New Britain herald., 1922-10-04
COTTON SHIPMENTS,
 ARE FALLING OFF
Congestion of Roads and Coal
 Priority is Main Cause

Atlantic City. N. J., Oct 4.-The transportation outlook for the next few months, as viewed by experts, is displeasing regardless of recent per formances of the railroads in hauling tonnage nearly equal to the peak load of 1920, the committee on rates and transportation of the National As sociation of Cotton manufacturers re- ported to the organizations semi-an- nual meeting here today.
 At no time in the history of rail transportation" the report said, "has so great apprehension been manifest ed by railroad officials in relation to the future movement of fuels, food stuffs and products.
 Repairs Needed
 The percentage of bad order loco motives and cars," the report said, is greater at the present time than at any time during the past several Years. Several weeks of constant la DOT of efficient workmen will be re-
 luired to take care of current repairs and it is estimated that months will pass before a reasonable percentage of the rolling stock thoroughly out of commission may be agaiM placed in service. The morale of all union labor employed in railroad work is more or less broken, and although we hope that feeling of friendly cooperation will soon maintain, the condition as it now exists augurs i'll for the imnle diate future.
 Coal Congestion Coal for all purposes, particularly for domestic use, must be transported 10 points of consumption, and its pri- ority movement over other classes Of freight except foodstuffs may very likely congest or prevent movements of materials for manufacture and the products of manufacture.
 The extra cost from all sources due to the strike condition, which the railroads have already. and will in the near future suffer, cannot be truly es- timated, but all of this added expense will be ultimately borne by the user of transportation as is the case in all transportation costs.'
 T have no general panacea to of fer, but I am convinced that business men and their employees are going 10 develop some method. which perhaps will have to be put in force through legislative action to eliminate strikes, and yet protect adequately the rights and welfare of the workers as we'll as the interests of the employers The economic waste caused by strikes is nd mi, I,n method which sensible human beings can utilize to eliminate or at least to minimize greatly, this loss.
 Raw Cotton Problem
 One of the most troublesome ques- tions in the industry at present in the probable future supplies of raw cot ton, Professor Copeland asserted
 If all the spindles in the world were operating at full capacity" he said, I've would need roughly a total annual supply of 2o,0oo,ooo bales of cotton, quantity substantially larger than has been grown during the last few years. So far as can be judged now the potential demand seems like ly to increase faster than the crop will increase"
 He expressed the opinion, however, that the high prices for raw cotton would stimulate production.
 Professor Copeland declared, "cot- ton cloth prices are likely to fluctuate for the next eight or 10 years, some where around their present level, or slightly below.
 Prices Advance
 Because of crop conditions the prices of raw cotton and of cotton cloth have anticipated in many other lines during the last year. A further sustained advance in the prices of cotton goods, unless the dearth of raw proves to be unexpectedly great. does not seem likely to take place until the general price level has risen substantially. In view of the short supplies of the raw material and wage conditions, on the other hand. decline in cotton cloth prices in the immediate future is not to be ex- pected."