Notwithstanding the fact thai
English ships plying IN the South Amer
lean trade are being taken out Of that
service and Communicated for work
nearer home.
According to the New York Cotton
Exchange the intostght for the week WAS
27i,7l6 balts. against 503.975 bales last
YEAR The total for the season to date
Is '.63sooo bales, against s.227.00O last
year. The trade is expecting the census
report OIL the amount OF cotton ginned
20 January TO be published at the OPP II =
ing this morning. The report Is expected
to show lo,6jO.000 H. 1850, 900 bales.
The following interesting comment OIL
'ew crop prospects is made by AN Ala =
bsua spot firm: Preparations for
pitching the new crop ara delayed and
ne question Of acreage for next season
Is one OF uncertainty. The planter does
hot kl low what to do. Diversi 'ication
las taken hold OF the entire country.
II has ben demonstrated that the less
,HttOu the South raises, the better price
1t brings and the more foodstufrs the
a. tlS raise 1T VI ING
loss they have to buy. In the boil ~e vii
districts, especially those II. .;ected wthtn
ne last twelve months. supplies for rails
Is cotton are going to be very hard
20 secure. so diversincation In these re-
EiorS is matter OF compuleion.
IN the sections where fertilizers have
nseu used to great extent, the idea is
prevalent with planters to buy in very
moderate quantities. They feel that the
increased production caused by feftili-
1e.s has a tendency to lower the prices
OF the staple because OF THE increase.
SIDES having 20 pay enormous prices
FOR the fertilizers, which are quoted
much higher than usual and. last and
most pltentious OF all, the European
war cont ues which is conceded to
make tn raising OF cotton a very un-
certain venture. since 1t il Ia the highest
degree questionable whether prospective
rri'es would make it profitable"
Mars closed very steady.