Evening star., 1922-03-06
RUSS MUST IMPORT
CLOTHES THIS YEAR
Textile Industries Are in Well
Nigh Hopeless Con-
ditiOn.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Assoca ted Press.
MOSCOW. February 9.-If the Rus
sian people are to continue to be
clothed. important imports of cotton
and woolen cloths will be necessary
this year. Russia's cotton and woolen
textile industries are in a well nigh
hopeless condition, both from the
point of view of raw materials and
the possibility of factory production.
The prospect for fax. hemp and silk
are somewhat better. /;
In the warehouses of the govern
ment, in the public markets and the
retail stores there is to be found q
high prices. A little silk is available
at $3.50 to SO a yard. woolen goods
at 50 to $40 yard and little linen
at SO to IS. These prices are fncreas-
ing rapidly: To meet this situation
the economic council has decided to
retain government monopoly of raw
cotton. Past and continuing financial,
political, social and labor conditions
contribute to this situation.
Wool Loss High.
The loss of sheep growing fine wool
is estimated to be high. Out of a
total of 100000 of such sheep, only
115.000 are said to remain. Before the
general war. Russia had upward of
S0.000.000 sheep bearing coarse wool.
Figures to show their consumption
for food are not available.
The cotton production in Turkestan.
three-fourths of her raw supply, has
fallen 20 per cent.
Before the war Russia stood fourth
among nations as a cloth manufac-
turer, and manufactured five-sixths
Of all the cloths here people wore.
n Srnli inc nf hn~ 11fs
factories comes partly from the fact
that she has lost Poland and the Bal
tic provinces, where were two Of her
three great factory centers. The third
was in Moscow, especially for coarse
cloths such as that used by her army.
Cotton Situation. 4
The cotton cloth produced in 1920
was about 100000 pounds and in
the first half of 1921. about 25,000.00O
pounds. In 1916 Russia's cotton
cloth amounted to about 70,080.000
pounds. The cotton cloth manufac-
turers for this years program fore
cast the weaving of about 100000
pounds of raw cotton. This estimate
involves obtaining raw cotton from
Turkestan and a little from the
Caucasus; but it is stated that the
irrigation system of Turkestan's cot
ton fields has been ruined and q num-
ber of cotton-cleaning factories there
have been demolished. Also there is
q shortage of cotton seed.
Nozin, chairman of the cotton COM
mittee. has informed the supreme
economic council that only one-third
of the normal acreage in the Ferg-
hama district OF Turkestan was sown
last year and that the yield was
sabont 2O,00O.00O pounds Of raw cotton,
as compared to a pre-war production
Of so ,00O, 900 pounds in both Turkes-
tart and the Causasus. The soviet
was able to obtain only about S,000,-
900 pounds of the Turkestan crop, and
has paid for only about one fourth of
it. 1t Is proposed this year to double
last years acreage Of cotton in Turk
estan, but the cotton committee has
only 100000 gold rubles Of the
6.S90, 600 rubles necessary to pay for the
crep.
The task of obtaining the cotton
has been placed in the hands Of Adolf
A.. Joffe. the soviet's chief represent
attve in Turkestan.