Arizona republican., 1921-09-22
C0T T0N, COPPER
 TOPICS AT M. & M. MEETING
Improvement In Cotton Market And Prospects For Copper Told By Speakers At First Meet ing Of Fall

The fight against unjust freight rates. the cotton market, mining conditions and building activities were the principal subjects discussed at the first fall meet ting of the Mer- chant sand Manufacturers association at the Y. M. c. A yesterday noon perhaps the largest and best meet ing in the history of the organiza- .tion. About 80 members attended.
 If the meeting had a keynote 1t was optimism, for almost every talk on the unusually interesting and in- structive program contained indica- tions of returning normal conditions in the valley. The cotton situation was declared to be becoming better: many new buildings were cited to show that a considerable construction program is under way; the copper surplus was reported diminishing with prospects for growing demand The Merchants and Manufacturers association of Phoenix is clearing house for free and frank discussion 1 by its members of public problems affecting them individually and col | lectively. Wallace Button. president 1 Of the organization, declared in a short tallxs- and the luncheon meet | ing more than bore out the statement | The speaking program was preceded by a report by Secretary A. l. Uhler on the work of the associa- tion during the last six months showing large growth in the mem- 1 bership.
 Reviews Rail Rate Fight | The work of the traffic bureau in it's endeavor to organize the state ' hnr h fo1, Ie discriminatory freight rate changes proposed bv the railroads was re- l viewed by George A. Todd. The case will come up for hearing soon before the interstate commerce commission
 The cotton market situation al present was ably discussed by M F. Smith. local representative soi Calders& Richmond. whose talk con- tained many indications of better market and better prospects for tn, future.
 MT Smith said his firm has pur. chased 5000 bales of local cotton 1T the past two weeks, adding that thii was an indication of a general cot. ton movement. The turning point il the market came in August, he de. clared, when long staple cotton coult not be sold for 25 cents a pound, wher
  I showing the probable cotton produe- | tion- During the last two month. mills have begun buying. and there has been an increasing demand ever | since.
 Though he advised speculators not | to work on his statements, Mir. Smith expressed the belief there probablJ would be a further increase in tho price offered for Pima cotton. He I valuable aid in the situation by con- trolling sales and preventing fhs 1 dumping on the market of distress cotton.
 l New Uses for Pima One of the interesting statements made by the speaker was his men, | tion of the increasing uses for Pima l cotton. He said his firm and others were doing missionary work success fully in introducing long staple IT mills which never had used it before An example of the success of this work was given in the sale of 70t bales recently to a thread manufac- turing firm at 37 cents a pound, ths best sale so far this season. He add ed that Pima cotton might become too valuable for use in tires. and thai the growers need no longer feel tha' the tire manufacturers formed th, only market.
 Up to two months ago but 2o,00, bales of the 1000 of last years croy had been shipped from the valley, | Mir. Smith said.
 Business is good, and prospectiv, construction now assured will mak, business even better" was the dec laration of Leo Weaver, secretary O the Phoenix builders exchange, in hi speech on building activities. H mentioned the $S00.000 union sta ton project here. the s25,000 work a the Glendale grammar schools. tn Peoria high school, for which a con tract will be let Saturday at approx imately s160,000, and the many resi- dences in course of construction an being planned.
 MT. Weaver said the builders ex change firmly believes that at n time will building costs be lower, no labor more plentiful, than at present and that now is the time to build.
 Outlines Copper Situation
 The copper mining situation, no only in Arizona but in the. entir country and the world. was reviewe in detail by Charles F. Willis, edito of the Arizona Mining Journal. Mi Willis explained that the war geare up copper production to 2,50o, 900. .00 pounds of copper a year in the Unite 1 States, as compared with a norma production of 1.500. 100000. The sud bar .vnarfence ability and natura