The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-03-08
English View Of
the Cotton Situation
Sir Charles McCara Says There
is a World Wide Shortage
of Cotton Goods.
(By Harold BOokcr)

Columbia. March 5.-Sir Charles
McCara. the noted English cotton
expert declares that there is now in
the world and will bc for Il long time
a shortage OF cotton goods Mr.. J.
Skottowe Wanna1naker, chairman Of
the South Carolina. Cotton Associa-
in the following interview cabled
from Lancashire, England, to the
Toronto Globe:
TT is all a question OF manage
ment' said Sir Charles, and given
good management. with government
CO. operation where necessary. the
cotton industry Of Lancashire will
soon be predominant as Of yore. Give
us little time in which to recover
from the reaction Of war conditions.
and to get our machinery into shape
for coping with the worlds demands
and al will be well. The present
trying conditions cannot but be tenl-
porary: the cotton industry. next to
that OF agriculture the largest in the
world. cannot be long checked. The
world wants and must have cotton
goods
"Reverting to the question of ont
put. Sir Charles stated that so far as
concerned the production Of yarns
from American cotton, not more
than one-half OF the spindles in
England has been running for a con-
siderable time. The section devoted
TO Egyptian cotton had been op"rat-
ing for longer Years. but q scarcity OF
labor had been a serious handicap.
Like other machinery OF high
grade that devoted. to the Man'ifac-
ture OF cotton wears out more quick
" when ir is standing than when
it is working Sir Charles added:
Il would call attention TO this one,
important fact. viz that a, large pro
portion Of the cotton spinning ma
chinery Is made in lancashire. and
that since the beginning OF the var
our riia iaclliuia;s. owing 10 tie exlGen-
cies Of the var. have not been ht'sr
to do more than make the absolute
lv necessary repairs md renewals IN
the country. IT may be :t@ch Tor
granted, TOO. that in the matter OF
new machinery. priority Of delivery /
will be given to France and belgium.
and at the present price Of machinery
Gt is practically 200 to 900 per cent
above pre-war rates. it is impossible
to see how new mills can be started
successfully to compete with the iaills
already in existence.
"No,r, take America. The cotton
mills there. like the cotton mills
here. have. during the last two years.
10,
government work. but even in normal
times they are only able to export b
per cent Of their manufacture OF cot
ton goods and that won't go fa.. to-
wards meeting the worlds wants
You will see from these facts that
there is no possibility. for some years
TO come. Of the worlds production Of
cotton goods being equal to the
worlds wants"
Sir Charles was Of opinion tl1a: for
some time there would not be much
dropping off in prices, because. owing
to the conditions he had mentioned
relative to machinery and labor,
cloths. which in normal times usual
" take six months from the raw ma
tcrial to the finish. arc now taking
N3N6 n1OnItS, ana CiOlflS lstAliiS tIiS XII
ter period in pre-war times now take
twelve months. Also the great in
crease in the cost Of labor would
counterbaiance any drop of price in
raw materials. The stocks Of cloths
now in hand should be easily diSpos-
ed of in view of the demand once
confidence was re-estab)ished.
THAT will come with something
definite i'm the way Of peace condi-
lions," he said. confidently. and that
is why we are looking to an early set
tlement in Paris" He did not think
that the reported fact Of a GOOD stock
o. cotton in the United States would ,
have much effect in lowering prices
on the manufactured article. II the
cotton could not be converted into
cloth any faster than was likely to be
yhe. case for long time to como. he
could not see how it could affect
prices Of the finished articles.
NIs Dx.ookon Ast