The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-08-18
ANOTHER PENSACOLA ADVAN-
TAGE

&c
With the subscription of the funds
necessary to the completion of the big
cotton compress, Pensacola is assured
Of another enterprise for the up-build-
ing OF this port and its tributary Sec
ton. The completion of the compress
and warehouse will mean that ship
ping will be given wonderful impetus,
as ships will come into this port in
preference to others which do not af-
ford base cargo.
According to the statement of L. "
Holsberry, at the meeting of the stock
holders of the cotton compress COM
pany, ships will not come to a port
unless than port can furnish some sta
pie for a base cargo. Cotton cargo
carries good freight rates and ships
taking that as base can pick up mis-
cellaneous cargo to capacity.
Not in the history of commerce has
cotton played so important a part, and
no port can hope to hold it's own
against the, other important ports,
without modern facilities for handing
this staple. High density compress
sion means that cargo carriers can
handle this staple with greater econ
omy of space than almost any other
cargo of equal value, and the ports
which can furnish cotton cargo have
great advantage over ports which are
far removed from cotton markets, and
have not adequate facilities for han
ding the staple.
An idea of the enormous value of
the American cotton crop is given in
the following report of the Depart
ment of Commerce for the ten months
ending May 81:
The department Of Commerce re-
ports 5,344,418 bales of cotton were
consumed in the mills of the United
States, which is an increase of 500, 140
bales over the consumption of the
corresponding period of 1919. On May
81 1,695,901 bales of cotton were on
hand in cotton consuming establish
ments, compared with 1,391,321 bales
May 81, 1919, while the quantity of
cotton held in public storage and at
congresses May 81 amounted to g.
5S4,7S4, or 831,823 bales less than was
reported on the same date last year.
During May 34,066,236 cotton spin
dies were in operation, an increase OF
534.923 spindles over May, 1919.
Our exports of cotton this year, not
withstanding high prices, show great
increase over the exports of 1919. For
the ten month period ending May 81
6,143,257 bales, or 1885, 40S bales more
of cotton were exported than during
the same period last year. Nearly a
million bales OF this increase were in
| the exports to the United Kingdom.
Likewise imports of cotton this year
over last made decided gain. This
| year $50 bales have been imported
463,5S1 bales of which came from
Egypt, compared with 164,913 bales
| imported from all countries in the ten
months ending May, 1919.
If it were not for the wonderful
/ progress made in recent years in The
| development of sea- island or long
| staple cotton in the Imperial Valley OF
California and in Arizona, this coun-
| try would be to a great extent oe-
pendent upon Egypt for this variety
of cotton, so much in demand for au-
tomobile tire fabric. Since the growth
of the tire industrn our requirements
for long staple cotton have reached
enormous proportions, and the tire
i manufacturers are striving to enlarge
the source of supply in this country.